Singer Sailor Merchant Mage

Chapter 35: Frog in a well

“A frog in a well cannot discuss the ocean, because he is limited by the size of his well. A summer insect cannot discuss ice, because it knows only its own season. A narrow-minded scholar cannot discuss the Tao, because he is constrained by his teachings. Now you have come out of your banks and seen the Great Ocean. You now know your own inferiority, so it is now possible to discuss great principles with you.”

Zhuangzi, The Way of Chuang Tzu

While not a wise man or baby I knew the first step towards wisdom. As Socrates said, ‘The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.’ I did not think however that I would be both figuratively and literally the frog in the well. I was busily swimming in circles in my leaf and it was beginning to take a toll.

Run ragged was how I was feeling at the moment. My sister and my grandfather were all pushing me to sing more, to fight more to make more, to be more, to do more with my magic, body, and mind. It was just as well I had such high vitality otherwise I’m sure I would have been sick by now. But it was still taking its toll I wasn't even 1 yet. Any other child would have been screaming, kicking, and crying by now. Maybe that was my mistake and they were just waiting for me to do that before they eased up.

Sickness or ill health still exists here despite the system and its stats, although the stats must surely help significantly. Considering my own personal medical experience with the old crone I am convinced that the medicine here is not particularly effective.

I was making good progress though and despite the fact that I collapsed to sleep at night and actually slept, my parallel thought process allowed my brain to process and practice the skills learned during the day, at night. Our fishing trips with Father have shown how important it is to kill to gain experience and this must be how most people get their experience. We only went out fishing for a few short trips but the experience points were definitely worth it, particularly how quickly and efficiently we were able to gain the experience compared to everything else I have done.

I could see why my father was so keen to get me swimming and out on the boat. Easy experience means easy levels. Even if taking a one-year-old on a fishing trip would not be the best idea in my old world, it makes perfect sense, here, in my new world. Out with the old and in with the new. One wonders why all fathers aren’t taking their children out on the lake. I’m not sure that he has ever taken Aleera out sailing before our trip out on the lake together. Is this world sexist? It hasn't stopped Grandfather forcing her through her moves but maybe it stopped father from thinking about taking her out until now. I wonder how much experience Aleera gained speeding our boat along and facilitating our fishing trips. Does it count towards facilitating our fishing trip? Who judges? How does the system work? Who knows? I still don't.

Father tried to involve me in every part of the process and that seems to be enough for me to gain the experience. I wonder if it is shared equally so there’s a shared pool of experience. Would I gain more if I was on my own? Or would we gain more if Aleera was not there with us? The evidence so far supports my theory developed after the ant apocalypse that this world rewards those who kill. What are the politics of the world going to be like when the strongest humans will be the psychopaths and sociopaths, who like killing? Do leaders ensure their scions have hunted animals throughout their childhood?

That’s not to say the world doesn’t reward those who create as well. Origin experience is clearly supporting those who are creating. Sadly, if you compare the experience between catching 50 fish at 5000 experience and having to write five books for an equal amount, the 5000 experience it the system is clearly weighted in time and energy towards those who are happy to kill rather than those who are happy to craft.

I’m not sure exactly how noble society works here but it would appear that my grandfather's high level is what is protecting us to a certain extent from the influence of my other grandfather. One wonders how he got so strong, he doesn’t appear particularly creative so what and how many creatures did he have to kill to get where he is today?

Fishing as a career though is making more and more sense. Relatively guilt-free experience, food, and leveling. I wonder who has the higher level Kaius or his older brothers. His brothers are older some of them significantly so. But Kaius must be gaining greater experience everyday fishing compared to his crafting older brothers. Besides there can’t be that big a market for their goods in a town so small but maybe they export a lot more than is needed here.

My mind bounced back and forth between topics as we made our way across the lake once more. Distracting me from the fact that we were going back to town.

We were going back home or near enough.

It had all begun that morning.

. . .

“Come on let’s get you two back to town!” Grandpa Smit explained when he surprised us with his presence this morning on Ash Island.

We had been hunting for food along the shoreline when Grandpa Smit had turned up and was suddenly offering to take us back home. Well at least to town, to stay with him and Grandma.

“I’ve spoken to your father and mother. They both said it would be fine for a while at least. We’ve decided that if your mother is too busy this month that you can stay with us for the rest of the month during the day then pop on home at the end of the day.” He explained. He said that he had spoken with mother and father. Although I was not convinced that he actually had, what option did we really have? We were only children and he was an adult. On top of that, he was, is and will still be the head of our family and a leader of the town.

“It was clear that your grandfather doesn’t have the time to look after you two properly out here.” He continued. “He hasn't stopped working to look after you. Isn’t here half the time and there is so little for you to do out here when he isn’t here.”

“We’re fine,” Aleera argued pointing out that we were fine, even if still a little hungry. Father's fishing trips and pack lunches had helped fill us back up. But Grandpa Smit wouldn’t take no for an answer. That and the fact that he was an adult and we were still children meant that we wouldn’t have much of a choice even if we tried to force the issue. Not that I really had a point or desire to argue.

"Come on now. I have other things to do and Grandma is looking forward to mothering you both for a bit." He hurried us along.

We gathered our few belongings that we had brought out here to start off with along with our slowly accumulating bags of salt. We were hardly able to hide it from him, particularly well with our meager collection of belongings, not being enough to cover more than a pack of cards let along our bulging bags of salt.

Grandfather pointed out. “What has he been having you do? Mine salt?”

“No, we have just been collecting the salt from the lake in the morning.” Aleera explained as we loaded his boat up with our stuff before we set sail to go back home.

It took barely any time to sail back to town, the first time we had sailed in this direction since landing on Ash Island. As Grandpa Smit took us back through town it seemed like we had been gone for such a long time, even though it had only been a few weeks really. Grandpa Smit seemed determined to carry me around which seemed strange after having had so much independence for so long. But wiggling did not get me anywhere, his arm was like an iron bar holding me in place. Not as hard or cold but physically unmoving despite how I struggled to get put down.

He just laughed it off walking us back to his large home at the top of the town.

Once we arrived at his home, he said “You can go on home and let your mother know we are back if you would like to. I’m sure you would like a break after looking after Kai for so long. Go and enjoy an afternoon off, treat yourself.” He added giving Aleera a small pouch of money to spend at the market.

Again, left without an option to decline, Aleera gave me a look before heading off and I realised this would be the first time I was without her since I was born. Other than my nightly ninja practice she had been there every morning, every day, and every night. At home, walking to the market, swimming in the lake, or isolated on our island of isolation she had been there with me for every moment.

I was surprisingly anxious as she left me in Granpa Smit’s care.

Looking back one last time as she walked back down into the town to let Mother know we were home.

Once she was out of sight. Grandpa turned took me into the house and shouted, "Just taking Kai up to the ridgeline." before heading straight back out.

“Let’s show you a little more of the world shall we.” Still holding me tight he started walking further up the hill out of the town towards the top of the ridgeline of the mountains that surrounded the bowl of a valley our lake and town lived in.

Facing downhill and looking over the top of his shoulder I watched the town grow smaller and smaller as he carried me up to the top. Ash island, in the middle of the lake, looked so small, sat alone in the distance. Had we really been there only an hour ago? My whole life so far was all within sight. Our house at the edge of the town a river running past the edge of the town wall. The jetty where the few sailing boats, the town had, set forth across the lake. Up to Grandpa’s Smits large house at the top of the town looking out across it all. Reaching the very top of the rise I was able to see it all in a stunning panoramic view.

“This is my town, our town.” Grandpa Smit said as he lifted me into his arms and turned to look down at it all with me, gesturing to the town laid out below us. Then he turned us around with me in his arms to look out beyond our valley, its lake, and town.

“But one day . . . one day, it could be your island.” He said as we stared out across an ocean that stretched off beyond the horizon.

Hang on a minute, we’re on an island!

Level: 10 Name: Kai

Experience: 156,150/ 204,800

Age: 14 months, 0 weeks, 1 days, 10 hours

Health: 1130/1130 Stamina: 543/543 Mana: 1150/1150 Psi: 1180/1180

Trait: Long Lived, Fast Learner, Super Senses, Source of Mana,

Vitality: 113

Endurance: 25

Strength: 25

Dexterity: 28

Senses: 118

Mind: 118

Clarity: 48

Magic: 115

Free Points: 20

Skills:

Tier 1: Time sense (LV 27) Listening (LV 27) Meditation (LV 35) Swimming (LV 27)

Humming (Lv 23) Sneak (Lv 23) Whistling (Lv 23) Singing (Lv 23) and Drumming (Lv 23)

Running (Lv 18), Acting (20), English (Lv 15), Spanish (Lv 15), Japanese (Lv 15),

German (Lv 10), French (Lv 7) Dodge (Lv 13) Breath Control (Lv 10) Sight (Lv 18)

Scent (Lv 18) Detect (Lv 18) Taste (Lv 18) Bulosa (Lv 8) Draw (Lv 7) Climb (Lv 8) Calligraphy (Lv 8) Mathematics (Lv 8) Decoding (Lv 8) Lie (Lv 6) Knife Skills (Lv 6)

Tier 2: Sense Mana (LV 35) Eavesdrop (LV 26) Memorisation (LV 23) Composition (Lv 23)

Recall (Lv23) Pain tolerance (Lv 15) Piano (Lv 20) Violin (Lv 20), Trombone (Lv 20),

Saxophone (Lv 20) Linguistics (Lv 16) Translation (Lv 17) Stealth (Lv 11) Quick reflexes (Lv 15)

Tier 3: Echolocation (LV 26) Expel Mana (Lv 31) Absorb Mana (Lv 31)

Mana Manipulation (Lv 16) Ignite (Lv 16) Freeze (Lv 10) Boil (Lv 13)

Tier 4: Mana Drain (Lv 20) Parallel Processing (Lv 15)

Tier 5: Mind fortress (Lv 17)

Skill experience: 12,200

Origin experience: 0

Combat experience: 24,400

Crafting experience: 0