Chapter 28 Ring of the Gods?
"Let's get to it then, the sooner we get everything going the better, take some members from the mages and the engineering guilds with your men in order to create a good forward operating base in Murcrilium," Golaium instructs Paul.
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After the decision was made by Golaium, Paul left to go back to the adventurers guild and inform the members as to what they were about to go do. While he is doing this Golaium sent word to the engineering guild and the mages guild in order to have them send their top members along with them. Golaium also sent word to the blacksmithing guild that they will now fall under Damian, since he was the first to join the Baruch Familia and become the sole blacksmith for the governed floors. This way all the current blacksmiths will be recognized by the system as blacksmiths for the Familia, word was also sent to the Merchants guild to have a top member contact Damian about setting up a system to distribute the items generated from the loot drops.
During this process my clone continued to hold the initial entry way to the spider's territory until the expedition arrived to create the forward operating base. While he maintained the safety in the area, he continued to scout out the area ahead to determine the number of spiders and the layout of the land.
While everyone was busy with their respective tasks I was busy looking through my system and getting myself familiar with the new changes after the dwarven kingdom was added to the governed floor.
Just like that a week has gone by I distributed my free stat points while I waited for my clone to come back. My clone finally returned to Marbelium with the storage ring, after I take possession of the ring, I un-summoned my clone and received a system message.
Status:
Race - Goblin
Title - Nephelium's Successor
Soul Rank - Mortal (progressive)
E Rank
Strength - 175 (20)
Intelligence - 300
Stamina - 175 (25)
Dexterity - 175 (15)
Vitality - 175 (20)
Agility - 175 (25)
Magic - Infinite
Luck - Blessing of Fortuna
Available Attribute Points - 63
Skills:
Awareness Rank E
Slash Rank E
Appraisal Rank E
Sneak Rank E
Craftsman Rank E
Aegis Rank E
Hallowed Ground Rank E
Magic Bullet Rank E
Innate Skills:
Creation (Active) Divine Rank
Blessing of Fortuna (Passive) Divine Rank
Genesis (Active) Divine Rank
Unique Skill:
Mana Manipulation and Augmentation (Passive)
Lux Artis (Passive)
(Evolution requirements met)
(Would you like to proceed with the evolution)
"Yes"
(Evolution in progress)
(Outside interference detected)
(Evolution Mutating)
(Evolution Complete)
Status:
Race - Goblin Shaman
Title - Nephelium's Successor
Soul Rank - Mortal (progressive)
D Rank
Strength - 250 (20)
Intelligence - 400
Stamina - 250 (25)
Dexterity - 250 (15)
Vitality - 250 (20)
Agility - 250 (25)
Magic - Infinite
Luck - Blessing of Fortuna
Available Attribute Points - 100
Skills:
Awareness Rank D
Slash Rank D
Appraisal Rank D
Sneak Rank D
Craftsman Rank D
Aegis Rank D
Hallowed Ground Rank D
Magic Bullet Rank D
Innate Skills:
Creation (Active) Divine Rank
Blessing of Fortuna (Passive) Divine Rank
Genesis (Active) Divine Rank
Unique Skill:
Mana Manipulation and Augmentation (Passive)
Lux Artis (Passive)
- - - -
Outside interference? I underwent a mutation? Now I'm a Goblin Shaman, and my stats have jumped up again also.
(Congratulations on evolving again, this time since your stats were 175 instead of the required 150 I was able to manipulate your evolution some. Due to me tweaking your evolution you became a hobgoblin and all your regular stats increased by 75 points. Since your intelligence was double the normal level my interference cause a mutation to occur and you became a Goblin Shaman instead of a Hobgoblin)
"I think this is a better route anyways since I have unlimited mana and goblin shamans are known for their terrifying magic ability", I tell Neph.
Re-summoning my clone after equipping the ring so my clone will have an exact copy, I look over my stats to view the changes. Once my clone has been summoned once again, I send him on his way back to Murcrilium to continue killing the spiders in the underground cavern.
Soon after my clone departs, I head back to the throne room to meet with Paul and Golaium to show them the ring, now that I have it in my possession. Both Paul and Golaium couldn't believe their eyes when I walked into the throne room, they hadn't seen me in about a week, so my new appearance is quite shocking to them.
"James is that you?" Golaium asks as I approaches them with a smile on my face.
"Of course, it's me, why wouldn't it be? Do you know of another handsome goblin walking around this kingdom?" I ask giving him a hard time.
"Your whole body has changed since we saw you not more than a week ago, you look complexly different, honestly if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a Hobgoblin and not a normal Goblin," Paul says as he inspects me new body.
"Well normally I'd be a Hobgoblin but Nephelium interfered with my evolution and so I became a Goblin Shaman instead," I reply.
"Is my appearance really that different?" I ask in confusion.
Both Paul and Golaium nod their head not knowing how to respond to me now being a Goblin Shaman instead of a normal Goblin like when they first met me.
Golaium brings me over to one of the full-length mirrors along one of the walls in the throne room so I can see my new appearance and understand why they're so shocked by my new body.
I am stunned by my reflection in the mirror, I now understand why Paul and Golaium were acting the way they were. I am now almost 6ft tall with a massive amount of muscle mass covering my body. My once clawed hands and feet are now that of a normal five digited person and I now have shoulder length silver hair.
As I am admiring my new appearance Paul and Golaium have to stop themselves from approaching me to see what this Ring of the Gods looks like as they wait for me to finish my inspection. Finally, after a couple minutes I turn away from the mirror and walk back over to them.
"Can we see the ring of the gods master James?" they both ask in unison.
Startled by their sudden excitement I put the ring into the palm of my hand and displays it for the pair of them to see it.
Seeing just a plain silver ring resting in the palm of my hand they were both underwhelmed and slightly disappointed in its appearance. Seeing how shabby it looks, if it wasn't James that told them about the ring, they would have thought they were being swindled.
"Um, is this really a spatial storage ring … not that we're calling you a liar James," Paul stammers after saying his thoughts out loud by accident.
I chuckle and hand Paul the ring so he can view it with his system window and see for himself.
Taking the ring from me, Paul sees the rings description in his status window for himself and catches his breath in shock and wonder. Seeing Paul's reaction Golaium takes the ring from Paul and witnesses the description and is also placed in a state of shock and wonder.
Seeing their faces I grin and laughs as Golaium hands the ring back to me with shacking hands.
"That is truly the ring of the gods, what a marvelous ring it is," Golaium exclaims in reverence. "We have to get it to the mages guild at once so they can start learning the enchantments on it, the sooner the better," Golaium says in a rush of excitement.
"If Paul doesn't mind showing me the way I can bring it down there immediately, since my clone has a copy of it, I don't need this one right this second anyways," I reply casually shrugging my shoulders.
"Paul, you heard the man, chop-chop, we're burning daylight. Get James and the ring down to the mages guild post haste," Golaium says to Paul in a comedic authoritarian voice.
"Yes, my King," Paul responds comedically, bowing jokingly.
Paul leads me out of the castle, and we make our way through the city towards the mages guild. After walking for a half an hour, we finally reach the mages guildhall which is an elegant looking tower located in the rear of the city. The tower is roughly forty stories tall with many different runic engravings covering the outer walls. Arriving at the main door Paul and I enter the grandiose double doors leading them to an ancient looking reception hall.
"This place looks hundreds for years old," I say to Paul as I admire the surroundings of the reception hall.
"It is in fact over five thousand years old, the mages guild hall is one of the original building first built when the city was first constructed. It was one of the first constructs due to the need of housing the mages required to enchant the rest of the city structures being built," Paul explains as he leads the way to the main reception desk located in the center of the reception hall.
"Good morning, Guild Master, how may we help you and your companion this morning," the receptionist asks Paul after he stops in front of the desk.
"Good morning, Luna, my friend James and I are here to see your guild master, it's on the orders of the king," Paul informs Luna with a smile.
"On the orders of his majesty!? Oh, wow it must truly be something important, one moment and I'll inform the guild master of your arrival," Luna says in an awestruck voice as she gets up and makes her way to the guild masters office with haste.
After several minutes elapse Luna returns followed by a wizened looking old Dwarf wearing long flowing robes that sweep the floor behind him as he walks. Luna returns to her seat behind the reception desk as the guild master continues towards Paul and James.
"Paul, what an unexpected surprise, I haven't seen you in ages," the mages guild master says as he walks up to Paul and embraces him after grasping Paul's forearm.
"Gilbert, it has indeed been a long time, how have you been old friend?" Paul replies as he returns Gilberts friendly embrace.
"Oh, you know, same old stuff different day, we guild masters never truly stop working no matter what time it is," Gilbert replies chuckling as he and Paul separate from their embrace.
"Who do we have here?" Gilbert asks as he turns towards me.
"My name is James, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance guild master Gilbert," I reply as I extend my hand in greeting.
"Greetings James, my name is Gilbert, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you," Gilbert replies as he shakes my hand in greeting.
"What brings the two of you to my guild in such a sudden and unexpected visit," Gilbert asks after shaking hands with James.
"Let us discuss this in your office, it's a matter of great secrecy," Paul says to Gilbert in a low tone so that he isn't over-heard by and passerby's.
"Oh? Follow me to my office then, I'm dying to find out what all the secrecy is about now," Gilbert replies with a curious smile on his face as he leads Paul and I to his office located in the back of the main guild hall.
After entering Gilberts office Paul and I take a seat a-crossed from Gilbert's desk as he sits in his chair behind his desk. Covering the walls of his office are thousands of different books and scrolls along with many different magical objects. Looking at all the artifacts laying around, one could almost mistake this office for a research room belonging to a crazed magician.
"So, what is this secret subject that our king has asked to be brought to me?" Gilbert asks barely containing his curiosity and excitement.
Looking at Paul he nods his head indicating for me to proceed, I slide the ring off of my finger and places is on the desktop between us and Gilbert. Gilbert curiously looks at the plain looking silver ring that I have just placed onto his desk and tilts his head to the side. Looking at the ring quizzically Gilbert reaches for the ring but stops as he realizes that it isn't his to just touch and looks at me.
"May I?" he asks me after the pauses in his movements.
"Go right ahead," I reply with a smile on my face.
Gilbert picks up the ring and uses his system to view the ring description. As he reads the description his jaw drops open and he has a look of shear wonder and amazement on his face as he can't believe what he is holding.
"This is a spatial storage ring! How in the world did you acquire such an artifact!?" Gilbert practically shouts in shock as he looks at both Paul and myself trying to figure out how such an item came to be.