Ch29 - One more morning

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The next morning, it was the final morning we would spend on the road for a long time. Yet we still had another 10 miles to go, once again, I talk to everyone, mainly telling them of what I did last night.

"Ah you met some Blackstaff graduates, I might've been like that once, so young and naive.So tell me how did you deal with them? A good lecture ought to sort that out." Gale remarked on my tale.

"Ah of course, but I had to show them who the superior magic user was first. I bested them in combat, then they appreciated my teachings more." I was lying through my everything at the moment, I couldn't tell Gale I killed and robbed some annoying 20 year olds.

Moving on, Jaheira joined in, "Friendly arms inn? I haven't been there in years, so which did they have you do, thumb in waistband or leave your weapons?"

"Both for me" I said.

"Ah of course, druids and eldritch knights get the same treatment." For once, she started telling me of her past, traveling with an odd party to go against the iron throne. Specifically she mentioned how her friend used to run the bar there, she told me of how the forests are truly infested with spiders and I could've gathered 50 in an hour at least. At least she stopped me from wasting more money there anymore.

****

3 more hours it took to reach the gates, I hated every minute it took. It was just too dull, every second I have been here, I was studying, in danger or I was the danger. I think I might have lost something quite important to myself without realising it. Well, that's a wasteful line of thought, I'll go back to what I was practicing, reading my own mind. Though Ilsinsine's blessing gives me a memory boost, it only applies to learning, not what I've learnt. Thus, by reading my mind, I can sort through everything I've learnt and technically relearn it with my heightened comprehension. Honestly though, I've been watching myself play videogames, I went through a massive dark souls 1 phase so I'd ballpark my knowledge on that alone at lv4 or 5.

Nevertheless, now that we can see the first gate I switched to my [Aberration Form] with the [Change shape] active to make me appear like a normal, solid human again. "Halt, the lot of you!" She said that last part mainly to the tiefling kids trying to sneak through the gaps of the gate. "We gotta check for illegal contraband before you enter." Then it dawned on me, I'm carrying 15 kilograms of halfling weed on me from the house of healing. It's all in my bag, I still have no clue as to why it functions like a bag of holding, but I need to hide it nonetheless.

I reused [Change Shape] to appear as a hunched over old man, so I look to have flesh where the bag is supposed to be. My companions look at me weirdly, but they just leave it for later. It took about 10 minutes for the guards to get around us all, all they found on me was the crossbow and left it.

"Alright, as immigrants, we must ask you to stay in the quarantine area for one day to monitor if any of you turn into mind flayers." This definitely wasn't in the game, maybe it had something to do with me turning the mind flayers on Gortash and Orin.

We all stepped into the 'quarantine' zone, but it was just another set of ruins with some wood to act as steps. I can't help but sigh, one more morning. I can wait that.

Night falls once again, but no one can sleep, not now that we're so close. So for once I have company at night, it's nice, listening to them tell stories. Did you know Guex can play the trombone? I didn't, not until tonight. Just as we started to get relaxed, a large portal appeared on a wooden platform, gith monks started to jump out and leapt at my party. All the refugees fled away, not wanting to be caught in a fight.

One of them leapt straight for me, I simply used [Amorphous] to suffocate him in slime from my arm. Out of curiosity, I used [Devour brain] channeling my ring as I do.

Immediately I was overcome with memories, emotions and training. He guards Orpheus, and he believes to kill us would do him a great service. Now I was originally cautious of [Devour brain] because I didn't want to lose my original personality. But it seems my [Ilsinsine blessing] boosted my comprehension, plus my 23 int, it just allowed me to harvest the information from him. Perfect, a new way to gain knowledge! The others were nearly done as well, so I floated into the portal.

(Astral prism)

It almost felt nostalgic being on a rock in a new plane of existence. Aside from the sounds of the githzerai pummelling intellect devourers into paste. Leaning over the edge, I use my ring to command the devourers to escape down the floating rocks to where the githzerai await. Doing this lured the attacking gith away to clear our path.

A minute later and the rest of my group barged in at the last moment, the portal closing behind them. "Took you guys long enough." I give a coy smile and begin to float slowly down to a large skull island floating in the infinite expanse around us.

Flying at a speed everyone can keep up at, we finally reach a large circular barrier surrounding one individual gith. In front of him, a swarm of intellect devourer are slain by a single githzerai monk. A larger than normal mind flayer fights against the monks also, casting mind blast at every opportunity.

It turns to us and flies over whilst the monks are distracted, "You must help me, the secret to your lack of transformation lies within him!" He points to Orpheus. "I've been using his power to keep you all stable, you must assist me in this battle!"

Lae'zel stepped forward and brandished her long sword to its throat, "I would rather die than serve a ghaik!" The emperor's vision hardened, "You will cast away your doubt Lae'zel, or this will end badly."

I noticed her tadpole violently squirming, as if to begin ceremorphosis. So I channeled my ring and ceased it. The emperor looked straight at Orpheus, blaming him for the interruption.

I use [illusory appearance] to float behind some of the githzerai, using [Sleep] on them all was easy, tying them up together was easier. I appear in front of The Emperor, still unseen and kick his kneecaps inwards.

"Ahh! you will regret this!" All of my party's tadpoles started squirming, so I channeled my ring once more and made them stop. "Manipulative little shit, I know what you are, and I'm going to get to know it far far better than I did through a screen!" I drag him off under the island itself and shift into my [Undead Ooze] form.

Using my pseudopods to [Engulf] him within me, he's struggling like a feral beast, I feel him thrashing against the boundaries of my mind, ineffective. I use [Devour mind] to slowly take everything he held dear to him, his memories and knowledge. I enjoy a flood a rich fragmented memories take me over as I live the dishointed lives of thousands, thousands of skills, lifestyle trades I have now learnt third-hand. Unfortunately, The Emperor forgot a lot of apparently useless knowledge, so my main take was the illithid lifestyle under an elder brain and various lifestyle skills, like lockpicking and how to get that layer of grime off my bathtub.

Storing his body I fly back up in my [Ghost form]. My party awaits me, I throw his body in front of them, "Got him". I can't help but notice Lae'zel is stood in front of Orpheus with her hand on the barrier. I fly over to her, solidifying again, "I have an idea on how to get him out, you know?"

"Speak, what is this way?" She spun around to face me. Wordlessly, I just show her my bag of holding, her face still shows confusion, so it seems I'll demonstrate here and now.

Walking over to the large crystals beaming rays towards Orpheus' barrier, I open the bag to intercept the beam. The barrier visibly thinned and weakened. "Impressive, if we attain one more of these, then Orpheus will be free at last!" A great smile spread upon her face, honestly scared me a little bit.