System Change

It didn’t take long for Tyron to put two and two together. “So, those cells inside…”

Derek nodded. “Occupied by dragonkin. And there’s a wyrm with your name on it if you want it. You just have to agree to Dismantle the corpses you’ve collected. Make me a glaive and armor set out of the death attuned wyvern. And maybe make a few swords and a spear. Then, give me all the meat, and you can keep the remaining materials. Plus, you get a dragon.”

“A wyrm… not a dragon,” the smith said.

“Technically a dragon. It’s part of the dragon species, at least from what I know. But it is a wyrm… yes,” Derek replied.

“No flight?”

“Not the wyrms we fought. I’m sure some are able to, but not the one we caught for you.”

After a few more moments of consideration, Tyron held out his mammoth-like hand, and Derek took it. “You’ve got a deal,” the smith said as they shook.

“Great!” Derek said. “Are you good to work here? What about the trials?” Derek asked Tyron. If the smith began everything right now, he would surely miss out on a trial or two that was perfectly suitable for him.

“I’m good here,” Tyron said. “Give me your communication rune.”

Derek took out his communication crystal, and he and the smith traded runes. He would now be able to connect with the best smith in the kingdom whenever he wanted. He felt a bit special.

“Just let me know what each trial is. If it’s good for me, I’ll go back and do it. Of course, I’ll leave all the materials and creations I’ve been working on with those materials with you on the off chance I don’t make it back.”

That… was a pretty reasonable request. One that Derek was very happy with. “Perfect! Might as well start now.” With the communication crystal still in hand, Derek pushed his mana through and tried to connect to the prince.

After a few seconds, it connected. ‘What?’ the prince’s annoyed voice came through inside Derek’s head.

‘Having a hard time?’ Derek asked.

‘Oh, you know. Everyone is pissed that they were left out of the last trial even though there were only five spots. And even though I believe the majority of them would have perished without Avery, you, and me… and possibly Tyron, Cain, and Vanessa. I doubt anybody else would have had even the slightest chance at taming a dragon, either.’

‘Sounds like a problem,’ Derek said.

‘Well, it doesn’t look like the four of us, not including Tara because she didn’t get a dragon, will be running a trial any time soon… Compromises and such,’ the prince said.

‘Seems like a great idea,’ Derek snorted. ‘Sideline your strongest people and the best healer you have because you’re jealous. Sounds like a good way to get dead.’

‘Yeah… with most teams, at least. I think they will be fine, though. I’ll still split the teams up, just don’t expect any of us to be on them. Cain and Vanessa should be able to lead everyone well enough. Especially Cain. He’s very levelheaded. Didn’t seem to care that we got dragons, either.’ Edgar explained.

‘Sounds like qualities needed in the Guild Master of the biggest Adventurer’s Guild in the kingdom,’ Derek said.

‘Yeah… Anyway, did you need something? I’m still pretty busy here. I may have to divvy up some of the lesser dragon materials I got.’ The prince’s voice was tinged with bitterness. ‘Fucking children.’

Derek snorted on the outside, then explained why he was contacting the prince. ‘Just wanted to check on what the next trial was.’

‘It’s a rare difficulty puzzle-type trial with seven spots,’ Edgar answered.

Derek winced. He would be the first person to volunteer to sit out a puzzle-based trial. He had a ton of intelligence and wisdom, but those didn’t seem to actually have much of an effect on his IQ. Sure, he could remember things a bit easier, and everything seemed clearer, but he was just as good at math right now as he was before. That is to say… he was perfectly adequate… sometimes.

‘Well. I, for one, am not going to be angry about getting left out of such a trial.’

‘Same,’ Edgar agreed. ‘So, what are the three of you doing, anyway? You and Tyron just left, then Avery disappeared not long after. I figure you’re together.’

‘We are.’ Derek went on to explain his plans and everything to Edgar.

‘I’m not sure about giving Tyron the wyrm right now. It won’t be hard to connect the dots if he shows up with a dragon-type companion after disappearing with you,’ Edgar warned.

‘That has nothing to do with me,’ Derek chuckled. ‘It’s not like I’m the leader of this raid or anything.’

‘Derek… please don’t.’ Edgar was almost begging.

‘I figure he can keep the wyrm out here, since he’ll be spending most of his time in this dungeon making me armor and weapons as far away from everyone else as possible. If needed, we can store the wyrm back in my Time Prison or it can hide underground. Its cell will still be open inside. Besides, if I were a betting man, I would think that Avery was going to stay out here with Lyra, too. And he’ll know if anyone gets close. Especially after finding out he’s banned from the trials. I don’t think he’ll take that well, by the way.’

‘Okay… just do your best to keep it out of sight. It may be best to keep it in your prison once Tyron contracts it. As for Avery… he may end up in another trial. I’m sure he’ll be able to… persuade the others to let him join if one pops up that he wants in.’

‘Alright, well… I’ll let you get back to princing. Have fun,’ Derek joked as he cut the connection off between them, then turned back to Tyron, who was already dismantling a drake corpse. “The newest trial is a puzzle-type at the rare difficulty. Seven person limit.”

While running a blade through the underside of the beast’s corpse, Tyron stopped and raised one of his hands and waved Derek off. “I’m good, then. Puzzles are fun, but puzzles with multiple people are a pain in the ass.”

Huh… I didn’t think he would be one for puzzles, Derek thought. But the smith was right. Multiple people trying to solve a puzzle was incredibly frustrating. Especially when multiple people thought they knew how to do it, but each one had a different solution.

“I’m out, too,” Avery said from the side.

“Yes… yes, you are.” Derek smiled, getting a questioning look from Avery. Even Tyron turned around, wondering what he meant. He then explained everything he’d just learned from Edgar.

Avery spat on the ground. “I’ll let them do what they want with rare difficulty or below trials, or non-combat ones. But I’d like to see them try to keep me out of another legendary trial. That was just too much fun to pass up.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Derek said.

Avery grunted. “Though, if we let them do a legendary trial alone. I suspect we would be able to go do it after they get themselves killed. Or the few who come back alive would at least be much more welcoming to us.”

Note to self: Do not keep Avery away from a fight he wants to be in. Derek laughed and nodded. “Well… let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. These are some of the kingdom’s strongest adventurers.”

Avery shrugged. “Edgar’s fine… good guy. Edward is okay, and Alanah has history with the old king. Other than that, I’m only beholding to Alanah, not the kingdom.”

Derek thought about that statement. Not only was it true for Avery, it was actually true for himself, as well. Though, he would still rather not see these people die over something as petty as a little greed. Avery was right, though. Them going in a legendary trial would make for a quick attitude adjustment. He only hoped they would live through it if that happened.

But Derek only had his small group that he cared about and would actually do whatever he could to help them. Anyone else, he would help in passing if he could, but he wouldn’t go out of his way. So, even though he would rather they not go in and die, he wouldn’t try to stop them.

Derek looked at Tyron and Avery. He would definitely count the battle maniac as someone he enjoyed being around. The man reminded him a bit of Jace, but much less psychotic. Avery was like if Jace had empathy. Definitely a good person to have on your side.

As for Tyron, he seemed okay. The man was kind enough, even if he seemed more introverted than most. His number one priority was crafting, and Derek could respect that.

For about an hour, Derek sat and watched Tyron work, and Avery enjoy playing with Lyra. The amphithere was majestic and noble, but Avery had a way to get her to play around like a pet in mock battle.

An idea struck Derek after watching them for a bit, and he pulled out a scroll. It was a Telepathy scroll. “Hey, Avery! Catch,” he yelled and tossed the scroll to the archer.

Avery caught the scroll and looked at it, then frowned. “What do you want me to do with this?” he asked.

Derek furrowed his brows. “I was thinking Lyra could learn it. That way, she would be able to communicate with everyone.”

Avery looked at Lyra, then back at Derek, then back again before bursting out in laughed. Derek stared at him in confusion. It even seemed like the winged serpent was laughing.

Avery took the scroll and tossed it back to Derek. “Thanks for the gesture.”

Derek caught the scroll and looked at Lyra and Avery with a frown before shrugging and putting the scroll away.

‘It was a nice gesture,’ a haughty feminine voice resounded in his head. ‘But as you can see. I do not need it. Thank you, though.’

Derek stared at the amphithere with his mouth open. Of course she already had Telepathy. She was a dragonkin with mental powers. It would be odd if she didn’t have Telepathy. What about Blitz? Does he have Telepathy? He’d have to check on the lightning wyvern the next time he saw him.

Speaking of the lightning wyvern. Not two hours later, its colossus shadow loomed overhead, and soon, the beast and Edgar landed.

“They’ve begun the next trial,” Edgar said as he moved closer.

Derek nodded at the prince and looked at Blitz. “Hey, does Blitz have Telepathy?” he asked.

“No, he doesn’t,” Edgar answered.

“Here!” Derek pulled the scroll back out of his bracelet and tossed it to Edgar. “This way he can communicate with everyone. It will make things much easier.”

Edgar caught the scroll and looked it over. Hesitantly, he said, “I think it’s best we don’t.”