Chapter 287 – The following day was Thursday.<h1></h1>


    “And he surrendered,” Jeff said in a defeated tone. “Yes, as expected this fight was over in a sh. Alexej just gave up, how boring.”


    John actually didn’t agree with thementator there; Thana and the blonde v had exchanged a few words before the surrender came in. Which was slightly worrying.


    “What did you talk about?” Lydia asked therefore once Thana arrived back on the tform.


    “He is a fucking dick, and I will rip out his weaselly little tongue and rece it with ss shards so that he cuts himself whenever he spouts some more shit,” Thana answered in a disy of random agitation, throwing her hands into the air. “The fucking weather.”


    “Typical,” John sighed, and they went back to the mansion as the announcers behind them were still announcing the break to the people. From today until the first of January, they were on the New Year’s Pause.


    “So, we are going to enter the new year with a 5 to 5 score,” Rave noted, kicking a pebble once they were outside; “That’s super boring.”


    “And disadvantageous for us since they now choose the match-ups. I had hoped to finish this round with a lead, not a tie,” Lydia stated as she pondered about this. “I think that we are likely to win the next Group Fight, however. They can’t counter both Thana and John.”


    “It’s highly unlikely at the very least,” John agreed.


    “They won’t be able to face me alone next time,” Thana growled.


    “Hubris isn’t going to get you anywhere,” Lydia reprimanded.


    “It’s not hubris if I can back the statement up, anal queen,” the blood mage countered; “I still have some fuckery I can pull.”


    “Exin, now,” the princess said with a warning nce. If there was any power Thana had held back during theirst engagement, then Lydia would have been rightfully angry. John already had a rough inkling of what woulde next though.


    “When I… fought John months ago, I did this weird-ass thing called Soulburn. I have no idea how I did it or how it fucking works or what the hell it is, but it was pretty fucking strong.”


    “It was terrifying,” John corrected; “One moment I had her finally beat, the next I am doused in blue fire.”


    “And why have I not been informed about this?” Lydia asked. “I seemingly have to remind you that we have an agreement where you help me win this tournament and in return I will free you from your debt, John Newman.”


    “Stop bitching at John and I will tell you,” Thana said, changing her steps so that she found herself between the Gamer and the princess.“I didn’t need that thing until recently, so I didn’t want to waste time on it. Again: I have not even the faintest fucking clue what it was, only that I was really angry when I managed to tap into it. My memory of it is also hazy since I DIED directly after it.”


    “…This reason is eptable,” Lydia caved to the exnation and dered the topic done with a gracious nod.


    Once back at the mansion, the princess dered a meeting.


    “As you all are most firmly aware, we need to get stronger. Schedule allows us a total of 4 days on this end and up to 4 more days depending on where in the order, whose setting is our only advantage in this round, yound. Therefore, I will have to inform you that New Year’s festivities are cancelled unless there are satisfactory results,” she dered.


    From her position at the head of the dinner table and being the only standing person in the room, she should have had at least some air of authority around her. In reality, whatevermanding presence she had was eliminated. The problem was that she surrounded herself with people that were… weird.


    “Whatever, boss bitch,” Thana said, picking her teeth with a pick which previously had been used on diced cheese.


    “Coppy, why do you hang out with Nia all the time?” Raveined to her elemental.


    “Because, aside from the fact that she can eliminate my existence if she isn’t careful, she is way betterpany,” Copernicus purred as his chin was scratched.


    “Would never null something cute,” Nia whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Lydia sighed and looked over to see if at least John was listening carefully. “Bullshit!” heined as the enemy mage threw Yogg-Saron on the board only for it to cast three Pyrosts which obliterated his face in a matter of seconds.


    “Are none of you taking this seriously?” Lydiained.


    “Thing is, Lydia,” John answered while queuing for another match, “we are all able to multitask, and I am pretty sure you just want us to formte our goals for the next days, right?”


    “That is part of it, yes, but mostly I need to know how much of your support they will need,” Lydiaid down.


    “Ah, I guess that makes sense,” John nodded. It was him or, to be more specific, his abilities inbination with the Soulpotion that made meaningful bursts in power over theing days even feasible. Alexej could cheat someone up massively during a fight, John could cheat everyone up slowly outside. Well, it wasn’t THAT slow, at least not yet.


    Of course, the true bullshit was that John could do so much more than that, but that his Innate Ability was something truly bonkers was well established by now.


    “I will try getting that Soulburn thing to trigger, so I won’t need any jackass’ help… aside from maybe Nathalia,” Thana reported, “We will bash each other’s head in, maybe that will do something; if not, I will look into some alternatives.”


    “Please do that off the ind,” Lydia reminded her. “If you and Nathalia go at it in Rome, no amount of Luna’s good will is able to hide her.” Thana gave her an understanding grin apanied by a less reassuring giggle.


    Nia put Copernicus on the table. “I am going to try to increase my physical prowess. I am uninformed about the potential of help John will be able to offer me,” the nk blonde stated in a calm tone that could have been either honest confusion or some sort of allegation along the lines of ‘He is useless.’


    John, by now, had learned that it was smartest to go with the nicest, most na?ve interpretation of her words possible whenever she said something. Opening his inventory, he pulled out Helbrecht’s Soulpotion. As he was currently in his civilian clothing, jogging pants and a wide t-shirt, he didn’t have it fixed to his waist in its holster like usual.


    There was only the slightest bit inside it, but that worked out. “As long as people are in my group they get experience from this potion instead of the normal buffing effect,” he exined and handed the sk to Nia; “You just go ahead, check your experience, drink it and then tell me if that number, or anything else, changed.”


    Nia looked at the sk in her hand with a tilted head. Turning it in her hand for a bit, before taking off the lid with unrealistically fluid motions. Even while she was sitting still, her long ponytail, dangling over the back of her chair, was waving in an unnoticeable breeze. The fluid ran into her mouth and was gone with a gulp.


    Her mouth opened a bit. Pretty pale lips just standing open, eyes slightly widening. That bit of facial shifting might have been the most expressive thing he had seen on her face thus far. As a matter of fact, John was halfway certain this was the first time he had even seen her features shift in any way.


    “It worked,” Nia said in her usual emotionless voice. She handed back the potion, and her expression drifted back to the usual vacancy of one. “I can’t eliminate it either, it’s part of me now,” she exined further upon a questioning gaze from John.


    “Congratz, tiger,” Raveughed; “Ya broke even the ‘nks are unaffected by magic’ rule.”


    “He didn’t really,” Lydia pointed out; “It’s just that his ability rewrites how the potions work in a way that makes it so the essence is absorbed, thus making it so that her nullifying magic doesn’t apply.”


    “You are not even going to lemme have this little joke?” the techno loverined.


    “Not if it is factually incorrect,” Lydia stood her ground.


    “Is it that drinking more of that potion will make me stronger quicker?” Nia asked a slightly odd formted question.


    “Yes,” John quickly answered, “but supply is limited. So how much would you need?”


    “All of it,” Nia answered with a straight face. “Physical training is near ineffective for me.”


    “Well, the effectiveness would be biggest for Nia, so I am fine with her getting most of the Soulpotion for now,” Lydia agreed. “My personal goal is to get used to the power I already gained, I have not learned to use it effectively yet. Further power boosts are therefore not necessary.”


    “Yeah, I don’t really care either, but I will need you to spawn some more enemies to fight for me, John,” Rave said. “Doing more training with Cappy and all that.”


    “Mhm, so, to summarize,” John said; “Thana will be doing her own thing, not needing my help…”


    “Brilliant fucking observation.”


    “…Lydia will also do some training she is unlikely to need me or Soulpotions for…”


    “asional input or help would nheless be appreciated.”


    “…Jane will only need some of the Soulpotion but need my time to get something to fight…”


    “I want a challenge I can actually beat!”


    “…and finally, Nia will need a lot of Soulpotions while she does her stuff.”


    “…”


    “What about you yourself?” Lydia inquired.


    “I will be going for level 100 and then a level in Elementalist, should give me a slight power jump,” John answered. Actually, it would be two power jumps. One from the level in Elementalist, but the way bigger one would be another efficiency upgrade to Wisdom.


    If he could eliminate mana constrictions (which came back no matter how often he adjusted his build against them because Gaia didn’t like him having infinite mana apparently), that would be arge step-up in power.


    He was only the slightest bit away from it as well. About 20’000 experience points, which was nothingpared to the amount he needed in the first ce. A half hour Assault and that would be done with; afterwards, he could do longer ones with some ease. Would take a bit of the fun out of it, but would also make it way less dangerous.


    The orcs would find a way to cope with his stronger arsenal. They weren’t the smartest race, but they were crafty enough to find a way to annoy him.


    “I am most happy that all of you have found a constructive thing to spend your time on,” Aclysia chimed in, throwing an assortment of tes and under pads for the pots onto the table. Literally. She was standing in the doorframe and tossing them like throwing stars. Theynded perfectly in front of everyone at the table and an extra one was put in ce for Nathalia, who was most likely to wake up ande down the stairs in the next few seconds, attracted by the smell.


    ‘I didn’t even think of it until now, but isn’t Nathalia kind of a freeloader?’ John asked himself as the food, a simple pasta dish, was brought in.


    “I advise that you train after eating, especially you, Master. I wouldn’t want you to suffer hunger,” the artificial guardian continued.


    “Like I could pass up on your cooking,” John said. “Hey, can you bake a pizza for New Year’s?”


    “Didn’t I say that festivities were disallowed?” Lydia pointed out.


    “It’s just a slightly fancier meal, Lyly, don’t be so stingy,” Rave countered.


    “I don’t think stingy is the right word there,” her boyfriendmented.


    “Shush, anyhow, pizza for New Year’s, okay, Aclysia?” Rave turned to the cooking weapon.


    “If that is what Master and mistress wish for, I will most happily create the most delicious pizza. Please leave me your preferences in the form of a memo and I will oblige.”


    “…How about every-fucking-thing?” Thana requested.


    “I would like ananas,” Nia said.


    “We call those pineapples in freedom-speech,” Rave corrected her.


    “But why?” Nia asked while blinking.


    Lydia sighed, defeated. There was no way she could reign these people in.