Spell slots converted to mana To facilitate upcasting one need only expend additional mana until the mana expended equals the minimum required for the desired level. 1st level: 1-100 2nd level: 101-220 3rd level: 221-350 4th level: 351-500 5th level: 501-660 6th level: 661-840 7th level: 841-1030 8th level: 1031-1240 9th level: 1241-1460

Seeing the average mana ranges for spells of each level Dante nodded as he clicked to mass purchase the spells he had pulled up. A notice appeared asking him if he wished to purchase the material components required for the initial castings. Looking upon the materials they came to an additional 210 small gold pieces, bringing the total price to 810 small gold pieces.

After paying he received notice that the materials had been deposited into his inventory. He still had 9,005 small gold pieces so he was probably one of the wealthiest people in the zone right now.

"Not a bad position to be in." He said thinking aloud for a moment.

Dante stopped for a moment and reviled in the feelings caused as the door in the back of his mind once more swung open. This time it swung wide almost seeming to grow somewhat. Light poured into his mind through the doorway and the spells began to form there in his mind.

It was only a minute before he felt the door close once more, and the spells having assembled themselves there in his mind.

Still it was that a single line of the spell's descriptions stuck with him. 'Bind a spirit to your service...' He thought for a moment. That line stirred one and only one idea in his mind, but its implications were beyond measure. It would require testing, not now, but certainly later.

Turning from his screen's he watched as Jacob approach Hannah who still held the cage where the golden rabbit slept. Crouching before her and the cage for a moment he extended out his finger and pressed his finger against the rabbit's nose.

His eye's glowed for a moment and in that same moment the rabbit opened its eyes, which glowed with the same golden light.

The rabbit got up and looked upon Jacob for a moment as if taking his measure.

He could see Jacob speaking though even being so close he could not hear what was being said. As if they were words he was supposed to hear.

Once more Jacob presented the rabbit his finger. 'He better be careful before it bites off his finger. I don't want to have to cast regenerate.' Dante chuckled as he thought, continuing his onlooking.

Jacob smiled and the golden rabbit leaned forward, pressing its head against his finger in what he assumed to be a gesture of acceptance.

In that moment a flash of golden light erupted from the golden rabbit. When it had died down a second later the rabbit had vanished from its cage.

Everyone, including Dante himself, looked on in shock, with mouths agap at what had just taken place.

The glowing light in Jacob's eyes faded. Then too did the cage that had once held the rabbit fade from existance. Its purpose having been achieved.

Everyone stood in silence for several seconds until Jacob broke the silence. "Holy shit +20 Dex!" He exclaimed as he began reading his notifications.

James and the rest of his party except Herald all ran over to Jacob and began shaking him demanding their payday back.

"Don't worry guys. I can catch the rabbits now, or..." He said as he turned to Dante whom was still trying to shake off the shock of the moment.

Thus a conversation began between the party members with Herald being the only one sitting it out.

Herald seemed to very bothered by all the excitement sudden energy. So, instead of taking part in the...enthusiastic discussion, he choose to sit done in the grass a dozen feet away.

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Seeing this Dante walked over and sat down next to him. With a smile he asked, "Do you want to talk more about your class and skills? I saw how much it brought a spark of joy to your eyes." he said.

Smiling, Herald leaned back resting his back upon the ground and looking upon the beautiful sky.

"I can do some amazing things. I just don't have the mana for most of them. That's why I came out here with them to level up. Though this system doesn't seem to give stat points when you level up." Herald said, his smile fading as he watched a small cloud slowly drift by.

Taking a moment, Dante tried to think of a way to help Herald out. He admited to himself, that it wasn't entirely altruism that compeled him to help Herald.

Summoning his pool of sacrifice for a moment he stared long into the colorful fluids within the bowl. The answer was here, he knew it. But what!

An idea struck him. 'A well? Maybe...' He mused at the thought before Rosana's voice spoke softly into his mind.

"You are quite clever aren't you. I can help him but you already have an idea of the cost that will befall you." Roasana's coice was chrisp and clear as if she stood before him.

'I do. But I have an idea of how to counter it. A few actually.' He thought in response.

"Oh do tell." She said her voice denoting amusement.

'If I use the pool of sacrifice and basically stall my health regeneration. I could convert it into mana regeneration. Four times my health regen would be added to my mana regen. Correct?' He questioned hoping his train of thought was vaild.

"Correct. A dangerous gamble it would be however. Such action would make you a far easier target to kill. All the mana regeneration in the world doesn't matter all that much if your dead." Her voice came across worried, and subtly urging caution.

'If I could build something between me and him. A well, a bridge, something. I could share the pool with him.' He thought and awaited a response.

A moment later, one came. "I couldn't allow you to do that." Dante was about to question before she continued. "Unless, he were to join us. He is far too weak. We must make him strong. This is the only way he can join, and the only way I will allow you to proceed with this course of action." Rosana stated firmly.

Dante felt his body stand and move on its own. He watched in a mixture of shock and horror as his body moved to stand before Herald. He saw his own eyes glowing with a rainbow of energies, primaroly crimson. All this while Dante in spirit was still sitting on the grass.

His body spoke in a voice that wasn't his. It was Rosana's. "You seek greater magical capabilites, Herald?" She said speaking through his body.

Herald's eyes immediately opened as a look of confusion crossed his face. It only grew worse once he realized the source of the feminine voice. "Dante?" He spoke with a concerned voice.

"Dante is the first of my clergy to grace this world. He has expressed to me a desire to aid you. This would prove very benificial to the three of us." She continued, Herald slowly beginning to back away.

By now the rest of the group had noticed what was going and and those of faith among them, asked the others to stand by and observe.

"Who are you?" Hearld asked, panic clear in his voice.

"I am Rosana. Goddess of Life and..." pausing for a moment she raised up Dante's hand only for his blood to rupture from the palms of his and and begin flowing upward a few inches forming spheres of crimson blood. "And Blood. I can make you strong. Join us and..." She pause once more as she summoned Dante's pool of sacrifice.

The large crimson bowl began to grow as spheres of blood began to add themselves to material of the bowl. The contents of the bowl too flowed out adding to the mass of the bowl. In seconds the bowl had become a sphere. With a smile she glided a finger across the sphere's equator drawing a golden line as she went.

After she had traced the circumference of the sphere the light faded. Placing a hand upon the top she lifted the now severed half of the sphere. Seemingly satisfied with her work the left bowl dissappeared back to Dante's soul space.

Rosana removed Dante's hand from the bowl leaving it floating in mid air. She crouched before Herald and the bowl lowered itself to be at chest level once more.

"What are you willing to give to grow stronger? Should you choose this Road, you shall come to know hardship as this one has." She said as she motioned towards the body she was driving.

Herald was silent for a moment, his eyes darting between not Dante and the multicolor bowl hovering in the air before him.

"Why me?" Herald asked almost sarcastically as he rubbed his eyes.

"Because you asked, because why not you? Like Dante I too see your potential. But unlike Dante. I can see your future." Rosana said instantly grabbing Herald's attention.

"Here, now, in this moment it is so clear to me." She said as she stood. "You will not live to see that potential come to fruition. I see you standing upon a hill much like this one..." As Rosana continued to speak her words seemed to paint an illusiory picture upon the surroundings.

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All the while this was going on the immediate shock had worn off upon Dante and he just sat back and enjoyed the show. He knew there was really little he could do at the moment, so he sat back and saw as a notice appeared stating that his friend request had been accepted. This brought a smile to Dante's face, well his soul anyway. His actual face was occupied by somelses expressions.

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There, several feet away upon the crest of the small hill stood what appeared to be a slightly older version of Herald.

He was taller, more athletic in apperance. His raven black hair having grown out some and he seemed to have even grown a measure of facial hair. His pale skin was now tanned though it seemed mared by several scars. He was missing his right eye and in his hands he wielded a great staff upon which was carved many runes. Its power was such that even the illusion exuded radiant power. The illusionary figure seemed to be firing off spells rapidly though all things faded past arms reach of the illusion.

"You discovered a secret better left unfound and with it you achieved great things. Though it came at a terrible price." She said, and no sooner did the illusion fall to its knee's caughing fiercly a gout of blood erupted from his mouth. "You had discovered how to burn your soul for power. And for your final act..." The illusion stretched forth as the spoke.

The artificial sky of the zone shifted and changed to resemble a war ravenenged landscape. In the distance stood a titan whose features none could quite make out. The figure advancing upon them. All saw this change and many worried for the worst. Many cired out running to escape the looming threat but in the end it was futile. A trickle of blood came from the nose of both Dante's physical body and his soul watching from the sidelines.

The illusion of Herald seemed to be struggling with someone, it was Dante. He seemed to be wearing a set of crimson armor with imaculatly polished, almost mirror like grey iron plating. He seemed to be begging Herald to run but he refused. Herald planted his feet and his staff and began chanting. The titan continued its approach, its height growing ever more apperant by the second. When the illusionary titan was nearly upon him he wept and spoke before the end, "Goodbye Dante." There was a blinding light which eclipsed the luminance of the sun and then it was over. The titan was gone, and Herald lay dead upon the earth.

The illusion of Dante knelt before the body of Herald before holding the body in his arms and weeping.

"He wept for the loss of his friend. Knowing what he had done could not be undone. For even we gods would have trouble raising someone who had expended their soul to that extent." She said and with a wave of Dante's hand the illusion vanished. The sky returned to as it had been much to the relief of the many onlookers.

Rosana in the body of Dante turned to Herald and presented a sacrificial dagger produced by Dante's skill. "Will you join our ranks that this future may be altered?" Her question hung heavy on the air.

Sitting up, Herald reached forward hesitantly taking the dagger. With one swift movement he winced as his blood flowed from his palmdown into the still hovering bowl.

Rosana smiled, "Now answer me. Do you swear fealty to me and promise to bring life and spill the blood of tyrants?" She asked her voice becoming softer, like that of a loving mother.

"I do." Herald said without hesitation. In a flash of lighthis hand was healed and he was flooded with notices.

Rosana turned to Dante smiling, and in a blink of his eyes, he was back in control of his body. "So that was interesting." Dante joked as Herald looked up from his notices and upon him with mild shock.