He Who Fights with Monsters 3 (He Who Fights with Monsters, #3)

by Shirtaloon

“You need to watch your decorum around royalty.” “Do I?” Jason asked. “I was more thinking that I need to get powerful enough that they watch their decorum around me.”

Stash didn’t like the colour of regular heidels, leaving Humphrey riding a bright pink animal.

“Maybe I’m just overthinking it,” Humphrey said. “With everything that’s happening with the Builder cult and the Church of Purity, I can’t help but feel all this is building up to something. Something bigger than what we’ve seen.”

Not overthinking it

“What do you want all that trash gold for?” “Someday I’m going to go home,” Jason said. “In my world, trash gold is just gold.”

“That would be nice,” Jason said. “I can call on an old friend.” “Three days, six months ago,” Neil said again. “How do you have old friends?” “The Magic Society have actually been looking into it,” Jason said. “It turns out that once you cross a certain charisma threshold, it starts warping reality around you.” “Just to be clear,” Clive said to the others, “the Magic Society has not been doing that.”

It would be powerful, but all he had to do was distract the one monster for as long as the villagers took to get away.

He should set up a recording stone

“Short of a gold-ranker specialised in stealth and tracking having followed, then yes.”

Cal

Jerrick,

Thought he was captured by Jason & sent into Adventure Society's custody for trial?

What is the will of one man against a being greater than our entire world?”

“I don’t know if you can hear me through your dead, magic rectal probe,” Jason growled, “but you need to listen up, you interdimensional soul bandit. You just got beat by the assistant manager of an office supply retailer while he was hanging from a hook and naked as the day he was born. And reborn, for that matter. So you’d best pack up your piss-weak little cult and take them back to your magic land in the sky because I’m coming for them. And this time, I’m going to have pants.”

The goddess Knowledge had once denied that Jason’s mind had been altered when he became an outworlder to better process the kind of trauma he was suffered since. Now, considering his odd equanimity after days of literally soul-scourging torture, he was pretty sure she’d been lying.

I think the keyword is mind. He asked about the mind and I believe she answered 'no' truthfully. She did correct him that it was the soul, rather than the mind. And Jason wasn't ready to hear the answer anyway. That's my perspective at least.

His new awareness of his own soul brought with it a better sense of the pressure being placed on it by the suppression collar. It was like his soul had grown to touch the sides of that containment, like a balloon being inflated inside a box. He felt an intense compulsion to push his way out of that box.

What's a suppression collar when compared to an astral being trying to invade his soul?

He realised through his attempt that the true nature of his aura was a projection of his soul.

Farrah did try to teach him that, but hearing it from someone else is different than learnning/experiencing yourself.

Suddenly, a bird swooped out of the sky, transforming into a puppy that slammed into his chest like an adorable bowling ball.

I love how Stash cares about Jason too.

we would expect to see behaviour consistent with trauma emerging over time. There will be permanent changes. Soul damage is something that marks you forever.”

PTSD

“If you’re going to have a rummage in my soul,” Jason said, “we should probably be on a first-name basis.”

Most of the circle was still gold, but it featured a rainbow of colours in various sections, from vibrant red to cool green and bright, sky blue.

Sounds like colors when transcendent powers used.

“They have faith in me.” “I heard you didn’t care much for faith.” “Yeah, but you use what you’ve got,” Jason said.

It's different when it's people you trust/respect, rather than blind faith/obedience.

“Why would Purity throw his followers in with these cultists?

Are we sure it's Purity?

It required a level of visualisation that made it tricky to target places he did not know very well. The ability to distinguish places in his mind with landmarks was very helpful.

What about incorporating his map ability?

the gruesome first removal of a star seed

Was that intentional by the Purity priest?🤔

not one of any god the team recognised. What little remained of the iconography was wholly unfamiliar,

“Wait,” Neil said. “Did we just make the sensible decision and not charge into the hopeless fight? Go team!”

Stamina and mana cannot exceed normal maximum values. Excess stamina and mana are lost.

Too bad he didn't have a power to feed that to his teammates or their familiars.

“We’ve decided to leave the sword where it is,”

I imagine some bad guy (either in this book or a future one) will get the sword. Especially after it's theft deterrent system has already been disabled.

“I felt that soul. What it went through to put that thing there and keep it there. I’m not even sure we could get that sword out, but I am very sure that we shouldn’t.”

Wonder if that's where the tunnel from the Vane estate will connect to...

“Just watch where you’re aiming that thing!”

Can't he share his map thru the party interface so they can see where each other & enemies are?

familiars

Summons, not familiars.

clockwork king

He took a bookcase from his inventory, which he had purchased to store everything Knowledge had given him.

Wonder why Clive hasn't just copied the info into his own set of books. Probably a good idea if he & Jason each had a set. You never know what will happen...

“If I’m going to be obliterated into astral nothingness again, I’m doing it with cake.” “What do you mean again?” Neil asked.

I do not need to explain why having an energy vampire roaming around would be a poor idea, even if it would quickly starve.”

It indicated that Hendren’s cleansing powers might not be able to remove holy afflictions.

Unable to cleanse holy afflictions is ironic.

“quest reward hodgepodge look.”

Too bad they don't turn invisible once equipped, like JinWoo in Solo Leveling.

“It could, if given the chance. When such a creature does find a way to feed on a soul, that power is transformative. The ghoul truly does become a form of vampire, a significantly more dangerous entity. Such chances are rare, however.”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?” Humphrey asked. “No,” Clive said. “I’m just making sure that you’re suitably impressed when I accomplish the absurd task you’ve set before me.”

Clive's reply has a very Jason vibe lol

“It’s not about the reward you earned,” Humphrey told her. “It’s about the lesson you learned.”

The Builder abandoned its vessel, which fell to the ground, an abandoned puppet.

On another world, a diamond ranker stood in the throne room of an imperial palace. His name was Shako

Empress. I will take the children, and you. It is time this family learned the lessons of being farmers once more, so farmers you shall be. Of course, there is nowhere in this world that your name is not hated.

What world on they on? Where/when does he send them to?

No new star seeds, no new tokens, and no more vessels.

What about the clockwork kings?

Asano’s world is already off-limits to you.” “I know.” “See that you remember,”

Bet he's already got his grubby little astral hands into it. Probably had plans decades (at least) already in action.

Clive’s own team. Although they would each be following different pursuits in the near future,

Jason seems to have been the key stone, the glue that kept them together.