Tales of the Implock - Chapter 029

∼ The Catalyst of Curiosity ∼

The wagon rumbled as it was pulled along the Iron Road, its cloth canopy doing little for privacy as long furrows had been torn in the fabric from the attack last night. Inside, Aria sat cross-legged, an impling in her lap. Eric sat resting against the other side of the wagon, atop sacks of wheat and grain, sleeping his woe away.

He was quite out of it as the healing Aria had done in secrecy had taken a toll on the young man. But he was as right as rain, nonetheless, his insides no longer a mush from being crushed under the oversized monster.

Like Aria, Nyx just stared with a distant gaze - his focus on the screens in his mind displaying his single-handed and valiant exploits during the monster attack.

As always, the level up had been a refreshing surge of power that saturated the demon's mind. Though, something was about the screens. Sure he could understand them more clearly now, however, he also realized that this level up felt a little lackluster to his previous ones.

Pulling up his status, the demon tried to make heads and tails about it. "Codex!"

He knew there was something more... just at the edge of his mind. As if it simply awaited his guidance. Feeling around, Nyx finally grasped what it was missing.

He could alter himself now, on his own accord!

But what should it improve...? Nyx did not need to ponder long, as the obvious came to mind.

He was the strongest of implings, and therefore nothing was going to change that!

"Stupid screen, of course!"

As strength surged, his body becoming stronger yet, Nyx reveled in the sensation he knew would continue on for at least a couple of hours as his body adapted.

Noting Nyx's odd behavior, and the fact that his musculature was changing before her very eyes, Aria finally spoke . "Did you level up?"

Nyx laughed maniacally, flexing his arms that were arguably still rather spindly. Aria made a display of mock awe, to which the impling took as sheer astonishment and reverence from the human. Of course, who wouldn't be wowed in the face of his might?

The line of her mouth quirking, Aria tilted her head. "You know, strength is not very useful for you. Intelligence will prove much more beneficial with your magic..."

"Nyx is strongest; stupid human not understand," Nyx said simply.

Blinking rapidly at the demon, Aria was surprised at the unexpected sentence. Not of what it contained, but the fact that it had been a whole sentence. So far, Nyx had only spoken in words and combinations - nothing like this. It would appear that his mind is growing, and fast at that. Especially considering implings before they become imps should barely be more intelligent than a smart dog.

That made her wonder; just how far was Nyx from evolving?

"Nyx, what is your level?" She asked the demon that had gone back to posturing with its new muscle.

Looking rather smug, the prideful demon proclaimed his awe-inspiring number. "Eight!" As he said it, he held up his fingers as if to punctuate, though he didn't realize he was holding up only seven...

Guess he still needed more experience with numbers.

"So, two levels more, and you achieve your next evolution... but... will you also advance your class upon reaching level ten?" Aria muttered, more to herself than the demon who seemed rather nonplussed at the things she was mumbling.

But oh well, humans were humans - not much you could do about that. Nyx went back to admiring himself, and so went the days from there.

As they traveled, Aria grew ever more unrestful; one of the culprits being Boram.

His leg was broken and his shoulder fractured from the tussle with the alpha - looking to be spelling up an infection to boot, yet Aria could not help. Well... she could, but Eric forbade her. There was no risk to the man's life, and he would be treated at the first settlement they came across, but there was the possibility of permanent injury. Even the idea of letting that happen was an anathema to a healer such as herself, not to mention her extreme empathy.

Yet Eric was convincing. "We've already revealed you as a warlock, I can't imagine the attention it would attract if people also knew you were a healer." He kept explaining whenever the troubled girl would protest.

Luckily, no one of the other men still drawing breath had any mortal wounds as most he had been unfortunate enough to meet the blade of a reaver, was already long dead. So Aria did not need to deal with any dilemma of letting someone die for her secrecy.

The other thing that had been taking up her time in these monotonous travels, was training.

Aria had taken upon herself to teach Nyx everything, helping him understand the world, the Codex, and helping him by training his skills as the curiosity of Nyx and his fused evolution-class system was eating her up.

Truly, what would happen when he reached level ten? She could not fathom a sure answer, which only fanned the fires of her interest, egging her on to have the demon evolve.

During their journey down the rest of the Iron Road, until they finally depart the grey strip to continue down towards the Spine of Argon, Nyx gained not only another point of mana but also a skill level up!

Not only was the prospect of Nyx absorbing everything Aria could throw at him tantalizing, but the realization that they were less than a week away from their destination was also something to almost celebrate.