CH1140

Saying goodbye to Foast and Abel, they saw Yuzu home after that, letting the remaining four make their way to their next destination as they arrived back at the magic towers, just a bit ahead of schedule.

Ben had a job to change, and with both Valaria and Rook at his disposal, he couldn’t let the opportunity slide by. There was of course the concern that the difference between his mind and Valaria’s meant he’d produce experience too fast, but at the very least, it wouldn’t be instantaneous, and having Rook in the party as well meant he’d have an even larger experience sink. He might finish it in a day or two, but even at worst, it was unlikely to take mere minutes.

And since we’re here, I should probably actually say this.

“Hey, Valaria,” Ben said, getting her attention while Thera and Tress spoke at their side. “Just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Huh? Um, okay, apology accepted, but why?” she asked, unable to imagine why someone who helped her reach godhood just the day before could possibly think he needed to apologize for anything after all he’d done for her.

“I had one more chance where I could guarantee I’d be able to safely modify your soul, and I just did what I thought was best without properly consulting you. That was my mistake, and that was thoughtless of me, so I’m sorry.”

He’d been able to raise her affinities and resistances in a balanced way, just as he would have done for himself if he’d been in her position, but what mattered was that he wasn’t in her position. While he’d done the same for Tress, they at least would be able to have their soul modified a second time in the future if they so desired. Just because he viewed the way he’d done it as an even mix of offense and defense, didn’t mean Valaria would have felt the same if given the choice, especially when he’d gone and given some of the other third tiers a compatibility with affinitied magic that to that point had gone unseen by the rest of the world. It had been shortsighted of him, and a regrettable mistake.

Despite those concerns, though, Valaria gave only a small giggle in the face of his worries, looking embarrassed as soon as she did, leaving her to clear her throat before going on.

“You really don’t need to worry about that sort of thing, Ben,” she told him. “You gave me potential for all magic, good resistances, and even raised all of my attributes by an unbelievable amount before awakening me. Having ninety-nine for all of my affinities would have been interesting, but don’t act like fifty-five for all of them isn’t just as life-changing. I genuinely can’t guess how people are going to react when they find out I’ve learned a general magic skill of all things now too. I’m more than happy for what you did for me; I’m not going to complain.”

“Well, if you’re okay with it, good, but I’ll still do my best to make it up to you in the future. At the very least, I’ll make sure I awaken your new magic for you if you ever get it to the eighth level. And your water magic, since you’re getting close there too.”

“Well, if that time comes, then I’ll look forward to your help.”

She couldn’t imagine gaining such powerful awakened magics, but then, she never would have imagined that she’d become a third tier even just a few short years ago either. The fact that it might be possible at all left her with a desire to devote more practice to her magic, now that she’d hit what could reasonably be considered the endpoint with the connect she’d been working so hard on, and her thoughts filled with all of the new spells she’d learned, along with just how she might apply them.

With that issue solved though, it was a small weight lifted from Ben’s mind by the time the adventurer they needed joined them, letting Valaria take her new job and join their party before Ben pulled Rook out from his prison, the sight of others flinching in response to the man’s sudden release being his reward.

But even if let out, Rook wasn’t given the chance to act. Ben had his mind, complete control over it, and dictated exactly what the immortal was to do. When the party invitation came, he accepted on Rook’s behalf and then put him away like any other tool, its task already done.

Which just leaves me, then, Ben sighed, the final member of that party and the one with the biggest role. And just what I’m going to pick.

AVAILABLE JOBS

Craftsman: alchemy pathCraftsman: artistic pathCraftsman: blacksmith pathCraftsman: cooking pathCraftsman: stonecrafts pathMathematicianBeginner puppeteerEntrée

Really coming down to the wire here. If I take my cooking path, then I could just not make any new meals while I’m going through it, and considering that I have dozens stored in my rings already, I wouldn’t exactly need to. On the other hand, though, I’ll already be connected to Valaria, and given that she’s taken a mind and connect job, there’s a chance that both mathematician and beginner puppeteer will give the same sort of experience as it. If that’s the case, then there’s really no harm in taking them, but if I’m wrong, then all of the math I do in my head means I’m going to fly through experience too fast, and considering that Valaria never gained mental symbiosis, the way I use cloned bodies might speed up my experience acquisition too.

<And then there’s your long-ignored entrée option, sitting there patiently at the bottom of your list.>

Do you seriously just hang around and wait for me to change jobs so you can try to talk me into taking that stupid one?

<I’ve lived a long life, Ben. When you get to my age, it’s important to take your entertainment where you can.>

And when your entertainment leads to me being eaten?

<Then you’ll be able to complain to me when you get up here, I guess.>

… You know what? If you make it worth my while, then fine.

<You’re asking me to bribe you into taking a job?>

A job I don’t want to touch, yeah. You want me to take it so badly? Convince me.

<Aside from your flavour enhancement, it might give bonuses to both your flesh and blood regeneration.>

Yeah, sure, but that’s not a bribe.

<Alright, I’ll bite. What do you want that you can’t just get for yourself by this point?>

Save me some time, that’s what. You’ve only figured out how to make connect as far as skills go, right?

<I already don’t like where this is going, but correct, yes.>

Cool. In that case, I was always going to have to figure out how to make a connect inclination eventually. You do it instead and save me some time, and give me the skill and recipe after, too.

<You do remember the part where it took me over two months to make connect the first time, right?>

Yeah, sure, back when you were living in poverty, didn’t have a believer who also had the skill, and didn’t have me and my powers either. Examine Valaria to learn what you can, and after, I’ll speed up your mind to reduce how long it takes you to figure out how to make the skill, and even help you with figuring it out along the way. Not a bad deal considering you want me to take a job that’s going to make people more inclined to eat me, right?

<Hmm… You know what? Deal.>

No, you cannot be serious.

<Sure, why not? You’re right, it wouldn’t be bad to have a new skill I could create in my repertoire, even if it’s one that will only make sense to give to people I’ve given connect to before. Considering all of my believers get connect, though, an inclination for it could be an extra reward for particular achievements within the faith. Not to mention, considering everything you went through to awaken it, and considering what all of my other believers have gone through getting your help to raise it to the second tier, there’s a good chance that anyone down the line with talent for it is going to struggle just as much, potentially when you won’t be in a position to awaken them for me. Being able to grant an inclination related to the skill wouldn’t be a bad thing. That is, of course, so long as you’re not too scared to do the very deal you just offered.>

There was a mocking tone at the end as Ben seriously considered it. It wasn’t a priority, but figuring out how to make a connect inclination was something he would have wanted to work on eventually, and even if he couldn’t use it the same way, getting a god’s design for it and converting it to his own form of use already seemed like it would ultimately save him some time in the long run. Add in whatever advantages he would get from it, both in his hopes of raising soulcraft, as well from whatever he would get when he raised it to a blessed skill for whatever bonus skill its awakening would leave him, and it really wasn’t a bad deal.

… Fine, but I’m going to be working you hard until we get it made.

<Working me hard after tomorrow.> Myriad corrected. <I have to let Anailia congratulate Valaria tonight, and I expect it to be a long affair. Speaking of, you’ll have to find something else to keep you occupied later because of it.>

An agreement reached, that only left the matter of rearranging his soul for the nightmare that was to come.

<CRAFTING AFFINITY HAS FALLEN TO A COMMON SKILL>

<MAGIC AFFINITY HAS FALLEN TO A COMMON SKILL>

<ARTISAN’S SOUL HAS FALLEN TO A COMMON SKILL>

<FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT HAS RISEN TO A BLESSED SKILL>

<FLESH REGENERATION HAS RISEN TO A BLESSED SKILL>

<BLOOD REGENERATION HAS RISEN TO A BLESSED SKILL>

“Dare I even ask what you think is about to happen?” Thera wondered as she watched him reorganize his status.

“Ugh, a quick deal with Myriad that seems designed to get me killed. I’m just going to cross my fingers and hope I don’t actually get one of the awakenings I’m expecting from this.”

Everything else ready though, all that remained was the need to go through with it, leaving him heaving a long, heavy sigh before begrudgingly doing exactly what his god wanted.

Alright, give me entrée.

<ACQUIRED JOB- ENTRéE LV0>

<MAJOR BONUSES GRANTED TO IMPROVING VITALITY AND VITALITY RECOVERY RATE>

<FOOD SKILLS WILL RECEIVE A MAJOR GROWTH BONUS>

<FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT HAS AWAKENED TO DIVINE FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT>

<ACQUIRED TITLE- DESTINED HOLDER OF FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT>

<ACQUIRED SKILL GIFT OF FLESH>

<BLESSED SOUL EXPANSION LEVEL INCREASED>

<BLOOD REGENERATION HAS AWAKENED TO EXTREME BLOOD REGENERATION>

<ACQUIRED SKILL CELLULAR ENHANCEMENT LEVEL 0>

<FLESH REGENERATION HAS AWAKENED TO EXTREME FLESH REGENERATION>

<ACQUIRED SKILL BONE REGENERATION LEVEL 0>

<MYTHRIL BLOOD HAS AWAKENED TO DIVINE MYTHRIL BLOOD>

<BLESSED SOUL EXPANSION LEVEL INCREASED>

“... How can I possibly be the first person on the planet to have gotten flavour enhancement as a skill?” He asked himself as the new destined holder title rang out in his head. “I’ve met people who trained themselves to handle being fed on by vampires, and I’ve seen species that have young that need to eat their way out of their parent’s flesh. How am I conceivably the first person to have ever gotten this?”

A question that went entirely unanswered. The closest thing he got to a response was the sound of his god's roaring laughter in the confines of his head.