106: Changing The Plan

For being an Echo of the goddess of fortune and fate, Eris seemed to have an absolutely horrendous amount of bad luck.

That, or the world was intentionally screwing her. Based on the fact that she hadn’t even finished her sentence saying how much she would love one day without something crazy happening, only to get cut off by arguably the worst possible thing that could have happened, really did feel like a sick joke.

At this point, all Eris knew was that it sucked. One thing after another after another of stuff that needed to be done on a list that got longer by the minute.

And now the Hollow had made landfall and officially taken root on the last uncorrupted continent of the world.

Shit.

That was it. It was over. Their time had run out. Eris didn’t know much about the Hollow itself or how it functioned, but she knew that once something was rooted, it was effectively impossible to kill or get rid of. Whether that meant it became literally invulnerable or no soldiers could even get close or some other reason, Eris didn’t know. All that mattered was that the Syndicate said it was impossible to get rid of and to avoid it happening at all costs, because if they take root on the soil of Kavala, the world was as good as dead.

And apparently, they just did.

The only thing that could be done at that point was to do the same thing the Syndicate had been doing for four hundred years; slow down the spread as much as possible. Except now there was one distinct difference. They had an Artificer on their side, who could potentially create the items they needed to fight back against an unstoppable force. For all Eris knew, she might be able to make a way to get rid of the ‘impossible-to-remove’ roots of the Hollow.

Once Eris figured out how the fuck to do that.

The room was quiet for multiple moments in that time that Eris was thinking. Obviously, everyone else was thinking as well. It was Konderlacht that spoke, standing up from her seat on the other couch.

“Kull, contact the other Deans and prepare an emergency assembly this afternoon. Keep this quiet until then- we don’t need to cause a panic until we can fully explain the situation.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The professor left without another word- rushing through the doorway.

“Dzhemehal, you are dismissed. I want you to gather any and all information you can find about Vojemala, compile it and have that report sent to me by tonight. Spare no details. I want locations of everywhere she’s been, everything she’s done, everything she’s supposedly capable of, the names of childhood pets she had, I don’t care. Just get me everything. I know you’re good at that.”

“It will be done.”

Rita, too, left the room.

Konderlacht then turned to the messenger that had barged in to deliver that news. “Mestwin, do whatever you can to send word to any troops acting as police across the continent and warn them. We won’t be able to stop the public from finding out about this, but we can at least try to quell any riots or panic before it starts.”

He too, vanished, leaving behind only Eris, Konderlacht, Rita, Tatum, and the quiet Charlotte.

Eris gulped. “What… what about me?”

The older woman turned back, focusing her stern brown eyes on the young girl. There was a tense moment of silence before she let out an uncharacteristic sigh.

“There is nothing for you to do about this. Not right now. Despite this development, your goal doesn’t change. You need to become stronger as soon as possible. The only difference is that now we can see our time limit.”

“Is this maybe the time for you to reconsider having Jaxie and the others as your Wonders?” Tatum asked, making Eris look over. The dark girl held up her hands. “Look, I know you want them to be your Wonders, and if you want you can probably change it back before they got deployed so they can get the bonuses, but we’re still looking at a couple of days before they get into the field, and we don’t really have that kind of time anymore. You need that level progression, stat.”

Konderlacht pursed her lips. “Miss Toddley is correct. As of this moment, we don’t have the luxury of choice. You decided yesterday that you wanted your Wonders to only be the five of your choosing, but I am revoking that decision. As your commanding officer, I am hereby ordering you to change your Wonders to five soldiers we currently have on deployment so that you may gain their level progression. This changes nothing about their ability to receive level progression when they are deployed, just your own ability to receive it in the meantime while they are unable to properly use the benefits you are providing. When the time has come for Miss Kerrot and the others to be deployed when they have been sufficiently prepared, then you may choose them again. On that, you have my word.”

Eris wanted to argue. She really did. However, there was nothing to argue against. She couldn’t gain progression from them while they were stuck here until she finished their equipment, and the only benefit would be their Desire gain. If nothing else, Eris could know that once they were being deployed, she could put it right back on them. She sighed.

“Who?”

A few minutes later, Tatum had gone back to her shop while Eris, Charlotte and Konderlacht were gathered in Professor Kull’s office as the dark woman looked through papers to find what she wanted. Eventually, she laid one out.

“These were the five soldiers that we were originally intending for you to make your Wonders before you declared that Miss Kerrot, Qualley, Leghume, Gargrave, and Massato would be your team. They are currently deployed, as it happens, near the western front so they would be able to start giving you progression almost immediately should they become your Wonders.

“They were going to be called back to Marrix so that you could meet them, but your decision made them stay on their deployments. Now we’ll see if you’re even capable of making them your Wonders without ever meeting them. There may very well be a chance that some familiarity with the target is required.”

Konderlacht cleared her throat and looked down at the page. “Fifteenth-level Illusionist Adrian Menz. Fifteenth level Conjurer Gertrude Limali. Sixteenth level Ranger William Hook. Fifteenth level Ballast Justine Clotsimila, and sixteenth level Gladiator Natasha Fleming. Here- try and make them Wonders.”

Konderlacht spun the page around and slid it over the desk towards Eris. She looked down at it, concentrating on the names. Just like before, back in the Obelisk, she tried to focus on activating Wonders of Artifice, but directed towards the names on the list in front of her.

Nothing happened.

Eris shook her head. “I don’t think so. When I did it before, I didn’t really feel anything specific to know if it worked or not, but I at least got the idea that it might have worked. Like a sixth sense or something. This time, I’m not getting that at all. It almost felt like the skill was saying ‘no’.”

Konderlacht nodded. “Very well, make me a Wonder.”

Eris raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

The older woman locked stern eyes with Eris. “For the purpose of testing. Try and make me a Wonder, to further clarify how it feels. If there is a definite sensation, then we’ll know that you require at least some familiarity with the target.”

Eris grit her teeth, then tried again to focus inwards. This time, instead of random names on a page, she stared right at the superintendent of Marrix. Immediately, there was a tingle that gave her goosebumps on the back of her neck.

“Oh, yeah, there’s something.”

“What?” Konderlacht asked. Eris swallowed.

“I dunno, it almost feels like… strings? Five strings coming out from me and I can tell that they’re already connected to my five Wonders. It’s almost like I need to choose one to get rid of in order to put it on you.”

“Keep going- just pick one.”

Eris did, a moment of brief indecision passing before taking the cord connecting to what she instinctively knew was Nima, then shifting it over to the woman across the desk. Immediately, Konderlacht let out a low breath, and it seemed like every muscle in her body relaxed for a moment. After a second, she seemed to collect herself and nodded.

“It worked, I have the skill. Now get rid of it from me and give it to Charlotte. Remove mine, specifically.”

Eris did just that, shifting the immaterial string to a new person. While Charlotte shuddered in her armour, Konderlacht shivered in contrast- like a cold breeze blew over her. The superintendent’s eyes narrowed.

“Interesting, I could watch the skill itself disappear from my list. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Eris nodded. “So… what happens now? Who am I putting it on until Jaxie and the others are being deployed?”

Konderlacht frowned. “That… is a problem. We can call back these five soldiers so you can meet them, make them Wonders and then send them off, but it would be almost three days before they even get here. By the time that they’re back on the field, your chosen team would just be starting their own deployment so there wouldn’t be any point. Then, if we scrounge up five soldiers already in Marrix, have them become Wonders and then send them off, it would be days until they actually reach the front line again to see combat. Either way, we’re looking at a wait.”

There was a beat of silence before Charlotte took a half-step forward. “Uhh, ma’am? I don’t believe Eris’s skill is required to only be on combatants. Could she not choose five crafters in the meantime and get the level progression from them, instead?”

When the room went quiet, Eris could practically feel the frustration from Konderlacht that she hadn’t thought of something so obvious. Eventually, the dark-skinned woman sighed.

“Charlotte, each of Eris’s tutors are in their shops working, correct?”

“They should be, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Good. Escort Eris to the CDF. Eris, I believe you were intending to replace all the new tools you just made?”

Eris nodded. “Yes, ma’am. All of the others have useful skills and effects that they applied, but they don’t have the raw power of my own skills. That, and since the tools we just made would work with Adept Artificer’s secondary bonus, any new ones I make would at minimum be twice as powerful, especially now that I can make them Masterworks. After that, then I’ll start making the equipment for the Wonders.”

“Then you will do just that. Now choose five of your tutors and make them your Wonders. I will go on ahead and inform them of what is happening, and we shall see how much level progression we can get you before the day is done.”

Eris wasn’t expecting Konderlacht to move over to the window of Professor Kull’s office, much less open it and swing one leg over to climb out. They were on the second floor, what was she going to-

Then the wand appeared from somewhere in Konderlacht’s long sleeve, and there was a brief pulse of magic before Eris watched Konderlacht step completely outside the window. Except she didn’t fall. Instead, it was as if she were standing on something and Eris could hear what sounded like a faint whistling.

Without a single word, Eris watched Konderlacht start drifting away, pivoting in place to turn away from the building and even angling herself in a crouch like she were about to jump. As she did, Eris could see what looked like a miniature windstorm coalescing around the woman’s feet and somehow keeping her aloft with nothing more than the pressure of the wind on the bottoms of her shoes. Eris, of course, briefly wondered what kind of precision and balance flight like that would require until she realized there was probably control being exerted on her whole body to keep her stable, especially with the way Konderlacht was angling herself.

That thought, of course, was blown away along with several papers on Kull’s desk and Eris’s hair as a blast of wind almost knocked Eris off her feet. Glancing back, Konderlacht was gone. Charlotte cleared her throat from the side and gently grabbed Eris’s shoulder.

“To your workshop we go.”

Eris was waiting for it. Logically, it was going to happen soon. Either today, or tomorrow at the latest. It just wouldn’t make much sense for it to happen any later than that-

It happened barely after noon.

The chisel in Eris’s hand fell out of her grip, clattering on the floor while Eris shuddered and gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. Goosebumps rose all along her body and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything more than exist.

And then it was over as soon as it began.

Charlotte rushed forward. “Was that it? Did you level up?”

Eris struggled to catch her breath, heart pounding in her chest. “Just- just gimme a minute.”

The Knight backed off a single pace. “Sorry. It’s been a while. I forgot how overwhelming it could be.”

“You don’t say…” Eris panted, bending down to pick up the fallen chisel and trying to ignore the way her cock flopped during the action. After all, the Lust enchantment on the tools did require her to be naked while crafting. Her mostly-flaccid member pretty much had a small mohawk of sawdust on it at this point. “I thought the first time was just a fluke. Boy am I ever excited to learn that’s how it’s gonna feel on every single level. That’s not gonna get annoying.”

Charlotte nodded. “I had it happen once in the middle of a fight with a bullette. Nearly killed me.”

The room fell quiet for a moment. Eventually, Charlotte did pick up a pen and paper and looked expectantly at Eris. If Eris really did level up, everything needed to be documented. In fact, Eris hadn’t even completed a single new tool yet in the hours of crafting, just getting them almost done and setting them off to the side. If there was a chance that she reached third level today, and that level came with some new skill that would be incredibly beneficial to have on her tools, it would have royally sucked if she needed to remake a whole bunch of stuff.

Eris took a deep breath and looked inwards.

Name: Eris Limeen Kadell

Age: 18

Class: Artificer of Lust

Level: 3

Vitality: F-

Physical Defence: F-

Magical Defence: F-

Tenacity: F-

Strength: F-

Dexterity: F-

Mind: E

Control: D-

Craftsmanship: C+

Skills: 17

Artificer’s Cunning {Passive} {Maxed}

You are the foremost expert when it comes to items. You may Inspect unknown materials and items. When Inspecting a crafted object, you receive additional information about it. Information includes:

Material construction

Current durability

The crafter’s name

Active magical effects

Adept Artificer {Passive} {Evolution 1} {Level 4}

You have a natural talent for crafting. Any product you craft gains a {375%} bonus to its Quality, applied after all other bonuses. This bonus is doubled when crafting items using only equipment made by you.

Mana {Passive} {Maxed}

You gain a reservoir of Mana, which you may spend on certain abilities.

Artificer’s Grace {Active} {Maxed}

While in the process of crafting, you may expend Mana in place of Crafting Points to use certain abilities.

Enhanced Crafting Points {Passive} {Evolution 1} {Level 4}

You have {125} Crafting Points, which you may spend on certain abilities while in the process of crafting. When beginning a new craft, current number of Crafting Points resets to {125}. For every 5 Crafting Points spent on a single ability during a craft, you gain {4} additional Crafting Points that can be spent on any other ability.

Excellence {Active} {Evolution 1} {Level 3}

For each Crafting Point spent on Excellence, the Potency of the craft is increased by {150%}. This bonus is increased by {300%} when 50% or less of your total Crafting Points are spent on this ability.

Unbroken {Active} {Evolution 1} {Level 4}

For each Crafting Point spent on Unbroken, the Durability of the craft is increased by {200%}. Consumable crafts, such as potions or food, have their Duration increased instead. When used on crafted armour, Unbroken also increases the Potency of the craft by {100%} for each Crafting Point spent.

Empowered {Active} {Level 1}

For every 10 Crafting Points spent on Empowered, the craft gains 1 additional stat modification. Each stat modification may only be applied {1 time} on a given craft.

Wonders of Artifice {Active} {Evolution 1} {Level 3}

Designate up to 5 willing people as your Allies. Until you designate different targets, the chosen Allies gain {1000%} faster level progression, you receive the same amount of level progression they do, and you receive skill progression resources from their sinful acts.

Obfuscation {Active} {Maxed}

When finishing a craft, you may change, hide, or add information to determine how the craft appears when Inspected by others. This does not affect the craft’s abilities in any way.

Consumption {Active} {Maxed}

While touching a magical item, you may absorb the magic and destroy the item. When Inspecting a magical item, you additionally learn the magical value.

Malleable Arcana {Passive} {Maxed}

You may permanently learn, alter, and empower different kinds of magic stats and enchantments you absorb.

Enchanter {Active} {Maxed}

For every 10 Crafting Points spent on Enchanter, the craft gains 1 enchantment that you have learned.

Pacifist {Passive} {Maxed}

You cannot directly bring harm to any creature, monster, or person.

Desire’s Reap {Passive} {Level 4 - Maxed}

Engage in sexual acts with others to collect Desire. Additional Desire is collected based on the arousal of the active participant(s) and depravity of the acts performed. Current Desire: 4,978

Enhance {Active} {Maxed}

Expend collected Desire to advance skill progression.

Benediction {Active} {Level 1}

Engage in a Lustful ritual to activate Benediction. Choose 1 of your applicable skills. That skill gains a {100%} bonus to its effects. The bonus lasts until Benediction is used again.

Bonus Skills: 1

Masterwork {Active} {Maxed}

You may permanently designate a finished craft you made as a Masterwork, imbuing it with capabilities beyond any equivalent at the cost of limited production. When you do so, the Quality of the craft is doubled and it gains 2 additional applicable enchantments and stat bonuses. You may only have a number of Masterwork crafts at a time equal to your Crafting Point total.

Eris blinked, letting out a sigh.

“I think things just got really complicated.”