Chương 7: Sink Your Teeth In

Sid knew his peers would be getting more desperate as each hour passed. With four days left until the nonexistent clock ran out, he could assess just how weak each mystic's character was. Davine was obviously the dominant figure of the group. Sid would probably become a target soon enough, since the head mystic would find it pretty difficult to intimidate him. Honestly, that would make things easier for him. All he needed was a good bodyguard.

Allani would do just fine, and she'd certainly follow him around if he suggested that Davine was plotting against him. But telling her would have to wait. She was already on edge, and putting potential murder schemes in her head could cause an incident too early on. He couldn't have Allani getting on everyone's shit list by accusing their leader with no proof. Though she wasn't an idiot or a hothead, he couldn't know for sure how she'd react in such a stressful situation.

The objective the system assigned to him had already checked Ife off its list. Sid found his heart racing at the thought of completing the first objective assigned to him by the system. How much XP would it give him? Would it unlock any new abilities? Was he actually excited? That was new. Seeing Allani may have dragged his heart out of its sad little corner, but that was nostalgia and comfort. This was something new. Something in the future that he was looking forward to. I knew you'd like it here!

Seriously, why do you ever doubt me? Mother knows best. He shot up in his bed and looked around. No blue screen was hovering around him, but his mother's voice had definitely not been a dream. It crushed Sid to know that she was right. Being the Mad Mystic felt like a gift. She was still an awful, terrible woman. But she was an awful, terrible woman that gave her son a gift that he actually liked. That counted for… something. Not a lot. He couldn't forget that she shuffled him from one monastery to another.

She knew what she was doing when she cleaned his habit upon arrival. He looked around at the sleeping mystics around him. No one looked very comfortable. There were a few sleep twitches and mumbles going around. Sid shifted his legs over the side of the bed and carefully set his weight on the floor. The monastery was, tragically, made out of wood, which made sneaking more difficult. He clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed every sleeping face.

Dreams weren't the most reliable source of information, but they were better than nothing. Whoever looked the most distressed in their sleep would be the next target. The more mystics he won over, the easier charming the next one would be. A man with stark black hair and tan skin was going between scrunching his face and relaxing it. Sid leaned over his bed and listened for any faint mumbles. It was mostly incomprehensible whimpering, but Davine's name was whispered a few times in a shaky whine.

This one feared the head mystic. All of them probably did, but this one was scared enough to have nightmares about him. The next step was to find out everything he could about his new friend. He thought about his system interface and the new skill he obtained, hoping that was sufficient for activation. He even extended his hand towards the sleeping man for flair. [Forced Move] activated on pawn Ramil Sulit. Please choose one of the pawn's skills to activate. Now, that was already good information.

The mystic shared the same last name as the woman camped at the end of the shore. Based on how old they both looked, Sid guessed they were siblings. Available Skills: [Staff of Asclepius] lvl 1, [Benediction] lvl 1, [Intercession] lvl 1 Sid couldn't be sure what those skills did at Forced Move's current level, but he recognized those words. Benediction and intercession sounded standard enough, most likely a simple blessing and a way to summon aid, respectively.

The Staff of Asclepius was the symbol of medicine itself. The real symbol too, not Herme's caduceus that Rina had spent hours ranting about. Sid knew his mother, and she didn't give grand names lightly. That one had to be something special. Sid planned to abort using forced move if possible once he read all of the target's skills, but a very foolish idea nagged at his head. He once again felt his heart start to awaken.

A smile crossed his face as he crawled back into bed with his selection screen still hovering above him. No risk, no reward. He was doing exactly what his mother wanted him to do, and he couldn't bring himself to care. He was actually having fun for once. He burned the words above into his eyelids as he closed his eyes. [Forced Move] activated [Benediction] for 10 FAITH. He heard Ramil gasp and the rustle of his covers falling as he sat up.

Sid kept his eyes glued shut, but the black space under his eyelids became brighter. The sound of gentle chimes played as he felt a calming gust of wind circling around his body. He decided now was the time to fake waking up. He shot up in bed like someone who was just brought back from the dead. With his eyes open, he could see the golden light around him that emanated from Ramil's bed. A pawn has blessed you! For the next minute, no other pawns can attack you.

That blessing was useless at the moment, but it didn't matter. Sid just needed Ramil to think the skill activated by itself. That it chose to circle Sid with no outside influence. His words came out in his best sleepy mumble.

"Brother, you've blessed me? I'm honored, but no one is attacking us right now." Ramil looked down at his hands and blinked a few times. That was good. His system interface wasn't giving anything away to him immediately.

"I-I'm not sure. You're Sidor, right? I don't remember targeting you with my skill."

"I am, but I don't think I ever got your name? Only Ife introduced himself before Brother Davine rushed us off to our nightly chores."

"I'm Ramil…" He was still focused on his hands.

"I don't know how that happened. Did I activate a skill in my sleep?" That was an interesting thought. Would using a skill in a dream activate it in real life? Perhaps that would make a good experiment for another day, assuming he would be stuck on Ring for the foreseeable future. Sid scratched his head.

"Well, thanks for choosing me in your sleep, I guess." His phrasing forced a sense of intention on Ramil. Though he wasn't thinking of Sid at all in his dreams, he certainly would feel that he had been. Perhaps it was normal to dream about new strangers you met that day, but mystics weren't the type to put any stock in coincidences. That made the lot of them easy targets for superstitious manipulation. +40 XP from avoiding suspicion after using [Forced Move] on another pawn!

[100/150 XP to level 3] This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The morning bell rang soon after their little conversation, bringing every other mystic into the conversation. Sid heard Ramil whispering to others as they all walked towards the kitchen.

"Have you ever heard of skills activating during a dream?"

"I don't think so," said Ife.

"I would hope that it wasn't possible. I don't want to break any of my oaths by dreaming up my skills. It'd be even worse for people with violent skills." Sid decided to chime in.

"I doubt the Rose would let that happen. I think she guides us in our dreams. No matter how strong the devil running this island is, our minds belong to the Rose alone." He wanted to gag as soon as he said it, but Ramil's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. Whatever works, works. Ife's face was beaming as well, though he already thought Sid was some sort of mystic sent from the heavenly gardens. The mess hall was empty when they arrived, save for Brother Davine standing in the kitchen with his arms behind his back.

The mystics made dinner last night, and they would be making breakfast now. The entire day was devoted to service. Sid was used to it after years at St. Jane's, but at least his school wasn't housing dozens of random survivors that didn't have to lift a finger. Even if they wanted to, the mystics would probably insist that it was their duty alone. So now they were stuck cooking for far more mouths than they had hands. It pissed Sid off, though he had no one to blame but himself for choosing to continue lying.

Now that his class depended on that lie, he was completely stuck. He didn't want to lose his class and the one advantage he had ever had in life. The mystics organized themselves into a line with Sid at the back. They filed into the kitchen and took their positions at the counters. Everything had to be perfect. They operated as one well-oiled machine. Sid held his own with a small kitchen knife at the cutting board despite being new to the group.

Though he couldn't use magic, he excelled at the everyday tasks and schoolwork that required actual effort. His work even earned him a pat on the shoulder from Brother Davine.

"Good work, Sidor. I was worried you'd have trouble adjusting. Looks like I need to adjust my expectations."

"I hope I continue to exceed them!" He was officially on Davine's radar. It happened sooner than he thought it would. Were the mystics here truly that incompetent, or did Davine just cycle through them so quickly that no one had time to get into the groove of their work? Sid would have to ask every mystic how long they had been living at Embrace. Once the sun finished its ascent into the sky, the residents of the sanctuary started walking into the mess hall.

Sid tried to examine as many faces as possible as they entered. He found Allani soon enough, and she took a seat near the kitchen where he could see her clearly. She was acting protective. It was actually adorable. By her side was Dalisay, leaning over their table and waving at Ramil. The two women started chatting as if they had been friends for years. Allani was naturally charismatic, able to assert herself into any close-knit group without even trying.

Sid's stats didn't lie; he was charming as well, but that charm came from several different social calculations running in his head at once. It was far from effortless. Maybe more powerful than Allani's aura of cool, but more tiring as well. That just added to the tragic beauty of this strange island his mother had trapped him on. Effort was actually rewarded! There were workarounds for people like him who just couldn't master magic no matter how smart he was or how hard he tried.

Magic was the only thing society found people like him useful for, so he was seen as little more than a standout nuisance. He didn't have many nice things to say about his mother, but she valued hard work.

"Hi again!" He jumped back from the counter with the kitchen knife still in his hand. Dalisay was standing right next to him, and the other mystics had vanished from the kitchen to start serving the prepared food. Apparently, thinking about his mother's one admirable trait sent his mind elsewhere. Dalisay watched with a smile as he slowly put the knife back on the empty cutting board.

"Yes, Dalisay, was it? It's good to see you. I'm glad we were lucky enough to run into you on the beach."

"Luck has nothing to do with it. Embrace puts a lot of effort into catching newcomers at the beach. I'm not the only guide stationed out there." Sid started walking away from the kitchen with Dalisay following closely behind him.

"So, you have more than one of those weird little booths on the shore?"

"Yep! Safety comes first. As much as we want to help outsiders, we refuse to send anyone out without proper safety precautions."

"Is a glass box really enough?" he asked with a bit of skepticism. Dalisay stopped moving for just a second.

"It's bullet resistant glass, but we keep firearms in there with us just in case." That was a shock. Sid couldn't imagine the kind woman beside him wielding any kind of weapon. She seemed like the type of person that would accept death before daring to harm another human. Maybe she wasn't as harmless as he initially thought.

"Oh, that sounds terrible! Have you ever had to hurt anyone threatening you out there?" She blinked at his insensitive question.

"Let's not talk about this right now. You just got here; there are more important things to worry about." So yes, then.

"I'm sorry." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No one should be forced to hurt another soul. But you were only trying to protect this wonderful place, so please be kind to yourself." He hated how cheesy he sounded, but he felt Dalisay's shoulder relax under his hand.

"Could we move on from this?" She smiled.

"It's too early to talk about something so unpleasant. I just wanted to thank you for being so kind to Ramil."

"I wouldn't say I was particularly kind. I'm just trying to get to know everyone. Isn't that what any newcomer would do?" Her smile faded.

"Yes, but…he's very shy, you know? He was always like that, but it got worse when we ended up trapped on Ring. I think the five-person limit on roles is driving him a little crazy. Not that I blame him."

"Has he seen another mystic die from that rule?" He paused.

"Sorry! No more unpleasant topics, I promise!" Dalisay laughed it off and returned to her table, leaving Sid to stew in his social faux pas. He usually had more grace than this. Perhaps it was his grim excitement at the present situation clouding his judgment. He wasn't used to feeling excited. He'd have to learn to manage it quickly. Despite the stat screens and XP, Ring was not a video game. He couldn't walk around acting like a player fumbling for information at every turn.

Worst of all, he was disappointed that he didn't get any XP from that interaction. He hated that he was disappointed. Dalisay offered her trust on a silver platter and he totally blew it. That should've bothered him more than the lack of pretty numbers in his face. He dragged his feet to the mystics' table and sat across from Ramil. Sid filled his bowl with the creamy oatmeal they had prepared. Not his first choice, but he was used to it.

As he scooped a handful of blueberries to mix in, he noticed Ramil stirring his spoon in the plain bowl of oatmeal.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Ramil flinched and dropped the spoon. This kid was hopeless.

"Y-yeah. It's just hard to focus on anything right now."

"An empty stomach won't help you." Ramil smiled and looked down at the bowl before taking a bite. Sid didn't say another word for the rest of the meal. He just glanced at the boy across from him every few minutes with bright eyes and a smile. It got Ramil to continue eating until his bowl and the cafeteria were empty. Apparently, no one else brought their dishes to the kitchen sink. That was also the mystics' job.

"Ramil, why don't you let me take your share of the dishes this morning. You should go talk to your sister." Sid put his hands out under the plate Ramil was holding.

"She's worried about you. She told me before we ate." Ramil dropped the plate and it landed right in Sid's hands. Tears started falling down his face and he nodded at Sid before running off. Brother Davine watched him leave the cafeteria before turning back to Sid.

"That's a lot of dishes, brother Sidor. I hope you-" [Rina Ring!] Sid put a finger up.

"Forgive me brother, the system has an urgent message for me." Objective progress: 2/4 mystics have been convinced of your virtue! +30 XP Major objective progress: you have undermined the authority of the flock's leader and loosened his hold on Ramil Sulit. +40 XP Congratulations! You've reached level 3! Your [Presence] and [Resolve] have increased by 3 and 2 points, respectively. [Board Vision] has reached level 2. You may now target one enemy with this skill.

The effects are the same for the ally and enemy targeted at this level. [20/250 XP to level 4] So proud of you right now. Keep it up, my dear.