I Like Big Buttes

A knock came to the dorms around an hour after Urshure returned from his encounter.

Behind the door was Doyle, pale in the skin and breathing shakily as he entered and trailed his eyes around the room to find me. Then he swallowed hard.

"If you'd gather everyone in the courtyard, I'll belay the instructions for the coming days."

He turned for the door without another word and the party, already gathered in the common room, poured out after him to line themselves up in a neat formation.

"Alright." He deeply sighed. "First off, congratulations on making it this far. Everyone's exceedingly impressed by your performances. But it's not yet over. Tomorrow marks the start of the team battles. But to make matters clear, this is a simulation of war. In one hour, we'll go through the portal to make camp at the battlegrounds. You may do some scouting or fortify your territory throughout the night, but the fighting won't commence until six in the morning.

"The objective will be threefold." He continued. "First, you must keep your territory from being destroyed. Second, you must incapacitate the other Parties. And the third is optional. To destroy their territories. If none of those conditions are met, The team with the most standing members by midnight wins.

"If there are no questions, you have fifteen minutes to gather up your gear and meet me at the crystal. That's all."

A smoke break later and we emerged near the edge of a water-filled sinkhole surrounded by a temperate forest.

"Alright." Doyle spread his arms around his and dropped them to slap to his sides. "Welcome to camp. You can set up camp anywhere at the top or base of this pillar. And, as I said, you may scout around. But you may not attack or enter the territory of another party."

"Pillar?" I wondered aloud, then turned to kick off the ground for a better view.

Upon ascending, I came to realize our camp sat atop one of three towering buttes that overlooked a vast steppe.

Using my beacon on the Cove and the Bodhi Tree's position, I worked out we were thousands upon thousands of kilometers east of the former and an equidistant north of the latter. Placing it inside the Wilds, rather than the South. The buttes themselves were the points of an equilateral triangle with sides at least 30 kilometers apart. Forming the only feature other than grass for as far as even my unaided eyes to see.

Even with spatial magic, it was easy to forget the true scale of the Mortal Plane. The southern peninsula alone was a cigar-shaped landmass that stretched further than Earth was wide. The north was no exception. Neither was Maru. Relative to the Sol System, the Mortal Plan began around Mercury's orbit and extended beyond the orbit of Saturn.

Over 9 Astronomical Units of land and seas, stretched out into a disk around the sun.

Not even I would be able to break such a thing, I realized.

So there was no reason for me to hold back.

Furthermore, I liked this place. This butte was like a colossal termite mound with a forest on top. It was an arcology waiting to be constructed. And all I wanted to do at that moment was to build it.

Using an accelerated perception of time- Frame Jacking, as they called it on the outside, I did just that and designed a castle, a fortress rather, to be used until further notice. It went without saying, but I wanted to live in this place. And I had just the plan to make it mine.

That, however, had to come later. So for now, I returned to the sinkhole to find Scarlett had made a trampoline over it out of her webs and had been awaiting my return.

"Hey!" She raced up to me, beaming. "What's the plan?"

"Well." I sighed. "My undead are going to scout out the place and make some fortifications. That leaves us free to do what we want for the night. You can join them or relax." I shrugged. "It's up to you."

"Okay." She looked around, nodding. "Where are they?"

"Right here." I swept my arm out to my side, and out from my shadow came my third and fourth undead. "This is my first sentient undead." I gestured towards the Draugr.

"Zaraxus." He lowered his head in greeting, though Scarlett and mostly everyone else took an unconscious step back.

"And this is my first Shadow Undead." I gestured to the burly woman made of darkness. "Lana."

"Hi!" Zakira immediately approached her with an outstretched hand. "You're pretty!"

"She can't talk yet," I said following Lana's beaming smile. Then released the rest of my undead to send them on their way.

The Bobs got started at once, making stockpile zones and altering plans, and, in some cases, asking my classmates about their preferences for camp. The ones that weren't present to be asked had either joined the undead to scout or resumed lounging as they were before.

Doyle, on the other hand, was keeping his distance from me. He was on the other side of the sinkhole. Facing away into the forest while he sucked on yet another cigarette.

He was still afraid of me. Which didn't make me happy, if I were to be honest. I liked Doyle. But I wouldn't let the advantage slip away before I could make use of it, so I spawned an Artificial Well to drag myself over to him.

"Tell me if I'm wrong." I paused to come to a landing and forced down my laughter at his jerk reaction. "We'll have evolved our Spiritual Bodies come the end of this year and will be sent off to the South to power-level our Classes under guidance from the Instructors, like Eiriol. We'll then be sent to work with other guilds in the year after. I'm guessing this brooch will be used to give us access to campus and let you all monitor our health while we're studying abroad?"

I held a long pause while he stared at the brooch in question. Then pulled his eyes back to mine by placing the half-acorn in my pocket. "In other words, we won't be students at the Bodhi Tree anymore. Nor will the Bodhi Tree be responsible for our actions. We'll be Novices once we complete the ritual. That's to say." I paused. "We'll be graduating once we evolve. Correct?"

"Can't say I'm surprised." Doyle chuckled weakly before taking a long drag. "But you're right. All students have the choice to leave or stay at the end of each year. If you want to leave after evolving, you can." He nodded. "But you won't get access to the southern peninsula to power level your classes with the Instructors. Similarly, you can choose to leave after that, but you won't get any guild experience.

"And." He inhaled sharply, almost as if he were preparing for pain or trying to get as much nicotine as he could. "If you skip out on any of the years, you won't be able to attend the Guildmaster course."

"I figured." I shrugged, then snorted a bit as Doyle exhaled in relief. "What about the rewards?" I then asked. "What do we get after graduating? Evolving can't be it, right?"

"Right." He hesitantly sighed, prompting me to scowl at him a bit and force it out of him. "Uh-" he stammered. "Well. Normally, evolving means being promoted to a Novice in relation to the Guild Association's metrics- which all students will be. But- frankly speaking, this is the Bodhi Tree. We give the students the main item required to be promoted past Novices.

"A Wise Rock Pebble. But- for yourselves or, once you achieve the next rank, your own party." He quickly stepped in to add. "The ones for the Guildmaster courser are-"

"For our guild headquarters." I nodded. "These are for our mage towers. I presume to give us a place to live during our second and third years?"

"And beyond." He nodded.

"Tell me how they work." I scowled again.

"Well." He paused to reach into his pack and give me a book, of all things. "This will explain the finer details. But, the month off you get after evolving will be spent incubating your Pebbles. Once they grow into towers, they'll contain magical beings called Sprites. They're like messengers more than housekeepers. They won't clean or do anything of the like, but they'll keep you aware of anyone in or just outside of your territory.

"As far as we're concerned though." He gestured between us. "They allow for communication between other towers linked to your own and they'll keep track of your quests for you."

"I see." I nodded. "And what happens going forward?"

"Uhm…"

"With our studies." I sighed.

"Oh. Right." He sheepishly rubbed his head and laughed. "Well. After this, you'll have proved that you all can take care of yourselves on your own. So you'll be given introductory lessons on the Classes from the Instructors and Olga will be teaching everyone how to use the forges. Then, after next week, you all will be free to roam the wilds or the mines or do whatever else it is you feel you need to work on until you evolve.

"Those who want to be druids or rangers can spend as much time in the wilds as they want, for example." He chuckled again before gesturing to me. "Or, someone who wants to be an Artificer could spend all their time in the workshop."

"Or, we can stay here." I turned away, muttering. "And where will you be?" I then asked, turning back to him.

"In my classroom or at the Cove," he said. "Now, uhm. May I have that brooch back?"

"No." I quickly said. Then couldn't contain my laughter afterwards. "I'm joking."

"Right." He shakily took the thing and let out another strained laugh. "Haha."

"Yeah." I snorted. "Anyway, I'm sure you're curious. So I'll tell you."

His eyes widened at that. Another comical reaction that threatened to send me over the edge, but I held it together.

"Come the end of next week, when we gain our autonomy. I'll begin accepting pledges for my guild. I'll begin training them here." I gestured to the butte below us before turning my smile to him. "That invitation extends to you as well, Doyle. If you ever wish to join my guild. Or, if you ever simply wish to leave this place and live freely. Just say the word." I began walking away. "You're a good teacher and a good man. Thank you for all you've done."

"Wait!" He stepped after me. "If- if I may. Ask you a question?"

I turned back with raised brows.

"What are you?"

"If I told you that I was a god, would I sound arrogant?" I grinned. "If I told you I was blessed by the Creator as his Champion, would you believe me?" I snorted. "If you don't, I'll be happy to show you once I evolve. But if you have faith… well." I sighed. "Ask my friends. Their opinions are far more valuable than my own."