Day 8
5/7 > 6/7
I wake up still in a slight amount of pain and I realize something. I can't open my eyes. I reach up to my eyes to discover that they are covered by a crystal like substance. Hey Zelretch! What the Hell is going on? Why do I have Mystic Eyes all of a sudden? Though I can't see, I can tell I am back in his observation realm. "Those aren't Mystic Eyes. Those Divine Mystic Eyes are normally held by gods such as Balor and are the precursor to the standard Mystic eyes. Now let's remove the shell from your eyes to see what they do."
I feel a hand touch the edge of the "shell" as he called it felt like something bad would happen if it was removed right now. I backed away as fast as I could in this realm and said, "A gut feeling is telling me that removing it in this deep expanse of space is a really bad idea." Zelretch responds, "Minor form of precognition without your eyes being open. Interesting, really interesting. What were the skills that were combined and what is it called according to this world's system?"
I struggled to remember for a moment because I didn't really pay attention due to the pain I felt at the time and I said, "It was four skills and one trait from another skill. The skills were [Tracking Eye] from the [Hunter] Class, [Observation Haki], [Mana Sight] from the [Druid] class, and [Qi Sight] from the [Martial Artist] class. They were combined with my [Soul Sight] trait from my [Shaman] skill that you altered. The skill they became was referred to as [Divine Mystic Eyes of the True Perception]. Judging from the name, it seems to give me the ability to see Truth in its entirety."
"Maybe we should have an expert join our conversation." Zelretch interjects. I start to be able to "see" what is around me without my eyes. When the images around me come into focus, I see a familiar looking large ornate stone door off the side of Zelretch's throne with another throne appearing next to it with a white featureless being lazily sitting on it. I hear a feminine version of Zelretch's voice say, "So this is why you called me in such a rush. Those eyes do radiate a similar Law as the one I use but it's not quite there yet. That is probably due to the Young King's currently weak vessel."
I hear the two start muttering to each other as I was forced to sit in a chair of my own. The Being I now remember as "The Truth" from the Fullmetal Alchemist says, "I suggest we seal the power to a tolerable level for the Young King. As compensation, I will gift him an ability that exists in both our worlds, even though it is much stronger in mine." Zelretch agrees and says, "Wise decision All-Knowing One. I say we have him perceive the Eyes as something that he is familiar with."
{Skill [Divine Mystic Eyes of the True Perception] has been partially sealed by a Higher Power Above the Great Gods}
{The skill will be temporarily called [Perception of Truth]}
{Divine Being "Truth" has passed on the skill [True Alchemy]}
{Skill [Human Soul] has been activated}
{Class [Alchemist] has been updated}
{Class Skill ["False" Alchemy] has been acquired}
The shell around my eyes crumbles away showing out to the world. "You got a new scar, Little Green. It looks pretty wild." Shanks says appearing out of nowhere sitting on a bar stool. I open them to see the expanse of space that is Zelretch's realm as a swirling sea of colors with the source being Zelretch himself. I see the Truth as how he is depicted in the series: a featureless being of pure white. Shanks is a mild swirl of black with red appearing every now and then.
"Can I leave now?" I ask out loud to no one in particular. The Truth looks at me smiling widely and says, "Why not?" I then wake up back in my room and see flickers of different colors all around me. I will figure out what those are later. I go about my daily ritual with the realization that my moves seem to have more control to them like my conscious bodily control has increased massively. As always, I end with my meditation.
{Skill [Cultivative Evolution] has purified the body of toxins and healed the body of most damage}
{Skill [Mental Damage Immunity] has been acquired}
{Skill [Soul Burn Resistance] has been acquired}
Wow, I gain immunity to all mental attacks. It seems the pain from my eyes was so bad that it nearly broke my mental state. Weird correlation but I won't be ungrateful for it. I notice faint splotches of sludge on me so I run back to the pond to wash it off. It doesn't take much time at all to get it off.
As I am about to leave, I hear a woman's voice call out as if in a rush, "Wait my king! Don't leave yet!" I turn back to the pond to see it's center swirling a light blue light and a figure floating out of it. The figure is a rather statuesque woman with aqua blue hair wearing a dress made of the water itself. She says, "My King you are finally able to perceive us spirits. My title is Undine and I am the head of the Water Spirits around here. We all have been terribly lonely since your prophet Velvet passed away so long ago and his Carbuncle Spirit Doll refuses to leave his side."
I ask the Undine, "Do you have a name I can call you by." The Undine excitedly floated to me and pulled me into a massive hug gushing, "The king wants to give me a name. Oh happy day." I push my head out of her sizable bosom and say, "Wait, you don't have a name?" She replies, "Nope. We spirits are only given a name by the one who contracts us for the use of [Spirit Magic]. Similar to My King's abilities with souls, both spirit and contractor must come to an agreement for the bonding to take place. My sisters are going to be so jealous that I got to be the first one to bond with you, My King."
I ask her, "You have sisters?" She tilts her head and replies, "Why of course I have sisters. Velvet brought us all here in preparation for your arrival. Each of us sisters govern a specific element. My sister, Gnome the Head of the Earth Spirit of the Kuuderun Forest , should have been the first to interact with you but she is rather shy. Now, please, My King, give me a name."
She sets me down and floats back a few steps and kneels on the ground to me. I ask her, "Please get up. You don't have to bow to me." She raises her head and responds, "But this is the process." She lowers her head again and I sigh and say with a commanding presence due to unconsciously activating [King's Haki], "Your name Undine Spirit from now on is [Talise] for it means "Lovely Water" and I believe it suits you.
{Skill [Human Soul] has been activated}
{Class [Spirit Mage] has been acquired}
{Class Skill [Spirit Contract] has been acquired}
{Class Skill [Spirit Call] has been acquired}
{Class Skill [Water Affinity Magic] has been acquired}
{Skill [Hydrokinesis] has been acquired}
{Skill [Hydro Damage Resistance] has been acquired}
Talise shines for a moment and gains a band around her neck like a choker. She then shrinks to my height now looking like a ten year old girl in a sundress. Talise then asks, "Are you going hunting now, Master?" I stumble my feet slightly out of shock and ask Talise, "Why did you call me Master?" Talise giggles and says, "Because Master is Master. Old Man Velvet said that we spirits, especially us female spirits, should call our contractors Master. Is that not correct?"
These spirits are so innocent from what I can tell. While I respect you as a Magician and Collector, you have a lot to answer for Velvet. Why would you put this kind of thought process in their heads? I look at Talise and say "You can just call me by my name, Kou. I view you as an ally not as a slave, so you shouldn't have to call me Master." "Okay, Kou it is then." Talise responds.
As I walk back to the cave and Talise floats beside me, I ask her, "Now that you are contracted to me, does that mean you are visible to everyone?" "Not unless I want to be," she says in a singsong tone of voice. "You know what. I am tired of floating." Talise says as she shrinks to about the size of my hand and lands on my shoulder. We made it back to the cave without any interruptions.
As we enter my section, Talise jumps off my shoulder and grows to her 10 year old form. She yells out, "Sister, you can come out now. Our King can see us now." A faint brown light glows by my bed to form a somewhat petite and demure looking dark brown haired young woman wearing a dress of constantly shifting sands. "Hhheelllooo Mmmyy Kkkiinnngg." the woman slowly stutters out. Talise is shocked and exclaims, "Wow sis you were able to say a full sentence this time around before you crumbled from the interaction. You must really like Our King." Gnome blushes slightly when hearing this.
I look to the earth spirit and ask, "Would you like to form a contract with me?" Gnome as best she could said, "Yyesshh, Iii wwwooouulldd." She then kneels in front of me but a few feet away. Talise says to her sister, "You gotta get closer to him sis." Gnome blushes again and the earth moves her closer to me. I then say with a commanding presence consciously activating [King's Haki] this time around, "Your name Gnome Spirit from now on is [Cardea] for it means "Protector of Home" for the fact that you look over me as I sleep."
{Skill [Human Soul] has been activated}
{Class [Spirit Mage] has been updated}
{Class Skill [Earth Affinity Magic] has been acquired}
{Skill [Terrakinesis] has been acquired}
{Skill [Terra Damage Resistance] has been acquired}
Cardea also gains a band but this time around her forehead. She then shrinks as well to slightly above Talise's shoulder. "Master, I thank you for this opportunity to serve you." Cardea says monotonously while still kneeling in front of me. Both Talise and myself were surprised at the clarity at which Cardea spoke. I place my hand on Cardea's shoulder and say "You don't have to kneel to me, and you can just call me Kou and not master."
Cardea, feeling and hearing this, blushes so heavily that she superheats and crumbles to dust. Talise sighs and says "I knew this would happen sooner or later. Whenever sis gets too excited, she crumbles to dust. At least, her threshold seems to have increased with the contract." I asked her, "How should I meet your other sisters?" Cardea reforms in the corner of the room hugging her knees and answers somewhat quietly but still clear enough to hear, "There are a few ways to summon them now that you are a [Spirit Mage]. You could either go to a place filled with their element like this cave for me, or you could use a spirit stone of the corresponding element as a focus for the [Spirit Call] ability you have."
She continues a little louder this time, "But I recommend rank up first because your current body can barely hold the power you already have. A normal goblin would have imploded on itself with not even half of your power. That is the reason why Magic only begins to appear in hobgoblins that have an affinity for it. A hobgoblin's body is just barely able to bear the burden of mana leaving them."
Great, just another reason to pace my power growth has apparently shown itself. I ask Talise and Cardea, "What are your specialties with your Magic's?" Cardea responds, slowly floating towards me, "I specialize in construction or trap making as you would call it and defensive measures." Talise chimes in, "I don't have a specialty unlike my sisters. Sister Fey said I am something called an 'all-rounder'." Now that I know where their skills lie, I can think of a game plan.
After some thought, I decide to take them as support on my hunts until I gain a squad of my own like Rou. I also decided to forgo my spears due to the fact they broke when I practiced with them earlier. My [Haki]-infused hands should die the trick until I can find proper weapons instead of the crude ones I was using. I went further into the forest than the last few days and I ran into a new creature. Wow, it really does look like a raccoon dog had a child with an armadillo.
The armored tanuki had no sense of impending doom or survival instinct from what I could tell. I am currently on a tree branch a few feet above it with Talise on my left shoulder and Cardea on my head hiding in the fur on my hood. I ask the both of them with [Spirit Call] so as to not alert the animal, "Would both of you bind its movements so there are no problems?" They shake their heads in affirmation. Talise glows a faint light blue and Cardea glows a deep brown. The earth at the armored tanuki's feet turns to mud and it sinks about three inches before the earth dries out and returns to normal. The armored tanuki starts to flail around trying to free itself from its bindings.
I say my prayer to nature like I did for the horned rabbits. I cover my right arm in [Armament Haki] turning it pitch black up to my elbow. With training, I plan on being able to use all facets of [Haki] not just the basics like hardening for [Armament Haki]. I jump the branch and slam my first onto the back of the armored tanuki. The shell on its back shatters upon impact where I hit it. My first ends up going right through it and into the ground a fair bit.
Before I even get a chance to move my arm, I feel something is about to attack me from behind. I coat my left hand in [Haki] while adding some sharpness using [Hydrokinesis] to add a pressurized water blade to the side of my hand. I swing my hand without looking and slice what I am guessing is a snake of some kind, taking the top of its head off.
{Skill [Human Soul] has been activated}
{Class [Martial Artist] has been updated}
{Battle Technique [Power Strike] has been acquired}
{Battle Technique [Hand Blade] has been acquired}
{Skill [Martial Arts] evolved Composite Skill [Elemental Martial Arts]}
{Battle Technique [Pressure Edge] has been acquired}
The snake had an approximate length of 70 centimeters, a diameter of approximately 8 centimeters, covered with black and grey scales with a speckled pattern and a faint purple stripe going down its back. This doesn't seem like a night viper from the original story. Either it's a different snake type monster, which would make sense considering we are in a forest, or it is a variant.
After confirming there are no more monsters in the immediate vicinity, I call the snake and tanuki's souls over. I get nothing from the tanuki but I do get something from the snake.
{Gobukou has gain the traits [Elastic Bones] and [Acidic Blood] from the Acid Blooded Viper (Night Viper Variant)}
{Gobukou has gained the skills [Thermography], [Snake Venom Production], [Poison Resistance], [Presence Sensor], and [Snake's Evil Eye] from the Acid Blooded Viper (Night Viper Variant)}
{Skills [Thermography] and [Presence Sensor] have been absorbed into skill [Perception of Truth]}
{Skill [Snake's Evil Eye] has been absorbed into skill [King's Haki]}
{Skill [Poison Resistance] has evolved into [Poison Immunity] due to Skill [Cultivative Evolution] and Skill [???]}
{Skill [???] have forced skills [Snake Venom Production] and [Poison Immunity] and trait [Acidic Blood] to evolve into Skill/Trait [Thousand Poisons Body]}
It seems like lower tier skills automatically get absorbed into higher tier skills, probably due to that mystery skill of mine. It also gave me a heavenly constitution in place of a simple skill. I wonder why said mystery skill has knowledge of abilities not a part of this world. It is also definite that I can only gain skills and traits from variants of monsters. I guess Rou got me beat in that regard with his [Consumption] skill for the sake of sheer quantity of skills he can gain. I do wonder how my [Soul Imprint Trace] ability affects the souls of more intellectual species like humans or elves.
After wandering for a bit and killing a few more snakes and tanukis, the sun starts to set and I run into a group of five bats that I assume are Seven-colored Bats. I took care of them rather quickly using Hydrokinesis to form small bullets of condensed water at their hearts, killing them instantly.
I carried all them along with the other creatures I killed back to just outside the cave, but I took them to a part of the outside covered in shrubbery. I then asked Cardea, "From what you can tell, are we close to our section? If we are, do you mind making a small tunnel to it from here?"
Cardea rises up from her perch on my hood and grows to her contracted form. She places her hand on the wall and says, "We are only separated by about 5 feet of stone. I can build a fairly sized tunnel here without affecting the structural integrity of the mountain side. Are you going to place the same runes here that you placed at the section's entrance?"
I walked over to her and patted her head saying, "That was exactly my plan. I am glad we can be on the same wavelength." She nuzzles into my hand for a moment before she halts her movement and crumbles away. Talise calls out pouting, "No fair. You can't bond with my sister without me being a part of it. I AM the first one you contracted."
I chuckle and say, "Well then when I need some help for a project I have in mind, you will be the first one I call. Okay?" Talise responds, "Umu, that's the way it should be."
It turns out that having a high level earth spirit make a tunnel without anyone knowing is a lot easier than one would think. After Cardea reformed herself, she was able to make the tunnel in a couple minutes of quiet work. It was almost a little eerie how quiet it was for her to do it.
I set up the same two runes as before just inside the tunnel. I also put a Norse rune of perception there as well with the intent to have it peer into the mind of those that enter to see their intent. Runes apparently work off the intent of the person writing them. I also had Cardea set traps inside the tunnel to work in conjunction with the rune to only activate if someone enters with ill will towards those that live within.
I then spent the rest of my day disassembling my prey, having some for a meal, preparing some for future meals, and gaining new knowledge about the three new creatures thanks to my [Butcher] class skills [Monster Anatomy] and [Monster Disassembly]. Unknown to me, shortly after I fell asleep, Talise and Cardea joined me in my bed smiling at each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Notes: Here is day 8 of Kou's rebirth as a goblin. This day was a little difficult to write for me since writing original characters that aren't the main character are a little harder to write if they are an important story element that I believe wasn't properly explored in the original series.
Did anybody catch the foreshadowing I attempted at writing in an earlier day for the story's introduction of nature spirits?
How do you like the personality designs for the two spirits?
Who do you think Velvet really was?