《From Beast to Man and Back Again》Ch.18 Registering
Advertisement
"Register at the guild?"
"Yup, you've already gotten a feel for which weapons you like right? Two lessons for each and you already understand the basics well enough. You were already a pretty good at fighting when we started. You're stronger than those idiots that pickup a weapon for the first time once they become an adventurer. It's not like they send newbies on hard missions. I think it's time to tell the old man you're ready to start 'adventuring'."
"If you think so Garet. I was always ready, I've just been waiting for you two to give the okay."
"I have to say I agree, but it's better to be safe than sorry right? On a side note, are you sure you want to keep learning about all the weapons. If you were to concentrate completely you would be able to master it."
"But I am focusing. I'm practicing with the daggers and hand to hand combat every day five days a week. The other ones I'm only going to practice one or two days a week. And they help me learn more about the two I chose."
"I know. It's actually pretty impressive what you're doing, but are you sure you can handle it? Going through such rigorous training isn't always good for the body. Besides isn't two of those days your off days? You're suppose to use those to rest your body and mind."
"You know my lineage. I can easily handle the training, my base is better than most because my mother has raised me to be stronger since I was born."
"That doesn't sound like a good thing. It can stunt a child's growth if they exercise too much you know."
"I'm different. Unlike bipedal children I first started walking when I was three months old. Human babies walk at the earliest of nine months right? I' mart of a race that has fairly limitless growth. Humans can to, but they don't live long enough. My mother is three hundred years old and she is still very young. She's going to live longer than elves do. I'll probably live longer than an elf does too. My race is based of of an animal that grows quickly at birth and lives a long time. My body's ability, not its age, is growing as fast as that type of animal does. I have the potential of humans, longevity better than an elf's, and the epidemic growth of a young animal.NThis is the best time for my training. My mother taught me all of that Garet."
Advertisement
"I know, but does that mean I can't worry about you. You're still a kid Chaise. It's my responsibility as an adult and as your friend to make sure you'll be okay. Hmpf hmpf, cheeky kid, don't question my methods."
"Both you and the old man has told me to question your methods."
"I regret nothing."
Garet starts laughing and breaks into a run. I chase after him. Finally, after a month, I've gotten approval to start as an adventurer. The kids at the orphanage told me more about adventurers and it's sounds like a lot of fun. We run into the house, the door is currently removed from its hinges so that Garet can't kick it in. We burst into the old man's study. Garet clicks his tongue in dissatisfaction when he sees the door is open. The old man looks down at Garet arrogantly and then changes back to his normal expression.
"I assume you've come to tell me that you think Chaise is ready to start adventuring?"
"Yup, so what do you say old man?"
"Chaise you've figured out how to use those basic spells I taught you right?"
"Yeah, I can use them, but I still don't understand how they work. Besides my style is much stronger and more efficient, why can't I just do it my way?"
"People would take too much notice of you if you did. It would end up attracting the wrong type of attention. That aside, if you can use the basic spells I taught you then that means you'll be able to heal yourself if you get injured... Okay I think it will be alright if you join the guild. I'd take you there myself, but that might cause too much of a ruckus. Garet, would you mind taking him to sign up?"
"Of course I'll take him. I was planning to go even if you didn't ask me to. We'll head off immediately. Let's go Chaise!"
"Yay!"
Me and Garet sprint out the door. We race to see who'll get to town first. Garet won, he taunts me about it as we walk. He likes to tease me while we're training too. I don't really mind though, mother's taunts were much more annoying than his are. When we step into the guild's building, it's not all that wide but it is three stories tall, the smell and sound forces me to fold my ears and hold my nose. The old man has told me that I'm not aloud to ever switch ears, because people would notice if they're different. I have to pretend to be a beastman. Half of the room on the first floor is being used as a restaurant. The rest of the first floor is for registering things, (new adventurers, job requests, accepting jobs, turning fulfilled jobs, etc.), at a counter. The second floor is where people go to look at the different tasks. The third floor is only for the people managing the guild. We walk up to one of the counters and talk to the...person sitting behind it. I can't tell what gender they are!
Advertisement
"Hey Jul, taking time off from working as an adventurer again?"
"Yeah, fighting so much gets stressful you know. Although I'm not sure this desk job is any better. So what are you here for Garet? You haven't taken any jobs and I don't see any request forms in you hands."
"I'm here to help this little guy register."
Garet pushes me forward. I'm still trying to figure out if they are a boy or a girl.
"Hello, I'm Jul. What's your name?"
"I'm Chaise. Umm... I'm sorry but are you a girl or a boy? I can't tell."
Jul's expression freezes and Garet looks at me with a mixture of horror and pity.
"I am a guy."
Jul speaks through his teeth with a forced smile. I can tell he's very upset, but I don't know why. Will it help if I explain why I couldn't tell?
"Oh, okay. I can usually tell by scent, but you don't really smell like either. You actually smell a bit like water, and that barely has any scent either."
Jul seems taken aback. He also looked shocked when I said he smells like water. Garet is confused by something, and didn't notice Jul's expression.
"Wait, so you tell gender by scent? Do you not tell people apart by sight?"
"Yup. Bipedals a look to similar, I can't tell them apart by just sight yet. I remember people based of of their scent, coloring, and voice."
" *pfft* That's pretty funny Chaise. Sorry Jul, but at least he wasn't confused based on your appearance right?"
"Yeah, sorry I got mad at you Chaise. I'm just tired of people thinking I'm a girl based off of my face. So you're signing up as an adventurer right? You just need to fill this sheet out."
Garet grabs the paper and pencil Jul was holding out to me. I'm still not able to read and write very well. But I can recognize most of the letter now. Garet talks to Jul as he writes.
"Jul would you mind helping him out whenever he selects a quest? He can't read yet so he need someone to help him. He is strong enough for hunting and fighting quests, but he needs to stay around the city. He's learned the basics for some weapons and he is an experienced hunter. He can also use the most basic spells for fire, water, earth, wind, and healing."
"Okay, in that case his first quest can be to hunt some slimes and maybe a mini boar."
"He's stronger than that Jul, you could start him off with goblins and I think he'd manage."
"What are goblins?"
"They're ugly green monsters that look like child size humanoids."
"Those things? They're gross, but the slightly bigger things they stay with are more annoying. The giant green ones were the grossest. They are also the hardest to defeat. I barely beat them by together with the wolves, and we could only do that because they're so stupid."
Garet and Jul look at each other shocked.
"Ogres?"
"Those would be ogres right?"
"He's not bragging is he?"
"No he has no idea what would be considered impressive."
". . ."
". . ."
"Let's just send him to hunt the slimes and boar okay?"
"Yeah, anything else would attention grabbing."
". . ."
"Okay Chaise the only thing left to do is make you your card. Do you know how to do this?"
"Yup"
"Good"
Jul reaches under the counter and grabs a rectangular piece of metal and a purple, slightly transparent, rock. He puts the card in an indentation in the rock. The old man told me about these cards. They give a value to your basic qualities like strength, health, and mana. It can also show race, but you kind hide any information on it with a thought if you don't want it seen. Most people only leave their name and adventurer rank showing. Apparently summoned beings can see a transparent blue square that shows even their abilities, but no one knows how. Everyone else just has to settle with the cards. Instead of using the needle Jul tries to hand me, I use my fingernail to cut my hand enough for a drop of blood to escape. It lands on the card. The rock and card start to glow bright white.
Advertisement
Tidal Lock
Humanity has finally taken the next step into space. Governments run research stations throughout the solar system while private enterprises mine asteroids for rare metals and exotic minerals. However, space remains beyond the reach of the everyday person. In contrast, virtual reality technology has led to an explosion of full immersion entertainment for the average consumer, and many people turned to VR for the thrill of spaceflight.One game, Parallax Gate, lets its players experience living in an interstellar civilization. For maximum realism, its developers created a world solely defined by the players' personal skills and ability.Mark Asami, a student of aerospace engineering at MIT, dreams of bringing spaceflight to the masses. To his disappointment, his first year courses barely relate to his interests, so he passes time as Aero Rayne in Parallax Gate with his roommate and their organization, the Temple Wraiths. Before they realized, a chain of in-game events drew them deeper into the game's world and politics than they ever intended to go.
8 131A Girl and Her Fate
Avien Shepard heralded change with his arrival. Not only was he born on the dawn a solar eclipse, three meteors lit up the sky on the day of his birth. Seven sages visited across seven years to gift him with knowledge of the seven legal schools of magic, and a deceased outlaw fought his way up from the hells to grant knowledge of the tabooed eighth on the next. On his eleventh birthday, a sword fell from the sky and landed in a very important chair. Soldiers from far and wide traveled to attempt to extract the sword from the queen’s throne, but none could shift the blade, until Avien. When he was fourteen, Avien learned of a prophecy that foretold of his decade long battle with the Demon Prince of Invea. But this isn't his story. Avien is kind of a chump. This is the story of Amber Jewel, a girl who has only been Chosen as another Chosen one’s wife. Updates Thursday, & Sunday.
8 185Renewal and Rebirth
[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Interstellar travel. Life extension medicines. Advanced AI's All of these meant nothing to Jayden, she had been born too soon, her body unable to process the new technology. She was approaching the end of her life and had a choice to make. Deep Dive VR had progressed and real digitization and uploading was now an option for those unable to use life-extension treatments. For all the science the Human race had developed, Jayden was forced to take a different path. She would be digitized and explore a new world. One where cultivation and dinosaurs blended together. [Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For those unfamiliar with my writing style, Second Chances was my first attempt at writing. I'm not sure how much I learned in the process, except that readers get angry when you mess with characters they like! Warnings - I tend to info dump. I know I do this, I like slice of life novels that take time to unfold. So don't expect action, murder, and battles in every chapter, it isn't going to happen I prefer the first-person narrative. I will do an occasional POV shift, but it will never be done mid-chapter. I hope you enjoy the story, comments, ratings, and favorites are greatly appreciated!
8 283QQQQ
Have you ever noticed that the letter Q is unnecessary? It doesn't provide any function to the language. Any word spelled with it could just as easily be spelled with other letters. Does that mean it shouldn't exist? Of course not. In this universe, everything has a place. Cosmic balance, Karma, God's plan, the laws of physics—they're all trying to describe the same thing. There is nothing that exists without purpose, and nothing without purpose that can exist. You can take solace in knowing that, just like the useless letter Q, you have birthright to exist in this world. Nothing can take that from you. Unless a creator God breeds technicolor angel-beasts hellbent on ripping you out of reality, of course. When Mina learns that she was a cosmic accident—a being accidentally created without purpose—what was once an easygoing life starts to entwine with conspiracies, impossible occurrences, and deadly occult mysteries. Not to mention friends so dangerous and unpredictable they make the cosmic horrors look normal by comparison. When the questions never stop piling up, it's hard to know where to begin. But I'll give you a hint: they all begin with a Q.
8 218Heroes of The Collective Volume One : Resentment
Enhanced Beings. Humans with the ability to do something astonishing. Some learn to use it for good. Others for bad. But most are content with the 9-5 and walks with the dog. But use it for bad, you’ll answer to… The Enhanced Beings Collective! USA’s taskforce in the fight against Enhanceds who threaten America’s national and global interests. Volume One: Resentment throws us straight into the action via Kimona Jones in 1939. Taking off on a world record attempt flight she misses her destination. By ninety years...As we meet the others in The Collective, it’s clear that their fights aren’t just against the bad guys, but also each other and their own personal demons. Introducing Woodland Warriors and The Rodeos mini-series: Woodland Warriors Vol 1 - Introducing Grizzly George, Boy Beaver, Nova and Bao the Maltese Tiger, the off shoot of The Enhanced Being Collective dealing with the monsters, mythical creatures, bad guys and DEATH itself *kinda* that lurks deep within the heart of America... It's forests. The Rodeos Vol 1 - Saddle up, it'll be a bumpy ride for Effie and Reuben. Motorbike gangs, Russian mobsters, lesbian gunslingers and legendary villains... The states along the US-Mexico border have their problems, but none big enough for The Rodeos. They get stuff done, and they do it their way. [18+] Find Volume Two here : Heroes of The Collective Volume Two : Regret | Royal Road Also on Wattpad.
8 411The Spirit Games
Bullied at school and neglected by his parents, Tom Fiddle finds himself at his wit's end, until he receives a strange email offering him a job as a cultivation clan's spirit automaton. But what *is* a spirit automaton? After a successful application, he gets an answer to his question: a spirit automaton is an arcane spirit attached to a pocket realm. They can shape this miniature world to their liking and conjure spiritual entities, usually monsters, out of thin air. Their role is to create and administer trial-by-fires. These life and death competitions determine whether a disciple is *chosen* or merely *trash* that deserves to be left by the wayside. Tom's new responsibility will affect the lives of millions of cultivators and shape the future of hundreds of worlds, dozens of galaxies, and eventually, the universe itself. Will Tom use his newfound power to torment others and merely benefit himself? Or will he rewrite the course of history and transform the path of cultivation from a path of blood and destruction, to one of peace and tranquility?
8 94