Arianna was exhausted. Bone-deep, soul-weary exhaustion. Every muscle ached, and she was teetering on the edge of mana depletion after healing the entire group one final time. The frogman chief hadn’t coated its axe with poison, but its tongue had had some serious poison, and she hadn't wanted to take chances. She'd healed every wound and ache until there weren’t any injuries left.
Now, as her body sank to the ground with a heavy exhale, she finally allowed herself a moment to breathe and to scroll through her notifications like the others.
The fight had been tough, but not desperate. It hadn’t been like their struggle against the hobgoblin who had probably been a similar level to the frogman chief. That difference in difficulty mattered. They were getting stronger.
But there were also consequences, at least for her. She had felt her inner scale shift towards the evil side once they had killed the frogman chief. Her CP had also jumped. From the amount she had gotten just for the F-rank monsters, they had to have killed over 200. Then she got 40 CP more for killing an E-rank monster and 100 more for saving mortals. That was a lot less than she had gotten before. Was it because they were stronger and had more of a chance to survive without her healing now?
Then she got a surprise.
[ + 1000 CP (for killing the leader of a tribe)]
Why did the chief give her CP twice? This system was so strange and arbitrary.
Then her gaze skimmed over the long list of improvements she had achieved during this battle. These hard battles were really the best way to rank up skills and spells since she needed to squeeze out everything she knew and could do. Sometimes she even came up with different applications on the spot. One such application had been her shield expanding. She hadn’t thought to test it before because it hadn’t crossed her mind she would need it. That was stupid in hindsight. She sighed. She needed to be better prepared.
Next, she looked at all the experience she’d gotten. She’d gained a level putting her at level 18. So close to evolution to E-rank at level 20. But it was probably still far away since her class already had some crazy requirements, so every evolution of it would have even worse ones.
Some of her skills had ranked up:
- Baiting — Basic → Beginner
- Force Absorption — Beginner → Intermediate
- Body Reinforcement — Basic → Intermediate
And some of her spells, too:
- Water Barrier — Basic → Beginner
- Water Shield — Basic → Beginner
Then came two system messages about new skills and abilities:
[New skill gained: Shield (Basic)]
[Unique Ability Gained: Shared Channelling]
Curious, she opened the ability description:
You can channel a partner’s mana or allow your partner to channel yours. Can only be used with a recognized partner and physical contact.
Her eyebrows rose. Had Cassis received this too? It must have triggered during their mana experiment—he had used mana she had stripped down and fed into his spell, and she'd mingled her own non-elemental mana with his to soothe the strain. She had noticed how it had hurt him when she stripped his fire away from his mana. So, she’d also given him her own non-elemental mana to build the small reserve he had used for his spell. They had effectively channelled each other’s energy.
She shot him a quick message through the party’s private chat.
“Did you also get the unique ability Shared Channelling?”
His reply came almost instantly:
“Yeah. It seems pretty interesting. We’ll have to test it later. Do you think you could do it with someone else?”
“I don’t know. The system says it requires ‘recognized partners’, but I’ve no idea what that even means.”
Was it emotional connection, their romantic connection? Mana compatibility? Proximity? Their patron – awakener relationship or that they were both the avatars of the same patron? The system, as always, gave just enough information to be maddeningly vague.
Before she could wonder more, Cassis’s voice rang out across the clearing:
“All right, everyone. I know you’re tempted to sit and read your gains, but I don’t like staying here. The blood and death will draw more monsters. We’re in no shape to fight again. Let’s find a safe spot and make camp. Light’s already fading.”
Arianna glanced up at the golden rays filtering through the thick canopy. He was right—the light was dimmer than when they’d entered the dungeon. Time was slipping away.
With a collective groan, the group rose to their feet. Cassis had already gathered the chief’s blow dart necklace, its heavy axe, and a handful of odd materials only an alchemist could love. How he had the energy to think, let alone prepare for some hypothetical future alchemist they didn’t even know, was beyond her. He had to be just as drained as she was, but he pushed forward regardless. He was used to surviving while exhausted. She sighed at the thought that this was what awaited her in the future: exhaustion and the will and necessity to push through. Then she trudged after him, the rest of the group in tow.
Behind them, the frogman village lay broken but not destroyed. Some creatures remained, and many eggs had been untouched. Their kind would survive.
In the other timeline awakeners had wiped out entire villages, slaughtering every last monster. It had been genocide, pure and simple. The system hadn’t taken that lightly. The punishment had been swift and brutal—level drops, lost titles, permanent debuffs, curses.
The system encouraged conflict. It thrived on struggle. But it never tolerated irredeemable acts for one species—like genocide.
Other irredeemable acts were killing a party member. Those awakeners who would kill their own party members usually got punishments. But as always there was a workaround, a loophole. They just had to remove the person they were about to kill from their party shortly before striking. It had happened a lot in the other timeline.
Arianna didn’t understand why the system was giving out these punishments. From what Timeless Waterfall had told her it even punished deities. But what were the rules? Was the system some kind of living entity, judging with their moral compass? Or was it just a programmed framework left behind by some ancient intelligence? Neither Cassis nor the scientists back then had ever found a clear answer. But one day, she swore, she would.
She thought of all this while trudging behind Cassis. Soon she had other things to do as they found a spot where the ground was relatively flat—fewer tangled roots and less underbrush to interfere with their sleep. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was good enough.
Arianna raised another Water Barrier. It would need recasting before they went to sleep, but it offered enough security for now. Then she dug into her pack and pulled out their camping gear. Four two-person tents. Eight sleeping bags.
Every couple paired up and took one of the tens, while Helen got the last tent to herself. As she set it up, she muttered something under her breath about all these lovebirds.
Arianna, close enough to hear, raised a brow. “Regretting not inviting your friend now? We would have been ok with it, you know. Especially since you two reconnected.”
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Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Cassis’s subtle grimace. He didn’t say anything. But his expression said plenty. So cute, she thought, holding back a grin.
Helen sighed and waved off the comment. “It’s not like that between us. We were together once, back before... everything. Some memories came back, we got nostalgic. That’s all. It was always casual. I don’t plan to go back to it.”
Arianna gave a thoughtful hum, not entirely convinced. Helen sounded unsure, even wistful.
And when she’d mentioned him, there had been a softness in her eyes. Maybe the connection wasn’t as dead as she claimed. Arianna wasn’t about to press, but she was quietly rooting for her. Helen deserved someone who made her smile.
She stole a glance at Cassis again and nearly laughed when she caught the look of barely concealed discomfort still on his face. Hearing about your aunt’s sex life wasn’t easy. She empathized. If her father had ever talked about women or even being with her own mother that way, she’d have probably melted into the floor. Their ‘talks’ about her and boys had been uncomfortable enough. But from her outsider’s perspective, this situation was just... funny.
Once all the tents were up, they sat around in a loose circle, sharing snacks, light conversation—and their post-battle gains.
Everyone except her and Cassis had earned the [Giant Slayer] title this time. The two of them already had it from the hobgoblin fight, but none of the others had contributed enough back then to qualify. This time had been different. They’d all fought hard, pushed their limits. They’d earned it.
Most of the party had levelled up significantly. Skills and spells had jumped ranks. Stamina capacities were notably higher. And everyone—except Liam—was level 10, with pending evolutions available once they chose a path.
The options for evolutions had shifted slightly, too. Titles, and skill and spell growth were clearly influencing the available class evolutions. Helen had finally acquired Sneak and Backstab, though they were still too low-ranked to open the rogue or assassin-type path she wanted. She’d need to practice those a bit more.
But the atmosphere changed when she looked at Liam.
He sat on the ground, a little apart from the rest, arms wrapped loosely around his knees. His expression was tight, distant—like he didn’t belong in the moment. Cassis met Arianna’s gaze with concern, and she mirrored it.
Was it too much, watching the others level up while he was stuck?
Camden sat down beside him, one arm casually slung over Liam’s shoulders. But his eyes betrayed his worry. After a long pause, Camden leaned in and whispered something in Liam’s ear.
Liam blinked, startled. Then turned to look at him. It seemed he had just come out of a daze.
Had Liam been staring at his status screen? Had she mistaken his stare and interpreted emotions he wasn’t feeling?
Camden whispered again, tapping Liam’s arm encouragingly, nudging him to focus.
Arianna, sensing the moment wasn’t for her, respectfully turned her eyes away. Still, she felt a little flutter of warmth in her chest. The two of them really cared for each other.
Just as she wondered if they might kiss—because that sure seemed where it was headed—Liam suddenly sprang to his feet.
“I can’t believe it!” he shouted, eyes wide with disbelief and pure, boyish excitement.
Everyone turned to look at him.
As soon as Liam realized all eyes were on him, his cheeks flushed deep red. The blush made him look even younger than his 23 years, like a startled kid caught doing something silly. Cassis had already gotten to his feet and walked over to him, brows slightly drawn.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, voice calm but laced with concern.
Camden stood just behind Liam, one hand gently resting on his arm, steadying him.
Liam, still brimming with excitement, bounced a little on the balls of his feet. “Okay, listen to this! After we killed the frogman chief, I didn’t get the usual system messages. Just this weird one:
[Awakener is wearing experience-sharing bracelet and has a corresponding title. Recalibrating rewards... Stand by...]
And then... nothing. I thought the system glitched or that I’d somehow broken it. I didn’t want to say anything and freak everyone out.”
Arianna blinked, puzzled. That was strange. Cassis frowned, visibly trying to work through what Liam had just said.
“But just now,” Liam continued, eyes wide with excitement, “I finally got this:
[Rewards recalibrated. Three dependents found who were nurtured to level 5. New profession available: Nurturer.]
So of course I took it! And it’s amazing!”
Arianna glanced at Cassis, who looked just as confused as she felt.
A profession? That should be impossible. They only unlocked at level 10. How had Liam gotten one? The system must have made an exception. Though she had never heard of that before. But what good would it do Liam in this situation? Even if it had great bonuses, he’d still have to fight to gain enough experience for all the children who would be wearing the bracelet in the future while he couldn’t grow stronger. That hadn’t changed, had it?
But then, something else struck her. The message said three dependents. That would mean Violet had reached level 5. Why hadn’t Luke and Nadine—Violet’s guardians—gotten any messages about her reaching level 5? Normally, a dependent’s class selection required approval from their guardian. She turned to look at them, but both were shaking their heads subtly.
So, no message—yet.
Maybe it was a dungeon thing. Maybe they'd only get that prompt once they exited. That did happen for some things. But then... how had Liam gotten his messages about events from the outside? Could it be the bracelet? It had to be. The bracelet maintained a connection to the outside to deliver experience to the children who were wearing its other half, so maybe it also allowed for certain notifications to pass through.
Liam was still talking, his excitement bubbling out in waves. “The profession is amazing because—get this—if my class level ever lags behind my profession level, it’ll automatically increase to match!”
That stopped everyone cold.
Cassis just stared at him.
Arianna’s jaw dropped.
No one spoke for a moment.
Then Camden broke the silence, awe in his voice. “Wait. That means... you can still get stronger even though you’re wearing the bracelet?”
Relief bloomed across his face, mirrored in Cassis’s eyes.
Liam nodded enthusiastically, his hands trembling a little. “Exactly. I can keep growing. I’m not a burden anymore.”
Helen gave a low whistle and clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s huge, Liam. Seriously. Congrats.”
Luke and Nadine joined in with their own cheers. Camden wrapped Liam in a tight hug, grinning from ear to ear. Arianna stepped forward and gave him a squeeze too, unable to stop smiling. Liam’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The weight that had been crushing him was finally gone.
But Cassis—ever the realist—cleared his throat and pulled them back to business.
“That’s incredible,” he admitted. “But I want to hear the exact wording. Read us the profession description. Every word.”
Liam wiped his eyes on his sleeve and nodded. He opened his status window, cleared his throat, and read aloud:
“Profession: Nurturer (Level 1)
The Nurturer profession is for those who help nurture dependents by sacrificing their own progress. Nurturers battle monsters and earn exp not for themselves but for those most vulnerable. As such they must be strong enough mentally and physically to fight their ever-stronger growing enemies.
The Nurturer profession gets experience for every dependent that gains a level through the Nurturer and may evolve once reaching level 100 depending on the awakener’s actions. All Profession Boosts of Nurturer will stay in place even if profession evolves.
Profession Boosts:
- Class Level Adjustment: The Nurturer’s class level will be adjusted upwards in case the Nurturer’s profession level is higher. (Restriction: Class level cannot exceed Profession level past level 10)
- Locked: Experience Storing: The Nurturer can store experience in the experience sharing bracelet if there are no dependents under level 5 near that can wear the bracelet. (Restriction: Can only store up to 5 levels worth of experience)
- Locked: Experience Cashback: The Nurturer may receive back up to the first 5 levels of experience from a former dependent. This experience can then be stored and given to a new dependent. (Restriction: The former dependents may only do this voluntarily as they will lose that experience and, depending on their own growth, levels; Can only be done once per dependent; Only experience that has been given to the dependent can be given back.)
- Locked: Experience Dividend I: The Nurturer gets experience for each time one of ten formerly nurtured dependents levels. (Restriction: The ten awakeners need to be registered and agree to the arrangement.)
- Locked: Experience Dividend II: The Nurturer gets experience for each time one of twenty formerly nurtured dependents levels and ranks up a skill or spell. (Restriction: The twenty awakeners need to be registered and agree to the arrangement.)
I told you it’s great.”
Camden let out a low whistle. “That’s way more than I expected.”
Arianna nodded slowly. It wasn’t an immediate boost to Liam’s class level as the profession was only level one and would need a lot more fighting to eclipse his class level. Right now, he would need to work hard to catch up to them. But he wouldn’t stay stagnant with his level anymore. He’d grow stronger alongside them. This profession was an investment. One that would make Liam exponentially stronger in the future.
Arianna thought back to something Timeless Waterfall had said. They said that the system was biased towards its awakeners. And then she remembered how the system protection for children had come to be. Did the system have a will or was something programmed for these situations? Did it want them to be good to each other, to sacrifice for the greater good and their community? And was it then rewarding them like the sacrifice had just been some kind of trial? So many questions – and no answers. But she’d keep them in the back of her head.