Chapter 169. Preparations for the future

Returning to Kyovashad, Michael took out the pocket watch he bought himself a while ago. It was already 7:48 PM, and the sky had darkened a while back.

As they would return to the mines of Yelesna tomorrow, he had to check up on Neyrelle and see if she made any progress with the ritual needed to bring her mother's spirit back. 

'As a Necromancer, I have no idea where I should even start doing that. Only now, after seeing the energy around me, do I realize just how much I've been 'playing my character' on auto-pilot. All my skills are auto-cast through Sanctuary's help, while I remained unable to comprehend their true meaning. But it's fine now! In a week or two maximum, I should fully understand the written language, and I can start reading the 'Basics of Necromancy' that I got from Natalia. I can also start deciphering what Lorath wrote to me in the 'letters' after finishing with Lilith tomorrow...'

Realizing how much he had yet to learn was quite daunting. Especially after coming to terms with how much of a stranger he was to the world and customs of Sanctuary.

In the end, all knowledge he had of this place was the lore of a game he had played long ago. That's why he decided to slowly comprehend the world around him and truly make it his new home.

Moving through the people going about their business, the Necromancer realized that while he was still constrained by the lack of time, he had already done more than was expected of him. He was almost Level 50, after all.

'What concerns me most is that the higher level I become, the stronger enemies I have to face. Anyway, let's go to the Pink Palace and talk with Neyrelle before deciding tomorrow's action plan.'

After meeting the girl, the sisters pretty much 'adopted' her. Neyrelle didn't seem to mind, as Tia and Evelyn were around her age and got along amazingly. At the same time, Aylin, Hela, and even Mina helped her immensely by putting the knowledge she had gathered with her mother to good use. Overall, in the long term, she would certainly consider this place her second home and maybe even her new family.

Reaching the pink mansion, Michael nodded to the two guards and made his way to the pavilion in the garden. There, he saw Helen and Mina play chess while the three younger girls were nearby messing around with a pack of cards. 

After seeing the sisters produce the ten packs, he asked about the material, which was still paper but made from the bark of a unique tree from Hawezar, giving the cards a more solid feeling. He also taught them all the card games he could remember and talked separately with Mina about creating some board games he still remembered the rules of, as a surprise for later.

Sitting beside the frowning Helen, he quietly smiled and surveyed the chessboard. Mina was moping the floor with her again.

[Don't smirk!](Helen)

"I wouldn't dare. Hello, Mina."

[Hello. Did everything go well today?](Mina)

"Eh... in the end, I guess?"

Taking it as her chance to flee from defeat, Helen abandoned the game and curiously turned to her boyfriend.

Facing the torrent of questions, he started with what happened in the morning.

"Well, the first Dungeon I tried to clear was Anica's Claim."

[Right.](Helen)

"And I got dragged into the Stronghold Event of Malnok. Anica's Claim was at the edge of the outpost, and the Khazra affected the surrounding weather to the point where I couldn't see around me. So, I went straight for the outpost."

[I guess everything went well?](Mina)

"Mhm. Six Unique Elites were messing with the weather, and they almost froze all the people and their homes to death, but after killing them and the Champion Boss, I reignited the Wanderer Shrine, and everything is back to normal."

[What about their losses?](Helen)

"Forty-eight villagers. Twenty were militia, while the others were unluckily caught in the crossfire or frozen by the sudden snowstorm."

Taking a moment to silently acknowledge the loss of lives, Michael continued.

"During the fight, I somehow managed to see more than I was usually capable of. I'm not sure what it's called, but now I can see my Essence and the energy of the enemies interact with the energy of the world."

[Oh! Congratulations! Newbie spellcasters usually take around a year until they can see the energies. How is it?](Mina)

"Beautiful. However, it increased the number of questions I have at least tenfold. I need to hurry up and focus on reading more."

[We'll take care of that slowly. What about the Dungeons? Did you get the perk upgrade?](Helen)

"Unfortunately, no. I cleared Anica's Claim and Rimescar Cavern, but apparently, Kor Valar is closed off and doesn't take visitors anymore. Something happened for sure, but they seemed to be preparing for a large-scale fight with how many powerful people were gathered inside."

[Is that so... I'll contact the other four representatives and see if there are movements on their ends. Anything else happened?](Helen)

"Hmm... I helped Chieftain Glous with a Quest, and we're now on good terms. He also mentioned that the Barbarian tribes are converging and preparing for war. Apparently, the Burning Hells are preparing for a big move, and they don't want to be caught off-guard either."

The duo looked a tad more serious and slightly more worried after the Burning Hells were mentioned. Unfortunately, just one or two high-level Wanderers wouldn't make a difference in a war between the two sides. 

That's why he decided to change the topic.

"What about Neyrelle? How is she faring?"

[She's much better, as you can see. She's been running around with Tia and Evelyn in the morning, traveling from city to city searching for news worthy of being added to their newspaper. After the young trio returns, Mia continues searching for higher-level information, and Aylin, alongside Hella, helps the girl with the spirit summoning ritual.](Mina)

"Any progress on that front?"

[Mhm. She knows how to perform it already. In fact, with her help, we have all the materials and the formula needed for the second training array. With some inference, we might even be able to research a third one capable of affecting higher-level Wanderers.](Mina)

[*Sigh* We'll need all the help we can get if we want to fight off the Burning Hells' invasion. What now? Do you plan to delay the Main Quest some more? There's a Dungeon just north of Menestad in Scosglen that you can clear.](Helen)

"No. I already had Neyrelle wait a full week. It's better to close this wound cleanly earlier rather than let it fester and affect her. I'll go tomorrow and pray I don't somehow reach Level 50 in the process..."

Rolling their eyes at the pretentious newbie, they couldn't help but complain inwardly. He's been in Kyovashad for less than two months, yet somehow almost reached Level 50. 

Others would barely go through their First Class Awakening, usually in such a timeframe, yet this guy was preparing for his Second.

[On that end, Gonk left me a message. Through a large Quest, the Sanctuary declared that the Stronghold of Kor Dragan must be cleared. You can join his party if you can get to Level 50 in a week. He said he'd be saving you a spot.](Helen)

"Right... Gonk should be around Level 50. I almost forgot about that."

[Level 52. You will see why after going through the Second Class Awakening.](Helen)

"Does the experience gain change that much?"

[Hehe! You could say so.](Helen)

Shrugging and hoping for the best, the trio continued their conversation on various topics pertaining to Michael's endeavors. 

[Uncle Colin managed to force the project down the throat of the nobles. The Merchant Alliance helped, surprisingly. The work on the new road should start in about a month.](Helen)

[Not only that, but Uncle Colin asked about the materials and cost for the road itself.](Mina)

"*Sigh* I've been thinking, but I don't think the Bear Tribe is a good choice for the cement production. I'll hand over the road's blueprint to the mayor and let him sort it out."

[Weren't you worried about the power shift that might cause?](Helen)

"I can't keep worrying about that. Ultimately, the power to make changes and get everyone to agree with you doesn't necessarily come from wealth. You can force the changes you want to make with a level high enough and friends at similar or higher levels."

Seeing Helen shrug with a 'Took you long enough' expression, Michael shook his head and smiled bitterly. Back on Earth, such a thing wouldn't be possible, but in the Sanctuary, where superhumans existed in the form of Wanderers, local governments need to keep their heads low and please the people to keep their jobs.

Otherwise, a job change might be the least of their worries.

Aylin and Hella returned first from their meeting with Martel and Hoduin. They excitedly explained their progress with the second training array and how the other representatives threw materials at them to build them in bulk.

[Two months! One and a half if everything goes well. Mira found a hermit group of four Horadrim and enlisted their help in researching the third array. If all goes well, the third array should target Wanderers who underwent the First Awakening, probably levels 25 to 50. We're not sure what bonuses it will grant, but we can tweak it to give things we'll be more interested in. Hoduin also signed a Sanctuary Contract with seven Druidic factions capable of producing the Heart of the Forest. We'll trade arrays for their pills and further improve the capability of newbies.](Aylin)

[With the Heart of the Forest and at least three training arrays, we'll create monsters, not elites! Speaking of monsters, we have a prime example in front of us.](Hella)

"No, no! Compared to me, a Wanderer who goes through three training arrays would beat me into a pulp at the same level. Probably even a newbie who went through the first two could do the same."

[Hmm? Aren't you jealous?](Helen)

"Jealous? Why? If we could get even two to three parties filled with such 'monsters,' the Sanctuary would certainly lay off and pester them instead. I would very much like that! I prefer peace and quiet and being able to clear Dungeons at my own pace instead of being thrown from one big mess into the next."

With the girls smiling wryly, the group laughed and conversed until Mia returned from her travels. She looked tired and annoyed.

Curious, the group pestered her questions and quickly found out the issue.

[There's too much going on! Just in Fractured Peaks, so much stuff is happening that we're not sure what to add to our first issue. We can't wait another week to publish old news. Furthermore, what if, after or during that one week, news that is even more explosive appears? Should we wait another week? It doesn't make sense.](Mia)

The conversation turned weird, with the younger trio joining the discussion and throwing in their two cents.

Michael especially facepalmed and blamed himself for this mess.

"Then publish news daily if there's that much stuff going on. Just make sure you have enough material."

[...](Mia)

[...](Tia)

[...](Evelyn)

An even louder commotion resulted, and the entrepreneur trio went as far as borrowing money from Mina for their future needs. Aylin sponsored them with a generous sum and asked the girls to post a recruitment order for qualified chefs. 

Helen also contacted the other four representatives and told them about the newspaper idea, and the four girls ended up coming over.

Speechless, Michael was banished to the kitchen again, forced to cook for the ladies.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully. If there was one thing that surprised him, it was Neyrelle knocking on Helen's door to wake him up.

Taking out the pocketwatch and seeing it was 5:31 AM, he shook his head at the overly enthusiastic girl and got out of bed. Helen wanted to join, but Michael disagreed, forcing the woman back under the sheets.

"There's nothing for you to do this early. Sleep some more. I'll try to return faster."

[Mhm. Contact me if something strange happens.](Helen)

"No worries. Now that I have the Ring of Communication, I can also do that from inside Dungeons."

[*Yawn* Not all of them work like that. Stronger devils seal their Dungeons better, so you might not be able to contact me from there.](Helen)

"Then, I'll do it once I get out. Sleep."

[Mhm.](Helen)

Kissing the sleepy tigress, Michael dressed, put on his equipment, and opened the door.

Seeing the black bags under Neyrelle's eyes, he knew she didn't get much rest last night. Scratching his head, he pondered and took her to the kitchen first.

Whipping up some food for breakfast, the duo ate and left.

"Before we go, I need to make a pitstop. Hopefully, Zivek is open already. My inventory is kind of full."

[Okay.](Neyrelle)