The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) by A. Kay (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

tell the women about his involvement in their sudden advancement. It would only raise questions.

Did Lir do that for the women? Rami asked.

Yes.

Out of curiosity, what did you request.

Ruwen thought of his exact wording. Please end all delays associated with the Class advancements that Hamma and Lylan are waiting on.

Rami didn’t respond. What? Ruwen asked.

Almost the entire population is in queue, so you’re probably okay. But I think that phrase could be interpreted as ending the delay for everyone waiting on the Thief Specialization or the Healer Sub Class.

Ruwen parsed what he’d said to Lir again: Please end all delays associated with the Class advancements that Hamma and Lylan are waiting on.

Oh no, Ruwen said. I’m going to talk to Lir. Can you listen in this time?

Yes.

Lir, when I asked you earlier to remove the Class related delays, how many people did that affect?

Eighty-three.

Ruwen entered the dining room, but the women weren’t there yet. Instead of sitting down, he paced around the room. Rami didn’t comment on his stupidity.

Focusing on Lir again, Ruwen asked another question. Are the people other than Hamma and Lylan all in queue?

Yes.

That was some good news at least. Can you put the delay back for those eighty-one? Make it just like it was before, but leave Hamma’s and Lylan’s changes alone?

Yes.

Please do so.

Completed.

Ruwen returned his attention to Rami. Thank you.

You’re welcome.

Sift continued to practice his dancing whenever he thought Ruwen couldn’t see, and Xavier’s eyes had disappeared, so Ruwen didn’t know where the pillar of energy looked. Checking his map for the women’s location, he figured he still had a couple of minutes before they arrived.

Three recent events had brought one of Ruwen’s shortcomings into painful focus. The first happened all the time. He tended to concentrate so intently on his thoughts that the outside world disappeared. Blapy had just commented on it, and the sisters Mist and Thorn had as well. He no longer stood in a library where people lost in thought were common. Now he could get himself and others killed. He needed to trust his gut more and not feel the need to process every situation.

Second, Ruwen had neglected his relationships, especially with Hamma. Without anything to balance his Intelligence, he fell into self-absorbed periods of training. He knew his actions bordered on obsessive sometimes. The Spirit Realm was a perfect example of this behavior. It had probably saved their lives there, but it shouldn’t be the normal way he acted.

Third, the request to Lir and its unintended consequences. Ruwen had failed to see another interpretation, even knowing how literally Lir took commands. Assuming everyone understood things the way he did was another product of his Intelligence and the arrogance it fostered.

All of this highlighted a problem Ruwen had experienced from the beginning, a low Wisdom. He opened his Profile and looked at his buffed Attributes.

Attributes

Strength: 47

Stamina: 73

Dexterity: 46

Intelligence: 45

Wisdom: 28

Charisma: 28

Ruwen had justified the Charisma points added earlier as necessary to lead, which was true. But he’d just experienced the way his low Wisdom negatively affected him and knew he needed to increase its priority to make him a more balanced person.

Two memories crashed into Ruwen’s thoughts. The first was Sift demonstrating how to use a staff during Ruwen’s first night in Blapy. Sift had said the following after lunging forward with the staff. “Attacking like this is safer, as less of your body is exposed. Look at my feet and stance. You must always keep your balance. Balance is the solution to every problem.”

The second memory also included Sift. He had just finished showing Ruwen how to lock joints and escape from those same locks. Ruwen had commented on the symmetry of it and Sift had echoed the previous response. He had said, “You will see the same pattern in everything you learn. What Step Masters have really mastered is balance.”

Balance. The enemy of almost every build he’d read about. It pained him that Sift had once again provided guidance with his teaching. Regardless, Ruwen obviously needed it. Using the four Attribute points he’d gained for reaching level twenty-three, he added them all to Wisdom, increasing it to thirty-two.

Ruwen closed his Profile. He didn’t feel any different, but he hoped the four points made a difference. He smiled at Sift.

“What?” Sift asked, standing up straight. With faintly red cheeks, he continued. “Do my moves look stupid?”

“No,” Ruwen said. “You look stupid, but your moves are good.”

Sift smiled, relieved.

Ruwen couldn’t tell Sift his Wisdom had once again helped Ruwen. If he did, Sift would spend days reminding Ruwen. But he felt like he needed to say something. “You’re a good Sisen.”

Sift nodded, his face turning serious. “It’s a good thing, too. You are my worst Sijun.”

“I’m your only Sijun. That should make me your best student.”

Sift shook his head. “A miracle is what some call it.”

“What miracle? And who are some?”

Sift waved an arm through the air. “Everyone can see how under my training a hopeless—”

Ruwen interrupted. “I was not hopeless. You—”

Ruwen stopped speaking as his Perception signaled danger. He stilled his body and mind, trying to determine where the pressure he sensed originated.

“Boo!” Lylan shouted from beside Sift.

To Sift’s credit, he reflexively struck at the sudden threat. But Lylan had already flipped away. Hamma laughed from the doorway, and Sift smiled as he saw Lylan’s grin.

“Look at my sneaky Thief,” Sift said.

“You’ll never see me coming now,” Lylan said. “Not with my Thief abilities.”

Ruwen had sensed Lylan, which meant even her Thief abilities weren’t enough to overcome his new heightened Perception.

Hamma walked over to Ruwen and he put an arm around her.

“You got your abilities already as well?” Ruwen asked.

Hamma nodded. “We’ve only used a couple spell and ability points so far, but they’ve come to us immediately. No painful waiting. I love this temple.”

Ruwen didn’t slap his forehead but felt like it. He had said all the Class related delays, which included the wait for the associated abilities and spells. He really hadn’t thought that request through. But