Chapter 100: First night
With Alaric’s assistance in the mix, the time consumed for their task significantly decreased, and they managed to complete it before nightfall.
After encountering the second spider, they encountered three more and defeated them as well. The total number of eggs in their possession now exceeded a thousand and all of them were in the care of spiders undead.
Along with the eggs, the group also discovered additional tables and a few more items worth keeping, such as utensils, firearms, several functional beds chairs, and mattresses.
The group collected the items they had found and distributed them according to their necessities, with Dhruv and Lyra being the top priorities. They also wanted to give the guardians priorities but the trio had refused to accept anything that would make them too comfortable or hinder their duties. They remained committed to their responsibilities.
With the wood they had found, Navi managed to patch the hole in the boat, and now it was ready to sail in the sea once again.
Every little detail of the island was relayed to Dhruv by Alaric himself. Dhruv was simply acknowledging them after hearing everything. He didn’t need to make any additions to anything, as everything was working flawlessly. He just hoped that the third quest would commence within the next three days so he could just spend a few more peaceful days on the island.
When Dhruv noticed that the tribe had completed all their preparations and had finally set up their tents, he gathered them all to make an announcement.
Dhruv’s first and foremost announcement addressed the fundamental change that would occur within them after their next evolution.
He advised them to invest all their coins in stats beforehand, as they wouldn’t be able to do that after the evolution. To facilitate this, he donated all of his and the trio’s coins to the tribe
Dhruv had recognized their potential and was committed to making them his own formidable force and for that, he needed some initial investment. However, he didn’t recklessly distribute the coins but carefully selected the most promising individuals to invest in.
Before dumping all his coins he had purchased a supply of potions. There was no need to buy weapons or armor, as they had already acquired these items as rewards from the second quest.
When he was expressing his gratitude to the tribe for the gifts they had given him, Dhruv learned that there were seven craftsmen in the tribe. Among them, two were blacksmiths, two had initially specialized in clothing but after the evolution, they had shifted their focus to armor-making, and the remaining three were builders.
The weaponsmiths were named Zola and Zain, while Tanika and Nia were the armorsmiths. Among the builders were Navi, Keanu, and Kenzu. These individuals were not the only craftsmen in the tribe, but they were the most skilled and professional among them.
Dhruv then explained that the next evolution wouldn’t going to be as it had happened till now. He got into the details and further described the entire process.
Dhruv told them that after they would accept that they wanted to evolve, they would get encased in an egg and then they would be transported to a realm that mimicked their affinity or class. He told these things in detail to ensure that they wouldn’t be frightened during the evolution.
Finally, Dhruv informed them about the concept of mutation and manual evolution, providing them with all the necessary details to focus on during these processes. He almost forgot to mention the most crucial detail of all: they had to choose an option with the Variant Asteri in its name.
Following the announcement, he dismissed the group. Before he could resume his practice, he gathered the trio to have a conversation with them as well.
"They are here, master," Alaric reported as he noticed Vexar and Azarex had arrived. He didn’t include himself in the count, as he had always been with Dhruv within his shadow.
Staring at the trio, Dhruv spoke with a somber tone, "This might be uncomfortable, but I have a request for you guys."
As soon as the trio heard the word "request," an uncomfortable expression crossed their faces, and they were about to voice their opposition. However, they halted when they noticed Dhruv’s hand signal and simply nodded in agreement.
"As you already know, we might have to go outside this island in the near future and venture all over the world. So, I want you three to become comfortable with transforming into your human form. If you’re uncomfortable with this, then you’ll have to remain on the island for the upcoming expedition," Dhruv explained.
Dhruv contemplated leaving the trio on the island because he understood that not everyone would be accepting of monsters walking amidst them as the tribe members had been. The tribe wasn’t without fear as well, they only showed a calm demeanor because they were greatly influenced by Lyra their priestess, and her vision.
Dhruv hadn’t taken this decision because he cared about the felling of everyone, no he made this decision because he was worried about the potential heavy government presence on the mainland due to the recent incident and he didn’t want any battle to erupt at an inopportune time. After considering all this Dhruv has made this decision of his.
Upon hearing Dhruv’s explanation, the trio didn’t hesitate for a second and responded in unison,
"I will adapt to the human form as soon as possible."
"Well, that was fast," Dhruv remarked with a chuckle. He had brought up the topic with them now because he anticipated that it might take some time for them to adjust to their different forms.
"Alright, you can go ahead and try to adapt as quickly as possible," Dhruv concluded the conversation and returned to practicing the final touches of his multiple skills. After all these practices he was finally so close to being able to cast the [Multiply] in a way that it would be efficient to use this spell in the middle of the battle.
As night approached, the tribe would have lit campfires to set the mood but unfortunately, there wasn’t spare wood, and so, in the dark night, they began to settle in for their first sleep on the island.
