Anser suddenly remembered his new trait, "Indomitable Soul," and hurriedly opened it to take a look.
However, his Soul Level hadn't changed. It was still Level 6.
Fortunately, his experience had increased by 1,200, reaching 6,337/9,600. That was at least some consolation.
Although "Indomitable Soul" hadn't changed, there were other pleasant surprises.
...
Mind Partitioning: Your extraordinary Intelligence has brought your control over your own consciousness to its absolute limit...
You can now split off an additional 3 streams of consciousness, allowing you to perform 4 everyday tasks simultaneously or concentrate on 4 spells at once.
...
'Concentrate on four spells!' Anser was stunned.
He had seen people concentrate on two spells simultaneously, but four was something he'd never even heard of.
On second thought, though, his Intelligence had already reached 30, the pinnacle of mortal ability. It would be stranger if he couldn't multitask.
Any Wizard with Intelligence at his level would surely possess abilities beyond those of ordinary people.
'I'll be able to use summoning spells regularly from now on.'
Previously, he had needed to reserve his concentration for buff and control spells, forcing him to selectively forgo other spells that required concentration. Now, he could finally manage both.
He opened his Character Sheet to check how his stats had changed.
His Hit Points had reached 342, enough to rival those of a somewhat weaker ancient white dragon.
His Magic Power had increased significantly, reaching 563 points, enough to cast more than thirty ninth-level spells in succession.
If he spent all of it casting "Meteor Swarm," he could completely destroy a small or medium-sized city!
'I'm so damn strong.'
Anser let his imagination run wild for a moment and couldn't help feeling a little full of himself.
But the moment his eyes fell on his experience bar, his excitement cooled.
Experience: 355,000/455,000. Reaching Legendary required 100,000 experience points, twice as many as the previous level.
'Well... I guess that's manageable.' He had expected as much.
Advancing from one tier to another was always difficult, especially when the next tier was Legendary!
He still had over ten thousand experience points left in his experience pool. That meant he needed just over eighty thousand more. Wiping out another one or two armies of Underdark creatures should be enough.
Of course, that was easier said than done. His capabilities were now widely known, and his enemies would undoubtedly be on guard. They might even deliberately set traps and wait for him to walk into them.
'Better lie low for another couple of days and see how things develop.'
He was no longer fixated on killing Chosen. Ordinary orcs and Underdark creatures were perfectly good targets too!
The Chosen weren't going anywhere. The stronger he became, the safer it would be to fight them.
Having made up his mind, he relaxed and temporarily put aside Sehanine Moonbow's mission and the orc war.
'Time to take a look around my territory.'
He spent every day busy "saving the world," yet he hadn't even taken a proper look at his own territory.
He flew a couple of circuits overhead. Everywhere he looked, lush greenery stretched across the island, while the sea met the sky at the horizon. A pleasant breeze blew through the air, neither too warm nor too cold, leaving him feeling refreshed and at ease.
There were two villages, one near the center of the island and the other by the coast. Newly built wooden houses stood in neat rows, people came and went, and thin trails of cooking smoke curled into the sky.
The inland settlement was Paradise Village, home to nearly two hundred people who made their living clearing land and farming. They also raised livestock, including pigs, cattle, sheep, and horses.
The other settlement was a fishing village with over a hundred residents, built around the original dock. Its inhabitants also farmed.
Because the island's ecosystem was extremely fragile, it couldn't support fishing or hunting for the time being.
Several dozen hectares of land had gradually been brought under cultivation. Vegetables, fruits, wheat, potatoes, spices, and even a considerable variety of medicinal herbs were being grown.
If nothing else, the island was already self-sufficient in vegetables and had begun trading with Durlag for other necessary supplies.
The island's natural environment was simply exceptional. The soil was fertile, there were no natural disasters, and everything planted yielded an abundant harvest.
A separate commercial district had also been built along the edge of the square beneath the Black Tower. It consisted of shops, taverns, and warehouses, selling goods that couldn't be produced on the island while also providing residents with places to relax and enjoy themselves.
There was also a small market nearby where anyone could set up a stall and sell things to supplement their household income.
Prices on the island were roughly the same as in Durlag. Bratt frequently used Party Storage to distribute supplies, keeping the supply of goods stable.
'It's much livelier than before. Still a little short on people, though.' Anser nodded to himself.
Holrewen might be small, but its development potential far exceeded that of Durlag or White Stone Island.
Besides, this was his home base, his refuge of last resort. He couldn't afford to neglect it.
By the time he returned to the Black Tower, it was breakfast time.
Life here was far too comfortable. Everyone ate three meals a day, played cards and browsed the Spirit Net in the evenings, and tended to wake up late.
Anser had breakfast with his parents, little Claira, and Bratt. Then, claiming he had something to attend to, he returned to his room alone.
His parents didn't suspect anything. After all, Anser really was busy.
He was taking on entire armies single-handedly. That couldn't be easy, could it?
Anser took out the "Book of Exalted Deeds," but instead of reading it immediately, he connected to the Spirit Net to browse the latest news.
The two news reports from the previous night had ignited a wave of excitement across Faerûn. Photographs from the battlefield were circulating everywhere, and discussions were raging.
Anser's reputation had skyrocketed, and he was attracting even more attention than the royal families and nobility of various nations.
Yet even as ordinary people praised Anser, some couldn't resist posting questions on the forums that revealed just how little they understood:
"Why are the other Legendary Professionals so afraid of dying? Why won't they step forward like Anser to fight evil and save Faerûn?"
The moment the post appeared, countless Professionals were left speechless.
The problem was that ordinary people made up far too large a proportion of Spirit Net members. They knew very little about Professionals, and the Spirit Net's knowledge section didn't contain information at such an advanced level.
Their only ways of learning about that unfamiliar world were through the Spirit Net or by listening to boastful bards recount epic tales that often strayed far from the truth.
Before long, some Professionals began replying, explaining just how terrible the current state of the Weave was, how difficult life had become for spellcasters, and the limits of an ordinary Professional's combat capabilities...
But none of these explanations satisfied the ordinary people. After all, if Anser could do it, surely others could manage something, even if they weren't as powerful as him? Couldn't they accomplish even a quarter of what he had?
The Professionals fell silent once again.
The Spirit Net had broadened its members' horizons and expanded their knowledge, but their attitudes, judgment, and understanding hadn't matured at the same pace.
When they found themselves caught between their desires and fears for their own safety, their emotions became extremely unstable. They couldn't help directing their resentment and anger toward those they believed had the power to save them.
Despite everything Anser had done, there were still people who resented him for not coming to rescue them sooner.
Perhaps the person who started the discussion hadn't been motivated by "simple curiosity" in the first place. There might have been a deliberate implication behind the question.
When Anser came across the thread, he didn't even know what to say.
But he couldn't simply let things continue in this direction. Otherwise, some Legendary Professionals might start resenting him.
"Sakkors, use an alternate account to make a post and steer public opinion a little."
"The general idea should be that many Professionals, nobles, and even ordinary people are working hard to protect their countries and loved ones without fearing death. Include examples of people who sacrificed their lives in Cormyr and Baldur's Gate..."
"Criticize those people a little. Tell them not to guilt-trip outsiders into helping them. Protecting a country's citizens is the responsibility of its own royal family and nobility. Nobody else owes them anything. Their future is in their own hands, and no deity likes followers who spend all their time blaming others for their misfortunes..."
"Yes," Sakkors replied.
"Also, create another section for Professionals and place it beneath the knowledge section. It should cover the fundamentals of the major class systems, primarily through videos and images, with text as supplementary material..."
Many Professionals had already submitted information about their classes, covering a comprehensive range of subjects. They could make some of it available first and gradually improve the rest later.
Videos would be easy to arrange as well. Sakkors could have Professionals demonstrate their abilities on camera or generate virtual projections himself.
This way, any ordinary person who joined the Spirit Net could study independently and learn how to become a Fighter, how to condition their body, choose weapons, practice swordsmanship, sense Magic Power, learn skills, and attune to magic items...
The Spirit Net would also introduce an aptitude assessment feature. With a member's authorization, it could evaluate their approximate physical aptitude and recommend suitable classes.
Didn't you all think you were extraordinary talents who had never been given a chance to prove yourselves?
Well, here's your opportunity. Train yourselves, reach Legendary as soon as possible, and stop spending every day complaining about everyone else!
Of course, this knowledge wouldn't be free. A basic swordsmanship course would cost only a dozen or so Spirit Coins, an amount that was easy enough to save up.
Once they got their hands on the material, they'd understand. Even the most brilliant teacher couldn't save a fool. Forget a few dozen days; plenty of people wouldn't be able to master the basics even after dozens of months.
However, for the time being, this foundational knowledge would only be enough to help them become full-fledged Professionals. Progressing any further would depend on their individual potential and opportunities.
The class system encompassed far too many fields, and Anser couldn't recklessly dismantle other people's monopolies over professional training.
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