I repossessed my arm from Rob and connected it back to my socket.

The weird feeling of blood loss came back. I clench my fist.

Perfect.

[Ring of Thorns C (Degraded) > Ring of Thorns B (Degraded)

This ring is a long-lost relic from a bygone age. The ring has heavily degraded and will need to be fed.

The ring cannot be taken without the owner's consent.

The ring may reflect (15%) damage taken before mitigations back to the attacker in the form of thorns.

Unlock the skill Bramble Blade.

Unlock the ability to Germinate.

Unlock the skill Enroot.]

I did the math. If the ring had been feeding on me for around five days, it should have absorbed over two million health. 86,400 seconds in a day, and I regenerate 4.8 health a second. That's twelve hundred times my maximum health. What the fuck.

I subconsciously rubbed my ring, and it shuddered. I rip it off my finger and hold it up to my eye.

My initial prognosis was this relic was just an item with plant qualities, but I'm not too sure anymore.

The system nor my [Scientific Insight+] will classify this as a creature, strictly an item. Flash Gordon's lesser peers are all objects. His "race" bears the same name as a material as well.

There are plant creatures but also noncreature plants. I killed a [Shadow Arbor] and harvested copious amounts of [Snowberries]. What's the difference? Intelligence? Spirit?

Was the [Shadow Arbor] doing anything more than using its instincts, and where did those instincts come from? This ring knows how to beg and "dig" for food. Is that not instincts or signs of higher functions?

I activate [Unique Servitude] and set the ring as the target.

[Error, the target must be a creature and unique in some aspect.]

Fuck, the system doesn't tell me if it fails both or just one of those conditions.

I put the ring back on and pushed my questions to the back of my mind. I should finish buying what I need before seeing the dean and talking to my team for the first time.

I bought sixty magical bullets for sixty grand from Rain before asking her a question.

"Do you know anything about the capital?"

"I grew up there thanks to my mom, but I moved out here to watch over my dad since my mom can't trust him being alone."

I almost forgot that Rain is Master Wang's daughter, not his grandchild. Rain looks like she's in her high twenties, while Master Wang is nearly two centuries.

He's probably one of the oldest humans in the world. Actually, I wouldn't know if that's true. Anything is possible with mana, after all.

"Auroran is the hearthstone of humanity, named after the leader of the First Party, Aurelius, and is the capital of the Prime Territories."

"I know that much. I haven't been living under a rock."

"How would I know? You always carry one with you.

Guilds and rankers run amock there. They range from gangs to businesses to mercenaries. Guild culture is paramount there, and not being in the right groups can fuck you. You'll have a hard time if you want to make it big as a martial artist but aren't in the Martial Society.

The most wealthy and affluent families live there, so be careful who you randomly decide to piss off. Above all else, you shouldn't piss off the churches."

"What about enforcers?"

"Since the capital has the most diverse level range, enforcers are told to use forceful measures before asking questions. But that's only for violent crimes, so don't do those types of crimes.

If you break enough laws, the church of order can sell your name and what crimes you committed to the enforcers. One of the reasons why to not piss off the churches."

"... Does that deter crime?"

"Eh, not really. Since the real criminals don't break any laws."

I bid my farewell and decided to visit Dean Palmer to be sure nothing last second cropped up.

~

"They already left."

"They already left?"

Dean Palmer decided that our team should find our own means of transportation to the capital, a trip that would take a few weeks to walk.

Jerry borrowed a giant flying tamed beast from one of his numerous brothers and offered to fly everyone there. Even if they landed in every town or city they passed, they would make it a week.

Since they couldn't get ahold of me, they left without me.

I don't want to walk to the capital or spend ludicrous amounts of money just for a glorified sky taxi. I'm faster than cars so driving there is a waste of time as well.

Maybe I can hitch a ride.

"Dean, how are you going to get to the capital?"

"I'm going to fly there."

"On a beast? Can I come with you?"

"With magic. And no."

"Why not?"

"I'm not carrying you for the entire journey when you have your flying beasts outside. Over fifty of them."

Duchess has stamina issues, and Khan is slower than I am. Manually going to the capital won't be an issue, but getting a ride would be ideal.

I hop out the window and head out of the institute.

~

I visited my parents' house, and they weren't there. I found a note on the counter saying that they are going to the capital with Val so they can watch the tournament in person.

There was a gift from my foster father with a note.

[Son, I was going to give you this when your eighteenth birthday came around, but it wasn't finished. Good luck.]

I open the box and pull out a single pair of men's underwear.

"..."

[Men's Underwear B

This garment is self-cleaning and self-repairing and specially crafted to bring maximum comfort and stability. Color-changing pigments that react to mana and a thread count uncountable to the naked eye. Hard impacts cause the underwear to stiffen, protecting the user. Needs a mana imprint.]

"..."

I change and head out.

It's not my first time outside the city walls. But it's the first time leaving without knowing when I'll return. I don't have anything to return to, but all my memories came from this small city surrounded by lavender fields.

~

I'm sitting around a campfire with my beasts. I'm not in a forest or anything, just on the side of the road, but I wanted to cook this rabbit I found.

I don't want to store any of my beasts inside the mansion while traveling in case something unexpected happens and I need them to fight.

Duchess and I have passive bonuses to our travel speed, so Khan is the only thing holding us back. I have a few plans on how we can make this go faster, but for now, I'm checking the [Status] of my tamed beasts.

Name / Nickname

Flash Gordon

Species

Elemental Stone (Rare)

Level

65 (1m/16m}

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

1755/1755

Mana Points

75/75

Armor Points 144 (72 x 2)

Might

0

Agility

0

Vigor

351 (275 > 305 + 10% + 15)

Mind

15 (13 > 14 + 10%)

Spirit

72 (59 > 65 + 10%)

Luck 11 (10 + 10%)

~

Name / Nickname

Rob / Little Buddy

Species

Skeleton Grave Robber C (Uncommon)

Level

65 (2m/16m)

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

190/195

Mana Points

225/325

Armor Points

5

Might

103 ( 73 > 80 + 10% + 15)

Agility

174 (115 > 117 + 10% + 45)

Vigor

49 (31 > 40 + 10% + 10 - 5)

Mind

65 (41 > 50 + 10% + 20)

Spirit

75 (46 > 50 + 10% + 20)

Dexterity 133 (65 > 70 + 10% + 56)

~

Name / Nickname

Duchess / Thisss one

Species

Amphitere C (Rare)

Level

65 (2m/16m)

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

330/330

Mana Points

935/935

Armor Points

0

Might

55 (49 > 50 + 10%)

Agility

88 (72 > 80 + 10%)

Vigor

66 (54 > 60 + 10%)

Mind

187 (155 > 170 + 10%)

Spirit

110 ( 94 > 100 + 10%)

Charisma

44 (34 > 40 + 10%)

Luck 11 (10 + 10%)

~

Name / Nickname

Khan the Exile

Species

Ozone Prowler C (Unique)

Level

65 (2m/16m)

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

415/415

Mana Points

385/385

Armor Points

0

Might

187 (158 > 170 + 10%)

Agility

83 (69 > 75 + 10%)

Vigor

83 (69 > 75 + 10%)

Mind

77 (64 > 70 + 10%)

Spirit

77 (64 > 70 + 10%)

Perception

77 (64 > 70 + 10%)

I check Rob's chimera trait to see where that dexterity bonus comes from.

[Undead Chimerism C

The user does not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. The user is classified as undead and is subjected to their weaknesses and limitations.

The user may replace parts to gain unique effects. (4/5)

-Humerus of a Human Butcher (+15 Might)]

-Lower Extremities of an Artic Wolf (+45 Agility)

-Jaw of a Frost Mephit (+20 Spirit) (+20 Intelligence) (-5 Vigor)]

-Phalanges of a Golemancer (+56 Dexterity)]

Does that mean each phalange gives two stat points or does the entire set allow for that bonus to activate? I'm glad the trait counts "parts" rather than individual bones. I don't know what Rob can do with a single part of the stapes.

Wait, does he even have inner ear bones? I look over at Rob.

He's happily digging a hole. Oh, there was a body buried there.

I finish my meal and head off. There's a town on the way to the capital, and I want to stop before the sun sets.

The prime territories are lavish and safe, considering the surrounding regions are inhospitable messes of conflicting biomes. If the poor weather won't get you, the creatures that inhabit those areas will.

And those inhabitants don't like us humans encroaching on "their" territories.

Speaking of, I'm stopped before I can enter the city. The walls are more imposing than the ones in Bluefield. I always found the idea of city walls a bit funny.

Worst case scenario, we aren't going under siege by medieval weaponry, but magic and monsters. Maybe the walls are reinforced in ways I don't understand.

A tall armored man approaches me without a pause. An emblem of a blue shield is embedded in his breastplate, right above his heart. The only pieces of armor he wheres are the helmet, the gauntlet, the breastplate, and the grieves. Luckily he is still wearing pants.

Oh shit, a gangster.

"Halt, the Cerulean Shield protects this city. Please state your business and the reason behind toting a small company of sharks."

"I'm just stopping by. No need to be alarmed."

"There's an entry fee for entering the city, and since there sixty-eight of you, you'll have to pay sixty-eight times the amount."

He didn't count Flash Gordon because he's hiding in my pocket.

I stare blankly at the guy.

"The total will come out to 40,052 CCs."

"I thought you only 'taxed' people stronger than the average resident?"

"As long as we give the local government their share, it doesn't matter who we tax. In the future, you can purchase a Cerulean debit card to expedite this. Or if you have official papers from the local government that you've been called here."

I look around, and I don't spot anyone else nearby. No random farmer working in the distant wheat fields, no roaming enforcer near the walls, no civilians traveling on the road. Just this dude.

I don't even see another Cerulean Shield member, so I do that wise thing.

I stick my hand out, the new universal signal of exchanging credits, and I give Duchess a look.

The man steps forward and reaches his hand out, but before his gauntleted hand could touch my fingers, his feet leave the ground.

Duchess' [Telekineses] has a range limitation, but that doesn't matter if she lets go of this guy before it reaches that limit.

He gets moved over three hundred feet from us before getting launched away even further. Duchess catapulted this guy out of the conversation without his consent.

I casually walk away with my tamed beasts following me in an orderly fashion.