The Adventures of Rose Hood

I remained under watch, but still refined my skills with Amy. I could see why Kala stuck with her. She was a wonderful person.

“So, Heather evolved me?”

“Yes, she did it so you wouldn’t lose.”

“Heh, she always hated me losing.”

“Yes, it was very irritating.”

“Though, how did you grow that much when the other gods hadn’t.”

“Because, unlike them, I have a true body.”

“They have bodies too.”

“See it more like an *AO avatar. Their mind is in it, but they can’t fully interact with the world.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah, it would take either absorption, or a will that exceeds mine and Kala’s combined to actually kill them.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I went into a rage when I saw Celios so injured, because I realized that his life was actually at threat.”

“What was the garbled speech though?”

“It was like the V*idfish from The A*venture Zone.”

“I know right?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how to do it either, but it seemed as though he tried to disable it for me and Celios, as he showed annoyance when we didn’t understand him.”

“I see, so it’s a selection on who can hear you.”

“That’s what I’m assuming.”

“But are you Rose or Heather?”

“Currently I’m Rose, but technically I am a piece of Kala.”

“I see, it’s hard to comprehend.”

“I agree but see it as Kala’s mind being split into 10, and because we were named, we became fully independent, but Kala still reformed. We are just additional minds.”

“That certainly helps… Think Aussie will be back soon?”

“Worried about your BF?”

“GAHK no!”

I smirked. Despite both of them despising each other at first, it was almost obvious that they liked each other now.

“Though I think I know how Granny works now.”

I changed the subject quickly and it worked.

“What do you mean?”

“A long time ago, when I thought I was just a dragon, I swore loyalty to her, and I think I now know why?”

“Why?”

“Something about her is familiar, as though Kala designed her as someone calming to members of your original trio.”

“That makes sense. Granny does seem very calming.”

Then Kala corrected.

‘Actually, you indirectly made her.’

“What?”

“What?”

“Oh, Kala just said I indirectly made her. What do you mean, Kala?”

‘Well, it’s quite simple, you wished for someone that could show compassion and would be calming. At that same time, Dalla was born with those traits. So, at that point, while bound even, you drew on my power and used creation to make someone with the proper traits.’

“What did she say?”

“I made Granny through my wish for a good person.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah.”

_

“Alright, Ogre that way, do you got it?”

“Yep.”

I lunged using fire and burnt the ogre from the inside out.

“Nice, you got him.”

“And he’s perfectly cooked.”

“…”

“What?”

“I don’t really wanna eat that.”

“More for me then.”

Amy looked at me in minor disgust as I ripped off an ogre leg and gnawed on it.

“What?”

“It just looks humanish.”

I swallowed.

“Eh, see it this way, it’s like a chicken. They look cute, but you’ll still eat chicken nuggets, no?”

“That makes sense; besides I’ve never tried it.”

“Want to?”

“I… could try.”

I handed her a small piece, and she nibbled. Then looked up.

“Why does it taste good?”

“Seasoning, and I burnt out the regular poison, so it turned to straight flavor.”

“I see."

“Yep, want some more?”

“… Sure.”

_

We were chatting when we got back to the guild. Since I was in my catkin form, I didn’t look intimidating, but my fire skill, despite the restraint, was obvious for those in the element.

Thalia was quick to accept that I was still a good guy, but the others were more suspicious of me.

In fact, when I entered the guild…

“ROSE!!!”

A dragon tackle hugged me, so I crashed through the wall.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt by anything?"

I was barely awake at that point, but she kept shaking me in worry.

“Rose?”

“Guuu…”

[Your skill, Pain Resistance, has leveled to 6]

Despite being life threatening, Thalia’s hugs were good sources of training.

Thalia was leaning over me in absolute concern for my health, like she wasn’t the one who put me in that situation.

Of course, Asura was looking at Thalia from a decent position.

Amy smirked at him, and he quickly averted his gaze with a light blush.

Thalia was confused.

I sat up, the damage retracted.

“I’m fine.”

“Thank goodness.”

“I agree, but Thalia.”

We both froze at the dwarven voice.

“STOP BREAKING MY WALL!!!”

“SORRY!!!”

Mammon, the only person that could make both a mature dragon and a god tremble.

_

I ate my food and talked with Silas, the other person who confirmed I was still good.

As he was directly connected with me, he was able to tell a bit about me.

Celios was still in Selethon because his cult abandoned him when the gods did. So, he had no reason to leave.

While a lot of people still despised him for what happened to Royce, a lot more understood that he had changed since then.

Jalad, for one, helped him learn more sword skills.

Jalad was the only person who had the Unique skill, Sword god.

As such, none of us could reach him in pure skill, but we certainly did try to.

In terms of magic, however, I still was the top. Even with the restraint, my fire skill outdid Thalia, and I started remastering the other elemental divinations.

My goal was to have arcane by the end of the month.

Celios often expressed concern at my growth.

“Aren’t you growing too fast?”

“With the enemies we’ll be facing in the future, I’ll need access to my strongest skill, even when weakened.”

Celios reluctantly agreed, and he also trained with a restraint.

But no matter how much I tried to teach him, he couldn’t use air magic with the restraint.

He attributed it to me being the creator of the world. I couldn’t disagree until Amy managed to use nature magic in a restraint. It was a lot weaker, but it was still magic.

We then realized that people born from Earth were just unique.

“I mean it makes sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it, the system gave a name for the faction that we are against, but the ruler of Earth was simply called the Supreme Faction. It makes sense that whoever rules it likely can make even more pure beings than I can.”

“What’s our faction called?”

“I don’t know, let me look to see what the system calls us.”

[No faction can be formed. REASON: No higher beings in capital world.]

“Huh…”

“What?”

“Apparently, because we don’t have a higher being, we aren’t a faction.”

“How do you become a higher being?”

“Lemme ask.”

[You must reach the level 200 and complete a list of objectives upon reaching 200.]

“200?!!”

“What?”

“To become a higher being, where I am a 15, I have to be a level 200.”

“Holy crap, so it was absolute luck we were able to beat that one guy.”

“Yes.”

“Hm… how do we level.”

“I dunno.”

[To gain experience, you need to kill beings in your league or higher.]

“Then how am I a 15?”

[Due to killing a higher being as your first in league kill, you ascended to 15 nearly immediately. Progress to 10 was also given to the second most contributor.]

“So, from what I understand, killing that joker was our first bout of XP.”

“Really?”

“Yep, we need to successfully kill things equal to us or stronger to increase level.”

[Note: beings outside of the system will not gain experience until entry.]

“And as the others aren’t in the system they can’t gain levels.”

“Great.”

“How do you get in the system in the first place?”

[Two way to enter the system are available. First is sponsorship by a higher being. Second is becoming a level 1000 in whatever system you are placed in.]

“Hm… so yeah they’re not far.”

“What do you mean?”

“To enter the system, one of us has to become a higher being and sponsor the others, or they need to reach 1000.”

Celios smiled.

“Both Jalad and Dallel are rather close to that.”

I smiled back.

“Yes, they could enter the system by the end of the month.”