Chapter 111: Wave Whisperer


    I havent actually chosen yet, but Ive seen which options I have. They are Fisherman, Dockhand, Marine, Acolyte, and Wave Whisperer, the fisherman began.


    The first two were pretty straightforward nonbat sses, whereas the next two were sses Zac knew himself. The old fisherman likely got the option for Acolyte since he bought the Water Spear skill earlier. Wave Whisperer was the only one that was unclear to him. It sounded like a water-based ss, but more than that he was unsure.


    I am wavering between Marine and Wave Whisperer. Both are umon sses connected to the sea. The Wave Whisperer is connected to taming and controlling aquatic wild-life that might be very convenient in this new world. We saw fish asrge as sharks while sailing here, and who knows what else lurks in the depths. Controlling the giants of the sea might both help with scouting and protection, he continued.


    However, my stats are all toward strength and endurance so far, it might be a waste to take a mage ss after this. What do you think? he asked Zac.


    The stats you get before your ss are insignificant on the road of cultivation. If you believe that Wave Whisperer will be more beneficial, take it. You can make up the missing stats with natural treasures and training in the future, Zac said.


    Sounds reasonable, I will do just that, Sap Trang said with a nod.


    Zac nodded and left the living quarters of the fishermen. He knew that the wily old fisherman actually didnt require help but just wanted to show his sincerity to Zac by divulging his future ss. He already tried to show his worth before the ant waves, and after seeing Zac and the others power his desire to pave a path for his vigers only grew.


    Next, he went to the Creators shipyard and ordered four of the small exploratory vessels for a million Nexus Coins each. Karunthel, the spider-foreman, was not around, as Rahm exined that he was currently upied with some experiments. For people like Karunthel and the Creators experimentation was in a way cultivation. If they created something functional and new they would gain a huge surge of experience, maybe to the point of gaining multiple levels.


    It was generally the same with many of the nonbat sses. A farmer who reaped a whole field after tending it for months could gain a handful of levels. The higher the difficulty and grade of the herbs or vegetables that were grown the more energy would be awarded. That was why many cksmiths and other crafting professions preferred to craft hard and high-grade items, rather than mashing together an endless stream of low-grade items. The benefits, both in wealth and levels, if the craft seeded far outweighed anything low-grade items couldpare to.


    Other nonbat sses were more of the slow-and-steady type, such as Adrans Administration ss that consistently gained cosmic energy while handling town matters. There were certain events though that could awardrge sudden boosts in experience, such as a town upgrade.


    Next, he walked over to the small house that Alyn resided in. He found the demoness sitting on the porch in the samefortable chair she used down in the mines.


    How is Emily doing? he asked.


    She has started following the methods to attain mage sses, but she still insists on training with an axe for a few hours every day, she said as she put down her book with a sigh.


    Well, its her decision, so let her proceed. Who knows what ss shell be able to get from thebination, Zac said with a shrug.


    Ive read that cultivators of newly integrateds are far more likely to choose unique and unknown sses, but that is a dangerous game to y. You humans will soon see the folly in your ways. I wouldnt be surprised if more than half the people on your so-calleddder right now will be stuck at F-ss forever. If breaking through to the next levels was that easy then n AzhRezak wouldnt only have a handful of D-rank ancestors after thousands of years of umtion, the teacher said with a serious face.


    You need to have your people choose sensible andmon sses so that you can get some guaranteed E-Rank Umon underlings. Who knows, perhaps some of them might even be able to evolve into D-Rank in the distant future.


    I am not going to tell people what sses they choose. None of the people on the ind are really my subjects. Of course, it might change in the future when you create your Academy, Zac answered.


    Actually I have a question about ss rarities, he said as he changed the subject to the old fisherman.


    He is a normal fisherman but he got multiple umon skills to choose from when you said that barely one out of a thousand got umon sses after studying at an academy, how is that possible?


    The first ss is mainly based on achievements and experiences since people rarely are in contact with the Dao at that stage. Someone old will have more of those than a youngster whos only 16. However, that doesnt mean one should wait with choosing a ss, the demon answered. The older one is the harder it gets to improve one''s race. I am not sure if Mr. Trang will be able to evolve his race even with the medicinal baths. The optimal time for evolution has passed. Even if he managed to evolve it will involve far more resourcespared to someone normal, Alyn concluded.


    What about me? Zac asked curiously.


    Your prime age for evolution had passed, but you side-stepped that with the Fruit of Ascension. Now youre a thirty-year-old whose lifespan is 500 years, thats almost a baby, she said with a slight smile.


    But generally its better to evolve as soon as possible, it will be cheaper and you will avoid any risk of your body simply not being able to withstand another evolution. If it takes too long your body might not be able to take thatst step, precluding you from evolving. So as soon as you reach E-Rank ss you should start working on your Race again, she added.


    On another note. We do not have any cultivation manuals at the moment. Emily is turning 16 in a month and she should be using a cultivation manual from the start. It will help her immensely, as reforming pathways at ater date can be quite painful and dangerous, Alyn said.


    Zac could only grimace while nodding, remembering his own harrowing experience when he improved his pathways from his initial rudimentary ones. That was likely his firstrge mistake, and it almost got him killed.


    Since there were some pretty good cultivation manuals in the Contribution Stone he decided to purchase a few of the cheaper ones. It was not only for Emily, but it would be needed if he wanted to create an Academy in the future. There were not many other things that grabbed his interest in the shop anyway, and the expenditure seemed eptable.


    There was only one thing he was nning on buying before heading out again, a skill called <strong>[Mental Fortress]</strong>. It was a skill that both protected him from skills like <strong>[Eye of Discernment]</strong>, and also boosted the defense against mental attacks and illusions. It cost ten million contribution points, which made it one of the most expensive skills, but he could afford it. The battle against the ants almost gave him as much as the whole wolf horde, and he currently possessed roughly 34 million points.


    Feeling done with everything he needed to do he walked back to his camper and spent the rest of the day recuperating. His arm was still hurting quite badly, while his feet still had blisters from the acid bath.


    Emily came backter that evening, preferring to stay at his camper rather than her assigned housing close to Alyn. He didnt know it was the familiarity of the camper or the presence of him that made her morefortable, but he didnt mind as he had gotten used to falling asleep outside under the moonlight in any case.


    You know, Im wondering what the world would think if they knew the strongest and the wealthiest man after the apocalypse lives like a hobo outside a camper in the woods, she said with a grin, obviously having recovered from earlier.


    Zac only rolled his eyes and motioned her to sit down. He took out his kit for grilling meat and started preparing some food for the evening. Emily sat down and took out something from her backpack. It was a covered tray, and when she lifted the lid Zac noticed a couple of long pieces of dough.


    Give me two spits, she said and Zac curiouslyplied. Mom made these during the summer, its really only water, flour, and salt, but it still gets pretty yummy when grilled. Its a shame we dont have butter though.


    She took out one of the pieces of dough from the tray and wrapped it around the spit. She did the same with the second spit and then she ced them some distance from the fire.


    I think its called caveman bread? I dont remember anymore, she added as she kept an eye on her spits.


    Zac only smiled and salted therge bs of meat. He made a mental reminder to get some stock of various things when he left next time.


    Youre leaving the ind again, arent you? she said as she kept spinning the spits.


    Yes, in a few days, Zac answered.


    Let me go with you! Emily immediately burst out, looking up at him.


    You know, I cant go back through the beastman vige. They closed their teleporter the moment after we used it. The portal I will use might lead to the opposite side of the, far from wherever your siblings might be.


    You dont know that. They might be right where you end up, and you will not be able to recognize them, she retorted, starting to work up a huff.


    It was true. One of the things he learned from Emily about the tutorial was that the end-point of the tutorial sometimes was randomized. Well, not really randomized as much as some were lucky and others werent.


    As the cultivators were undergoing the tutorial the world was rearranged, and the system dropped off the cultivators at a spot of its choosing when it was over. Some were lucky that the system chose their own turf when they got returned, like the vigers of Winterleaf vige. But most were dumped at apletely unknown ce.


    Zac asked the demons about it and they thought it sounded like a test. Many would start traveling home, braving dangers to find a way back to their families. Most would likely die, but some would emerge stronger from the experience. Others would give up and hide behind walls, bing despondent shut-ins like the people of Fort Roger.


    That exined why Hannah and the others were never returned, and also meant that Emilys siblings might be anywhere.


    Come on, I will be very helpful. I have visited many towns and know how to find information. I will be useful to you. If you go alone you might just make a scene and get in all kinds of trouble, she quickly said. Besides, Im turning 16 soon. Traveling might help me get a better ss.


    Zac kept slowly spinning his spit, mulling things over. He wasnt sure what to expect from his next excursion, and it was a bit troublesome to keep her safe since she couldnt use the defensive gear yet. However, she might actually be useful.


    During the ant waves there were actually two new choices that cropped up. One was called Cradle of God, and it seemed a bit too weird for Zacs taste, and not somewhere hed even consider bringing Emily. He actually had a suspicion that it was the home of Salvation, the second-ce holder of thedder. Judging by the Pseudonym he chose, it wouldnt be too far-fetched hed name his town like that. He knew nothing about that person, and he wouldnt teleport there since it might get extremely dangerous.


    The second option made Zac far more hopeful, as it was called New Washington. It wasnt very imaginative, but it clearly was an American town. The name implied it was government-run as well, and it might be the best bet for him to gain information. He realized it might be a trap, and that was another reason he was hesitant in bringing Emily.


    The people who possessed ess to an array would generally be elites, and you had to have some balls if you nned on doing something untoward. Besides, he already knew the system restricted the use of the array as some sort of deathtrap. He couldnt ce any offensive arrays around it or ce it far underground for example.


    Still, he had a very clear goal, and bringing Emily would likely slow him down in addition to putting her in needless danger. He wasnt heading out on a stroll after all.


    I am sorry. You will have to stay here until you have started cultivating. At that point, you can use defensive treasures and protect yourself. I dont know what Ill encounter when I step out of the teleporter, Zac finally said with a sigh. But I will ask around for you about your siblings. My main goal is to find my hometown just like you, so I understand your feelings.


    Emily didnt seem to care about the promise and angrily huffed as she ran toward the camper,pletely forgetting about the bread.