“You said it was a title. What happens if I don't equip it?”

  I look at her, no silly name this time. Her emotions are struggling with this.

  “Depends, if you have none of my soul you would level as normal. If you had my soul in you though, your level would return as much as you gained back to me.”

  “I wouldn't gain soul then.”

  “Only through me or without me.”

  -I didn't think she could get any paler.

  “Word of caution, if you borrow soul from me the title becomes stuck for ten days. Every time after doubles the time. You can't remove the title if you borrowed more soul than you have.”

  -Are you ready sister, we have many levels to do.

  “One who dithers on a choice, I am about to level. Do you want this covenant or not?”

  She sits in front of me, her legs under her. Like a samurai.

  “Would you not accept oaths?”

  -Tell her.

  I sigh.

  “Those bound to me, I might be able to bring back. I am not willing to take a knight in service to me. Sir Timotran had sworn to me and now he is dead in disgrace. I…I don't want to risk another without an option of bringing them back.”

  A few tears fell and I wiped my eyes.

  “This is not the only loss you have felt.”

  “It is not.”

  She huffs a breath out, “I am willing to take this title but I only desire one level worth of your soul. Are you willing to wait ten days for me to remove the title?”

  That an enormous amount of trust she is placing on me. She need not have that sword of damocles hanging over her. My sister and I speak as one.

  “We, Sara Maxwell Magdeline vow to level only once while Qorth bears the title of [Supplicant] unless she decides to tie herself further to me.”

  The geas settles on my soul. I breathe. I use life magic to cut my finger, creating a bead of blood. I place the finger in front of the Orc. She hesitates, then accepts my blood.

  You have bestowed the Title Supplicant on Qorth

  19 Orc Knight in Training, Supplicant

  “It’s its own title slot, she who possesses me.”

  “I do not own you yet.”

  She looks at me, resolved, “Do it.”

  Level raised to 7

  Strength raised to 240

  Agility raised to 227

  Perception raised to 362

  Constitution raised to 264

  Presence raised to 359

  Mental Fortitude raised to 389

  Intelligence raised to 484

  Soul raised to 337

  You tied your supplicants closer to you

  Remaining soul 13

  Remaining soul 14

  Remaining soul 18

  Now I'm in four places. There is so little left of Barbain and Beatrice…

  “Why do I feel so melancholy, she who I share my soul with?”

  “Sorry, now that my soul is with you, you get to feel my emotions. It's a distance thing. I thought knights required fifteen year olds.”

  “If you're human, Orcs can start at twelve.”

  “Well Qorth, I'm going to nuzzle my rabbits and tiger. You can return to your barracks or stay a bit with me and my sister.”

  -You never hug miss many legs.

  While she does have bristles, it's not fur. I don't think your pet spider cares. I feel a hrumpf. I smile at that. I turn back to Qorth.

  “If you don't mind Qorth, a bit of your blood, please.”

  She goes to cut her hand then stops.

  “I almost did that without thinking…Why?”

  “My soul listens to me, but as for your blood, it's so I can start leveling your curse resist.”

  -And?

  Fine.

  -She would know the moment you had some.

  I blush as I say it, “And because I enjoy drinking it.”

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 32 unallocated stat points

  “Why has your sister become a tiger instead of that spider girl thing, my Lady?”

  I quirk an eyebrow at that. Knights … guess the silly titles are over.

  “My sister and I have swapped places. I can only manifest as the spider you saw before. She has more she can be but it would appear an ear will always be grey now.”

  I scratch my sister behind the ear in question. She murmurs and curls away. I feel one of my passive life streams pull away. Seems a scale is done. I change another. I get up.

  “We should head back, better to be closer to the training grounds.”

  I will my shackles on and follow Qorth out.

  -----

  “Why is your hand burnt, my Lady.”

  I look at my hand, I tried to sever a strand of my hair. It didn't work out. Gained more resist fire for my efforts. I finish chewing my grease.

  “I'll tell you later.”

  “But why not heal it then.”

  “It is healing, slowly. [Health Regen] is such an annoying skill to level.”

  -She can't see the cuts and venom burns at least.

  Gregory sits next to Qorth. I do not understand why he keeps approaching me.

  “So then traitor, did you enjoy your time staring at doors you will never be allowed to pass.”

  “They were quite grand. But traversing dungeons can be a hassle. I'll leave it to you, Gregory.”

  “Understanding your betters, that at least you are doing right.”

  It's just so over the top. Qorth is ignoring him.

  -You really should too.

  “I've never claimed anything, Gregory.”

  “Have you not claimed Qorth here, you have her calling you ‘my Lady’ instead of her usual name riddles.”

  I grew angry at that. He smiles.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Finally an emotion that isn't hollow. I swear it took me forever to find something to spark you.”

  The perception boon. Switch with for a moment sister. She does.

  -He is confused. It's quite amusing. Ready to go back?

  Sure. Back to looking at my plate of grease.

  “What the hell was that?”

  “Something wrong, Gregory?”

  “It felt like you completely changed emotions, and then went back. I don't understand."

  “An over reliance on the first major perception boon perhaps.”

  I feel the annoyance radiating off him. Qorth begins to laugh.

  -----

  40 ? Gnome Knight, Competent Mage

  “Qorth, who is that [Priestess] you have brought with you, I have no time to entertain life practitioners."

  “Apology Dame Hecnae, I am the aide-de-camp to Lady Sara here and she was gracious enough to sit in while I practice your magic.”

  “Well, you missed your turn for mana yesterday, so you will be at the back of the line.”

  The gnome goes back to pushing magic into a student. It seems it's just this one gnome in charge of thirty-five students. I could understand the need for turns.

  “Sorry I cost you your turn, I'd offer my mana but my convert still has intent.”

  She waves me off, “It is no worry, I am close to making my own.”

  “What, you telling me [Priestess] that you already can make dirt mana?”

  I seem to have gotten the instructor's attention.

  “I only learn the convert, I haven’t had an opportunity to practice its magic.”

  “Well you're here ain'tcha, go make constructs already.”

  I shrug, I needed to work my mana aura anyways. I form a few constructs at the edge.

  You gained the skill [Dirt Magic] Basic 1

  Dirt Magic - what is earth but dirt, now you're manipulating dirt mana

  Basic - higher levels make the dirt last longer outside your aura

  Gain 1 exp

  The instructor finishes with five knights in training then wanders over to me. She grips one of my constructs and squeezes it.

  “Quite a bit of hardness you are imparting there [Priestess], don't be burning your mana out now.”

  Curious, I wasn't trying to make them so tough. I wonder if I could make a hardness strong enough to sharpen mithril on.

  -You haven't even managed to melt it yet.

  Doesn't mean I can't plan ahead.

  “As an adventurer I was always told not to attempt to make mithril horned rabbits, impossible to shorn, would it be possible to use dirt magic to sever their hairs.”

  Hecnae squints at me, trying to discern the truth in my question.

  “You have to get to metal magic for that, a rather high level at that. Better to forge the mithril then waste it on a monster.”

  “I was only speaking in hypotheticals, Dame Knight.”

  “Well hypothetically speaking, void magic could do it at a much lower level but just as liable to kill the rabbit with that.”

  Hmm, feel like cutting my hair with void, sister.

  -No.

  Another raspberry. It was a silly thought. Would things have been different if I was practicing my mana aura with dirt instead of illusions.

  -Pretty sure, I was the one who got caught.

  My sister's travails are my own. Another raspberry but our soul warms at the thought. Probably should wait on void until we can make master mana in our aura anyways.

  -Intermediate.

  Ya. Still a ways away.

  -----

  A supplicant has tied themselves further to you

  Remaining Soul 13

  Barbain. I send happy thoughts to the capital. She squeezed my soul. I smile at the feeling. Only two more before her ageing slows. I changed another scale purple. So very many to go.

  It's after the spars. I am sitting in my chair, looking out the window. Qorth was disappointed that I was not going to the dungeon tonight. Her few drops of blood was enough. I don't need to chase the bliss every night. Moderation.

  -For now.

  She feels as resigned to that as I do. I open my drawer of mithril. Perhaps shedding is a better option.

  -We might be tiering but burning our cells out with sustainer will still age our scalp.

  Fine. A book plops out my chest. I push void mana into it. The pages flip dramatically for a while as if it's the last few pages in a large encyclopedia. The pages are dissolving on the left cover and forming on the right cover. It finally stops.

  Void magic is the magic to manipulate the spaces between things. Study of the magic has found that there are spaces between everything. Void constructs inherently widen the space of things it touches. It is recommended to be able to channel master mana through a mana aura before attempting constructs. A void construct created prior to that will start to burrow towards the creator's center as it widens the space it is resting on, which creates a gap, which in turn the void construct will pull into. Many mages have gravely injured themselves trying void constructs before they can hold it in their mana aura.

  You have gained the skill [Void Magic] Basic 1

  Void Magic - the magic for making space via the manipulation of void mana

  Basic - You know you want to start leveling resist void

  Gained 2 exp

  -Our system thinks we are masochistic.

  Considering my center is our heart, I think I will pass on void magic for now. Best to progress my aura.

  -The center is next to our heart.

  Close enough to clip it. I throw the book away watching it disappear as it passes the edge of my mana aura.

  -You don't have to throw it to return it

  Where the fun in that?

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 40 unallocated stat points

  Back in dirt class. I watch as Qorth squirms with Hecnae magic. I hope she gets it this time. I play around with my constructs. I am their sun as they rotate around me, my little plantoids. My sister crashes one of the constructs she controls into one of mine. O no the earth is destroyed.

  -O the humanity.

  Not anymore, the planet is gone o capricious goddess. I feel a mental raspberry.

  You have gained [Mana Aura] Competent 1

  Competent - your advanced resists resist mana of others in your aura

  Presence raised to 350

  System needs an editor. Resists resist … that’s just terrible. Hecnae starts gathering her students.

  “The majority of ya have opened your eye. It's time to start training ya magic. In that regard, I always felt it better to do two things instead of one. Line up all. Front of the line gets to stand in this wee little circle. You can dodge, and you can deflect. But no leaving the circle till I say. That's a good lad. Alright next in line, hit our brother in arm with your earth magic. We have a [Priestess] here so don't worry too much about maimin’. No head shots though, I'll make you be the fool in the circle for the rest of the class if you do.”

  I form a chair to sit on, close enough for my aura to touch the person being pelted. I hook my health regen to them and wait for the inevitable. I don't have to wait long. They look at me but then notice they are already healing. Slowly. I hope this helps level it faster.

  You have gained [Health Regen] Competent 8

  Gained 4 exp

  I smile. It passively pulls at my reserves.

  You have gained [Convert Arcane to Life] Intermediate 4

  Intelligence raised to 502

  You gained the 500 minor Intelligence boon

  Hey a new boost slot, fancy

  You gained the first Intelligence Major Boon… warning boon already present

  I fall over clutching my head. I try to negate the mental attack but it isn't a mental attack. The pain continues.

  You have gained the second Intelligence Major Boon … cheater

  You have gained the skill [Arcane Magic]

  Arcane Magic - the manipulation of unaspected mana

  Basic - hey you can make a barrier that doesn't have type weaknesses, or strengths

  Gain 1 exp

  My own soul thinks I'm a cheater. Barriers? The text implies that I could have made aspected barriers all along. Never saw Barbain or Beatrice make one but we never fought anything that was using a magical projectile either. I'm being shaken again … it's been awhile.

  “Sorry, major boon didn't agree with me. I'm alright Qorth.”

  The knights in training are crowded around us.

  “Are you sure? You fell over screaming.”

  I nod, ack don't nod my head hurts. Will it be the same if I ever get a perception major boon.

  “Which of the boons was it, [Priestess].”

  Hecnae here too. Damn it. I spoke without thinking.

  “Was the second intelligence one.”

  “Ah the dud major boon. What's the point of an unaspected barrier when a solid dirt wall will do.”

  Well other than its weakness to lightning and mental.

  -It's also a dirt wall, you know, blocking your vision.

  “Sorry for the disruption, I'm fine with continuing.”

  Hecnae gets them back into position as I place [Health Regen] into my second boosted slot. It's starting to get cluttered again. Maybe double brackets to signify boosted. No wait, greater than, less than. Will make it pop.

  -That does look better.

  I look over and see Qorth still next to me.

  “Aren't you going to get back in line?”

  “Lost the pocket of dirt mana I was holding. Should of know better than to build it up before my turn. Makes me tempted to spend my points to get more reserves.”

  She must have little mental fortitude. I think a trip to the dungeon will be good tonight. When the last knight finishes I get up to head out.

  “O where you think you're going, you ain't had your turn. I need ya to right punish the one who thought being at the end would save them lumps.”

  It's Gregory who was last, because of course it was. Qorth steps up. She managed to eck out a shot or two but she was out of mana.

  “Bah that was pitiful, [Priestess] go fire a shot as well.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Oh, think you can hurt me with your basic dirt mana, traitor?”

  “Ah, you'll be the one healing him.”

  I look at Gregory who is already in my mana aura. I form two constructs in front of him while a large square construct forms behind him. He stares intently at the front two. The large square hits him in the back. It bowls him over. I let go of the other two, letting them dissolve into nothing. I walk over and heal him. He broke his nose on the floor.

  “That doesn't count as a head shot does it?”

  “Ah its his fault for falling, oy first in the circle, you got mana to spare, come shoot at Qorth.”

  Gregory is scowling next to me, scrunching his nose.

  “It's fully healed.”

  “Doesn't remove the blood clots.”

  I roll my eyes, sister, a handkerchief in my pocket please.

  -Sure.

  “Here, blow your nose.”

  He was taken aback by this. He takes the handkerchief and does just as instructed. It makes it look awful. He proffers it back.

  “Keep it.”

  I'm sure he senses the revulsion. Snot mixed with blood clots. How to ruin a decent meal.

  “Why do I feel disappointment from you?”

  “Was hoping for your brain to slip out.”

  He laughs at that. The man is bizarre.

  -----

  “Why did you wish to return to the dungeon so soon, my Lady.”

  “Only place we can talk without others listening in.”

  “Thought you were being free with your talents.”

  I give her an annoyed look.

  “I just figure you want a way to raise your mana reserves.”

  “Truly? I was about to level instead but you have another way?”

  I raise an eyebrow to that.

  “Ah, well a core would certainly speed things along.”

  I suppose it would, and undo my geas. It's the only thing holding me back.

  “You need not go so far, I can train your mental fortitude instead. I have a pariah aura which will gain you [Resist Mental Attacks] should you actively fight it. I'm going to go into my soul scape and bring it out. Its density will increase the closer you are to me. You can always leave through the rift to escape. It's an aura of worthlessness, do keep that in mind.”

  I do as I say and sit on the back edge of my dungeon. When Qorth enters she shudders. She walks seven steps in and crouches down. She grips her head and I listen carefully. No pressure so far. I send the horn rabbits to her for comfort. She scritches them and her emotions ease.

  “This is a dungeon, isn't it?”

  “It is, the fourth major soul boon is the [Dungeon] skill, my [Two Separate Minds] skill allowed me to continue as a person. Otherwise, Gadvak would have become a twin dungeon.”

  “You're telling me every dungeon is someone who gained the fourth boon and what? Gets stuck in place.”

  “I only know I would have. I don't really know.”

  You gained [Dungeon] Apprentice 4

  Gain 2 exp