Chapter Book 11.
“So… Dad…” Miranna said between bites of her birthday pancakes. “What would you say if I told you I got a new skill this morning when I woke up?”
“Well, since it’s your hundredth birthday, I’m going to guess it’s another one of those free ones you get,” Max replied. “You going to share it with me?”
“Yes… It’s just… I didn’t expect it,” his daughter stated. “I kinda started believing I wouldn’t get any more. I mean, it’s been fifty years since the last skill like this came. Does this mean I’ll have to wait another fifty years for another? Or possibly a hundred?”
I have no idea before you ask. We’ve discussed this. She might be on a fifty-year path; it could go to a hundred. The fact that she got another one means more than the potential timeline of all this. Whatever skill she has that is hidden is a curious thing to consider. Nothing I’ve done has allowed me to peer behind that veil.
“Bob’s not sure either,” Max told her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, smiling as he watched his daughter finish off the last of the ten pancakes he had made her. “Only time will tell, and all we can do now is wait. Besides, you’re in the final stretches of the tower. Hopefully, whatever skill you received will be useful.”
Swallowing the last bite, Miranna nodded. The grin that formed was one Max knew meant she had acquired something good.
“So… everything I have right now is: Elemental Magic, Weapon Mastery, Parry, Blacksmithing, Ultimate Form, Power Strike, Evasion, Blink, Armored Warrior, Heal, Stealth, Blood Surge, Rend, and Spell Echo.”
“I still can’t believe you got Blood Surge and Spell Echo,” Max muttered.
Imagine what we could have done if we could have sacrificed 10% of our health for a 25% bonus to melee and magic damage… or getting a free auto cast of whatever spell we cast or attack we did after 10 seconds for free… or–
I get it… Even better, imagine what we might have gotten had we drank those potions and used those skill shards you gave away.
Yes… But let’s not go down that road again.
“Bob teasing you again?” Miranna asked, winking at him.
“Perhaps… he might be trying to complain about me sharing potions and skill shards once more,” Max replied. “But let’s forget that. For now, tell me what you got today.”
His daughter glanced around her room, even though no one was present. She then leaned forward.
“I got Thorn Aura!”
Max laughed, moving to embrace his practically giddy daughter.
“Congrats! Now you just have to break the news to Fowl and see how he reacts,” he stated.
“Oh, I’m sure I know exactly how he’ll react,” Miranna said. She freed herself from their hug and then stood, puffing out her chest while frowning. “Bah! Why doesn’t Ockrim show me that kind of love?!” Miranna said in her best Fowl imitation
“That’s pretty good,” Max said. “Now, if you’re done, I’ll clean up this mess, and you can run ahead and share the news with your mother. I believe she’s currently in the kitchen making something for you.”
“Mom’s baking?” Miranna asked, raising an eyebrow. “By herself?’
Wincing, he nodded. “Yes, but whatever she makes, just say it's good.”
“You want me to lie to mom?” his daughter asked, rolling her eyes. “We both know how that goes… she’ll just make more… I mean, how many of those muffins did I have to store and toss out in the tower?”
Both of them laughed as Max started picking up the dirty dishes. “Just go on. I’m certain it has to be better this time.”
Getting a quick kiss on the cheek from Miranna, Max watched as she raced out the door, seemingly excited about telling Tanila of her new skill.
Thorn aura… that’s a random one I didn’t expect.
Both of us were hoping for regeneration or something with a little more survivability, but it’s a good ability. Combined with her Rend skill, she’s going to bleed them to death as well as make them suffer for hurting her.
Yet she doesn’t have the same caliber of survivability you did. They have ten more floors… While I think it’s a good thing they took a few months off to regroup and relax, you and I both know she’s itching to get back into the tower and finish it.
Yup. All I can say is we’ve done all we can. From here on out, that party will have to make the best out of everything.Still… the realization that it's been almost 60 years of her fighting to get to this point reminds me of how hard the tower is for most others.
Yes, the rest of the world doesn’t progress in two years. They aren’t gifted with something like me. Still, this proves the point of why fewer humans complete the tower. Hearing the skill she was given has caused me to reconsider some of the ideas we had on her skill acquisitions. With Miranna getting a skill that had to come from Fowl, the potential pool she is pulling from is far greater than believed. If she does get a new skill, it will most likely happen after she has defeated the tower, and then the potential things she might accrue would be even greater.
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Which means if she becomes a god, then the potential pool of power scales off of those not just near her or…
That is what we don’t know. Her access to all the skills could be possible when she stands before the Archons. To have that kind of potential would be…
Worse than us?
Only time will tell. For now, we have other matters to attend to.
***
“It’s time,” Jazzjak said, tapping on the tablet. “You’re going to have to decide which of the two gods you’re going to fight. Neither are options I like but you believe you can win.”
“Barely able to enjoy a few years after my daughter’s birthday and you’re already making me do hard things,” Max teased as he studied the two options on the screen before him. “I just wish I knew what’s better, a massive ice giant or an undead Leviathan…”
“I can tell by your tone, you're being sarcastic,” Jazzjak stated. “You wanted options, out of the thousands I combed through, narrowed down, did research on and created a final list of ten. Those two are your best chances to face something to give you a 2:1 odds or better in the arena. Anything else might not.”
“Because these are world eaters,” Max muttered. “None of these makes sense. I mean the Leviathan one, I get it. But Vyr Kjal… It’s a frost giant basically. How is that a world eater?”
“A two-hundred-foot-tall frost Jotunn,” his helper corrected. “This isn’t some standard giant you’ve faced before. This is what giants wish they were. One of the original versions of giants before they got… corrupted, as the Jotunn would say.”
You know me, I’d much rather face the giant because killing the Leviathan doesn’t guarantee any skills since it’s undead.
I just wish we had more information out there on what makes this thing so dangerous. Besides the fact that it’s super tall and somehow destroys worlds.
“I’m basically going to choose the one against Vyr Kjal,” Max said. “The question is, how long can I delay this? Miranna and her group are in the final four floors of the tower and leaving feels… wrong.”
“Tanila already told you to get this done before they hit the 99th,” Jazzjak replied. “What you need to do is figure out how you’re going to damage something as big as this Jutonn. The amount of health that it is going to have will take days or weeks to deplete. The only other option you’ll have to speed things up is to use some of the abilities you want to keep hidden.”
Max grunted and nodded, knowing Jazzjak was right. “Send it. I’ll inform Tanila and the others that I’ve made a choice. You just handle the specifics on the arena side. As soon as you know the fights a go, I’ll be ready.”
A frown formed on the vorpal rabbit’s face as Jazzjak bobbed his head. “You do realize the risk you're taking. Once again, your name will be declared to all the gods out there of your presence and every tier four god out there might want to fight you after how this fight goes.”
“That’s the point,” Max stated as he stood. “I’m okay with whatever comes outside of a Void god.”
Shaking his head, Jazzjak sighed. “No, you’re not. There are other gods out there that would still be impossible for you to kill. I’m certain you can–”
Max moved to where his helper was and knelt. He then put a hand on Jazzjak’s shoulder. “Listen, I appreciate the concern, I really do but I don’t have a choice. Time doesn’t stop for anyone. You know that. I know that. I’m less than two hundred years from being able to protect my friends and that means I have to take risks to help them gain more DP.
“Besides, with the system not allowing anyone to sell items since they haven’t fought in the arena or are outside their protection period, the only way they’re going to get any extra DP is if I fight.”
“I get it,” Jazzjak sighed. “Just… for the first time in so long… I have hope. I know I’ve said it before, but for whatever reason, the System gave me to you all. Any other helper would have jumped at this chance.”
Max shook his head as he stood. “No, I don’t think they would have. If the System had given you the option to be a helper to a black skill holder, would you have taken it?”
Jazzjak winced. “No… I wouldn’t have.”
“And yet you are,” Max replied. “Now I’ll be back. I’ve got a wife to see and a celebration to continue planning for. It’s not every day one's child will complete the tower.”
“You’re so confident,” the vorpal rabbit said. “I… I didn’t want to believe they’d get this far after that… incident. And yet all this time you’ve kept pushing and encouraging.”
“That’s what family does,” Max stated, moving toward the exit. “Everyone has a role to play, even you.”
***
“It seems a bit overboard,” Sog stated, eyes scanning the miniature layout of Sunreach. “They’re leaving. Why would you want to celebrate it?”
Max chuckled, patting his demonic friend on the back. “After they defeat the tower, we won’t be able to see them for at least three hundred years. I’m not sure you understand how much that’s going to hurt. Trust me… not saying goodbye to my parents, even though my mother didn’t want to hurt more than I can ever tell you.”
“No, I get that,” Sog replied. “I mean…” The demon took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lifting a finger to his eye. “I swear if I cry at this thing, I’m going to have to break something.”
“You two done yapping yet?” Fowl called out, his hands full of miniature figurines. “We’ve got a job to do before the ones in charge of this return and make our lives a living hell for eternity.”
“He’s right,” Rakonath said, his large fingers gently squeezing a stand painted to look like people and setting it down in the middle of a street. “Some of us weren’t given fingers for tasks like this.”
“Exactly!” Sog exclaimed, showing his sharp nails. “Some of us weren’t soft paws like Max and Fowl.”
“Soft paws?” their dwarf grunted. “Anytime you want to fight, just let me know. I’ll show you how soft my hands are.”
Max roared with laughter, joining his friends and trying to help finish planning the path for the last time he would see Miranna and the others for hundreds of years.
I can feel that twinge of pain in your heart. You’ll need to hold on to that when we fight in three days.
Don’t worry… nothing is going to prevent us from winning that fight. Whatever it takes, I’m willing to show all of our cards if we have to.
As am I. Besides, the cheat I’ve been working on might be ready sooner than later. We’ll get to test it out. For now, move that cart Rakonath placed back some. Otherwise, the other pieces won’t fit and you’ll never finish this.