CH332

<ABSORPTION RESISTANCE LEVEL INCREASED>

Ah- Damn… it. I… guess- it…’s not… so bad since- I- won’t need- to… remake- my bracelets… yet, but- still, that’s gonna… make it- harder- to train.

<MENTAL EXPANSION LEVEL INCREASED>

“Ah, dang it Myriad, trying to think in your stupid language just raised my mental expansion level!” Ben complained as he felt his head throb, both from feeling the change to his minds, as well as having spent so long trying to talk with his god exclusively in the language he was being taught.

“Don’t be silly Ben, learning a new language wouldn’t get you to the seventh level of the skill.”

“No, learning a normal language wouldn’t. I still feel like my eyes are going to bleed every time I work on yours.”

“Well, you’ve almost got it, even if it is giving you problems. Though I’ve got to say, I’m a little offended that my own apostle had such an easier time learning the language of another god than my own. And now you’re learning a new one from her before you’ve even mastered mine.”

“That’s because Helori’s are structured in a way that actually makes sense!”

As weeks of working on weapons with Falk went by, Ben never stopped practicing the languages he was learning in his head, and combining that with the fact that he was spending almost an hour of real-time a day in the archive, it was more like he’d been practicing it for months. It had made learning the one Helori was trying to pass onto him a breeze, even if his own god’s would need more work if he was ever going to get it right.

Still, it keeps my very full head occupied at least. At thirteen minds right now I need at least that much.

“See, it’s fine,” Myriad told him as he heard Ben’s thoughts. “If you really don’t like it then just don’t do it. It’s not like there’s any need to actually figure out Galwax’s language, right?”

“The need is just my own satisfaction, but either way I need a break for now. Think I’ll stop by the house to finish up before going to the shop a bit earlier than usual so time to wake up.”

“Wait,” Myriad stopped him. “Before you go, there’s something we really need to talk about.”

“Sure, what’s the emergency this time?”

“The fact that you haven’t gotten any true sleep since you delivered my statue to the church of Eneth.”

“What, that’s all? Myriad, buddy, my body’s resting while I’m up here so it’s fine, it’s basically the same thing.”

“It’s not even close to the same thing. Even if your body is fine your mind needs to rest too. Combining real-time with all of the time you’ve spent in the archive, it’s basically been months of constant activity. That’s not natural Ben.”

“Come on, I feel fine so don’t worry,” He told the cube, trying to brush it off. If he was being honest with himself he was beginning to feel a bit of constant exhaustion around him, but it wasn’t to the point that it would be a problem. It was just another way of pushing himself. “Who knows, maybe if I keep it up I’ll get something like sleep or exhaustion resistance. That would be pretty cool.”

“Or you’ll get hurt before that can happen. I know you’ve been avoiding it but I’m not saying this as your god but as your friend Ben, have a proper nap soon without coming up here. I don’t care if you keep your mind active for a few weeks at a time between doing it, but this is too much.”

“Too much as in maybe it would help awaken my focus?” He asked, giving his god a curious look as waves of annoyance came off the cube. “Fine, I will later when I have less to do or if I start feeling pretty bad. For now though-”

The thought hung in the air as Ben pulled himself from his god’s realm, waking up with a well-rested body, even if the minds it contained got none.

<Genuinely, why did you have to do so much to this place?> Myriad asked him as Ben was busy installing a new lock on the house he’d purchased for making a greenhouse. <You went overboard.>

Maybe, but it was fun so cut me some slack.

<Sonya isn’t going to let you put even half of those enchantments on her own home, let alone that lock and other modifications.>

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Hey, I’ll have you know that this lock is a masterpiece.

<It’s a deathtrap!>

That’s what makes it a masterpiece!