CH1025

<You’re going to kill yourself.>

No being a negative Nancy up there. It will probably be fine.

<It won’t. You->

Are running out of options to awaken connect, Ben thought back with finality, trying to put an end to the conversation they’d been having ever since he’d told Myriad exactly how he’d been planning on attempting to awaken connect next. I’m running out of time, man, and the longer this doesn’t awaken, the more I’m beginning to suspect that this might be like an inclination. A skill completely uninclined to grow to its third tier.

<You know it’s too soon to be giving a judgement like that. Connect isn’t a skill you’ve been working on for millennia; there’s no reason to think this isn’t simply a normal threshold that needs to be surpassed.>

Then I don’t have time for a normal threshold. Myriad, I almost died. Hell, the only reason we can say I didn’t die is because I’m still down here instead of up there with you. I need more power. And besides, even if I get the awakening I want, I still need to become proficient in however it awakens in the time we have left.

<Pfff, with how you think, that sort of proficiency would take you seconds to get. This is impatience, pure and simple, and after we all just came so close to losing you, here you are ready to do it again. Thera’s going to be traumatized, not to mention the kids. Besides, your partner’s now a soul mage of all things. If you’re not growing fast enough then ask her to help. She->

<DESTRUCTION AUTHORITY LEVEL INCREASED>

<FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT LEVEL INCREASED>

<STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT LEVEL INCREASED>

<FRACTURE RESISTANCE LEVEL INCREASED>

<FLESH REGENERATION LEVEL INCREASED>

<EVIL AUTHORITY LEVEL INCREASED>

<UNNATURAL MORTAL REALM ACTUALIZATION ENHANCEMENT LEVEL INCREASED>

<ALIEN SENSE LEVEL INCREASED>

<MULTIVERSAL INCLINATION LEVEL INCREASED>

<EVIL GOD OF SACRILEGE LEVEL INCREASED>

<… Is clearly already having a bit of an effect.> The cube told him as those levels came a few days earlier than he’d originally expected, now that Ben was enjoying the benefits of a soul mage anytime he was near her. He still didn’t know if Mora had been doing anything for him either, he had no intention of asking, but now, she was the more powerful than their young soul spirit; or at least she would be once she got a bit more practice, and that fact was being felt.

A real chain reaction with my authorities this time too, he noted. Could have done without the level to flavour enhancement though.

<It’s like the world’s smallest bit of cosmic punishment for all of the other stuff you do and get away with.>

I don’t deserve a skill that’s going to make things want to eat me more! If I ever awaken it then I’m not sure if Abel will be able to hold herself back the next time I see her!

<If you should only live so long.> His god sighed. <Fine, whatever. I haven’t had the power to stop you before; I don’t see why I should think I’d suddenly get it now. I suppose I can only count myself as lucky to know that you’ve already gotten a will hidden away here.>

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

That’s the spirit, Ben grinned, putting on a confident front that his god couldn’t pierce. Deep down, he knew Myriad was right, that what he had planned was both dangerous and insane on a scale that he’d rarely touched on before, but with such limited options, that meant he had to try, and more than that, he had to believe. The foundation he had wasn’t built on sand; it wouldn’t crumble so easily.

Still able to feel his god watching, even if the cube had fallen silent, it let him focus back on his various tasks, some of his hands working metal while others carved wood, while at the same time looking after the two training under him and keeping that up until the shop door opened, Thera coming in.

“Hey, I’m not too early, am I?” She asked, seeing everyone still at work, with no cleaning up done for the day yet. “I wasn’t really keeping track of the time while I was practicing.”

“No, I was just about to call it. Okay, you two, tools down and let’s clean up. When we’re done, Mora, sorry, but could you play with Delair at her place for a little bit? Me and Thera might just need to do something for an hour and then we’ll come pick you up.”

“Okay,” he nodded, with Delair jumping in response.

“Ooh, if you guys are coming to pick him up, then you should stay for dinner.”

“Ha, are you cooking then?”

“I mean, you are a better cook than me…”