[h3]Farmstead[/h3]
"State-us..." Miiba sounded out quietly after the farmer had spoken. Suddenly--

[quote=System:Miiba]
You are Well Rested.
You are Peckish.
Your throat is Dry.
Your HP is full.
Your MP is full.
Your SP is full.
You are fine.
[/quote]

Before Lear could answer her question about going to the temple if she didn't look like a goblin anymore, the Pixie that had run out in front of them opened its mouth. Showing the most emotion that he had since Miiba had met him, the burly country man's eyes bugged to the point it seemed they might burst out of his head. He suddenly turned to Miiba in shock, raising one eyebrow before he looked back at the fae creature.

"My name's Scott." the Pixie offered, looking between the two. "I, uh, don't know where exactly I am... b-but anything you could tell me would be a great help!" And then his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl. "Or if you've some food to spare. Or water. Water would be better. I haven't really drank anything for... several days?"

"Uh!" Lear shook himself, slapping one of his own cheeks lightly. Then he looked down at Scott. His large, fuzzy eyebrows furrowed.

"Hold on there, Pixie--if that's really what you are!" He gestured to Miiba. "It's one thing for Goblins to talk! They can speak, even if it's not usually Human language! But I've never heard one of you little pests do more than laugh and screech! Where did you come from, and how'd you learn our language!?"

While the pixie answered, presumably, Lear glanced back at Miiba and leaned towards her, whispering out of the corner of his mouth. "You know this Pixie, Miiba? Was he back in your cave with you?"
[hr]
[h3]Nira and Femus[/h3]
It seemed obvious that Femus had put a great deal of thought into his methods of Meditation. If Nira listened and practiced well, would it possibly accelerate her own development of the skill? As the two settled down, with the one blue flower Nira had remaining nearby, the goblins outside could be heard starting to celebrate. Aside from that, the rest of the forest had calmed down considerably.

The hollow tree they had taken residence in wasn't quite as old, or as large, as that [color=green][b]great old tree[/b][/color] near the center of the forest, but it was plenty big enough to provide shelter and sustenance for the single Wisp that had secured himself a space here, and the pixie girl to boot. Though Femus had been trying to intentionally create an area of denser mana, so that he could recover more easily, it also seemed that this environment in general was a good place to soak in the ambience of energy.

[quote=System:Femus]
Your MP is Full.
[/quote]

It only took a few minutes of meditating, after he explained things to Nira, and he was back to a hundred percent. However, before the fight with the rat, he had gained "temporary extra MP." Could he possibly do this again--and could he make it denser, like those Qi manipulators in the Wuxia novels he used to read? How much of this world would be like those places, places where someone could be reincarnated in order to become a cultivation master? Or, was it just more like a video game? They had both already leveled up several times, after all.

But as they sat there, their meditation session was suddenly interrupted by a shrill giggle. If they looked up, they would see that somewhere above them, through another crack in the hollowed tree's bark, a different Pixie was peeking in on them. The creature's huge eyes glimmered as it watched them, but when it saw that it had been noticed it fluttered away...however, they could still hear it outside, laughing. It didn't seem to speak, especially not in a proper language like Nira--more than likely it was one of the "wild" Pixies. But...was it a threat?
[hr]
[h3]PixieSlime Party[/h3]
[quote=System:Asura]
ERROR. Skill Progression is already enabled.
[/quote]

Momma Slime recoiled from the memories Asura passed on to her. She rolled a few feet away, and wobbled back and forth with a low gurgling sound. 

"But...hurt bad. Not like. How hurt make hurt not hurt? Make bad not bad? Not like how hurt...feel. Not like see Ahsoowa hurt. Make feel...bad? Like me hurt when me not hurt?" The big slime seemed oddly contemplative. She continued to burble and mumble to herself as she brought up the bowhorn deer's remains, semi-regurgitating part of them onto the ground so that she could "chew" the smaller pieces.

Meanwhile, Ardur began work on his project. The first task he took on was coating the rest of his tendons in the sap from the tree, and finding a sharp rock if necessary to cut a wider gash in the bark. 

[quote=System:Ardur]
Your Tamed Creature has learned the Skill: Poison Fang I! 
Inject venom through a bite. May poison the target, causing damage over time.

You are using Crafting I to process several items...
[/quote]

Each time Ardur completed a stage in his task, the System kept track. Coating the tendons in sap counted as "processing" them, and seemed to make them more durable. Stripping the tree bark into rough fibers was a little difficult, as the Kao Tree's bark didn't grow in parchment thin layers like some other species' of trees back in the Old World. Once he had the fibers, he was able to wind them together into rough rope...but this process took a little while to get the hang of, and the less successful attempts left him with little more than frayed string. What was more, it was hard to get longer fibers or sheets of bark. The Kao Tree's bark grew in rough layers almost like scales, but each individual piece was quite small. It would take several bark pieces' worth of fiber to make a cord, and then multiple cords twined together to make something long enough to be useful. 

Using the Flak Beetle's thorax and abdominal shell, the Hipixie was able to make a sort of bracer around his forearm. The two plates that had once covered the beetle's wings now covered each side of his arm below the elbow, leaving only a thin strip exposed on either side. A third plate covered the back of his hand, leaving his fingers free but remaining flexible enough that he could move his wrist. The sharp rock could, if he applied a generous amount of force, eventually drill holes in the plate and then the coated tendons could be used to fasten it around his limb.

A similar process was done with the flat bone plates, and Ardur was able to hang the primitive armor over his shoulders by the tendons like a sort of spaghetti-strap breastplate. The plates covered his pectorals and solar plexus, and part of his collar bone.

Making enough of the cordage to go around his own thin waist was a weary process, much less if he wanted to make something long enough to serve as rope. Coating it with sap helped the fibers stick together better and reduced fraying at the ends, though, so maybe it would last long enough to serve his purpose. Threading it through leaves and grass, he was able to fashion himself a skirt like some kind of hula dancer. It was a little bit itchy, but at least it gave him some form of coverage and perhaps some camoflauge in the woods.

The Rubber Frog, having been hollowed out by Asura...could pretty much be used as a bag already, it seemed. It was rather gooey and still sort of bloody on the inside, but by letting the frog's mouth serve as the "flap" on top and tying its boneless arms and leg together the Hipixie was able to create a gristly, but functional, backpack. 

Without the Material Analysis skill, which still hadn't triggered for him, Ardur couldn't tell exactly what quality his created items were simply by looking at them. Only by carefully observing would he notice things like frayed fibers in the cord, bits of gristle in the tendons, cracks in the beetle's shell, and so on. Still, he was much better covered and armed than he had been before, and that was something to be thankful for. As the pixie began to pray, the area was quiet save for the sounds of Asura attempting to eviscerate himself and the occaisonal thump as Steve hit him with her improvised flail.

The weather was nice, despite the explosion that had rocked the surrounding lands only about an hour ago. A light breeze began to blow, rustling the trees. Clouds overhead raced through a bright blue sky, and the sun beamed down. As Ardur offered his own Mana to pray for guidance, he could feel the warmth of the sun through his translucent wings and on his delicate skin. At one point, the clouds covered the sun and cut off this warmth...but in only a few moments, as he started his next prayer, it once again peeked out. This time it felt even brighter.

When he opened his eyes again, they had to readjust for several seconds due to just how brightly the sun beamed. He felt the wind rustle his hair, as it blew towards the south along the mountain range's side.

By this point, Asura would be in need of a good healing. The pain he had caused himself, and that Steve inflicted at his own urging, had grown more intense. To the point that any sane person would likely question just why they were doing this to themselves. But, as the Hipixie cast Minor Heal and the Amorphous's slime's body began to glow slightly, it paid off.

[quote=System:Asura]
Skill Gain: Earth Resistance I! (0.9 > 1.0)
Take less damage from Earth and Earth Elemental Magic. If all other Elemental Resistances are acquired, this will also increase the rank of Magic Resistance.

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

Your HP is full.
[/quote]

[quote=System:Ardur]
Obtained Items:
+Beetle Bracer - This item for your Arm makes you feel slightly [b]tougher[/b].
+Bone Breastplate - This item for your Torso makes you feel slightly [b]tougher[/b].
+Grass Skirt - This item is fragile and flammable, but serves as decent clothing.
+Rubber Frogskin Backpack - This item is more elastic than it looks. Can hold 15 Small Items. The number of items held may be affected by larger items that take up more space. It is more durable than most raw materials due to its rubbery composition, but without proper care it may degrade over time.
+Sharp Stone
+Beetle Mandible - Rather hard and sharp on its own, it might be sturdy enough to refine...
[/quote]
[hr]
[h3]Rat Party[/h3]
Asteria was able to drill a hole into the plate from the insect's shell with its own mandible--like steel on steel, it seemed the sharp mandible was just as strong as the chitin that made up the shell. This proved that she would be able to craft something with these various items. Retrieving the Bloodingfly Needle, she shoved as much as she could into her stolen clay jar. After hastily weaving some cordage out of the long grasses on the plains, she lashed the rest of the items into a bundle. While she was teaching Mother Rat how to carry this bundle, Ed wove himself a crude mat to wrap around his own loot. He also questioned the System about his dream, and about the purplish plant Asteria handed him.

[quote=System:Ed]
ERROR. You do not possess the requisite skill to perform the requested task:
"System, would you kindly perform an analysis on the most recent dream I experienced."

ERROR. You have not yet activated the Developing Skill Plant Analysis.

You have crafted an item! Without activating the Developing Skill, Material Analysis, you cannot be sure of the item's quality.

Obtained Item: Grass Mat
[/quote]

It took several tries to teach Mother Rat how to balance the load on her back. At first she didn't want to carry it at all, until Asteria reassured her via telepathy. Then it took her some time to get it properly balanced, and to understand what Asteria was trying to teach her about using her tail for leverage. However, eventually the rats were all packed up, and they began to take a roundabout path, sweeping in a great arc as they headed around the village and headed further towards the south.

The village now seemed to be bustling, several figures were moving around. They all seemed to be gathering in the center of the little hamlet, around the four shrines the old woman had been tending to. The two with spears that had approached Ed while he played dead were now speaking to the rest from inside the large circle of packed earth. The old woman, as well as another elder wearing a headdress with many bird feathers placed in it to form a sort of mane that spilled down his back, also stepped up every so often to say something. But the rats' senses could only see enough to make out the large number of humans and hear the general volume of their conversation--while they maintained a safe distance they couldn't make out any specifics.

Soon they had left their den, and the numerous Myrminor bodies, behind...Were they going to try and observe the village from a distance, or keep heading to the south, further into the plains? Or, might they try and go in another direction--West towards the mountains perhaps, or east off into...more plains, but possibly also other things?
[hr]
[h3]Ghost Party[/h3]
As Danny practiced shadowboxing, he soon began to feel more comfortable in his new body. He wasn't very strong or fast in the grand scheme of things, but he soon grew more coordinated. And despite a general lack of strength, with proper form he could still deliver a decent wallop to something around the same size as himself. If they had still been back in the cave, he would have been in a much better position now that he had both magic and physical abilities to rely on. 

Suddenly, he felt something cold touching him. His hazy Spiritual Awareness would allow him to see the ripples in the air where Jason seemed to be--and then, he heard an eerie voice echoing within his own mind...

[i]"That's excellent news, Danny! Can you hear me now?"[/i]

[quote=System:Jason]
Skill Unlocked! Telepathy II (2.725) is now functioning again!
You remember how to use a skill you possessed in life. The difference in your present form has been overcome; the trauma to your magical powers has healed. So long as you do not experience a similarly violent shift in your existence, this skill will remain functional if you take on a new form.
[/quote]

However, as the two pressed through the woods, something soon came to their attention. There were several sets of goblin-sized footprints on the ground, as well as a few dropped or squished berries here and there. Perhaps it was those goblins from the cave--if it was, they had gone further on to the east, changing their course only a little. With so many of them present, it wasn't hard to find further evidence of their trail.

But before Jason and Danny could decide what they wanted to do--

"Why yas blamin' me!? Youse da one dat didn't grab 'im fast enuff!"

"Ya, but youse didn't see da dum pixie ta start wiff! Now we gots to go even deepa inta da woods--can't go back home wiff nuttin'!"

Three Goblins came out of the bushes. They stopped and did a double set of double takes--the first time, they were looking at the same tracks Danny and Jason had found. They seemed confused, but also slightly afraid of the goblin tracks despite being the same type of creature. Then they seemed even more confused--and slightly bloodthirsty--at the sight of a seemingly lone Poltergeist.

These goblins looked slightly different than the ones Jason and Danny were used to seeing. Their nostrils were thinner--almost slit-like--and at first glance it seemed like they had shorter fingers and toes, but in reality...it almost looked like they had thinner membranes of skin going almost up to the second knuckle. Yet they were still green, they were still about three and a half feet tall, and they were still armed and mean. One carried a pointy stick--its end had been split and wedged apart with a small rock, making it into a multi pronged spear like one might used for fishing. Another carried a sturdy piece of branch as a cudgel. The last had a sharp rock, and a few lengths of vine that had been made into a crude net.

"Dat ting looks weak! Get it!" 

They charged forward...
[hr]
[h3]Monster Party[/h3]
Despite the purple particles being rarer than others, Ash had gathered them together and discarded the rest. Now she placed a single iota of purple mana into the center of the diminished orb, to give the rest of them something to orbit...

Her Mana Orb shrank significantly. It turned a deeper, more solid shade of her chosen color. She could hear a slight...hissing sound. Just like the Fanged Lizard's venom upon making contact with the air. But a great deal of Mana had been discarded. And she had to expend more every moment. The orb still seemed...cloudy. Like vapor fogging over a bathroom mirror. And now--

[quote=System:Ash]
You have no MP remaining.

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
[/quote]

As her Mana Vision faded and the Mana Orb dissipated, Ash was left to ponder the results of her experiment. So, clearly, manipulating the squares, or pixels, particles, whatever they were, changed the nature of her spell. But it seemed she needed a larger amount of her chosen color or type to complete the change from a normal Mana Orb to a poison-themed one, or else needed more Mana to maintain it. Twice now, she had simply run out of fuel for the attempt. Yet if purple was a rarer color, was there a way to create more of it? She had seen her venom cause a reaction, and had been able to cause a similar reaction on her own. Maybe she could just stack or combine the effects. But would that defeat her purpose, creating poison solely by means of magic? How else might she gain a higher number or concentration of the specific particle she wanted?

Outside, Torrent also had to take a different route towards her goal. She couldn't hold enough air in her lungs--she wasn't a living pressure tank, after all--to generate her desired breath attack. But...what if she used the air she was blowing, as well as her Mana, to move the air in front of her? Using her previous experiences with the Fireball spell as a base, she made one more attempt...

She gathered air, she focused, she visualized, she felt her Mana surge. More practice, more effort, more power. Just like her previous attempt had pushed those leaves across the water like tiny sailboats, she now used her breath to try and push the air itself.

[quote=System:Torrent]
Skill Gain: Wind Breath I (0.8 > 1.0)!
A Wind-aligned breath skill. The breath itself is used as a medium to channel Mana, though some creatures may have the ability to generate forces of extreme air pressure. At this rank, the Skill deals very little damage to most targets but can push an object or enemy away with great force. It is released as a cone in front of the user and remains effective at a range up to ten feet, growing more intense the closer the target is to the user.

You used Magic Analysis I!
---Wind Breath---
This is your own skill. You can feel the Mana concentrate in your lungs after inhaling to infuse the air. This Wind Mana is then released by blowing, and spreads in a ripple effect to the atmosphere. The increase in pressure causes movement away from you, towards lower pressures--in essence, wind.
[/quote]

She exhaled hard, blowing until her cheeks were sore, and the wind seemed to ripple with the lightest of sparkles. A faint, light green haze rippled on the breeze as it increased in intensity with a shrill whistle. Her newborn breath skill traveled across the stream, strong enough now to actually whip up waves and spray from the water and send it splashing across the opposite bank.

Once she had recovered and processed this, she made ready to finish off her ice breath as well. For Wind Breath, it had taken that last little tidbit about the mechanics of the technique--pushing the air outside her body, not just blowing from the inside--to solve the puzzle. For this, however, it seemed like she already had a grasp of everything needed to make it work--it just took more Mana, more power.

She visualized. Not just memory, not just imagination, but feeling. Touch, pain, cold, the sound of snow crunching under moving vehicles, packing down into ice. Solid ice. Frozen ice. She blew, harder, she forced her Mana into the frosty chill she felt in her throat...

The air crackled as Torrent released a blue-white fog, but unlike her wet Fog Breath this was more concentrated and faster. Much like her Wind Breath it whipped over the stream--and where it touched the water, again the cracking sound rang out. Crystals, star-like and hard enough to have a glinting edge, filled the icy cloud. A layer of slush and powder began to form over the stream, before Torrent could no longer hold the exhalation.

[quote=System:Torrent]
Skill Gain: Frost Breath I (0.8 > 1.0)!
An Ice-aligned Breath skill. Mana is used to lower the temperature of a volume of air within the body; often, any present moisture is condensed into the breath as well. At this rank, the skill deals smaller amounts of damage maintained over time, as ice builds up on the target. At this rank the breath must be concentrated into a line, though its effectiveness holds out up to a range of ten feet. Has a possibility of slowing down an effected target's movement. May be less effective in hot or dry environments.

LEVEL UP!
Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! Your Max MP has increased! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 5

Current Skills:
Stun Fang II (2.3)
Muffle III (3.025)
Poison Spit II (2.0)
Poison Glob I (1.75)
Fireball II (2.025)
Stealth Kill I (1.05)
Minor Recovery I (1.0)
Fire Resistance I (1.2)
Rabid Fit I (1.0)
Meditate I (1.65)
Tremor Sense I (1.7)
Soil Manipulation I (1.1)
Underground Movement I (1.55)
Monster Analysis I (1.225)
Magic Analysis I (1.9)
Material Analysis I (1.175)
Plant Analysis I (1.175)
Scale Shift I (1.55)
Overwork I (1.0)
Analysis (--)
Mental Resistance I (1.2)
Spell Cancel I (1.05)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
Dual Cast (--)
Guidance I (1.0)
Wurm Breath I (1.25)
Aqua Stream I (1.1)
Fog Breath I (1.05)
Wind Breath I (1.0)
Frost Breath I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Crafting (0.2)
Alchemy (0.4)
Alert (0.4)
Warcry (0.3)
Poison Fang (0.3)
Blunt Resistance (0.8)
Smash (0.2)
Magic Break (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.3)
Spiritual Awareness (0.4)
Prehensile Tail (0.1)
Fortify (0.5)
Spell Chant (0.4)
Focus (0.6)
Flame Burst (0.3)
Slash (0.2)
Curse Word (0.3)
Stronger (0.1)
Dragon Affinity (0.4)
Air Read (0.1)
[/quote]

Oberon, too, had another experiment to conduct. This time, he would make another attempt at the Wall spell. As he created a Mana Orb, then cast Shield on it, he allowed it to take its desired shape. When the sphere became a plane, he began to compress it. It took on the color of the Shield spell's aura, but maintained the Mana Orb's density, then began to shrink. It became translucent, then finally opaque, and its light became contained as if it were caught within a jar. Yet the Sprite received no acknowledgement from the System. What else did he need? What else could he do? He had already spent the MP required for both a Mana Orb and a Shield...could the Wall spell require more Mana than that? Shield seemed to use the Mana spent to bolster a target's defenses, entering or at least conducting itself through their body. Mana Orb, Mana Dart, and the like were just buzzing lights, pure magic, but they were short lived attacks that lasted only as long as it took to reach their target. If Wall was a construct of some type, Mana given and maintaining a physical shape...maybe that meant it simply had a much higher cost? Or was there still something missing in his method...?