Chapter 49 Preparations – Arianna

  Arianna and Cassis were still on the call with Danielle, who had, with great enthusiasm, launched into a giddy monologue about Camden—her now unofficially confirmed future son-in-law. Cassis grimaced, clearly restraining himself from commenting, and wisely chose to remain silent.

  Arianna, however, couldn’t help but grin. Cassis and Camden had started off on a very wrong foot, but once they went through a dungeon together—fought side by side—things would inevitably shift. A battle did that to people. It revealed who they really were, and forged bonds faster than time or words ever could.

  They would have to ask Brice soon whether the location and timing of their assigned dungeon had been finalized. Preferably, they should head out right after training the soldiers. Every day mattered. Time was the one thing they had far too little of.

  Arianna’s fingers tapped lightly against her thigh as she half-listened to Danielle’s cheerful voice. Her mind had already gone three steps ahead. She itched to experiment more with her magic—new techniques, new combinations—but they were in the crucial phase of preparation. The second wave wasn’t due for a while yet, at least not by the old timeline. That gave them some breathing room to focus on the real threats. The ones lurking under the surface: social collapse, logistical chaos, food and other shortages, the decline of real estate price.

  That last one, at least, could become a blessing in disguise.

  She cursed herself silently for not anticipating the early decline in property values. It was obvious, in hindsight. So many had died, and with them, their homes were left empty. The sudden flood of available real estate would destabilize the market. But if they acted quickly, they could still catch the wave before it crested.

  She glanced at Cassis, waiting for him to bring up the idea of farming. Danielle would need to be on board.

  Sure enough, Danielle asked if Sapphire had revealed something. Cassis, quick on the uptake, said yes—it would be wise to start acquiring seeds, farming equipment, and most importantly, real books on the subject. Not digital. Real paperbacks. In a crisis, batteries died – at least that was the reason he gave. They didn’t want to tell his family about the revelations yet. The website would be online in a few days.

  Danielle sounded understandably concerned but promised to speak to the others—the Bristols, Morrisons, Helen, Liam, and even Camden—about these new preparations. She didn’t ask too many questions, which was a relief.

  When the call finally ended, Arianna didn’t waste a second. She tugged Cassis by the sleeve, dragging him back toward his room. He followed without protest, used to her sudden decisions by now. Once inside, she summoned the privacy sphere without explanation. Cassis raised an eyebrow but said nothing, merely waiting while she activated the spell and sealed them off from the outside world.

  Only then did she turn to face him.

  “We need to buy as many houses as possible in your parents’ neighbourhood,” she said without preamble.

  Cassis blinked. “You mean—?”

  “For the shortages. For the waves. For everything,” she continued, her voice low but steady. “We need a base. A stronghold. Somewhere safe, where we can train, farm, shelter people—we can establish a guild headquarters. And right now, thanks to all this chaos, we can get that land cheap. But I have one big problem…” She paused, her tone growing rueful. “I don’t have any money in this world. Not a cent.”

  Cassis frowned slightly, already catching on.

  “What about you?” she asked. “You and your family—what do your finances look like?”

  Cassis turned to Arianna and admitted, a little sheepishly, “I don’t have much saved. Around seventy thousand. But with my parents' help, I could probably afford one of the houses in our neighbourhood.”

  He looked almost embarrassed to say it, but Arianna understood. She had roughly the same amount in savings back in her own world—though, unfortunately, that money was useless here. As she mulled over their financial limitations, a memory from the earlier conversation with Danielle surfaced.

  “Helen,” she said aloud. “Didn’t your mom mention Helen was already looking into buying a house? Maybe she has more money.”

  Cassis nodded. “It’s worth a shot. I’ll call her.”

  He pulled out his phone and tried to connect, but the call wouldn’t go through. He glanced around and frowned. “Could it be the privacy sphere?”

  Arianna blinked, then realized he might be right. She recalled the shimmering dome and returned the disc to her inventory. Moments later, the call connected.

  “Good to know for the future,” she muttered.

  Helen picked up almost immediately, her tone all business. As Arianna explained their developing plans, Helen cut in smoothly.

  “Already ahead of you. I thought of the same thing and started compiling a list of houses up for sale in the neighbourhood. There are quite a few. Some were damaged by falling debris or monster attacks, so the prices are even lower. Problem is, I’ve got enough stashed away to buy two, maybe three properties—but that’s it. Camden’s buying one, and with you two and Cassis’ parents maybe able to get another each, we might reach five or six in total.”

  They listened closely as she continued, “The Morrisons could probably afford one more, but the Bristols already used their savings on their current place. Even with all of us, it’s too little for what we want. And we’d also need to convince the remaining neighbours to join our base. Though there aren’t many who want to stay you never know what kind of people they are. Most other people want to live near their extended families and farther away from big cities. The extent of the damage in the cities and near them is a lot higher than in the countryside.”

  She paused, then added, “From my count, only about seven of your old neighbours survived and plan to stay in the area. The other survivors already put up their houses. They saw the housing market collapsing and are trying to get as much money as possible to start their lives somewhere else. There are thirty-four houses total. If we can secure five or six and your families already have homes, we’d have a solid core—but it’s still not enough, especially if we want to start farming.”

  Cassis narrowed his eyes slightly. “Wait—were you listening in on our call with Mom?”

  Helen laughed. “Of course I was. Everything you were implying—the shortages, the panic—it’s all true, isn’t it? You went through that?”

  “I did,” Cassis confirmed grimly.

  Helen swore under her breath, then hesitated before speaking again. “I have… an old acquaintance from back then. Someone who helped me before. They got away, like I did, and set themselves up pretty well. Rich, even. I could reach out. They might be willing to invest—but they’ll want assurances. A place in the base, probably more.”

  Arianna looked to Cassis. His gaze had turned sharp, thoughtful.

  They both knew what Helen meant. Her past in the Shadows of Avaria wasn’t something she spoke of lightly.

  “Can we trust this person?” Cassis asked carefully.

  There was a long pause before Helen replied, her voice quieter than before. “I don’t know.”

  That alone was unsettling. Helen rarely dealt in uncertainty. If she didn’t know whether someone was trustworthy, it was a bad sign.

  “That doesn’t sound promising,” Arianna said slowly. “But we don’t really have many other options, do we?”

  Cassis nodded. “You’re right.”

  Then he turned his attention back to the call. “Helen, can you gauge their intentions? Don’t tell them everything yet. But if you think they’re more of an asset than a threat, you can disclose a bit more—see if we can get them on our side.”

  Arianna nodded in agreement. That was a smart, cautious approach.

  “Alright,” Helen said. “I’ll contact them tomorrow.”

  The next morning began much like the one before, with another round of training. To Arianna’s delight—and slight surprise—she finally managed to raise her stamina capacity to intermediate. It had taken effort, and some grumbling, but it was a milestone nonetheless.

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  Faith had joined them again, cheerful as ever, informing them that Commander Brice had given his approval for her to participate in their training sessions—provided Cassis and Arianna didn’t object. Arianna had been more than happy to welcome her. Despite the lingering suspicion that Faith might be a spy, she didn’t see any harm in allowing her to join. After all, genuine friendships couldn't grow if she kept everyone at arm's length.

  Still, she remained cautious and didn’t tell her their secrets. That would be stupid.

  It helped that Faith was an exceptional student—quick to learn, diligent, and far more physically capable than most civilians were. That alone was suspicious, and it didn’t escape Cassis either. Arianna had noticed the way he observed Faith quietly, thoughtful and assessing.

  Then she mentally shrugged her shoulders. She trusted him to keep watch. There was no need for both of them to be paranoid. So, she let her concerns go.

  And even if Faith was gathering intelligence, what would she truly learn that wouldn’t be public in just a few days? Their website would go live soon. The most important pieces—the Revelations and the basic knowledge—would be available to everyone.

  During lunch, they sat with the trainees again, joined once more by Faith and Brice. The meal passed with easy conversation and light laughter mostly between her and Faith with some contributions from a few trainees. Midway through, Brice leaned slightly forward and informed them of the F-rank dungeon near Vallendale being available for them as soon as their week of training was complete.

  Arianna looked to Cassis, curious if he remembered what kind of dungeon it was. Each dungeon had its own theme—unique environments, creatures, and challenges that reflected its core. But she doubted he would recall anything specific. It had been fourteen years for him. She even struggled to remember what she’d done the previous week at times, especially now that she was in a different world during an apocalypse. Expecting Cassis to recall the intricacies of a low-level dungeon from over a decade ago seemed optimistic—unless it had been something truly unforgettable.

  Brice soon stood, excusing himself with a nod and a brief, “Enjoy the rest of your day. And have fun with the interview.”

  Faith chuckled. “Oh, I definitely will. I can’t wait to see the two of them being interviewed—and take some behind-the-scenes pictures for the articles.”

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement. Arianna smiled politely but couldn’t help wondering again what exactly Faith’s relationship with Brice was. There was a familiarity there, something unspoken between them. Perhaps a family connection, or something more complicated. Either way, it kept Arianna’s curiosity simmering just below the surface.

  For the afternoon lesson, Faith joined the group as well. By the end of it, everyone—Faith who had managed to see her mana included—was grumbling and massaging temples, their expressions ranging from dazed to downright miserable. Watching them file out, Arianna quietly admitted to herself that perhaps people’s mana capacities were... more limited than hers. Not everyone could handle the intense exercises she so casually assigned.

  Still, despite their suffering, the results spoke for themselves. Most of the mage classes could now meditate with enough focus to replenish their mana efficiently, and the physical combatants had finally gained a solid grasp of their internal mana flow—enough to start directing it properly. Even Cassis was beginning to understand the structure of his mana pattern and could hold it for longer stretches of time.

  Arianna herself had been working on her own pattern nightly before sleep. She could now comfortably maintain it throughout her torso and arms—even while unconscious. The first time it had run through her system during sleep, she’d awoken feeling more refreshed and alert than she had ever. She was curious how that might now work in conjunction with her newly improved stamina capacity. There was still so much to learn.

  As Arianna was lost in thought, Faith stumbled up to her, face scrunched in pain.

  “I didn’t believe it before,” Faith groaned, “You’re so nice and all—I thought the soldiers were just whining and exaggerating. But they were right. You’re a demon.”

  Arianna couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. From behind, she heard Cassis burst out laughing.

  She gave Faith a knowing look and chose to ignore Cassis entirely. “But you learned a lot, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Faith admitted with a dramatic groan. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to do it again tomorrow.” Her smile was tired but genuine, crooked with effort.

  Arianna smiled in return. That was what she wanted—for people to grow stronger.

  Faith glanced at the time and continued, “We’ve got about half an hour to get ready. Let’s meet in front of your rooms, then I’ll lead you to the garages.”

  Arianna nodded just as Cassis walked over, catching the tail end of their conversation. He nodded, too, expression serious.

  “Thanks, Faith,” he said.

  Arianna turned to him, already on her way to her room. “Then let’s get ready.”

  Back in her room, she freshened up—brushing her hair into something more presentable and changing into clean clothes. Once that was done, she checked her system messages. What she saw made her pause.

  Mentor (Profession): Level 5

  She blinked. That was faster than expected. And alongside it: a notification that she had received CP for teaching a group of mortals.

  Frowning, she tried to make sense of it. She had taught others before, hadn’t she? So why now? What had changed?

  It must be related to her profession. That was the only explanation she could come up with. Perhaps her previous efforts hadn’t qualified until the system recognized her mentor role officially. But she had gotten points for other things without having any profession at all. It was a confusing and convoluted system. She never knew exactly what would give CP. Still, the CP was welcome. And the trainees had made real progress. That was what mattered most.

  The short drive to the café for their meeting with the journalists turned out to be surprisingly relaxing. Despite Arianna’s nerves, the conversation between her and Faith flowed easily, with Cassis occasionally chiming in. Arianna didn’t feel entirely at ease with Faith just yet, but she could see the potential for a great friendship in the future—even if Faith was a spy.

  When they arrived at the café, Elena greeted them with hugs for both her and Cassis and a warm smile with a handshake for Faith. Benjamin was also there and welcomed them as well. Then Elena introduced them to the journalists: three in total—two from well-known newspapers and one from a youth magazine. Arianna had no idea how Elena had chosen them, but she trusted her judgment enough not to ask.

  The interview began with questions about their battles and classes. The journalists were clearly fascinated by their evolution paths, though Cassis and Arianna both kept their exact classes vague—still presenting as Warpriest and Warlord to avoid revealing too much. When they mentioned the upcoming launch of their new website, the journalists seemed genuinely excited.

  “Are you aware that Sapphire is a Chaotic deity? That means she is neither good nor evil, doesn’t it? Then what is her goal of giving you so much information?”, one of the journalists from a newspaper asked.

  Arianna kept smiling. “Yes, we know. Sapphire isn’t entirely good since she is proactively telling us to kill monsters and threats. She has no problem using violence to achieve her goal.”

  The journalists looked extremely curious.

  Cassis took over the explanation – again mixing truth and lies seemlessly. “All deities want to become famous. It’s their way to immortality and to more freedom in their actions. Right now, Sapphire is restricted in telling us the basics of the waves. Other revelations are events that happened to other worlds that were similar to ours so it is quite probable they will occur here, too.”

  Before the journalists could ask which events, they told them to be patient and wait for the launch of their website. They didn’t want to give out too much information beforehand.

  The interview continued and they talked about other topics like their views on the current policies and the state of the worlds in general. The youth magazine reporter praised their social media presence and asked whether they were planning to create short videos for their growing follower base.

  That question sparked an idea in Arianna’s mind—one she decided to save until after the interview. But she answered him with a strong affirmation.

  The newspaper reporters steered the discussion toward their upcoming projects, visibly intrigued when they mentioned an upcoming dungeon raid. Curiously, all three journalists eventually circled back to ask about their relationship status. Cassis and Arianna responded with a simple, “We’re a couple.”

  And it was true. At least, it felt real now—not just a front. Their relationship still felt like it was in its early stages, considering they hadn’t been intimate yet, but that was no one else’s business. To the outside world, they were just a couple, and that was all that mattered.

  With that and a few more photos taken, the interview came to a close.

  Faith, who had been sitting at a neighbouring table with Elena and Benjamin, looked less energetic, even somewhat subdued. She sipped tea and leaned back, possibly nursing a lingering headache from the day's training. Arianna wondered whether she should offer to drive them back instead. Before she could speak up, the journalists thanked them again and left, clearly satisfied.

  Elena and Benjamin remained behind, wanting to talk a bit longer. Cassis took that moment to share more details about their newly acquired professions—something he didn’t seem to mind Faith overhearing. Her interest perked up quickly, and she leaned in, asking several questions about how to acquire professions and how many one person could have.

  Elena and Benjamin listened attentively, just as curious.

  Cassis explained that any Awakener could gain a profession by repeatedly performing a specific action successfully. Professions could level up through related activities, earning their own experience, separate from monster kills—which still granted experience to class levels. Every five profession levels would award the Awakener one additional class level.

  He also shared that an individual could have up to five professions at once. If someone decided to discard one, they would lose all associated bonuses, except for the class levels already gained. Professions capped at level 100, at which point they could be fused with others or evolved—though the conditions for both remained vague.

  The group listened with growing enthusiasm, already speculating what kinds of professions they might qualify for.

  While they talked, Cassis messaged Arianna through their private party chat: “We should include information about professions in the basic knowledge section.”

  Arianna nodded, already thinking ahead. But she could no longer hold back the idea sparked earlier. With barely-contained excitement, she leaned forward and addressed the group.

  “I’ve been thinking... with our teaching professions, we level up by successfully teaching others. But what if we don’t actually have to be there in person? What if we recorded some short videos with basic exercises for our followers on social media? If they improved by following our instructions—wouldn’t that count as teaching?”

  Cassis blinked, surprised. “I hadn’t considered that. No idea if it would work... but it’s worth trying.”

  Elena grinned. “That’s a great idea! Your follower count will explode. And it’s perfect timing with the new website. I’ll set up new channels for the videos. Just send them to me as soon as you’ve recorded a few. Now just let me take a few more pictures of you two. We need new ones to keep the interest up.”

  With that done and decided, they all finished their drinks and said their goodbyes, returning to their respective places for the night—one step closer to something much bigger.