Ultimate Level 1

Max’s limits of his traveling skill weren’t too difficult to manage, simply choosing to appear south of town a bit out and using his new way of flying to get back to the capital.

Crashing into the courtyard near the training grounds caused a bit of a stir and some initial panic, but once everyone realized who had just appeared, trainers and Faction members streamed toward him.

“Seth Pendal!”

The voice that came out from over the rest was from a woman he recognized, seeing the larger-than-average fighter waving at him.

“Sulenda!” he shouted back, moving toward her as those who had already gathered around him parted. “You look to be doing well.”

The brown-haired and muscular woman bobbed her head in a nod. Stopping just a few feet from him, she threw up a flex, her tanned arms on display as she only wore some leather pants and a shirtless jerkin.

“I’m just trying to get used to moving again. While I don’t have any lasting problems in my head,” she said, tapping her skull, “I sometimes feel like what I want to do and how I want to react aren’t perfect. Tom says I will be fine, and so has me helping to train all these new recruits.”

Her hand swept out over many of the ones near them, making it obvious that her seven-foot-plus frame was not the usual size most people could enjoy.

“Sounds like a good thing. How is Mustuck?”

“Oh, that dwarf is already in the tower again, helping out groups. He’s been gone a week or two I think, so he should return soon. I…” Sulenda paused, frowning, and glanced around at everyone gathered. “I never thanked you properly for saving me. Thank you.”

Shrugging, Max just gave the grin he often did.

“Thank me by making the next generation of Faction members to be the best they can be. That’s all I need.”

Nodding, she whistled, and a groan came from everyone gathered.

“You heard our favorite hero. Everyone back to the training grounds. I need to repay a debt!”

Some chuckles came from a few as the thirty-plus people all jogged back to where they had been before he had arrived.

Waving, he moved toward the entrance of the Faction house, ready to see everyone and get a good night’s sleep.

***

The silence seemed to last well over a minute as everyone sat slack-jawed, staring at Max, who yawned, fingers intertwined behind his head.

“A dragon… for a pet,” Tom muttered.

“It’s not a pet,” Max replied. “It’s not like that. He is smart… not like Aerthen was, but she said in time he will get smarter. I mean, at only a minute or two old, he was able to speak words.”

Snorting, the Faction’s main trainer shook his head, rubbing his eyes for a bit.

“I send him off to find a dragon to take care of the egg, and he comes back telling me it’s bonded with him,” Tanila teased. “No more solo trips of any kind lest you come back bonded with some beastkin or something.”

A snort escaped from their healer.

“She’s not lying, Max. You can’t do anything normal, can you?”

“Nothing he’s ever done has been normal,” Fowl interjected. “I mean… he can solo the tower for a while… tell me how that’s normal!”

A few mutters and grunts came, but no one else wanted to talk until Everett leaned forward and shrugged.

“I guess… I’ll just add it to one of the hundred things you have said that always makes me wonder what could possibly happen next. Still, I’m glad you managed to find a dragon and didn’t have to kill any. From what I know, there aren’t that many left.”

Their dwarf warrior grunted as he crossed his arms and wiggled a little deeper into the couch.

“Dragons… bah, those things are dangerous. Forgive me, but my kind aren’t fond of them. Best not to tell the king you are bonded to one. He won’t like that.”

“Still, the day he shows up riding a dragon, I’m going to retire,” Tom said. “As it is, I feel like I can do a little less if Sulenda keeps doing what she’s doing.”

Giving his trainer a side glance, Max frowned.

“That’s a weird comment… Are you seriously considering retiring?”

Everett coughed, and Max saw that even the Faction leader was frowning at his friend.

“He isn’t… I just have a different job for him, and it’s more personal for you. He’ll be working on getting your sister going with a group and creating a special team. That means he is in talks with many factions as well as some of the noble houses to see which children might be worthy of joining with your sister.”

Max could feel everyone sitting up a little straighter as Everett spoke, his Sonar skill reading the room and each person’s shifting.

Looking at his friends, he could see their heads bobbing, and even Tanila smiled slightly.

“Everyone knows about this already but me?”

“Well, you were gone,” Tom replied. “And your sister was a bit overwhelmed by your reputation. Your parents are actively looking at some properties in town and outside the walls. Even our crafters have offered to help your mother progress and get her set up with a shop.”

For the second time today, the stress that had been weighing him down vanished, and he was relieved to hear that his family was finding a place like he hoped.

“I… I don’t know what to say… thank you?”

Laughter came from Everett and Tom as both men shook their heads.

“No, Max. This is our pleasure,” the Faction leader replied. “You and your team have done more than I can ever repay. Everyone on the board has agreed that anything you need is yours.”

He paused, leaning forward, his eyes twinkling slightly and a mischievous grin appearing.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Even the reagents that were once unavailable.”

Max couldn’t stop the whistle that escaped his lips.

“Anything?”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t stutter, did I, Tom?”

“No, Everett, you didn’t.”

Both men grinned, and Max sat up straight in his chair, scratching his bald head for a moment, grinning like a fool.

“And if I said I really want to take a look at those items right now?”

“Then we can go,” the older man replied, standing up. “While I’m certain your friends and your lovely mage are wanting some alone time with you, I’m certain they will understand.”

Max glanced at Tanila, who nodded, holding out her hand toward him.

“I understand, but I’m not missing this moment at all,” she stated.

“Me either!” Fowl exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

Rolling his eyes, Everett motioned to the door.

“Fine, then all of you follow me. Tom, will you go and get Alfreda for me?”

The trainer nodded and moved quicker than the rest, getting to the door and slipping out as everyone else got to their feet.

“What kind of items are we talking about?” Cordellia asked as she fell in line next to Everett.

“Things most factions would lie about having and nothing anyone will talk about outside of that room. Trust me when I say this: It’s not a hoard of treasure like I think Fowl hopes it is, but the few pieces we own are beyond anything anyone in our Faction can work with right now. Well, perhaps besides Max, that is.”

Having heard their conversation, he chuckled and shrugged, glad to be able to intertwine his fingers with Tanila’s as they walked.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“Yeah… I’m sure you did… which is why you smiled so much when discussing having a baby without me,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

“At least the delivery was easy on you. Besides, he doesn’t look a thing like you at all.”

She groaned, hip-checking him as they moved toward the door.

***

Max watched as Alfreda’s hands trembled, inches away from opening the plain-looking wooden box that Everett had withdrawn from one of the shelves in the vault they were standing in.

He knew there was a special storage place inside the Faction house, but had never sensed it. Even now his Sonar skill couldn’t sense anything but the space they stood in.

Purple stone pulsed with a kind of power he had sensed on the other world and then absorbed it, creating an effect that made it invisible to his skill. His eyes could see them, but his skill didn’t recognize them.

Those stones. I think they actually prevent someone from teleporting into here. Am I wrong?

You are correct. When you touched one, I told you that it had properties similar to your skill, which blocks teleportation and travel near you. It is a shame Everett would not give more details about them.

Lost in conversation with Bob, Max was thankful for Tanila squeezing his hand as the older elf woman responsible for all the materials in the Faction touched the lid.

“I… I didn’t expect to do this for quite some time,” she whispered. “How long has it been?”

“Too long,” Everett replied as he stood beside her and the same stone counter that it was placed on in the middle of the vault.

Neither of them seemed to care about the other chests, bags, and barrels that lined the walls and shelves of the decently sized-room.

The wooden box let out a hum, and after a few seconds of the noise, she nodded at Everett, who placed his hand on the top of the chest.

A click came a second later, and then no more sound was heard from the wooden box.

The Faction leader looked up and saw how he was looking at him and smiled.

“Even if one gets in here, opening some of these chests requires certain people to do so. Trying to brute-force one open could have consequences no one would like.”

As he spoke, Alfreda opened the chest and reached inside.

We can use that!

Bob’s outburst came when Max saw the large white metal block. Like ivory yet easily the size of someone’s head, the metal block clinked when the older woman sat it down on the stone counter.

“May I?” Max asked, already moving closer to the counter, having let go of Tanila’s hand without realizing it.

“That good?” Everett asked as he nodded.

“That good,” he replied, mimicking the man.

It was his turn for his fingers to tremble, able to sense the power and strength inside the square.

“What is this? Where did it come from?”

“I believe it’s rumored to have come from the tower floors after the 60th level if the notes are correct. That is the only one we have, and no one could use it. To see you act like that makes me wonder what is possible with it.”

Max nodded, surprised at how warm the outer edge felt, and though it looked smooth, it had a feel to the edges that was almost textured, providing grip.

All of those ideas… from just this.

He bobbed his head, hearing his skill talk about what was now racing through his mind.

I could make a part for a gun… a different kind of gun. Or a hilt that could withstand almost anything. Perhaps even a place with a mage weapon. Able to hold multiple cores and essences. And then I don’t even know what all those other things really are. One like some kind of housing system for a power gem. Built to contain power and disperse it. Another is some kind of… transforming weapon like my staff was but different… more liquid, and this would serve as the place the power is stored again.

These are things we might hold off on creating just yet. Doing so might alert the system, and with the problems we are dealing with, having one more eye on us might not be a good thing right now.

Still moving his head up and down, Max turned the block over a few times, bringing it close to his ear and listening, almost as if there was a sound coming from it that he couldn’t quite hear but knew was there.

“So, Max,” Alfreda said as he sat the block back on the counter. “You look like a child who just got the toy they wanted for their birthday. Tell me, what could you do with this?”

Taking a deep breath, he moved his mouth, feeling the tightness in his jaw from how he had been grinning.

“By itself, nothing but with other items… probably things greater than anything else I have ever made before.”

A cough came from Fowl, who cleared his throat and pounded on his chest several times.

“You’re saying you can make something better than what you gave Dexic?! A weapon that literally has a skill?!”

Nodding slowly, he turned and smiled at his friend.

“Yes.”

“Hoooooooooly elf tits,” their warrior said with a groan.

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