OverXelous
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29. Evolution
🕑 Added 2025-01-29 14:00:17 +0000 UTCThe dining room was more elegant and formal compared to the rest of the house, though Alex was excited to have an occasion to use the room. The large oak table was set with dishes that Edwin had arranged and Gabby was preparing to fill. Soon, they would be seated, and Alex could smell the appetizing mix of garlic and onion wafting in from the kitchen.
Above, the modern light fixture cast a warm glow over the room, which did a lot to change the room from feeling quite as stuffy or sterile as it might with bright white lights. Instead, the warm light worked well with the dark woods and large front windows of the house.
As Alex looked over the scene, a feeling of nervous excitement washed over him. This gathering marked the first time that they were using the dining room space for any sort of actual event or large evening meal. Although this was beginning to feel more and more like home, Alex, Mark and Sam usually took their meals in a more relaxed setting at the counter in the living room or on the couches. When studying, Alex even took back-to-back meals in his study on the second floor.
The more formal dining room reminded him of how much he still had to embrace in his new life, especially with a professional chef in the other room cooking their meal. Despite the drastically different setting, the idea of everyone sitting around the table took Alex back to his typical family dinners at his mom’s house.
It won’t be anything like that.
Alex shook off the thoughts when the quiet of the room was broken by the sound of the front door opening. Mark bounded in first, a broad grin plastered across his face as he scanned the room. “Woah, look at this set up. Fancy!” He stepped into the dining room, taking in the table setting. “Man, whatever Gabby is making smells fantastic,” he added.
“Right?” Alex replied. “She got excited when you said it was to celebrate Sam, I think she said she was going to use some herbs he’s been helping her with.”
“Nice,” Mark said with a genuine smile as he waved to Edwin, who moved into the room.
“Good evening Mr. Thompson. I trust your workout was satisfactory,” he said.
“It was great, thanks! Where is Sarah?”
“She has yet to arrive, though I believe someone is on their way up the driveway now.”
Alex shared a look with Mark before he shrugged. “That trait is almost scary. It gives him all kinds of intuitive feelings if he’s doing something ‘in service to the house.’”
Edwin nodded before moving to the front door and bringing in Sam and his parents.
“Woah,” Sam said as he walked in and handed Edwin his jacket. He had to lean forward to stay where he was in the foyer and look to the left, into the dining room. “You guys really didn’t have to do all of this.”
Edwin accepted Sam’s parents’ jackets as well before guiding them the small distance to the dining room. They both said nervous ‘Hello’s as they entered the room and took everything in.
“Hi, good to see you guys again,” Alex said as he stepped forward to shake Mr. Grant’s hand. “Glad you guys could make it.”
Mrs. Grant clasped her hands together in front of her waist and glanced at the table setting. “This is lovely. I hope we don’t stick out too much in this beautiful home. “
Mark waved his hand dismissively, eager to put them at ease. “Not at all! You should have seen Alex’s apartment just a few months ago.”
Alex laughed. “This is still a big adjustment for me. Trust me, you’re not out of place- at least not compared to the rest of us. Make yourself comfortable. I think Sarah and Olivia should be here soon and then we can get started with some food or Sam can advance whenever he wants.”
Mark stood and walked through the foyer to the living room to turn on the TV and some background noise before the group all sat down and got some of the initial awkward conversation out of the way. They talked about the weather and the trip from the Safe Zone to the mansion, pleased that there were no issues at the checkpoint.
Just as the conversation was slowing to something more comfortable, Olivia strolled through the front door, guided by Edwin. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting!”
“Not at all,” Alex replied, returning her grin. “You actually beat Sarah, which is surprising. I thought she was supposed to have the day off.” He got up to give her a hug, and she took the seat next to his as the conversation started fresh with Olivia.
“Well, right now I bounce between acting as something of a body guard for Elana, who is one of the people in charge of the Guild, and just taking contracts.” Olivia said with a smile as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“What are contracts?” Mr. Grant asked.
“They’re just specific tasks that any of our leadership can put up for grabs. Most of the time it’s a specific objective, like going into a Rift and just grabbing some materials. Sometimes it’s just to protect someone new in the Guild and allow them to gain a few levels, though those only really pop up when the Guild gets someone new that they think is going to be important.”
“Like our Sammy?” Ms. Grant said with a smile, causing Sam to groan and put his head in his hands.
“Well, similar. But honestly, ma’am, Sam is higher level than all of us. But, yes, his role as a healer makes him really valuable. Though, lately I’ve been taking boring contracts to go and help watch over the new Guild Headquarters that they’re building.”
They continued small talk and it wasn’t long before Sarah also joined them and she apologized for being late. “I had a last minute meeting with Director Matthews and it ran a bit longer than it was supposed to.”
“Everything okay?” Mark asked.
“Yeah, it was a big meeting but honestly I’m not sure why I was there. I think the Director just likes to hear what I saw in some peoples’ auras after the meetings are over.” She waved. “Let’s talk about it later, I don’t want to talk about work. We’re here to celebrate Sam and Val!” She smiled and gave Sam a hug and greeted his parents before taking her own seat.
“Wow, this is… all really nice,” Mrs. Grant said softly. She rolled her shoulders as she leaned back in the comfortable chair and rested her forearm on the chair, reaching for her husband’s hand.
“Wait until you taste Gabby’s cooking,” Mark said with a cheeky grin.
“You say that like you’re proud and help her do anything in the kitchen!” Sam jabbed back.
Mark laughed, but Alex saw how Mr. Grants eyebrows rose in surprise at his son’s response.
“Hey,” Olivia said, pulling his attention away from the conversation. “where is Val? I’m surprised he’s not still strutting around with his wings like he’s a peacock.”
Alex rolled his eyes before pointing to the window behind him.
Olivia turned her head and frowned. After a moment of looking out the window and then at the curtains, she laughed. “What are you doing, Val?”
The curtains moved and in his normal vision, Alex saw the distortion he’d begun to recognize as an illusion skill breaking. In his left eye, he’d seen his companion since he’d entered the room, as the patch of mana made it quite obvious that he was camouflaged on the red curtains.
“He got frustrated because with his wings, his [Create Lesser Illusion] skill is now not strong enough to change his entire body to look like something or to hide it. So, he’s been practicing all morning on different places to hide and use the skill to try and get it to level up. It’s only a bit from advancement.”
“Ah,” Olivia said, eyeing the wyrm as it flew around the room.
Ugh, can I even think of him as a wyrm now? He’s an amphiptere… but there’s no way my brain is going to swap to thinking that. Do I just start thinking of him as a baby dragon?
He watched as his companion made a lap around the room and Sam’s parents gasped. The teenager hopped up and excitedly began telling his parents about the advancement process and how much Valtherion had changed.
The small gathering settled into the comfortable atmosphere, and Alex watched on with a growing sense of contentment. Seeing his long-time friends, girlfriend, and the Grant family all together and getting along so well together gave him a sense of family dinner that he’d never had before.
His thoughts were interrupted as Sam announced, “Alright, I’m going to do it! I can’t wait any more.” He smiled sheepishly as most of the eyes turned to him.
“It’s about time!” Mark called.
The room fell quiet as they saw Sam concentrate on the air in-front of him, navigating the personal System windows. Unconsciously, everyone leaned in, excited to see the evolution. A minute passed, yet nothing change in Sam.
He sat quietly, his expression focused and his eyes moving back and forth.
“Uh, is something supposed to happen?’ Mark asked, breaking the silence. A few chuckles rose from the group but Alex could tell that Sam’s mom looked on edge.
“Just give him a minute,” Alex said to the table.
Finally, Sam broke into an excited grin. “It looks awesome! I love the class!” He could hardly contain his joy as he half stood up from the chair and looked at his parents and Alex. “I’ve officially got an Epic class; I’m a Druid!”
“Wait, that was it?” Olivia asked, slightly confused.
After a few heartbeats of silence, the excitement around the room ignited. “Dude, that’s amazing!” Mark cheered, jumping up and high-fiving Sam.
“Way to go, Sam!” Olivia exclaimed, covering her earlier reaction with a loud cheer.
Between his green sweatshirt and light complexion, the red that rose onto Sam’s face from everyone’s excitement and attention was all too visible.
Alex, sensing the moment's momentum, turned to Gabby, who had just entered the room. “Could you bring out the food now? And maybe you and Edwin can join us?”
“Absolutely! It’ll be ready soon!” Gabby called back with a wave as she headed back into the kitchen. Edwin followed, offering a nod of acknowledgment as he held the door open for her.
As everyone began enjoying Gabby's meal, the atmosphere grew warm and festive. Conversation flowed easily as people discussed the delicious food, their laughter lightening the mood further. Mark and Gabby's natural enthusiasm and outgoing personalities drew everyone into animated discussions and storytelling.
As they grew to the end of food, Sam was pulled into a semi private conversation with his parents at their end of the table regarding his class and future plans.
Alex, Mark, Olivia, and Sarah shifted to more pressing topics while the two members of the house staff listened with interest.
Mark asked Sarah what had kept her late at work and as soon as she answered, Alex winced internally, knowing that it would likely lead to some back and forth between the two women.
“The meeting I was in earlier, was actually a virtual meeting with several other national leaders. The UN is spearheading a global initiative to share information on the Rifts,” Sarah answered. “The US plans to support it with a forum board connected to a database with curated information. All of the information that they have about awakening and safety measures will be put there and shared with everyone, including other countries who might need it.”
Alex nodded and felt a bit of guilt rise in his chest as he realized that he’d been ignoring most of the news and international state of affairs. But if the US was struggling to keep up with Rift breaks and was moving to such things as Safe Zones, he couldn’t imagine how some of the poorer, less organized countries were handling things.
“Isn’t that just another way for them to control everything?” Olivia replied skeptically. “Sounds like they’re trying to duplicate what the Guild is already doing with the AG app.”
“At least they are sharing the information. The Guild keeps it all behind a membership paywall. That kind of information could save lives and shouldn’t be kept from the public.” Sarah shot back quickly.
A tense silence descended on the group as Olivia bristled at Sarah’s words. Both of their expressions became stiff, and Alex saw his girlfriend’s face begin to darken. He knew that those kinds of implications hit close to home for her.
Alex sighed as Olivia set down her silverware and pushed her chair back. The clatter caused the conversation around the room to stop and the mood was broken. “I’m just going to help start clearing the table or something,” she said, while grabbing her plate and moving toward the kitchen.
Alex started to stand to follow her, but Gabby excused herself politely and waved Alex down.
“Please sit, boss. I’ll start cleaning as well and chat with Ms. Santoro in the kitchen. You stay.” Gabby said as she followed Olivia into the kitchen.
As the door swung shut behind her, Mrs. Grant turned to Sarah, her expression softening as she changed to topic. “Sam mentioned that you like to play music?”
Sarah nodded, “I do. I grew up playing the violin and have recently started to pick up the flute, since it was a gift from Alex at Christmas.”
“Would you play something for us?”
“I’m still figuring things out,” Sarah said hesitantly, “but I can use the music to influence auras in subtle ways with this special flute. Maybe I could try to play something a bit upbeat?”
“Why not?” Alex said, encouragingly. “You’ve sounded great the last few times I’ve heard you.”
“Yeah, you really picked it up fast,” Mark said.
Mrs. Grant clapped excitedly and Alex couldn’t help but to use his Heavenly Eye to scan the flute as Sarah pulled it from her purse.
She must have the spatial bag tucked into the purse. That’s pretty smart. Maybe I should start carrying around a normal backpack or something.
He activated [Parallel Mind] to allow one half of his mind to focus on the best ways to carry his spatial pouch around and have it look normal, while the other used his eye to look at the flute and stay present in the conversation.
***
E Rank Item - Lumina Flute
Rarity: Uncommon Type: Instrument
Enchantment: Aura Harmony I
***
He loved how the dark gray wood looked, though he knew it differed from the dead trees that he’d seen on the dark side of the Rift. Where they had not allowed any mana to flow, this wood seemed very conductive to certain types of mana, especially as Sarah began to play.
She took a breath and began to play, filling the room with a gentle, uplifting melody. Edwin got up to turn the TV down that had been on in the background, allowing everyone to enjoy the melody Sarah was playing.
“Wow, that’s so nice!” Mark said as he swayed slightly to the rhythm. “We could totally get you to play for money or something. I feel like I just drank a cup of coffee and happiness.”
The lighthearted jest broke through the tension, and Mrs. Grant listened attentively. Everyone sat a bit straighter and felt more awake than the previous food coma they’d been slipping into. “You really have a gift,” she murmured after Sarah finished.
As the music faded, conversation resumed with an air of nostalgia. Mrs. Grant shared stories of her own musical past, and before they knew it, Sarah and Sam’s mom were deep in conversation about the complexity of melodies and different kinds of music.
Soon after, Sam’s parents decided to excuse themselves for the night, thanking everyone once again for their hospitality and pride in their son, telling him to come see them after the weekend was over.
After they left, Alex, Mark and Sam began talking about how they planned to tackle their next Rift for the Teams Event. With Olivia and Sarah both working the next two days, they had decided to contribute as a three-man team for a quick Rift over the weekend.
“I wanted to ask you about your class,” Alex said, taking the opportunity once the Grants had left. “You mentioned the Druid class? Do you want to tell Mark and I the skills it gave you?”
“Of course,” Sam said excitedly. “I wanted to show you guys earlier, but didn’t want to get too into it with my parents. Here, let me share the status windows.”
***
Druid:
Epic
The Druid is a nature-bound magic user who draws power from the natural world. They excel in supporting allies with healing and regeneration, while also controlling the battlefield with plants, weather, and animals. Druids adapt to their surroundings, using their connection to nature to protect, heal, and destroy. Balance is a core principle of both nature and the Druid.
Primary Class Stat: Wisdom
Secondary Class Stat: Vitality
Tertiary Class Stats: Constitution
***
***
[Flourish] (Novice - Level 1) Allows the Awakened One to channel mana into plants over time to heal damaged flora, accelerate growth, and enhance natural properties. Effects are gradual and require sustained care.
***
“Woah!” Mark said, rocking back in his chair. “That’s awesome, dude.” He held out his fist to bump it with Sam as Alex kept reading.
“This is great, Sam. Did it not give you a passive skill, though?” Alex asked.
The grin that spread across Sam’s face let him know that there was a second skill granted by the class. “Oh yes, I just wanted to save it for last. It seems so cool.”
There was a pause before a new, enormous window appeared in the air between them.
***
[Spiritual Communion] (Tier I) - Choose a spirit of nature to commune with, gaining passive bonuses based on your choice and a token totem to nurture the bond.
Option 1: Bear Spirit
The Bear represents raw power and resilience. They weather storms and stand firm against adversity. Over time, the Druid may discover that this spirit encourages them to become more steadfast, enduring, and ready to take on even the toughest challenges.
Option 2: Raven Spirit
The raven is a symbol of sharp wit and knowledge. With the Raven’s spirit, the Druid becomes more attuned to their surroundings and uses their mind to work their way through problems. They may learn that the Raven aids in clarity of thought and the ability to act quickly and decisively.
Option 3: Turtle Spirit
The Turtle embodies a steady presence in the face of adversity. There is a quiet wisdom in waiting, and a quiet strength in not rushing. Over time, the Druid may come to realize that this spirit helps them remain composed, and resilient in both body and mind.
Option 4: Wolf Spirit
The Wolf is a creature of the pack. Their main focus is on survival through unity and family. While the Druid may not always fight alongside others of the pack, the spirit of the Wolf shows them that the hunter’s greatest strength and resilience come from their group.
Option 5: Stag Spirit
The Stag is the embodiment of swiftness, grace, and beauty. Over time, the Druid will discover that the spirit of the Stag helps them find fluidity in both body and magic, allowing them to act quickly, especially when they’re in motion.
***
Mark whistled, and Alex’s eyebrows came together.
“That’s more complex than I’ve seen a skill description so far.” Alex dismissed his [Parallel Mind] skill to put his attention on Sam. “But, based on the class description, it seems like the whole flavor of the class is based on this. Hell, even seeing the option descriptions, I’m guessing this is where the versatility comes from. “
The teenager nodded and agreed. “They all seem like they could be strong, so I want to take my time and think through my options.”
“Man, there are so many possibilities!” Mark said excitedly. “Oh- there are so many theory crafting options. Hold on, let me grab my laptop!” He jumped up from the chair, almost knocking it over in his haste as he jogged out of the dining room and to his bedroom.
Alex and Sam both laughed as he left, and Alex read the skill again.
“Uhm, Alex…” Sam said tentatively.
“Yeah?”
“There was something else I wanted to talk to you about yesterday, too. It just got a bit hectic after Val changed.”
Alex refocused on the young man as he realized he was concerned about something. “What’s up?”
“Well, while I was at the hospital on Wednesday… someone came and offered me a job.”
Alex tried to keep his brows from coming together in confusion. “Okay? Was it not obvious that you were already working at the hospital because of your age or something?”
“No, they knew I was there healing. They offered me… well, a lot of money. They want me to go and be a private healer for them and their family.”
It took a few moments for Alex’s brain to catch up; he was so caught off guard. “Well, what did you say?”
“I- I just told them I wasn’t that interested,” Sam said, trying to read Alex’s face.
“Well that’s good. Did they seem weird? Why did you turn it down?”
“Not weird, really. They seemed nice enough at first, but they kept pushing. The offer was… a lot of money and I was thinking about helping them out just because he seemed a bit desperate,” Sam admitted. He looked off to the side.
“But…” Alex prompted.
“They wanted me to work for them, like, right away and only for them. Even after I said no, they kept insisting. The hospital staff had to intervene and removed the guy when he wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Sam explained as his voice lowered a notch.
Alex felt his chest tighten, and he knew that must have been hard for Sam.
Especially with none of us there to back him but, I’m sure he felt like someone was trying to pressure him again like in Tianluo. I’m glad he’s stronger now, and it turned out differently this time.
“That sounds like a bit much, I’m glad the staff helped out. It’s great they want you, but that’s a lot of pressure.” He paused as he thought through the situation. “It all comes down to what you want, the choice is really yours, bud.”
“Yeah, I mean I appreciate the attention, but… I want to figure out where I fit in all of this,” Sam said while fidgeting with the edge of the table. “You guys mean a lot to me, and I don’t want to leave. Especially not just for some money.”
Some of that tension left Alex’s chest, replaced with a sense of protectiveness for the smaller teenager. “All of that is understandable. You’ve grown a lot as a person in the last few years Sam. You’ve been through a lot and come out the other side. Now, you’re one of the strongest people in the world,” Alex said encouragingly, and nudged the blonde boy’s shoulder. “You have some crazy potential, especially with healing. It makes sense that people would want to tap into that. But you shouldn’t feel you have to choose one path just because it seems appealing right away or someone’s pressuring you.”
“I know.” Sam nodded and took a breath. “I just want to make sure I’m making the right choice, you know? If I learned anything from Old Man Jing… it’s that money has power. I could protect and help my family with that. And I could help with what you’re doing here. You know?”
Alex nodded, impressed at Sam’s sense of logic and how well he was handling the situation with his time in the Rift. It was a mature side to the teenager that he had seen little of. First, he was skittish and healing, scarred from his time of abuse. Then he rebounded quickly, and Alex found Sam was often trying to emulate Mark’s energy and attitude. Now, there was a serious young man sitting in front of him, talking about helping and healing others and turning down personal recruitment offers while thinking of his future and what he wanted.
The smile that slowly spread across Alex’s face couldn’t be contained.
“What?”
“Nothing, I’m just proud of you, dude.”
Sam looked away and turned an entirely different color as he shifted backward in his chair and adjusted his green hoodie. “Thanks. That means a lot… I just- it’s like you said… I want to say with you guys. You’re part of my family now.”
Before they could keep going with the serious conversation, Mark burst back into the room. “Got my laptop! Time to figure out all the Druid things!”
Their chat faded into the background as Sam’s earlier worries hung in Alex’s thoughts. He felt a sense of relief and optimism as they shifted back into discussing the next Rift. He knew Sam was on the edge of something big, both in his path to power, as Eura referred to it, and his life choices. Supporting him through the transition was one thing Alex was determined to do.
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Alright guys, this chapter is loooong. Coming in right now at 4400 words. I know there was some telling, rather than showing, especially with some of the conversation, but the only way I see to get around that is to show less of the scene or to split into two chapters, which is just going to slow down the feeling of the story. Check out the poll below to give me some feedback!
This chapter may change before going onto RR.
What do you think about this chapter?
Comments
Mojr
Sarah the Bard!!!!! Edit: mental manipulation esque
Marc Savage
Long is better. I would rather have 1 long than 5 short. The story flows better. There was an author i followed who posted almost daily but every post was a cliff hanger and a tiny part of a chapter
OverXelous
This is exactly what I want to portray in the story!! The government and HA area really just doing what they're designed to do. I doubt they're perfect, but from their POV they are doing the right thing and the AG is a problem. From the AG point of view, and those who distrust the government (rightfully or wrongfully) will likely think that they are the issue and that controlling this kind of stuff is bad. Neither are really right or wrong. Both likely have darker sides. It's largely going to be a matter or principles or perspective on who ends up siding with which side.
Thomas V.
I’m very curious where the tension between Sarah and Olivia is heading. Mostly because sure, being worried about the US government being controlling is reasonable enough (just look at all the shit that’s going on there), and very much something to keep in mind. The thing is though, it’s not like Sarah is wrong about what she said. The Guild *is* paywalling lifesaving info, and it *is* beholden to billionaires and other powerful people who don’t have the general public’s best interest in mind. The Guild really isn’t inherently better than the government because “mah freedom”, just because our main characters have only seen its good side. Just look at the shit Rylan is pulling (especially if he is indeed linked to the Untethered). The fact that Olivia has such a hard time acknowledging that is a bit worrying.
Hayden
Raven would be my go-to in this scenario. Knowledge and mental acuity can take one further than any of the other available options (imo), but I feel he might land on wolf for the survival, unity, and family aspects. Survival is exactly what he'd had to do before escaping the rift, and unity + family just make sense for where the story is progressing so far
OverXelous
Yeah I agree with you. Which is really the reason I didn't split it up to begin with. And I don't really want to get in the habit of "milking" the word count, so to say.
Roy Robinson
It was long, but I don't think anyone would ever say one was too long. I can see an argument for splitting it up for quality of your life, but as a reader I think it worked well. It also didn't have... I dunno what to call it, dramatic tension maybe, to justify multiple chapters? It was a dinner party and there were lots of interactions, add in a bunch of skill descriptions and you've got a lot of words but not so much "juice" that it would make sense to split it up.
Beeees!
Ya, I got a feeling that guys not gonna leave Sam alone. Being a druid will def help tho with extra vitality and constitution plus more def and offensive options. Anyone who thinks he'll be easy picking cause he's a healer will be in for a suprise
Beeees!
Seconded
spoonful_of_sugar
I love the way everything is playing out. Especially the classes and skills. Also, just the tip of the iceberg and Sarah's trait is shaping a very terrifying class. Kudos!
TJ O'Hare
Change Nothing. *thumbs up*
