The Manaverse

Slatewell Safe Zone

Granite City

Jut didn't mind sitting with Derrick as he consumed his Skill Orbs. He walked the man through picking out his Features as well.

Derrick would absorb one Orb and they would discuss it. The first time made Jut laugh with Derrick's reaction to the sensation of learning a Skill. The man looked like he was concentrating very hard, his face scrunched up in a goofy way. After they were done, Derrick was quite excited.

"I received Mining, Herbalism, Alchemy, and Building. This is great. I can be so useful now." Derrick exclaimed as they moved the discussion towards the Spark of Ascension. He had just finished stuffing as many of his carried items into his newly acquired spacial inventory as he could.

To Jut's surprise, the man also picked Contact List and already had the Mount Slot Feature.

"I'm glad you used the purple one. What Skill did you get?" Jut said. He had told Derrick all about Ophelia while they were doing his Orbs. By the end of their time together, he just absorbed the purple skill. He might not have wanted to fight, but self-defense was important.

"I did it because you reminded me that knowing how to fight and having to fight are different. I decided that if I ever have to fight or die, I want to live." Derrick said confidently. "And the Skill is actually the Spell "Earthen Spikes". Enemies who step on the spikes are supposedly slowed by a large amount for a short time. Fairly useful for getting away, I'm sure. A good one, I feel. Non-lethal."

Jut nodded. "Yes. A very good one. A great get for sure. Now. You should perform the Ritual of Ascension as soon as you can. I was surprised to see you completed the Mana Stones quest."

"I never had any mana to refill so I had plenty of Chips from my daily work. Rituals just felt different, you know? Like they weren't changing me." Derrick said, shrugging. Then he gave Jut a grateful look. "I will Ascend now. I feel confident enough to handle it from here, Jut. Thank you so much. You'll never know how much this means to me."

"The honor is mine, friend. Now, I recommend being somewhere you can bathe after you start the process. Trust me. It's nasty. " Jut said, shaking Derrick's hand.

"I will and I do. Always have. If you ever need construction work done, I will do it for free." Derrick said happily.

"Actually, I have a request. Can you find a Daniel Curry for me? He's here and alive, I know. I just can't seem to find him and I need to talk to the guy." Jut asked. He knew if Dan was to be found, Derrick was the guy to do it.

"Hmm. I've not seen Dan recently. He's a Safe Zone staff member now. I'll put my feelers out and get back to you. See you later, Jut." Derrick nodded and shook Jut's hand before taking his leave.

I like him. Can we keep him safe?

Him and so many others are on my list. Jut responded before stopping at the Shop again to resupply the Orbs he had given away. He hadn't expected to give Derrick so many Profession Orbs but the man was keen on being useful, so he had no issues with it.

Then Jut made his way to the Orphanage. To his surprise, it had moved three buildings over and spanned three closely built properties. The new buildings were not as large as the old one combined, but there was plenty of room for all the kids. Magatha was in the kitchen of the biggest building making dinner by the time he arrived. Without asking, he hopped in to help. Magatha didn't blink or refuse the help either. She just gave Jut directions instead. They chatted while they cooked.

"Those brave men and women saved us. We made it to the Casino safely and up one of the Towers. I heard you sent them to us." Magatha said, her question more of a statement.

"I did. Yes." Jut said flatly. As if there was any ever a doubt he would. They were orphans after all. He had thought the Safe Zone should have done so on their own. He was still a little frustrated they hadn't.

Magatha set a gentle hand on Jut's arm which made him look at her. She was wearing a large smile with sad, compassionate eyes. "I owe you so much for all you've done for us. You saved us so many times. And, I'm sorry about that blonde woman. She was so brave."

"That she was. And, there's no need to thank me. I'm glad you all made it." Jut said, before changing the topic. "What Skills do you have Magatha, if you don't mind me asking?"

While talking to Magatha, Jut sent a text message to Brick through his new feature, asking for a short delay.

He read the response while Magatha spoke, her back to him as she stirred a pot.

Jut: Need another hour, helping Magatha.

Brick Almight: Awesome Feature, Bro. I need it. Perfect timing. I was going to be late too.

"I have one combat Skill and four general Skills. The combat one is an attack I can barely use and two of the generals help my keep track of the Kids. Why do you ask?" Magatha gave him a confused expression, but never stopped cooking.

"I wanted to give you these." Jut said, setting a blue Orb and a green Orb in front of her.

Magatha turned to Orbs and picked them up. "What are they?"

"Guardian and Healer Skill Orbs. One to help you protect the children and another to heal them if needed." Jut said with a shrug. "I might not be able to send help next time and I want to make sure you have something that can help you."

Magatha smiled. She tucked the Orbs into her inventory and went back to cooking without missing a beat. "I will gladly take them. Thank you, Jut. You are such a sweet boy."

"Why are you out here and not in the Tower?" Jut asked, very curious why she would return here instead of seeking safety for the children in the fortress like structure.

"I requested we be allowed to stay out here, away from the main population. These children need joy, light, and freedom. Not gloom, doom, and apathy." Magath explained. "The Safe Zone staff agreed easily."

Jut didn't argue. Her reasoning was sound. He did plan on making sure the area outside the barrier nearby the orphanage was cleared out regularly though.

Magatha began to dish up the pasta with Monster meat. It wasn't sauced but it did make Jut's mouth water. She offered him two plates.

"I'll gladly stay. But I don't need that much." Jut said with a chuckle.

"I heard from a little bird that you also know a brunette healer woman named Isabelle." Magatha said. Again, it was a statement.

"I do. She's the one who saved my life before you did. What about Izzy?"

"Now it's your turn to save her. Take the second plate to the roof of the old building and get her to come down, will you?"

Jut scowled. "Isabelle is up there? For how long? That roof isn't safe. The building was close to collapsing the last I saw."

"That's exactly right. That's why she needs to come down. But, she's been up there since yesterday afternoon and she has only come down to sleep, and only that much because made her." Magatha said.

Jut placed the plates into his inventory and left right away. Sure enough, after picking his way through rubble and across an unstable section of the roof, he found Isabelle staring at the bright, blue barrier, unmoving.

Isabelle's eyes were bloodshot and her brown hair was disheveled. Her clothes were bloodstained and looked like they were probably the same clothes she wore on the night of the wave. She was sitting with her arms around her knees, just staring at the blue wall. She didn't even look at Jut when he sat down as noisily as he could. It took him saying something for her to react.

"Isabelle, hey."

Isabelle's head turned, almost mechanically, and she looked at him. It took her four or five very long seconds to recognize him. When she did, her eyes widened with regret, sadness, and grief. Tears welled up and she sniffed loudly.

"I'm so sorry. I...I lost your girlfriend." She hiccuped. "Kit was...so amazing." The tears fell, large and wet, splashing on her knees.

Jut sighed softly. "First off, she wasn't my girlfriend. That was only our first date. Secondly, I heard you saved her life and that you weren't at fault for her being stuck outside the barrier." That wasn't exactly what Brick said, but close enough.

Isabelle shook her head violently. "I...I considered letting her to fall. It was only for a brief moment. But if I hadn't, she would have had more time to cross the line." Isabelle looked away, still crying. "It was my fault."

"I see. So it's my fault Jonny died then." Jut said solemnly. "If I had made us move sooner or looked around better, Jonny wouldn't have been crushed by a Minotaur's Club."

Isabelle scowled in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jut proceeded to tell her what happened from the moment they started to fight the Minotaur by the fountain and ending just after he was hauled off to safety by Joey. He made a decision in that moment and sent more messages to Brick.

Isabelle's expression started out sad, turned sympathetic before changing to horrified. She ended looking furious.

"That wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done." As she yelled at him, she rose and crossed the distance to him, her eyes already looking him over for wounds.

Jut placed both hands up. "Ascending completely healed me and I haven't fought since."

Isabelle nodded, but still looked over his face, neck and arms to be sure.

Jut continued when she didn't say anything. "So, if it's true that I'm not blame for Jonny, then based on what you've said, you're not to blame for Kit. Who, by the way, I can confirm is still alive."

Isabelle was very expressive. Her face flashed from resignation, to hope, to fear, then ended on anger once more. "How do you know that?"

Jut looked at her dead in the eye and as seriously as he could manage, he said "a Goddess told me."

Isabelle couldn't decide on whether to be mad, happy, or suspicious it seemed. "Tell me what happened to you after the Rally. Explain how you met a Goddess." She finally said, sitting down again.

The change in her mood made Jut blink. She was still angry and manic, but she had also become curious and intrigued. It was like she wanted him to keep her occupied from her own emotions.

So Jut did. If he had heard his tale from someone else, it would be the detailed explanation of the battles before the trip to Ophelia's realm that would lend credence to the story. This seemed to be true here as Isabelle didn't scoff or show any signs of doubt. Jut didn't know why these people trusted him so much, but he promised himself he would earn it.

Jut unpacked the food from Magatha and the pair ate as he explained the last of his Ascension. He smiled when she ate and grinned widely when he saw Brick's response. Now he just needed to get her to say yes and maybe he could get her to rest properly.

After Jut finished his tale, Isabelle was silent for a long moment. She still looked haunted, but not as badly as before. She looked up at him.

"One question. Ophelia, a Goddess, didn't really pig out on that much food, did she?"

Jut nodded. "I swear it. Her stomach never grew an inch and she had the utmost polite manners while eating too. I don't know if the food just wasn't real or if she just really doesn't need to eat and her body just adsorbed it all for fuel or what."

Isabelle did something that made Jut feel light. She giggled softly. It was broken and weak, but it was a start in the right direction.

"If she's safe, I will have to let it go for now then, huh?" Isabelle asked rhetorically.

Jut answered anyway. "She would want you to live even if she wasn't able to, which she is so the point is moot."

Isabelle met his gaze. He had no idea what she was thinking but she did look to be considering his words. Then she firmed up her posture and looked at him with a determined glare.

"It will take a while for me to Ascend. I need so many Chips, but you're right. I need to get stronger."

Jut gave her a confused look. "How and why are you so far away?"

Isabelle looked guilty and ashamed. "I've used too many Mana Chips to restore my Mana. If I had used just one more, I would have let Kit die for sure because I wouldn't have been able to use my Skill."

Jut scowled thoughtfully. "Doesn't that limit your maximum Mana for a time?"

Isabelle nodded. "Don't ever drop below a fifty percent cap if you can avoid it. That's when I started to lose my rational thought. It was so awful." She looked horrified just thinking about it.

"That's good to know. Now that you've eaten, I've been told by Magatha to bring you down from here. Shall we go? This roof is dangerous. I'm afraid this whole building will fall over any moment now." Jut said.

Isabelle nodded. A loud cracking noise sounded from the roof tiles below her and she was falling. Jut, having reacted as instantly as he could, easily pulled her over to stable ground. They looked at each other with wide eyes. She nodded harder. "Yes, please. Let's get the Hell out of here."

They each said goodbye to Magatha who was putting the younger children to bed.

"If you want to fix that building, talk to Derrick." Jut told Magatha as they were wrapping up to leave.

"I know Derrick. Such a lovely young man. I will have to do just that." Magatha said, pressing left overs into their hands. They both finally gave in and took the food as they left.

Jut insisted on walking Isabelle back to her tower elevator. Isabelle accepted quickly and Jut knew now was the time.

"What do you want to do now? Run the medical stuff for the Safe Zone?" Jut asked as they strolled along.

Isabelle shrugged. "I have no idea. I wasn't supposed to even be in Granite City this long."

"Oh. Right. You're from the North. Further North than I am at least."

Isabelle smiled. "So, you have seen enough of my content to know that much. Why have you never told me about your Prime record? Which is what exactly?" She was giving him a stern gaze.

Jut shrugged. "It isn't that big of a deal. I hadn't played in months before the System arrived."

Isabelle didn't buy it. "Give me a freakin' break. You were the "Support Avatar". The number one Support Classer on all the main servers. Not a big deal, my ass. You know I made my living streaming Prime, right? You can't say you didn't if you know where I'm from."

"Support is very under rated by most players. Besides, it was only a hobby for me. It was not a big deal." Jut gestured away the conversation. He continued before she could say more. "You remember what Prime Parties were, right?"

Isabelle nodded. "I do. Tank, Healer, DPS physical and magical, and support. What about it?"

"We need a healer and I want it to be you." Jut said. "You're smart, fast and passionate. Your familiarity with party dynamics is a boon, and you're already a recognized Healer."

Isabelle stopped and looked at him closely again. "You want me in your Party? You said you lost three members. Who else is in the party?"

Jut sighed. "Just me and Brick for now. I think I'm going to ask Diggy and Joy to join too. Unless Brick objects, of course. With you would make five, one for each role."

"If you and Brick are Ascended, won't I just hold you back? I'm nowhere close to being that far yet."

Jut shook his head. "I already have approval from Brick." Then Jut made healer Orbs appear. "We will invest in you if you agree to join our team. For a while at least. Even loot sharing and you can have a room in our Penthouse, rent free. If you want it."

Isabelle gave him a skeptical look. "Living alone with two guys. I don't know about that."

Jut shook his head, chuckling. "I promise, I won't do anything creepy, and each individual room has it's own shower. You'd have all the privacy you could want. You can say no, of course. But we want the best. If you are half as good as you were in Prime, that will be you."

Isabelle thought it over for a long moment. Jut stayed silent, letting her mull her answer over.

"If I did say yes, what exactly does "investing in me" mean? While I would love to be a party Healer, I don't know if I am willing to take that big of a loan and I won't repay the favor with sex. I'm also not into grooming." Isabelle said flatly.

Jut had to fight to not glare at her. Instead, he calmly looked back and answered honestly. "The investment would be Skill Orbs and enough Mana Chips for you to Ascend. Repayment would consist of you running the Dungeon with us and hunting Monsters after the end of the lock down. I would also ask you to be the teams' Healer when not on a run until we agree you're square. Nothing else would be expected or required."

Jut tried to keep his tone neutral but the last statement had been a little brusk. He wasn't fond of having to explain he wasn't trying to sleep with every woman who walked the earth, but he also didn't want to get into that conversation. He only wanted a Healer for the team and she was the best of the best; when she wasn't losing her mind.

"I could Ascend? And do I have to live with you guys?"

Jut nodded. "You can ascend tonight if you want. I have enough Chips on me to get you there. If you don't want to live with us, then you don't have to. I'm also willing to give you the Chips if you say no to joining the team, as payment for all your healing and for saving Kit's life." Jut at least wanted her to reach Stone Rank. He couldn't lose another friend, even if she didn't think of him the same way.

They stopped walking just outside the South West Residential Tower elevator. Isabelle looked at him seriously. "I would love to join the team. I will even take the investment. However, living with you both seems sudden. I need more time to think that over some more. I have a perfectly decent space now."

"Deal." Jut said before passing her the Mana Chips, and with her direction, two healing Orbs, two support Orbs, and two profession Orbs.

They discussed terms further and agreed to three training sessions and two hunting or dungeon runs per week for the foreseeable future. More would not be required, but she might accept additional runs if he offered. She also wanted at least five days a month to heal for the medical tents in addition to two off days per week. Jut agreed to that quickly. It was all preliminary discussions that may be altered later, but Jut was okay with all of her requests.

Isabelle gave Jut a quick, one armed hug which he returned gently.

"Thanks for telling me about Kit, Jut. It helped a lot. Good night and I will seek you out later." Isabelle said before getting on the elevator.

Jut turned on his heel and headed back to Brick and the Penthouse to get ready to run the Dungeon. He read over their recent messages.

Jut: I want to ask Isabelle to join the party.

Brick: She's hot, heals well, and seems bomb-ass smart. Do it. If she wants a room, invite her.

Jut: It may require an investment of Mana Chips and Orbs.

Brick: I'll go half. Get that Healer for the team.

Jut: She's concerned about funny business. Do not hit on her.

Brick: Me? Never. ;)

Jut chuckled and boarded his Tower's elevator. He was looking forward to seeing exactly what the dungeon run would entail.