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Apolcapyse Healer- B1 Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2024-10-30 12:09:47 +0000 UTCAll that talk about being ‘reborn’ was nothing more than nonsense. David had expected that, but he’d been surprised for a moment nonetheless.
“Joining the Familia means you are cleansed. You abandon your old connections and accept your new life as a member of the Pantheon’s Familia.” Melach explained while Torb shrugged, “Just take it as starting from new. As opening a new chapter in your life.”
Melach said a lot more, but it entered David’s left ear and jumped straight out of his right ear. He wasn’t trying to listen to the Elf at some point but followed them as they guided him through the settlement.
“Do I have to vow something? Not a normal vow or whatever, but some sort of binding oath, or whatsoever.” David’s mind was rattling, and doubts crept up in his mind.
“There is nothing like that. All that ‘reborn’ talk mostly concerns the system adjusting a few things. Your memories will remain intact, and nothing about you, as an entity, will be changed.”
That sounds okay. I will read the contract thoroughly, though, and I will not let any small printed clause escape me!
***
“That’s it?” David asked as he infused a trace of holy power into his thumb. His fingertip glowed dimly as he pressed it onto a small ID-sized slate like the one Melach showed the guards earlier.
[Registration has been completed. Welcome to the Familia!]
“Okay…” His attention drifted to the white slate as his glowing fingerprint merged. A moment later, letters formed on the slate.
Name – David
Race – Human
Affiliation – None
Rank – 1-Star
David wasn’t impressed, which Melach sensed right away. His eyes glimmered dangerously, but Torb said something before Melach could explode.
“Calm down, buddy,” He patted Melach’s back, “You saw how other humans of this world reacted when they joined the Familia. Was anyone impressed? No. We are in a newly integrated world. Don’t forget about that.”
Melach calmed but glared at David nonetheless, “You’re right. The natives’ senses are still dull. They cannot sense their growing connection to the gods. Still…”
The Elf didn’t seem satisfied, but David cared little. Even Torb didn’t seem to mind David’s carefree attitude.
“Don’t mind Melach. Many leave their homes to become Protectory of System Settlements from newly integrated worlds for the sole purpose of joining the Familia. They abandon everything to feel closer to the gods. Everyone has different reasons for needing the Familia. It doesn’t concern you, so I won’t bother you with that. Just know that the Familia is a big thing for many.”
David nodded and resumed inspecting the ID slate, which he decided to call it. It was not very original, but it was fitting.
“The ranking is very straightforward. 1-Star means you can select 1-Star missions. I am a 2-Star and can select 2-Star solo missions. However, to pick team missions at 2-Star, the average star rating of the group would have to be 2-Star or higher,” Torb explained, ignoring Melach, who started sulking when he noticed that David was still not feeling special for joining the Familia, “I could also pick 1-Star team mission even if I were to go out alone.”
So, team missions need a team, except if the mission rating is one star below your rating. That’s for safety sake, I’d guess.
“No affiliation means that you have no god vouching for you. In fact, you can also join a god’s Familia, which would help the growth of all Skill Runes related to the said God,” Torb said, retrieving his ID slate, which showed Affiliation – Fortress(Dwarven God of Protection)
Melach cleared his throat and chimed in, “By joining a god’s Familia, you can also increase your rank by pursuing other occupations. Lifestyle Classes exist, and you can pick them as you progress, but you can grow stronger even without them. For example, if you join the Alchemy God’s Familia, your rank may increase by concocting potions.”
That was good to know, but David wasn’t planning on joining any god’s Familia anytime soon. He only joined the Familia because of the benefits. It was also the only place that offered money and skill proficiency for slaying Infected and other magical creatures.
After a few minutes of Torb and Melach explaining how everything worked, they helped David find a suitable lodge for the next ten days. He got a small room in a clean inn, which was much easier than expected. Arc may be bustling with life, but there were countless inns with empty rooms for him to take.
“I will change my clothes, and then we can…I don’t know…do something?” David studied the Elf and Dwarf, who nodded in agreement. He closed the door to his room and heard Melach and Torb chatting quietly.
“He’s a bit crazy. Don’t you think that’s going to be a problem,” Melach whispered, which brought a smile to David’s face as he started unpacking his backpack. He hadn’t been like this before the integration, but the Earthen Union's changes had also affected him. David wasn’t the man he used to be. But that was fine. He didn’t feel bad in his new skin.
“He is a Cleric and not afraid of leaving the Sanctuary. You saw him fight on the frontlines. He’s like a Warrior mixed with a Cleric. I don’t think we can find anyone better. Or do you want to pay the horrendous prices to hire a Cleric working in the hospice? That would ruin us. We would be lucky to earn enough to pay the Cleric and repair our equipment.” Torb responded, “I’d much rather have someone crazy by my side than a greedy bastard.”
Melach groaned, “I saw him healing himself. I know how good it would be to have someone like him on our team. But what if he enrages the gods while we’re with him? He is a living catastrophe!”
David chuckled at that. Melach and Torb were good people, contrary to Jack. They had a good reason for questioning whether to accept him into their team or not. David understood their worries since he wouldn’t want to have someone like him on his team either.
He snickered while putting on the other clothes he’d brought from the shopping center. He put it on now that his flesh and skin had fully regrown and left his new home with the room key, an empty backpack, his weapons, and a full pouch.
“Are you done contemplating?” David asked lightly, “Did I pass, or are we parting ways?”
“You were eavesdropping?” Melach’s eyes narrowed, but David waved dismissively.
“If you didn’t want me to hear you, you should have stepped away from the door. This place is not soundproof and is not even like you tried to stay quiet. So…what do you say? Is the living catastrophe allowed to fight with you or not?”
Melach sighed but nodded, surprising David, “You can join our team if you want to. I still think it’s dangerous to keep you around, but we would be dead if not for your help against the Giant Infected. You also fight like a mix of two Classes, which makes it easier for us. Torb won’t have to endure all pressure from the frontlines alone, and you can also heal him.”
“In that case, I shall join your team. For the time being,” David winked at the Elf, who cursed softly in another language.
Torb clasped his hands loudly, “Since that’s done, let’s move onward. You have much to learn before we can accept our next mission.”
A lot to learn? No. Just let me fight, dude!
Torb snickered as he read David’s expression.
“Sorry, but your knowledge gap is extensive. You must learn enough about the adjacent regions, the dangers, and the surrounding monsters. Not all monsters are hostile, but your world isn’t making things easy. The native lifeforms, including plant life and animals, are mutating rapidly under the influence of Aether.”
David nodded reluctantly, “I know where we are, but you might be right about the danger. I need to know where to find the strongest monsters to fight!”
Melach groaned in exasperation while Torb smiled at David.
“I don’t think you know how much the integration has changed. Come on, let’s buy a map for you.”
The team went on a short shopping spree to buy a recently updated map that showed Arc and the surrounding regions. David ignored the city ruins as he studied the map, but his features twisted in confusion as his eyes fell upon a certain region. The region was void of streets, villages, towns, or even remnants of the cities that should have been there.
“This can’t be right. Wasn’t there supposed to be…”
“The integration oftentimes replaces entire regions. That’s how it works. Parts of the worlds are removed, replaced with aether-dense regions, to stimulate the core of an aetherless world,” Melach explained, “I don’t know much about it, but this is one of the tactics to awaken forsaken worlds.”
David gasped for air, the memory of an old friend surfacing.
Didn’t he say he was going to move there?
He felt sick, and his stomach started revolting.
“Where did everything go? They can’t just remove a part of the Earthen Union and throw it aside…right?!”
It was one thing to know that his friends and family had a fair chance at survival and a whole different thing to learn that entire regions had been cut out of the Earthen Union and discarded. These people didn’t even receive a chance at survival.
“I don’t know. Maybe the cities, towns, and villages disappeared, leaving the citizens behind, or everything was replaced, and the natives of this world were transported to a different world, where they can also gain access to the system.”
That didn’t sound great, but it was better than certain death.
David’s eyes drifted back to the map. He studied where his family was supposed to be, and it looked…okay. Several System Sanctuaries were near their most likely location at the time of the integration into the Pantheon. But there were also dangerous regions nearby. They were framed red, which couldn’t mean anything good.
Then, David’s eyes fell upon the purple vortexes etched into the map. They moved while the rest of the map remained static.
“What exactly are those? They don’t give me a friendly vibe…”
Melach and Torb checked the map simultaneously and frowned deeply.
“They’re called Rifts…” Melach whispered, “But why are they materializing so close to Arc?”
“And so many…” Torb added, his face drained of all color.
