Leveling up the World

Chapter 19: The Second Task

Everyone from the village had gathered to witness Dallions walk to the chiefs mansion. The atmosphere was noticeably different from last time. Then everyone had accepted the fact that hed lose his gift and had remained in their homes. Now there was hope he could actually stand up to the Luor family, something that no one had done in decades. Even the other village eldersawakened in their own right, some of which were in good relations with the chiefhad appeared to witness the spectacle.

The mansion guards, in contrast, were somber and silent. The duo from last time hurriedly escorted him through the inner courtyard, making sure to shut the door as quickly as possible behind him. Once inside, they were joined by another pair of distant Luor relations, who took him directly to the main hall.

Any idea what itll be like? Dallion asked casually. It was a slightly cruel thing to do given the fear written on everyone elses face, but he couldnt resist. After all, it was a small payback for the way they had treated him and his family in the past.

The guards mumbled something beneath their noses. Most likely this is new to them as well. In the past awakened outside of the Luor family had only visited the mansion once.

The hall was as Dallion remembered it, though the people werent. The chiefs son and two oldest granddaughters werent present. In their place there was a dry skinny man in his fifties, some woman in her thirties covered with a mask of makeup that Dallion vaguely recalled to be the chiefs niece, and a child of five.

So these are the Luor awakened, Dallion thought.

There were no visible indications that they had the gift, but for those who knew where to look, the signs were everywhere. Apart from the aura of extreme confidence emanating from the people, none of their clothes were torn or dirty. The same could be said for every trinket, weapon, or piece of jewelry they had on them. Looking closer, Dallion noticed that Glorias clothes while identical in design were now made of silk.

You increased your perception again, didnt you?

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Well met again, Dallion the awakened. The chief smiled, leaning forward from his seat. Youve caused quite a stir. Its not often that one gifted is so the old man rubbed his chin enthusiastic.

One might say my horizons been cleared in the past week.

Indeed, one might. The chief hissed, maintaining his smile. Which is why it is your duty to help the village. As you know, its an awakeneds task to help others. Without that help the village will crumble to dust and be swallowed by the wilderness.

Wait, what?

No one had told Dallion about this. Rather, everyone had been telling him since birth and yet his former self had never once thought about it seriously. Everyone in the village knew that to be fact, a truth so simple that even the children accepted: everything broke down and decayed. It was only awakened that could reverse the process. A village without awakened wasnt going to last long. Maybe it would survive a few generations, more if it was a trading hub, or had a valuable resource to sell. Ultimately though, it was fated to disappear.

This village was no different. The chiefs mansion was an obvious example, but now that Dallion thought about it there were other vital buildings in perfect order. Although not flashy, the village mill was in good shape, as were the barns, the kennels, the single bridge over the river So many things constantly maintained, that Dallion had taken for granted.

You want me to repair a house? Dallions face turned two shades paler.

A well, the old man let out a dry laugh. The square well. It has been a decade before anyone did. Your father was one of the people that repaired it a few years ago, but that wont be enough.

A well? How do I repair a well?!

Even at his current level, he could repair three stones at most. The well must have been composed of thousands. Attempting anything of the sort would take years.

Something wrong? The old man rubbed his hands.

Several members of his family were grinning. His grandson was the most egregious example, his expression screaming why dont you die already? Only Gloria looked away, choosing to avoid Dallions glance.

Werent you so full of energy just moments ago? The chief pressed on.

My awakening level doesnt allow me to mend all that. Maybe if I can help in some other

Of course, it doesnt. Thats why Ill help you. Aspion cracked his fingers. Ill open the awakened realm. All you have to do is mend the well. Simple, right?

Having never done it before, there was no way Dallion could say whether it was simple or not. If the chiefs past behavior was any indication, the difficulty would range from hard to impossible. Was that why he had gathered every awakened from his family? Dallions success last time had already created ripples in the village, ripples the old man very much needed to straighten if he were to retain his unopposed rule.

Sure. Dallion bluffed a smile on his face. As his best friend in high-school had said: when in doubt always act like an ass. When do we start?

We start immediately.

The village chief stood up. With the confidence of a kind, the old man strode past Dallion and out of the hall. The rest of his family followed, acting as a sort of entourage. Dallion too was forced to join in near the end. On the positive side, he was at least close to Gloria.

Did you know about this? He whispered the words with the faintest of breaths. No normal person would have been able to hear the words nor see his lips move. Someone with a perception of seven, though, did.

The girl gave him a silent nod.

Why didnt you warn me then?

For a split-second Glorias face crumbled in sadness and shame. It lasted less than the blink of the eye, but enough for Dallion to get his answer: she had wanted to tell him, but something prevented her. Either the girl was a very good actress and had set him up, or he was going to have a long talk with her once this was over