Chapter 230: Working Hard

“By working, one can bend fortune. She is fond of crafty men.”

Gustave Flaubert

“Wakey, wakey.” I was woken by Namir chomping at the bit. “Time to put your sensory skills to the test.” I groaned as I rolled out of bed. The midnight statue-making session had taken it out of me. Namir was freakishly happy to be up and about.

“Rather than four different patrols, we will spiral outward from the Thorpe until we find something. Then call it in, wait for a second patrol and kill them.” Perhaps having a base to hunt from appealed more than trekking across the frozen wastes. Either way, I was on a deadline, so I might as well be up and about it.

After my morning ablutions, we were ready to go. Bjorn and company had met at ours to head out. After my recent growth, it was time for my reintroduction to the patrol group.

“What?”

“Woe?”

“Kai?”

There were a few confused faces as we stepped outside to meet them. It was perhaps less noticeable from a greater height, but my height increase was still apparent either way. I now reached Namir’s shoulder as I stood beside him in our doorway.

“What happened?” Erik quizzed, asking the question that they were all wondering.

“I grew up.” Sticking to the simplest of answers. Truthfully, it failed to really explain the situation but they attempted to add the extra details themselves.

“It was your birthday?”

“You unlocked?”

“Why didn’t you mention it?”

“Congratulations on your birthday,” Bjorn added. “Most of us do not see such pronounced gains overnight on unlocking.” He continued. “Are you alright?” He asked, concerned that I might not be up for a patrol so soon after such extensive changes.

“I think so,” I answered. I had noticed the improvement to my responses but it was not so excessive that I would find it difficult to control.

“You think so?” He asked for confirmation.

“Well, I am 10 now and assigned my stats. So I’m feeling a little different to yesterday. That or it was something I ate.” I added chuckling for effect. But seriously I was wondering whether they might have fed me something unusual seeing as the system had picked up giant blood within my vessel.

Namir continued with the story we had concocted to cover up the reasons for my height and age jump. “We think his father had him under a curse, contract or debuff and that by turning ten it has broken or lifted it.”

But as he did I could not help notice how they looked at one another after my statement that it might have been something I’d eaten. Even Namir noticed and his version of events trailed off. “I was as surprised to see him grow so much overnight as you. However, he seems to be alright and feels stronger than ever with his extra stats . . .”

After watching their faces, “Was it something I ate?” I asked directly.

Namir stepped forward suddenly, a little more vigilant, and a little tension leaked into their friendly faces.

“Not ate, so much as drank.” Erik suggested before being stopped by his father.

“Erik!” Bjorn cut him off.

“What? It is a possible cause for his growth.” Erik defended his suggestion.

“The elixirs have never caused such an extreme reaction before.” Bjorn raised his hands placatingly as he turned to us to explain. “I didn’t mention it before because some people do not care for it and you needed it.”

“Needed what?” I asked, confused.

“Ice resistance. You are . . . I mean, you were so small, and it was simply to help you out.”

“Ahh, the elixir,” I exclaimed, finally understanding. “What exactly is it made of?” I questioned.

“As said, the ice wyrm core and ice water . . . and a drop or two of giant’s blood to help bind the reagents.” He explained. “Before we knew about your magic, I could feel your shivering and knew you needed the resistance, so I didn’t want you to refuse without experiencing the effects.” He explained his reasoning. “I’ve never known of, or heard of it having such an immediate and obvious side effect.” He gestured at my increase in height. “But perhaps that is simply because most giants fighting in the north will take them in childhood when we already grow impressively fast that it is not noticed.” He continued his explanation. “Or it has not been taken so close the system unlocks. Who knows?”

“Thank you for your concern, but the full picture would be appreciated next time.” I replied.

Now that we knew, Namir repeated, “He seems to be alright and feels stronger than ever, so we should be fine to go.”

“Take care not to push yourself too quick or hard today.” Ivar cautioned. “Jumping in stats can be hazardous for your health even if the injuries are self-inflicted.”

“I’ll try my best not to trip up too often.” I grinned. With only a ten per cent boost of already inflated stats, I was not too worried about keeping control of myself.

“Now that we’ve discussed the Ice Giant in the Thorpe. It's time to get going. It will be the same as before,” Bjorn stated, moving the conversation along. “Namir up front, Kai in the middle with me, Erik to our right, Ivar to our left and Ragnar to our rear. Any questions?”

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“Remind me why are we heading out again so soon?” Ragnar requested. “We’ve only just got back! I’ve got other responsibilities too.”

“The spiderling nest should not have happened so close to our Thorpe. The fact that Kai could pick it up with his skills was fortuitous. With that in mind, we have been asked by Volur to ensure that no other critters have managed to get that close.” Bjorn explained, shutting down any further complaints about heading back out so soon. “Any other pertinent questions?”

“Just two. First off, does anyone have a small bow?” I raised my hand. They turned to look at me once more.

“Now that I am a little taller, I was hoping that I might be able to use one. Maybe a child’s bow or a short bow?”

“I might have one that is small enough, but it will still be large for you,” Ragnar commented.

“What do you need a bow for when you have magic?” Erik asked. He had been a little awed by what I had been able to accomplish.

“For when my mana runs out,” I explained. But then, seeing as it was Erik, I continued. “I like to get new skills and level them up.” I was thinking of my Hunter metier and all the levels I could get out of it.

“As you should.” Bjorn agreed readily.

“And we are going hunting; it seems silly to do so without a weapon, even if I can use magic as mine.” I continued.

“The better prepared are less often taken unaware.” Ragnar quoted what seemed to be a giant saying. “If we swing by mine, we can pick it up as we leave the Thorpe. In fact, I have knife you could use as a sword as well if both magic and bow fail.”

We headed round the Thorpe from the south to the east where Ragnar lived. Asking us to wait, he popped into his home and soon returned with a bow, a quiver of arrows and what was for him, a small knife. “Hope it is useable he said, passing it over.”

What was for him a short child’s bow I could just about wield the knife though . . . Even attempting to use it as a sword the handle was just too thick to hold. If I wanted a knife, I was going to have to commission one.

“Varvara can make you one.” Bjorn interjected, noticing my disappointment with the knife along with the impracticality. “She would be happy to return the favour of returning her son home happy and healthy.” He added.

“Thanks.” I nodded my head in acceptance.

“Second question?” Bjorn asked. Remembering that I had said I had more than one.

“How are we distributing the spoils?” I asked.

“The spoils?” Bjorn questioned.

“Well we are trying to gather as many resources as we can so that we can head south before the month is up. So . . .” I elongated the word wheedling a little. “I was hoping we could claim as much as possible of what we might find.” I explained our aims.

“An equal split.” He shrugged.

“But you wouldn’t be finding these beasts without my help.” I objected.

“I doubt that there are too many beasts to be found anyway. This is to appease Volur.” He argued back.

“Then our time is all the more valuable and should not be wasted on something so pointless,” I argued.

“It’s not pointless it is for the safety of the Thorpe.” He sounded disgruntled.

But I was trying to make a point, “A Thorpe we do not hail from and one we hope to leave sooner rather than later.”

“You would refuse to help?” He asked, sounding offended.

“No, simply requesting fair pay for my senses,” I replied calmly trying to defuse his anger but still gain the most from our time. I could possibly be making far more to fund our trip south with my mana within the Thorpe than tracing the circumference of their territory repeatedly for days on end until they were satisfied that we had ensured there were no hidden nests of monsters.

“Fine, how would you like to distribute the spoils?” He questioned fiercely

“50:50 for the monsters.” I started . . .

“That’s what I said.” Bjorn interrupted.

“But we get all the cores; anything else we might find is ours.” I continued before he could interrupt me again.

“Fine.” He answered, seemingly uninterested in the result, only that we actually headed out.

“All right,” He said, rolling his eyes, “Now that is settled, it is high time to head out.” We strode east until the Thorpe was on the edge of my senses before we turned to circle it clockwise. I ramped up my skills, noting that my resistances required no effort at all to take the edge off the biting cold. In fact, leaving the Thorpe meant that they had begun to level once more.

Cold (Lv5 -> 6)

Ice (Lv3 -> 4)

It did not hurt that we were surrounded by cold and ice. This fact, though, did hinder my use of the skill Seismic. Without stone, it was not nearly as effective. However, Sonar seemed to make up the difference along with Sense Mana, Mind sense and Eavesdropping.

Still, none of those senses were the first to bring back the hint of anything to me. No, the first skill to draw my attention was actually Treasure Sense.

“Hold,” I called out, everyone pausing in preparation for a fight.

“No, no.” I explained, “No threat, but something under the snow; give me a moment.” I asked before I slid my skis across to where the skill told me to dig. Bjorn might carry me later or maybe not considering my increase in size, but for the moment, I was keeping up on my skis.

I began realising my mana into the snow beneath me, drilling or instead melting a hole straight down to what I sensed.

Hole complete. I jumped down into it, disappearing into the snow. It took me a second to pick up the items I’d uncovered and leap out of the hole. The extra stats helped propel me upward my entire height.

“What did you find?” Erik asked, having been drawn into the spectacle of me disappearing. Namir still stood ahead, trusting me to call him if needed.

“Nothing much,” I shrugged, hefting what looked to be a pouch full of gold, a rather large mug and a fire-starting kit with a bundle of kindling.

“Nothing much?” He objected as he stared at the pouch of gold. Bjorn was silent as he realised why I had requested the rights to anything else we might find. While Ivar and Ragnar chuckled outloud at finally realising why I had requested everything else we might find.

“Well, we should be able to buy those supplies to travel south sooner rather than later. But it also looks like I might be tidying up some of the rubbish around your Thorpe simultaneously.” I placated.

“That’s hardly rubbish.” Erik objected.

“This time, maybe.” I shrugged, knowing I had perhaps gotten lucky with my first discovery.

Time proved me correct as we circled the Thorpe. We discovered no new monster nests within sight of the Thorpe, but I found a few other items, and the giant’s packs were filled with my salvage from the first patrol around the Thorpe. Not every discovery had revealed gold; in fact, most had not. However, we had accumulated a wide range of travelling supplies that had been abandoned or lost in one snowstorm or the other and then buried beneath the snow for me to find.

“One patrol a day.” I reminded them we reached our starting point.

“One a day.” Bjorn agreed as we headed on home. “I didn’t expect to find so much and yet so little simultaneously.” He commented. “Where do you want this lot?” He gestured to the bags of lost property they were carrying for me.

“Back home,” I answered. I would go through it all working out what I could use to build up supplies for our trip south and what I would attempt to sell.

“When’s the market open?” I asked as we returned home.

“It doesn’t close.” Ivar grinned. “Third layer down.” He pointed down into the Thorpe. “Have fun.”

“Same time tomorrow?” I asked as they prepared to leave after depositing my goods.

“Same time.” They nodded.

Grinning I entered our home to review my gains.