PftA Book 5 - Chapter 46 - Family Connections

“What if you learn a skill but don’t have a skill slot? Will the system cause whatever you’re working on to fail?” Lucas asked.

“No, but there will be a limit to how well you can perform the related tasks,” I replied. “Take Smithing, for example. An un-‘Skilled’ but experienced Smith would still be able to craft items and weapons up to roughly the level that could be crafted by hand prior to Earth joining the Alliance.

“The system wouldn’t help with anything, and there would be no magical effects. With enough effort, the end product might still be quite impressive…for a common item. The reality is, even the most accomplished Master Smiths of Earth’s history prior to the reintegration would only be able to craft items at the common rarity.

“No matter how much skill or effort, nothing they made would ever cross the uncommon threshold. It would have no additional effects or enhanced capabilities. In many ways, that lack would make the weapon or item weaker than what could be produced by a Skilled novice.”

“And slotting the skill changes that?”

I nodded. “It does. A slotted skill is actively assisted by the system. It might be hard to understand how much that might impact things, but trust me when I say that losing the system’s assistance makes a huge difference, especially for someone who isn’t a true master of their craft.”

“The dungeon tested you that way, right?”

Now that I was no longer being censored by the dungeon, I’d explained some of the challenges I’d faced on the last two floors.

While having decreased access to the system’s assistance with skills and limited access to spells might seem like just another challenge, they took on a new meaning when considered from a different perspective.

“It did,” I replied. “Realizing how much help the system provides in the background made a huge difference in allowing me to really train my skills. That made a huge difference when it came to reacquiring them in the simulation.”

Lucas wasn’t physically taking notes on our conversation, but I suspected he had his Interface Assistant recording everything.

“Tell me again how skill acquisition works,” Lucas requested. “Specifically, I’d like to learn more about how spells are gained. You mentioned they could only be learned by skillbooks?”

I answered my nephew’s questions as he dug into the way the realm of Dia worked. There were several things that I didn’t have the answer to, but I knew enough to make an educated guess.

I reminded Lucas that my answers were based on a simulated life modeled after what Corrogo claimed was a snapshot of the realm at the time his core had been created.

I also reminded him that thousands of years had passed, at a minimum, since then, so it was entirely possible that some of the more social aspects of my experience may no longer be relevant.

It was also a bit of a reminder to myself. As much as I felt prepared to jump right into life in Dia, I needed to keep in mind that my experiences were based on old information.

While the magic system and all that probably wouldn’t have changed in the intervening years, it was entirely possible that a lot of the social stuff would have evolved over time.

= = =

“What are your plans for the next month or so?” I asked Lucas after our long conversation about the next realm had ended.

“I’ll probably stay local while I work through the worldbuilding process for my next series. I prefer to stay close enough to ask any clarifying questions I might have as I outline everything. While messages and calls are fine for most things, I find that this type of conversation is always better done in person.”

“Don’t feel like you have to stick around for that,” I said. “I’m perfectly capable of teleporting to you if you want to have a chat.”

Lucas shrugged lightly and said, “Here or somewhere else, it’s all the same. I’ve already got my camper set up at the local traveler park.”

The term he used for ‘camper’ was different, but it basically meant the same thing. The term applied to any temporary, mobile residence with solid walls, though some people used it to reference tents and other similar temporary structures as well.

“Okay, well, just let me know if you have questions. I’m happy to answer whatever I can. I think it would be really great for the public to learn more about what the next realm is like, even if it is under the guise of fiction.”

“Oh, I plan to explain that the worldbuilding is based on your experience. I’m going to include a foreword in every relevant book explaining that while the story itself is fictional, the worldbuilding is based on your experience and knowledge of the next realm.

“Even if some people dismiss it as a publicity stunt, I think enough will be interested that it will draw new readers to my work. If you’d be willing to do an interview or two before you leave to support my claim, that would be even better.”

I tried not to grumble at the request since I could see the value in it. As much as I disliked the spotlight, I wanted more people to know what to expect in the next realm enough to at least consider the idea.

Who knew? Maybe the interviews and book series might even encourage some people to push forward to ascension instead of remaining in this realm.

“I’ll consider it,” I said before adding a warning. “I’m not sure how long I’ll have until I’m forced to leave, though.”

“You’ll at least be around for another month, right?” Lucas asked.

He’d already been told about the pending invitation to the family and friends gathering. In fact, most of the people I hoped would attend had already been told about it.

The plans weren’t fully ironed out yet, but Mom was working to change that.

“Yes, I should be.”

“Great. Well, I know a couple of journalists I can reach out to. I’ll try to set something up. Would you rather do it before or after the gathering?”

“After,” I said immediately. It seemed much better to put off the unpleasantness for as long as possible.

Doing it later also meant there would be less time to deal with the public’s reaction to my sudden reappearance. Hopefully, they wouldn’t care all that much. I’d always been pretty reclusive, even when I wasn’t in the dungeon. My absence from the realm shouldn’t make much of a difference.

= = =

The few weeks passed by quickly.

I made sure to visit both the Adventurers’ Guild and the Enchanters’ Guild to inform them of my impending ascension. It wasn’t strictly required, but I wanted to do what I could to smooth things out before I left.

I also met with my inheritance advisor and updated some things for after I ascended. I let him know that I’d be making one last deposit before ascending, but that it likely wouldn’t be for a while yet.

Though the pressure to ascend was slowly growing, I felt like I had a few months more before it would become overwhelming.

That was good, because there was still a lot I wanted to do before heading off to fulfill my promise to the dungeon.

Aside from answering Lucas’s questions about the next realm, I’d also started helping him with some more advanced spatial concepts. He was my only family member with a Space affinity, after all. It seemed only right that I pass on as much of my knowledge to family as possible.

It was too bad that there was nobody in my family with a Time affinity.

About a week before the gathering Mom was planning, I saw Bell, her new husband, and their children at Raymond’s awakening ceremony on Aegeas.

Though I’d talked to her a couple of times since my return, this was my first time seeing her in person since I’d returned to the dungeon.

Standing beside her was a tall man with dark hair and golden eyes. I could feel the Lightning affinity radiating from him, which marked him as having a particularly strong affinity.

Even so, I doubted anyone below Tier Ten would have been able to sense the man’s affinity based solely on his nascent aura.

Next to the pair were two little girls, Jeni and Amberlee. They were still pretty young at ten and eight, but looked to be at least a couple of years older if compared to pre-integration Earth standards.

Then again, even on Earth, some kids had looked a lot more mature for their age in the last decades leading up to the reintegration.

“Emie!” Bell exclaimed when she saw me standing next to Mom and Lucas.

Mom’s new boyfriend didn’t come with us since they weren’t ‘officially’ dating, and Mom didn’t feel comfortable including him like that. I was pretty sure she just didn’t feel comfortable asking me for an extra [Mana Barrier] since a native from Earth wouldn’t have been able to survive the ambient mana on Aegeas.

I’d considered making one for him, but ultimately rejected the idea since I wanted the day to be about Raymond, not Jake.

Bell immediately wrapped me in a hug and squeezed. Given our tier difference, it was probably like trying to squeeze a piece of stone.

My former sister-in-law quickly introduced her new family since this was the first time I was officially meeting them. We’d exchanged video messages a few times over the years, but she still went through the motions of formally introducing everyone.

Lucas and Mom were obviously familiar with the girls and Seth, Bell’s new husband, and they immediately started chatting excitedly about the upcoming awakening ceremony.

A few minutes later, Amie and her husband, Simon, arrived. They were accompanied by two younger children, a boy and a girl, who I knew were named Jared and Leslie.

The kids obviously knew each other, and they immediately separated from the adults to chat about whatever interested pre-teens in the modern era. I wasn’t sure what that might be, and I was too distracted by everything else going on to bother eavesdropping on the kids.

Zavira and her youngest, Xanin, joined us a short while later, as did several other familiar faces. It almost made me wonder if a gathering was even needed at this point.

“Are you coming to the thing Mom’s planning next week? It starts the day after Xanin’s awakening ceremony.”

Zavira’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, yes! I am absolutely planning to be there. I’m bringing Xanin too, though Kestin won’t be there. He’s preparing to claim his own noble territory within his mother’s fief.”

“I’m guessing there will be a vacancy soon?”

Zavira nodded eagerly. “Yes. One of the former Countesses challenged a neighboring Duke and won the position. She will be taking over the duchy, which leaves an open spot. The lower nobles are vying for the position, which will eventually leave a lower noble title up for grabs.”

“That seems like a mess to keep straight.”

“It is. But with tiers being a very real part of power, there isn’t really a better way. It’s not like your old nobility, where people just stayed in one location and slowly expanded their territory. I suspect it’s more like how corporations are run, with managers moving to fill vacant positions or being replaced by someone more capable.”

I could see how the comparison might be made, and I didn’t necessarily think it was inaccurate. However, I didn’t necessarily agree that the strongest fighter was also the best leader. I supposed that was why noble positions had to be approved by the local royalty, and changes to royalty had to be approved by the Council.

Our conversation died down as a hush fell over the crowd. On the stage, a female elf in extravagant robes began talking about the hard work each of the students had put in to prepare for the day.

Everyone knew that effort meant little when it came to getting an affinity, but it did make a difference when it came to what a newly awakened could do once they gained access to the system and their affinity.

It didn’t take long for students to begin approaching the crystal mounted on a decorative pedestal behind where the elf had been speaking.

I watched as several students placed their hands on the crystal. Some appeared more excited than nervous, while others barely seemed to keep it together.

The crystal shone brightly a few times, indicating those particular students were blessed with a stronger affinity. Interestingly, only one of the first fifteen students who were awakened and tested had two affinities display.

When Raymond approached, Zavira grabbed my hand nervously and watched with far more anxiety than I would have expected.

“He’ll be fine,” I said quietly.

“I know, but I still can’t help but feel nervous, and he isn’t even my kid. I’m going to be a wreck next week when it’s Xanin’s turn.”

The crystal under the boy’s hand began glowing, slowly shifting to a distinct pink representative of a Crystal affinity. It wasn’t as bright as some of the others, but it was enough to indicate he had a standard affinity for the element.

Raymond seemed relieved by the result and prepared to remove his hand when the illumination suddenly shifted, displaying a faint shimmer that was deeply familiar to me.

Time.

Somehow, my great-nephew had unlocked a Time affinity.

Though it wasn’t unheard of by any means, developing such a rare affinity without a direct familial link to someone with the affinity was extremely rare.

Someone on his father’s side might have had a minor affinity for Time, but if so, I’d never heard about it. And since affinities weren’t a thing when his mother was born, he certainly hadn’t inherited the potential from me.

Though unexpected, I was extremely pleased to see the affinity appear in one of my relatives. While he might not qualify to join the Epikairos Sect with such a weak Time affinity, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to take advantage of some of their resources.

In fact, I thought a trip to a certain hidden Time well might be in order to celebrate the youth’s good fortune.