PftA Book 2 - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – The Training Wheels Finally Come Off

“I know it was sudden,” I told my parents after being bombarded with questions as soon as I let them know. I’d taken the lead in explaining Justin’s absence because I knew how much Bell hated lying. I didn’t like lying either, but I had to get used to it since my return.

“Bell and I were briefed on where he is. Justin is safe,” I assured them. “But he won’t be able to contact anyone or come home for the next six months or so. If it wasn’t for the NDA, we’d tell you more. Rhona had no say in his selection, either. Someone higher up in the organization made the call without consulting her.”

I glanced at my future sister-in-law. She still looked pretty miserable, but she wasn’t as distraught as she had been before. I explained everything I’d learned during the conversation with the elf, and she seemed to take comfort in the fact that Justin was in [Stasis] instead of being locked away somewhere until his return.

Thankfully, my parents understood the concept of an NDA and didn’t press either of us too hard. Neither of them liked it, but they trusted me when I told them Justin was safe. It was true, after all. Being in [Stasis] was about as safe as one could get.

My next meeting with Master Kairos was tense. He was still miffed about my disobedience, and it showed. After spending several hours in discomfort, I decided to address the elephant in the room.

“I’m sorry for going against your wishes, Master Kairos,” I said softly. I looked up from the book I was reading. It was a real, honest-to-goodness paper book, which was rare to see amongst the crystalline chips that comprised most of the man’s book collection. Because of its rarity, I was not allowed to borrow the item. Thus, part of every lesson was spent studying the massive text.

“I know you see it as short-sighted,” I continued. “But I feel like I would have made poor decisions if Justin was there with me. Not only would I have rushed instead of taking my time to progress properly, but I’m certain we would have left the dungeon as soon as we could manage it safely. His children deserve to grow up with their father. I would have prioritized that over my progression.”

Master Kairos didn’t respond for several long moments. It took so long that I resumed my studies, trying my best to focus on the knowledge contained within the book instead of worrying about the future. I could have just flipped through the book and allowed Lisa to categorize everything. In fact, I had done just that, but Master Kairos insisted I personally read the entire book instead of relying on my interface assistant to learn for me.

A few minutes later, I was caught a bit off-guard by Master Kairos’s voice. “I expect you to reach Peak Tier Ten.”

I looked up in surprise. It wasn’t just that he had spoken, but what he’d said.

“Peak Tier Ten?” I parroted.

“Yes,” he affirmed. “If you succeed, I’ll reward you upon your return. But that’s something we can discuss in more detail later.” The room once again became silent, but the uncomfortable aura had diminished.

I returned to reading, feeling a strange mix of emotions at my mentor’s words. The lesson felt longer than usual since Master Kairos had increased the time dilation applied, leaving me mentally exhausted by the end. I soon learned the higher dilation rate would be the standard from that point forward.

In addition, Master Kairos scheduled two more lessons each week on days I was not engaged in martial training with Shawn. It was like he was trying to fit every lesson he could manage into the time remaining before I left. The substance of our lessons also changed, particularly during our weekday lessons.

Saturdays were still dedicated to foundational skills and knowledge, including sect-specific rules and expectations. But now that I would almost certainly miss out on the traditional sect experience, Master Kairos had taken it upon himself to fill as many gaps in the rest of my education as possible.

That education included many topics I never expected him to cover, many of which I fully intended to purchase augments for. I was surprised to learn that Master Kairos was not only a Master at wielding Time magics, but he was also a Master Enchanter who specialized in formations. Unsurprisingly, his formations predominantly revolved around Time and Fate magics.

After one such lesson, I casually mentioned that my formations augment was particularly useful in helping me understand the process, and I fully intended to purchase the augment for micro-Enchantingwith the contribution points I’d accumulated since my last purchase. Master Kairos shook his head and told me not to bother making such a purchase, that he was preparing something that would serve me much better than a bunch of piecemeal augments.

I managed to restrain my curiosity, though it was a struggle. I trusted that Master Kairos had my best interests at heart.

“Are there any augments you recommend I get in preparation for the dungeon?” I asked curiously as I put away the training device I’d been working with.

Master Kairos nodded immediately. “Yes. I was going to give you a list in a few weeks, but now is as good a time as any. I’d rather you not waste your contribution points on something I’ll include in the inheritance.”

“What kind of an inheritance?” I asked, wondering if perhaps the term had been mistranslated somehow. I wasn’t sure how Universal Translation allowed me to understand and speak foreign languages, but I’d used it enough to know it was not infallible.

Master Kairos looked at me strangely for a moment. “The normal kind,” he said bluntly. “How else do you expect me to pass on the knowledge you deserve as my disciple when you’re inside the Realm Dungeon?”

“Is that…” I tilted my head in confusion. “Inheritances are normally given after someone dies, though? Maybe it’s a translation glitch?” I asked.

Master Kairos explained the term was used anytime a Master passed on their knowledge to a disciple. It was particularly applicable when the Master created some sort of item or device to impart said knowledge to the recipient without manual training.

The thought of Master Kairos going through the trouble of creating something to share knowledge with me even after we separated warmed my heart. A part of me had feared that going to the Realm Dungeon would leave me less prepared for whatever came… after.

I looked over the list he sent to my interface, noting only a few augments were listed. If my calculations were correct, I’d be able to purchase everything on the list by the time the first portal opened.

I gave the elder Time Mage a grateful smile. It wasn’t hard to assume that he would include anything else he thought I’d need to know in whatever inheritance he was preparing. Since I could think of a LOT of things that were not included on the short list, it really drove home just how much Master Kairos was doing for me.

Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was putting so much effort into a native from a previously mundane world. It couldn’t just be my Time affinity or a hope that I’d somehow make the sect look good. But I couldn’t think of any other reason – aside from him perhaps taking the Master/Disciple relationship really seriously.

It was probably the last one. Master Kairos did take his oath and promise to train me quite seriously.

= = =

“Are you nervous?” Bell asked as she fluffed the pillows on the couch for the third time. “I hope they aren’t mad at us for not telling them.”

“I don’t think they will be, especially once they realize the NDA was magically enforced,” I said unconvincingly. We both knew it was entirely possible – likely, even – that one or more of our guests would blame us in some way for the impending apocalypse. It was human nature.

I knew that gnomes and many demi-races would probably react similarly, too, so it wasn’t just a human thing.

“Even if someone does get mad, it’ll be fine. The protective formation will activate as soon as someone other than me, you, Amie, Mom, or Dad enters the apartment. If someone has an issue with our early knowledge, they can leave and deal with the apocalypse without our aid. We have no requirement or obligation to try to save everyone,” I reminded her. “I’m not going to bother with people who don’t appreciate our efforts.”

“I don’t see any of our friends demanding anything from us.”

“Me either,” I agreed. “But I’m just saying…” I let the comment trail off and was promptly saved by the doorbell. “I’ll get it. You relax and put your feet up.”

“I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” Bell muttered, ignoring my recommendation. She was only a bit over five months pregnant, but she was carrying twins, so she looked farther along. I used Diagnosedaily to monitor the pregnancy, but so far, things had been progressing perfectly. Still, I urged her to relax whenever possible.

“Thanks for coming early.” I hugged both of my parents, holding on to each of them for just a few extra moments. I turned to my dad. “I’m glad you volunteered to man the grill. Your stuff always comes out better than mine.”

“That’s not true,” he argued. “You made those steaks the last time we visited and they were amazing.”

I waved dismissively. “It was just good ingredients. I’m sure with the same quality of meat, you could do the same thing. In fact—” I opened the refrigerator. “—I have a ton of meat for you to test that theory on.”

My father gaped at the amount of fresh meat on display. “Emie… this had to have cost a fortune!”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I have a friend who has a friend… you know the deal,” I said, downplaying everything. In reality, I’d killed the beast myself and used the general spells Harvestand Process to prepare everything. It was an important day, and I wanted the food to set the mood as positively as possible.

Life was about to change for everyone.

“What kind of meat is it?” he asked. “It doesn’t quite look like beef.”

“Ah,” I rubbed the back of my neck and closed the door. “It’s definitely bovine. I think it’s some kind of cow/moose thing.”

Dad looked at me with an incredulous expression. “You don’t know what kind of meat it is?”

“Sure, I do. I just don’t know what to call it,” I said evasively. “It’s the same thing I made before. You said it was amazing.”

“It’s not some kind of endangered animal, is it?” Mom asked from beside him.

Now, it was my turn to look incredulous. “Really?” I asked before shaking my head. “No, it’s not endangered. I’ll show you a picture after we eat.” By then, I’d be free to explain since the NDA would officially expire with the start of the reintegration.

Thankfully, the doorbell rang before either of them could ask for more details on the source of the delicious meat. As the time ticked ever closer to the apocalypse, I stealthily retrieved appetizers I’d prepared in advance as my friends continued to arrive.

Deni and Ger were the next to arrive, with Kevin and his roommates arriving shortly after. As noon approached, a few more individuals we’d gotten to know arrived, including Natalie and her new, awakened roommate.

Rhona also stopped by for a few minutes, though she left without eating anything. I was pretty sure she was just stopping in to remind me that I wouldn’t be able to remain at the gathering for very long after the main event.

It was either that or she needed her Amie fix for the day.

With a nod of understanding, I watched as Rhona departed after she spent a few minutes playing with the four-and-a-half-year-old. I didn’t blame Rhona for wanting to seclude herself from the populous. Knowing what was about to happen, she’d be crazy to leave herself open to that kind of attention.

Anyone who had played Atlas Online would recognize the system, and it wouldn’t take much to connect the dots. I just hoped nobody did something foolish, like trying to attack Alliance personnel.

Though Bell smiled and interacted with the guests, I saw the stress building as noon passed. There were only minutes remaining before life on Earth irrevocably changed.

“Hey, relax a bit. It’ll be fine,” I said comfortingly. Everyone looked calm and happy. It was a good moment.

The mana wave hit without warning, inundating the planet with Tier Four mana, exceeding what had been present only moments before by a large margin. The planet and her denizens greedily absorbed the mana. It took several seconds for the energy to stabilize, and I was shocked to find the ambient mana level within the apartment hovering close to mid-Tier Three once everything settled.

I previously believed that Earth was only PT2 when I left nearly two years after the reintegration happened during the first timeline. Maybe it was a difference in location since I’d been in Missouri before instead of outside Atlas’s North American Regional Headquarters.

Then again, I was basing a lot on assumptions.

I glanced around the room. All conversation had ceased with the onset of the mana wave. But almost as a collective, the group inhaled sharply as their eyes unfocused.

Amie’s worried voice broke the relative silence. “Nana? What’s wrong?”