"The Three Killers of all warriors my Liege, Fragile Pride leads to Tyranny, Unearned Compassion leads to Betrayal, and a Fool's Arrogance leads to death." Darevellum stated as he withdrew his blade from my neck.
"How does having Compassion lead to Betrayal?" I asked the quote sounded eeriely like some stoicism quote from the philosophers one my friends liked so much.
"No, not compassion, compassion is a necessity in general but compassion towards your enemies who have not earned redemption" He responded as me and him slowly made our way to the training area where the rest of the guards were.
"Hmm, I guess that makes sense, I suppose that the part about Arrogance was the part you were getting at?" I asked him I figured the line about the three killers was a piece of fungi wisdom.
"Oh, no there's a reason why I said the full saying, I have a question sir, have you killed a human before?" He stopped as he asked me his tone was serious and his stone eyes looked at me. I knew I hadn't killed a human before and I wasn't going too, monsters where one thing but a human? Never.
"No, I haven't I lived in a peaceful area of my homeworld" I responded a bit of edge in my voice as I sensed where the conversation was heading.
"Then you need to get prepared for it, cause it will happen, someday a day will come where you will have to kill someone of your own species, I remember the first Lithoni I had killed, he was an evil fungi, killing newly elevated, his death haunted me for many years" He stated and in his tone I saw that it still weighed on him.
"My world has prisons, we don't have to kill them" I stated trying to force myself to believe it.
"In my experience Lord, those that gain power especially that granted by system have their worst traits dredged up and enhanced, I agree for low level and minor offenders prisons can work, but what if a powerful mass murder breaks loose?" he stated it like a question but I didn't respond I knew he was right even if my heart didn't agree. It was easy, almost too easy to kill something like a goblin or the rabbits, but a human, a human I don't think I was ready.
Nodding, I said goodbye to the guard captain and departed to the main Keep, entering my room I saw a small bowl of steaming stew. Smiling I bit into a chunk of meat. Chewing on it kinda tasted like pork, what was I eating? Inspecting the stew I received a one line text description.
...
[Mole and root Stew]
Rank Two Consumable
This item is made of a mole meat and assorted root vegetables.
...
Dam, maybe I was becoming crazy but mole tasted good. I ate the stew with relish before my tiredness slammed into me and I fell asleep.
Taking out my newer version of a maintenance kit which was made from actual supplies I maintained my gear and stitched what I could. Sharpening my knifes and daggers and sewing the rips in my jacket. My last check of the night, I held my breath as I checked on adults that where sworn to me and... They where all alive which gave me the relief to tuck in and fall asleep.
...
I awoke an unknown amount of hours later, the stew bowl was missing and as I sat up I saw Anastasia was chilling in her web in the corner of the room.
"Anastasia come on, get up!" I had since learned that she did not sleep, rather she quite literally just laid there fully conscious. I put on my cloak and jacket, and after some prodding I got Anastasia to move and after putting her in her little pocket in my jacket I moved on, exiting my room I departed the keep. I had one last item to complete before battling the cave bear, getting Anastasia's mother out of the cave, yeah yeah I should have done earlier but I kinda forgot, ok? I rationalized it no one but myself as used my enhanced memory to retrace my path through the caves. It took roughly an hour as due to the geography I couldn't run full speed their. Also I was saving my mana for the way back, so I couldn't just create a tunnel there.
Eventually I entered the cavern and their on her web was the massive and now significantly less terrifying Matriarch. My experiences since I was last here kinda of desensitized me from any vestiges of Arachnophobia that were In me.
'Hello Matriarch' I stated respectfully as I smiled at the large mother spider.
'Hello, you have done much Daemon in your short time in these caves' she responded.
'I imagine you know why I'm here?' I asked her as I waited for her to respond.
'Yes, you are here to bring me to the Place my children told me was called the Mycelium Keep, speaking of children, Anastasia get up and hug your Mother!' the mother responded before scolding Anastasia who reluctantly crawled out my jacket and she grew to her full size. From what I understood about the ability it took intense focus and was to slow to use as an attack.
'yes mom' Anastasia said giving her mother what qualifed as a spider hug. I stood as Anastasia and her Mother caught up. In the meantime I was plotting the shortest path by cutting through the larger cave tunnels that the Matriarch could walk in.
'okay Boss we're ready' Anastasia said after she managed to calm down the mother spider. Nodding I widened the exit, and as I navigated Anastasia told stories of our exploits to her, and she made them sound safer and less neck in neck, not the best storytelling for the average person but for the Mother Spider it was requirement.
It took some time to move the Matriarch, however soon we where in the cavern in which the Mycelium Keep resided. The Matriarch was excited as she had regulated to a small cavern by the swarms of ants, and now she had one capable of allowing her to move about.
Leaving the mother and daughter to themselves as I sensed the other Spiders coming to greet their mother. It was time for final preparations. Walking through the outer ring I saw an increase in pelt accessories and more noticeably cloaks form some reason. As I walked around I received nods of respect by Lithoni, smiles from Brownies, and small mixture of both from Treants. Then I entered the Inner Ring which held the Healing House and the town above, the spiders weaved small cacoon like structures above the houses, I imagined that their population would swell as their mother was safe and they weren't being hunted.
Then I entered the Main hall of the Keep, and there I saw a small group of old Brownies surrounding a covered humanoid figure.
"Hello Elders what finds you here in the Keep?" I asked the assorted the group and they turned to me, and they had to be the oldest Brownies I had ever seen.
"Oh, you're here! We are the Craftsman hired by his Eldest Lord Armeant to craft your armor Your Majesty!" They said and despite their advanced age they still held a depth of cheer and happiness. Old Man Welton would have been miserable if he was forced to deal with these bundles of joy early in the morning.
"You are done already? Thank you!" I responded smiling as I looked at the cloaked armor.
"Ah, it is our pleasure sir, and we all worked on a specific part of the armor" another responded, and while I guess it would explain the express creation. Wait, that sounded almost like mass production!
"Wait you all worked on a specific part, which part did each of you make?" I asked and the ten craftsman made two of the twenty major parts with an apprentice finishing the miscellaneous parts.
They talked about an hour about their favorite part of making each piece, and after some probing questions they explained that the chain mail was already made before I had ordered as they explained that proper Chainmail couldn't be made so fast. So they made it in bulk sheets and then cut up a large roll of it. After a grand presentation they lifted the cloth that blocked the view of the armor and I saw it.
The steel armor consisted of a visored helmet which covered my whole head besides a narrow gap for sight. A gorget as they called protected the gap between my head and body while not impeding movement. The cuirass consisted of a merged breast and back plate with the top part made to not impede the gorget or the pauldrons. The area not protected where either protected by chainmail over the hide gambeson. Something called the cuisses covered my upper leg, followed by a poleyn protected my knees, and followed by something I actually knew the name of greaves which acted as shin guards. The final part which where essentially metal shoes which they called sabatons but I all I thought of was the metal band. Finally I inspected the piece with the system.
...
[Plate Armor of the Terran Order]
Rank Two Epic Item
This item has an artificially boosted rarity due to its connection as being the first plate armor crafted for the Terran Order. This Armor was crafted by Brownie Elders, Brownies are a race of sentient mushrooms known for their obsessive personalities and their love of crafting. This armor is designed and made of twenty major pieces and is made to protect while not impeding movement. Also this Armor possesses the magical ability to mend its self over periods of time.
Effects: [Inflated Rarity], [Vigil of Terra], [Brownie Craftsmanship], [Human Tenacity], [Magical Superior Material], and [Protect the Monarch]
-[Inflated Rarity]
This item possesses a inflated Rarity, its true rarity is [Rare]
-[Vigil of Terra]
This item boosts it wearers perception by 2 as long as they where born on the planet of Earth(Terra).
-[Brownie Craftsmanship]
This item was crafted by dedicated Elder Smiths of Brownies and as such it does not impede natural body movements and will mend itself given proper care and time.
-[Human Tenacity]
This item makes the user more resistant to powerful foreign influences that try to suppress the users freedom.
-[Magically Superior Materials]
This item is resistant to damage of the same rank and lower, though this quality does not transfer to the user.
...
Well I'll be this item was great! With the help of the craftsman I Doned the armor it took sometime and adjustments to the straps that held it together.
"Thank you all!" I stated resisting the urge to run around and test the Armor.
"Thank you for your compliments my Liege!" One of them stated and we talked more on the topic until that was that Lord Armeant entered politely luring the craftsman away by telling them to go choose a piece co material from the stash, whatever that meant.
"Okay my liege now that we're alone we need to talk about what to do after you and Anastasia fight the Cave Bear okay?" Lord Armeant stated guiding me clad in armor into the Council Chamber.
"Okay, so first off please don't leave immediately after slaying the Cave Bear okay?" He asked me.
"I'm not okay I'll come back okay?" I responded as with my new Armor my monkey brain that all guys seemed to have that gave us unrealistic expectations on what animals we thought we could take in a fight was stoked about taking on a bear.
"Alright, well I was expecting you to fight back, Okay well I guess good luck My Liege" he responded and I avoided looking in eyes as a part of me wanted too. Then I remembered Darevellum's warning.
"Okay I'm going to go pick up Anastasia and then we are going to the Cave Bear" I stated to him the awkward feeling as I realized how much my life had changed fell on me as I was stopped at the door for a moment.
Exiting the keep hopefully not for the first time I exited the inner ring and I sat on the Outer Ring watching Anastasia and her siblings hound her mother. Smiling my mind trailed off for a moment, where wa—.
A blast of pain ripped through my mind, more intense than anything I had ever felt. Felt like a chainsaw and bowl of burning hot needles pierced my skull. Supporting myself on the ramparts as I Recovered. What was th—then I felt something foreign wash over me for a moment and I blanked out.
...
"Hey Anastasia come on we've got to fight a Cave Bear" I said for some reason my head was throbbing like crazy and it hurts to use telepathy.l