Chapter 306

  The GlitterBright Chronicles (Part I)

  There are very few times in life when you can feel truly content.

  These are of course times when the world slows down, and you have a moment to sit back and enjoy the moment.

  Content.

  Both figuratively and literally, that is the word that would best describe my state of being for the moment.

  I am content in the fact that Zero and I managed to Perfectly Resurrect each and every Skill Book that was here. These were the skill books that didn’t survive the initial attack and were otherwise disconnected from me, when I was sucked away from here. That is the figurative form of content that I currently feel.

  As for the literal form of content, this being the true form of content, I would have to say I have that as well, thanks to the now Expert level and beyond skill books that are available to me. Yes, the Skill Books have content that is beyond even my current ability to comprehend them, and that is amazing.

  Once again, I have goals here.

  I have a purpose to read.

  Not just a want, but an actual need to read to push myself farther and faster.

  Best of all, I think this is the world’s way of helping me, or trying to help me with what they too hopefully realize is coming.

  Something so frightening that even now, it has Zero in a near catatonic state. Only able to come out to help me, but the fact that he did spoke volumes to both his state of mind and perseverance. He will pull through this, he needs to, because I need him to.

  That isn’t content, and I am not content with that, but I’ll accept the minor win.

  Hooray, books once again distract me from the inevitability that life will soon be thrusting in my direction.

  That said, these books are perfect.

  Best of all, there were two little, tiny books on the shelf.

  That’s right, they were tiny books as in they were baby books. My best guess is that they were following one of their parents to defend the home and got caught in the initial blast. That or, they came out to see the damage that happened to their parents and were subsequently caught up in the second explosion.

  Terrible.

  It was terrible, but there was a shining light at the end of it all.

  That is, that these books that Zero and I managed to use Perfect Resurrection on were in fact perfectly resurrected. I know that might seem like a no-duh moment, but what I originally considered to be Perfect Resurrection was just the books to be brought back to their peak condition.

  However, with these processes, Zero and I went all out.

  We used multiple new forms of energy that had never been fused together before, and likely would have exploded if added in any less of a mixture, or if likely applied by anyone other than Zero and me.

  Looking back on what happened, on the final outcome, I can see why there were elements of the system that tried to deny my work. Elements that tried to kill the Skill Book.

  Had that rogue element had its way, I might not have broken the world. Or not really broken the world, but pushed it farther than the world likely would have wanted to go at this time.

  Still, I was right.

  My mathematical formula and flow of execution was perfect, I knew it.

  Zero knew it.

  Heck, even the system knew it, which is why it went for an overload on the core of the Skill Book, trying to blame the failure on the maturity of the spirit. Yet, that wasn’t a problem.

  That was why the final decision to have the Skill Books get Resurrected into their perfected form took a spin that I was not ready for. That is, I think they went up to level 500.

  Yes, World’s End now has Skill Books that can grant and show how to utilize Skills up to level 500. At least that is what I expect to happen, as I can only read through half of the texts before they start twisting and turning on me and giving me a headache.

  For most of my initial skills they were a great refresher and let me realize that there were structures within the skills that I sort of knew, but it helped to have the pointed out.

  The skill structures are apparently going to be used as a foundation for future progression of these skills. Skills that will likely grow and evolve into ways that I can only imagine.

  Of course, knowing that the original skills I started with have evolved to such a state is not the best part.

  The literal content I am now experiencing is on the two blended skills that I managed to Perfectly Resurrect. Taking them from minor level 1 skills, to maxed out blended skills that while I likely would never find a chance to use in my day to day life, I do appreciate the improvements offered to my base Attributes.

  Those two new skills showed something about this world. Namely the fact that I think it followed the same type of logic that we might have in the real world, where good skills are somehow attracted to dangerous skills.

  In this case, Free Falling clearly managed to seduce both Juggling and Trap Detection, and managed to have offspring with both.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  I might need to make a note about this, the mating patterns of Skill Books.

  I think about it, but then quickly decide against such an action. That said, it is noted that both blended skills have the base Attribute bonuses for the two parent skills, along with a few extra. Meaning that the longer these skills get to go about and spread their pages, the more bonuses one might be able to find.

  Then there was the disappointing feature of getting these two skills.

  Normally learning such skills to such a high level would be met with a system message.

  In this case there were two quest completion notices.

  Yes, two completion notifications and two subsequent rejections of the quests due to my improper handoff to myself. Which is a shame.

  Normally there would be multiple quest completions for something this grand, but I can tell that part of the system is still mad that I forced them to accept my work, and effectively disabled their attempts to tamper with my Resurrections.

  That is why, I have to settle for being content that all my books are back.

  Well not just back.

  This is the equivalent of having a housefire, losing all your stuff, only to find out that insurance covered you for ten times what you originally owned. Meaning you can replace your singular book of a series, with the complete series.

  Still terrible that you had to go through the ordeal, you would never want to go through it again, but there are some bonuses afterwards.

  Also, I’m okay with just the two new maxed out, to my level, skills as a reward. There is also the fact that I managed to pull off my first tri-weave formula and life is good.

  Almost too good.

  Thanks to my Blind Eidetic Speed Reading I even managed to read and reread all of the skill books before me at the same time.

  I had to go quickly, as I assumed my Apprentice or someone might try to break up this perfectly good moment.

  A moment of peace, where there are no wars, no battles to contend with, no crazy space beings holding you in a magical lattice work prison that you cannot escape, at least not at first. Then you do escape, find Zero, break him out and leave, knowing that what that creature had you doing on their planet, would be enough to all but ensure they would come back to you, later on.

  “Breathe,” the calming voice of Zero comes through my head, thanks to Telepathy and I realize that I had gotten a bit too focused on that monster, and the fear that she might come back for us.

  Exhale.

  Hearing Zero, I exhale and realize we are safe. That and I need to do something to occupy my time, and while reading was fun, I’m now sadly out of material.

  Well not out, there is more available, but I just cannot understand what is left at this moment.

  It will likely be something along the lines of fully awaken your bloodline again, get devil horns and look like a mutant with a tail, but you can now read the next fifty or so levels of this shiny new Skill Book.

  Worst of all, I might be tempted to take that offer.

  Well, minus the tail, I could likely hide the horns with my hair, if they were short enough.

  No, that is not how we are doing business Cass, no mutations, no tails, no horns.

  Long drawn-out creaking.

  I am about to go crazy, when the door to my office suddenly grinds its way open. This is the Faculty Building looking out for me, and giving me the moment to prepare myself.

  I jump up, trying not to look guilty, but we all know that only makes you look even more guilty.

  Flutter.

  As I rise up, so too do the newly revamped and improved Skill Books, as they flutter around and all go to land on the same book shelf that they always did.

  Bulge.

  They land, but then cause that one shelf to bend under their new encyclopedic weight that is behind all of them.

  Fortunately, the shelf seems to recognize the new strain and wiggles for a second, before straightening up and managing to push and hold the now heavier books in place.

  I am not the only one entranced by this, as Gwen, the one who came in to talk to me, is also staring at the shelf that is coming to life and straining itself to once again support the row of Skill Books.

  Then once we both realize the show is over and the shelf is once again stable, she turns towards me.

  “Are you busy?” Gwen asks.

  It’s really hard to pretend and say yes, when your only real alibi for work just parked itself on a shelf.

  “No, not at the moment,” I reply honestly.

  Gwen pauses for a moment, as I can tell she is likely building herself up to something. Judging by the way she is taking her time, I can tell whatever she is thinking about is big, or at least important to her.

  Though I don’t know if it is just me, or something that happened while I was away, but I suddenly find myself getting impatient at having to wait.

  Even as I know she is likely formulating her thoughts as quickly as possible, but even at this speed, she still seems slower to me.

  Odd, that or my mind has sped up a lot during my time in captivity, while I worked on restoring a planet.

  It was a project I would normally be proud of, but I think I might have given rise to a dictator who might have been left stranded for a reason. Which Is likely why, I feel more impetus than ever to try to grow and improve myself.

  “Well,” she begins, and instantly I lose all train of my previous thought as my daughter is talking and I want to hear what she has to say. For apparently the subject that she is about to broach is very important to her.

  “I have good news and a personal request for you,” Gwen states.

  Hearing her words and her slight hesitation, I can tell that I won’t like the request. Though I can feel a sort of density in these words, as if I am being called to these words regardless of reasoning.

  “Okay,” I answer neutrally.

  “Well, the thing is, I want you to promise that you will do the request for me,” Gwen states.

  I can see there is a scheme here. Also, it is clear that Gwen knows that when I now make promises I am almost oath bound to complete them, lest I suffer in some unknown way. Actually, that is a good point, I have never not kept my promise to this point, and I don’t quite know what the problems that would arise from such a situation, but I know for a fact I don’t want to know what would happen.

  This is why, having my own daughter using this against me, I can’t help but think that this is somehow a setup. A setup that I can’t help but feel oddly proud for in the way only a parent can for having their kids end up just like them.

  “I take it that this request is important to you?” I probe, trying to figure out why this obvious ambush, and why she wouldn’t come out and ask directly.

  “Yes, very much so, I also know that you likely wouldn’t agree to it, if I came to you directly with the request. This is why I offer a barter.”

  “A barter?” I parrot back, again pulled on by some inexplainable notion that this request will be important to me as well.

  “Yes, a barter. I will tell you the good news, and if you think it is in fact good news, then you will automatically agree to the request,” Gwen poses.

  I can feel myself getting played in this somehow, yet my instincts still tell me to push through regardless.

  You know those times, when you can see the collision incoming, but you can’t look away and can’t stop, all you can do is look on and wait for it to hit you? That is how I feel right now.

  Still, this is a subjective request and news. If I don’t like the news, then I can cancel the agreeance with the request.

  Mentally, I debate with myself, and perhaps seeing my waning enthusiasm, Gwen goes in for the kills.

  “I’ll even tell you part of the good news,” Gwen presses.

  “Part?”

  “Yes, just so you know it is on the up and up.”

  “Okay?” I state questioningly, as I think this is almost too good to be true. Especially with how flighty she is currently being with the whole situation.

  “What if I told you, that while you were away, one of the Seventh Life Writer’s Club, SLWC, members managed to publish a book?”

  “A book? A new book?” I press, realizing that the SLWC, were the people I rescued and had all taken up residence here in World’s End.

  “Not just a new book, but a new series completely,” Gwen drives home.

  Salivating.

  Yes, I drooled a little bit, not my proudest moment, but still a new book from a recognized author.

  “Do you agree that this was worthwhile of fulfilling my request? I’ll even let you go and read the book first, before you start out on the request.” Gwen states, giving me the world and then some.

  “And I’ve heard of this author?” I ask, making sure no new authors were added.

  “Yes, you even said you enjoyed their work,” Gwen states.

  There is truth to her words, I can almost hear the truth in them, but they are slightly off for whatever reason. Still, she was telling the truth, and I didn’t think my daughter would try to do anything that would hurt or otherwise get me killed.

  Realizing, it might be something as boring as having to teach her a new skill, or make something for her, maybe even teach her Spell Formula Creation, or maybe Cosmic Cultivation I was okay with that, as they would ultimately make her stronger.

  “Okay,” I respond finally.

  “Say it then,” she presses.

  Family, always trying to abuse pixie family members, this is likely how my kind were forced to be night time cobblers in the past. Then realizing that is a loophole I need to address, I respond.

  “I agree to do one request for you that is limited in scope and duration, and can be done within a single night,” I respond.

  As soon as I speak, I feel the chains of Karma reach out and bind me to Gwen. While she might be able to make me work on fixing shoes all night, I would now only be forced to do so for one nighttime period.

  At that Gwen seemed to straighten her posture and smile, “good I accept. The person who wrote the new book and indeed new book series is none other than Susan Whittle, who has produced a new series called GlitterBright.”

  Suffocating tightness.

  Gwen spoke so quickly that I didn’t even have time to react. Perhaps next time if I see the trap closing around me, I can Teleport away, or otherwise vacate the area. Yet, she spoke it out so quickly, and I was blindsided by the complete betrayal of my own daughter that I couldn’t react in time.

  “What?”

  “Susan Whittle, one of the founding members of the SLWC managed to publish her first book in her new series GlitterBright, during that month you were gone,” Gwen presses.

  Hearing her smug retort, I can only moan in pain at the name.

  Even the name of this series sounds almost as bad as that rubbish she published back on Earth, Grimlight.

  “But you said, that I said I enjoyed the work though?” I pout, I can’t help it, of all the SLWC members, why is she the one to write the first book.

  “What, but you did say you enjoyed it, mother!” Gwen presses and twists the knife, right in my tiny heart.

  As she speaks, I can all but remember the moment she was talking about. It was during a particularly rough patch in our time together, when I wanted anything to talk to her about. Anything other than why Rob left us, and how I was a terrible parent for letting Rob leave.

  Hearing her speak, I also realize why the words came back as both true and hollow. I had said those exact words, but I didn’t mean them. Now it seems my lies are coming back to haunt me. I wasn’t even a pixie then.

  “But wait, it gets better…” Gwen begins, but her words are cold and pointed.

  I can tell, it’s not going to get better.