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Book 2: Chapter 38
🕑 Added 2024-06-05 10:38:35 +0000 UTCThe colosseum was in chaos, there was no other word to describe it. Wherever Shaun went the next day he saw people on edge, many were in smaller groups talking about what they were going to do about the war, there were even people who started putting together full teams outside of who they usually trained with, forming up into larger groups to combat anyone who went against them on Earth. The biggest issue people were currently facing was where everyone would end up when they finished the tutorial. It was unclear whether everyone in the same tutorial would be deposited in the same place on Earth, if they would just appear in exactly the same place they had been prior to the integration or if it was going to be completely random. Finding each other once this was over was going to be a high priority but doing so was going to be one of their biggest challenges.
As he walked through the shops he spotted a much larger group of people all huddled around one specific spot. When he got closer he heard a voice that he recognised, Viv was talking to the group, explaining her plan on needing to unite under a leader to push back any forces that wished harm on their planet and that only together could they stand a chance to beat back The Pantheons ruthless desire to control Earth. Everyone was listening in, cheering for her the more she spoke. It seems like she no had a way to bring everyone into her fold and help here with her goals. The others were standing with her, looking formidable with their weapons and what looked to be new armour. He made eye contact with Eric who raised his eyebrow at him in question, asking if this was part of Shaun’s plan maybe? He just shrugged at kept walking, there was no need to interfere, they had all done well in creating distance, there was no need to ruin it all now.
He had another fight today and then the soiree at the end of the day, one which would be more chaotic than probably any before it if he had to guess, apart from that his day was pretty free. He thought about running the dungeon again but his class was already quite high, it was his profession he needed to focus on, and he now had an idea of what to create next. Shaun went into the gem store and found Jack inside.
“Shaun, a pleasure to see you as always. What brings you in?” Jack was always happy to see him walk into his store, it usually meant he spent coin or would craft for him.
“I have a question. Is there any way to link gems or crystals or any material really and form a bond between them so a person can use it to track where a partnered or linked gem is?”
“There is, it is a rather common craft although one that can be someone complicated depending on how many links need to be formed. I assume the reason you have bought this up is due to your pending return to Earth?”
“Yes, although it won’t be for me, there is no one I need to track down on Earth from the tutorial. But you would have heard what is happening out there, right?” Anger flashed across Jack’s face, an emotion he had never seen from the man, but he gave a curt nod. “Well, it would seem that there may be a market for a lot of people here to want to meet rather quickly when we are released from the tutorial, get together before the war really kicks off.”
“Yes, I would imagine so. Usually, I would not interfere in such things, however, what The Pantheon is doing crosses a line, they should not be interfering at such a large scale on a newly integrated planet. One moment.” Jack went into his back room and came back with a few books. “There are a few ways to link items, creating a compass of sorts, that will point in the direction of the master link. It isn’t very useful and only works if the master link and the compass link are on the same planet, but I think it would be very effective for what you need. Here read this one. The other books have some other, similar designs, but nowhere near as effective.”
Shaun read over the design that Jack had provided him, appreciating just how much this would help everyone. It was an interesting item to craft, both basic in some ways and complicated in others. There was two parts as Jack had said, the master link and what the book called the minor link. The master link, depending on the material used, would be able to hold hundreds of minor links, where as long as the person holding the master link allowed it, those holding a minor link could track the master down, all it needed to activate was mana. What made the design more complex is that blood needed to be used, on both links. The person holding the master link would need to have a small ritual done on the item that bonded their life force, through blood, to the item. They would also need to provide a drop of blood on the minor links. The opposite was the same, the person holding the minor link needed to bond it through blood and provide a drop of blood to the master link. There was a decent amount of prep work that needed to be done but once the person owning the link was ready to bond it the process was quick and simple as long as they were willing.
The actual item to link could take the form of nearly anything, as long as it provided a way to guide in a certain direction, meaning Shaun could make a rudimentary compass and then on one end place a small gem or crystal or even a tiny shard, anything that could take in the blood of the person who held the master link. The only thing the master link needed, if they themselves didn’t need to track the minor links, was something large enough to take in the blood from each of those minor links. If they wanted the ability to track as well it got more complicated, but he could make it work if needed.
“Jack, how would you feel about me taking over your shop for a while? Just using it to craft and sell some of these links. I won’t ask you to help, I know you probably can’t, but is there anything stopping you from letting me work and sell out of here?”
“I don’t see any reason to say no. You will need to pay for materials, apart from that I see no reason to give you the freedom to do as you need.” Jack smiled at him, almost like he had been hoping Shaun would ask him to use his shop.
Things moved quickly after that, he went and bought a large quantity of metal to work with, nothing to expensive as he wasn’t crafting weapons or armour, but just common metals that would work well with the crafting of the compasses. When he got back to Jack’s shop he didn’t hesitate to go into his work room and get to work. His control and fusion skills made light work of creating all the different parts and attaching gem shards. He spent a few hours doing all of the minor links, including putting in the runes that would be needed to activate them when bonded. When his time came to fight he quickly went and ended the fight quickly, the woman he fought was rather strong for the tutorial, her level in the high 40’s, but he ended it quickly by shifting into his lightning form when she went to attack him with her sword, causing her to get hit with a shock that left her on the ground, hurt but nowhere near dead. It was his first time showcasing the skill and the audience was ecstatic about it, the woman, whose name was Martha, recovered after a while but as she had been unconscious for a time she had lost. He helped her back to the waiting room where she just stared at him like he was a monster. He didn’t blame her, humans just shouldn’t be able to change into an element and seeing it would have been a shock.
When he got back to Jack’s shop he had a few hours until the soiree and he had the most of that time. When he had made nearly 500 minor links he moved to making a few dozen master links, some only big enough to hold a dozen minor links and others large enough to hold hundreds. The only thing left to do was spread the word on what was now being sold in Jack’s shop. Shaun went and stood out the front of the s tore and as loud as he could called for everyone’s attention.
“Everyone listen up!” Shaun yelled, getting the attention of everyone that heard him, which was a majority of the people around. “There is a new item for sale in this store, one that I think a lot of you will want to get your hands on. I have crafted items that will let you track each other. Not just now but back on Earth. If you want to be able to meet up quickly, without fear of where you end up when this tutorial is over, bring your coin and your team and I will gladly sell you these items. Spread the word, there is plenty for all.”
No one moved for a moment, they just stared at him, but then as if it all finally settled in they went running around, gathering who they needed. Shaun just turned around and went back in the store, seeing Jack smiling. “I will handle the payments if you do all the crafting. How much will you sell them for?”
Shaun had thought about this, the cost of each minor link hadn’t even been a silver coin each, the master links depended on which one the bought. “Go for a 10% mark up on cost, that way it will seem I am doing this for coin rather than being helpful. They will still be affordable as well which won’t scare people off.”
Over the afternoon Shaun ended up selling nearly 400 of the minor links and a large amount of the master ones, the only reason he stopped was due to the fact he was due to go to the soiree. It seemed that a majority of people were invited to this one. They were down to the top 15 people in the arena and they now had 2 rest days before everyone got the chance to fight anyone they wished for one of the top spots, after it would be days of battle until only one person was left.
When he walked into the soiree he could feel tension throughout the room, the clans were not as chatty as they had been in the past and the mood from the reps was clear for anyone to see, they were not happy, in fact they looked positively pissed.
“Now that everyone is here that needs to be, we will get started.” Claude, from The Unending Void spoke. “I have been chosen as the neutral party to speak. There has been developments that we have all no doubt heard, regarding your planet.” Claude looked across at Octavius who looked cheerful, as if he already knew the outcome of this meeting and had won. “No matter how…..distasteful, some of us may view what has come to light, that is not why we are here, not yet at least. Shaun Clermont, step forward and make you choice, this matter regarding your allegiance must be put to an end, now.”
Shaun walked forward, going over what he had rehearsed in his head. “Claude, I have not yet made a choice. I need time to think over my decision. I only had my last meeting yesterday and there is still much to think over.” No one was happy about what he said, some of the reps looked furious, Octavius especially.
“This is not acceptable. A choice must be made, here and now. All of the powers have to plan for what will occur after the tutorials end, especially now that a certain power has made their desires for your planet known. Your choice impacts how all move forward, so a decision must be made. Speak your choice.” He tried to argue against it but found when he tried to speak nothing came out. He knew he was under a skill, he had felt something similar, though much weaker, from Alan all those months ago. Claude was using a skill on him. “Speak now Shaun, that is an order!”
“None! I choose none of you! I refuse!” He hated people with those type of skills, to force him to do something he didn’t want to. He hadn’t been given any choice, he was forced to speak, the skill Claude had used was too powerful to resist at his level.
“You dare refuse us? All of us? Who do you think you are?” Xavier shouted at him, the others also making their thoughts known. They were angry, at being rejected, at his blatant refusal to accept any of them. They were from the most powerful factions in the multiverse and he had dismissed them all. The clans were up in arms, never expecting such an outcome.
“Quiet everybody.” Claude didn’t yell, but when he spoke he commanded silence. “Shaun Clermont, you have made your choice. As agreed you can join no clans, through your own choice you have denied the factions. From now on you are to be an outcast from the factions, as are all who refuse the order of the multiverse.”
“No! That is not enough!” Xavier yelled. “An outcast he shall be, but one that shall not live long. Anyone that kills Shaun Clermont will be offered a place within The Empire, whether it be in the tutorial or back on your planet. I want him dead!”
“Agreed. I make the same offer. Kill him and you will be given a chance to join The Holy Light!” Quinter spoke afterwards.
One by one, each of the reps proclaimed the same. Anyone who managed to kill him would be invited into any of the major factions.
“Whether it be now, in a month, a year. You are going to die Shaun. The only person you can blame for that is yourself.” Octavius seemed to enjoy the turn of events, he hadn’t gotten Shaun to join him but he also didn’t lose him to another side either. He had just become public enemy No.1. He didn’t stick around to see what happened next, he walked from the room, the clans sneering at him and those from Earth looking at him like he was their ticket to greatness. Thankfully no one here was strong enough to beat him, and they were being forced into one on ones from here on out. But back on Earth? He was going to need to be very careful, he would be hunted, everyone wanting an easy ticket to power would come for him. All they had to do was kill him.
