Might as Well - Chapter 383 (Patreon)

Before Sam met up with the younger girl, he took a small detour to the guild warehouse to look through the many items found there, while also simultaneously dropping off the junk he had accumulated in his inventory over the last few excursions.

“Let’s seeee…” he mumbled as he scrolled through the screen listing all the contents of the vault. Well, this vault’s contents, anyway. The guild and the company had separate vaults, plus there was the common vault accessible to everyone, the high-security vault for the truly outrageous stuff, the secret vault for all the spies to access, filled with cursed objects, and an even more secret vault for the really important stuff.

The amount of items, artifacts, tools, weapons, and armors they had accumulated over time was honestly ridiculous, but considering the amount of people that were part of the guild, it wasn’t that surprising.

Aside from that, every Heavenly Forest location had its own vault for guests to store items in if they wanted to. And they did want to, as recently they had started using Heavenly Forest to host private auctions.

By the rich – for the rich.

Lucy had naturally capitalized on this. She hired a few people experienced with auctions – after Tim vetted them – and set them loose on the unsuspecting rich heirs and nouveau rich as they paraded around whatever shiny thing they, or their servants-slash-employees, had found.

Most of it was general trash that looked shiny, or things that granted bragging rights to whoever bought them. Decorative weapons, strange artifacts with questionable uses, and items that were only valuable because of where they came from. Lucy even sometimes dropped off a few pieces from their own collections. Like armor pieces used by the core team.

He didn’t want to know what the guy did when he bought Katie’s old boots.

Some things were better not known.

But occasionally, those same heirs and second-generation rich guys managed to pick out something truly powerful. That was when Lucy used some of their connections to purchase it for the guild before anyone else realized what they had found.

A good system.

But for now, he was a bit disappointed. There were actual dragon scales and bones in the guild vault, but they were all earmarked for this and that project. Sam looked them up, checking the details of each one, and unfortunately, they weren’t projects that could be delayed by selfishly taking those items.

He could have overruled those decisions as one of the guild leaders, but he didn’t want the drama. There was no reason to create unnecessary arguments over resources, when he could just as easily go and buy them himself.

“That’s why I have the money…” he muttered as he closed the window and headed for an actual Auction House.

Sam walked in, and walked out ten minutes later.

By the time he left, he was somewhat poorer, not that he would feel it, and his inventory was full of dragon blood, scales, bones, and even meat. He added a few odds and ends as well, grabbing anything that might prove useful depending on what would be needed, but he felt prepared.

Finding the right materials was usually the hardest part of any project.

For him, it was mostly a matter of deciding how much money he was willing to throw at the problem.

And considering the potential benefits, this was a rather easy decision.

He found Cynthia in one of the many training grounds dotting Ferabor. It was, like almost everything in the town he had helped build, surrounded by greenery, with trees and plants carefully integrated into the area rather than simply placed there for decoration. Several benches and picnic tables were scattered around the edges for people to sit and rest, or use the tables to discuss their training afterward.

Maybe even brainstorm new ideas…

Naturally, there were private training grounds as well, hidden away from the public’s eyes. Those offered more privacy, better equipment, and fewer distractions, but they also came with a price tag. These ones were free, operating on a simple first-come, first-served basis.

Cynthia was there, sitting under one of the benches, her head lolled back as she rested on her elbows, her legs stretched out in front of her. She looked completely relaxed, almost as if she had forgotten she was in the middle of a public training area.

Naturally, as a beautiful young woman who was also a member of the Chrysalis guild, she had drawn a sizeable number of admirers. A group of them was standing in the distance, talking rapidly among themselves as they stared at her rather hungrily.

Whether that was because of her beauty or her skill, Sam didn’t know.

He walked up to her, hearing a small gasp from the distance, and poked her with the tip of his boot. “Hey there, dragon girl. Ready for training?”

Cynthia lazily opened her eyes, as if trying to decide if she wanted to respond or not, but then, as she recognized him, she abruptly sat up with a smile blooming across her face. Her ponytail swung behind her excitedly as she turned toward him.

“Sa…Solar! Hey!” she greeted him.

Sam laughed a little and nodded. “Hey to you too.”

The group that had been watching her gasped again, this time much louder, as Sam could hear his name being whispered at the same volume a toddler would use when trying not to be heard.

Cynthia sprang up from her seat, dusted off her hands, and grinned. “Where are we going, boss?”

Sam looked around curiously. “Where are your friends?”

Cynthia grinned and struck a pose, holding up a victory sign. “They’re learning new skills. Dani found a druid circle that wants to teach her some stuff, and Ann is hitting something extra hard.”

Sam nodded in understanding. That sounded about right for them. “Well, then, are you up for a little unethical experimentation and doing things humans were never meant to do?”

“Boy, do I?!”

Sam quickly escorted Clarissa’s sister to one of the hidden training grounds, covered by a glass dome on the edge of one of the parks. The dome allowed sunlight to fully penetrate and illuminate the grounds, yet thanks to some clever engineering and a bit of magic, it provided complete privacy from anyone outside.

The dome also had a small building attached, containing all the usual amenities, including a storage area for miscellaneous items people might need during training and a small team of servants who were ready to fetch whatever people required or simply clean up afterward.

The guild even had tasks available for guild members with appropriate magics, like earth magic, to come in once in a while and restore the grounds after particularly destructive training sessions.

It even had a small fenced-off area with smooth stone, ready for whatever ritual one might want to perform.

They entered, Cynthia looking around in awe. “Holy hell, I didn’t know we had these kinds of things. How much do these things cost to rent?”

“You can’t,” Sam replied smugly.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s for Heavenly Forest,” he explained as he headed toward the stone surface. “It’s there for people to use. Naturally, they don’t really ask questions like how much things cost. But rest assured, at least some part of it ends up in your sister’s bank account.”

“As is proper. Milk those suckers for all they’re worth!” she declared vehemently. “But then what are we doing here?”

Sam stopped next to the fence and leaned against it. “I had some downtime when we were grinding fractures, and I had an idea. And you, my dear dragon rider hopeful, are at the center of that idea.”

Cynthia stopped and gazed at him with shining eyes. “Please tell me you found a proper dragon egg. Please!”

Sam sadly shook his head. And Cynthia let out a disappointed “aww.”

However, she quickly shook herself and refocused on Sam. “If it’s not a dragon egg, then what is it?”

If possible, the younger girl was even more excited than before. She was practically vibrating with anticipation, and Sam couldn’t help but smile at the sight of such unfiltered, honest joy on her face.

“Well, as you may know, I know a bit about runes,” he began. “So I wanted to see if we could use a ritual on you to make you ready to become a dragon rider.”

“That…is…so BADASS!” she exclaimed, a huge grin spreading across her face.

Sam just held up a hand to stop her enthusiasm from completely spilling over. “Then I had another idea. I wanted to see if I could turn you into a dragon.”

Cynthia blinked at that.

Sam wasn’t surprised. He himself wasn’t exactly sure it would work.

It was a modified evolution ritual, using all sorts of items, including a few reagents that would be far too ruinous to use by anybody else. At worst, it would improve the girl’s body with the inherent magic contained within the raw materials from dragons.

At best…

He would once again be doing something that nobody expected.

He could already feel the excitement surging through him.

Now, of course, this wasn’t the best time to attempt risky rituals. There was every chance that the enemy would choose this exact moment to attack, forcing him to intervene and leaving the ritual unfinished. Worse, it could derail with unforeseen consequences and completely gimp Cynthia’s character.

But, honestly? He wanted to.

This was what the game was all about.

One hundred percent freedom.

And he was planning to make use of every bit of that one hundred percent.

Maybe even more.

Cynthia was obviously feeling his idea, as she launched herself forward, stopping barely a few inches away from him. She looked up at him with eyes shining with a desire for power and excitement over the idea.

“I will do whatever you need, boss,” she basically whispered, as if selling her very soul to the devil.

Sam carefully pushed her back, then motioned for her to sit down. “Sit. I need to carve the ritual circle first.”

Cynthia obediently sat down on the dusty ground and grinned at him, her eyes never leaving him. A bit awkward, but Sam could deal.

He retrieved his tools and a few basic materials, then pulled up the screen displaying the modified ritual circle he was going to use. He had worked on it on and off during his time on the Burning Island. He had even scooped up a bunch of lava from the heart of the volcano specifically for this.

It would have been much easier if the fire spirit had decided to emulate a dragon, but the pissy little spirit had gone with the phoenix instead.

And no, Sam wasn’t still annoyed about being skipped over for rewards.

He was the very essence of magnanimity.

Leaning over the smooth surface, he took a deep breath and began carving.

First came the circle that would hold the subject, Cynthia, followed by a series of runes meant to stabilize and regulate the flow of mana, filtering out harmful or unwanted additions. A few more were added to balance the entire process, along with several safeguards in case something catastrophic happened.

Then came another circle, one designed to direct the incoming mana. This one controlled what Sam wanted it to do, what effects he wanted to occur, and the exact path he wanted the ritual to follow. He carefully wrote out every step in excruciating detail, relying on all of his knowledge about runes and their interactions.

One other reason he was excited about this was that this was something the other Sam would have never done. While he had a basic understanding of runes, just like everybody who had played the game for more than ten years, the entire discipline of rune crafting had always been beyond him.

So this was something he had achieved on his own, without the help of future memories.

Plus, he wanted the bragging rights.

It took more than an hour to finish the second circle, but Cynthia was still sitting exactly where he had left her, slightly vibrating with excitement as she watched every movement, every carving, every brushstroke.

After that came the next circle, encompassing the two he had already completed. This one was dedicated to the reagents, with each having its own smaller circle to regulate the flow of mana, direct the sacrifice toward the proper purpose, and ensure everything was used efficiently. The larger circle kept the timing synchronized and allowed the sacrifices to properly interact with the ritual as a whole.

Following that was one more circle, this one reaching the very edge of the stone area.

This one was for protection.

It would shield those inside from external threats and interruptions while also filtering the ambient mana in the environment, allowing the ritual to proceed with as pure a flow as possible.

Naturally, finding a location somehow connected to dragons would have boosted the ritual even further, but he hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

Finally, the last circle was a small one, still inside the largest circle, but with only enough space for him to stand. It allowed him, and his excellent mana control, to directly aid the ritual and redirect it if needed.

The placement also gave him the option to evacuate quickly in case something unexpected happened.

Whether that something was bad…

Or very, very good.

The next step was placing the reagents.

He took out piles of materials, carefully stepping between the carved lines and placing them into the various circles. Gemstones of every possible color of the rainbow were piled into one, while metals ranging from common tin to some of the most expensive mithril went into another. Dragon bone, dragon scales, and dragon blood were placed into three separate circles.

Seven gallons of the best mana potion the guild had available went into another.

The lava taken from the Burning Island into a bowl lined with runes that kept the molten fire liquid and not burning everything in its path. And then another bowl of blood, this time from a shape-changer, just to make sure Cynthia wasn’t stuck as a dragon if he succeeded.

And finally, an artifact.

Because after all, what were dragons most famous for?

Their hoards.

Originally, he had been planning to sacrifice his Hollow Dagger. After all, it had absorbed a positively fantastical amount of mana and had quite a significant metaphysical weight to it.

But then…

A truly ludicrous idea wormed its way into his mind as he worked on the ritual circle.

With a heavy sigh, he reached into his inventory and retrieved the legendary ladder that had somehow turned into a legendary artifact simply because so many people knew about it.

Sam couldn’t help but grin.

Was it a gamble?

Yes.

Would it also be funny?

Also a yes.

He tenderly placed the ladder in the designated circle and felt the ritual complete as the mana in the air began to hum with anticipation and a hint of mischief. Mana sparked around him as the very possibility of the ritual began drawing it in.

Stepping over to Cynthia, who seemed to be staring at the ladder with wide eyes, he offered her the Hollow Dagger he usually used for rituals and a metal bowl already filled with an alchemical soup of medicinal herbs and spices.

Including all the ingredients needed for ketchup, because he was funny that way.

He let the excited young girl cut herself and bleed into the bowl until nine drops had fallen before retrieving it and carrying it back to the ritual circle. He poured the resulting connection into the carved grooves, filling the air with the smell of blood, metal, and, for some reason, barbecue.

Satisfied with what he had wrought, he motioned for Cynthia to step into the circle.

“Come on, dragon girl,” he told her. “Time to perform.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed and jumped forward, before quickly slowing down and carefully tiptoeing between the lines of the ritual circle until she was standing in the very middle.

She turned toward Sam, who was standing in the circle he had drawn for himself and was already feeding a minuscule amount of mana into it. Not enough to activate it, but enough to prime it and ensure everything was ready.

“What now, boss man?”

Sam grinned.

He raised his arms, letting mana pour out of him, igniting the ritual and causing the mana within the circle to erupt.

“Just stand there and enjoy!” he yelled as the wind picked up, waves upon waves of pure mana being unleashed from the ritual.

He began to chant. “Nine runes to define. Nine runes to refine. Nine runes to recreate…”

Mana surged in response. The wild waves abruptly stilled before turning inward, spiraling into a tornado visible only through his Mana Sense and by the devastation it wrought on the surroundings. Wind howled through the training grounds while loose dirt, pebbles, and leaves were swept into the air, circling the ritual in an ever-tightening vortex.

“Mana obeys the circle. Blood awakens to the call. Bone transforms the body. Scales embrace the soul…”

The gathered mana rushed into Cynthia, filling her body before forcing in more and more, until there was simply too much for a human vessel to contain. Thin cracks spread across her skin, rainbow-colored light spilling from them as though something radiant was trying to break free from within.

Her eyes clouded over, staring at something only she could see.

Sam hoped it was some kind of spirit vision and not the game system pulling her out because the pain had exceeded the acceptable limit.

Still, he continued the chant. “Let the old vessel perish without dying. Let the new vessel be born without birth…”

Cynthia’s body disappeared beneath the rainbow radiance, becoming a brilliant cocoon of light. The reagents placed throughout the ritual circle began to vaporize one after another, dissolving into colorful motes of mana that spiraled around the cocoon before being greedily absorbed.

Sam felt his own mana vanish at an impossible rate, the ritual draining him almost as quickly as his regeneration could replenish it.

He frowned.

That wouldn’t be enough.

Glancing down at the Hollow Dagger in his hand, he let out a resigned sigh before using the barest touch of willpower to connect it to himself and, through himself, to the ritual. Instantly, the colossal reservoir of mana stored within the dagger burst open.

The ritual drank it deeply and greedily.

Smiling despite the strain, Sam spoke the last verse.

“Let the scales answer the flesh. Let the fangs answer the bone. Let the heart remember the sky…”

Mana exploded outward.

The entire training ground trembled as the density of mana reached impossible levels. Stone cracked around the ritual area, patches of earth vitrified into glass, and the air itself shimmered from the overwhelming magical pressure.

Watching as the last remnants of mana were wrung from the Hollow Dagger, the artifact disintegrating into dust, Sam looked toward the cocoon of light hovering above the ritual circle.

He drew in one final breath.

“AWAKEN, DRAGON INCARNATE!”

A/N: I know, I know... war and all that jazz. Originally, it was supposed to be a throwaway scene, but then the words(TM) started flowing, so here we are. One more chapter about the consequences and we return to our usual correspondence. Happy reading!