ã€ŠImmovable Mageã€‹


 001 Prologue: Spoiled by Talent

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 1, Cultivating Perseverance ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 61 ¨C

    Before Brynn could knock on the door to Samuel¡¯s office, it already flew open.

    ¡°Stubborn mule!¡±, came the exasperated voice of Pelliana. She sent one last glare at the black-haired man behind the desk and wanted to storm out, only to be blocked by Brynn.

    Stopped short in her tracks, Pelliana blinked a few times and then made an appeal to the woman instead of trying to persuade the mule directly.

    ¡°You try talking to that damn blockhead. Instructor Samuel is intent on tarnishing the future of the most talented student we ever had.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Pelliana stormed off without waiting for a reply.

    Brynn raised her eyebrows and tucked a loose strain of her auburn hair behind her ear while glancing at Pelliana¡¯s back. Then she quietly stepped into the room. As soon as the door was closed, she puffed up her cheeks and shot a questioning glance towards the man behind the large desk. There sat Samuel, who met her gaze with calm blue eyes and a slight smile on his lips. He stood up from his chair and turned around to open the window behind his desk.

    ¡°So? What was that all about?¡± asked Brynn. She joined Samuel at the window.

    ¡°It seems Instructor Pelliana disagrees with my assessment of her most recent prot¨¦g¨¦,¡± remarked Samuel drily.

    The two settled in and leaned on the windowsill. They took in the fresh air and watched the dark blue glimmer created by the distant barrier that surrounded the Arcana Empire.

    ¡°And? What do you think of our new resident genius?¡± inquired Brynn.

    ¡°About the same. I thought of all the preceding geniuses ¨C too much talent for their own good.¡±

    ¡°Pelliana claims you¡¯re envious, and that is why you always find trouble with the most talented kids.¡±

    Samuel sighed. ¡°The only claim Pelliana truly cares about is a claim to call herself the mentor of a magic sovereign in the future. Like so often, I disagree with her assessment. The problem isn¡¯t that I desire their talent for myself, but that I see it wasted on them. It is not even their fault. It is the Academy that is failing them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, isn¡¯t it? Most of them end up doing alright, do they not?¡±

    ¡°Depends on your perspective. Most of them find their way into cushy administrative positions, and some of them even gain seats in the Council. No matter which, they generally follow a path of mediocrity unworthy of their talents.¡±

    ¡°Supporting the research of magic and protecting the barrier does not sound like such unworthy causes to me.¡±

    ¡°I agree, up to a point, that is. If the most talented among us are preoccupied with maintaining the barrier and making life inside more pleasant, then what about the threats outside? They will only grow worse with time.¡±

    Brynn took Samuel¡¯s hand. She reminded herself of where the burns came from and of the reason Samuel refused to get them healed.

    ¡°Stop being so hard on yourself, Whaka Samuel. I am sure that he would agree with me.¡±

    The two spent the rest of their break together in silence.

    ***

    Terry could not help himself.

    For about the sixth time this morning, he jumped from the bed in order to have a look in his bag. True, the first five times made him reasonably sure that the contents would not change, but it certainly would not hurt to check again.

    Terry examined the bag. He loved that bag. It was not quite a proper dimensional storage item ¨C that would have been extravagant, even for Arcana Academy ¨C but it could be considered as a half-step towards one.

    The magic enchantment indeed enlarged the space inside, and it reduced the weight felt by Terry. However, the space was only enlarged slightly ¨C perhaps to twice its original size. More importantly, the space was not fully isolated and any movement of Terry¡¯s would still affect the items inside. In exchange, the bag could clean and mend itself. The bag remained spotless at all times and the Academy¡¯s insignia always sparkled in the light.

    Terry examined the bag¡¯s contents¡­

    Student card for Arcana Academy.

    A high-quality notebook bearing the crest of Arcana Academy ¨C mint condition.

    A mana-crafted pen. Same crest. Same condition.

    A novel for children titled Path of a Mage: Legend of the Veilbinder that seemed to have been read about a hundred times.

    And yet another book. This book was the object of Terry¡¯s compulsive concern and affection. It was thick with a stiff binding that displayed golden letters. Terry moved his fingers fondly over the indented writing. There it was ¨C Introductory Spellwork: Compendium of Basic to Intermediate Spells. This was the book that inspired a permanent smile on Terry¡¯s face.

    One season ago ¨C on the first day of the Rising Sun ¨C Terry had been admitted to Arcana Academy. Naturally, this would be an incredible honor for anyone. Anyone except children like Terry, perhaps. After all, that is what they had been raised for. This was the intended path for Seedlings. An admittance was to be expected. A failure, on the other hand¡­

    But that had nothing to do with Terry. There were a few surprising points during his admittance, but the surprise was of a very happy nature. Everyone held high expectations, because it was known in advance that the twelve-year-old possessed outstanding mana sense for his age and above average values for both mana pool size and mana regeneration.

    Regardless, Terry astonished everyone regarding another pillar of mana foundation. The truly shocking measurement was Terry¡¯s talent for general mana control. This trait was very difficult to improve, and the required training was extremely time-consuming. That is why the trait frequently led to bottlenecks and created hard limitations for virtually everyone. Now there was a talent fit to cause an uproar.

    Even Terry¡¯s parents made an appearance¡­ or at least two people claiming to be his parents. It was the first time that Terry had ever seen them. This was natural ¨C a Seedling ought to earn their familial affiliation. His parents evidently deemed his performance in the entrance exam worthy enough to bestow a last name on him: Antelias.

    However, Terry did not really care much. The child had no inkling of what a last name signified, nor of its implications. Truthfully, Terry did not even know if the name belonged to the man, the woman, or both.

    The most common scenario would be a man that sought the services of the Greenhouse to find a suitable partner with a recorded talent in spellwork, mana crafting, or at the very least a large mana pool size. Women seeking the same services were slightly less common, but far from rare. A third scenario was a member of the government that paid to have an expected child raised in the Greenhouse. Still, such a scenario would rightfully be called an outlier.

    Powerful mages tended to have their own ideas on how to raise the future of magic, which was another way to say the future of the Arcana Empire. Arcana¡¯s ruling Council only admitted capable mages. Only the best among them could ever hope for a chance to join the magic sovereigns.

    The epigraph of the Council¡¯s mission statement read: ¡°Magic obliges. Knowledge entails the burden to rule. Power entails the duty to rule well. Only those who inquire into the deepest secrets of the world are fit to write the rules guiding life.¡±

    For the most part, Arcana¡¯s rulers took their oaths very seriously. In return, their subjects accepted the system. It was entirely possible that the Arcanian citizens even believed in it. No matter if, the amenities offered by the most advanced magic in all the remaining empires might act as a suitable substitute for genuine conviction.

    If that was not enough to pacify some, then there remained the somber realization that the only thing separating Arcana from the terrors of the Wastes was a magic barrier. This barrier was a truly impressive work of mana crafting, as well as the envy of all the other empires.

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    Terry did not know about any of this, just like he did not know the truth about his parents or their last name. His childhood in the Greenhouse had not been one of hardship ¨C quite the opposite, in fact. While Terry had little interest in his alleged parents, he did not resent them, either. The child¡¯s mind was entirely preoccupied with other topics.

    Finally spellwork¡­

    Terry closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and raised his head up from the bag. When he reopened his eyes, the sight washed the smile from his face and replaced it with a frown. The object in sight was the bane of his past one hundred days.

    The book titled ¡®Mana Foundation: Training Techniques for Pool Size, Regeneration, Sense, and Control¡¯ laid there on the dresser, pretending to be innocent of all the boredom and nuisance it had caused. The hateful thing.

    When the Arcana Academy accepted Terry, the boy was exceedingly eager to learn. The only problem was that the instructors refused to teach him what he wanted to learn. The entire first season of the curriculum was centered on basic ¨C and very repetitive ¨C exercises. That was a far cry from the ideal of a mage Terry was dreaming to become.

    Technically, Terry¡¯s score in the entrance exam already satisfied all the requirements for the end of the season. Not only was the subject matter exceedingly boring, but the tedious and mind-numbing exercises seemed entirely pointless. As the boy saw it, the whole curriculum was a farce.

    The only silver lining was that most instructors were somewhat accommodating. His assigned mentor, Instructor Pelliana, allowed him to stay absent from class instead of wasting his time. Instructor Ser insisted on his attendance, but did not seem to care if Terry read his favorite novel during class. Instructor Brynn had the bad habit of trying to rope him into her teaching ¨C asking questions or desiring demonstrations ¨C but at least she cared little about homework as long as he was on track for the class.

    Unfortunately, there was one notable exception: Instructor Samuel ¨C the scar-faced primary instructor for their mana foundation classes, primarily for mana control and mana sense. No matter how Terry tried to reason with the unreasonable man, it was all to no avail.

    By now, Terry had a lot of experience in exerting his facial muscles in ways that communicate as much displeasure as humanly possible. Unfortunately, that little habit might have escalated the situation somewhat. Or at least Terry figured it had contributed to the change in the last third of the season. Without warning, Instructor Samuel started to grade Terry differently. Instead of grading the absolute measurements, Instructor Samuel adjusted the grade according to Terry¡¯s progress since the beginning of the season.

    ¡°Above all, this is an institution for learning. Therefore, Terry Antelias, as far as I am concerned, the ability to learn is of paramount importance here at the Academy. Sadly, so far you have given no evidence whatsoever of such an ability,¡± were the instructor¡¯s words.

    All this self-important self-righteous nonsense. In the end, you are simply a petty old man.

    Even thinking about it made Terry angry. Luckily, Instructor Pelliana truly cared about him and intervened on his behalf. His grades were still affected because Instructor Samuel was the epitome of stubbornness, and obviously refused to rescind the new system completely. At least there was no danger of Terry failing the class anymore. He could look forward to the Setting Sun without worries.

    Finally.

    Today marked the first day of the Setting Sun.

    Finally spellwork.

    Terry had barely slept because he was so excited. When the sun had finally risen, he had completely given up on sleep. After cleaning and dressing himself, Terry simply laid on his bed ¨C daydreaming, reminiscing, and occasionally checking his bag.

    Time to go.

    Right when Terry was about to open the door, there was a knock. He opened the door and was greeted by Instructor Pelliana smiling at him.

    ¡°Oh good, I was worried you could be late. Looking forward to your day?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± Terry was beaming at this point and radiated excitement.

    ¡°Splendid. I am sure Instructor Ser will appreciate your eagerness to learn from him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡±

    The door closed behind them, and Terry bounced off to class.

    ***

    ¡°In the last season, you have prepared your mana foundation. This season, the goal is for you to reach the foundation level in a handful of basic spells,¡± droned the deep voice of Instructor Ser.

    In all his time at the Academy, Terry had never heard the man give a proper greeting to anyone. It was as if a nod or a grunt was the most time Instructor Ser could spare for others.

    All the better. Let¡¯s get down to it.

    The only thing that kept Terry from fidgeting around on his chair was discipline, and that was a resource in short supply for the boy.

    ¡°Today, we will look at one of the basic spells of the light aspect.¡±

    Magelight.

    ¡°Magelight.¡± said the instructor while casting the spell with his left hand. Using mana illuminated his irises. In an instant, a small globe of light hovered above his hand. Shortly after, Instructor Ser snuffed the light out again.

    ¡°Your compendium describes the basic idea of the underlying structure behind the spellwork and the flow of mana required. In this season, you will come to find out about the limitations of written instructions and the true value of your education at the Academy. No book can demonstrate the spell¡¯s core stages to your mana sense. I will now demonstrate the four stages slowly and exaggeratedly. Focus your mana sight on my left hand.¡±

    Finally, thought Terry, and he did as instructed.

    ¡°First, the mana harvesting,¡± droned Instructor Ser.

    A light blue haze gathered at the hand. Some came from the surroundings, but most seemed to originate from the instructor¡¯s hand itself.

    ¡°Second, the mana shaping.¡±

    The blue haze showed ripples and moved sluggishly, like mud in the wind. Instructor Ser allowed the structure to spin so that it was possible for the students to see exactly where the mana thinned or thickened. After about two minutes, the shaping ended and the structure was completed. Instead of the formless haze, you could now see a filigree glimmer of lines.

    ¡°Third, the mana priming.¡±

    Until this stage, the glow in the structure had been uniform and even. Now it seemed as if one part of the mana flow was dammed. This led to a brighter glow in that area while the parts behind it dimmed. That bright spot was the primer for the spellwork.

    After a few seconds, the bright spot moved along the structure. Instructor Ser continued to rotate the structure, but now the rotation was following the priming concentration of mana. This way, the students could see exactly when the primer would slow down or speed up.

    After the primer had moved a complete cycle, you could perceive the entire structure glowing brighter. This indicated that the priming was successful. From this point onwards, the primed flow of mana would cycle on its own, with no need to be guided by the casting mage.

    ¡°Last, the mana ignition.¡±

    When the mana flow cycled back to the initial state of the sequence, it seemed as if the cycling primer was suddenly compressed and pushed to speed up. This created ripples throughout the entire structure and in the next moment, the familiar orb of light appeared.

    ¡°That is it. Mana harvesting is something all of you are capable of or you would not be at this Academy. Thanks to your foundational training in the last season, the shaping stage should not pose much of a challenge either. Priming is by far the most difficult stage of the process. Ignition is not that hard and only requires a bit of practice in order to get the timing right, but that pales compared to the timing required for the priming.¡± Ser pointed towards the other side of the room. ¡°We have Instructor Brynn here to assist you and me. For the rest of the class, there will always be one of us who will repeat the demonstration of the core stages of the Magelight spell while the other one will offer guidance to students in case you have questions.

    ¡°Now practice.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Yes, Instructor.¡±¡±¡±

    Finally.

    Although it is only a Magelight spell. Maybe Instructor Pelliana can demonstrate more useful spells to me in case I am forced to wait again for everyone else. Alright, let¡¯s do this.

    Harvesting? Check.

    Shaping? Check.

    Terry glanced around to find that none of the other students had progressed beyond the shaping stage.

    Priming?

    Terry tried to dam the mana as instructed. He quickly accumulated the mana concentration necessary for the primer. When he tried to move the primer along the required path¡­ The primer faded away to blend in with the rest of the structure and he felt the slight pain of spell failure in his casting hand.

    After half an hour and about six attempts, Terry was still unable to progress past the first slope.

    I guess this is really much more difficult than the other stages.

    Terry took a breather and then examined the demonstration by Instructor Brynn.

    Looks the same to me, thought the boy while scrunching his nose and biting on lips sucked inward.

    Another half hour later, the first among the other students attempted the priming stage. They were slowly catching up with Terry.

    After the second hour, there were already around a handful of students that successfully passed the primer along the second curve point in the structure. They left Terry behind. That was an entirely unfamiliar experience for the boy.

    Finally, Terry brought himself to ask for guidance. Unfortunately, the instructions left him even more frustrated.

    I know how the mana is supposed to flow. I understand the concept of blocking and releasing the mana in order to navigate it. I want to know why it is not working!

    The more frustrated Terry became, the less success he had. Although admittedly, there was not much of a difference ¨C a few millimeters, perhaps.

    When the class finally ended, about a third of the students had small orbs of light hovering around them. The students and lights were buzzing around each other happily.

    By contrast, Terry could see little reason for happiness. The first slope had foiled his attempts at the priming stage for every second of the four hours. While there were other students that were still stuck at a similar place, these students had all reached this place later than Terry.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Instructor Pelliana turned towards the downtrodden kid. She let out a sigh and then displayed a somewhat patronizing smile. ¡°No point in moping. This is the first time that you did not dazzle everyone on your first attempt. You know, this may be a good thing. It may make you seem more approachable to the other students. No one enjoys being outshone all the time.¡±

    Yay, rang the sarcastic thought in Terry¡¯s head.

    ¡°Still, I would suggest you get a good night¡¯s rest. You probably spent half the night fantasizing about which spells to learn in what order. One must be careful that anticipation does not spoil the real thing.¡±

    True, I have barely slept. That probably did not help.

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± Looking slightly better, Terry turned to leave.

    ***

 002 Prologue: Aspect Impairment

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 27 ¨C

    Brynn and Samuel walked out of Arcana Academy¡¯s gate.

    ¡°If you are going to clench your teeth any harder, we may need to rethink our lunch options,¡± remarked Samuel drily. ¡°Who or what has soured your mood to such an extent since this morning?¡±

    ¡°Pelliana,¡± hissed Brynn through gritted teeth.

    Samuel continued to walk and waited for her to elaborate. No sense in trying to rush a soured temper. He knew her well enough to understand that much.

    Eventually, Brynn took a deep breath. ¡°After all this time of calling herself Terry¡¯s mentor, Pelliana simply gave up on the kid. Now when the boy needs a mentor more than ever before. I cannot believe that woman!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Samuel nodded quietly along.

    ¡°Every cycle, Pelliana snatches up the most promising student as her prot¨¦g¨¦.¡± Brynn was scowling at the air in front of her. ¡°Every cycle, she runs her mouth and goes on and on about being their mentor and how she sees them as her own children and now what? For the first time ever, one of her charges is struggling. Really struggling. What does Pelliana do? She casts him away!¡±

    Samuel paused so that Brynn could continue in case there was more. Once he was sure that she was done, he asked her: ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Drown her in mud.¡± Brynn looked as if she was seriously considering the idea.

    ¡°¡­¡± Samuel pulled back his lips and waited.

    Brynn took another deep breath. ¡°I intend to take over and provide Terry with supplementary lessons.¡±

    ¡°Whaka Brynn¡­¡± Samuel addressed her in the traditional dwarven affection language for accepted family. For people that did not know them, this would raise some eyebrows since the two were obviously human. ¡°...my love, my life.¡±

    Finally managing to smile a bit, Brynn slowed down and softly took Samuel¡¯s hand into her own. ¡°Whaka, I was wondering if you could help.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Samuel replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Not me,¡± sighed Brynn. ¡°The kid.¡±

    Samuel was reluctant. ¡°As I see it, the kid is doing better than ever before.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Brynn stared at him. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±

    Samuel hurried to explain himself. ¡°In the past week alone, Terry has improved more than during the entire season of the Rising Sun.¡±

    ¡°Terry has not managed to cast a single spell,¡± protested Brynn. ¡°And he is absolutely miserable because of it!¡±

    This time, it was Samuel¡¯s turn to take a deep breath.

    ***

    A knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in please,¡± answered Instructor Brynn.

    ¡°Greetings, Instructor,¡± came Terry¡¯s dispirited voice. ¡°You sent for me?¡±

    The boy had changed in the last thirty days. Where once he had been the easy-going envy of his entire class, he had now become the object of pity, and yes, sometimes derision.

    ¡°Please sit down, Terry.¡± Brynn motioned towards the seat opposite her. ¡°Instructor Pelliana has asked me to take over your supplementary classes.¡±

    No surprise there, thought Terry.

    The attitude of his mentor had changed considerably, too.

    By now, their spellwork class had covered four basic spells: Magelight, Flickering Candle, Chilling Hands, and Gust. Even though some students had not completely mastered the mana priming stage for the Gust spell yet, all of them had mastered the first three spells.

    All except Terry.

    Terry had not mastered a single spell.

    At first, instructor Pelliana had shown a lot of understanding. When the rest of the class had moved beyond the Magelight spell, she had even offered to provide her prot¨¦g¨¦ with personal guidance. This had filled Terry with immense gratitude. He had vowed to himself that he would work hard and that he would not disappoint her.

    For the first time in his life, Terry had tried his best¡­

    He had failed anyway.

    Terry had paid careful attention and filled every spare minute of the day with spellwork practice¡­

    He had failed anyway.

    Terry had researched spells in the library, desperately hoping for some insight into what he was doing wrong. He had even asked the one person he least wanted to ask for help. He had asked Instructor Samuel for additional exercises in order to improve his mana control and mana sense ¨C anything that might allow him to move past this¡­

    He had failed anyway.

    Nothing had helped. His caring mentor had transformed into a gruff shrew. Instructor Pelliana had grown increasingly frustrated with his performance and in their last supplementary lesson, she had finally lost her patience.

    ¡°How do you not get this? Even an imbecile with a hundredth of your foundational talent can do this. How are you still not able to cast any of the most basic spells? Are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to turn me into a laughingstock? Get out!¡±

    So much for his mentor. First, Terry wanted to cry. Eventually, he only felt numb.

    At some point, Terry realized that the classes on mana foundation had become his only respite throughout the day. Those were the only times when he did not feel like a complete failure. If anyone had told him that a season ago, Terry would have laughed in their faces. To think that back then, he had wished for nothing more than to skip foundation classes and move on towards spellwork¡­

    Careful what you wish for. Terry had to laugh bitterly in self-derision.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked instructor Brynn with sincere concern in her voice.

    ¡°Yes. Sorry, Instructor. Thank you for your time, Instructor.¡±

    ¡°From what I know, you have not been able to master any of the introductory spells. For all of them, you have quickly reached the priming stage, but never progressed in it, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry kept his gaze downwards, as if he was carefully analyzing the markings on the table.

    ¡°Well, I have been given free rein for your lessons. I have talked it over with Instructor Samuel and we agreed it would be better to move beyond the spells you have already encountered in class and try some new ones instead.¡±

    That does not sound like the Instructor Samuel, I know. ¡°Really?¡± The thought of finally experiencing something new instead of the same failures over and over again made Terry perk up. He finally met Brynn¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Really.¡± The instructor placed a clump of clay on her table. ¡°Today, we will try Minor Earth Shaping. The goal is to have the clay take the form of a cube. Please focus your mana sense on my right hand.¡±

    ***

    Instead of hearing the usual ¡°Come in¡±, Terry was greeted by Instructor Brynn at the door.

    ¡°No need to sit down.¡± Brynn smiled warmly at the boy. ¡°Today will be slightly different.¡±

    Is she fed up with me as well? ¡°Different?¡± asked Terry anxiously.

    ¡°Yup. We have gone over our initial selection of spells. You may not be too happy with the results, but at the very least, we have learned something.¡±

    Yes, we have thoroughly established that I am a failure.

    Brynn noticed the skeptical look on Terry¡¯s face and added, ¡°Instructor Samuel and I are trying to gather information in order to identify the source of your troubles.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®source¡¯?¡± Terry¡¯s face contorted into a grimace with furrowed brows.

    ¡°Most people that struggle with spellwork encounter problems due to an insufficient mana foundation or a failure to grasp the spell properly,¡± explained Brynn. ¡°In contrast to them, we are working under the assumption that neither applies to you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°We should postpone the discussion until we are with Instructor Samuel.¡± Brynn cut him off and walked ahead.

    ***

    ¡°Good afternoon, Terry,¡± said Instructor Samuel. He nodded at Brynn, who stood to the boy¡¯s side.

    ¡°Greetings, Instructor,¡± muttered Terry meekly..

    ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Samuel motioned towards two chairs in front of his desk. ¡°Instructor Brynn and I have a hypothesis as to your situation. We need your collaboration in order to verify or falsify it.¡± His tone was as dry and flat as usual.

    Terry glanced at Instructor Brynn and then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Please start to cast the Magelight spell as slowly as you can manage,¡± instructed Samuel. ¡°Do it stage by stage and only progress to the next stage when I tell you to.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Instructor.¡± Terry nodded faintly.

    ¡°Start whenever you are ready.¡± Both instructors focused their gazes on Terry and his casting attempt.

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    Mana harvesting. Terry could sense the blue haze accumulating on his right hand.

    Slowly. He had to restrain himself in order to follow Samuel¡¯s request.

    ¡°Continue,¡± said Samuel.

    Mana shaping. By now, Terry was so familiar with the Magelight spell that he could probably shape it with eyes closed, half-asleep, and while singing the Arcanian anthem. Besides general mana control, there was another effect in play with spellwork. This effect captured a sense of familiarity with a spell ¨C like muscle memory for mana control.

    A high aptitude in general mana control allowed mages like Terry to familiarize themselves with a new spell quickly. It took a lot less time in order to get the shaping right. The same applied to successfully priming the shaped mana structure.

    Normally anyway.

    Every mage dreamed of learning a wide variety of spells and usually the time until the first successful casting was the most frustrating. That was why general mana control was so enticing. After acquiring a basic understanding of a spell, however, the related spell control became much more important.

    The benefits of higher spell control went beyond accelerated casting. With higher levels, a mage could consciously decide on a trade-off between power and casting speed. The mage could choose to empower or quicken the spell. In order to reach those higher levels, you had to finish all four stages and train with full spellwork cycles.

    Even though the higher levels of spell control were out of reach for Terry, his intense familiarity with the shaping stage of the Magelight spell still allowed him a reduced shaping time. Now he had to concentrate in order to slow down as much as possible.

    A bit more than one minute later, the structure was completed.

    The seconds ticked by and Terry wondered what exactly the instructors were looking for with their mana sight. After all, this was not the first time that his mana shaping and spell structure were inspected for flaws. True, Instructor Samuel was supposed to be the instructor with the highest skill in mana sense and mana control, but any flaw big enough to cause problems like Terry¡¯s surely was big enough to be detected by the other instructors.

    ¡°Now create the primer, but do not move it yet,¡± instructed Samuel. ¡°Keep it in place at the starting position.¡±

    This, too, was familiar. Terry created the primer and waited. Several minutes passed before Samuel came forth with the next instruction. ¡°Begin the priming.¡±

    The primer moved about two inches and then dissipated as it always did.

    Not sure what they were hoping for here.

    The two instructors nodded at each other, and Samuel continued. ¡°Thank you, Terry. This time, you can wrap up the first three stages as quickly as you wish. Pause after you have created the primer.¡±

    Terry did as instructed. A few seconds later, the spell structure was ready, and the primer locked in the starting position again.

    ¡°Now, shut off your mana sense,¡± ordered Samuel.

    ¡°What?¡± Terry¡¯s eyebrows shot up. That was new, and a completely ridiculous instruction.

    ¡°Shut off your mana sense,¡± stressed Samuel.

    Okay? Terry did not know why he was supposed to do that, but regardless, he did as instructed. He had left his rebellious spirit somewhere in his spellwork class, together with all his failed spell structures. He would listen to whatever the instructors were asking of him.

    Blind to his own mana and the motivation behind the instruction, Terry waited while the seconds ticked by¡­

    Eventually, Terry felt a slight pang in his casting hand: an indicator for spell failure.

    ¡°That was quick,¡± exclaimed Brynn, before turning to Samuel with a quizzical look on her face.

    ¡°Yes, but not too far out of the ordinary,¡± remarked Samuel pensively.

    ¡°What was quick?¡± inquired Terry.

    ¡°The collapse of your spell structure,¡± replied Brynn quickly. ¡°Properly shaped mana does not require much balancing for upkeep, which makes the time difference stand out. Last time, your spell structure was stable for minutes.¡±

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Terry could not hide the desperation in his voice.

    ¡°Nothing definite yet,¡± answered Samuel with a slight frown. ¡°It indicates that your problem may not actually lie with the priming. Instead, it may have its roots in the shaping stage.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry grimaced. ¡°My Magelight structure has been scrutinized about a thousand times already. What is wrong with it?¡±

    ¡°The structure looks perfect,¡± agreed Brynn with a sigh.

    ¡°Then¡­?¡± Terry was becoming frantic. His breathing turned erratic and his downward gaze shifted from side to side. He looked as if he wanted to burst out of his skin.

    ¡°The problem with mana sense is that we can only sense the result instead of the process,¡± said Samuel. His voice was louder than his usual tone.

    Samuel waited for the boy to meet his gaze before he continued. ¡°Imagine a ball on a string. You move around the ball by pulling on the string. You move around your mana by applying your mana control. For measuring your mana control, we look at how deftly you can move the ball around. Unfortunately, that is not quite the real thing. We do not get to examine the string.¡±

    Terry silently furrowed his brows. The boy¡¯s confusion was written plainly on his face.

    Samuel continued in a pondering tone, as if he was just thinking loudly. ¡°Mana control itself can be separated into distinct components. The two major components are mana naturalization and movement. Naturalization is the process of making mana your own and is the equivalent of attaching the string. In some cases, the attachment or the string itself comes with its own properties.¡±

    Something about that rang familiar to Terry. Wait, aspects¡ª?

    Before the boy could get lost in his own thoughts, Samuel pressed: ¡°One more exercise. Please try to shape mana in a straight line.¡±

    Terry did as instructed. A perfect line appeared in mana sight.

    ¡°Now, shut off your mana sense,¡± instructed Samuel.

    Again, Terry waited.

    ¡°You can let go of the mana now,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Next, please shape a cube, then pause.¡±

    When Terry had created a perfect cube, the instructors nodded at each other. Samuel explained the next test: ¡°I want you to flatten the cube, but without observing the shape through your mana sense. For the first round, let us try squeezing the top and bottom. Please close your eyes as well.¡±

    ¡°Imagine you were working with clay. Instead of picturing the result, try to focus on applying a uniform force,¡± added Instructor Brynn.

    Terry slightly winced. He wondered if Instructor Brynn had noticed him playing with the clay during their first supplementary lesson or if it was simply a habit of hers to relate everything to earth magic.

    ¡°Alright. Now, hold it in place for a bit,¡± instructed Samuel. Unknown to the boy, he and Brynn shared a meaningful glance.

    They repeated the exercise several times before switching to squeezing, first left and right, then front and back.

    ¡°Thank you, Terry.¡± Samuel was tapping his finger on the desk. ¡°I believe we should stop here for now. Let us meet again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Huh? O-okay.¡± Terry was taken aback by the sudden end, but he would not question them. He would follow whatever advice they had. ¡°Thank you for your time, Instructors.¡±

    Both adults were smiling gently at the departing boy. After the door had closed behind Terry, they looked at each other and sighs escaped from their mouths.

    ¡°Poor kid,¡± exclaimed Brynn sadly. ¡°I really hoped that we were mistaken.¡± When she remembered the shapes produced by the boy¡¯s last exercises, she could not help but sigh again.

    All of Terry¡¯s blind mana shapes had been completely bent and dented.

    Samuel stood up and opened the window, where Brynn quickly joined him. For some time, the two simply stood there and looked outside. The view of the Academy grounds, the city in the distance, and the barrier surrounding them normally helped to put things into perspective.

    Eventually, Brynn let her head fall on Samuel¡¯s shoulder and repeated in a mutter: ¡°Poor kid.¡±

    ¡°We have ruled out nearly all the basic aspects in the core system,¡± remarked Samuel. ¡°None of our spot checks for the upper or outer system were any different. It was all but certain that the kid had a major aspect impairment.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Brynn grimaced unhappily.

    ¡°It could be an irregular impairment.¡± Samuel shrugged. ¡°In any case, we should get Pelliana.¡±

    As soon as the name had escaped Samuel¡¯s lips, Brynn¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Technically, she is still his mentor,¡± Samuel pointed out. ¡°Maybe Pelliana can give some input on how best to break the news to the boy.¡±

    Brynn¡¯s frown was still locked in place, but she added a derisive snort for emphasis.

    ¡°Whaka Brynn, Terry is from the Greenhouse,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°I really do not know how to best handle this. I am out of my depth here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Brynn was scowling without mustering a reply.

    For some minutes, the two just stood there in companionable silence while leaning on the windowsill.

    ¡°Fine,¡± hissed Brynn eventually. ¡°But if she acts all Pelliana again, I reserve the right to turn her into a statue.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Terry has what?!¡± demanded Pelliana with an almost offended tone.

    ¡°A major aspect impairment,¡± answered Samuel calmly.

    Off to the side, Brynn was already clenching her teeth and noticeably blinking less frequently than usual. Her glares for Pelliana were threatening to consume her entire face.

    ¡°How could that be?¡± scoffed Pelliana dismissively. ¡°His mana is unaspected. We have tested him just like we have tested every other student!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not all forms of aspect impairment are because of aspected mana,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°There is even the theory that most mages have some form of aspect impairment ¨C only that the impairment is in the higher level spells, and so nobody really notices.¡±

    ¡°A rubbish theory for half-mages and imbeciles to feel better about themselves,¡± sneered Pelliana.

    This outburst caught Brynn¡¯s attention and jolted her from her quiet seething. Her gaze moved to Samuel with sympathy. She knew Samuel had very few sore spots, but Whaka Olgorn was definitely the most sensitive among them.

    Olgorn had been a dwarven mage who always dreamed of being a healer. Unfortunately, his mana was aspected towards fire. Olgorn and Samuel had met when they were still kids and continued to be friends into their days at the Guild. Olgorn had even invited Samuel into his whanau ¨C the traditionalist dwarven concept of an accepted family.

    The practice of accepted families originated when the dwarves were still fighting for survival in the Deep. At the time, every dwarf was a soldier. Inevitably, every child was expected to join the frontline. It was always better to have another trusted person to watch your child¡¯s back, and it was always good to know that there would be someone looking after your family in case you could not return yourselves.

    Most introductions into a whanau were with children ¨C adoptions, basically. Accepting an adult was one of the highest honors a dwarf can offer you ¨C as rare as a marriage commitment, but independent of any romantic feelings.

    Sadly, Brynn never had the chance to meet Olgorn, because he had died before she met Samuel. Insulting any whaka was already bad enough, but Samuel was still feeling guilty for Olgorn¡¯s death.

    Unsurprisingly, Samuel¡¯s jaw grew tense. He breathed slower and more consciously. He involuntarily moved a hand to the burn marks on his face. His eyes narrowed and fury glimmered in them¡­ until he noticed Brynn¡¯s gaze. Samuel blinked a few times and then relaxed with a deep breath.

    ¡°Anyway, forget the theory then.¡± Samuel spoke with forced calm. ¡°This is about Terry. Yes, his mana seems unaspected. However, his mana is definitely oscillating.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Pelliana scrunched up her face at the unfamiliar term.

    ¡°Oscillating mana is a condition in which the naturalized mana is showing movement on its own,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Where normal mages only have to consciously move their naturalized mana in order to change its shape, a mage with oscillating mana would have to readjust and balance the shape constantly in order to keep it. An impossible task, which is what makes Terry¡¯s spell structures too unstable for the priming.¡±

    ¡°I have never heard of that,¡± grunted Pelliana. ¡°Besides, I have looked at Terry¡¯s spell structures. They looked fine to me. Terry fails at the priming.¡±

    ¡°Terry fails at the priming, because his spell structure is unstable,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°There isn¡¯t the slightest chance of him to succeed in the priming. We instructors have failed to notice the problem during the shaping because Terry¡¯s exquisite mana control allows him to mend the flaws as quickly as they appear. He seems to rebalance subconsciously, but he is indeed rebalancing even into the priming stage.¡±

    Pelliana snarled. ¡°Then why are we not testing the students for this oscillating mana thing? To think I have wasted more than a season on a lost cause¡­¡±

    Brynn¡¯s gaze was increasingly growing colder. ¡°A child is not a lost cause.¡± She spat the words out through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Pelliana¡¯s expression brightened, and she leaned slightly forward. ¡°Can it be cured, then?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Samuel firmly.

    Pelliana¡¯s expression instantly returned to dismissiveness, and she leaned back again.

    Samuel continued: ¡°Not as far as we know. It is a very rare condition to begin with. It barely has a name. Unfortunately, there is hardly any interest in researching aspect impairments. Those with major aspect impairments never graduate from the Academy. Therefore, you won¡¯t find any of them among the Council or the magic sovereigns. Even if there were some with minor or irregular impairments among them, they would prefer to hide their condition.¡±

    Pelliana rolled her eyes at the last statement.

    ¡°No representation in the Council means no influence on the government¡¯s research direction. No research means no knowledge,¡± summarized Samuel.

    ¡°A person with oscillating mana would normally never find their way to the Academy¡¯s doorsteps, much less stand any chance of being accepted,¡± added Brynn. ¡°If Terry¡¯s talent in mana foundation had not been an extreme outlier, no one would have ever noticed. He would simply live his life as a mana cultivator ¨C forever unaware of his condition.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± asked Pelliana, and impatience radiated from her whole being. ¡°What am I here for?¡±

    ¡°We need to tell Terry and you are his mentor,¡± replied Samuel matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Hmph. Alright then, sure,¡± said Pelliana and she casually shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°We planned to meet with Terry tomorrow¡­¡±

    Pelliana had already stopped listening.

    ***

 003 Prologue: Path of a Mage

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 71 ¨C

    ¡°THAT WASTE-DAMNED PUS WEASEL!¡± cursed Brynn. She kept her hands on the door handle and gripped it so hard that her knuckles were showing white.

    ¡°DUNG. GOBBLING. PEST. BEETLE.¡±

    After taking another deep breath ¨C or ten ¨C Brynn was finally ready to leave her soundproofed office.

    ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± questioned Samuel.

    ¡°In his room,¡± replied Brynn. ¡°He did not answer, but I could sense his mana from outside.¡± She hissed. ¡°I swear Pelliana will eat some dirt for this.¡±

    ¡°Just let me know if you need an alibi, Whaka,¡± quipped Samuel.

    Brynn stopped her mumbled curses in order to exhale some air through her nose.

    ¡°Nama, I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Samuel. ¡°It was not a good idea to involve Pelliana. You were right.¡±

    Brynn shook her head and grimaced. ¡°Not your fault. Even I did not believe that Pelliana would simply throw it out at the boy the first chance she gets. Without even waiting for the meeting we had planned.¡±

    The two arrived at Terry¡¯s door.

    ¡°Terry?¡± called Brynn. There was no response. In the silence, they could hear the muffled sounds of someone crying.

    Brynn was about to unlock and open the door when Samuel stopped her. He seemed conflicted and hesitant. After a moment of pause, he shook his head and met Brynn¡¯s gaze. ¡°Please, let me.¡±

    Brynn was stunned. This was definitely not the kind of task that her life¡¯s chosen would volunteer for. In a slight daze, she nodded with mouth agape.

    ¡°Whaka Bjorln once told me hope first, pity later,¡± whispered Samuel. More to himself than to the woman at his side. After mustering his resolve, Samuel unlocked the door and stepped into Terry¡¯s room.

    The boy sat on the floor with his back to his bed. He was hugging his knees and burying his face in them. His cherished novel, Path of a Mage: Legend of the Veilbinder, was lying next to him.

    When Terry noticed Samuel¡¯s presence, he wiped away his tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± exclaimed Samuel. ¡°Personally, I have never found tears to be of much help, but wiping them away surely does not help either. Whatever inspired our tears may be shameful, but there is no shame in crying.¡±

    Terry just sat there silently. He was staring at the floor with red eyes.

    ¡°Terry, I do not believe there is anything for you to be ashamed of,¡± stressed Samuel sincerely. ¡°In fact, I think you can be proud of your performance this season.¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Terry uttered an incredulous hiss through closed lips. He glared at his instructor and shook his head.

    ¡°Your rate of improvement in mana foundation has been nothing but astonishing,¡± stressed Samuel.

    Terry looked to the floor again. He was still shaking his head.

    Samuel continued: ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Terry cut him off with an outraged shout: ¡°I AM ASPECT IMPAIRED! WHAT DOES IT MATTER?!¡±

    Samuel kept his gaze calm and tried to find the right words. ¡°Aspect impairments can be irregular. You may still progress as a mage. There may still be spells you will be able to cast.¡±

    ¡°And so what?!¡± Terry¡¯s voice was cracking, tinged with the timbre of despair. ¡°I cannot cast any of the basic spells that are required for the examination next cycle. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is that why you came to the Academy?¡± interjected Samuel challengingly. ¡°To pass examinations?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry was stupefied by the question.

    ¡°If not, and if instead you came here to learn, then learn!¡± demanded Samuel. ¡°If you cannot cast spells, then improve your mana foundation! Or even start mana cultivation! If you still desire to do spellwork, then keep looking for spells!¡±

    Samuel firmly held Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°As long as you demonstrate an ability and willingness to learn, you have my word that Instructor Brynn and I will be there to guide you. As long as you keep improving in whatever aspect you can, we will be there to try new spells with you for however long it takes.¡±

    Samuel gave a single nod. ¡°Yes, you are most definitely going to fail the next examination.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So what? The only path this will bar for you is the way into Arcana¡¯s government. Was this your dream when you came here? Did you want to become an official bureaucrat?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Terry¡¯s eyes went to his favorite novel, and he grimaced with despair. ¡°What good is a mage without spells?¡±

    ¡°Well, that depends on the mage, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Samuel shot back, and he almost sounded angry. ¡°Is that the reason you are drawn to this story? Is that why you admire the Veilbinder?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Because of his talent for spellwork?¡±

    Now it was Terry¡¯s turn to scoff: ¡°What would you know of the Veilbinder?¡±

    ¡°Of the dramatized version for children?¡± Samuel asked pointedly. ¡°Not much. However, I am quite fond of the historic account of the Veilbinder¡¯s legend. It reminds me of my accepted brother.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I have a copy of the first published account by Saint Petra, one of the Veilbinder¡¯s later companions.¡± He smiled slightly. ¡°If my book does not show as much wear and tear as your novel, then only because it is of better making.¡±

    Samuel shook his head and sighed. ¡°The problem with editions like yours is that they tell a completely misleading account. They have to leave out some parts that are not suitable for children. They leave out some other parts or shift emphasis depending on which country the edition is published in.¡± He scowled. ¡°In the end, the story that is left emphasizes all the wrong aspects.

    ¡°They will tell you that the Veilbinder was a rare talent in the tower he was trained in. This is true enough, but his talent was not what truly stood out. It was rare, but not an extreme outlier.¡±

    Samuel¡¯s tone became solemn. ¡°Remember that the Veilbinder¡¯s time was before the Enlightenment ¨C before people realized that the gods they worshipped were nothing more than powerful magical beings, back when the cults of the false gods were still respected and held much influence.

    ¡°Back then, the cult that dressed itself as the dominant religion taught that mages were sinful existences, less than folk and more like beasts, existences who at best deserve a fate to be used as mindless tools. As soon as a child exhibited signs of magic, it was thrown into a tower to be imprisoned and guarded by cultist fanatics.

    ¡°No privacy. No intimacy. No real life. They would be instructed in magic, true, but every day they would be told that they were evil incarnate. Every day, they would be tested with rituals. Every day, they would be at their captor¡¯s mercy. Every day, they were expected to be obedient, even if commanded to die.

    ¡°Countless mages died of either the prescribed abuse during the rituals or the arbitrary abuse by the guarding fanatics. Most mages died of suicide. Of those that survived, only a few preserved enough sanity to not eventually turn into murdering menaces.¡±

    Samuel sighed and took a deep breath. ¡°The Veilbinder is quoted as saying that he never really made it out of the tower, that he could never become a kind person, and that all his apparent kindness was truly rooted in pride ¨C pride in the person he aimed to be.¡±

    Even when Samuel paused, Terry was too stunned by the instructor¡¯s emotional speech to interject. He had barely ever heard Instructor Samuel talk in anything but a dry or critical tone.

    Samuel continued with sincere feelings like before: ¡°In the eyes of everyone else, the Veilbinder appeared to be a person greater than life itself, filled with compassion and strength. However, while your actions are what characterizes you for others, your own thoughts are what defines you for yourself.

    ¡°Until the end, the Veilbinder saw himself as a crippled being, who could never allow himself to do as he felt. After all, if he had followed his inclinations when he was younger, then he would have committed suicide, and if he had done so when he was older, he might have turned into the evil creature the cultists proclaimed mages to be. That was unacceptable to him.

    ¡°The Veilbinder was about to be executed for aiding escapees. He was neither involved in the planning, nor was he among the mages that fled. However, when the attempt was discovered, the Veilbinder stepped up and temporarily blocked the pursuers.

    ¡°It was only luck that allowed the Veilbinder to face a war instead of a simple execution. If it was not for the First Great Crisis of the era ¨C if it was not for the swarm of mana cursed entering our realm through the Deep ¨C then there would not have been such a desperate need for mages to throw into the fight. There would have been no intervention by the local government. The Veilbinder¡¯s story would have ended right then on that day.¡±

    Samuel shook his head slowly while scowling. ¡°The fictionalized versions mostly focus on the Veilbinder and his companions succeeding against impossible odds during the Second Great Crisis. Unfortunately, they leave out the part in which the Veilbinder knowingly sacrificed his entire mana foundation.

    ¡°Back then, all mages who had lost their mana foundation had also lost their sense of self. That was a fate that the Veilbinder considered worse than death, because to him this was precisely what the cultists wanted him to become ¨C an obedient puppet.

    ¡°Saint Petra describes the Veilbinder¡¯s tears after the battle, when he implored his companions for a promise that they would not allow him to suffer such a fate and live, when he begged his best friends to help him die if it came to that.¡±

    Samuel¡¯s own eyes glistened slightly. ¡°Fortunately, the Veilbinder¡¯s sacrifice differed from the other rituals and he kept his sense of self. Without his mana foundation, the Veilbinder joined the fight in the Deep and progressed to create the most astonishing parts of his legend.¡±

    Samuel stared intently at Terry. ¡°If the Veilbinder had not gone into the Deep despite his lack of mana foundation, then he would have never found his way into the other realms. The Veilbinder would have never discovered new magic systems. The dwarves would never have been able to do spellwork. The Deep would forever have been the dominion of the deathblood mana cursed. The Twin Gods of Death would never have been killed and there would never have been an Enlightenment.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Samuel lowered his gaze and he took a deep breath. ¡°My accepted brother and I once visited the dwarven Deeprock City ¨C the old capital of the stone dwellers. To this day, the dwarves revere the Veilbinder as their honorary ancestor: the only human paragon. We got a chance to see the original work by Saint Petra, as well as the room in which she lived when she compiled all available records and recorded the Veilbinder¡¯s story.¡±

    Samuel smiled wistfully. ¡°It was fascinating to see all the sketches of the Veilbinder and his companions. There were so many notes and sketches ¨C way too many for a single book. When Saint Petra and the other companions put together the first version for publication, they had to choose what to include and what to emphasize. Emphasis. That thought stuck with me.

    ¡°The first published edition contained a hand-written dedication on the last even page. It was a dedication not to the legendary Veilbinder, to the Human Paragon, or to the Hero of the Realms, but to their departed friend whom they deeply missed.

    ¡°Next to the dedication and on the last filled page of the book, the companions added a single sketch. That was the only image they included in the entire book. The sketch did not depict the Veilbinder waltzing into battle with an arsenal of active spells. It was not the Veilbinder standing victorious above his enemies or celebrating victory. None of that.

    ¡°Instead, it was a sketch of the Veilbinder at his lowest. It was the moment the Veilbinder figured out what they were up against during the Second Great Crisis ¨C armies of mana cursed led by a near invulnerable immortal whose abilities and experience in magic surpassed those of the Veilbinder by far. It was the moment when everyone was looking up to the Veilbinder for salvation and when he himself was completely out of ideas.

    ¡°In the sketch, the Veilbinder is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall behind him, with a thousand-yard stare to the front, arms outstretched and resting on his knees. That is how the Veilbinder¡¯s companions chose to remember him.

    ¡°I believe they chose this sketch because ¨C faced with impossible odds and paralyzing despair ¨C it was also the moment shortly before the Veilbinder stood up. He did so, not with a grand plan or path to victory, but instead with a defiant will to push forward and to focus on the things that he could do before figuring out how to do more.

    ¡°That is the true Path of a Mage,¡± stressed Samuel with a tone that allowed no refutation. ¡°It is not about where you end up or which road you take, but about always moving forward. It is not about the powers you want to have, but about following the person you want to become.¡±

    Terry sat completely still. He had even forgotten to blink for a while.

    ¡°My copy of the Path of a Mage did not originally belong to me,¡± said Samuel with a sorrowful voice. ¡°It belonged to my accepted brother Olgorn¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°After Olgorn died, I cried for weeks¡­¡±

    Samuel lowered his gaze, looking at the floor in front of Terry¡¯s feet. ¡°It did not help.¡± His eyes became watery, and he slowly shook his head. ¡°Not at all.¡± He sighed. ¡°Eventually, Olgorn¡¯s birth brother paid me a visit. He tried to convince me that Olgorn¡¯s death was not my fault, and he left some of Olgorn¡¯s belongings with me.¡±

    A tear ran down Samuel¡¯s face. Almost reflexively, he raised a hand and wet two of his fingers. He did not wipe the tear away, but looked at his wet fingertips as one might examine an old familiar picture.

    Samuel shook his head forcefully to regain some composure. ¡°Truthfully, I have never felt quite worthy of the book my whaka left me.¡± He stared intently at Terry. ¡°You, however, could be different. If you keep up your learning progress ¨C both in mana foundation and in the supplementary lessons for testing new spells ¨C then I will happily lend you the copy. If you persevere long enough, I promise the book will be yours.¡±

    Without waiting for a reaction, Samuel walked back towards the door. His tears were drying undisturbed. He gripped the door handle and turned back once more to face the boy. ¡°Take the day off to collect your thoughts. Tomorrow, Instructor Brynn and I expect to see you in class. If you ever have any worries again, then don¡¯t lock yourself in here. We would rather share your worries than have you worrying us.

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Terry.¡± Samuel stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He was met with Brynn¡¯s gentle gaze.

    Brynn was slightly taller than Samuel. Saying nothing, she took his face in her hands and softly kissed his forehead before giving him a kiss on the lips. ¡°Whaka Samuel, my life, I love you.¡±

    Samuel smiled back at her with red eyes. ¡°Nama, thank you, Whaka Brynn. I love you too, my life. However, we are not supposed to show affection inside the Academy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± acknowledged Brynn without a care. ¡°But I felt like it.¡± Together, they set off towards the work that awaited them in their offices.

    Eventually Brynn spoke up: ¡°Whaka Samuel, you do realize that with all your fan talk about the Veilbinder, you have not really covered the topic of the Greenhouse and where Terry is supposed to go after being expelled, right?¡±

    Samuel¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider. ¡°Not until now I haven¡¯t, no.¡±

    ¡°For the Greenhouse, the fact that Terry is aspect impaired will be a scandal.¡± Brynn pointed out. ¡°If one of his parents was a Seedbearer, then they will probably become banned as well.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh. The Greenhouse is definitely not an option. Maybe there is a chance that Terry¡¯s parents will still accept him¨C¨C?¡± Samuel paused himself when seeing Brynn¡¯s skeptical face. ¡°An infinitesimal chance, perhaps. Possible, but improbable and not to be counted on.¡±

    ¡°They did not care for him until his performance in the entrance exam,¡± grumbled Brynn. ¡°More likely that they are going to denounce him and rescind his last name.¡±

    Samuel nodded. ¡°I will talk to whanau Isille and Bjorln. They are excellent parents and would never leave a child abandoned.¡±

    ¡°And their twins could use a whaka their own age.¡± Brynn grinned. ¡°I am sure the chipmunks would be delighted to have Terry as their accepted brother and have his back.¡± She snorted with amusement. ¡°Although Terry may have his hands full trying to watch their backs.¡± She had to giggle when thinking about the two troublemaking dwarven kids.

    ***

    The leaves on the trees outside the Academy were changing from green to crimson. The double Season of the Sun was nearing its end and the Rising Moon was about to begin.

    Terry had attended class again. At first, the boy simply did not know what else to do. Therefore, he did as instructed. He continued to excel in the mana foundation classes and Instructor Samuel made it a point to discuss both Terry¡¯s progress and potential opportunities for improvement during every class.

    While spellwork classes were still a demotivating torment, they had become less bad ever since Terry had stopped looking around at the successful spells and excited faces of his fellow students.

    Terry was already familiar with the spell structures for this cycle and understood that he could not prime them. That was why he used the time for mana foundation exercises instead. Besides the regular exercises shared by Instructor Samuel, there were also some fun mana games which Instructor Brynn had introduced to him.

    The official exercises comprised shaping specific structures, interlinking different structures, or moving the structures a certain way at a specific and mostly constant speed. In contrast, the games focused more on maximum speed, reaction time, coordination, and reach. Many of the games were copies or extensions of regular sport games.

    In some games, they tried to shoot a mana-shaped ball through a hoop or goal. You could play it on your own and change the distance of the target or you could play it with others. Terry¡¯s favorite game was a multiplayer game that Brynn called mana skeet shooting ¨C apparently, it was loosely based on a game that did not involve mana and instead used clay for targets.

    Each player had to maintain a specific number of mana-shaped disks and was allowed a specific number of mana-shaped balls at a time. You earned points for hitting the disk of another player with your mana ball. In the easiest stages, the disk was stationary. With more challenging rules, you could move your disk in order to avoid getting hit. A stronger player could give a handicap by maintaining more disks or allowing the other player more balls.

    Terry really enjoyed playing the latter version against Instructor Brynn ¨C even though he usually ended up losing. He thought about challenging Instructor Samuel, but Brynn just gave an exaggerated head shake when he passed the idea by her.

    Later, Instructor Samuel had made good on his promise and at the end of every second week, Instructor Samuel allowed Terry to stay back in his office and read a chapter of the first edition historical account of the Path of a Mage.

    Terry was flabbergasted when confronted with the huge tome. It was over five times as thick as his cherished novel. That thickness did not even account for the fact that the letters were smaller, the lines of words were closer to each other, and there was half the margin. That book made even his Introductory Spellwork look like a restaurant menu in comparison.

    At one chapter a fortnight, Terry would probably take years to finish it. Unfortunately, and to Terry¡¯s immense regret, Instructor Samuel firmly refused every request for permission to read more than that. Terry had even attempted to recruit Instructor Brynn in order to convince Samuel, but to both his astonishment ¨C and disappointment ¨C Instructor Brynn rejected his request just as firmly.

    Maybe they will make an exception now that I have more time on my hands?

    Terry stepped into Brynn¡¯s office. The boy still looked tense and strained, but it was noticeably better than the week before.

    ¡°Greetings, Instructor Brynn. Thank you for your time!¡±

    ¡°Good day, Terry. And thank you for your time as well.¡± Brynn smiled widely. ¡°I need the practice if I am to break the tie with Samuel. I safely win in the clay version, but in the mana version, he is just too damn crafty.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry had no idea how to respond to that.

    Realizing that she might have overshared a bit, Brynn cleared her throat. ¡°Nevermind. You are earlier than usual. Is anything the matter?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Only that Instructor Pelliana has exempted me from spellwork classes.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°She said that it would be a waste of everyone¡¯s time.¡±

    Brynn¡¯s right eye twitched, and she exhaled slowly. ¡°Of course she did.¡± After a click of her tongue, she continued. ¡°Well, luckily, Instructor Samuel and I have already prepared a productive use of your time.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Terry was all ears.

    ¡°We are bringing you into the city to meet some new instructors,¡± explained Brynn.

    ¡°For what?¡± Terry had never really left the Academy after his admissions.

    ¡°Mana cultivation.¡±

    This combination of words still stung a bit when Terry heard it¡­ Okay, it stung a lot.

    Terry frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t mana cultivation simply spellwork without spells? Instructor Samuel is already guiding me in mana foundation.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± Brynn¡¯s eyes widened and her head shifted from shaking to nodding and back. ¡°No. Not even close. I mean, yes in some way, but no nonetheless.¡±

    What? The confusion washed away Terry¡¯s frown. Only a wrinkled brow remained.

    ¡°Uhm, puh-blblbl¡­¡± Brynn sharply exhaled air through her closed lips, which caused them to vibrate and make a sound. ¡°Not my particular area of expertise and they will explain it much better than I could, but¡­¡±

    Brynn scrunched up her face while searching for the right words. ¡°To make it short, mana can be used in many ways, and spellwork is just one of the potential uses. Your mana foundation is essential to all applications, but on its own, it is not an active component.

    ¡°A proper mana cultivator finds active uses for mana, just like a proper mage does. They are not just training their foundation in order to enjoy the passive benefits of a large mana pool. The two we want you to meet have a lower mana foundation than I. Nevertheless, without my spellwork or constructs, I could not put up a fight against them. They have decades of experience as Guardians and to this day remain part of their reserve members. Either of them could knock me out without breaking much of a sweat.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind had ground to a screeching halt when he had picked up the word ¡®Guardians.¡¯

    Woah. Awesome!

    Hearing about the opportunity to meet actual Guardians finally sparked some genuine excitement in the boy.

    The Guardians were just as famous in the empires as the Guild. Both accepted missions related to dealing with dungeons and the threat of mana cursed, mana-corrupted beasts, or magical beings in general.

    If a new dungeon was discovered, they would be in charge of assessing the threat level. They were in charge of isolating and guarding the dungeon if it was too dangerous. The latter task was mostly covered by the Guardians as opposed to the Guild.

    Members of the Guild were more like freelancers. From the members¡¯ perspective, they were mostly on their own. If they successfully completed a mission, they would get to keep much more of the reward than a Guardian would. If they took on a mission in which they were out of their depth, nobody would stop them either. If they got injured or died, then that was that.

    In contrast, the Guardians always acted as a whole. They would accept a mission and then distribute it internally. The Guardians provided training, and they took the member¡¯s known ability and experience into account during distribution. They kept a larger portion of the reward in order to finance training, insurance, and pensions.

    Missions that involved extreme danger, high urgency, or a very specialized skill set were usually covered by the Guild ¨C as long as the client could pay. By contrast, routine tasks would normally be handled by the Guardians. While most individuals with incredible power were part of the Guild, the Guardians had their fair share of famous individuals as well.

    Of course, Arcana also had its own army, but the army normally did not get involved in dungeon business or minor affairs. The army¡¯s main purpose was to deal with large external threats. Thanks to the barrier, there were very few of those in Arcana.

    While the cities had their own city guard, it focused on defense and keeping order. The city guard frequently lacked the required expertise to deal with threats of magical creatures effectively.

    I wonder what they are like, thought Terry.

    ¡°Anyway, there will be time for that tomorrow.¡± Brynn changed topics. ¡°For now, we should see how you do with the Locate Water spell.¡±

    ***

 004 Prologue: Primer on Mana Cultivation

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 5 ¨C

    ¡°Alright, this is it,¡± announced Brynn. She, Samuel, and Terry were in the northern district of Arcana City, where they were facing a large open gate.

    ¡°They live in the mountains?¡± asked Terry incredulously.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± replied Samuel. ¡°They work in the mountains and live next to them.¡±

    ¡°The northern quarters are mostly run and inhabited by Guardians,¡± added Brynn. ¡°They have their local headquarters and their training grounds there. The Guardians are also responsible for managing the mana crystal mine.¡±

    Samuel led the way through the gate and knocked on a door to the left. Immediately afterwards, some running and tumbling noises reverberated in the building until the door was practically torn open.

    ¡°Auntie Brynn!¡± ¡°Unca Samuel!¡±

    Two little people came rushing at the two instructors.

    ¡°Calm down, you two!¡± chided a strict female voice from inside.

    ¡°Let them come in first,¡± came a deep voice further back.

    Dwarves? Terry was surprised when the owners of the two voices came into view.

    A dwarven man with curly red hair and a very frizzy beard. His broad shoulders and visible muscles would have made him look extremely intimidating if it was not for his pastel yellow apron and, perhaps more importantly, his warm welcoming smile.

    The dwarven woman had dark brown hair put into a short ponytail accompanied by smooth sideburns. While her shoulders were not as broad, her muscles were just as visible. She was lacking an apron to soften the impression.

    ¡°You have not visited in over a fortnight,¡± said the man with the apron. ¡°The twins really missed you. Come in. Breakfast is almost ready.¡±

    The two little ones clinging to the instructors let go, and Terry could now see their faces. They resembled the two adult dwarves, which was unsurprising.

    What did surprise Terry though was that the two were sporting facial hair ¨C a frizzy beard on the boy and smooth sideburns on the girl. Very similar to the two adults. However, the rest of their faces still looked childish, and the combination made for a strange image.

    At first, Terry had assumed that they were children. They were quite short even when compared to the two adult dwarves. Their facial hair was casting some doubts about his initial assessment. Then again, Terry had never had much contact with dwarves before. He did not know when a dwarf would start developing facial hair.

    It was difficult enough to tell the age of mages or mana cultivators, because a large mana pool slowed down aging and increased longevity as long as it remained filled with mana. Trying to tell the age of mana cultivators of a folk Terry had never had much contact with was more of a challenge than he was prepared for.

    Terry was still subconsciously rubbing his own chin when Brynn patted him on the back and motioned towards the open door.

    ¡°After you.¡± Brynn beamed at the boy.

    Terry followed Samuel inside. He immediately felt awkward and out of place when everyone else began greeting and hugging each other. It was evident that they all knew each other and were quite close. He was obviously the odd one out. He tried to memorize the names from the greetings.

    Whaka Isille is the adult dwarven woman. Nama Whaka Bjorln is the adult dwarven man¡­

    Terry repeated the names silently to himself in order to better commit them to his memory.

    ¡°So, this is the kid we are supposed to teach?¡± asked Isille.

    Terry stepped forward. ¡°Greetings. I am Terry. Thank you for your time, Instructor Whaka Isille.¡±

    Everyone froze for a moment. The two twins started giggling, which caused Terry to tense up.

    Oh no. What did I do?

    ¡°That is very kind of you,¡± said Isille with an amicable smile. ¡°But I do not believe I have done anything yet that would warrant such an address.¡± Regardless of her words, her strict expression had already melted and her intimidating presence had vanished with it.

    ¡°Careful, little charmer, or I might get a little jealous,¡± teased Bjorln with a chuckle. Isille rolled her eyes in response.

    Terry was utterly confused and looked towards his Academy instructors for help.

    Samuel cleared his throat. ¡°You have essentially stated that you love her like family and that you would walk to death¡¯s door with her.¡±

    I stated what to whom when? WHAT!?

    Terry¡¯s mouth hung open while his eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Whaka is not part of a name, but a way of addressing a close comrade-in-arms,¡± explained Samuel.

    Terry glued his gaze to the floor and blushed profusely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± interjected Brynn drily. ¡°The first time I used the term without knowing what it meant, I nearly got myself engaged before figuring it out. Traditionalist dwarves should hand out pamphlets to avoid those confusions. I believe they enjoy seeing everyone else embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Well, a good chuckle is worth a thousand coins,¡± interjected Bjorln before grinning and nodding at Terry. ¡°Nice to meet you, Terry. I am called Bjorln.¡±

    Bjorln gestured towards the pair of younger dwarves. ¡°This is our daughter, Florine. This is our son, Jorgen. The two are at your age and they also learn from us. They¡¯ll be your fellow students.¡±

    After Bjorln had finished his piece, Isille spoke for herself: ¡°You may call me Isille. No need for the ¡®Instructor this, Instructor that¡¯ they do at the Academy or during official Guardian lessons.¡±

    Everyone smiled and nodded at Terry, which made the boy feel a lot better.

    ¡°Aunt Brynn, can you show me the Liquify Earth spell again?¡± asked Florine excitedly.

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Brynn nodded.

    Florine beamed at her.

    ¡°If you can demonstrate that you have practiced diligently,¡± said Brynn while exaggeratedly wagging her finger.

    Meanwhile, the other adults set the table.

    ***

    ¡°So, how is your research going?¡± asked Bjorln.

    ¡°Some notable progress,¡± responded Samuel with an unsatisfied expression. ¡°We succeeded in creating a fire aspect variant of the Cure Minor Wounds spell by incorporating coldfire from the outer system and bloodfire from the lower system. It is not as efficient as the comparable variants from the life or light aspects, but it is getting close to the water aspect variant.¡±

    ¡°Bloodfire from the lower system?¡± Bjorln frowned.

    ¡°The systems are for classifying spells by aspect and structure.¡± Samuel raised his hands in a gesture of defense. ¡°You can have a harmless spell placed right next to a corrupting one. The lower system is not inherently evil or corrupting, nor are the other systems inherently good or harmless.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but haven¡¯t most infamous evil mages relied on the lower system?¡± reminded Bjorln.

    ¡°True. However, I can safely say that even more of them have relied on the core system.¡± Samuel pointed out. ¡°Practically every unaspected mage eventually learns to throw a Fireball. If you were to drop Fireball from a normal education and start calling it evil, then those that fear the label would become more hesitant to learn the spell as well. The spell would not change, but people¡¯s inclination towards learning or avoiding it definitely would.¡±

    ¡°Meh, I will take your word for it.¡± Bjorln shrugged. ¡°Just remember that there are many people who would be troubled if you were to lose your mind and get all murdery and stuff.¡±

    Samuel narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± said Bjorln in mock-exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s true. If you go mad, then I would have to hunt you down. Either you would win, which would leave me quite annoyed and possibly quite dead. Or I would win, and Olgorn¡¯s ghost would come back to haunt me and put itching powder into my knickers.¡±

    Samuel had to laugh despite himself. ¡°Did he ever do that?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Bjorln tilted his head.

    ¡°Put itching powder into your underwear,¡± prompted Samuel.

    ¡°Once.¡± Bjorln snickered. ¡°Retaliation for me putting stinging nettle into his socks. We were a bit younger than the chipmunks are now. I had a date lined up, too. Olgorn, the little dung pellet, always had vicious timing in those things.¡±

    Samuel smiled bitterly. ¡°Nama.¡±

    ¡°Stop that!¡± chided Bjorln. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to address me like that every time we meet?¡±

    ¡°As always, at least one more time.¡± Samuel shrugged with a sad expression.

    ¡°You know what? No!¡± Bjorln raised his voice. ¡°I have had enough. There is no debt between us. If you are to blame, then what about me? You may have been too weak to save him, but I was not even there. If not for you, then Olgorn would have died countless times before. If anything, then I owe you. Nama.¡±

    Samuel shook his head decidedly. ¡°No, that is¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is the truth.¡± Bjorln stared intently at Samuel. ¡°I do not care how much you disagree. If you insist on addressing me like that, then I will as well.¡±

    Samuel could not meet the dwarf¡¯s gaze. Eventually, he nodded.

    ¡°Now, let us finish up the dishes and then return,¡± said Bjorln.

    ***

    ¡°Are you really a student at the Academy?¡± asked Jorgen.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Terry half-heartedly.

    For now, at least.

    ¡°Woah, amazing,¡± muttered Jorgen. ¡°I heard that they have insane requirements there.¡±

    ¡°Can you show me an earth spell?¡± asked Florine with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Uhm no, sorry.¡± Terry drew a breath. ¡°Unfortunately, I am aspect impaired¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Like me and Pa!¡± exclaimed Florine.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry was taken aback. ¡°You are aspect-impaired?¡± He had never met another aspect-impaired person at the Academy or at the Greenhouse.

    Florine nodded. ¡°Pa is aspected towards fire and ice. I am aspected towards earth. What is your aspect?¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Technically unaspected, but some condition called oscillating mana. I have found no spell I can cast yet.¡±

    ¡°Heh, me neither,¡± interjected Jorgen drily with a snort.

    ¡°You are aspect-impaired as well?¡± Terry turned to look at him more closely.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± The dwarven boy began fidgeting.

    ¡°No, but he is having trouble with external mana control,¡± said Florine before Jorgen could answer. ¡°And even more trouble with persuading himself to practice.¡±

    ¡®External¡¯? Terry had not come across such a qualifier for mana control before.

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed Jorgen. ¡°I want to be a mana cultivator, anyway.¡± His voice turned into a mumble. ¡°What is so great about flinging spells, anyway?¡± His words did not sound very convincing.

    ¡°Well, for one thing, it could save your life,¡± interjected Isille sternly. She had just entered the living room together with Brynn. ¡°I would call that a definite plus. Samuel said that you should be able to learn spellwork, eventually. It would be a waste for you not to, especially if you want to become a Guardian in the future.¡±

    ¡°I want to join the Guild!¡± protested Jorgen.

    Isille¡¯s eye twitched while Brynn suppressed a chuckle.

    ¡°The Guild is for people that already know what they are doing and have already found trusted companions,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°If you want to join the Guild, then I expect you to first join and work in the Guardians.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The dwarven boy looked dissatisfied, evidently disagreeing with the goals for himself.

    ¡°Alternatively,¡± started Bjorln. He and Samuel were returning from the kitchen.

    Jorgen looked up with anticipatory eyes.

    ¡°You could prove your ability to us,¡± suggested Bjorln. ¡°You do not have to join the Guardians if you can defeat me and your ma.¡±

    ¡°And me,¡± added Samuel quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join as well,¡± said Brynn while smiling mischievously. ¡°And I will make sure to bring all my golems.¡±

    Jorgen looked horrified at the prospect. ¡°No no, not necessary.¡± He waved his hands in front of himself.

    Florine giggled at the exchange and even Terry joined in.

    ¡°Come on, let us do the tour,¡± said Isille. ¡°Mines first.¡±

    ***

    Terry looked around the cave. The walls had a light blue shimmer.

    ¡°Terry, do you know how to increase your mana pool?¡± asked Isille.

    ¡°Either through internal pull by completely emptying it or through external push by absorbing more mana into a full pool,¡± replied Terry without hesitation. ¡°In the Academy, we mostly use internal pull, because that way, we increase our mana regeneration rate at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Isille nodded. ¡°Jorg, what is the danger when using an external push?¡±

    ¡°If you absorb too much foreign mana too quickly, then your own mana becomes corrupted.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Isille moved her gaze to the next student in line. ¡°Lori, how do you avoid mana corruption?¡±

    ¡°Your mana pool size determines your resistance against foreign mana. If you want to absorb more foreign mana, you need to increase your mana pool size first.¡±

    Isille nodded. ¡°Right. These mines are a place for Guardians to cultivate, but in order to do that, we need to keep the mana concentration at controlled levels. Does anyone know what determines the mana concentration?¡±

    Huh. Never thought about that.

    Terry looked around. Jorgen and Florine were not showing any signs of answering, either. After a brief moment, Bjorln grinned and raised his hand. Isille ignored the dwarven adult.

    ¡°Residual mana seeps into everything,¡± explained Isille. ¡°All the Arcana Empire is surrounded by the barrier, which makes the residual mana concentration in Arcana comparatively high. The residual mana accumulates here until it forms crystals. Then we mine the crystals in order to decrease the mana concentration.¡±

    ¡°And we get to sell them,¡± added Florine happily.

    ¡°And we get to sell them,¡± acknowledged Isille. ¡°Whatever crystal you mine while you cultivate is yours.¡±

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you have to pay a fee or something?¡± asked Terry in bewilderment.

    ¡°No,¡± refuted Isille. ¡°Keeping the mana concentration stable is a service to the Guardians as well.¡±

    ¡°And Arcana?¡±

    Isille shook her head again. ¡°The government of Arcana does not need to take a fee. They have a monopoly on providing services related to magic or to license others to do so. The license fee can vary cycle by cycle. The only constant condition is that services need to be paid for in the mana coin issued by Arcana. Everyone desires to use magic services, so everyone is trying to earn mana coins. If the Council wants people to do something, they just need to create some mana coins and pay them. They do not need to care about mana crystals.¡±

    ¡°In fact, the Council is even paying the Guardians to keep the mine stable,¡± added Samuel.

    ¡°How do they know if a mana coin is authentic?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Arcana¡¯s mana coins are mana crafted. There are several functions inscribed. First of all, it is incredibly difficult to inscribe or imprint a mana crystal. Second, it is nearly impossible to sense the spell structure or runes inside.¡±

    ¡°What are the functions?¡± inquired Terry. Even though it was the currency of the empire in which he had grown up in, he never had to use mana coins before.

    ¡°Here.¡± Brynn took a transparent bluish coin out of her pocket.

    ¡°First is Visualize Mana Concentration.¡± The coin displayed the number 20.

    ¡°Second is Split.¡± Brynn took the coin between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. Then she folded it. After a slight angle, there was a quiet sound and suddenly there were two coins ¨C one in each hand. Both coins displayed the number 10.

    ¡°Third is Merge.¡± Brynn laid both coins on top of each other and pressed them together. After another quiet sound, she was left with a single coin that displayed the number 20 again.

    Terry looked impressed. The adults looked amused. The twins looked at Terry in utter disbelief.

    ¡°Never had to pay for anything, huh?¡± teased Bjorln.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry was not sure how to react. He felt weirdly embarrassed without understanding why.

    ¡°Terry is from the Greenhouse,¡± reminded Samuel.

    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± said Bjorln with an apologetic look.

    ¡°What is the Greenhouse?¡± Florine wanted to know.

    ¡°Nevermind that for now,¡± interjected Isille. ¡°I think we are getting off track here. Focus.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± continued Brynn. ¡°Mana coins from Arcana contain a shielding mechanism. Even the best forgeries have one fatal flaw. Underneath the barrier, they will eventually dissipate and get absorbed. An authentic mana coin from Arcana will never disperse while inside the barrier.¡±

    ¡°If you ever plan to go for a trip outside, though, leave your coin in Arcana,¡± remarked Bjorln.

    ¡°No one is going anywhere,¡± barked Isille while giving Bjorln the stink-eye. ¡°Especially not outside the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Bjorln smiled sheepishly and tried to deflect from his blunder: ¡°Mana cultivation Whaka Isille.¡±

    ¡°Some days, we will train and work here,¡± said Isille. ¡°These areas are marked with testing signs. You can place your hand there and if you can keep your hand on the sign for thirty seconds without feeling a sting, then it is safe for you to continue into the next area.¡±

    Isille looked Terry up and down. ¡°Terry¡¯s mana pool is much larger than Lori¡¯s and Jorg¡¯s. Even so, it is better for you to stick together while we are here. Moving between areas represents a sharp jump in mana concentration. Group cultivation can help bridge the gap safely.¡±

    ¡°Group cultivation?¡± Terry had never heard the term before.

    Isille was astonished and raised an eyebrow at Samuel.

    ¡°The Academy is not really keen on fostering companionship among the students,¡± offered Samuel.

    Isille frowned. ¡°Then how do they practice?¡±

    ¡°Each student gets a tool for depositing mana,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°They can empty their mana pool by pushing it inside and afterwards reabsorb their mana again.¡±

    Isille¡¯s frown only deepened. ¡°Sounds fancy and wasteful, given their current level.¡±

    ¡°Not my idea.¡± Samuel shrugged.

    ¡°They probably don¡¯t want their future government officials to form factions before even having entered the government,¡± grumbled Bjorln with annoyance before he admitted: ¡°Mana containers are quite useful, though.¡±

    Isille returned to the main topic: ¡°Group cultivation is like that tool ¨C only that you are training with other people instead. One person empties their pool and then other people help fill it again, adding all their mana regeneration together. Or you let the others push you over your current pool size. Group cultivation also helps with training your mana control. While spell flingers mostly rely on external mana control, a mana cultivator needs to master internal mana control.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± inquired Terry.

    ¡°The task is different. You are not shaping mana outside of your body, but circulating it inside your body. Instead of having to master spell structures, you will have to master moving mana through the different parts of your body. It is often closer to mana crafting than to spellwork.¡±

    ***

    Terry did not know where to look first, and his head was swiveling furiously. There were countless people sparring against each other or against an army of specialized golems and other constructs.

    In one part of the area, people trained with various mana-crafted items. There was equipment that could change its weight, equipment that could throw things at you with an adjustable frequency, equipment that would disable or impair one of your limbs and many other contraptions.

    Terry felt almost dizzy when he saw a special room made of transparent material. In the room, two people were sparring against each other. What really caught his eye was the room itself. Every few seconds, there was something new to throw off the trainees. During the time Terry had been staring, the room had already spit fire, thrown icicles, liquified the earth, frozen over some parts of the ground, blew dense smoke, and created a blinding light. The earth in the room even moved. Terry was amazed that he could neither hear anything nor feel any vibrations in the ground.

    ¡°This is the training ground. The beginner area is back there on the left,¡± explained Isille. ¡°Over there you have the orientation instructors. If you need anything in particular, they can point you to the right area or advisor.

    ¡°Every trainee or prospective Guardian gets a card issued from the Guardians. The first use of this card is to track contribution points. In the Guardians, you can technically learn for free. However, everything you learn has a price in contribution points. You can earn contribution points by performing tasks for the Guardians ¨C doing missions, teaching others, or helping in the mines.

    ¡°While you are not expected to pay anything upfront when learning here, you are expected to pay this kindness forward. If Guardian management gets the impression that you are just racking up debt without an honest effort to contribute, then you will be warned and may eventually be barred from further services.

    ¡°The card will track what you have learned and what you have contributed. This also serves as a mission record and record of ability. These are used for determining which missions or tasks might be suitable for you and Guardian management keeps a separate copy.

    ¡°The other function is for locating and signaling. You can register other cards, which will establish a bidirectional link that can act like a compass. Each link can be set to a fixed number of different states, including a temporary flash that serves as a proof of life option.¡±

    ¡°The Guild and the Academy are using similar cards,¡± remarked Samuel.

    ¡°The Guild¡¯s card does not keep track of missions, though, only of rank and account balance,¡± interjected Brynn. ¡°If you fail a mission, pay a penalty and may be demoted. It also does not contain signaling or locating functions. You have to purchase such a device separately.¡±

    ¡°That fits the Guild alright,¡± grumbled Isille.

    Brynn shrugged. ¡°Not everyone needs the functionality. Some work alone. Others, like me, do contract work instead of missions. Your average crafter has little opportunity to get lost.¡±

    The explanation did not ease Isille¡¯s ongoing frown.

    ¡°What about the Academy¡¯s card?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Brynn hesitated.

    ¡°If we tell you and you tell the other students, then Brynn and I would get into trouble at the Academy,¡± stated Samuel matter-of-factly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡± promised Terry.

    Not as if any of the other students are talking to me, anyway.

    Brynn and Samuel shared a glance. Then Samuel shrugged and explained. ¡°The Academy card keeps track of your class progress and includes a unidirectional link that allows the Academy to locate students. Students are not supposed to know that.¡±

    ¡°Many children related to members of the Council are among the students,¡± elaborated Brynn. ¡°The Academy wants to avoid problems.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll get your cards later,¡± announced Isille. ¡°The main goal for today is for you to understand what this place is promising you. While you can learn pretty much anything here ¨C even mana crafting or spellwork ¨C we want you to first focus on mana cultivation. We will give you a little demonstration of where this road can take you.¡±

    Mana cultivation. Terry sighed.

    ***

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    ¡°Go Pa! Go Ma!¡±

    Brynn and Samuel could not help but smile at the excited children. The awed look on Terry¡¯s face was particularly satisfying given his earlier reservations about becoming a mana cultivator.

    Isille and Bjorln were performing a mock battle against some other instructors and several golems. A crowd had quickly gathered and the two dwarves left a particular impression.

    ¡°Did you see that?¡±

    ¡°Wow, that was an aspected discharge!¡±

    ¡°Her timing for the shields is amazing!¡±

    ¡°How can she keep up a burst for so long?¡±

    ¡°Ouch, that poor golem,¡± exclaimed Brynn with a grimace.

    Bjorln had landed one fist that froze the golem and then followed up with another fist that sparked fire and blew the golem into smithereens.

    Next to him, Isille was wielding two mana-crafted short spears. She gave off a light glow while she darted around with incredible speed. One second, Isille lightly tapped one golem so that it would lose its balance. In the next second, she inconceivably switched direction by relying on one of her spears.

    Isille jumped and a translucent blue tower shield appeared where her hand was gripping the spear. It looked as if someone had poked a spear through a tower shield. The barrier blocked an incoming fireball aimed at Bjorln. While blocking, she still pierced the head of one golem.

    ¡°Wooh!¡± Florine cheered from the side. Jorgen grinned widely and clenched his fists. The eyes of the two dwarven children were sparkling.

    Isille had freed up a narrow line through the golems leading towards the mages at the back. As soon as the line was opened, Bjorln suddenly stomped his foot. A loud bang followed, and a small fire explosion propelled the dwarf forward. Bjorln¡¯s speed now even surpassed Isille¡¯s from earlier.

    ¡°Wait, you can do an aspected discharge from your feet?¡± asked a slightly chubby teenager before skeptically examining his own appendages.

    Their opponents noticed the charging dwarf, and one of them threw a small lightning bolt.

    Isille was still in front and immediately darted to block the bolt with another barrier. While blocking, Isille used the spear in her other hand to thrust downwards. Even though the spear did not meet the earth, there seemed to be a force involved that smashed the ground and moved Isille further up and out of the way of the charging Bjorln.

    The dwarves nearly collided. Terry could swear he saw them smiling at each other.

    A few steps after Bjorln had passed Isille and reached the last third of the area, he reared back his arms and then punched out with both arms to the front.

    ¡°Activate your mana sight,¡± said Samuel from behind Terry.

    Terry did as instructed. A light blue wave flowed from the dwarf¡¯s hands and rapidly covered the entire area in front of him. A dense net of lines was sizzling through the wave. It looked like a vast spell structure, only that the shaped mana strands were not smooth or connected with each other to form a complex loop. Instead, it looked rough, more like thick lightning carved from mana than anything Terry had ever seen in spellwork.

    When the wave reached the mages in the back, their active spells collapsed and their harvested mana dispersed. They were surrounded by the wave of lightning-like mana, and this somehow interfered with their mana harvesting and shaping attempts.

    Isille chased after the bluish wave. Before she could point her spears at someone¡¯s throat, one opponent already raised a hand to signal the end of the match.

    A bystander gave a quick whistle.

    ¡°You called them Ma and Pa, right?¡± asked the chubby youth from before. ¡°Do they give lessons?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Each path of mana cultivation is unique, but this is mostly a difference of style and emphasis,¡± said Isille. ¡°The common path for mana cultivators is usually separated into approximately four stages that each comprises several steps. The core of all steps is to train combat techniques while enhancing your physical performance by channeling and consuming mana.

    ¡°First is balance, which is the most important part of the early steps. Balance means to maintain your mana level while consuming it. The balance refers to getting a feel for your mana regeneration rate so that you consume it exactly at the regeneration rate.

    ¡°In the second stage, a cultivator incorporates mana-crafted items. You want to use mana-crafted items without losing your balance. This sounds a lot easier than it is. The consumption of mana-crafted items differs from the consumption of your own body.

    ¡°Next are bursts. A burst is a temporary deviation from balance for the sake of higher performance. You increase your mana consumption to a level that cannot be sustained for long. Bursting can be dangerous, but it can also save your lives. You need to know and understand your own mana throughput. You need to know your own limits.

    ¡°The fourth common stage focuses on mana discharges. A disruption discharge allows a mana cultivator a chance to close in on a mage. For an aspected discharge, you create a mana refractor and discharge your mana through the refractor in order to amplify a particular aspect.¡±

    ¡°Similar to creating a mana primer,¡± whispered Samuel to Terry.

    ¡°Even if you have aspected mana, you can still use it for a disruption discharge because this effect is more about volume than aspect, but every aspected discharge will carry the property of its aspect.¡± Isille continued her lecture while Terry was listening attentively.

    ***

    Later in the afternoon, Terry was sitting together with Florine to watch Brynn perform the Liquify Earth spell.

    Terry tried casting it, but it came as no surprise that he failed. Eventually, Terry joined Samuel and Jorgen instead. Samuel was guiding Jorgen in mana control and mana sense.

    ¡°Pheww, you are really good at this,¡± exclaimed Jorgen enviously. ¡°I wish I had your mana control.¡±

    ¡°I wish I had your unaspected mana,¡± retorted Terry just as enviously.

    ¡°Well, I for one wish you would both pay more attention,¡± interjected the annoyed voice from Samuel.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a grumpy wart,¡± exclaimed Bjorln loudly.

    Grumpy wart? Terry panicked and did not know where to look. He had never heard anyone speak to Instructor Samuel like that before.

    Isille stood next to Bjorln. She appeared conflicted over whose side to take.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Whaka Samuel!¡± Bjorln continued with exaggerated exasperation. ¡°We have not seen each other in a while and the kids have just met. Let the kids have some fun and let us have a chat.¡± Bjorln paused and blinked. ¡°The rhyme was not intended.¡±

    Isille grinned and made up her mind. ¡°Whaka Brynn, you wanted to tell me about the new training golems.¡±

    Samuel was still reluctant when Brynn touched his shoulder. ¡°It does not hurt if they practice with mana games for a while, right?¡±

    ***

 005 Prologue: Friends

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 40 ¨C

    Terry was nearly out the door when he remembered to put on his cold wear. While the Academy had a mana-crafted system for temperature regulation, it would do little to warm him up on the trip to the family in the northern quarters. The Rising Moon had passed already and the Setting Moon¡¯s wind could chill you to the bone.

    Technically, Terry was still enrolled at the Academy, but by now he had been exempted from all classes. Everyone expected that he would be expelled at the end of the cycle, so no one really cared.

    Of course, Instructor Samuel had held some reservations about the arrangement, but Instructor Brynn and the dwarven family persuaded him of a compromise: Every week, Samuel and Brynn would spend two afternoons and evenings at the dwarves¡¯ home and instruct the teenagers there.

    Terry was surprised that it took him more than a week to get the hang of internal mana cultivation. It was a unique challenge to guide mana through something as squishy, bubbly, and flowing as your own body. Even now, he was still getting used to the different densities and mana absorption rates. The goal of actively circulating mana while moving still seemed far away.

    Despite the new challenges, the last season had been a lot more fun for Terry than the preceding double Season of the Sun. For the first time in the boy¡¯s life, it truly felt like he was learning together with others. He was neither bored out of his mind, nor was he desperately struggling and beyond hope.

    Of course, there were also Florine and Jorgen ¨C Lori and Jorg as they told him to call them. They were extremely different from his fellow students at the Academy. There were many things, but one thing in particular stood out to Terry. The two dwarves looked at him differently. There were no traces of envy or pity. Only curiosity. Perhaps a bit of innocent mischief at times.

    Other entirely new experiences had awaited Terry. He had gotten the first real scolding in his life  after the three teenagers had accidentally created a hole in Lori¡¯s wall. The incident might have involved someone throwing compressed mana at a mana crystal taken from the mines. However, the twins had instructed Terry that this never happened. Instead, they had clearly trained their mana sense while Lori was practicing her Polish Stone spell.

    For some inexplicable reason, Isille had not found that story convincing. The twins believed that Terry¡¯s face was too honest and easy to read. Terry, on the other hand, suspected that it had something to do with the claim that Jorg voluntarily practiced his mana sense. No matter, his dwarven co-conspirators emphasized that it was important to stick to the story ¨C even if it was unconvincing.

    Terry spent a lot of time with the twins, even outside their mana cultivation sessions. Following a suggestion by Instructor Samuel, Terry had started to help the two with their external mana control training. Jorg, in particular, was very enthusiastic about the idea. Terry quickly discovered that the dwarven boy¡¯s enthusiasm was rooted in the fact that Terry was more easily persuaded to train with mana games.

    Eventually, Samuel had even brought over his copy of the Path of a Mage so that Terry could do his reading at the family home. To Terry¡¯s dismay, Isille and Bjorln were just as strict on the one chapter per fortnight limitation as Samuel and Brynn.

    In contrast to before, Terry was now allowed to reread the previous chapters, though. It was an allowance made necessary after he had lent his fictionalized novel to the twins and then mentioned that the first edition historic account had originally belonged to their uncle Olgorn.

    Every other week, the children took turns reading one chapter to the other two. Afterwards, they excitedly discussed, reenacted, or plotted how to get around the one chapter limitation. There just had to be some way to undo the Blank Pages spell applied by Samuel.

    Jorg suggested, paying a mage from the Guild. Unfortunately, there were still too many unresolved problems for the plan to be ¡®workable¡¯. Terry stifled a snort-laugh when he remembered Jorg¡¯s thinking face and how Lori had quickly mimicked her brother. Lori did not really have a beard to stroke on her chin and instead, she had used one hand to press her long sideburns together in front of her chin to gather some hair to stroke instead.

    After Terry was properly outfitted with his cold wear, he checked his bag one more time and also ensured that the Guardian card was in his pocket. He stopped his hands for a moment on the card. He circulated some mana into the card¡¯s magic layer and sunk his consciousness into it. He felt the registered links one by one ¨C Lori, Jorg, Isille, Bjorn. Naturally, he skipped the link with the random stranger from Guardian management that had issued the card.

    Sadly, Instructor Brynn and Instructor Samuel did not have Guardian cards, because they were only registered at the Guild. Even Brynn¡¯s golem work went through the Guild with the Guardians as the client.

    At first, Terry felt odd about having a card that tracked his location. He reminded himself that he already carried such a card from the Academy. That made the concern seem a bit pointless. Then again, the situation with the Academy¡¯s card would sort itself out soon enough.

    Technically, Terry could turn off the Guardian card. However, Isille had made it very clear that if any of them ever carried out missions as Guardians and she discovered one of their card links turned off, they might prefer getting eaten before she found them.

    Terry did not completely understand what Isille meant, but the look on the twins¡¯ faces suggested he should take Isille at her word. Normally, the two dwarven siblings did not seem to worry too much about consequences, like making their mother angry.

    Terry had asked them about the notable difference. They had explained that their mother could be normal angry, angry angry, crying angry, or svipa angry.

    According to them, normal angry was when someone did not do their homework or had caused ¡®minor¡¯ destruction in the house.

    Angry angry implied that someone was bleeding, a limb was pointing in the wrong direction, or you needed to invite a mage to fix the damage.

    Crying angry was when someone did something really stupid that put people in real danger ¨C like having a dare contest involving icky insects with your sister and then discovering that the yellow slimy ones were more than a bit poisonous.

    At this point into the explanation, Terry had grown suspicious that those were not just random examples. When Terry had voiced his suspicion out loud, the twins only replied that they would rather cuddle a pus weasel than to ever again face their mother when she was crying angry.

    The twins had moved on to explain that svipa angry was the absolute worst. They stressed to Terry that he had never ever heard them say the word svipa and that, as far as he was aware, they had never heard it either.

    Terry shook off the memories and made his way to the northern quarters¡­

    ***

    ¡°We have covered the basics of the first two steps for mana cultivation. While you are now familiar with the concepts, it will take time for you to truly master them,¡± lectured Isille.

    Bjorln sat at a nearby table and watched from the side. The three children stood in front of Isille. Terry was in the middle and towered above Lori and Jorg.

    ¡°While you try to get the hang of it, there is more groundwork to be laid,¡± continued Isille. ¡°You want to improve your mana-enhanced physical performance alongside your close combat techniques. The techniques should feel familiar no matter how much mana you use for enhancement. That applies to bursts, but more importantly, it also applies to times when you have run out of mana.

    ¡°Bjorln is going to incorporate unarmed combat into your physical exercises, while I am going to focus on weapon techniques. I insist that all three of you carry at least one dagger and one knife as side weapons. We will make sure that you know how to use them. As for your main weapons¡­¡± Isille looked her three students over. ¡°Any preferences?¡±

    Terry had no idea, but the twins had an answer immediately.

    ¡°¡°¡°Daggers!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are going to use a dagger as a side weapon,¡± said Isille calmly. ¡°But what about your main weapon?¡±

    ¡°Daggers!¡± ¡°I want to dual wield daggers!¡±

    Isille was dumbstruck and stared at them. She even forgot to blink. A snicker rang over from the nearby table. Bjorln was evidently enjoying the lesson.

    ¡°Hold out your arms, you two!¡± Isille ordered her two children.

    Lori and Jorg did as requested. Their faces displayed a mixture of puzzlement and wariness.

    ¡°See?¡± Isille pointed. ¡°Bit stubby, aren¡¯t they? You have inherited the beautiful nose of your pa and the stubby arms of your ma. You need some reach!¡±

    ¡°But Pa does not even use a weapon!¡±

    ¡°Your pa has trained with a two-handed axe and used it extensively before he became an expert at aspected mana discharges,¡± retorted Isille.

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    ¡°But I wanna dual wield daggers!¡± ¡°Me too!¡±

    This time, the snickering from the table was significantly louder. Bjorln was having fun.

    ¡°What are you laughing at?!¡± Isille turned grumpily towards Bjorln.

    ¡°The two chipmunks have been nagging about weapons training since they were eight,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°We should have struck while the iron was hot.¡±

    ¡°And what would you know about blacksmithing? Your parents were druggists,¡± retorted Isille testily.

    Terry grew concerned at the increasing irritation in Isille¡¯s voice. Every second of the pause that followed felt extremely uncomfortable to him.

    Bjorln looked at Isille, blinked twice, and then smiled warmly. ¡°And a good thing they were or I would have never learnt enough about plants to cook my way into the heart of my beloved wife, my life, my Whaka Isille.¡± Bjorln¡¯s voice was louder than normal but calm.

    Isille seemed as if she had forgotten what she wanted to say for a moment. A flash of embarrassment rolled over her face, and she quickly stepped over to the table. She bent down, shortly rubbed the tip of her nose against Bjorln¡¯s, and proceeded to give him a quick peck on the lips.

    ¡°Nama, my life,¡± whispered Isille warmly and smiled.

    ¡°Awwwww,¡± came the exaggerated voice from Lori. Afterwards, she looked expectantly at Jorg.

    ¡°Ewwwww,¡± added Jorg as if rehearsed. Both of the twins then looked expectantly at Terry.

    Before Terry figured out what exactly they were expecting from him, Isille was already back at her original spot. With one hand on her forehead, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay¡­ Why daggers?¡±

    ¡°Because Kivis used them!¡± Lori reenacted how she imagined dual wielding to work.

    Oh oh, thought Terry.

    ¡°Who is Kivis?¡± Isille creased her brows.

    ¡°A badass hero,¡± replied Lori excitedly.

    ¡°The Slayer of the Deep.¡± Jorgen was clenching and pumping his little fists. ¡°She¡¯s awesome!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Terry noticed these explanations were a bit lacking, but he had to struggle with himself to decide if he should clear up the confusion.

    Okay, my fault. Waste it.

    Terry interjected: ¡°Kivis was a dwarven member of the Curseguard and one of the Veilbinder¡¯s companions during the aftermath of the First Great Crisis. When the Wall Fortress was under siege and a second force was coming to attack the nearby city, she was the only companion to accompany the Veilbinder and rush to the city¡¯s defense. Not only did they succeed, but immediately afterwards, they followed the tracks of the stragglers into the Deep and destroyed the local hive of the mana cursed.¡±

    Isille was still trying to understand what she had just heard when a happy roar arrived from the table.

    ¡°Oh RIGHT, I remember HER,¡± exclaimed Bjorln excitedly. ¡°My little brother spent months agonizing over which of the legendary dwarven ladies he should fall in love with.¡± He laughed heartily. ¡°Olgorn even got into a small fist fight over it with one of his friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­of course he did.¡± Isille rolled her eyes, and a chuckle escaped her.

    ¡°I believe Kivis even made it to the finals, but in the end she lost out against the one that became the first dwarven mage ¨C Dalia or something,¡± continued Bjorln.

    Isille was happy at Bjorln reliving some fond memories. She sighed and turned back to her trainees.

    ¡°Ok then. I guess there could be worse role models,¡± admitted Isille. She caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°But I will have to check the story myself. Anyway, Terry?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡±

    ¡°If we are talking about the Veilbinder¡¯s time, then that means most dwarves were still stone dwellers.¡± Isille pointed out and inquired: ¡°Is that true for Kivis?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she was from a dwarven city in the Deep.¡±

    Isille gave a serious look to her two children. ¡°Fighting in narrow quarters differs greatly from fighting with space. Narrow quarters may not allow you to use long weapons. In narrow quarters with suitable hiding spots for ambushes, you may be able to make good use of daggers.

    ¡°Nevertheless, even in narrow quarters, you still want to have as much reach as possible. The traditional stone dweller equipment was a short spear and a tower shield. The most common alternative was a two-handed axe with a customized handle for thrusts. More importantly, we are not in the Deep. Your fights will be different.¡±

    ¡°But dungeons have narrow quarters, too!¡± objected Jorgen.

    ¡°It will be a long time before any of you set foot into a dungeon,¡± barked Isille sternly.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts,¡± came the equally stern voice of Bjorln. ¡°Dungeons are unpredictable death traps. Some are considered safe for decades and then suddenly transform into literal gates to hell.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Sigille is working dungeons,¡± mumbled Jorgen unhappily.

    ¡°Your aunt Sigille has trained practically every day of her life,¡± retorted Isille. ¡°In all the Tiv Empire there are at most a handful of Guardians that could match my sister in combat and even fewer that could match her in experience. Even the Divine Hammer did not start with dungeon work, either.¡±

    Jorgen still looked as if he wanted to say something, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

    ¡°Your aunt Sigille could take on me, your ma, and at least another dozen Guardians like us without worry,¡± added Bjorln. ¡°If you ever become that strong, then dungeon work is less of a dance with death. First, however, you need to live long enough to become that strong. That is all we ask. There are plenty of jobs outside of dungeons. You can worry about dungeon work later.¡±

    Isille took another breath while looking at her children and sighed again. ¡°Well¡­ alright. My pa also used to say that the best technique is whichever one you keep training with¡­¡±

    Lori¡¯s eyes opened wide with anticipation.

    ¡°I do insist that you familiarize yourself with a weapon that provides some reach,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°If you have no preference, then I suggest short spears because that is what I am most qualified to teach.¡±

    Florine looked slightly disappointed. Jorgen was still sulking.

    ¡°Nevertheless, I guess we can find some time to do your dual dagger training.¡± Isille met her students half-way. ¡°You are supposed to learn dagger and knife techniques, anyway.¡±

    Both of the twins were grinning widely.

    ¡°However, that means that I will have absolutely no patience for you slacking off,¡± warned Isille. ¡°If you insist on making risky choices, then I demand that you make up for your lack of sense with effort. Clear?¡±

    Some reluctant nodding followed.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Isille moved her gaze to the figure towering over her two children. ¡°Terry, what about you?¡±

    ¡°Short spears sound good,¡± muttered Terry with a nervous smile.

    ¡°Hold out your arms,¡± said Isille.

    Okay? Terry did as instructed.

    ¡°See?¡± Isille pointed. ¡°You have reach. What you lack is balance. Your legs are too long and your center of gravity is way too high.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry looked down at himself. He had never considered things like that about his body.

    ¡°Honestly, I am not overly familiar with human spear arts,¡± admitted Isille. She frowned slightly. ¡°Too much twirling and not enough thrusting for my taste.¡±

    ¡°Still, I¡­¡±

    Isille waited for Terry to finish his thought.

    ¡°I would like to train together with Lori and Jorg.¡± Terry finished somewhat lamely, but the twins immediately beamed at him while wielding imaginary daggers towards him.

    ***

    ¡°That was fun, wasn''t it?¡± asked Bjorln with a teasing grin.

    LIKE THE WASTES IT WAS! Terry screamed in his head. He did not even have the energy to mumble a response.

    Terry¡¯s only solace was that Lori and Jorg looked just as bad as he himself was feeling. As energetic as the twins were, they were no match for their first physical exercise lesson with Bjorln.

    The three were spread out on the earth of the training grounds ¨C panting and huffing and sometimes groaning in pain.

    Jorg was the first to recover enough to vent his feelings. ¡°Hellish¡­ Wastes¡­ someone¡­ avenge me¡­ tell Ma¡­ loved her¡­¡±

    Lori was second. ¡°I¡­ not sure¡­ if¡­ want¡­ cultivator¡­ anymore.¡±

    ¡°Open¡­ bakery¡­ instead?¡± suggested Jorg.

    Finally, Terry could cough a few words at Bjorln. ¡°How¡­ often¡­ this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Bjorln.

    Three faces were displaying signs of relief.

    ¡°Only about three times a week.¡±

    In perfect triple synchronization, relief was turning into horror.

    ¡°For now. Once your mana regeneration has increased enough for your muscles to recover faster, we can ramp up the frequency.¡±

    The horror on the three faces was intensifying.

    Oh my mana, here I thought Isille¡¯s lessons were harsh. Terry gulped, but promised himself to persevere.

    ¡°Now that you are in such a perfect state for listening properly, I can lecture on a bit,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°The mana flowing through your body serves you in several ways. Even if you never properly cultivated, you would still get some enhanced physical performance and recovery and a slowdown in aging.

    ¡°Longevity aside, the enhancements depend on how quickly you can consume and regenerate mana. We have mana regeneration covered by your group cultivation sessions. That leaves us with mana throughput, which means your safe rate of consuming mana ¨C emphasis on the safe. Everyone can burn their mana as quickly as they desire, but it damages their body heavily. Even when bursting, you should be very careful to stay within your bodily limits.

    ¡°You have two paths for increasing your limits. First, increase your internal mana control so that you can more effectively guide the mana. Second, improve your physique, which means good old-fashioned exercise.¡±

    Another chorus of pained groans reverberated as the teenagers were trying to move into a sitting position.

    ¡°Unfortunately for you, that exercise works most efficiently with an empty mana pool, which none of you are used to. Normally, it is a benefit to have your mana protect your body from damage, but it is a bit of a hindrance when trying to train your body.

    ¡°Your body needs to be stressed in order to become resilient and strong. Your mana impedes that. Therefore, I will pay close attention that you constantly drain your mana pool during our sessions. After we are done, you are free to accumulate mana again so that it can speed up your recovery.¡±

    ¡°Is that not¡­ unhealthy? Empty mana pool?¡± questioned Terry.

    ¡°You will age quicker during that time, true,¡± admitted Bjorln. ¡°However, you kids have barely started your fourteenth cycle. A bit of normal aging will do you good. Most spell flingers do not train their body and ramble on about the impact on longevity. Honestly, I believe they just don¡¯t want to exercise.¡±

    Good call. Frankly, I can¡¯t blame them.

    ¡°All of them would probably grow a lot older if they had properly trained their bodies.¡± Bjorln pointed out. ¡°First, there is the obvious reason that you become stronger and are more likely to survive into old age.

    ¡°Then, there is the fact that consuming mana beyond your bodily rate will do a lot more damage than this kind of training session. If they do missions, then ?for them to run into danger. You can either prepare for it or damage your body when trying to deal with it unprepared.

    ¡°I guess some of them may not shirk from exercise, and it¡¯s more to do with a desire to preserve their youthful appearance. A lot of forest elf folk are like that: impressive mana pools and smooth faces, but pathetic regeneration and throughput. Almost as if they have never in their lives emptied their mana pool before.

    ¡°While the likes of those can be strong, they will never be as strong as they could be and will forever remain limited by their own volition. It¡¯s the wrinkly ones you really need to watch out for. If you ever face off against a wrinkly forest elf with prominent muscle definition, I suggest you make friends or be quick on your legs.¡±

    ***

 006 Prologue: Family

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 209, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 86 ¨C

    ¡°Potatoes?¡± Bjorln offered the bowl to Samuel.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Samuel took the bowl and filled his own plate before handing it to Brynn.

    ¡°So?¡± Brynn looked at the three teenagers on the other side of the table. ¡°How was training today?¡±

    Before Terry or the twins could respond, Bjorln already replied. ¡°Whiny, but they¡¯ll get used to it.¡±

    ¡°My sympathies to you three.¡± Samuel sent them a pitying glance. When he noticed the raised eyebrow on Brynn¡¯s face, he elaborated. ¡°I still remember Olgorn after his exercise sessions.¡± He shook his head with a wistful smile. ¡°Never heard so much cursing in my life.¡± He moved his gaze to Isille. ¡°I also remember that you used to call him a lazy bum and me a slacker.¡±

    Instructor Samuel a ¡®slacker¡¯? Terry got the unpleasant premonition that their training sessions would get a lot worse.

    Samuel turned to Bjorln. ¡°Your future sweetheart was quite concerned that we could have a bad influence on your training, Whaka Bjorln. I always wondered where she got that idea.¡± His lips twisted into a teasing grin. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Bjorln coughed and started staring pointedly at the food on his plate. Even though he didn''t see it, he could still feel Isille¡¯s gaze burning a hole into his temple.

    ¡°How many of your excuses involving those two were actually true?¡± questioned Isille with slightly narrowed eyes.

    Bjorln raised his eyebrows and started biting on his lips.

    ¡°A rough estimation is fine, my life,¡± pressed Isille amusedly. ¡°Half? Quarter?¡±

    Bjorln sighed in resignation. ¡°Quarter for Samuel, half for Olgorn. But look, I grew up fine, didn¡¯t I?¡± He batted his eyelashes at Isille.

    ¡°Despite your best efforts, surprisingly yes.¡± Isille leaned closer and rubbed the tip of her nose against Bjorln¡¯s.

    ¡°Uncle Samuel, which spell are you going to test with Terry today?¡± asked Lori. Even though the girl was still practicing the Liquify Earth spell with Brynn, she liked to observe Terry¡¯s relentless pursuit of a spell to cast.

    Terry looked up from his plate with piqued curiosity as well.

    ¡°We have decided to test a broader range and spot-check the non-core systems,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°After Terry improves more in his mana control, we may even try some intermediate-level spells. Today we will try Light Healing from the upper system.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that one works out,¡± remarked Jorgen.

    ¡°Even if Terry learns the spell, we still expect you to learn one variant of the three foundational healing spells yourself,¡± stressed Samuel sternly. He knew exactly what was going on in the dwarven boy¡¯s head.

    Jorgen made a face, gave a few exaggerated sniffles, and then sighed in resignation.

    ¡°Any questions regarding the training?¡± asked Isille.

    ¡°Yes.¡± replied Jorg instantly. ¡°When can we meet Aunt Sigille?¡±

    ¡°As always, that would be tricky.¡± Isille answered with an often repeated reply. ¡°She is working in the Tiv Empire. Dimensional gates are not an option.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± inquired Terry. He was getting used to asking questions about things the others had apparently learned long ago. He became increasingly aware that his sheltered upbringing had been unusual, to say the least.

    ¡°Because the two empires hate each other,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Or at least the governments do.¡±

    ¡°Are we at war?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°No, Arcana isn¡¯t at war with anyone,¡± replied Samuel. ¡°The Tiv Empire has a long-standing truce with the Lich Kingdoms, and it is only at war with the Thanatos Empire.¡±

    ¡°Even so, the Tiv Empire hates Arcana most of all,¡± interjected Brynn with a scowl.

    ¡°That sounds weird,¡± blurted Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they teach that stuff at the Academy?¡± interjected Bjorln in exasperation. ¡°Raising the future leaders in government and all that?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Samuel. ¡°If I had to hazard a guess, then it¡¯s that they do not consider diplomacy all that important. They are raising the future leaders of the Arcana Empire. We are isolating ourselves underneath the barrier and there is not a single country that wants to become enemies with Arcana. Not even Thanatos dares to poke the sleeping dragon.¡± He shrugged. ¡°The Lich Kingdoms might still harbor some ideas, but they have not forgotten the harsh lessons from their last attempt just yet.¡±

    ¡°Then what was that about the Tiv Empire?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°They do not want to be enemies either. They¡­¡± Samuel moved a hand to scratch his chin. Sometimes his burn scars got itchy. ¡°It is more that they resent us for not wanting to get involved with them.¡±

    ¡°Or for refusing to provide much needed assistance,¡± added Bjorln with a frown.

    ¡°More like they demand support while spitting in the face of their benefactor,¡± added Brynn with a frown towards Bjorln.

    Samuel smiled wryly and sighed. ¡°Both empires share a lot of history. In fact, originally, both were part of the same ancient empire. Even to this day, they share the same national motto: Magic Obliges.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Their interpretations of that motto, however, are diametrically opposed.

    ¡°In Arcana, it is understood in the way that the most capable mages carry the burden to rule for the benefit of the people. In Tiv, by contrast, it is understood in the way that magic ability carries the burden to serve for the benefit of the people.¡± Samuel returned his attention to his plate. ¡°Important difference.¡±

    Terry frowned. ¡°¡®Serve¡¯ like in the Veilbinder¡¯s time?¡±

    Samuel hurriedly swallowed the food in his mouth and replied: ¡°No¡ª¡±

    ¡°Same principle, though,¡± interrupted Brynn. ¡°If you want to learn or make a living with magic, you have to follow the government¡¯s orders. If your preferences do not align with their quotas, then tough luck.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, even though people are not entirely free to choose their work as mages, they still get to experience more of a normal life than in the Veilbinder¡¯s time.¡± Samuel pointed out. ¡°They do not lock up folks in towers for displaying signs of magic.¡±

    ¡°Except for the cultists!¡± piped up Jorg. ¡°The cultists still lock people up!¡± His excited gaze became uncertain. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°And who told you about cultists?¡± demanded Isille with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Jorg blinked twice, then turned to Lori. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Lori blinked twice, then turned to Terry. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°¡­uhh, what?¡± Terry was at a loss.

    ¡°Not what. Who?¡± Lori blinked twice before turning to Jorg again. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Not what,¡± repeated Jorg. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± grumbled Isille. She already knew the twins¡¯ strategies for evading questions and judged it better to give up early, lest she would only earn herself a headache. She instead looked at Terry and pleaded: ¡°Please avoid having them rub off on you too much, dear. Three of that might be more than I can stomach.¡±

    Lori and Jorg made noiseless gasps and tried their best to look offended. Afterwards, they sneakily glanced at Terry and winked.

    ¡°There are still cultists?¡± asked Terry with sincere astonishment.

    ¡°Not so much in Arcana,¡± replied Samuel.

    ¡°At least they usually stay in hiding here,¡± added Bjorln.

    ¡°Outside the barrier, it can be very different,¡± elaborated Samuel. ¡°The Thanatos Empire is perpetually at war and always trying to expand its borders. They do not take kindly to cultists. I guess it is similar for the Lich Kingdoms. Their rulers do not tolerate any competition as targets of worship.¡± He shrugged. ¡°In the Tiv Empire and in the Free Factions Union, things are much more chaotic.¡±

    ¡°So they do not allow dimensional travel from Tiv to Arcana?¡± Jorg returned to the key question. He really wanted to meet his famous aunt.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± replied Isille. ¡°They do allow you to cross through dimensional gates.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°In theory, that is.¡±

    ¡°Arcana is always happy to accept refugee mages from Tiv,¡± said Brynn, and winked at the twins.

    ¡°Just like Tiv is always happy to accept people as well,¡± added Bjorln with a sigh.

    ¡°I am sure they would be, but that is mostly a hypothetical scenario, isn¡¯t it?¡± challenged Brynn. ¡°Normal people aren¡¯t exactly lining up to leave the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± interjected Samuel. ¡°It is possible to travel from Arcana to Tiv, but the other direction is much more troublesome.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± exclaimed Brynn. ¡°If you are capable of magic and you want to cross over, they will first give you the ¡®tour¡¯ and try their best pitch in order to enthrall you to whatever cause is their favorite at the time. If that does not dissuade you, they will ask how much you can pay for the crossing. Afterwards, they double the amount and demand that you pay that.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Brynn¡¯s expression turned darker and darker. ¡°If it turns out that you can still afford that price, they will pocket that money. Afterwards, they¡¯ll posit that you can obviously pay even more. They will double the amount once more and you will remain short of one half. They repeat that procedure as often as necessary to prevent you from crossing. Of course, any deposit you have already made will never be returned.¡±

    Brynn was mangling the piece of roasted chicken breast on her plate with her knife. It looked more like torture than any reasonable attempt at cutting. ¡°The only people that can avoid that nonsense are those involved with Tiv¡¯s government, the noble families, or their relatives and close friends.¡± The longer she talked about the topic, the angrier she looked.

    ¡°Would be interesting if they were to try that routine on a magic sovereign from Arcana,¡± quipped Samuel in an attempt to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Yeah no,¡± scoffed Brynn. ¡°They would not dare. With members of the Council, maybe, but not with the sovereigns. Not that the sovereigns travel much. Even if they do, they probably don¡¯t need to rely on foreign dimensional gates.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Brynn wearily. ¡°You can also try your luck with one of the back alley dimensional mages or the dark market dimensional portals. However, I would very much advise against that. With unanchored dimensional travel, you cannot see where you go before it happens. You might end up in the Wastes or in the middle of the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°Or one half of you in each place,¡± interjected Bjorln drily. ¡°Lots of trust needed to rely on a dimensional mage for unanchored travel.¡±

    ¡°Or desperation,¡± stressed Brynn. Afterwards, she looked at the teenagers with a serious expression. ¡°Never antagonize a dimensional mage, you hear me? If you are ever forced to rely on them, then don¡¯t haggle. Just don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Bottom line.¡± Isille took over the conversation. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to cross directly from Tiv to Arcana. Tiv reaches from west of the barrier to the southwest. All of the north is Wastes. Therefore, the only way is to travel southeast through one of the other empires. Sigille used to visit by going through the Union, but since Thanatos is expanding its borders towards the direction of the barrier, this route is becoming more and more difficult.¡±

    ¡°Why is Aunt Sigille even in Tiv?¡± asked Lori. ¡°It sounds horrible.¡±

    Isille reminisced and could not help but smile. ¡°Sigille would answer because that is where the fight is. The real fight is outside the barrier. Her husband was a protector for an important mage academy in the Union. After he had died, she went to the Tiv Empire and brought a child she took in.¡±

    ¡°She has kids?¡± asked Terry. He hadn¡¯t heard about the twins having any cousins.

    ¡°Sigille and her husband had a daughter, Emaldine.¡± Isille grimaced slightly. ¡°She is a bit of a problem child. The boy from the Union is accepted family. He seems to be best people, but¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Well, suffice it to say the kid has issues of his own.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± exclaimed Bjorln. ¡°Being possessed by elementals is something of an issue. Seriously, it¡¯s a miracle the kid hasn¡¯t turned into a demon by now.¡±

    ¡°According to Sigille, it is under control,¡± said Isille. ¡°Matteo has become her accepted family and my sister thinks of him as a son. For three seasons of the cycle, he joins Sigille on missions.¡±

    Bjorln shrugged. ¡°Anyway, even the Divine Hammer will have to retire eventually. Your aunt already did missions for the Guardians when all of us were still learning to count our toes.¡±

    ¡°No bets on that.¡± Isille seemed skeptical. ¡°I have a hard time imagining my elder sister taking long, peaceful walks through the woods.¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°Maybe if the woods were mana corrupted? I can see her smashing in the occasional head of a terror grizzly with her walking stick.¡±

    ***

    The season of the Setting Moon was coming to an end. One morning, Terry heard a knock at his door. Behind the door, he discovered Brynn and Samuel waiting for him.

    Brynn had two letters in her hand. ¡°You have mail.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the letterbox is for?¡± retorted Terry with a detached look in his eyes.

    ¡°Fancy that!¡± Brynn winked at the boy. ¡°Your former mentor asked us the same question, can you believe it?¡± Her joking expression melted to one of more severity. ¡°We think some letters are different. May we come in?¡±

    Oh, right. That letter.

    It was cruel that the world marched forward no matter how strongly you avoided thinking about it.

    ¡°Please.¡± Terry stood aside and motioned them in.

    ¡°Take your time to read them,¡± said Samuel. ¡°I would start with the one bearing the Academy¡¯s insignia.¡±

    No surprise there. Terry sighed and smiled bitterly. ¡°Apparently, I am a failure at spellwork and I am getting expelled. Who would have thought, right?¡±

    ¡°No matter what the letter says, you are not a failure,¡± refuted Brynn sternly.

    ¡°It is the Academy that has failed you,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°Not the other way around. Never forget that. If the Academy had not failed you because of your aspect impairment, then it would have failed you because of your natural talent in mana foundation.¡±

    Terry found it hard to agree with the sentiment, but still. He had never known Instructor Samuel to sugarcoat or to twist his words out of consideration for the feelings of others. His words meant something. If the Instructor said it, then the Instructor truly believed it. That made one of them, at least.

    ¡°So what is the bad news?¡± asked Terry in a weak attempt at humor. He reached out his hand for the second letter.

    Brynn leaned slightly forward and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just news.¡± She handed him the letter.

    Antelias¡­ Rescindment of name¡­ Irrevocable disavowment of relations¡­ What?

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°What do they want from me? What is this supposed to even mean?¡±

    ¡°Meh. Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Brynn casually. ¡°First of all, it means that you will not go back to the Greenhouse.¡±

    Wait¡­ Terry suddenly realized that the Academy was more than his place of study. It was also his residence for living.

    ¡°Second of all, it means that you do not have to go by that stuffy Antelias family name,¡± continued Brynn.

    ¡°Nor are you allowed to use it ever again at the threat of punishment,¡± warned Samuel.

    ¡°However¡­¡± Brynn lifted a finger. ¡°In exchange, you have no obligation to associate with the Antelias family either. No need to go live with strangers just because they happen to carry the same name.¡± She waved for Terry to join them for a walk. ¡°Come on, we have an appointment to keep.¡±

    ***

    In the northern quarters of Arcana City, Terry heard the familiar rumbling and tumbling noises before the door was flying open.

    ¡°Terry!¡± ¡°Come, come!¡±

    Jorg and Lori seemed as energetic as ever.

    ¡°Pa made pancakes!¡±

    ¡°Morning Auntie, morning Unca.¡± ¡°Oh right, morning!¡±

    ¡°Ma has to go to the training grounds later today,¡± said Jorg. ¡°We will get a break for mana soccer.¡± He clenched a fist and declared challengingly: ¡°Today, I will not lose!¡±

    ¡°Give us a second, you two, will you?¡± asked Brynn. She, Samuel, and Terry stepped inside.

    Samuel made eye contact with Isille. ¡°Whaka Isille, the letters came today.¡±

    ¡°What about the house letter?¡± inquired Isille with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°As expected,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Rescindment and disavowment.¡±

    ¡°These waste-damned svipa,¡± Isille¡¯s face instantly flushed with suppressed fury while her eyes grew distant and cold. ¡°Unforgivable.¡± She looked like she was ready to poke some additional holes into the sender¡¯s body.

    Bjorln cleared his throat to catch Isille¡¯s attention. His eyes pointed towards the twins. There was a slight moment of embarrassment on Isille¡¯s face before she looked at the twins sternly.

    ¡°You have heard nothing,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°Nor will I ever hear you repeat what you have not heard. Clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma.¡± The dwarven twins knew the correct answer to stay out of trouble. ¡°Clear.¡±

    Unexpectedly for Terry, Isille also looked expectantly at him and she emphasized: ¡°Same for you. Clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Terry knew better than to ask for clarification at this time.

    Bjorln was still busy in the kitchen. He looked warmly at his wife and told her: ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Isille smiled and then turned back to Terry. ¡°They rescinded your last name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Terry frowned and muttered confusedly. ¡°I am not sure what that means.¡±

    ¡°It means that you deserve better than these pest beetles,¡± declared Isille. ¡°Terry, I hereby invite you into our accepted family.¡± Her intimidating scowl had already melted away to be replaced by a welcoming smile. ¡°You are best people in my book and we would be honored for you to become part of our whanau. As a member of the older generation, I can extend this invitation to you. Once you have seen your eighteenth cycle, you can make your own judgement. I would hope that you, Florine, and Jorgen can become whaka for each other, but that is up to you to decide.¡±

    Terry was stunned and did not know what to say. The twins, on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Yeah! I always wanted a little brother!¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah! Me too!¡±

    Lori and Jorg moved their gazes from Terry and turned to each other.

    ¡°HEY!¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°That,¡± interrupted Isille sternly. ¡°...is not a commitment to be taken lightly. By none of you. There is a reason that you are supposed to be of age before you can accept your own family. Accepting someone as a whaka is a promise that you will always have their back in times of danger. No matter if you have to brave the hellish Wastes or worse. No matter what. As long as they remain your whaka, you will be there when they are faced with danger and require your aid. You three are still too young to grasp the true weight of such a vow.¡±

    ¡°Consider carefully,¡± sounded the cheery voice from Bjorln. He had just left the kitchen. ¡°Take your time. Especially you, Terry. Our two chipmunks have quite the knack for getting themselves into trouble. If they keep up that habit, then you would be in for it, too.¡±

    The twins wanted to say something in response, but then reconsidered and remained quiet.

    ¡°In any case,¡± continued Isille. ¡°You can stay here as a welcome guest and friend, Terry. We¡¯ll always have a room ready for you.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let us eat,¡± suggested Bjorln cheerfully.

    ¡°See?¡± Brynn nudged Terry with her elbow. ¡°Better than living with strangers, right?¡±

    Terry did not manage to find any words yet, but he could still smile and nod.

    Lori and Jorg went to Terry¡¯s side.

    ¡°So?¡± ¡°The little lord sovereign had a secret last name, did he?¡±

    Both of them pulled down their chins while keeping their mouths closed. They nodded slowly and then spoke with intentionally nasal voices.

    ¡°Why dear me, my good sir.¡± ¡°We have not been properly introduced.¡±

    Lori performed a mock bow. Jorg did a curtsy and lifted an imaginary skirt. Afterwards, they stood up straight and grinned.

    ¡°So what was it?¡± questioned Jorg. ¡°Was it Lord Farts-A-Lot?¡±

    ¡°I thought that was supposed to become your last name?¡± remarked Lori.

    ¡°Yes, indeed, and I demand exclusive usage rights. That is why I cannot tolerate any imitators.¡± Jorg shook his head before giving a heavy sigh. ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, Terry. If you infringe upon my destined name, then there is no choice. We will have to set a duel at noon on the day of the second moon.¡±

    Lori clicked her tongue. ¡°Choice of weapons?¡±

    ¡°Traditional, of course,¡± replied Jorg gravely.

    Lori turned to Terry. ¡°That means mudballs.¡±

    ***

    Samuel was assisting Terry with packing up his stuff in the Academy. Moving was a lot easier if you had access to a properly sized dimensional bag with weight elimination.

    ¡°So, uhm¡­¡± Terry was fidgeting with his hands.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Samuel looked expectantly at the boy.

    ¡°I know I have not heard it, but¡­¡± Terry creased his brows. ¡°What exactly is a svipa?¡±

    Samuel exhaled some air from his nose. ¡°Essentially someone that abandons family. Are you already familiar with the term nama?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± replied Terry. ¡°¡®Thank you¡¯ or ¡®sorry¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°Mostly, yes.¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°It emphasizes the acknowledgement of a debt.¡± He pointed at Terry with two fingers. ¡°You must never spit after using that term.¡±

    ¡°Spit?¡± Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°Why would I spit?¡±

    ¡°Does not matter, just don¡¯t,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°Spitting on the ground after using nama changes the meaning from acknowledging a debt to holding a grudge. Essentially, it breaks off all ties with the family. Svipa literally means spit bucket ¨C either someone that spits or that causes their whaka to spit. It is about the worst insult a traditionalist dwarf can throw at you.¡± He nodded towards the remaining things to pack. ¡°Now, let''s hurry it up a bit.¡±

    After everything had been packed, the two left. In the halls, Terry saw Instructor Pelliana showing around an awed student whom he had never seen before: a girl with curly blond hair.

    ¡°The kid had the best entrance examination results this cycle,¡± remarked Samuel with a hint of sadness. ¡°Not as much of an outlier as yours, but enough to have her spoiled at the Academy.¡± He sighed. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll do alright.¡±

    ***

 007 Immovable Object

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 44 ¨C

    ¡°Brynn suggested something new,¡± said Samuel. He and Terry were sitting in a prepared room in the house of the dwarven family.

    ¡°Oh? Has Auntie relented?¡± Terry was immediately all ears and leaned closer on his chair. ¡°Can I give the blood or dream paths of the lower system a shot?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Samuel shook his head. ¡°Not for now, at least.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡± Terry leaned back again.

    ¡°New conjecture.¡± Samuel¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Maybe your oscillating mana is not an entirely distinct phenomenon, after all. Brynn thought it could be worthwhile to posit that oscillating mana is just another form of aspected mana.¡± He nodded while in thought. ¡°I concur it is worth considering.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°Doesn¡¯t aspected mana involve, you know, an aspect? I have never heard of an oscillating aspect before.¡±

    ¡°Neither have we,¡± admitted Samuel.

    Terry tilted his head. ¡°So how exactly does that help us pick new spells to try?¡±

    ¡°Well, there can be minor and major aspects,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Mana can be aspected to fire in general, as with Olgorn or Bjorln, but there are also minor or intersection aspects like hellfire or coldfire. We intend to treat oscillating mana as something like a minor aspect to an undocumented major aspect.¡±

    ¡°So what is the major aspect supposed to be?¡± asked Terry with raised brows.

    ¡°For now, we have come up with¡­¡± Samuel raised a finger and then pointed at Terry. ¡°¡­movement.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I see,¡± muttered Terry while nodding. ¡°Fire-aspected mana burns. Oscillating mana moves. Sounds possible, I guess. But if a major aspect related to movement exists, how come no one has figured that out until now?¡±

    Samuel shrugged. ¡°Lack of an identifiable pattern, perhaps? I mean, what kind of spell does not include movement of some sort? Where would you even begin to draw the line?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a problem?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°How are we going to draw it, then?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, we do not need to invent a perfect classification as we do not aim to publish a new thesis on magic.¡± Samuel retrieved some notes from his pocket. ¡°For now, we can stick with the obvious candidates and continue from there. We will start with Haste, Flicker, and Slow Creature.¡±

    ¡°Fine with me,¡± said Terry dispassionately. ¡°If nothing else, I will at least learn new spell structures to use in the quizzes.¡±

    Terry was helping out with some of the Guardian classes. Even though he had never been able to cast a spell, he had become very familiar with a broad range of spell structures. Despite his limitations, he was perfectly capable of demonstrating those or helping others correct their own spell shaping.

    Besides demonstrations and tutoring, Terry provided trainees with detection challenges in which he would shape a spell structure, and the participants had to recognize the intended spell as quickly as possible.

    Terry¡¯s assistance was freeing up proper spell flingers for other classes, with a heavier focus on the later spellwork stages and on practical casting in combat. He could exchange the additional contribution points for mana coins, which provided a welcome supplement to his equipment budget.

    ***

    Terry was walking next to Lori and Jorg. The three of them had grown up during the past three years. They looked healthy, sturdy, and taller. The twins¡¯ faces had finally caught up with their facial hair. The incongruous impression had disappeared, and they simply looked more mature.

    Lori still kept her sideburns smooth, but now the rest of her hair was braided tightly around her head.

    Jorg, on the other hand, was still recovering from his mohawk experiment. The intense sunshine of the Setting Sun had quickly killed off his initial enthusiasm for the hairstyle. After his second bad sunburn, his mother Isille had insisted he wore a hat and Lori took some pleasure in reminding her brother.

    Terry was happy with his hair kept short, but a bit envious of Jorg¡¯s bushy beard. To Terry¡¯s dismay, proper facial hair seemed about as distant a dream as casting a spell.

    The three were returning from window shopping in the southern merchant quarter of Arcana City. They were on their way to the dimensional gate leading towards the city center.

    ¡°To think I got excited about them having a sale,¡± grumbled Jorg.

    ¡°I mean, what did you expect?¡± asked Terry drily.

    ¡°Yeah, exactly how much did you think they would reduce their prices?¡± added Lori.

    ¡°Who said anything about thinking?¡± retorted Jorg. ¡°I was hoping. A dwarf can dream.¡±

    ¡°¡®Baseless hopes will only set you up for disappointment,¡¯¡± recited Terry. ¡°¡®Achieving your desires requires persistent efforts.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Stop quoting Pa,¡± complained Jorg. ¡°One of him is quite enough, thank you.¡± The remark elicited a giggle from Lori.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°You could have afforded the self-cleaning knife. Seems useful for hunting missions.¡±

    ¡°Boooring,¡± whined Jorg. ¡°I wanted the glove with the imprinted Fireball spell.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± questioned Lori incredulously. ¡°We are still on non-magical beasts. We have only recently advanced to bear hunting missions. Don¡¯t you think fireballs should be reserved for mana-corrupted creatures and stuff?¡±

    ¡°Particularly creatures that do not live in forests, Jorg,¡± teased Terry.

    ¡°Nenenenenene,¡± retorted Jorgen eloquently, and then stuck out his tongue.

    ¡°We could lend you some coins for the Blinding Flash fingerless glove if it makes you feel any better,¡± suggested Lori.

    ¡°Hmm, nah.¡± Jorg shook his head. ¡°That glove was in the apprentice pile, which means the imprint is probably too fuzzy for me to activate it. Also¡­¡± He reached up and slapped Terry on the shoulder. ¡°I noticed Terry eying it and one should be enough for our group.¡±

    ¡°Also saves you the coins, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re catching on,¡± exclaimed Jorg and grinned back at him. ¡°It is always comforting to be understood.¡±

    Jorg raised his hand to Terry¡¯s eyebrow and pretended to pinch it with his thumb and index finger. ¡°Now put that thing down. It makes me uncomfortable. There we go. That¡¯s better.¡±

    Terry chuckled and shook his head. The three had reached the dimensional gate and could already see the blurry surface displaying the happenings in the city center. After a few more steps, they were right in the middle of it.

    In order to cross to the northern quarters, they had to traverse the center south to north. They took the western route, which would have them first pass the Academy grounds and later the Council Plaza.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the flunkie?¡±

    Terry and the twins were still discussing mana-crafted equipment when a pair of teenage Academy students stepped in their way. One was a reluctant looking girl with curly blond hair that seemed vaguely familiar, but Terry could not recall if they had met before. The other was a boy that looked upset about something.

    ¡°Hey dropout,¡± the boy looked at Terry. ¡°What gives you the right to wear the Academy¡¯s insignia on your bag?¡±

    Terry looked at the bag on his left side. He was still carrying the bag the Academy had gifted to him after he had passed the entrance exams. It was a good bag ¨C durable, practical enchantments, and adjustable straps.

    What ¡®right¡¯? It¡¯s mine, isn¡¯t it?

    Terry was about to answer when he was stopped by an impressively reverberating burp from his right side. Lori slapped her belly with a disinterested expression.

    Before more than a few seconds had passed, more strange sounds were emitted from Terry¡¯s left. Jorg was moving his gaze along the buildings while forcing air through his closed lips. Every five or so seconds he would switch to puffing up his cheeks and squeezing the air out through his teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± demanded the Academy youth.

    Terry kept his head down in order to hide his grin. After he had regained his composure, he started looking around the ground as if he had lost something and was desperately trying to find it.

    Lori sat down loudly and examined the sole of her boot. She sniffed her boot with a quizzical expression.

    Jorg jolted with wide eyes as if he had remembered something very important. He raised his gaze towards the heavens, put his right fist at his left breast, and whistled the Anthem of Arcana. His interpretation was more characterized by passion than by tone accuracy.

    A small crowd had gathered, which visibly intensified the Academy girl¡¯s discomfort. It did not take long before she pulled the stumped boy away to leave.

    Once there was some distance between them and Terry¡¯s group, Jorg stopped whistling and wrinkled his nose. Lori stood back up and slapped the dirt from her butt.

    ¡°What a weirdo!¡± exclaimed Lori aghast.

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Jorg sounded offended. ¡°Leaving in the middle of a conversation. How rude!¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Terry shook his head in mock exasperation.

    The three guffawed and continued on their way.

    ***

    In the evening, the family split up into groups to follow their usual after dinner activities.

    Brynn guided Lori in her current spellwork. The dwarven girl was practicing the Earth¡¯s Nourishment spell. The spell allowed a target to recover health as long as their skin was making contact with a patch of grass or other life-providing earth.

    Next to them, Samuel was instructing an intensely focused Jorg. The dwarven youth was displaying a level of attention and discipline towards the spellwork that was totally out of character.

    Recently, Jorgen had been pestering his parents for permission to advance their hunting missions to mana-corrupted creatures. In contrast to all his previous pestering, Isille had acceded, but with conditions.

    Lori had to master the Earth¡¯s Nourishment spell completely. In addition, she needed to increase her spell control for the Raise Wall and Liquify Earth spells so that the casting time was no more than two seconds. Lori had already raised her spell control and was getting close to fulfilling the remaining condition. Nine out of ten times Lori succeeded in casting Earth¡¯s Nourishment.

    Jorg had to master one intermediate-level variant for each of the three fundamental healing spells: Cure Wounds, Cure Poison, and Heal. He also had to achieve enough spell control to get the first two spells below half a minute casting time and Heal below one minute casting time. Jorgen had succeeded with Heal and Cure Poison, but it still took him longer than a minute to cast Cure Wounds without risking spell failure.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Last was Terry, who also had to satisfy a condition. Since they had discovered no spell that he could cast yet, Isille gave him a condition for his mana cultivation instead. Terry had an advantage thanks to his aptitude in mana control, and she expected him to fully master the balanced stage and embark on the beginning of the burst stage.

    Terry used the time to improve his use of mana-crafted items. He was either sparring unarmed with Bjorln or using dummy weapons with Isille. He was wearing five practice items on his body ¨C one at the chest and one at each limb. The devices did nothing except glow softly when they had been activated correctly. They also came with different charge levels and different degrees of activation fuzziness. Those simulated different spell imprint levels and mana crafting quality.

    Bjorln and Isille told him to activate or deactivate a certain item during their spar and Terry had to decrease his reaction delay as much as possible without failing any activation or becoming too distracted to keep up the spar. After more than an hour of this, they stopped the sparring session.

    Afterwards, Brynn had Jorg join up with Lori so that Samuel was free to test a new spell with Terry. After Terry had washed off the sweat and cleaned himself up, he joined Samuel in the small bureau next to the living room.

    ¡°Today, I have an odd one from the outer system for you,¡± announced Samuel.

    Terry looked curious. ¡°Odd how?¡±

    ¡°For one thing, it is sometimes categorized as an expert-level spell and sometimes as a master-level spell,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Going simply by structure, it should be an expert-level spell, but apparently there has been no one capable of casting it with only expert-level mana control. That peculiarity makes the spell stand out.¡±

    Terry puckered his lips and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Since when am I at ¡®master-level¡¯ mana control?¡±

    ¡°You are not, but you are also not too far off,¡± replied Samuel. ¡°It should suffice to test far enough into the priming.¡±

    Terry relaxed his expression again. ¡°So, what is the spell?¡±

    ¡°Immovable Object ¨C a spell used to anchor an object in place wherever it is,¡± explained Samuel.

    Terry immediately recovered his previous expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of the opposite of what we were looking for with the movement aspect?¡±

    ¡°You could say that, but we also aren¡¯t completely sure what we are looking for, are we?¡± Samuel shrugged. ¡°Do you know the difference between expert-level and master-level spell structures?¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Not really. Never thought about that before.¡±

    ¡°Complexity aside, the fundamental difference is movement,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Master level structures are not stationary. A master mage has to be capable of rebalancing parts of the structure.¡±

    Terry nodded along. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try, can it? Can¡¯t fail any harder than with the other spells, can I?¡± Terry chuckled.

    ¡°Here.¡± Samuel took up two pens and handed one to Terry.

    ¡°Look closely.¡± Samuel harvested mana and shaped the required spell structure. It took him longer than any of the spells they had tested so far.

    Terry activated his mana sense and was stunned for a moment by the complex structure. He had shaped expert-level spells before, true, but not that many. After taking a deep breath, he started his own shaping.

    It took Terry around an hour and a dozen correction instructions from Samuel before he had the shape down for the first time.

    ¡°Very good. Create the primer right here.¡± Samuel added the primer to his own shape.

    Terry did the same.

    ¡°Now pay attention to the priming path.¡± Samuel moved the primer along his spell structure. Again, the process took him longer than for any spell they had tried before. After he was done, he immediately ignited the spell structure and the pen that had been in his hand before was now fixed in place right in the air. He gestured at Terry. ¡°Your turn.¡±

    Terry attempted the priming. Unexpectedly, the primer moved a lot quicker than usual ¨C as if it was sucked through the structure on its own. Caught off guard, Terry lost control and the structure dispersed.

    Despite the all-too-familiar sting in his casting hand, Terry¡¯s face did not display disappointment. Instead, there was only shock. The primer made it all the way to the end of the first slope. This spell felt different somehow.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry inhaled shakily.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Samuel stood up and went for the door. ¡°Brynn? Could you please join us?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Brynn quickly turned to her two dwarven students. ¡°Excuse me, you two.¡±

    Terry was still looking dazedly at his hand.

    Samuel clapped his hands twice to jolt the boy out of his daze. ¡°Another try?¡±

    Terry nodded without speaking.

    Harvesting? Check.

    Shaping? Check.

    Terry took two deep breaths. Priming?

    The primer moved and, once again, it was way quicker than Terry had expected. This time, however, he was prepared for it. He did not lose control. The structure eventually dispersed, but¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes reddened and his lower lip trembled. He had actually reached the second slope. For the first time in his life, he had managed to move the primer past the first slope. His tears caused snot to accumulate in his nostrils, which made it harder for him to breathe, and brought him back to reality. Immediately, he felt embarrassed.

    ¡°Sorry. I am getting ahead of myself, aren¡¯t I?¡± Terry muttered faintly. ¡°It still failed, after all.¡±

    ¡°Brynn?¡± Samuel gave her a serious look.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Brynn was pensive. ¡°¡­do not believe you are.¡±

    Now Terry forgot to breathe completely.

    ¡°Did you feel a tug at your mana primer?¡± inquired Brynn. ¡°As if it was moving somewhat of its own volition?¡±

    Terry nodded slightly. He did not know where to look.

    Brynn gave a wide smile, and it inspired a deep sigh of relief from Samuel. She explained the significance to the boy. ¡°That tug is a sign of being aspect gifted. On the rare occasions when I am using spells of the air aspect, I feel the same.¡± She caught his gaze. ¡°You cannot be gifted and impaired in the same aspect, which means that¡­¡±

    Terry gulped subconsciously.

    ¡°The good news is that this should be your spell,¡± said Samuel firmly. ¡°The bad news is that we have already ruled out the spells categorized in close proximity to it. It seems likely that you are a pure aspect savant.¡± Samuel looked intently at the boy. ¡°Spellwork theory is my field of research and I¡¯m sorry to say that from everything we know, there won¡¯t be another spell to match. One spell¡­¡±

    After Terry¡¯s brain caught up with what was said, he gave a smile with a half-opened mouth and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s a spell. A spell. I can finally¡­¡± Tears ran down his face and he bit his lip.

    Samuel nodded approvingly. ¡°Good, then let us finish this properly. Brynn?¡±

    ¡°I will contact Ser.¡± Brynn straightened herself. ¡°He should be able to cover your morning class.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Whaka.¡± Samuel briefly took her hand in his.

    Brynn went into the living room. Through the opened door, Lori and Jorg caught a glimpse of Terry.

    ¡°Is Terry alright?¡± ¡°Can we do something?¡±

    Brynn gave the two worried teenagers a warm smile before fetching Isille and Bjorln in order to explain the situation. She had to leave for a bit, but she would be back shortly.

    ¡°We may have to impose on you for the night,¡± said Samuel from inside the bureau.

    ¡°Of course, Whaka,¡± replied Isille with a nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some midnight cake then,¡± added Bjorln cheerfully. He pointed at the twins. ¡°And if you want to stay up as well, then you will help me.¡±

    The twins stayed silent, but nodded their agreement. They followed their father into the kitchen.

    The rest of the evening and night felt like a blurry dream to Terry. He could vaguely remember worried faces trying to talk to him or handing him cake, but he could not recall any details ¨C not up to four in the morning.

    The sun was about to rise and Terry was moving the primer towards the last slope of the spell structure. He did not remember how many attempts he had made. He did not know how far he had gotten before. He barely felt like a real person anymore. The entirety of his mind was consumed with that glowing dot moving forward.

    The primer reached the start point. It had finished a complete cycle. The entire structure began emitting a brighter glow than before, and the primer continued moving on its own.

    Terry became short of breath.

    ¡°Steady now.¡± Samuel¡¯s voice brought Terry back to focus. ¡°On my signal, ignite the primer.¡±

    Terry stopped blinking and clenched his teeth. His eyes followed every one of the primer¡¯s movements. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears.

    Samuel instructed: ¡°Now!¡±

    Terry ignited the primer without hesitation. His eyes stared dazedly at the pen floating in midair and at the shadow that was cast below. He let out a breath he didn¡¯t remember holding. His vision was getting blurry, and he simply sat there with mouth agape and in complete stillness. He was exhausted and dazed, but somehow he was still feeling lighter than ever before.

    One moment later, there were two small bodies hugging him from impossible angles. Terry was still sitting on a chair, which made the hugging more than a bit challenging and awkward. Jorg¡¯s beard got in Terry¡¯s eye. Lori¡¯s sideburns really tickled, but Terry did not mind. Not at all.

    ¡°Congratulations, little one!¡± Bjorln grinned. He had his arm around Isille, who was standing next to him with tears in her eyes.

    After Terry realized what had happened, he stood up. He first walked to Brynn and gave her a hug. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered in a barely audible voice. He turned to Samuel and moved a step towards him, but hesitated. He had exchanged hugs with Brynn before, but¡­

    ¡°Congratulations!¡± exclaimed Samuel and put his hand on Terry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well done.¡±

    Terry mustered his resolve and moved in to hug Samuel as well. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°My pleasure, Terry.¡± Samuel smiled warmly at the teenage boy. ¡°Please forget the spell for a moment. You have improved so much since I first met you.¡± He patted Terry¡¯s back. ¡°Take time to reflect on how far you have come. My students rarely inspire me with pride, but please know that I am proud of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± mumbled Terry before adding, ¡°Whaka.¡±

    Samuel froze, and his eyes began glistening. ¡°Nama. You honor me, Whaka Terry, but as a child of the Rising Moon, you won¡¯t finish your eighteenth cycle before the next season.¡±

    Terry let go and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He turned around and looked at everyone before addressing them all in a firm voice. ¡°Whaka. Thank you. All of you. Thank you so much. Nama.¡±

    Now, even Bjorln started tearing up.

    ¡°Nama, Whaka Terry,¡± started Isille slowly. ¡°However, Samuel is right. We of the older generation are acting of our own volition. You have no obligation towards us and you should take your time¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah puff poodle,¡± interrupted Lori defiantly. ¡°Whaka Terry!¡± She darted forward to hug the human boy again.

    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll have you know we are precocious and very mature for our age!¡± claimed Jorg in with mock haughtiness and then he added himself to the hug. ¡°Wait up, Whaka Terry.¡±

    Terry felt that Jorg¡¯s rather dubious claim might sabotage the founding of his own accepted family, but he could not help but laugh happily.

    ***

    On the following day, Isille and Bjorln let the youths sleep in. When Terry awoke, he immediately sat down to cast Immovable Object to prove to himself that he had not hallucinated the previous events. On his seventh try, he succeeded.

    Finally!

    Terry practically skipped all the way to the breakfast table ¨C or rather the lunch table, considering it was already past noon. He entered the living room where he was immediately greeted by the twins beaming and waving at him while stuffing their mouths with all the food within their reach.

    Terry was about to sit down at the table when there was a knock at the house door. Bjorln opened and let Brynn in.

    ¡°Oh good, you are already awake.¡± The tall woman was beaming at the human boy with the remnants of bed-hair. ¡°I have something for you, Terry.¡±

    After exchanging greetings, Terry stood in front of Brynn while Jorg and Lori were not far behind. Their curiosity had baited them from the table, but they continued to munch on their food.

    ¡°Here, this is from me.¡± Brynn handed Terry a thin, cloth-wrapped something.

    Terry removed the cloth to find even more cloth, but this time it was surrounded by a wire and with an opening like a pocket.

    ¡°I personally prefer them as rings or other jewelry, but I figure a proper mana cultivator would not want to risk punching their storage into pieces.¡± Brynn winked at him.

    Realization dawned on Terry and he stared with mouth agape.

    ¡°You can sew this one into your normal clothes or attach it behind an armor piece,¡± explained Brynn. ¡°It has two modes: open and closed. When closed, you have to put your hand into the pocket opening in order to put items in or take them out. When open, you only need to be close enough, but mind that this also makes it easier for pickpockets. It¡¯s cloaked, but there are still ways to discover it.¡±

    ¡°Mighty mana!¡± exclaimed Lori suddenly. ¡°A dimensional storage bag!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! But this is¡ª I¡ª¡± Terry knew roughly how expensive dimensional storage items were and the one currently in his hands seemed of high quality.

    ¡°But nothing!¡± Brynn cut him off firmly. ¡°You have earned it. I would also suggest that you pair up a locating device with it.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, Auntie Brynn?¡± Jorg smiled sheepishly. ¡°Can we also ¡®earn¡¯ one?¡±

    Brynn considered it for a moment before answering. ¡°Sure¡­¡± She tapped a finger on her lip while drawing out the word.

    Jorg was about to jump with happiness.

    ¡°If either of you learns an expert-level spell, you will get one, too,¡± added Brynn challengingly.

    Just like that, Jorg¡¯s hope and happiness were crushed. He looked at Terry and said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to act as our mule for quite some time then.¡±

    Brynn snorted and hurriedly added: ¡°I will talk to your ma if she can think of some alternative conditions. Long-term, you are going to need storage items. I suggest you work hard and put her in a good mood.¡±

    Afterwards, Brynn turned back to Terry. ¡°This one is from Samuel. He would have liked to give it to you in person, but he has to teach the class of instructor Ser right now.¡± She handed over a rectangular package wrapped in white paper.

    Terry unwrapped the package to find three books and a box. The first was a notebook filled with what appeared to be extracts from other books. All sections were talking about the Immovable Object spell. Each section had a note in Samuel¡¯s handwriting referencing the source text.

    More learning¡­ Terry smiled subconsciously. ¡­as expected.

    The second book was a very familiar tome: the Path of a Mage. When he saw it, Terry spaced out for a few seconds before mumbling with hesitation: ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t question it! Awesome!¡± The twins were sharing the excitement for this one, and a few crumbs escaped from Jorg¡¯s mouth to make their way to the floor. ¡°More chapters! Wait, ALL chapters!¡±

    The last book was tied to the box.

    ¡°Open the box first,¡± instructed Brynn.

    Inside the box, there seemed to be a collection of specifically sized samples of various materials, like metals or crystals. Terry was stumped at what he was supposed to do with those.

    ¡°Now the book,¡± said Brynn.

    It was a mostly empty notebook. Only the first page had a note in Samuel¡¯s handwriting.

    ¡®Add your own insights to the collection! Create your own path to follow!¡¯

    ***

 008 Experiments and Conditions

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 100 ¨C

    ¡°Well, that was a shit idea.¡± Jorg washed the blood from his nose. His bloody beard stood in stark contrast to his wide grin. ¡°Fun though.¡±

    ¡°You scared me for a bit there,¡± muttered Terry with lingering anxiety.

    ¡°Hey, we were supposed to practice,¡± stated Lori while looking back from the door. ¡°Now Jorg has the chance to practice his Cure Wounds spell for real.¡±

    ¡°Shh. You stay silent and keep a lookout,¡± hissed Jorg. ¡°We don¡¯t know when Ma will come back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am pretty sure that Ma would not follow your reasoning there, Lori,¡± warned Terry. After he had learned his spell, the three were given a new schedule that involved less time in the training grounds and more time for spellwork.

    Technically, the twins were supposed to improve their own spell control and mastery while Terry familiarized himself with the Immovable Object spell.

    In reality, however, it took all their discipline to not spend the time binge-reading the Veilbinder¡¯s legend. Consequently, the teenagers came up short when confronted with some of the less cautious possibilities of the Immovable Object spell.

    Long story short, a few side lessons were learned: It was possible to transfix a staff in midair. The staff carried any weight. A person could attach themselves to the staff with carabiners. Siblings of the person could spin the person quickly around the staff.

    The most important lesson learned, however, was: Have a second ¡°warning¡± staff imbued with the same amount of mana for the spell, and have its spell activated at least ten seconds earlier.

    The alternative was to wait until the casting mage completely understood the mana amount to spell duration ratio, but what self-respecting teenage dwarf had time for that?

    Luckily, Jorg¡¯s face clash with the floor had looked worse than it was. Thank mana cultivation for that. Right now, their biggest worry was the possibility that their parents came home early. According to the twins, Ma Isille could smell blood even after it had been washed away. Terry was not sure if they meant that literally or metaphorically.

    Of course, the three had not fooled around the entire time. Lori had completely mastered the Earth¡¯s Nourishment spell and Jorg¡¯s casting time for the Cure Wounds spell usually came in around thirty-five seconds.

    Terry had spent his spellwork time divided across three tasks: Understanding the Immovable Object spell, testing the spell¡¯s interaction with different materials, and brainstorming ideas for practical applications.

    For the first task, he mostly stuck to the notebook provided to him by his uncle Samuel. Nevertheless, he always verified for himself whatever was written in the excerpts. Terry had to admit that the information was rather basic. He guessed that the spell¡¯s ¡®odd¡¯ positioning prevented most mages from seriously considering it.

    The most obvious application of the spell was in combination with a shield. However, any proper mage with master-level mana control could summon a powerful barrier out of thin air. Learning a spell for use with physical shields seemed somewhat redundant as well as less versatile.

    Whatever the reason for the apparent practical neglect, it quickly became clear that nearly all excerpts were documenting the spell¡¯s effects in a dry academic manner. Notes to fill up a compendium but little in practical applications. Nevertheless, it was sufficient to get a general idea.

    The Immovable Object spell could be applied to any continuous surface. If an object was made of multiple parts, then a single spell invocation only affected a single part.

    Terry could immediately verify this with his practice pen. While the pen hovered in the air, he could remove the cap. He could control which surface he wanted to impart with the effect by aiming the spell structure accordingly.

    Terry guessed that there might be some density-based rule in place or another physical property that distinguished liquids from solids. He noted down that the spell worked on rocks, but not on blocks of loose earth. After his scribbling session, he planned to confirm his understanding with Samuel and Brynn.

    Terry tested the spell on a rope and discovered two things. First, the spell did not work on the rope at all. Some excerpts actually explained why: Most of the spell structure had to fit within or be in contact with the object. Second, trying to compress the spell structure to objects as thin as a thread gave Terry a headache comparable to cluster migraines. For now, the diameter of the pen was pretty much his limit when compressing the spell structure.

    Terry flipped through more of the research articles. The Immovable Object spell kept an object in place independent of the force applied to it. Apparently, ¡®in place¡¯ also included relative to itself. As long as the effect was active, the object became basically indestructible ¨C no matter how fragile the object normally was.

    Once again, the practice pen acted as the first test subject. The twins helped by smashing their practice weapons against the immovable pen with all their might. The pen as a whole did not budge, but part of an inlay ¨C a separate surface ¨C shattered. Terry instantly regretted this particular experiment design a bit.

    Afterwards, Terry tested his spell on a candle. The wax turned as invulnerable to kinetic force as the pen before, but what really fascinated the young mage was his finding when he lit the candle: The candle wax did not burn. The flame only lingered for a few seconds and then it died.

    Terry immediately made plans for experiments with ice cubes, but for that he first had to secure the cooperation of a mage capable of casting ice spells. Technically, Jorg could use ice magic, but the dwarf had never bothered to learn any spells of this aspect.

    According to the excerpts, the Immovable Object spell had a fixed mana cost that was independent of the targeted object¡¯s size or mass. The key factor influencing mana consumption was duration.

    As long as the casting mage managed to recreate and prime the spell structure, they could quicken the spell by harvesting and investing less mana, but this also shortened the spell¡¯s duration. Similarly, a mage could invest more mana so that the spell stayed active for longer periods. However, the surface covering threshold still applied, which meant that both quickening and empowering required adequate spell control to compress the mana for the spell structure.

    It was possible for the casting mage to extend the duration of an active spell by reinfusing it with more mana. However, the naturalization of the mana had to match. Another mage could not prolong an Immovable Object spell that had been cast by someone else. On the flip side, the caster could also interrupt the spell and choose to cancel it immediately.

    An additional secondary factor that affected the mana requirements was the material itself. Different materials had different base consumption values for activating the spell. Aside from mana cost, some material also differed in what the authors called activation delay, which meant the time between ignition and the complete activation of the spell.

    Terry had prepared several experiments for trying to verify the required mana consumption to keep specific materials in the air for a fixed amount of time. He took notes meticulously and scribbled his own estimates into his notebook.

    The excerpts discussed a few ways to measure a baseline, but they had to be adjusted and normalized somehow. While mana concentration could be measured, it was much harder to measure the amount of mana put into a spell structure. A mana user could get a standardized mana-crafted item to get a feeling for how much mana he was using.

    However, the interesting metric was not necessarily the absolute mana amount per se, but rather the time it took to cast the spell. That, unfortunately, depended on yet another variable: the caster¡¯s mana throughput. That was the reason why Terry tried to get an idea of his casting time with different levels of bursts. In the future, he would have to add some more pages for measuring the impact of quickening or empowering the spell.

    Unfortunately, all the personal numbers he measured were doomed to become outdated rather quickly, because the variables would change with his progress in training. Even so, he thought it was better to establish a baseline early.

    The last facts of note were the limitations on objects on which Immovable Object could be activated. First, it did not work on any living material. Another limitation applied to interactions with mana and other spell structures. It was possible to cast the spell on mana-crafted items, but the caster had to overpower the imprinted spell structure. Alternatively, the spell structure for Immovable Object had to be properly shielded.

    Here, Terry looked at his pen again. The pen was a mana-crafted item, and the tip had been imprinted with a spell for darkening or lightening non-living materials. He figured that his spell activation only worked, because he had not targeted the tip of the pen.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°How about that!¡± Jorg emerged from the little bathroom with a wide grin for siblings. ¡°By my count, Cure Wounds took exactly thirty seconds to cast!¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± exclaimed Lori. ¡°Then we only need to punch you in the face in order to clear Ma¡¯s conditions!¡±

    Jorg was not entirely sure if that was supposed to be sarcasm and subconsciously took a step back from the door.

    Terry raised his gaze from his material box and gave Jorg an examining look that had previously been reserved for his practice pen. ¡°We still have to narrow down his true motivating incentive. From what we have discerned so far, we can only conclude it to be either pain or fear of Ma. Maybe he would react better to blackmail than to pain?¡±

    Lori pulled her sideburns in front of her chin before stroking them in a thoughtful pose. ¡°True true, it cannot be ruled out. If he fails, should we tell Ma what happened to her grappling hook?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± gasped Jorg. ¡°Would you?¡±

    Lori tried to keep a straight face, but eventually had to giggle. ¡°Nah. That would mean mutually assured destruction.¡±

    Jorg nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Right and if Ma grounds us both until the next era, then who would look after Whaka Terry?¡±

    ¡°I would like to point out that I am not the one with a bloody face at the moment,¡± interjected Terry drily. ¡°It would get lonely though. And boring.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Alright, you have passed my conditions,¡± announced Isille. ¡°Here is your first hunting mission for mana corrupted.¡±

    Jorg was nearly doing tippy taps when he received the mission pamphlet. To his chagrin, his excitement did not survive the pamphlet¡¯s contents. It was replaced by indignation. ¡°Cloud badgers? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°What? You thought we would start you on shadow panthers?¡± snarked Isille. ¡°Or maybe even some terror grizzlies? Yeah, they¡¯re outright cuddly if you¡¯re a greenhorn.¡±

    ¡°No, but come on,¡± whined Jorgen. ¡°Wasted badgers? We are already hunting bears!¡±

    ¡°Non-magic bears, yes,¡± stressed Isille sternly. ¡°You think the separate classification is just for fun? A corrupted, cursed, or magic-wielding creature is an entirely different beast.¡±

    ¡°But we already took part in the intermediate introduction class.¡± Florine pointed out.

    ¡°A class that had an instructor spoon-feeding you information and calling the shots,¡± reminded Isille. ¡°This time, you have to make the decisions on your own.¡±

    At this point, Lori just shrugged with a sigh. Somewhat begrudgingly, she had made her peace with the mission.

    ¡°But a badger?¡± Jorgen remained unwilling. ¡°I mean, I get why we pick a minor corrupted and low-rank creature, but a badger?¡±

    ¡°Jorg, it is just the first mission.¡± Terry spoke up in an attempt to mediate. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Depends on your performance,¡± snarled Isille, while keeping her eyes on Jorgen. ¡°You must never conflate a creature with its ancestor. The most dangerous corrupted hunt open at the moment is for a vortex hamster. That overgrown space rodent considers a sleuth of terror bears as nothing more than a light snack.¡±

    After Isille saw the persistent look of resentment on Jorgen¡¯s face, she made an offer. ¡°Tell you what, you are always talking about wanting to join the Guild, so let¡¯s play by Guild rules. I¡¯ll give you a side mission. If you finish the hunt without so much as a nick on your equipment, you will have succeeded. I will put the reward at six hundred coins.¡±

    Jorgen looked a lot less unwilling and was about to agree.

    ¡°BUT you are a rookie and this would be considered an upranking or rank-crossing mission,¡± warned Isille. ¡°If you fail, you¡¯ll owe me three hundred coins or the equivalent in contribution points.¡±

    Jorgen¡¯s agreement got stuck in his throat. He paused and swallowed hard. There was a moment of silence before he had finally mustered the resolve for defiance. ¡°Deal.¡±

    Isille only raised an eyebrow and inclined her head as acknowledgement. ¡°Any other takers?¡±

    Terry shook his head immediately.

    Lori was tempted, but looked warily at her mother. In the end, she decided that this smelled too much like a setup. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Jorgen was miffed that his siblings did not back him up.

    ¡°Great. Since you were so happy with the basic outline, I have one more requirement,¡± announced Isille. ¡°Your pa is going to accompany you.¡±

    This time, it was Florine who spoke up with indignation. ¡°We¡¯re not little kids anymore! What kind of Guardian has their parents babysitting them during missions?¡± She hissed: ¡°Will we have to hold his hand so that we do not get lost in the woods?¡±

    Isille was becoming irritated and nearly got into another snappy argument with her daughter. However, she resisted the temptation and decided against taking the bait. After all, this was not some squabble over chores or clothes. As the adult party, it was on her to keep things professional. Therefore, Isille limited her temper to a disapproving glare and a sigh.

    ¡°Your pa is not there to hold your hand during the mission,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°He will not interfere, nor will he give you advice. His role is not to show you the way, but to remind you of not getting lost.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He can act as a witness for the side mission, I guess. Although, I do not believe that will be necessary.¡±

    Florine only rolled her eyes while Jorgen gave an acknowledging grunt.

    ¡°Can I still ask Pa something since he will be there, anyway?¡± inquired Terry innocently.

    That question earned him some reproachful looks from the twins.

    ¡°Hey, whose side are you on, Whaka Terry?¡±

    ¡°The side that has questions, duh.¡± Terry rolled his eyes.

    Before the kids could get really into it, Isille interrupted. ¡°Sure you can, Terry. Anyway, you three still have training scheduled for today. Tomorrow, take the time to prepare.¡±

    ***

    In the evening, the whole family ¨C including Brynn and Samuel ¨C was sitting together at the dinner table again.

    ¡°More lasagna?¡± Bjorln looked expectantly at Terry.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m full,¡± replied Terry. He tried hard to avoid the expectant look in the eyes of the dwarven cooking enthusiast.

    ¡°So just a bit of lasagne, then?¡± Bjorln was still holding out the tray to his accepted son.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry accidentally looked into the dwarven man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Just saying, you are still growing and all,¡± prodded Bjorln again.

    ¡°A bit then.¡± Terry gave in. He had trouble telling if the warm and fuzzy feeling in his stomach was from the kindness surrounding him or from plain overeating. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Before Bjorln could continue to the next seat, Jorg already exhaled happily while patting his belly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I can¡¯t eat another bite.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± added Lori preemptively.

    ¡°So, are you done with your preparations for the mana corrupted hunt?¡± asked Brynn, while quickly hiding her own plate before the dwarven cook could threaten her with another serving. No matter how delicious it was, she wasn¡¯t a vortex hamster. There was a limit to what she could put in her stomach.

    The twins were quick to answer their aunt¡¯s question in the affirmative. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± said Terry. ¡°I still wanted some advice.¡±

    ¡°If you need help in picking out mana-crafted items, we could join you,¡± interjected Jorg with a grin.

    ¡°Actually, I wanted to buy some healing balms and recovery medicine,¡± said Terry. ¡°Among the three of us, I am the only one who cannot cast any healing spells. I don¡¯t think I like that.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking,¡± praised Bjorln. ¡°I am supposed to stock up for the Guardians soon, anyway. I can prepone it and you can join me tomorrow. Sounds good?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Terry grinned. ¡°Also, I thought about buying items made from some of the materials in the sample box, but I have no idea if they are even used for crafting items or how expensive they are.¡±

    ¡°I can get you a copy of the crafter¡¯s reference, which tells you the common uses, as well as the base price and difficulty of using it in forging or mana crafting,¡± stated Brynn.

    ¡°However, for specifics regarding the usage in weapons or where you can find them¡­¡± Brynn glanced at Isille.

    ¡°I can have a look,¡± said Isille.

    ¡°Thanks to all of you!¡± Terry was sure that the warm feelings for his new family more than matched the warmness of lasagna in his belly.

    ¡°Have you made up your mind on how to incorporate the Immovable Object spell?¡± inquired Samuel.

    ¡°Somewhat¡­¡± muttered Terry with an unsatisfied expression. ¡°But mostly I have a list of things that won¡¯t work properly until I can cast hands-free or have enough spell control to significantly reduce the casting time.¡±

    ¡°Patience then,¡± reminded Samuel.

    ¡°There are some fun uses already,¡± interjected Lori.

    ¡°Yeah, I like the double jump,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Brynn.

    Terry explained: ¡°Prepare the primed spell structure. Jump and activate the spell on an object in the air so that you can use it as a jump-off point again.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, we even prepared a third jump point,¡± bragged Lori.

    ¡°Uh-huh? And where did that happen?¡± questioned Isille with narrowed eyes. Her tone immediately rang the alarm bells in the teenagers¡¯ heads.

    ¡°Uh, on the lake, of course,¡± replied Lori with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°Of course,¡± concurred Jorg. ¡°Anything else would be way too reckless, Ma. Perish the thought!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Isille¡¯s face was an open display of skepticism.

    ¡°Maybe you could bridge the time until the casting speed is sufficient by preparing mana-crafted items?¡± suggested Brynn. ¡°Since you can cast the spell, you should be able to imprint it. I wanted to introduce Lori to construct crafting, anyway.¡±

    That woke up Lori from her food-induced drowsiness. ¡°Nice!¡±

    Terry nodded as well.

    ¡°How about you, Jorg? Up for some mana crafting?¡±

    Jorgen seemed less than enthusiastic.

    ¡°You know it can pay quite well if you put in the time.¡± Brynn pointed out. ¡°Even with an average ability, it helps pay for itself and may save expenses.¡±

    Jorgen seemed a bit more conflicted, but ended up refusing anyway. ¡°Thanks Auntie, but I do not want to lose my focus.¡±

    That statement caused a few raised eyebrows at the table. It also inspired a laughing snort from Lori.

    ¡°If I spread myself too thin, how would I ever become a proper mana cultivator?¡± Jorgen tried his best to sound sincere.

    ¡°Suit yourselves.¡± Brynn smiled. ¡°Just let me know if you ever change your mind.¡±

    ¡°And until then.¡± Bjorln smirked. ¡°I will try my best to support you in achieving your high ambitions in mana cultivation, my son. I will remember them during our next training session.¡±

    Jorgen¡¯s eyes widened. His mouth opened in order to protest, but he failed to find a valid objection.

    Isille and Lori chuckled heartily.

    ¡°My condolences,¡± muttered Terry from Jorg¡¯s side.

    ***

 009 Cloud Badger Hunt

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 12 ¨C

    ¡°Are there any medicinal plants growing in the Thundervalley?¡± asked Terry while walking.

    ¡°Not strictly medicine,¡± replied Bjorln. ¡°In the eastern section, there are some that are beneficial for mana cultivation, especially for emphasizing the air aspect. I would not recommend starting a plant collection in the southern section though. Even though there are some valuable herbs, many are extremely toxic and difficult to identify.¡±

    The two were walking at the back, with Jorgen and Florine in the front. The group of four had left Arcana City in the morning. They had traveled north from one dimensional gate to the next and had just passed the city of Barca. They were closing in on the last hop on their route to the Thundervalley.

    Thundervalley was the main habitat of the cloud badger the three teenagers were supposed to hunt.

    ¡°Have Ma and you ever done missions in the area?¡± inquired Terry.

    Before Bjorln could give a proper answer, Jorgen interrupted. ¡°Here we are.¡± They had arrived in front of the gate, and Jorg had a solemn look on his face. He often turned more serious during missions, but today appeared special.

    Lori, too, talked less than usual. There seemed to be a quiet but mutual understanding that Jorg would take charge in their current mission.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Jorg stepped through the gate.

    The others followed, and everyone arrived in the southern section of Thundervalley.

    ¡°Good day, Bjorln.¡± Two Guardians from the gate¡¯s protective outpost walked up to the group. ¡°Greetings.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Leah.¡± The ginger dwarf with the frizzy beard shook their hands. ¡°Greetings, Ben.¡± Bjorln had to stop himself from asking any of his usual questions because that would interfere with the kids¡¯ mission. The ebbing conversation raised eyebrows on the faces of his two acquaintances.

    ¡°I take it this is not an introductory class?¡± asked Leah.

    ¡°No.¡± Bjorln grinned. ¡°I am only a silent observer for their first mana corrupted hunt.¡±

    ¡°Aww, are these your kids, then?¡± exclaimed Leah curiously. ¡°My, it has been ages since I last saw you. Little Florine was barely reaching up to my knee the last time I met her.¡±

    Little Florine cringed. She was mortified and distinctly felt the gazes of the other hunters passing by. Lori had no problem doing her weirdo routine with Jorg, but being doted on in public as if she was a baby caused the blood to rush to her face.

    ¡°Cloud badgers?¡± whispered Ben to Bjorln.

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Bjorln nodded.

    ¡°Heh, good choice.¡± Ben smirked. He turned to the teenagers and recognized the growing impatience on the twins¡¯ faces. ¡°Good luck on your mission! We don¡¯t want to take up too much of your time. Healthy hunting!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°See ya.¡±

    ***

    After they had left the outpost, Bjorln kept his distance from the three. They walked for another half hour until they reached the savanna reported as the cloud badger¡¯s habitat.

    Among their group, Terry was the person with the best mana sense, and it naturally fell to him to look for the cloud badger¡¯s mana track. It did not take long for them to discover a track to follow.

    ¡°Rutting season has not started yet,¡± said Jorg. ¡°The badgers should still be solitary and we should only have to deal with a single one.¡± He nodded as if to reassure himself.

    In the distance, they recognized a cloud badger strutting along the grasslands. All cloud badgers had albino appearances. In contrast to their non-magic counterparts, they were smaller and had a thick felted pelt, providing them with an additional layer of protection.

    ¡°I got the war hammer for smashing its head,¡± stated Jorg.

    All three of them had rented some additional equipment from the Guardians. They had hunted non-magic honey badgers in the past and vividly remembered the annoying experience. The creature¡¯s skin was very thick, which made them resistant to piercing and slashing attacks. To make it worse, their skin was very loose. Aside from making piercing even less effective, this looseness made it difficult to get a good grip on the creatures.

    ¡°Everyone got their scent masks?¡± asked Jorg.

    They all took out the enchanted cloth to be wrapped across their mouth and nose.

    ¡°The thing is not supposed to be shy. It should not mind us getting close.¡± Jorg moved his gaze along the area. ¡°We want to block its escape routes, but if possible, we want to avoid making it feel completely trapped before we finish it off. Let¡¯s go over the plan. First, we get close enough for Lori¡¯s casting range.¡±

    ¡°Then I will prepare a Raise Wall spell on the other side of the cloud badger,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°I will get close and emit a Blinding Flash from my glove to its eyes,¡± continued Terry. ¡°Then I will activate the Barrier from the shield spear orthogonally to the earthen wall to block off one more route of escape.¡±

    ¡°I will dash forward to crush its head with the war hammer,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°I will continue to prepare further Raise Wall spells and close off escape routes,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Once the ground routes have been covered, I will keep an eye on the upwards route and be ready to use the spear¡¯s Barrier there,¡± said Terry.

    Jorg nodded. ¡°Sounds easy enough, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ***

    The plan went well¡­ for about five seconds.

    Lori raised the earthen wall. Terry inflicted the cloud badger with flash blindness and activated the barrier of his spear. Jorg moved in as fast as he could and then things went sideways.

    A moment before the war hammer made contact, the badger¡¯s eyes emitted a glow and its whole body became wrapped up in a sort of moving wind. That was the air coating ability on which the cloud badger relied for moving faster through the tall grass and bushes. Air coating offered little protection when hit, but it allowed the badger to slip out of the hammer¡¯s way by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    In the next second, the creature secreted a vile liquid from its anal gland that produced a suffocating stench. The three could handle the smell thanks to their scent masks, but unexpectedly, the air also irritated everyone¡¯s eyes. Jorg got the worst of it since he was the closest.

    Lori finished her second Raise Wall activation. This left the badger surrounded by two earthen walls and one mana barrier. The only open path on the ground was through Jorg in the front.

    The cloud badger was still disoriented. Instinctively, it showed its fangs and moved backwards with its tail raised up. Their chance at making it quick had already vanished, but at least they succeeded in trapping the creature.

    Jorg prepared his war hammer for a second attempt. He moved closer. Just when the hind-legs of the cloud badger hit the first earthen wall, Jorg jumped forward. He was met with a loud hiss. A second later, he could not keep his eyes open because they stung and burned terribly. ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    Jorg was forced to retreat and jumped back. His eyes teared up and his vision grew blurry. ¡°Waste-damned crapweasel!¡±

    The cloud badger was still positioned against the earthen wall.

    What was that? It should not have a medium or long range ability.

    ¡°Terry, move!¡± shouted Lori.

    Terry reacted automatically to the instruction and jumped up on the first earthen wall.

    Lori raised the third earthen wall where Terry had been before.

    Their switch came not a moment too soon, because the badger crawled up the earthen wall using its claws and drawing assistance from its air coating.

    Terry blocked its path using the tower shield barrier provided by his mana-crafted short spear.

    As soon as the cloud badger encountered another dead end, it dropped down onto the ground and used its short legs to run in Jorg¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Jorg!¡± shouted Terry. He walked on top of the third earthen wall.

    Lori clutched her own short spear and moved closer while casting a Liquify Earth spell with her free hand.

    Jorg¡¯s eyesight had not completely recovered. Fortunately, his mana sense was still working. After being warned by Terry, he struck out with his war hammer to keep the badger at a distance and trapped between the earthen walls. If Jorg were to dodge, then the creature might escape.

    The cloud badger, with its air coating, evaded the hammer head and snapped its teeth shut around the handle. It tried to yank the weapon from Jorg¡¯s grip. Fortunately, he was holding on tight, and the badger was not the only mana-enhanced contester in the little tug-of-war.

    A crackling sound reverberated and a lightning charge traveled from the cloud badger¡¯s felted pelt to its teeth and along the war hammer. It was not strong enough to cause significant damage, but it caused Jorg¡¯s hands to go numb.

    Lori finished her Liquify Earth spell and the liquified ground beneath the badger gave way. The creature avoided sinking into the ground thanks to its air coating, but it still lost its grip and could not muster much force against Jorg anymore. The creature let go of the hammer and retreated. Its eyes were fixed on Jorg, who changed his grip on the war hammer and held it closer to the hammer¡¯s head again.

    ¡°You okay?¡± asked Lori.

    Terry was pricking up his ears for the answer and kept a close watch on the cloud badger.

    ¡°My eyes burn like hell and I can¡¯t see very well, but aside from that, yeah.¡± Jorg frowned and clenched his teeth.

    Lori nodded until her gaze fell on Jorg¡¯s hand and arm. She gasped and pointed.

    Jorg was perplexed until he realized the state of his hand. His entire hand was covered in blisters, as if he had held it into a fire. He gulped when he realized that the numbing from the lightning discharge would not last forever.

    ¡°Was the lightning discharge that intense?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°I thought not,¡± muttered Jorg with a grimace.

    ¡°You should get that healed. I can cover for you.¡± Lori held out her hand for the war hammer.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Jorg passed her the hammer. As soon as Lori closed her fingers around the handle, she screamed and pulled her hand back. Jorg was stupefied.

    ¡°Throw that thing away!¡± screamed Lori. Her hand was red and blistered as well.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Terry anxiously. His sister had screamed with no discernible reason or warning.

    ¡°Some kind of acid or something on the war hammer,¡± grumbled Lori.

    Acid? Cloud badgers should not be able to spit acid¡­

    Terry felt something was off, but could not point his finger on it. Scratching noises jolted him from his thoughts. ¡°Waste it! The badger is trying to dig through the first wall!¡±

    Jorg had cast the Cure Wounds spell on his hands and glanced at his siblings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll handle it,¡± stated Lori confidently. ¡°You get your hands sorted out first.¡± She shaped another Liquify Earth spell structure.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°What about your own hand?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Not even remotely as mangled as yours. Still usable.¡± Lori activated her spell, which slowed down the badger¡¯s digging.

    ¡°Is the war hammer damaged?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Only some bite marks, but still out of commission,¡± responded Lori.

    ¡°So much for the side mission,¡± muttered Jorg with a wry smile. ¡°Should have known better than to bet against Ma.¡±

    Jorg had finished his spell. However, barely a second after the wounds had closed, the hands blistered again.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of poison?¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°Since when are cloud badgers venomous?¡± questioned Jorg.

    ¡°They¡¯re not, but still.¡± Terry shrugged.

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try, can it?¡± remarked Lori. ¡°If it does not work, we have lost half a minute. If it does work, it may spare us multiple Cure Wounds spellworks. Worth a try.¡±

    Jorg nodded. ¡°Did you bring the tertium slabs?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have four of them in my storage,¡± replied Terry.

    Lori looked at Jorg. ¡°Earth press plan?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try, can it?¡± confirmed Jorg.

    Lori grinned. ¡°Terry, let¡¯s test the earth press.¡± She looked at the badger and the damaged earthen wall. ¡°We should replace the wall first though. Can you get that thing to step back for a bit?¡± She started to cast another Raise Earth spell.

    Terry switched his short spear to the left hand and called a normal long spear intended for humans out of his storage. He thrust it at the cloud badger below. It did not pierce the badger¡¯s pelt or thick skin, but it caught its attention. The cloud badger backed off from the wall and snapped at the spear.

    ¡°Move to one of the other walls!¡± commanded Lori.

    Terry stepped to the second wall and continued to use his long spear to distract the badger while using the short spear to keep his balance on the wall. While the effects of the Liquify Earth spell had mostly vanished, the ground underneath the badger¡¯s feet was still slippery and this made it a lot easier to shove the creature around.

    ¡°3¡­2¡­1¡­ Now!¡± Lori finished her casting. It took longer than usual, because she had to avoid toppling or damaging the other two walls. A new wall rose in front of the first wall that had been damaged by the creature¡¯s digging.

    ¡°Your turn Terry!¡± yelled Lori.

    ¡°Hey, it worked!¡± exclaimed Jorg with pleasant surprise. ¡°It really was some kind of poison!¡±

    Terry put the long spear back in his storage and summoned a slab of tertium. Tertium was a common metal in Arcana and used for a lot of appliances. Aside from being light, the dull light-grey metal did not have any remarkable properties and was thankfully very cheap. The slab was less than half an inch thick, but wide and long enough to be placed on the three earthen walls. He had purchased them with Lori¡¯s usual wall length in mind.

    ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re ready!¡± shouted Lori. She began preparing another Raise Wall spell.

    Terry started to cast Immovable Object while the cloud badger went back to its digging. Luckily, it targeted the first wall again ¨C the wall that was now thicker than the others. It apparently had a preference for the wall in the opposite direction of the two dwarves.

    Jorg stepped in front of Lori with his own short spear that had been imprinted with the Barrier spell. This allowed Lori to free up her second hand, which she then used to prime and prepare a second Raise Wall spell in parallel.

    Terry activated Immovable Object on the tertium slab. ¡°Ready!¡±

    Lori took a moment to focus. She wanted to get the timing right so that there would be no gap for the creature to escape. She used the time to empower her two spells with roughly a third more mana than usual.

    After a deep breath, Lori ignited the first spell. Behind the creature, the earth rose. Half a breath later, she ignited her second spell. This time, the earth right underneath the creature rose up.

    Two loud bangs followed each other. Mixed in between were the pained squeals of the cloud badger.

    Then it was quiet.

    Terry stepped onto the tertium slab and tapped it a few times with his foot, where he thought the badger should be. There was no reaction. ¡°I believe that did it.¡±

    ¡°Leave the slab for now! Try and test the earth with your spear!¡± instructed Jorg before he turned to Lori. ¡°Let me fix up your hand.¡±

    While Jorg was casting, Lori raised some shorter earthen walls so that Terry could use the long spear to probe the earth from the sides.

    Terry probed the earth right beneath the slab in several places until he encountered some resistance ¨C the cloud badger¡¯s thick skin, presumably. While there was resistance, there was absolutely no movement. ¡°Seems dead.¡±

    ¡°Is dead,¡± came the voice from Bjorln. He had approached without being noticed by any of the three. ¡°Good job.¡±

    Jorg grumbled. ¡°I failed, though.¡±

    ¡°You only failed a side mission that you should have never accepted in the first place.¡± Bjorln pointed out.

    ¡°Ma knew I would fail,¡± complained Jorg.

    ¡°She¡¯s a smart woman,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°And you should learn to trust her. Your ma knew you could succeed in the primary mission, but that it would present a challenge. Otherwise, she would not have chosen it for you.¡± He sent his son a chiding gaze. ¡°You were cocky, and being cocky frequently leads to being dead.¡± His voice softened. ¡°We would prefer to avoid that. Better to learn that lesson early.¡±

    Bjorln moved his eyes over his three children and spoke like an official Guardian examiner. ¡°Nevertheless, all of you are still in one piece. As far as first mana corrupted hunts go, your overall performance was above average. For the most part, you came out unscathed and despite your first failed attempt, you finished it off comparatively quickly. Cloud badgers have a lot of stamina and hunting them can be exhausting without a proper finisher.¡±

    Bjorln switched to a more cheerful tone. ¡°In addition to the reward for the kill, you can earn some coins for the remains. The way you finished it, you¡¯re probably lucky. The skin should be in good condition. Cheer up, put the body in the dimensional body bag, and let us return home.¡±

    ¡°How come this cloud badger was venomous?¡± asked Jorg with a glance at Terry.

    ¡°The cloud badger itself is not venomous,¡± replied Bjorln, and smirked.

    ¡°The toxic plants?¡± guessed Terry.

    Bjorln gave him a smile and nodded. ¡°Next time you go on a mission, don¡¯t just read up on the general information. Get a look at the recent after mission reports from other Guardians, too. Most missions are repeated tasks, and it is very important to have recent information. It may cost extra points, but you easily break even by writing your own report afterwards.¡±

    Bjorln wagged a finger in a playful display. ¡°If you had looked into the most recent after mission reports, then you would have learned that the cloud badgers in the southern region have become increasingly poison resistant. In the past, that only extended to the snake venoms of their natural enemies, but recently they have added the little apple of death to their diet as well.¡±

    ¡°The sap of the local death apple flowering plant is extremely toxic to most folk. So much so that standing beneath the tree during rain is enough to cause blistering of the skin. The breath and spit of a creature snacking on that plant is¡ª¡± Bjorln inhaled sharply. ¡°Well, you have experienced it for yourselves.¡±

    Bjorln switched to his instructor voice again. ¡°While we are at suggestions for improvement, you may want to invest in some sticky traps. They could have saved you a lot of trouble. Now come on, let''s patch you up and get you home.¡± He teased: ¡°You¡¯re my children and I love you, but you three really need a bath!¡±

    ***

    ¡°So? How was your first corrupted hunt?¡± asked Samuel. He and Brynn had joined the family for dinner again.

    ¡°Between the three of us, we earned about four hundred coins for the corrupted culling and an additional hundred for the remains,¡± replied Jorg matter-of-factly. ¡°We rented equipment for seventy and had to pay an additional five coins for damaging a rental.¡±

    Jorg displayed a wry smile and grabbed the large bowl of rice from the table. ¡°Oh, and I now owe Ma three hundred coins. So all in all?¡± He grumbled: ¡°It would have been better for me to stay in bed.¡±

    ¡°Meal is still free, though,¡± remarked Terry.

    ¡°There is that, yes,¡± agreed Jorg. ¡°I¡¯ll have to eat my losses.¡± He put another spoonful of rice onto his plate. Afterwards, he leaned over to his mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Nama. Oh, and thanks for the food!¡±

    ¡°How did our Jorg manage to get himself into debt?¡± asked Brynn.

    ¡°Unfortunate circumstances,¡± replied Jorg helplessly. ¡°Unforeseeable events.¡±

    ¡°And poor judgement,¡± offered Lori helpfully.

    ¡°And that, yes,¡± concurred Jorg. ¡°Some. A bit. A temporary and minor lapse in judgement.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, and?¡± prompted Brynn.

    ¡°Never bet against Ma,¡± grumbled Jorg as a finish.

    ¡°Our Whaka Jorgen was unsatisfied with the challenge presented by the cloud badger,¡± elaborated Isille. ¡°He got cheeky, and we agreed on a side mission according to Guild rules.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yes,¡± muttered Brynn, and nodded with understanding.

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Samuel. ¡°What was the rate?¡±

    ¡°Six hundred reward for succeeding, three hundred penalty for failing,¡± replied Isille.

    ¡°You ma was too kind.¡± Samuel looked sternly at the dwarven teenage boy. ¡°For non-open missions, there are usually hard deadlines involved. If you fail, that means that the client may not be able to meet their own deadlines, either. The penalty in these cases can go up to multiples of the reward. In the Guild, these missions are referred to as rookie traps. There are even some shady clients that hope for you to fail. Even worse are the ones that go so far as to set you up.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Jorg sighed and nodded.

    ¡°They did alright,¡± interjected Bjorln. ¡°Quick, and only a few minor hiccups. They underestimated the evasive effect of the air coating and the death apple caught them off guard.¡±

    ¡°Southern section Thundervalley?¡± inquired Samuel.

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Bjorln nodded and then turned to his wife Isille. ¡°Right, greetings from Leah and Ben.¡±

    ¡°Did you travel via the gate in Barca?¡± inquired Brynn, and Bjorln nodded in response. She looked at Lori. ¡°They have some amazing shops for rune inscription tools there. If you decide to pick up golem crafting as a specialization, we have to go there for a shopping spree.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great,¡± replied Lori. ¡°But I will have to earn some more coins first. I wanted to invest in a dimensional bag. Can¡¯t always rely on Terry as the mule.¡±

    ¡°Meh,¡± uttered Terry. ¡°It weighs nothing in the storage, anyway.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± He grinned at his former Academy instructors. ¡°We finished the cloud badger off with the earthen press idea.¡±

    ¡°Next time, that may become plan A,¡± said Jorg. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the raised eyebrow of his father. ¡°Or plan B, you know, after sticky traps. Obviously.¡± He emphasized the last word exaggeratedly.

    They guffawed and continued their meal. Isille caught Brynn¡¯s eye and the tall Academy Instructor nodded.

    ¡°About the dimensional bag,¡± started Isille.

    Lori, Jorg, and Terry froze mid-bite.

    ¡°We actually have a suggestion regarding that,¡± continued Isille.

    ¡°An offer, more or less,¡± added Brynn.

    Jorg squinted his eyes warily. ¡°No more bets.¡±

    Isille snorted and laughed. ¡°Good, you have learned, but no, we are not talking about a bet.¡±

    ¡°More like a condition and an advance,¡± said Brynn. ¡°If you accept, then each one of you three will receive a storage item comparable to the one Terry already has.¡±

    ¡°What do we need to do?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°First of all, finish the intermediate core curriculum of the Guardians and reach the recommended mission limit for advancement,¡± replied Isille.

    ¡°That does not seem like much of a condition,¡± remarked Terry. ¡°We are about two-thirds done with the curriculum and are looking to advance, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Shh¡­¡± The twins hissed at him jokingly. ¡°Don¡¯t question it.¡±

    Isille nodded at Terry. ¡°Good, always be suspicious of rewards without effort. The second condition is that you will participate in two advanced level introduction classes and that includes passing the optional examinations. One of those classes can be chosen by you. The second class will be chosen by us.¡±

    Still not much of a condition.

    ¡°The last condition is that you are to split up your group for the remaining classes and missions,¡± finished Isille. That immediately caused the three teenagers to protest.

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Because life requires more than your current whaka to lean on,¡± stressed Bjorln, and Samuel nodded with a solemn look.

    ¡°Sometimes, the paths of you and your whaka diverge,¡± elaborated Isille. ¡°A commitment to stand together against danger does not equate to a commitment to share a life. Maybe one of you will start a family and switch to crafting or mining work. Maybe one of you will start traveling. You don¡¯t know yet where your individual paths may lead.¡±

    ¡°Life requires friends,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°Life requires helpful acquaintances. Above all, life requires that you gain the ability to distinguish one from the other. Confusing true affiliation and support for mere socializing can be devastating.¡±

    Samuel, Brynn, and Isille were all nodding at this statement. After a pause, Isille continued. ¡°Private life aside, some missions simply require more than three people. You will have to work with others and you won¡¯t be able to rely on everyone as you would on your whaka. In life and particularly in mission work, everyone must practice judging the character and ability of others.¡± She looked over at her children. ¡°With you three, we as the elder generation have taken some part in shaping both. Unfortunately, that is not a universal solution. It does not suffice.¡±

    ¡°Unless you would be willing to wait a few more decades for another whaka,¡± interjected Brynn jokingly, before winking at Samuel.

    ¡°Ohh? Are there plans, then?¡± asked Bjorln excitedly. He slapped Samuel on the shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be an uncle! The little chipmunks grow up way too fast.¡±

    Samuel and Brynn looked warmly at each other and smiled. ¡°Plans yes, but still long-term. More things to do until then.¡±

    ¡°Well, I take what I can get,¡± said Bjorln happily. ¡°Thank mana, we have long lives. Otherwise, I would have to be all impatient.¡± He sighed. ¡°A few more years and the house will feel all empty though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll still be here, my life.¡± Isille leaned over to Bjorln. ¡°I am sure we can find something to occupy our time.¡± She rubbed the tip of her nose against his and then gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.

    ¡°Awwwww,¡± exclaimed Lori.

    ¡°Ewwww,¡± exclaimed Jorg.

    Isille and Bjorln threw their son a peeved glance.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Jorg cleared his throat. ¡°A reflex. Old habits and such.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, that is the gist of it.¡± Isille returned to the main topic. ¡°For the intermediate classes and missions, you will need to form your own groups separately. Most of the advanced classes are set up for multiple groups, which means that you can all join up for them.¡±

    Lori, Jorg, and Terry exchanged looks. A few shrugs and nods later, they agreed. Although Terry did so with a queasy feeling in his stomach.

    Terry pondered for a moment. ¡°Instead of getting another comparable storage bag, could I instead choose some lower-quality storage items?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t like your bag?¡± questioned Brynn.

    ¡°No, no no no!¡± Terry rushed to deny it. ¡°I love it! Thanks again! But instead of another like it, I think some lower-quality storage items would be more useful. I probably don¡¯t need another item with the closed setting or even another one with that much space.¡±

    Brynn nodded along. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Something like the rings or bracelets you talked about before,¡± said Terry. ¡°With the bag, I always have to move my hand close enough in order to summon or enter an item. It would be faster to have an item at hand level. I can still place my valuable equipment in my current bag, but with items like the tertium slabs or my non-magic long spear, a cheap-ish storage bracelet seems¡­¡± He searched for the right words. ¡°More practical?¡±

    ¡°Sure, makes sense to me,¡± said Brynn. ¡°If any of you have custom requests, out with it. Better yet, why don¡¯t you join me when picking them up?¡±

    ***

 010 Looking for Companions

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 20 ¨C

    ¡°First the basics,¡± said Brynn. In front of her, Lori and Terry were sitting with eager eyes. ¡°Mana crafting is an umbrella term for several techniques. The most common ones are: Aspecting, imprinting, carving, and rune inscriptions.¡±

    Brynn tapped her right index finger on her chin. ¡°Normally, that is also the order in which we teach them, but with you two, it makes more sense to skip the first technique for now. Yes, Terry?¡±

    Terry, who had raised his hand, asked: ¡°What about enchantments?¡±

    Brynn glanced at Terry¡¯s academy bag. ¡°Enchanting is, in fact, a completely separate discipline that belongs purely into the realm of spellwork. Very advanced spellwork, I should emphasize. Enchantments and mana crafting can be complementary.

    ¡°Mana crafting is more accessible to beginners because it incorporates non-structured or less structured mana. If you were to take the full crafting specialization at the Academy, then you would be introduced to enchantments after carving and before rune inscriptions ¨C it can serve as a more practical topic while the students are still trying to wrap their heads around the theory of runes.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°Back to the agenda,¡± continued Brynn. ¡°Aspecting essentially means that you charge an item with aspected mana. While you have to pay some attention to material compatibility and limitations, it comes naturally to most people. Particularly so if your mana is naturally single-aspected. All it takes is time and patience. Once you have reached a certain charge level, the item becomes self-sustaining. Mana attracts mana.¡±

    Brynn raised a cautionary finger. ¡°The first catch is that most aspects are near useless for items. Equipment aspecting is a common side income for people with particular mana aspects. Metal reinforcement, a fire or ice sword, cooling or warming armor, a convenient source of light, or a water catcher can be useful enough.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°However, even for those aspects, there are further downsides. An aspected item has no off-switch. The heat or flames of a fire-aspected sword do not distinguish between user and enemy. That has to be taken into account. Consequently, aspected items usually make up the cheapest mana-crafted items you can find.

    ¡°As for your aspects¡­¡± Brynn looked towards Lori. ¡°Aspecting items with earth is generally not that useful. It attracts earth to the item or hardens the earth around it. It has its uses in construct crafting but does not lend itself towards weapon enhancement.¡±

    Next, Brynn turned to Terry. ¡°Unfortunately, aspecting with minor aspects is not that well studied. I do not know what aspecting with oscillating mana would accomplish, but I would not set my hopes too high. I encourage you to experiment, but I would suggest giving precedence to imprinting and carving. Imprinting is short for imprinting a primed spell structure. You shape a spell structure, compress it to fit into the object, and hold it in place until it stays on its own.¡±

    ¡°That simple?¡± blurted Terry with incredulity.

    ¡°As simple as lifting your arm and holding it out to the side.¡± Brynn smirked. ¡°Try doing that for several days without pause.¡±

    Terry exclaimed: ¡°We have to keep the structure in place for days?!¡±

    Brynn chortled and shrugged. ¡°Depends on the structure. Depends on the material. Depends on the aspect of your mana. Depends on how much mana you put in. The more mana you compress initially, the less time it will take to imprint the structure.¡± She reassured him: ¡°You do not have to finish it in one go. However, if you pick up where you left off and you do not overlay the new structure perfectly over the old, then the imprinted structure will become fuzzy and more difficult to activate.¡±

    ¡°Uff¡­¡± Terry was beginning to see the difficulty that was about to face him.

    ¡°That is just the first step of imprinting, mind you,¡± warned Brynn. ¡°In contrast to normal spellwork, the imprinted structure needs to be primed repeatedly and ideally perfectly superimposed.

    ¡°In spellwork, mages superimpose primers in order to quickly chain and repeat the same spell. In mana crafting, by contrast, we rely on repetition to create multiple and recovering spell charges. The higher the mana concentration in the imprinted primer, the quicker the recovery of spell charges.¡±

    Brynn raised her warning finger again. ¡°Activating an imprint also decreases the primer¡¯s mana concentration. Activating an imprint too often too quickly will cause the primer to dissipate completely. A skilled mage can inject additional mana or superimpose a new primer onto the imprinted spell structure, but a person with insufficient mana control might destroy the imprint.¡±

    Brynn lowered her finger again. ¡°Aside from imprinting, the other technique I want you to learn is mana carving. This one is particularly important for you Lori, because it is required to give an imprinted spell a casting direction. Imprinting a spell like Nourishing Earth on an item is rather pointless unless you can designate a target other than the item itself.¡±

    ¡°Not so much a problem for Immovable Object, is it?¡± remarked Terry.

    ¡°Not if you only want to activate the spell on the imprinted object itself, no,¡± agreed Brynn. ¡°Nevertheless, I suggest you do not limit your education unnecessarily. Learning to carve mana lines will be useful for you as well. Aside from directing mana lines, there are also carving lines for shielding or linking imprinted structures.¡±

    Terry nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°What about rune inscriptions?¡± asked Lori curiously.

    ¡°That is the pinnacle of our craft and a whole science of its own,¡± replied Brynn, with obvious enthusiasm. ¡°Rune inscription is a discipline completely orthogonal to spellwork and comes with its own systems for mana application. Rune inscription requires decades of dedicated study and practice before it begins to demonstrate its use. I would love to take you as my disciple, but runes do not synergize quickly with mission work. Are you willing to stop doing missions for the Guardians?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Lori hesitated to reply, but her face clearly displayed her thoughts.

    ¡°¡®No¡¯ is a valid answer,¡± teased Brynn and winked. ¡°That reminds me, have you two found new groups for mission work yet?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Terry nodded. ¡°We will do a few non-magical beast hunts to get used to each other.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lori was surprised. ¡°That was quick. I have joined up with Alrik, but our group is still one person short.¡±

    When hearing the name, Brynn¡¯s ears perked up, and she puckered her lips. ¡°Alrik, huh? The boy from the mage classes? Talented dwarven mage proper?¡± She leaned in closer. ¡°Also supposed to be quite handsome for a young dwarf?¡±

    Lori blushed slightly, but stressed. ¡°Alrik is very talented, yes. That¡¯s exactly why he was my first pick. He can cover both healing and long-range support, which is a perfect start. I¡¯m lucky he agreed to join up. Now we are just looking for another competent member, but that one¡¯s more tricky because we don¡¯t have anyone specific in mind.¡±

    Lori averted her gaze from Brynn and focused on Terry. ¡°Where did you find your two new companions so quickly?¡±

    ¡°In the theoretical introduction class on aspect beings,¡± replied Terry sheepishly.

    ¡°Why are you taking that of all things?¡± blurted Lori with wide eyes.

    ¡°You are not planning any trips to the Wastes, are you?¡± asked Brynn jokingly. ¡°Because if you do, I would have to tie you to a golem until you have regained your sanity.¡±

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± denied Terry in a hurry.

    ¡°Then why?¡± questioned Lori with utter bewilderment. ¡°Not many elementals or demons inside the barrier, are there?¡±

    ¡°No, but I figured since I don¡¯t have a group for mission work at the moment, I might as well use the time to take a few theoretical classes.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°It worked out.¡±

    ¡°So how did you find your new companions there?¡± pressed Lori.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry scratched his head. ¡°Well, one of them was reading a book that caught my interest and we got talking.¡±

    ¡°A book?¡± questioned Brynn. ¡°Which book?¡±

    ¡°Legends Beyond Their Eras: The Veilbinder, The Faithless Saints, The Valkyrie of Hope,¡± replied Terry and scratched his cheek.

    Lori giggled. ¡°That fits.¡±

    ¡°Name?¡± prompted Brynn.

    ¡°Calam,¡± replied Terry. ¡°He is an elven mage with force-aspected mana and also somewhat of a mana cultivator.¡±

    ¡°¡®Somewhat?¡¯¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°From talking to him, I doubt Calam has ever emptied his mana pool.¡± Terry made a face of mock-outrage. ¡°Pa Bjorln would be appalled.¡±

    Lori chuckled in response.

    ¡°Force-aspected mana explains his interest in the Valkyrie,¡± interjected Brynn. ¡°If he can take inspiration from her, his force magic could become a valuable asset. However, while force magic has many uses, you two are still short of anything resembling a healer.¡±

    ¡°We have Nassim for that,¡± said Terry. ¡°We stumbled into him by accident after the class.¡±

    ¡°I do not recall that name,¡± said Brynn with furrowed brows. ¡°Is he a mage proper?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Terry shook his head.

    Brynn instantly frowned.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Nassim has an aspect impairment, but his mana is aspected towards light,¡± explained Terry quickly. ¡°So healing is not really an issue. He also trains as a mana cultivator. I believe he may even live up to Pa Bjorln¡¯s standards.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Brynn with a nod and turned again towards Lory. ¡°Any ideas on where you are going to find your second companion?¡±

    Lori shrugged. ¡°We are mostly looking for close combat strength. I figured I can have some sparring sessions at the training grounds and inquire there. I can spar with a few candidates and then we¡¯ll pick the strongest.¡±

    ¡°Good that you have a plan,¡± said Brynn, and then clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s try your hands at some imprinting.¡±

    ***

    ¡°A toast to healthy hunting and advancing within the Guardians together!¡± Nassim held up his cup. Terry and Calam joined him. ¡°¡°¡°Cheers!¡±¡±¡±

    After they had finished a few hunts, the three celebrated their first day of mission work as a group by having a few cups of mana-imbued cold tea ¨C a specialty of Arcana¡¯s eastern city district.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Delicious.¡±

    Terry was skeptical at first if the beverage was worth five mana coins. That was half the amount required to rent basic non-magic equipment for a day. However, he quickly came around. The taste started slightly bitter but brought a sweet aftertaste and a light prickly feeling. He could also feel the tea¡¯s mana quickly becoming naturalized in his body. Much more quickly than any external push of mana he had ever experienced before. It apparently had a calming effect on his mana flow, too.

    ¡°Man, I wish I could use force magic,¡± exclaimed Nassim. ¡°Flinging around wolves or knocking down a bear without getting close must feel great.¡±

    ¡°Personally, I am looking forward to mastering the jump spells the most,¡± said Calam with anticipation. ¡°And I would trade you my Kinetic Pull spell for your Camouflage.¡±

    ¡°If I had any other spells to trade, I would go for the healing spells,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°I hate not being able to cast any.¡±

    ¡°Not fond of relying on others for that, are you?¡± asked Nassim with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Maybe, but more that I like to have a backup plan.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Especially if the healer frequently waltzes into close combat. Any chance you would be willing to hang back in camouflage?¡±

    ¡°I am touched by your concern, but that does not sit well with my mana cultivation plans.¡± Nassim rejected the suggestion firmly.

    ¡°Figured as much.¡± Terry took another sip of his tea.

    ¡°It would also be a waste to stop using Camouflage for an opening ambush.¡± Calam pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± admitted Terry. ¡°Lucky for us, you don¡¯t seem that easy to squish, Nassim. We will be relying on you! Cheers!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take a bio break. Be right back.¡± Nassim stood up from the table and headed to the restroom.

    ¡°Worked out well, didn¡¯t it?¡± remarked Calam. ¡°Think we can start on mana corrupted soon?¡±

    Terry and Calam started discussing a few potential mana corrupted missions before considering how to proceed with the intermediate level core curriculum. During a brief pause in their conversation, they noticed a commotion in the back of the teahouse.

    ***

    ¡°¡­and then Nassim went completely bonkers.¡± Terry recounted at the family dinner table. ¡°He blew his top for no discernible reason and started to loudly berate the waitstaff. Calam and I were completely aghast. We just stared at each other, stunned and speechless. Before we realized what was happening and snapped out of it, one of the waitstaff was already crying. Completely out of nowhere. The whole time, Nassim was the perfect example of politeness and cordiality and then all of a sudden he transformed into this rabid pus weasel.¡±

    Terry took some more bread and shook his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°Could have been worse,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°At least you discovered it early enough.¡±

    ¡°Was the waitstaff manaless by any chance?¡± inquired Isille suspiciously.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t activate my mana sight and didn¡¯t really pay attention. Why?¡±

    ¡°Which tea house were you in?¡± asked Brynn.

    ¡°Heavenly Harmony,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°They were manaless,¡± stated Brynn.

    ¡°Then that probably explains it,¡± growled Isille with a hint of disgust. ¡°Nassim, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what do you mean ¡®that explains it¡¯?¡± Terry¡¯s brow furrowed further.

    ¡°Some people carry different faces depending on whom they are interacting with and if they consider them superior, equal, or inferior,¡± explained Isille.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°I wager that you caught a glimpse of Nassim¡¯s face reserved for those he considers inferior. Did you confront him?¡±

    ¡°Kinda, but it took a while to notice the cause of the commotion, and then we were shocked into a daze.¡± Terry had a distant look and a tinge of guilt in his voice. ¡°Anyway, Nassim acted as if we were from another realm for finding fault with him over this. Calam and I took our leave and unregistered our link with Nassim.¡± He sighed. ¡°So much for my first group attempt.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have a little chat with Guardian management,¡± grumbled Isille.

    ¡°If Nassim gets his ear chewed out by the Guardians, won¡¯t he blame Terry?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± said Terry with a scoff.

    ¡°Maybe not, but snitches get bad reputations,¡± stressed Jorg.

    ¡°¡®Snitches¡¯?¡± Isille threw her son a reprimanding look.

    Jorg cleared his throat. ¡°Their words, Ma! Not mine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t realize how lucky you kids have been, Jorg,¡± interjected Samuel. ¡°Not everyone has parents like yours to straighten them out while growing up. Unless you are willing to write those people off completely, someone else has to step in.¡±

    ¡°The Guardians are not like the Guild,¡± stressed Isille proudly. ¡°We do not move in to do our work and then vanish again. We are living and working as a part of the community. The prerequisite for that is that we have an excellent reputation within the community. Acts like looking down on manaless squanders and tarnishes our reputation.

    ¡°Besides, even though Guardian management takes every complaint seriously, they never take it at face value,¡± explained Isille. ¡°They might pick someone to work with him. Perhaps they assign a shadow to observe him. Maybe one day an instructor will coincidentally find their way into the same tea house. If that Nassim displays a similarly problematic attitude again, he will be admonished and receive a contribution point penalty. They might assign him specific missions or companions that should help to readjust his views.¡±

    ¡°That reminds me,¡± exclaimed Samuel, and he started rummaging in his bag.

    ¡°Got someone to admonish?¡± Bjorln piped up.

    ¡°No. I brought some gifts,¡± announced Samuel.

    ¡°Aww, that wouldn¡¯t have been necessary, Whaka Samuel. I don¡¯t have anything for you,¡± Bjorln tried ¨C and failed ¨C to look embarrassed while Isille snickered.

    ¡°Not for you, old brother.¡± Samuel rolled his eyes. ¡°For the kids. I had them commissioned from the Guild when the kids split into separate groups.¡±

    Lori, Jorg, and Terry were all attention.

    ¡°Here.¡± Samuel handed each of them a small cube.

    ¡°What is it?¡± inquired Lori.

    ¡°A signaling and locating device,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Similar functionality to your Guardian cards, but interoperable with other signaling devices. It can be charged with additional mana to amplify the signal. Best of all, it has a flash button without duration limitations and can be set to loop a particular flash sequence. Generally speaking, it allows you to transmit arbitrary messages as long as you have agreed on a code for interpretation.¡±

    Interoperable?

    ¡°Nama, Whaka Samuel, Whaka Brynn.¡± The first expression of gratitude came surprisingly from Isille.

    ¡°Our pleasure,¡± said Samuel, and Brynn nodded.

    Lori and the others thanked them as well, but remained perplexed.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡°What do we do with these?¡±

    ¡°Their signal strength is better than the Guardian cards,¡± explained Isille. ¡°Even without providing additional mana.¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± began Brynn, and summoned another cube from one of her storage items. ¡°Samuel and I can now finally keep an eye on you as well.¡± Samuel followed her lead and produced a cube of his own.

    The three youngsters were excited and Terry particularly so.

    ¡°Don¡¯t show these to anyone,¡± ordered Isille. ¡°They are meant as an additional safety net. Your companions are all Guardians and you can register them using the Guardian cards. No need to mention these signaling cubes. Clear?¡±

    After they had simmered down, the dinner conversation continued.

    ¡°So, where do you intend to pick up a replacement companion?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Theory classes again?¡± teased Lori.

    ¡°No.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°I think we will simply ask the orientation instructor. Surely, there are others looking for groups.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Okay, so you two are looking to form a group and you are missing a mage capable of healing spellwork?¡± A broad-shouldered man in an official Guardian uniform inquired.

    Terry and Calam nodded.

    ¡°Please hand me your cards.¡± The orientation instructor did a quick scan through their completed missions and verified abilities. He looked at Terry. ¡°You already took a hunting mission for mana corrupted?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor,¡± confirmed Terry. ¡°Cloud badger in Thundervalley.¡±

    ¡°Why did you split up the group?¡± questioned the orientation instructor.

    ¡°The group was with my siblings,¡± replied Terry. ¡°Our elders suggested we find separate groups because life requires more than family.¡±

    The instructor nodded. ¡°Guardians?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma Isille and Pa Bjorln.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± exclaimed the instructor. ¡°I heard the two had an accepted son. Give them my regards!¡± He seemed more trusting after hearing about Terry¡¯s background. ¡°Any things I should take into consideration? Preferences or prejudices regarding certain abilities?¡±

    The two teenagers shook their heads.

    ¡°Good, then that is all I require. We will have a look and see if we can find a recommendation. Once we have a proposal, we will contact you and arrange a meeting with the other party. The rest will be up to you.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Greetings.¡± The dark-haired elven girl slightly lowered her head. ¡°My name is Siling. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°Greetings. My name is Terry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Calam.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Dwayne already told me a bit about your abilities and mission background,¡± said Siling and then looked at the human of the duo. ¡°You¡¯re the one who hunted the cloud badger?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Terry. ¡°Are you looking to hunt mana corrupted?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Siling grinned with anticipation. ¡°I specialize as a spirit mage and am looking to advance to spirits of mana-corrupted beasts. A cloud badger would be a perfect start.¡±

    ¡°Wait, binding the spirits of others is soul magic, right?¡± interjected Calam warily.

    Siling became visibly nervous, but she had expected that question. ¡°Spirit aspect, but yes, the spirit magic I am relying on also involves spells from the lower system. Those spells are channeled through my soul.¡± She paused and asked with a fainter voice. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°Not for me,¡± replied Terry immediately.

    ¡°No.¡± Calam shook his head as well. ¡°I was only surprised. But¡­¡±

    ¡°We are missing a companion capable of healing spells,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Siling smiled. ¡°I specialize in spirit magic, but I am still a mage proper. I can cast the fundamental healing spells at an intermediate level. Additionally, I can cast the spells Banish Fatigue and Share Mana.¡±

    Terry exclaimed a quick whistle. ¡°Impressive. Perfect!¡±

    ¡°What spirits have you collected?¡± inquired Calam. ¡°I have never met a spirit collector before.¡±

    ¡°Currently, I have developed three soul spots, and they are filled with a falcon, a wolf, and a bear,¡± explained Siling. ¡°At the moment, I can only summon one at a time. Switching a summoned soul both drains my mana and weakens my soul, which means I cannot do it too frequently without rest. It will take more time before I can increase my number of soul spots. That is why I want to replace my wolf soul with a mana-corrupted beast.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Terry. ¡°We aim to pick up corrupted hunts anyway and if it can increase our companion¡¯s strength, then all the better. How did you decide to specialize in spirit magic?¡±

    ¡°Not much to decide, really.¡± Siling shrugged. ¡°It was my aspect gift, and I thought I should make good use of it.¡±

    ***

 011 Revisiting Thundervalley

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 31 ¨C

    ¡°Aunt Brynn,¡± started Terry, ¡°You mentioned once that you are aspect gifted in the air aspect, right? Why haven¡¯t I ever seen you cast an air spell?¡±

    Terry, Lori, and Brynn were taking a break from mana crafting practice.

    ¡°Is it not obvious?¡± retorted Brynn and gestured at her crafting materials. ¡°It¡¯s because I do not care about the air aspect. If we were to discover that you could be the world¡¯s greatest carpenter, would you stop your spellwork and mana cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± replied Terry instantly.

    Brynn nodded. ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡±

    ¡°I have seen Terry¡¯s attempt at whittling once,¡± interjected Lori. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to worry about his wasted carpentry talents.¡± She grimaced. ¡°That horse looked monstrous.¡±

    ¡°It was supposed to be a dog,¡± grumbled Terry.

    ¡°A monstrous dog,¡± insisted Lori. ¡°It¡¯s haunting my dreams!¡±

    Brynn chuckled at their banter. ¡°Talents and interests are not always aligned.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Fortunately, mages in Arcana are at liberty to follow their own interests, regardless of other concerns.¡± She smiled wistfully. ¡°When I was a little girl, I once saw a show with animated dancing dolls.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I knew then and there what I wanted to become. My passion lies in construct work and you cannot craft a golem out of air. At best, the air aspect can be used for enhancements.¡±

    ¡°Your golems at the training grounds do not seem to dance much,¡± remarked Lori.

    ¡°Practical applications pay better, or at least more reliably.¡± Brynn winked at her. ¡°The crafting challenges for dancing and combat movement are not that dissimilar, actually. I still like to relax on occasion by crafting small dancing golems. I can bring some if you¡¯re interested.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but if I start rambling on how to properly align the movement inscriptions with the carved mana lines, you will have to stop me or I may unintentionally give a whole lecture. Even though it would be educational, that topic is still a tiny bit beyond your qualification level.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Are you sure that you are alright?¡± asked a blonde elven teenager.

    ¡°Yes, Calam,¡± replied Siling. ¡°My soul has completely recovered from releasing the wolf spirit. I am ready to fill my second soul spot again. Just like all the previous times you have asked me that question in the last hour, I appreciate your concern.¡± She quietly added in a mumble: ¡°Somewhat.¡± The level of appreciativeness in Siling¡¯s tone had decreased with each repetition of this conversation. By now, it was getting really hard to detect.

    ¡°Just saying.¡± Calam remained skeptical. ¡°Intentionally damaging your soul does not sound healthy.¡±

    ¡°Obviously it is not,¡± admitted Siling testily. ¡°But that is an unavoidable consequence of releasing a soul spirit. A soul can recover its energy just like you can recover your mana. If I required more time to recuperate, I would have told you.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Calam still did not sound convinced.

    ¡°I have to admit, it sounds a bit freaky,¡± said Terry.

    Siling frowned, but remained quiet.

    ¡°¡­also kinda awesome.¡± Terry continued pensively, with a grin. ¡°I am not even able to sense a soul inside of me. Even if I did, I doubt I would have the nerve to fiddle around with it. Having an additional pet companion sounds tempting. I can¡¯t wait to see it in action. I figure looking at beasts from a spirit collector¡¯s perspective changes your view on hunting as well?¡±

    The frown had quickly vanished from Siling¡¯s face and she was happy at the open-minded curiosity. ¡°Guess I look at their abilities not only in terms of threat but also in terms of their usefulness, yes.¡±

    ¡°There comes the last gate on our trip. Next up, Thundervalley.¡± Terry led the way through the dimensional gate.

    The three took a moment to look around the protective outpost. Terry saw Leah in the distance, and the two nodded at each other.

    ¡°This way.¡± Terry moved ahead.

    ***

    ¡°In my last hunt, it was my responsibility to look for the cloud badger¡¯s tracks,¡± said Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t know how my mana sense compares to yours, though.¡±

    ¡°Not my strong point,¡± admitted Calam.

    ¡°I think I can do you one better,¡± said Siling. ¡°I can let my falcon soul survey from the air.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± questioned Calam.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you rely on the bear soul for combat?¡± asked Terry. ¡°I thought switching souls was troublesome.¡±

    ¡°This much is fine,¡± said Siling. ¡°The summoning and returning consumes energy, but there is no upkeep cost. I will have recovered before we engage the cloud badger.¡±

    ¡°Great. Do you mind if I activate my mana sense for your summons?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not a bit.¡± Siling smiled and started her summoning spell.

    The spell looked¡­ weird. Terry could roughly make out the usual stages of spellwork, but the spell structure did not look like anything Terry had ever seen before. First of all, it did not seem to revolve around a normal casting center. Instead, it circled around Siling¡¯s whole body and several mana strands were even passing right through her and coalesced at specific points.

    During the priming phase, the primer flickered and changed color slightly whenever it moved through one of those points. After the priming had finished, the structure melted and stuck closely to Siling¡¯s body like a glowing protective layer.

    Siling moved her middle and ring finger on one hand from her forehead down to her sternum and then thrust them forward. The glowing layer followed the finger and converged at her fingertips. In the next moment, the glowing blob took shape and a white falcon with purple markings appeared.

    Siling exhaled sharply. ¡°There. All done.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± exclaimed Calam.

    ¡°Neat,¡± said Terry. ¡°I wondered how to distinguish soul spirits from the real thing, but I guess the coloring is somewhat of a giveaway.¡±

    ¡°Can I pet it?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Good question. Do they feel real?¡± added Terry.

    ¡°Sure. Try it.¡± Siling chortled and directed the falcon to fly over to her two companions.

    ¡°I want one,¡± said Calam and laughed.

    ¡°I am looking forward to the bear,¡± said Terry. ¡°Always thought bears look really cuddly. If it wasn¡¯t for their whole mauling people schtick, they would make such great pets.¡± He grinned. ¡°Finally, I can have a bear cuddle.¡±

    ¡°Hey hey hey, wait a minute,¡± said Siling with a gasp. ¡°We barely know each other, and this is our first mission. Who says I will let you cuddle my bear on the first mission? What kind of lady do you¡ª pfffffffffffft ahahaaha.¡± Siling had tried her best to keep a straight face, but Terry¡¯s confused look had proved it impossible.

    When Siling broke out into laughter at her own joke, Terry caught on that she was kidding. He chuckled and shook his head. He was not sure why Calam blushed, but he thought little of it ¨C Calam tended to blush a lot.

    Siling let the falcon take off into the air and look for a cloud badger.

    ¡°So, how does this work?¡± inquired Terry. ¡°You see through its eyes or something?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Siling grimaced. ¡°Sounds headache-inducing. I just kind of speak to it. Figuratively.¡±

    ¡°It speaks?¡± blurted Terry.

    ¡°Figuratively,¡± stressed Siling. ¡°It won¡¯t recite any poems, but you know ¨C ¡®movement¡¯, ¡®danger¡¯, ¡®food¡¯, ¡®pretty falcon¡¯ ¨C that kind of information can be communicated. The more intelligent the soul, the more complex the information that can be communicated. Birdbrain does not make for a great conversational partner, but what it lacks in eloquence it makes up for in wings and eyesight.¡±

    ¡°What about distance?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Depends on my mana control and soul strength.¡± Siling stopped in her tracks and pointed. ¡°Found one. Over there.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Everyone brought their scent masks?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Right here.¡±

    ¡°We want to immobilize it and then take it out by crushing its head,¡± explained Terry. ¡°I brought some sticky traps for the former and rented a war hammer for the latter.¡±

    ¡°A direct Kinetic Push should also work for crushing, no?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± agreed Terry. ¡°Then we can use the hammer as backup without risking damaging it.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to postpone experiments until I have my second soul spot filled,¡± interjected Siling.

    ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ The trap?¡± prompted Siling.

    Terry summoned one of the purchased sticky traps from his storage bracelet. ¡°Right here.¡±

    Siling examined the trap. ¡°Is this mana crafted or¡­?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Terry pointed. ¡°It has a pressure trigger in the middle and some pressurized liquid in the compartment inside.¡±

    ¡°How do we use it?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°I guess we just place it on the ground and lure the cloud badger to step on the trigger,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we simply have Calam chuck it at the creature?¡± suggested Siling.

    ¡°Sounds fun, but no bets on my hand eye coordination,¡± said Calam. ¡°I am used to throwing out force, not objects.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an experiment, so let us hold off for now,¡± said Terry. ¡°We can place some food on it and move away, can¡¯t we? We only need to put it upwind from the badger and it should get a whiff.¡±

    ¡°I could also help it along with a Breeze spell,¡± added Siling. ¡°What do we use as bait? What does it normally eat?¡±

    ¡°Around here, apparently the death apples, but I don¡¯t think we are qualified to harvest those,¡± said Terry. ¡°The cloud badger should be an omnivore. So any of our food rations should work as well.¡±

    ¡°Can we use the soul falcon?¡± suggested Calam. ¡°Then we wouldn¡¯t waste food.¡±

    ¡°Not unless absolutely necessary, please,¡± interjected Siling. ¡°Any damage to it will be transmitted to my own soul. Even a strengthened soul is only as strong as the potential of its core soul allows. A soul falcon is still a falcon, which is to say quite fragile.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a no then,¡± concluded Terry.

    ¡°Yup, better to waste a sandwich,¡± agreed Calam.

    ¡°Not sure if we need a sandwich.¡± Terry began looking through his storage. ¡°I have some honey and jam with me. Let¡¯s try that first.¡±

    ¡°Specifically prepared for today, or do you have a sweet tooth?¡± asked Siling curiously.

    ¡°I also have some chocolate with me, but no way am I sacrificing that,¡± continued Terry.

    ¡°Sweet tooth, got it.¡± Siling nodded with a grin. ¡°Should I switch to my bear soul?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry was not sure.

    ¡°We could first see how the trap works out,¡± suggested Calam. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to rely on the bear for combat. If we want to look for other badgers, the falcon would be more useful.¡±

    ¡°How long does the switch take?¡± Terry asked Siling.

    ¡°Calling the falcon back only takes a few seconds, and you have already seen the summoning invocation.¡± Siling tilted her head and gave a lop-sided shrug. ¡°Same duration.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I agree with Calam,¡± said Terry. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see if it will be necessary.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    They put on the scent masks and moved closer to the cloud badger. Once they were only a few steps away, Terry dug a small hole and put the trap inside so that the pressure plate was on ground level. Afterwards, he spread some jam and honey on it and pulled the cord for arming the trap.

    Terry and the others spread out around the trap and crouched down. Calam gripped the war hammer in one hand. Terry was readying his barrier spear. Siling was preparing a metal-reinforced quarterstaff.

    When everyone was ready, Siling activated her Breeze spell and directed the sweet scent towards the cloud badger. After a brief moment, the creature raised its nose into the air and stepped towards the trap.

    *Fluummmm* The trap activated.

    The cloud badger was now covered by a sticky substance. The creature immediately released its stench liquid and activated its air coating.

    Unfortunately for the beast, the air coating did not remove the sticky substance that had already covered it. Instead of helping, the additional air flow actually worsened its condition by accelerating the hardening of the sticky liquid.

    Terry and company waited a few minutes like that. The sticky substance had hardened and turned more and more rubbery, and the cloud badger had completely exhausted itself by struggling against it.

    ¡°Now?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Terry.

    They both moved closer cautiously ¨C step by step, and eyes focused on the corrupted creature. When they were close enough, Terry activated his Blinding Flash glove near the creature¡¯s eyes as an additional precaution. A second later, Calam had swung down the war hammer.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Calam flatly.

    ¡°That was it?¡± asked Siling incredulously. ¡°I thought mana corrupted would be tougher.¡±

    ¡°Last time, my siblings and I did not bring a sticky trap,¡± said Terry wryly. ¡°Without the trap, its skin, its air coating, and its lightning charge are a lot more bothersome.¡± He added another warning: ¡°Be careful of its jaws. Its spit may be drenched in death apple poison. You really do not want that on your skin.¡±

    While Terry was talking, Siling had already moved closer and started her soul capture spell. After a few minutes, Siling opened her eyes and wore a broad smile. ¡°All done. I am now the official owner of a mana corrupted soul spirit.¡±

    ¡°Congrats!¡±

    ¡°It is still ethereal, though,¡± said Siling. ¡°I need to strengthen it with further souls before the spirit itself will be of use.¡±

    ¡°How many souls until it becomes corporeal?¡± asked Terry.

    Siling shrugged. ¡°Never strengthened a mana corrupted soul before. It ranged from three to ten with regular beasts. Double that for improving the soul¡¯s power to its limit.¡±

    ¡°If every hunt goes as smoothly as this one, then it should not take too long before Terry can cuddle your badger,¡± said Calam.

    ¡°Huh? Why would I want to cuddle that stinky thing?¡± Terry scrunched up his face.

    Siling gasped and tried her best to look offended. ¡°How dare you?!¡±

    ¡°Take this.¡± Siling used two fingers to tap at Terry¡¯s shoulder.

    *Ssstz.* Terry was hit by a minor lightning charge. ¡°Oww, what the¡­?¡±

    ¡°Uh, s-sorry.¡± Siling immediately felt guilty. ¡°I thought it would only sting a bit. I should not have done that.¡±

    ¡°No worries. It did not hurt badly, but I did not expect that.¡± Terry massaged his shoulder in order to get rid of the numbness. ¡°What was that, by the way? I did not see any spell structure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because there was none. Give me a moment.¡± Siling concentrated with her eyes closed. After a brief moment, the air gathered around her and¡­

    ¡°Air coating?¡± Calam and Terry were stunned.

    ¡°Yup. Straight from the soul spirit.¡± Siling¡¯s grin could not possibly become any broader. ¡°One reason why I was looking forward to collecting the souls of magical creatures. Still consumes my mana, but no formal spellwork is necessary.¡±

    ¡°Pfffft.¡± Calam was visibly strained, trying not to laugh out loud. Terry started to chuckle as well.

    ¡°What?¡± Siling blinked and tilted her head.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Calam. ¡°Pfft.¡±

    ¡°You may want to bring a hair band the next time you try that,¡± suggested Terry and smiled.

    After Siling had grasped the implication of those words, she quickly deactivated the spell and turned around to fix whatever was left of her hairstyle. The remaining electric charge on her fingers did not make the task any easier.

    Siling turned around with a flushed face and a forced deadpan expression. ¡°Glad to be of some entertainment.¡± She nodded at them.

    ¡°Yeah thanks.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Next time you want to test a new ability on me, please be so kind as to inform me beforehand, will you?¡± requested Terry.

    ¡°Sorry for that,¡± mumbled Siling and she agreed with a nod.

    ¡°You can make it up to me by summoning your soul bear later.¡± Terry grinned and then turned more serious again. ¡°However, we should finish our planned quota first.¡± He moved towards the cloud badger and took out one spray bottle of the dissolving liquid that was sold as a set with the sticky traps. He used the spray on the hardened, sticky substance.

    Siling directed her falcon to look for the next cloud badger.

    ¡°Will you be able to spray stinky liquid now as well?¡± inquired Calam.

    ¡°No.¡± Siling pouted. ¡°I know, pity right? Would have been great for pranks. Or useful at parties.¡±

    Siling started to act out an imaginary scene. ¡°Hey there, pretty elf. Fancy meeting you here. Come here often? How about¡ª squitt.¡± She gestured and imitated a noise that Terry assumed was supposed to signify spraying liquid. ¡°Alas, I can only channel the mana-related abilities directly. The purely physical abilities can only be used by the soul spirit itself.¡±

    ¡°I guess your scene would play a bit differently if you had to spray the liquid from an anal gland,¡± remarked Calam.

    ¡°You would have to install a butt window if you want to avoid ruining your outfit,¡± added Terry, who was working on the cloud badger in order to dissolve the sticky liquid.

    Siling¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°That would send all the wrong signals.¡±

    ¡°If stench is enough,¡± began Terry, ¡°You could simply fart to dissuade the pushy suitor. If your bowels suffer from stage fright, I can introduce you to my brother. He can coach you.¡±

    ¡°Nah. That would still leave too much ambiguity for some,¡± complained Siling. ¡°And who told you that elven women fart?! That was supposed to be a secret!¡±

    Calam rolled his eyes. Hard.

    ¡°Merely an educated guess based on my experience with dwarven women in the family,¡± replied Terry absentmindedly. After he had spoken the words out loud, he realized what he had said and added: ¡°Please don¡¯t quote me on that.¡±

    Terry moved the badger further to the side. He took out a jug of water from his dimensional storage and cleaned the remains of the sticky solution.

    ¡°Found another one,¡± announced Siling.

    ¡°Mhmh,¡± acknowledged Terry. He put the cloud badger into the dimensional body bag provided by the Guardians.

    ¡°Can we try the Kinetic Push this time?¡± proposed Calam.

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group had hunted five cloud badgers before they ran out of sticky traps and called it a day in the late afternoon.

    Their day had been very profitable. Terry decided to buy a war hammer instead of renting in the future. Even deducting the cost of a good quality non-magic war hammer would leave him with over five hundred coins of profit for the day. Mana corrupted hunts were really on another level than non-magic beasts. A few more days like this, and Terry could even invest into a second barrier spear.

    Luckily, Arcana was an empire of magic study. Magic and construct assisted blacksmithing was a lot more standardized and productive than the traditional craft. There was no shortage of people trying to supplement their income with mana crafting, either.

    ¡°Tea house in Arcana?¡± suggested Calam.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m in,¡± agreed Terry with little hesitation. Five coins for mana-imbued tea did not seem as worrisome as it had in the past.

    ¡°Can we go to the Peaceful Porch?¡± asked Siling. ¡°I heard it opened a week ago, but I haven¡¯t had time to go there yet.¡±

    Terry shrugged. He did not know enough about the different places to have a preference.

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Calam smiled before pausing momentarily. He squinted at Siling with uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not going to¡­ make the waitstaff cry, will you?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Siling scrunched up her face with bewilderment. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Just checking.¡± Calam shrugged. Terry chuckled before explaining their experience with Nassim.

    ¡°Wow, sounds like a real charmer,¡± exclaimed Siling with strong sarcasm. ¡°Sadly, there are no healing spells for curing wasted personalities.¡±

    ¡°Illusion or dream aspect spells might work,¡± offered Calam. ¡°Or maybe mind magic?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess those could technically cure bad character traits,¡± pondered Terry. ¡°Together with any other character traits and sense of identity or cognitive function.¡±

    ¡°I admit it may be somewhat of a drastic cure.¡± Calam puckered his lips.

    ¡°Siling?¡± Terry noticed that Siling had fallen slightly behind their step.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Siling jolted out of her daze. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m hungry and trying to remember if the Peaceful Porch was supposed to serve cake.¡±

    Terry chortled. ¡°Anyway, I was wondering if you two have any particular mission type preference from the intermediate core curriculum?

    ***

    ¡°Pheww¡­ I¡¯m spent,¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°Short break, please. Then we should switch again.¡±

    Jorg, Lori, and Terry were on the training grounds. Even though they currently did no missions with each other, they still had regular spars. They took turns battling one against two. The disadvantaged party was allowed to use bursts to compensate for the numbers difference.

    Lori looked at Terry. ¡°So your group is still going for cloud badgers?¡±

    ¡°Not for long. It has been profitable, but repeating the same mission does not help us advance in the curriculum and Siling¡¯s cloud badger soul spirit has hit its strengthening limit.¡±

    ¡°Want to switch?¡± asked Jorg. ¡°Miguel, Gellath, and I are nearly done with the intermediate curriculum mission requirement, but¡­¡± He made a dramatic pause. ¡°We¡¯re completely broke.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± exclaimed Lori aghast.

    Jorg shrugged. ¡°If I had known what a pain the swamp boas are, I might have voted to stick with the badgers. At least until we had upgraded our equipment.¡±

    ¡°The corrupted swamps? Really?¡± Terry felt incredulous. ¡°What the Wastes were you thinking?¡±

    ¡°Objection!¡± shouted Lori and raised a finger to the air. ¡°Assumes facts not in evidence.¡± She guffawed.

    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah. Save it,¡± grumbled Jorg before shaking his head. ¡°Miguel is the only one not bothered by these wasted strangle noodles. They avoid him and his coldfire aspect like the plague.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late yet,¡± said Lori. ¡°We could lend you the coins for a sticky trap. And by ¡®we¡¯ I mean preferably Terry.¡± She stuck out her tongue.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± started Terry, ¡°We want to take the mana cursed introduction class next.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not part of the core curriculum, is it?¡± asked Jorg anxiously. He thought he might have overlooked something, and he was not looking forward to taking yet another theoretical introduction.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± assured Lori. She looked at her human brother. ¡°Why have you decided to take it?¡±

    ¡°Calam, Siling, and I looked at the gap between our mission record and the advancement recommendation limit,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Siling is still one courier and one escort mission short. Calam still requires a few gathering missions before he can advance in the curriculum. We plan to do a multi-mission run to wrap it all up in one go.¡±

    ¡°Trying to complete the gathering missions on your way back?¡± Lori nodded slightly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Terry. ¡°We had a look at the open missions and the best fit is a mission further out in the south. Escort some kind of scholar to Biant. Deliver a storage item to Delwood Fort. On our way back, we can stop in Corsteau.¡±

    ¡°And the cursed?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°We searched for other missions that we could pick up for the trip and there is a perpetual mission for checking the local wildlife for signs of mana curse infection,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Some researchers have marked certain animals before. They will hand us a device for locating the marked animals and then we need to scan the markings. The reward is surprisingly high.¡±

    After his explanation, Terry turned to Lori. ¡°How about your group?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine,¡± said Lori. ¡°We haven¡¯t encountered any serious trouble in our missions and the pay is good.¡± She exhaled sharply. ¡°But Alrik seems to always be pressed for coins no matter how much we earn and Elena¡­¡± She shrugged while grimacing. ¡°¡­has an unfortunate tendency to break equipment.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it is a good idea to work with Elena?¡± asked Jorg with a frown. ¡°Berserkers have¡ª¡±

    ¡°A reputation, yes,¡± interrupted Lori testily. ¡°I am well aware, but she can¡¯t help that her mana is blood aspected, can she?¡±

    ¡°No, but bursting is dangerous enough to begin with,¡± said Jorg. His frown was still frozen on his face. ¡°Bursting with blood-aspected mana is madness. Literally.¡±

    ¡°Elena has it under control,¡± assured Lori. ¡°She breaks a rented weapon here and there, but if it was not for her close combat ability, we would not be able to take the missions we do.¡±

    Jorg grumbled quietly and then shook his head in resignation. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your call, but if I were you, I would keep a blowpipe and some tranquilizer darts with me.¡± He puffed his cheeks. ¡°Anyway, it is good to know that we will all be done with the intermediate missions soon.¡± He looked at his siblings. ¡°Everyone still in agreement with our pick for the advanced class?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Lori firmly. ¡°In fact, I believe if you hadn¡¯t already suggested it, then Alrik would have.¡±

    ¡°No objections from us either,¡± added Terry. ¡°That being said¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°You do realize that Ma will not be happy with our choice, right Jorg?¡±

    ¡°And that they will identify you as the main instigator?¡± warned Lori. ¡°I don¡¯t believe they will appreciate your little ¡®loophole.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Jorg shrugged. ¡°I would have to cross that bridge sooner or later, anyway.¡± He clapped loudly. ¡°Enough chatting. Next round?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Terry¡¯s turn,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Spears first, please,¡± requested Terry.

    The three of them stood up. The twins faced Terry together. All of them had their practice short spears in hand. However, while the twins carried one in each hand, Terry only used one.

    ¡°Oh?¡± exclaimed Lori with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Only a single spear?¡±

    ¡°Thought I would try something new.¡± Terry grinned sheepishly.

    ¡°Mhh¡­¡± Lori narrowed her eyes. ¡°Suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he is just getting cocky?¡± offered Jorg before he gasped exaggeratedly. ¡°Perhaps Terry has finally hit puberty?¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes.

    Lori snorted. ¡°If lacking humility was a sure sign of puberty, you must have hit it at five, Jorg.¡±

    ¡°Sis, what are you doing?¡± Jorg gave a betrayed outcry. ¡°You are supposed to be on my team now.¡± He whined: ¡°No siding with Terry until the round has ended. Verbal sparring is part of sparring, too.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± replied Lori with a blank expression. ¡°Time to get serious.¡±

    Jorg circled around Terry¡¯s left side so that Terry would be between him and Lori. It was one of their usual openings. Terry could not monitor both at the same time, and this opening forced him to move.

    Only this time, Terry did not move to the side as usual. Instead, he burst forward into Jorg¡¯s path. His spear was kept at his right and pointed at Lori.

    Jorg thrust his right spear forward while Lori tried to circle around Terry to close in.

    Terry put his weight on his left heel and rotated his body to the right so that Jorg¡¯s spear would pass in front of him. He rapidly struck out with his left palm against the weapon before dodging Jorg¡¯s second spear.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Jorg wanted to move forward but was held back by his spear. ¡°Hey!¡±

    Jorg stepped forward and abandoned his transfixed spear that was now hanging firmly in the air. ¡°So that is how you want to play it, huh?¡± He grabbed his remaining spear and slowly moved closer to his accepted brother.

    Terry grinned. His mana crafting attempts had not been successful yet, but the crafting practice had been a tremendous boon for his spell control. It was enough to finally make the spell somewhat usable in normal combat. Unfortunately, his inability to cast hands-free was still a major obstacle.

    ¡°Oh? Are we allowed to use spells now?¡± exclaimed Lori cheerfully and a mischievous grin was plastered on her face.

    Terry¡¯s own grin immediately vanished. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± The next he knew, the earth beneath his feet had already been liquified and he was slipping thanks to a push from Jorg. He instinctively tried to catch his fall with his left hand ¨C only to sink into the earth up to his elbow. He sighed. ¡°I hate that spell.¡±

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s too bad, because it¡¯s my favorite!¡± Lori smirked at him.

    ¡°Yes, I am warming up to it, too,¡± exclaimed Jorg teasingly. ¡°Maybe I should take some lessons from Lori?¡±

    Terry puckered his lips and tilted his head to the side. ¡°You know, Jorg, if you want to frighten me, try something more believable than you voluntarily practicing spellwork.¡±

    Lori snorted and laughed.

    Jorg frowned. ¡°How rude! You could at least pretend a bit before you call my bluff. Come on, get up, my muddy brother, or are you going to forfeit?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    ***

 012 Intermediate Class, Introduction: Mana Cursed

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 86 ¨C

    Terry, Siling, and Calam were waiting at the dimensional gate in the eastern district of Arcana.

    Today, the three could easily be identified as belonging to the same group because they were all wearing similar armors. They had made a deal with one of the local blacksmiths and got a discount in exchange for providing the materials from the cloud badgers.

    The cloud badger leather was thick and durable, which made it good armor material, and the felted pelt provided some additional protection, as well as good insulation against the cold, which was ideal for the upcoming season. They had chosen to have the fur and leather dyed and darkened because the original white had stood out too prominently against the backdrop of city life and most areas they were likely to encounter.

    Terry¡¯s group did not have to wait long until a tall man with sunken eyes, a dark grey coat, and well-worn travel boots approached them. ¡°Morning, you three. My name is Khaled. I¡¯ll be your instructor for the day.¡±

    They greeted the man and introduced themselves.

    ¡°Alright, follow me,¡± instructed Khaled, and immediately took the lead. ¡°We can talk while walking. No mana-cursed creatures are tolerated anywhere close to Arcana City, which means we won¡¯t find any living specimens in the whole A-zone. The nearest opportunity is the Bornais research facility in the outer reaches of the B-zone.¡±

    He glanced back at his trainees. ¡°Unfortunately for us, Bornais is intentionally isolated. We can use the primary gates up to Brisk and then a secondary gate to the Billowing Mountains. The rest of the way, we will have to walk.¡±

    Khaled eyed them up and down. ¡°How is your stamina? Will you be able to handle a jog for around two hours? Uphill?¡±

    Terry nodded confidently.

    Calam nodded as well, but with much less confidence. Generally, when a mana cultivating instructor talked about a ¡®jog¡¯ then that was certain to be an excruciating euphemism.

    Siling¡¯s left eye displayed a light twitch, and she was frowning unhappily. Siling hated running, and she hated endurance running with a particular passion. ¡°Not me personally, but my bear soul can carry me. Will that be alright?¡±

    ¡°Soul spirit?¡± Khaled thought it over. ¡°Should be fine. None of the local wildlife is particularly sensitive towards them. The Billowing Mountains don¡¯t harbor any creatures feeding on souls or spirits. If everything works out, we can make it back by midnight. Otherwise, we will rest for the night along the way.¡± He looked his three students of the day over one more time. ¡°Before I start with the obligatory monologues, what exactly made you want to take this class?¡±

    ¡°We intend to take on a mission that brings us near Corsteau,¡± replied Terry.

    Khaled nodded. ¡°You thought you could pair it up with the mark-and-recapture mission? That certainly explains the interest.¡± He looked disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity though. I hoped you might have chosen the class for more idealistic reasons.¡±

    Terry creased his brows and tried to understand what their instructor was getting at.

    ¡°Maybe it is my age showing and I am just getting grumpy, but the recent generations of Guardians are looking more and more like the Guild,¡± grumbled Khaled. ¡°Being a Guardian used to mean doing what needs to be done instead of doing what is most exciting or most rewarding.¡± He shrugged. ¡°A consequence of the peaceful lives afforded by the barrier, I guess.¡±

    Khaled caught the gazes of his trainees. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I am not trying to reproach you. On the contrary, I am thrilled to have you. Few youngsters consider the optional classes. Mana cursed work definitely pays well for its danger level, but the travel distance makes it unattractive to those looking to optimize their earnings. The insult on top is that mana cursed work seems somewhat inglorious inside Arcana.¡± He spread his arms wide and shrugged exaggeratedly. ¡°A tragic victim of our past successes.

    Khaled waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Anyway, no need to mind this old codger. I only wish that more people would take lessons from the past and realize the work¡¯s gravity. All I ask is that you will keep considering the mana cursed missions in the future.¡±

    His tone changed to lecturing mode. ¡°Now, to the obligatory part. What are mana curses? Do you know any in particular?¡±

    ¡°The deathblood plague,¡± replied Terry instantly.

    ¡°Mark of Death?¡± offered Siling hesitatingly.

    ¡°Vampirism,¡± guessed Calam.

    ¡°Interesting choices,¡± remarked Khaled. ¡°Right on two accounts, wrong on one. Mark of Death is merely a curse in the colloquial meaning. To be precise, it is a debilitation spell and not a mana curse. Recent generations have started to use curses as a synonym for debilitation spells, but that is misguided. Again, it seems to be a tragic consequence of our peaceful times. People have forgotten the true horror of mana curses.¡±

    Khaled caught Siling¡¯s gaze. ¡°Debilitation spells can be cruel or outright horrifying, true. However, the key characteristic of mana curses is not their inherent effect, but their self-replicating nature. No matter how horrifying, a debilitation spell is limited in time and scope. A debilitation spell does not spread to others. By contrast, you can think of mana curses as diseases spread through mana.¡±

    ¡°Like the karmic rot?¡± interjected Siling. ¡°Soulrot?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely correct,¡± said Khaled. ¡°That one qualifies. Luckily, its reproduction number is very low. Most mana curses have been intentionally designed. Their effects and means of reproduction vary significantly. A few mana curses even infect constructs instead of living beings. Nowadays, we have the curses mostly under control, especially in Arcana. Outside the barrier, it definitely looks worse, but even so, the greatest horrors are things of the past.¡±

    Khaled glanced at Terry and continued: ¡°The worst mana curse known to us was the deathblood plague. It has been eradicated thanks to the Veilbinder and his companions. When I say worst, I mean worst by far.¡± His voice turned grave. ¡°Close proximity to an infected was already enough to spread infection.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°The only effective preventative measure was a ritual that was lethal in most cases, and very detrimental to your lifespan in all cases.¡±

    Khaled shook his head. ¡°Worst of all, the curse gave the source influence over the mind of every infected. It was similar to clerics or other channelers in that it allowed the infected to channel power from the hive. The power available for channeling depended on how much the infected opened their mind to the originator¡¯s influence. If a mind was opened enough, the originator could take possession of the body. That naturally made it extremely challenging to eradicate the originator.¡±

    Khaled turned back again to look at Siling this time. ¡°The karmic rot was a mana curse designed during the Faithless Wars in the Era of Enlightenment. The self-identified gods were not willing to be dethroned from their exalted positions and denigrated to be treated as just another magical creature. They went all out with a vendetta against the Veilbinder and the later Faithless Saints.¡±

    Khaled exhaled sharply. ¡°Eventually, some devout cultists attempted to reinvent the deathblood plague. They came up with the karmic rot in order to punish the faithless. This curse slowly withered away an infected soul. That condition was dubbed soulrot. Less effectual and slower acting than its original inspiration. Soulrot still pops up now and then, but it¡¯s mostly contained around the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

    Khaled focused his gaze on Calam last. ¡°Vampirism is the oldest among the mana curses you listed. It is also the only one among the three that remains widely spread to this day.¡± He rubbed his forehead with his thumb. ¡°The reason it persists is that it entails several difficult moral dilemmas, and it is not really clear how one should deal with it.¡± He shrugged.

    Khaled focused his gaze in front and on the road again. ¡°The most common remaining mana curses are three undead curses: the zombie plague, the ghoul plague, and the death aura curse. I¡¯ll postpone details about them until our way back. You are not likely to ever encounter them inside the barrier, but they¡¯re common in the Wastes where you can find undead hordes roaming around and battling it out with the aspect beings, the hellspawn, and the other empires.

    ¡°Fortunately, dealing with undead like zombies does not pose any significant moral quandaries. You see them. You kill them. Not much to it. By contrast, vampires are sentient and empathic beings ¨C not different in that aspect from other folks. Their curse only spreads through intentional action ¨C biting others or giving birth to new deathlife. They can be integrated into society if the society is willing to take the risk.¡±

    ¡°Are we?¡± asked Siling. ¡°Arcana, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Khaled shook his head. ¡°The Council does not see a benefit that would be worth the risks. Arcana is not like the other empires. We are not looking for more soldiers to defend against the Wastes or against other empires. We don¡¯t have to be afraid of vampires getting offended and joining up with the Lich Kingdoms, either.¡± He shrugged. ¡°A particularly gifted or accomplished mage vampire may get a chance, but even then, there would probably be heavy restrictions imposed.¡±

    Khaled took a deep breath. ¡°Long story short, mana cursed work in Arcana is less about reactive measures and more about prevention. It is about supporting research and following up on any hints of an outbreak. The last part is also my area of expertise. I am part of the Guardians¡¯ tracking squad. Together with bounty hunting and general investigations, mana cursed work has the largest overlap with the tracking squad.¡±

    Khaled continued with his explanation while the group made their way through the dimensional gate in Arcana¡¯s eastern district.

    ***

    Khaled ran ahead of the group and monitored the surroundings. He slowed down, raised his left fist up to head level, and came to a stop. He also channeled mana into his fist so that it became noticeable in mana sight.

    Terry and the others gathered around the instructor. Terry did not show any signs of exhaustion yet. Siling seemed a bit ruffled, because a bear did not make the most comfortable mount at high speeds. Calam was out of breath, but he insisted he could go on.

    ¡°Maybe you could, but that is not the reason we stopped,¡± said Khaled. ¡°There is a group of mana corrupted up ahead. I could lead you around them, but then we would have to take a large detour. The nearby areas are more dangerous than this one. So here is your choice: Do you want to engage or not?¡±

    ¡°Engage?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Khaled raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession. ¡°Just because this is a mission on mana cursed, does not mean you are forbidden from hunting mana corrupted when having the chance.¡±

    ¡°You mean us alone, don¡¯t you, instructor?¡± asked Terry with a premonition.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Khaled grinned. ¡°I am your instructor, not your escort. If I were to kill them, then that would be a wasted opportunity for you, no? I can tell you what you are up against and I will keep an eye out so you won¡¯t get hurt too much. If you take the corrupted down without requiring my intervention, then all the spoils belong to you. I can even tell you that there are open missions for those things.¡±

    ¡°What things are we talking about exactly?¡± inquired Siling.

    ¡°And how many?¡± added Terry.

    ¡°A small pack of ash wolves,¡± replied Khaled. ¡°Eight members. Going by the concentration of their emitted mana, I would say only lower ranks. One of them may be in the middle levels of the lower rank.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t ash wolves supposed to be very dangerous?¡± asked Calam anxiously.

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Khaled tilted his head to one side and then to the other. ¡°¡­and no. Ash wolves are a diverse species of corrupted. The lower ranks don¡¯t pose much of a threat. Their corruption is of mixed mana with fire representing the main aspect. Easy to notice because their bite can cook your flesh. It is generally advisable to not let yourself get bitten to begin with.¡±

    ¡°So why the ambivalent answer?¡± Khaled raised a finger. ¡°Things start to change with the middle levels of the lower rank, because that is when they learn dust teleportation. At that level, the teleportation range is rather short, and they are limited in how frequently they can use it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the higher ranks that are truly lethal, because besides having fewer and fewer limitations on their dust teleportation, they also learn to change their size ¨C shrinking as small as a puppy or growing as big as a castle. A high-rank ash wolf can represent an empire-level threat. However, such a creature has not been sighted since more than an era ago.¡±

    Khaled dusted his coat off. ¡°In any case, we will take a short break. Make up your mind and then inform me about your decision.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Workable,¡± judged Siling.

    ¡°Once more to sum it up?¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°Do not let them surround us,¡± said Calam. ¡°Forcefully disperse them and break them apart if they try to gang up on someone. Do not let them get close to Siling.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Pick a target, get close, and try to wound them,¡± continued Terry.

    ¡°Send in Furball as combat support,¡± added Siling.

    ¡°No protracted combat with any specific ash wolf,¡± said Terry. ¡°Disengage¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and disperse them again if needed,¡± continued Calam.

    ¡°Finish off the wounded if there is a good chance,¡± said Siling. ¡°No wasting mana.¡±

    The three of them nodded at each other. They turned to Khaled, who was leaning on a tree close to them.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± instructed Khaled, and walked ahead. After a short ten-minute walk, he gestured towards the pack of ash wolves. ¡°All yours.¡±

    The mana-corrupted beasts were taller than regular wolves. They had dark grey fur and blood-red eyes.

    Terry took out one of his barrier spears and moved to take point. The group of three people and one white bear with purple markings slowly approached the ash wolves.

    When the wolves took notice of the approaching group, Terry ran forward. Calam jumped left and threw a Kinetic Push at the wolves. Siling let her soul bear give a loud roar and charge in from the right. They had established a formation with Siling positioned in the back where she, as the healer, would be protected while being close enough for her to cast long-range spells.

    The ash wolves were thrown backwards and one of them hit a tree. That marked it as the first target for Terry. He judged that the distance to the rest of the pack was enough to provide a better opportunity than they had initially expected. Terry used a short mana burst to get close to the target while he took out his second barrier spear.

    The ash wolf was still on the ground when Terry struck out with the spear in his right hand. The corrupted creature turned to the side and the spear only grazed it.

    The wolf was about to pounce when Terry activated the barrier imprint of his right spear. He had angled the spear so that the tower shield barrier trapped the wolf against the tree while still leaving enough of the ash wolf''s body open for attack. Simultaneously, he aimed his left spear at a lower point than before. The spear penetrated the wolf¡¯s body and hit the tree.

    Terry left the spear to pin the wolf¡¯s body, deactivated the barrier, and then finished off the wolf with his right spear. He jumped back to distance himself from the remaining creatures and get back closer to Calam and the soul bear.

    One of the ash wolves had recovered faster than the others and even landed on its feet. It was turning towards Terry, but instead of moving closer to the fight, it eyed the soul bear. The ash wolf gave a few howls and circled left while the other ash wolves spread out.

    Whenever some of the ash wolves got too close, Calam used another Kinetic Push to throw them back. Unfortunately, the ash wolves had learned their lesson, and they were not as closely huddled together as before. Now it required two spells in order to isolate the next ash wolf.

    Terry moved in fast. He inflicted a few wounds, but then the other ash wolves returned and he had to disengage. Whenever the ash wolves tried to gang up on Terry, they formed a perfect target for Calam, who followed up with a Kinetic Push.

    That scenario repeated for a few times until Siling cast an Entangling Roots spell timed to arrive shortly before Calam¡¯s Kinetic Push. That left one of the ash wolves isolated, with enough distance for Terry to cause a lethal injury.

    Some of the ash wolves fought the soul bear and one of them had sunk its teeth into the bear¡¯s hind leg. In a fury, the soul bear roared and smacked the ash wolf into a pulp.

    Terry moved towards the soul bear in order to help disentangle some of the ash wolves so that Calam could use a Kinetic Push. Meanwhile, Siling managed to finish off one of the previously wounded ash wolves with an Ice Spike spell.

    The ash wolves kept the soul bear between themselves and Calam, which prevented him and the others from continuing with the Kinetic Push strategy. With its injury, the soul bear could not sprint fast enough to disengage properly.

    Terry charged towards two ash wolves. The wolves were prepared to dodge his spear, but when he suddenly activated the barrier imprint, they could not evade the mana shield that rammed into them at full force.

    Calam ran towards the opening in order to follow up with his spell.

    Suddenly, an ash wolf materialized out of a dust cloud right in front of Calam. He froze up. His prepared spell ended in spell failure. He was wide-eyed and stood motionless in a stupor.

    The strange noise that accompanied the dust teleportation caused Terry to search for the source. In his peripheral vision, he could still see the ash settle in the ash wolf¡¯s previous spot. When he spotted the mana corrupted charging at the shocked Calam, he immediately went into full burst and sprinted towards them.

    At the last moment, Terry reached the ash wolf by taking out his non-magic long spear and thrusting out against the creature¡¯s hind legs. The cut startled the creature enough that it evaded on instinct and thereby gave up its current attack. It snarled at Terry, who was now standing between it and Calam.

    Terry had nearly tackled Calam by accident, because he was not completely used to his speed at this burst level. He screamed at his companion: ¡°SNAP OUT OF IT!¡±

    ¡°Y-y-yes¡­¡± mumbled Calam. Before he could jolt out of his daze, ash rose again from the corrupted wolf¡¯s fur. Another dust teleportation brought it to Calam¡¯s back and again it went on the attack with a jump.

    Terry tried to block the creature with his spear. He had to position the spear close to Calam for that. The ash wolf teleported again mid-jump and was now ready to attack Calam from Terry¡¯s left. The spear in Terry¡¯s right hand was blocked by Calam¡¯s body and could not be used to defend quickly.

    Terry dropped the spear, grabbed Calam, and jumped back with as much force as he could muster. Simultaneously, Terry activated the Blinding Flash imprint in his glove. He hoped to disorient the mana corrupted long enough to allow them some breathing space. They dodged the ash wolf¡¯s attack, but they were not off the hook yet.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry realized that the ash wolf was now positioned between them and Siling. That was not supposed to happen. He hurriedly looked around and was relieved to find that Siling was aware of the situation. She was already moving herself as well as her soul bear. Her quick reaction enabled Terry to return his focus to the mid-level ash wolf.

    Terry noticed that the ash wolf¡¯s blood-red eyes glowed ¨C a sign of mana circulation ¨C and then the ash on its fur rose again.

    Terry recalled an idea he had thought of during spars. He summoned a metal throwing needle from his storage bracelet. The needle had a sharpened and weighted tip, and a handle with roughly double the diameter of his practice pen. He had practiced throwing the needle as well as using it like a stiletto knife. However, that was not the idea. Without wasting a second, Terry harvested mana.

    The ash wolf reappeared at Calam¡¯s back. Terry waited until the corrupted creature had picked up some speed. Then he grabbed Calam with one hand and jumped back. At the same time, he placed the throwing needle in the path of the ash wolf and ignited his spell structure for Immovable Object.

    The ash wolf that was mid-pounce towards them collided with the immovable needle that hovered in the air. The needle pierced inside the creature¡¯s body where it remained immovable while the wolf was carried forward by its own momentum. The ash wolf struggled, and every movement further added to its internal injuries.

    Eventually, the mana-corrupted creature succumbed to its wounds.

    Siling had killed one more ash wolf in coordination with her soul bear. The remaining ash wolves were quickly taken care of as well. The fight was over.

    Khaled clapped. ¡°You did not disappoint. That battle was much quicker than us taking a detour. Collect your spoils and take a break.¡± He turned towards Siling. ¡°Do you think you can continue riding on your soul bear?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Siling. ¡°I just need to cast Cure Wounds on it and Heal on myself and we should be good to go. I still have enough mana.¡± She turned to Calam with concern in her eyes. ¡°What happened there?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± mumbled Calam. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mind just blanked.¡±

    ¡°You scared the mana out of me,¡± said Terry, and exhaled a sharp breath.

    ¡°May happen to everyone, but if it keeps happening, you have a problem,¡± warned Khaled.

    ¡°Won¡¯t happen again,¡± promised Calam. He, Siling, and Terry started collecting the ash wolf remains into their dimensional body bags.

    ¡°An ash wolf would make for an awesome soul spirit, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± remarked Terry.

    ¡°Yeah, but I would have to find at least mid-level ones in order to perform dust teleportation, and that would make strengthening the soul difficult,¡± lamented Siling. ¡°For now, at least.¡±

    At some point, Khaled took Calam to the side in order to have a private conversation. ¡°If this keeps happening, then you ought to go into freeze therapy.¡±

    ¡°Freeze therapy?¡± Calam frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re familiar with the fight-or-flight response?¡± asked Khaled.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°There is a third instinctual option: freeze. In this kind of mission work, freeze is by far the most troublesome response to have. At least flight makes you move, and movement can be channeled into a helpful direction. Freeze is different.¡± Khaled caught Calam¡¯s gaze before he cautioned with further emphasis: ¡°There are not many people that can resolve a freeze problem on their own. It is generally advisable to reconsider doing mission work until the problem has been sorted out in the training grounds.¡±

    Calam¡¯s frown deepened.

    ¡°For now, there is not much need to worry yourself,¡± assured Khaled. ¡°A single occurrence does not make a pattern of behavior. I just wanted to make you aware that there are options, even if there is a problem.¡±

    After a few minutes, they were all done with collecting the remains. The adrenaline had worn off by then.

    ¡°What¡¯s that stench?¡± asked Siling. She sniffed at Terry before recoiling and holding her nose. ¡°Did you step into any rotten eggs along the way?¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of, no.¡± Terry sniffed himself in perplexity.

    Khaled laughed. ¡°That would be a consequence of your choice in armor. That mid-level ash wolf singed the fur on your left leg.¡±

    ***

    An elven woman in a pantsuit waited for the group at the entrance. ¡°Good afternoon, Khaled.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Mercedes.¡± Khaled nodded at the woman.

    Mercedes turned to Terry and the others. ¡°Welcome to our Bornais Research Facility. My name is Mercedes, and I will act as your liaison and show you around. Since this is an introduction class, I take it that this is your first encounter with the cursed?¡±

    The three nodded.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be visiting Corsteau soon and intend to help with the mark and recapture mission,¡± mentioned Khaled.

    ¡°Then allow me to thank you already for your efforts.¡± Mercedes smiled widely. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± She activated a personalized inscription at the entrance to open the door. ¡°I am afraid that your work in Corsteau will differ slightly from what we can demonstrate here. A mark and recapture mission is part of Arcana¡¯s efforts to detect problems early and prevent any problematic outbreak. The local mammal population will be your primary targets for spot checks.

    ¡°Arcana mandates strict procedures when dealing with mana curses. Any curse able to affect mammals is not tolerated anywhere closer than the C-zone ¨C not even for research. Curses that can affect beings capable of flight may be subject to even harsher restrictions. Here in Corsteau, our research focus is on mana curses that affect insects.¡±

    Mercedes used an inscribed card to open another door.

    ¡°And here, you can see one curse in action. Please stay behind the line marked in red. You may activate your mana sense, but be so kind as to refrain from any mana harvesting. On the magnifying display you can see our curse victims ¨C members of the Camponotini tribe or, as you may refer to them colloquially: ants.

    ¡°This mana curse is termed vivi mortuis unilateralis and is of particular interest to us. The curse replicates itself through a complex interactive mechanism between mana, a fungus, and the insectoid victims.

    ¡°Broadly speaking, the fungus accumulates mana for the curse. The activated curse helps it to attract and infect ants. An infected ant then displays modified behavior patterns beneficial for spreading the fungus. Their bodies convulse and make them drop to the ground. The ants start to seek out areas with specific temperatures or humidity levels.

    ¡°Eventually, the ants crawl onto leaves up to a certain height, fasten themselves with their mandibles, and then patiently await their deaths and the sprouting of fungus spores from their bodies. That behavior pattern has earned them the moniker ¡®zombie ants.¡¯ The height allows the spores to spread further. A bird or other flying creature may snack on the ant, only to then spread the fungus with its droppings. There was a lot of debate if we would be allowed to study the curse in this facility.

    ¡°The behavior modification component on its own already serves to explain our interest in this particular curse. One additional aspect that fascinates me is that it is not clear if the curse has been deliberately designed by a higher sentient being like us folk. A perpetual insecticide would be one possible design purpose. An alternate theory is that it is an extended phenotype of a mana-corrupted fungus. That is a theory I find equally intriguing and horrifying.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Have you finished your shopping for your multi-mission trip?¡± asked Bjorln after he disengaged from hand-to-hand sparring with Terry. ¡°Water catcher? Food supplies? Light source?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, all set,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°Insect nets? Cold wear? A tent and sleeping bag just in case? Heating pad?¡±

    ¡°All set.¡± Terry had to smile. He knew his siblings might be annoyed if they were in his place, but for him, the concern of his accepted parents made him feel all warm and fuzzy.

    ¡°Ward imprints? Mana containers? Rope? One can never have too much rope.¡±

    ¡°All set.¡± Terry was still smiling. ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Allright, good,¡± acknowledged Bjorln before he thought of another topic to discuss. ¡°You know that trick you pulled in your spar with Isille?¡±

    ¡°You mean with the Immovable Object spell?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think that will work a second time, will it?¡±

    Bjorln chuckled. ¡°No. No, it won¡¯t. Actually, I would suggest that you don¡¯t use it in your weapon spars for now. Or rather, I think you should focus on a different target than the weapon. It fits better into our sessions.¡±

    Terry tried to follow his thoughts. ¡°You mean target armor instead?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± confirmed Bjorln. ¡°An immobilized weapon is nice. However, the opponent can still pursue you or take out a spare weapon.¡±

    ¡°And immobilized armor, in contrast, would impair the opponent¡¯s mobility.¡± Terry nodded. ¡°So from now on I should attempt to use Immovable Object on your equipment during our spars?¡±

    ¡°Right. It could be a great card to play in order to prepare an escape or to set up an attack from a blind spot.¡± Bjorln stretched his arms and legs to prepare for their spar. ¡°I will watch you with mana sight. You seem to have practiced ambidextrous casting and your off-hand has gotten better, but unless you quicken the spell some more, it will be difficult for you.¡±

    They continued sparring for another half hour and Terry tried to incorporate his spell into his hand-to-hand style.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today,¡± announced Bjorln before he disengaged again. ¡°You know, I may have underestimated how much of a nuisance that spell of yours truly is.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°I haven¡¯t even managed to immobilize you even once.¡±

    ¡°True, and I would be embarrassed if you had, mind you.¡± Bjorln pulled back his lips and raised his brows. ¡°However, I already know what the spell does and I have to adjust accordingly whenever I notice you casting. If I were to punch out normally¡­¡± He grimaced. ¡°Immobilization is only part of the problem. My bigger worry is that I can¡¯t stop in time. That would throw all my force back against myself. If you were to immobilize my leg bracer when I kick out, I would suddenly kick an immovable wall. That thought already throws off my rhythm.¡±

    Bjorln grinned excitedly. ¡°The more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to you incorporating it in close combat.¡±

    Whenever Terry saw his accepted family show such genuine happiness for him, he felt immense gratitude. He was never sure how to best express this feeling, but he promised himself that he would work hard on improving his spell control and timing.

    ***

 013 Multi-Mission Trip â€“ Outbound

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 91 ¨C

    A few days after they had taken the mana cursed introduction together, Terry¡¯s group was waiting again at a dimensional gate to leave Arcana, but this time, a supervisor from the Guardians was waiting with them.

    Eventually, a short old man approached them. He had a wrinkly face, a kind smile, and twinkling eyes. ¡°Greetings, young ones.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Or well, I suppose you are young ones? You look quite young. Then again, all you mana users do. Quite confusing that.¡±

    The intermediary representative of the Guardians went first to greet the elderly client. ¡°Good morning, Mister Kimutai.¡± The representative gestured at the three figures behind him. ¡°These are Siling, Terry, and Calam. They have volunteered as your escorts to Biant, and we have vetted them for the mission. As always, you are free to examine the mission cards yourself if you so desire.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no no, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Kimutai waved his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± He walked up to Terry¡¯s group. ¡°And thanks to all of you for accompanying this old one on his walk.¡±

    The Guardian representative faced Terry¡¯s group. ¡°The beginning of the mission has already been recorded on your membership cards. We have also activated the temporary link between your cards and Mister Kimutai¡¯s client card. If there is nothing else, then you are free to go.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Mister Kimutai?¡± Terry spoke up.

    ¡°Just Kimutai is sufficient, young one.¡± The elderly man smiled gently. ¡°Speaking of politeness, please correct me if I should change my way of addressing you. I am in the habit of going by appearances, but for all I know, you three could be twice my age.¡±

    ¡°It is fine. We are¡ª At least, I am as young as I look.¡± Terry realized mid-sentence that he did not know how old Calam and Siling were beyond the fact that they couldn¡¯t be younger than him. Now that he thought about it, Kimutai was right. That was indeed confusing.

    ¡°It is fine,¡± said Calam.

    ¡°No objections here either,¡± said Siling.

    Terry nodded. ¡°I had a different question, but since we are already on the topic ¨C previously you addressed us as ¡®you mana users.¡¯ Does that mean you have never accumulated mana?¡±

    ¡°Not consciously, no,¡± replied Kimutai and shook his head. ¡°Never. I always thought life was too short to become a mana user.¡± He chortled. ¡°All those years later and life seems even shorter now.¡±

    Kimutai¡¯s statement baffled Terry into speechlessness. He was trying to wrap his head around what he had just heard.

    ¡°Don¡¯t most manaless take a carriage for such distances?¡± interjected Siling.

    ¡°Oh yes, but I enjoy the walk.¡± Kimutai took a slow and deep breath of fresh air. ¡°Hiking and taking long walks are one of my pleasures in life. It is a nice counterbalance to the usual day-to-day hectic. I am lucky that I am allowed a few such eccentricities at my age.¡±

    ¡°What did you mean ¡®life is too short¡¯?¡± asked Terry, with a frozen expression of bewilderment. ¡°Mana accumulation increases your lifespan, does it not?¡±

    Kimutai laughed loudly. ¡°That reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend once. I tried to convince him of the benefits that some light daily exercise could bring.¡± He smiled wistfully. ¡°You know how it could make him live longer and healthier.¡±

    Kimutai chortled to himself and shook his head. ¡°At the end of it all, he looked me in the eye and said: ¡®Jogging regularly may earn me some more years of life, but how many years would I have spent jogging? How many years worth of spare time among my waking hours?¡¯¡± He continued smiling in reminiscence. ¡°I thought his argument was a tad ridiculous, but oh well.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I enjoyed jogging. He did not.¡±

    Kimutai turned his gaze back to Terry. ¡°I did not like mana cultivation or spellwork, though. I did not want to spend a significant portion of my waking life engaged in it. Most people don¡¯t, actually.¡±

    ¡°Most?¡± Terry was surprised. ¡°You mean most people are manaless?¡±

    Siling and Calam were surprised at Terry¡¯s surprise, and it was their turn to be stupefied.

    ¡°Well, d¡¯uh,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°How do you not know that?¡±

    ¡°Did you never activate your mana sight when you were growing up?¡± questioned Calam.

    ¡°I did, but there were no manaless,¡± mumbled Terry faintly.

    ¡°What?¡± blurted Siling with mouth agape. ¡°How is that possible?!¡±

    ¡°Special upbringing, I presume?¡± interjected Kimutai, as if he had his own suspicions.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Realization dawned on Terry. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°I guess my circumstances were a bit unusual.¡±

    Calam and Siling waited with raised eyebrows for Terry to elaborate.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I grew up in the Greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Siling¡¯s eyebrows shot up as far as her face allowed. ¡°That freaky place where they try to breed the next magic sovereign or something?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it freaky, but yeah.¡± Terry furrowed his brows. ¡°That Greenhouse. In retrospect, it was a bit odd, but it seemed normal when growing up there. It wasn¡¯t exactly bad either.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Greenhouse kids would all go to Arcana Academy.¡± remarked Calam.

    ¡°I did,¡± said Terry while thinking nothing of it.

    At this point, Siling and Calam both came to an abrupt halt. It seemed a miracle that they had not tripped over their own feet. They were completely flabbergasted and stared at Terry as if he had suddenly grown a second head.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I managed to last a cycle before I was thrown out for failing all my spellwork exams.¡±

    Calam creased his brows. ¡°I never heard of anyone dropping out of the Academy before¡­¡±

    ¡°I alway assumed that bag of yours was some weird fan merchandise,¡± said Siling while glancing at Terry¡¯s messenger bag.

    ¡°I was accepted because they failed to notice my aspect impairment,¡± explained Terry. ¡°It was only discovered when we started proper spellwork.¡±

    ¡°And after the Academy, you went right to the Guardians?¡± interjected Kimutai with a knowing smile.

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°Well, that explains your distorted view of the world,¡± said Kimutai. ¡°Arcana Empire has the highest ratio of mana users among the remaining empires, but even here, they do not constitute a majority. Most people just want a normal life ¨C a stable income so that they can start a family and enjoy their time. Life in Arcana can be pleasant enough even without mana.¡±

    Kimutai moved his gaze over the horizon while talking. ¡°Besides, it may not work any other way. I always figured life inside the barrier would get awfully crowded if everyone were to cling to life for as long as mana makes possible. There is some sort of balance in mana users living potentially longer but riskier lives.¡±

    The group walked for a time in silence before Calam raised another question. ¡°What exactly are you researching at Biant?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I am employed as a scholar, not a researcher,¡± replied Kimutai.

    Calam scrunched up his face. ¡°What is the difference?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kimutai considered the question. ¡°I suppose a researcher gets paid to discover new knowledge. A scholar, by contrast, is expected to know existing knowledge. In my case, that means materials science and logistics or how best to allocate and move resources. The magic sovereigns have a new project scheduled near the city and I am hired to support them in their endeavor.¡±

    ***

    The city of Biant had its own long-distance dimensional gate, albeit a secondary one. Thanks to this travel hub, the actual distance the group had to walk was less than during their trip to Bornais. However, they had to adjust their pace to the slow, measured steps of old man Kimutai.

    They passed the time in small talk and idle chitchat. Occasionally, Kimutai would take some time to reminisce on his previous visits and how much had changed since then.

    After a while, Terry started to use the time for training. He summoned a spare mana container and filled it up. He was careful to only fill it at the rate he was regenerating mana in order to always remain at full mana capacity, even while training his mana regeneration and accumulating a reserve of naturalized mana in the container.

    Terry briefly considered practicing his mana crafting. He was lucky that his spell did not have any particular material requirements and, in theory, he could practice practically anywhere. In the end, he decided against it. He feared it might take up too much of his attention, and he could hear an imagined voice of disapproval inside his head. That voice warned him that he represented the Guardians when he was on a mission.

    The voice sounded like Ma Isille.

    Thankfully, their escort mission ended uneventfully. Kimutai used his personalized client card to confirm the successful completion of the mission. He thanked the three Guardians and then departed into the building in which he would stay for his own task.

    ¡°That was kinda nice,¡± said Siling. ¡°Relaxing even.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can see why Kimutai enjoys these walks,¡± concurred Terry. ¡°That was certainly different from other escort missions.¡±

    ¡°I almost feel bad that he paid for this,¡± said Calam with a wry smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe he paid himself,¡± said Siling. ¡°Most likely, his employer is footing the bill for his ¡®eccentricities.¡¯¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I do not think the magic sovereigns are hurting for mana coins,¡± quipped Terry.

    ¡°Fair point,¡± admitted Calam. ¡°Onwards to Delwood Fort?¡±

    Terry retrieved a time measuring device from his dimensional bag. It was a simple mana-crafted item. He also had a mechanical watch, but the mana-crafted device had several advantages. Most useful among them, it could adjust itself based on the position of celestial bodies in the sky, as well as through the mana signature emitted by Arcana¡¯s barrier. Such a function was essential, because high-quality dimensional bags came with time-distorting effects.

    ¡°As nice as the walk has been, it also took longer than anticipated,¡± lamented Terry.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± asked Siling. ¡°We still have plenty of buffer time for delivering the item to Delwood.¡±

    ¡°No hurry, but looming deadlines make me uncomfortable ¨C no matter how far away they are.¡± Terry took out a map with the marked dimensional gates.

    ¡°Back to the primary hub in Baia?¡± suggested Calam.

    Terry nodded. ¡°And then take the eastward gate towards Cannington ¨C the first primary hub in the C-zone.¡±

    The three trotted back towards the primary gate they had arrived at before.

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s up with the worry stones?¡± inquired Siling.

    ¡°The what?¡± Terry was puzzled.

    Siling sped up to walk in front of him, turned around, and pointed at his hands. ¡°You have been grabbing stones since a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Terry looked at his hands.

    ¡°If you have sorrows to worry about, you can share, you know.¡± Siling slowed her pace and walked next to her two companions again. ¡°My mom says that worrying alone causes ulcers.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± interjected Calam with skeptical eyes before he shrugged. ¡°But I don¡¯t know enough about biology to be sure.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± assured Terry. He opened his left hand. ¡°Just a normal rock. I am practicing to imprint it with the Immovable Object spell.¡± He opened his right hand. ¡°And whenever I go beyond my mana regeneration rate, I siphon back some of my mana from the filled mana container so that I stay at full mana capacity.¡±

    ¡°Mana container?¡± Siling¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Gimme please! I would like to see. I thought about buying one.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Calam observed the container curiously. ¡°But I heard that the naturalized mana inside decays over time and then I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be worth it.¡±

    ¡°My pa insisted I purchase some,¡± said Terry. ¡°The stored mana indeed decays, but at full mana capacity, your mana regeneration would otherwise go to waste, anyway. Storing the mana at your regeneration rate still leaves you better off, even if some of the mana in the container eventually decays.¡± He looked at the container while talking. ¡°I also find them useful for training mana regeneration. I can lend you one if you want to test them out.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Siling seemed lost in thought.

    ¡°Hmmmm?¡± Calam mimicked the noise as a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if I could use the Share Mana spell to store processed mana that can be quickly absorbed and naturalized by others,¡± explained Siling.

    ¡°Feel free to test it,¡± encouraged Terry. ¡°Not with that one though. That already contains mana that has been naturalized by me. It would have to be emptied before you can use it, and that would be a waste of mana.¡±

    ¡°There seems to be quite the crowd over at the info board,¡± remarked Calam, and pointed.

    They were presently in Cannington and one of the town¡¯s info boards was on the way to the next hub on their trip. The three decided to head over and figure out what was going on. However, even after they had looked over the board, they still had no idea.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± Terry asked a passerby. ¡°Do you know what all the hubbub is about?¡±

    ¡°A visitor are you?¡±

    ¡°Passing through would be more accurate,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Heh, yes, that is about the best thing you can do around here. They¡¯re all excited because of the tusked glacial deer sighting. Its appearance is unusually early this year.¡±

    ¡°What is so special about that deer?¡± Terry looked for the reports on the board.

    ¡°Nothing, really. Around here, it is a favorite game for hunters during the season of the Setting Moon. Its elongated canines are useful for some pills or something. The merry faces are most likely hunters expecting a profitable season. The unhappy faces are the rookies or manaless hunters. The appearance of a tusked glacial deer means that the icicle echidnas are not far behind. That spells the end of their cushy hunts until the Rising Sun will arrive.¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡± Siling¡¯s excited exclamation reverberated in the air.

    ¡°Thank you for the information. I hope you will have a nice day!¡± Terry bid goodbye and joined up again with Calam and Siling.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Looking to hunt deer as well?¡±

    ¡°What would I want with a deer?¡± Siling shook her head. ¡°No, look here!¡± She pointed at one notice on the board.

    ¡°Bloody frogmouth,¡± read Calam. ¡°Why are you getting all excited about a frog?¡±

    ¡°Not a frog. A mana-corrupted bird,¡± corrected Siling. ¡°Nocturnal, which means good eyesight even at night. Blood-aspected corruption, which means increased health regeneration. Above all, it is one of the few minor corrupted that has life sense.¡± She almost seemed to vibrate with excitement. ¡°Life sense! It¡¯s perfect! When researching possible soul spirits, it was one of my top picks for replacing my falcon soul.¡±

    Terry was overwhelmed when faced with this sudden bout of enthusiasm.

    ¡°Aww, you want to replace Birdbrain?¡± asked Calam sadly. ¡°I will miss that soul.¡±

    ¡°I did not know they were nesting here¡­¡± Siling entered her own world of thoughts.

    ¡°How long would it take for you to prepare the replacement of a soul?¡± When Terry got no answer, he snapped his fingers in front of Siling¡¯s eyes and repeated the question.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Siling was jolted from her daze. ¡°In my current state, not long, but¡­ I can¡¯t be certain that our hunt will be successful and I would have to release my falcon soul first¡­¡±

    ¡°Losing the eyes in the sky would make the mark and recapture mission more troublesome,¡± Calam pointed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Siling looked downtrodden, but then recomposed herself. ¡°Ah well, now that I know the bloody frogmouth can be found here, there is no rush.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Terry spoke up with a pensive expression. ¡°This place isn¡¯t too far from Corsteau. After wrapping up the mana cursed mission, we could come back here on the inbound trip. At that point, we won¡¯t have any time pressure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already early evening. We could stop here for the night,¡± suggested Calam.

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Terry. ¡°We could spend the rest of the day visiting the local Guardian headquarters and gathering information regarding the mana corrupted. Once we have more information, we can decide if catching the beast is workable as part of this trip.¡±

    Siling was beaming at them. ¡°Pick an inn first?¡±

    ***

    Late in the evening, Terry was sitting on the floor in his room at the inn. He summoned two metal gymnastic rings from his storage bracelets ¨C one in each hand. He started to harvest mana.

    After a while, Terry stretched out his left hand over his head. Then, he pulled himself up on the ring that was fixed in place by the Immovable Object spell. He repeated the process with his right hand.

    If anyone were to observe the room, they would see Terry climbing through the air ¨C up, down, left, right, forward, backward. First, Terry held his legs horizontally so that each leg formed a right-angle with the torso and pulled himself up. Later, he switched to handstands.

    It was an exercise Terry had initially thought of as a counter to Lori¡¯s Liquify Earth spell during their sparring sessions. It was inspired by some of the normal training exercises and equipment at the training grounds. He had tried to come up with other ideas, but all the really good ones required him to first master hands-free casting, and that was a skill still out of his reach.

    While Terry could cast without finger movements, he was not able yet to precisely control mana anywhere away from his hands. He was also still training to have his off-hand performance catch up with his main casting hand.

    Terry had grown to enjoy the transfixed ring training. Aside from the physical exercise ¨C basically doing one handed pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and balancing his body. It served as an effective training for his spell control, mana sense, and timing.

    Terry had to keep one spell activated until the next primed spell structure had been ignited. That often required him to reinfuse the active spell structure with more mana, especially if the parallel casting of the new spell ended in spell failure. With a successful spell casting, he could immediately cancel the previous spell and so forth.

    Every evening, Terry continued this practice until his mana pool bottomed out. Every day, he tried to beat his previous record for successful spell activations and hand switches.

    However, he wasn¡¯t in Arcana City. He was in a foreign location, and therefore, he remained cautious. After the training had emptied his mana pool and he could use the internal pull to increase his pool size, he immediately reabsorbed some mana from his filled mana containers.

    After his training, Terry washed himself off. Before going to sleep, he used his Guardian card to flash the links with his family members to indicate that he was okay. In the morning, he would do the same.

    ***

    Two days later, Terry¡¯s group arrived at Delwood Fort. Now, they only needed to locate the proper target destination for delivering the storage item.

    ¡°I am still wondering what is inside,¡± remarked Siling curiously. ¡°Who knows what kind of riches we are carrying?¡±

    ¡°Unprofessional to look inside.¡± Terry pointed out. ¡°And prevented by the personalized nature of the storage item.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± whined Siling.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone would hand over riches to some greenhorns like us.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they are trying to be clever and think no one would pay attention to us?¡± rebutted Calam.

    ¡°See?¡± Siling gestured at the blonde elven man. ¡°Calam gets it!¡±

    ¡°More likely some supplies of basic mana-crafted items and some boring paperwork,¡± said Terry matter-of-factly.

    ¡°That paperwork could include important spy reports,¡± suggested Siling.

    ¡°Or secret missives to start a revolution,¡± added Calam.

    ¡°Revolution?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    Calam shrugged. ¡°You know, like in the old eras. Empires breaking apart. Kingdoms joining together to form a new empire. That sorta thing.¡±

    Terry shook his head. Isille and Bjorln had once said that the only people dreaming of war were those who have only ever known peace. Given some of the things described in the Path of a Mage as well as some of the stories from his instructors, a war inside the barrier¡­ Terry recoiled at the thought. If he had to entertain one ridiculous fantasy, he knew which option he would prefer to discuss. He looked at Siling. ¡°Spy reports on what?¡±

    ¡°Conspiratorial plots!¡± suggested Siling. ¡°Enemy infiltration of the Council! Price fixing in the merchant quarter! Scandalous relationships among the magic sovereigns!¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She pointed at Terry. ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡±

    Terry tilted his head and slightly narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired elven woman. ¡°I believe I can see now why you have been neglecting the courier missions¡­¡±

    ¡°Not sure anyone would dare to spy on the magic sovereigns,¡± remarked Calam skeptically.

    ¡°Maybe our client will satisfy your curiosity,¡± said Terry while shaking his head. ¡°Once we have found them, that is.¡± He pointed. ¡°Should be this way.¡±

    They turned around the corner.

    ¡°Although, if I were you, I would brace myself for disappointment,¡± said Terry to manage the expectations of his excitable companions.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Siling grumbled quietly.

    ¡°Terry is right,¡± interjected Calam. ¡°No self-respecting spy handler would simply admit to their trade.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Siling and tapped a finger on her lips. ¡°If they don¡¯t tell us, then it serves as proof of a conspiracy.¡± She giggled happily.

    One reason Terry appreciated Calam and Siling as travel companions was that they rarely encountered awkward silences. With Calam, he could talk for hours about legends or folktales from past eras. Siling, on the other hand, was well-versed in mana-corrupted beasts and, even if Terry would never be able to use soul spirits, he nevertheless found the topic fascinating. The elven woman also had a knack for sparking seemingly random conversations ¨C an ability that Terry envied very much.

    They eventually arrived at a counter where a gruff guard greeted them. Terry reached his hand into his dimensional bag and retrieved the storage item they were supposed to deliver. The guard accepted the storage item and acknowledged the receipt. He was much friendlier afterwards, almost cheerful.

    ¡°Pardon if it is rude to ask, but do you mind sharing what was inside?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Hm?¡± The inquiry surprised the guard, but he indulged their curiosity. ¡°Sure, it is not exactly a secret. Some raw materials and tools, waterproof boots, cold wear, blankets, tea bags, ear plugs, noise cancellation items, and heating pads. A recent lightning storm has messed up some of the fort¡¯s formations and spell imprints. The troops are getting grumpy if they cannot get a good night¡¯s rest.¡± He exhaled sharply. ¡°Your timely arrival is much appreciated.¡±

    ***

 014 Multi-Mission Trip â€“ Inbound

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 95 ¨C

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Calam inhaled deeply and then whined in a drawl: ¡°Boooring!¡±

    ¡°Harvesting the midnight primrose or scanning the local wildlife for signs of mana corruption?¡± asked Terry drily.

    ¡°Yes!¡± groaned Calam.

    Siling chuckled. ¡°I do not mind a relaxing mission now and then, especially if they pay well.¡±

    Today, the group had arrived in Corsteau and registered for taking part in the perpetual mark and recapture mission. They paired it up with two open gathering missions for aspected herbs.

    ¡°Relaxing is one thing, but today I feel more like a farmer than a Guardian,¡± complained Calam.

    ¡°The work is important,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Remember what Instructor Khaled said?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, it needs to be done.¡± Calam grimaced. ¡°But why does it need to be done by us?¡±

    Terry believed Calam was only half serious. Whining simply helped Calam feel better, which was why Terry refrained from pushing back too hard. He deflected to another topic instead: ¡°Wait until we are back in Cannington. The mana corrupted hunt may appeal more to you.¡±

    ¡°Woohoo,¡± exclaimed Siling and pumped her fists into the air. ¡°Bloody frogmouth hooray!¡±

    Even though Terry had aimed to improve Calam¡¯s rather than Siling¡¯s mood, he would take what he could get. Luckily, Siling¡¯s anticipatory excitement was contagious and Calam¡¯s complaints quickly ebbed away.

    ¡°Found a numbered hare,¡± announced Siling. ¡°That way. Looks tasty, according to Birdbrain.¡± She shrugged. ¡°In case you were interested.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we are allowed to eat the subjects,¡± quipped Terry. ¡°For now.¡±

    ***

    A few days later, they had settled their scheduled missions and were back at the location where they could find the bloody frogmouths. They had prepared what they needed and today they aimed to hunt.

    However, when examining the challenge right in front of them, Terry could only sigh with a grimace. ¡°We didn¡¯t really think this one through, did we?¡±

    They had gathered information on the bloody frogmouths from the local Guardians. No one had been surprised that the mana-corrupted birds lived in trees. What did surprise them, though, was that the reports had described those gigantic wooden pillars plainly as trees. As Terry saw it, their sources failed to put the appropriate emphasis on just how enormous of trees they were dealing with. Those wide wooden pillars resembled trees in the same way a terror grizzly resembled a kitten.

    The after mission reports they had purchased had led them to believe that their timing was perfect for going after the bloody frogmouths. The birds had recently entered their cold season phase and spent much of the time in torpor. That should make the hunt easier, or so they had thought.

    ¡°Sniffles could creep up there,¡± offered Siling.

    ¡°And do what?¡± questioned Terry.

    ¡°Maybe its stench attack can make the things fall unconscious?¡± proposed Calam.

    ¡°Not likely,¡± refuted Siling while squinting up at the tree crowns. ¡°The bloody frogmouth has a similar stink move. Weaponized diarrhea, essentially.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± exclaimed Calam. ¡°Another stinker?¡±

    ¡°A pattern has emerged.¡± Terry teased. ¡°You got a preference for stinky creatures?¡±

    ¡°Why else would I join up with you two?¡± retorted Siling with a smirk.

    Terry blinked in silence. ¡°¡­walked right into that one, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Calam patted Terry on the shoulder and then looked reproachfully at Siling. ¡°The part I don¡¯t understand is why I had to be involved as collateral damage.¡±

    Terry returned to the main topic. ¡°Sniffles could get up there, but even if they don¡¯t notice its approach, I figure it would stun one at most before the others become wary. The delay between its stun attacks is too long, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Should we get a bow?¡± suggested Calam.

    ¡°For what?¡± Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°Are you able to use one properly?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± admitted Calam.

    ¡°Me neither. Never had much interest in archery.¡± Terry looked at Siling, who also shook her head. ¡°How did you hunt the falcons for Birdbrain?¡±

    ¡°Baited noose traps, mostly bal-chatri,¡± replied Siling.

    ¡°Do you still have some?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Not with me, no.¡± Siling frowned. ¡°Even if I had, I don¡¯t think that would work here. Definitely not more than once. The bloody frogmouths are more intelligent than common falcons. They can even remember faces.¡±

    ¡°So either we take enough of them down fast or we won¡¯t get a good chance to strengthen the new soul immediately?¡± Terry thought out loud.

    ¡°Yeah, unfortunately.¡± Siling became increasingly downcast.

    ¡°No reason to mope, is there?¡± Calam attempted to cheer Siling up. ¡°Even if we only take down one, you would still get access to life sense, right? In the worst case, we can come back later.¡±

    ¡°I say we give it our best shot first.¡± Terry grinned.

    ¡°Got a plan?¡± Calam perked up his ears.

    ¡°Not yet, but I do have an idea,¡± said Terry. ¡°What is the current range of your Kinetic Pull?¡± After Terry outlined what he had in mind, the group hatched a plan together. Their plan required them to purchase some items first and for that, they had to return to Cannington.

    Back in the city, Terry sent a message to his family through the Guardians. He did not want to worry them if their return trip got delayed further.

    ***

    ¡°Pa Bjorln will get a kick out of this when I tell him the story,¡± murmured Terry while continuing his work.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure why we needed more rope,¡± said Calam with creased brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have plenty in your dimensional bag?¡±

    ¡°Not the right kind,¡± stressed Terry.

    ¡°There are kinds?¡± blurted Siling, while swiveling her eyes between her two companions.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t use the same rope for climbing as you would for pulling up a bucket in a well. The Guardians explain that to you when you pick a mission in the mountains. Pa Bjorln likes to collect some ingredients himself and took me climbing a few times.¡±

    Terry retrieved some of his prepared rope and separated it into three piles. ¡°Climbing in the mountains often requires the rope to cross over a ledge. If you climb up from under the ledge, that means pressure on the rope where it meets the ledge. Your movements will cause the rope to move around sideways. Movement plus pressure means cutting. Proper climbing rope has to be specifically prepared to be resistant to cuts.¡±

    Terry looked up at the enormous wooden pillars and shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I have no idea if the same applies to climbing trees, but better to be prepared than not.¡±

    Terry pointed at the second pile. ¡°Safety rope needs to be elastic, especially with longer drops. If you do fall, then the elasticity makes sure that your fall gets slowed down gradually instead of forcing you to an abrupt stop. If you tie a non-elastic rope around your foot and fall, then all it would achieve is you losing your foot before you splat on the ground.¡±

    Terry pointed at the last pile. ¡°The other rope is thicker and more comfortable for climbing. It has not been specially prepared. I will use the cut-resistant rope when securing the climbing rope to some other branches. The interwoven rings in the climbing rope are for securing ourselves with the carbine of our safety rope. We will have a safety rope between us and always one of us secured to a ring. It may take longer, but it will be safer.¡±

    Terry turned to face Calam and Siling again. ¡°Everyone clear on the primary objective?¡±

    ¡°Not splat on the ground?¡± offered Siling.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry rolled his eyes. ¡°Aside from that?¡±

    ¡°Get as many of them into the air as possible before making our move,¡± replied Calam. ¡°Ideally, they should be clustered close to each other.¡±

    ¡°According to my mana sense, I believe this tree should work best,¡± said Terry, and patted one of the thick trunks. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t be certain that the mana signatures are actually bloody frogmouths before getting up there. Fingers crossed that the creatures don¡¯t hop around too much until we are ready.¡±

    Terry sharply exhaled a breath of air. ¡°Alright, the first stage is mine. If you see someone falling from the sky, that is probably me.¡±

    ¡°Not funny,¡± grumbled Siling.

    ¡°If you do fall, then we will catch you,¡± said Calam. ¡°Or at least throw a Kinetic Push in your face.¡±

    Terry laughed with a snort. ¡°Whatever slows me down.¡± He exhaled sharply again. ¡°Hope that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± He looked up. The tree measured around three hundred feet. Its first branches only appeared a third of the way up. The first challenge was to get to those branches.

    ¡°Be careful to not get hit by the falling metal plates,¡± warned Terry. He took out his training rings and prepared a spell. He used a brief burst to jump as high as possible. Up in the air, Terry ignited the spell structure and was now hanging on the transfixed ring in the air.

    With his free hand, Terry retrieved a metal plate from his storage bracelet. It was tertium again, but a much smaller version than the slab used for the earthen press plan.

    Terry pulled himself up on the ring and placed the metal plate under his feet. He activated Immovable Object on the metal plate. He prepared another spell while continuing to inject mana into the transfixed plate.

    After the next spell structure had been shaped and primed, Terry used a brief burst to jump, and the sequence started anew.

    In theory, Terry would have been able to climb up to the branches using his normal training routine with the gymnastic rings, but incorporating jumps was more practical. The jumps cut down the number of required Immovable Object activations and therefore allowed Terry to conserve mana.

    Jump by Jump.

    Spell by Spell.

    Terry ascended into the open sky until he reached the lower branches. He secured himself with rope and then took a moment to gather breath and recover. He was pleased that most of the mana signatures in the tree¡¯s crown were indeed bloody frogmouths.

    Terry searched for a good branch and then prepared their primary climbing rope. He secured everything to his satisfaction and then climbed down.

    ***

    ¡°This is humiliating,¡± whined Siling from Terry¡¯s back. ¡°More so than I expected!¡±

    ¡°Would you rather climb up yourself?¡± asked Terry towards his back where Siling was tied and secured. Both of their backs facing each other. The elven woman was more than a head shorter than Terry and her legs were now dangling freely in the air.

    ¡°Nooo,¡± grumbled Siling and pouted.

    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Calam tried to suppress his laughter, but he did not try very hard. It was an entertaining sight.

    Siling glared in response.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you give me a piggyback ride?¡± whined Siling. ¡°That would be way less deelvenizing.¡± She frowned. ¡°I feel like luggage.¡± She raised her head, which bumped into the back of Terry¡¯s. ¡°You can¡¯t tell, but I¡¯m batting my eyelashes at you very persuasively.¡±

    Calam exhaled an amused snort. ¡°Mhmh, yes. Very. Pfft.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your arms in my face or legs in my way when climbing,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°This way, you can keep an eye on our surroundings, too. You can cast spells if necessary. Would you rather have a piggyback ride or increase our chances to not splat on the ground?¡±

    Siling grimaced and apparently had to fight an intense inner battle before she could bring herself to answer. ¡°¡­hah, fine. Better to be deelvenized than to be delifed completely.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, onwards then, luggage. Tell me if you notice anything important, my backpack.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The backpack pouted.

    ***

    The group had arrived safely in the branches.

    ¡°I learned something today,¡± announced Calam anxiously while peering down. ¡°I really don¡¯t like heights.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were looking forward to the jumping spells?¡± questioned Terry, who was currently working to elevate Siling from her status as luggage.

    ¡°Sure,¡± admitted Calam. ¡°They come with companion spells for changing direction in the air and slowing down a fall.¡± He grimaced at the ground far below. ¡°I also see little need for jumping this high.¡±

    ¡°Alright, welcome back to the world of people standing on their own two feet,¡± quipped Terry.

    ¡°Much obliged.¡± Siling tried to maintain a deadpan expression. ¡°I figure this direction for our net trap?¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°I thought the same. Sniffles can go rampage around other locations as long as it stays out of the way.¡±

    Siling nodded. ¡°Good that most of the foliage has already fallen.¡±

    They made their way through the branches and fastened a big net between them. Afterwards, they moved so that the net was positioned between them and the target area.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°The show is yours, you two,¡± declared Terry. ¡°Siling?¡±

    ¡°Ice Spike is primed and aimed,¡± reported Siling. ¡°Sniffles has a target in sight and is ready to pounce. Calam, whenever you are ready.¡±

    A few seconds later, Calam nodded. ¡°Ready.¡±

    Siling ignited her spell structure and hit the first bloody frogmouth. At the same time, the air-coated cloud badger soul spirit pounced on one creature and released a shock to stun it. The bloody frogmouth fell towards the ground and the cloud badger darted to its next target.

    Calam released a prepared Kinetic Push that was intentionally weak ¨C just enough to jolt the mana-corrupted birds from their torpor. They were lifting off from the branches in order to take flight, and then he released his empowered Kinetic Pull spell.

    The airborne mana corrupted were pulled towards the net and unable to put up much resistance.

    Siling prepared a Share Mana spell so that Calam could continue and further empower his spell without having to worry about mana.

    Terry counted the bloody frogmouths pulled into the net and as soon as they hit their number, he pulled on a rope in order to close the net.

    ¡°Yippie!¡± exclaimed Siling giddily. ¡°If we were on solid ground, I might jump for joy.¡±

    ¡°That worked better than I thought,¡± remarked Terry with pleasant surprise.

    ¡°Eww, what happened there?¡± asked Calam while squinting at the net.

    ¡°That would be the aforementioned diarrhea attack,¡± explained Siling while holding her nose.

    ¡°Glad that we did not put the net too close to us?¡± asked Terry amusedly.

    ¡°Wastes yes!¡± agreed Calam. ¡°Disgusting. Those poor normal birds trapped in the middle.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, we should probably have checked below first,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°Or maybe put up a warning sign. I hope no one was walking down there.¡±

    Calam grimaced and glanced at Siling. ¡°I hope you have a water spell for washing that off, otherwise¡ª¡±

    ¡°Basic spell Water Sprout,¡± assured Siling.

    ¡°Thank mana.¡± Calam heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Since we caught them alive, you can choose if you want to do your thing up here or down below,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Solid ground, please,¡± declared Siling instantly.

    ***

    ¡°Hahh. Beloved ground,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°I missed you.¡±

    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± agreed Calam.

    ¡°Technically, one of you is not quite on the ground yet.¡± Terry disentangled himself from his elven luggage. When he was finished, he grabbed the climbing rope again. ¡°Alright, I will go back up to retrieve the remaining rope. Watch out for falling Terrys.¡±

    ¡°Still not funny,¡± grumbled Siling. She and Calam collected the frogmouths that were killed by the soul spirit and Siling¡¯s spells.

    ***

    High up in the sky, Terry was sitting on a tree branch. He had already returned the rope into his storage items and was now preparing himself for the way down.

    Terry had used the safety rope to create himself a simple body harness. The ends of the elastic rope were leaving the harness at his shoulders, and they were tied to some of his metal gymnastic rings. This left around seven feet of rope between the rings and the harness.

    Terry took one ring in each hand and prepared Immovable Object spells. When everything was ready, he took a deep breath and jumped from the branch.

    He allowed himself to fall.

    He activated the Immovable Object spell on one ring and released it. The ring was transfixed in the air. The safety rope tightened and brought Terry to a stop.

    Terry activated the spell for the other ring. He kept the spell active until he had the first ring back in hand, as well as another spell structure ready and primed before letting go. He continued his descent until he heard a scream.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± screamed Siling.

    Terry looked down and saw that his companions were not alone anymore. Right next to them, a big white creature had surfaced from the earth. The icicle echidna was hurling some ice spikes at Calam.

    Siling saw the echidna hurl sharp icicles at Calam who did not appear to react at all. She did the only thing she could think of. Before the icicles could impale her frozen companion, an air-coated white cloud badger jumped in front of Calam and took the hit in his stead. Fortunately, Sniffles¡¯ felted pelt and thick skin provided good defensive capabilities against piercing attacks. The badger soul only received some minor injuries and counterattacked.

    The icicle echidna displayed an inexplicable hatred for the cloud badger soul whenever Sniffles began its lightning charge. Siling exploited the opportunity to draw the creature¡¯s attention. She activated her own air coating and cast Entangling Roots on the mana-corrupted creature while running next to her companion¡¯s side. ¡°Calam? Calam!¡±

    For some reason, Siling¡¯s voice sounded very far away in Calam¡¯s ears. When he did not react, Siling pulled him away in order to get some distance between themselves and the icicle echidna.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay,¡± mumbled Calam faintly.

    Further up, Terry sped up his descent. He summoned a tertium plate and activated his spell. He used the plate in order to propel himself into the direction of the icicle echidna.

    During his fall, Terry tried to estimate the remaining distance to the ground. He went into full burst to stimulate his defense and regeneration. If his sense of distance was off, it might save his bones.

    Now.

    Terry activated the Immovable Object spell on one of the roped rings connected to his harness. His momentum maintained his current course and the transfixed ring was left behind while stretching the elastic rope.

    He summoned a shield from his storage bracelet and prepared another spell.

    The safety rope tightened, slowed his fall, and Terry arrived just in time to use his shield to block another barrage of ice spikes. One icicle penetrated the shield slightly before he successfully activated his spell. The Immovable Object protected not only the shield from further physical damage. It also gave Terry a hold so that he would not be pulled back by the elastic rope towards the ring that was still transfixed in the air.

    Calam jolted out of his daze and threw a Kinetic Push at the corrupted creature to stop its next series of icicle projectiles.

    Siling moved Sniffles further to the back.

    After the gymnastic ring had dropped from the sky, Terry dispelled the immovable effect on his shield and threw it to Calam. He retrieved another shield and tossed it to Siling. He mentally thanked his past self for stocking up on cheap non-magical equipment when he had experimented with Immovable Object.

    Terry retrieved his barrier spear and disentangled himself from his safety rope harness. He looked around to get a grasp on the situation. The icicle echidna was about as big as Siling¡¯s bear soul. The icicles on its back made it hard to inflict damage on its body. His short spears were unfortunately too short.

    The only way to use them on the spiky body was to throw them. That left the head.

    Maybe not¡­ Terry formulated a plan.

    ¡°Calam, get a Kinetic Push ready,¡± shouted Terry. ¡°Siling, prepare to call back the Entangling Roots. Same idea as with the frogmouths, but with a push. Prepare to push the thing towards me.¡±

    Terry ran around the icicle echidna so that the creature was now placed between himself and Calam.

    Siling moved towards Calam and prepared a Share Mana spell.

    Terry summoned throwing needles from his storage bracelet and cast Immovable Object. He cast the spell repeatedly and when he had four throwing needles transfixed in the air, Terry signaled his companions.

    Siling dispelled the entangling roots.

    Calam smashed an empowered Kinetic Push into the creature and kept the pressure on.

    Siling started to share her mana with Calam.

    Before the creature made contact, Terry fed the transfixed needles another round of mana. He did not know how long they required the needles to stay in their position.

    The icicle echidna was forced onto the needles. Calam¡¯s spell kept pushing it further and further until the needles sank deep into its flesh.

    Eventually, the mana corrupted stopped its death throes.

    The icicle echidna was dead.

    ¡°Hope that covers your thirst for excitement.¡± Terry laughed shakily.

    Calam wheezed out a dry chortle.

    Siling stomped over to Calam. ¡°What gives?! You froze up! You nearly got yourself killed!¡±

    ¡°I-it wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± protested Calam. ¡°The cloud badger armor would have blocked the icicles.¡±

    Siling¡¯s face contorted with fury. ¡°Unless, you know, THEY HIT YOUR WASTED HEAD!¡±

    Terry had never seen his companion that angry before.

    ¡°Th-that would not have happened. I-I¡­¡± Calam stammered until his mind settled on a defense. ¡°I was already preparing a Kinetic Push. That¡¯s right. If Sniffles hadn¡¯t gotten in the way, I could have blocked the ice spikes by myself.¡±

    Siling was huffing in simmering fury and wore her doubts openly on her face. She had noticed no movement of mana with her mana sense. However, she could not be a hundred percent certain. She was not sure, and that allowed her to calm down.

    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t you want to get going with your new soul capture?¡± prodded Calam and went to the net with the captured bloody frogmouths.

    Siling shot Terry a glance and Terry saw a mixture of anger, concern, and doubt in her eyes. After a moment, Siling resignedly shook her head and followed Calam.

    ¡°Here,¡± Siling handed Terry back his shield. ¡°I should really buy a shield for myself. I thought it would make more sense to save until I can afford a fancier one, but well¡­¡± She glanced at the dead icicle echidna. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±

    ¡°Wise are the folk who learn from experience or something.¡± Terry chuckled. ¡°You can use that one for now if you want. It is only average quality, though.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Siling pulled back her hand and kept the shield. ¡°First thing in Arcana, I will buy a shield with at least an intermediate-level barrier imprint. The monster core embeddings can wait.¡±

    ¡°Look for a high-quality shield, then,¡± advised Terry. ¡°I could quote you the lecture that Ma Isille has given me, but suffice it to say it¡¯s wasted long.¡± He raised up his brows. ¡°Bottom line is, one should never have too much of a gap between the quality of the material forging and the level of the spell imprint. Saves money in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Appreciate the short summary.¡± Siling grinned.

    The two arrived at their net trap. They killed the first bloody frogmouth and Siling captured its soul that now took the spot that had been occupied by the falcon soul before. As soon as Siling felt the connection and the ability to activate life sense, her mood improved considerably.

    They continued to finish off the captured bloody frogmouths one by one so that Siling could continue to strengthen her new soul spirit. When Siling finished the last of the corrupted creatures, she already perceived diminishing returns of the soul strengthening, which meant the caught soul had reached its inherent limit.

    After everything was done, Siling recalled Sniffles and summoned her new soul spirit. The bloody frogmouth that appeared was white with purple markings.

    ¡°It does not look happy,¡± remarked Calam.

    ¡°That is just its face,¡± said Siling. ¡°Going by our spirit link, it is actually ecstatic. Apparently, our net also caught a lot of¡­¡± She used air-quotes. ¡°¡®Tasty¡¯ insects, spiders, and slugs. It is requesting permission to gorge itself.¡±

    Siling shivered in disgust. ¡°I always found it peculiar that the spirits retain their previous tastes even though they don¡¯t derive any nourishment from the food anymore.¡± She examined her new soul spirit. ¡°I am not sure if I should call it Grumpy or Tasteless.¡±

    ¡°Grumpy,¡± voted Calam.

    ¡°Tasteless,¡± voted Terry.

    ¡°Wastes, thanks for the help. That clears it up.¡± Siling spoke with mock-sarcasm but immediately had to laugh. She was very pleased with the day¡¯s results.

    They sorted out the remaining occupants of the net and released all the non-magic animals. Afterwards, they collected the remains of the icicle echidna and made their way back to Cannington.

    They went to the local Guardians branch in order to retrieve the corrupted culling rewards, as well as to sell the remains of the mana-corrupted creatures. In addition, Terry submitted an after mission report and the Guardians appreciated his effort.

    After going over the report, the Guardian receptionist speculated that the icicle echidna had targeted their group, because a lot of the other creatures caught up in the net were part of its diet. In particular, there were some dark blue beetles. Apparently, those beetles were mixed aspect creatures and considered a delicacy by the icicle echidnas.

    They explained that the icicle echidna was particularly focused on the cloud badger soul spirit because of the electro sensors in its beak. That little tidbit was part of the standard information material on icicle echidnas.

    Terry and the others decided to rest for the day in Cannington and to start their return trip to Arcana the next morning.

    ***

    ¡°No.¡± Bjorln was the first to respond, and his voice was firm. His tone lacked his usual warmth and softness.

    Isille and Bjorln looked about as happy as Terry imagined they would be, which was saying: Not. At. All.

    ¡°I thought we already talked about dungeon work,¡± barked Isille gruffly. ¡°We said that this is a topic for later.¡±

    ¡°It is ¡®later¡¯ now,¡± retorted Florine.

    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± stressed Isille testily.

    ¡°You also said,¡± interjected Jorgen. ¡°That we could choose one of the advanced introduction classes ourselves. Introduction to dungeon work is our choice.¡±

    Terry was impressed and, above all, surprised by Jorgen¡¯s calmness. Usually, it didn¡¯t take long for him to lose his head in a serious disagreement with their parents.

    A variety of emotions ran over Isille¡¯s face while the seconds passed in silence. Her teeth clenched and relaxed. Her eyes closed for a breath and then opened again. A look at the table in front of them. At her husband. At their children.

    Isille was maintaining eye contact with Bjorln when Florine could not stand the silence anymore. ¡°The Guardians have rated it as an advanced class. We are just following the Guardians¡¯ rating.¡±

    Bjorln closed his eyes and took a deep breath. An unspoken conversation seemed to have passed between him and his wife.

    ¡°It is true,¡± admitted Isille. ¡°We did say that.¡± Her gruff tone had changed to one as hard as stone. ¡°It is your choice and you have the right to make it. We won¡¯t forbid it. We won¡¯t prevent it.¡± Her face softened, and she pleaded: ¡°Nevertheless, we ask that you reconsider.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± added Bjorln in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Please,¡± echoed Isille.

    Terry felt as if he had a lump in his throat and even Jorgen¡¯s calm was shaken.

    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± replied Florine firmly before becoming slightly flustered and correcting herself. ¡°I mean we won¡¯t.¡±

    Her answer helped Jorgen rediscover his resolve. ¡°We made our choice. Our minds are made up.¡±

    Bjorln clenched his fists, stood up, and left for the living room without a word.

    ¡°Pa!¡± exclaimed Jorgen and stood up as if to follow. Florine was not far behind.

    ¡°No! You stay here.¡± Isille stopped them. ¡°Give him some space. You do not realize what¡ª¡± She interrupted herself and took a deep breath. She looked inside the living room. ¡°Let me talk to him.¡±

    Bjorln was sitting silently in his favorite armchair. The armchair was old and way too big for him. From the dining area, Isille could only see the back of the chair. Merely Bjorln¡¯s hand was visible on the armrest. Isille did not have to see her husband¡¯s face to know the look in his eyes as he stared into the fireplace.

    ¡°Leave the living room to us for the day,¡± demanded Isille. ¡°You prepare. You have made a choice and don¡¯t you dare to half-ass it.¡± After Terry, Jorgen, and Florine had left, She walked into the living room. She kneeled next to the armchair and took Bjorln¡¯s hand in her own. She watched him and waited.

    Bjorln kept staring at the fire in the fireplace with a distant look in his eyes. Eventually, he glanced at Isille and raised one corner of his mouth. He returned his sorrowful gaze towards the fire. The fire that held his memories. He shook his head slowly. ¡°Jorg reminds me so much of him whenever he is like that.¡± His voice was trembling.

    Isille gently caressed Bjorln¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Then, in my mind, I see Olgorn¡¯s face.¡± Bjorln stared at the playful flames in front of his eyes. ¡°The singed beard. The half-missing eyebrows. That cheeky grin¡­¡± He sniffled. ¡°I can even smell the scent of burned hair. I¡ª¡± His voice cracked, and he teared up. ¡°I just don¡¯t want them to end up like him.¡±

    Isille stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be here.¡± She crawled up on the armchair and snuggled up to Bjorln from his lap like a cat. ¡°I¡¯ll always be here.¡±

    For a while, the two dwarves hugged each other in silence while watching the fire.

    ¡°Nama, my life,¡± whispered Bjorln.

    Isille kissed him again. ¡°You know, my pa always said to prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child. We have done our best to prepare them for whatever road they may take.¡±

    Bjorln patted Isille¡¯s shoulder and hugged her tighter in response.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Isille watched the fire. ¡°For as long as they are within our reach, we may as well make sure the road does not get too hazardous. We are Guardians, too. We could volunteer to accompany the class.¡±

    Bjorln considered the idea, and his expression brightened. ¡°Maybe we could ask Whaka Samuel to take over the class? Nearly no one in Arcana has more experience in dungeon work.¡±

    ¡°He would certainly be qualified, but¡­¡± Isille bit her bottom lip. ¡°Are you sure that he would want to?¡±

    ¡°There is no way Samuel wants to do it, but I think he will do it.¡± Bjorln nodded once to himself. ¡°Knowing Samuel, he may even insist of his own accord if he learns that Terry and the chipmunks want to enter a dungeon. Only¡­¡± He shook his head and took a deep breath. ¡°I would feel guilty about him having to do it.¡±

    Isille squeezed his hand. ¡°We are all adults and can make our own decisions. No need to feel guilty.¡±

    Bjorln rubbed the tip of his nose against Isille¡¯s and gave her a soft kiss. After a moment of pause, he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Or maybe Whaka Samuel knows some nefarious-but-useful spell from the lower system for getting rid of crackbrained obsessions?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Isille chose to entertain the nonsense of her husband if it helped cheer him up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Bjorln shrugged. ¡°Make them believe they are small again? You know, when they were still cute and not trying to get themselves killed¡­¡±

    ¡°At least not quite as often,¡± corrected Isille. They smiled at each other, and she was relieved to find her husband in a joking mood again. ¡°Perhaps we should have encouraged the bakery option a bit more¡­¡±

    ¡°Hah, the benefits of hindsight.¡± Bjorln clicked his tongue.

    ***

 015 Advanced Class, Introduction: Dungeon Work

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 20 ¨C

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    The family was going towards the dungeon entrance to meet up with the others.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, Florine,¡± started Isille with a decidedly unamused tone. ¡°My child, my beloved daughter, apple of my eye, if you have something to say, then why don¡¯t you say it? If you hoped we can interpret these grunts and noises, you are bound to be disappointed.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Florine looked just as unamused as Isille sounded. ¡°Did we really have to bring the whole family? What kind of class is this supposed to be? We look¡ª¡± She gestured wildly. ¡°This is ridiculous!¡±

    Jorg leaned closer to Terry. ¡°We may want to hang back a bit. Lori took the bait. Rookie move. No idea what¡¯s with her today.¡±

    Most of the time, it was Bjorln who took responsibility for de-escalating these family standoffs. This morning, however, the dwarf was in no mood to join the conversation ¨C or any conversation, for that matter. Never had Terry seen his accepted father that quiet and withdrawn.

    ¡°Oh my daughter, fruit of my labor, eternal sunshine of my life, is that what this is about?¡± wondered Isille insincerely. ¡°I would have never guessed. We told you we will not prevent you from acting childish¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am not a child,¡± hissed Florine through her teeth.

    ¡°My bad,¡± exclaimed Isille drily. ¡°One gets so confused with age, you know.¡± She took a deep breath to calm her own flaring temper. ¡°You have a right to make your choice, but so do we. You better make your peace with us being here, Whaka Florine.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Florine gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine, but why is even Aunt Brynn coming? She has never set a foot into a dungeon in her entire life!¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Brynn gave no further comment. At other times, she might have found some amusement in Lori getting so bent out of shape over something so trivial. If their destination had been different, Brynn would not take part in a matter that evoked such hard feelings. Normally, she felt a particular fondness for the dwarven girl. Today, however, Brynn was focused on Samuel.

    ¡°It was I who invited Whaka Brynn,¡± interjected Samuel icily. He spoke without even facing Florine. ¡°She may have never set foot into a dungeon, but if the worst happens, she is still your best chance at keeping your lives.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make any sense!¡± exclaimed Florine.

    Isille snorted in derision. ¡°Cherished offspring, beloved daughter, it is moments like these that can have me so confused about your self-evident mature sense of wisdom.¡±

    Florine drew in a sharp breath of air while her eyes were glaring daggers at her mother.

    Isille ignored her daughter¡¯s glowering. ¡°If we were to do a ranking of people in Arcana not to have as an enemy, then the list would naturally start with the magic sovereigns, second the dimensional mages, and right after that, your seemingly harmless Auntie Brynn.¡±

    Terry and Jorg both turned to face their aunt. Brynn caught their eyes and winked at them.

    ¡°All of you have already experienced some of her works in the training grounds,¡± reminded Isille. ¡°Whaka Brynn supplied almost half of the Guardians¡¯ training golems and those that you have seen are only the standardized ones. You have never gotten the chance to see one of her custom designs yet.¡± She glanced at Brynn. ¡°Think about it. All the countless storage items Brynn is carrying around. Take a wild guess what they might contain.¡± She looked inquisitively at her friend. ¡°Honestly, I am willing to bet Whaka Brynn is carrying enough constructs on her body to conquer a small kingdom.¡±

    Brynn smiled silently in response.

    ¡°And you do not believe this is a bit too much?¡± snarled Florine. ¡°Ridiculous? Completely exaggerated?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± interjected Samuel firmly. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do not.¡± His fists were clenched. ¡°And today, I am acting as the instructor, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Make your peace with it, daughter.¡± Isille finished the sentence. She shook her head and leaned closer to Brynn. ¡°You know, Sigille once warned me that daughters tend to take after their mothers. I was clinging to the hope that this would not extend beyond my stubby arms.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grunted Florine.

    Isille sighed. ¡°Oh, well¡­¡±

    After that, the group walked on in silence. They were getting close to their destination and Isille drew a line at having family squabbles out in public. She wanted for her children to grow up. Sometimes, she was losing her patience, but even if she thought her daughter¡¯s actions to be foolish, she did not want to make a fool out of her in front of her child¡¯s companions.

    ¡°Greetings, Terry!¡± Calam and Siling were already waiting at the dungeon entrance. There were two other people that introduced themselves to the round: Miguel ¨C a dwarven companion of Jorg, and Elena ¨C a human companion of Lori.

    ¡°Terry, have you heard about Nassim?¡± asked Calam.

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Heard what?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, Nassim had another one of his outbursts when he visited the market,¡± explained Calam. ¡°An instructor from the Guardians was present and immediately reprimanded him.¡±

    Terry glanced at Jorg and Lori. He tried very hard not to look at Isille.

    ¡°Afterwards, they hauled him off to Guardian management,¡± continued Calam. ¡°They froze his contribution points and threatened to cut him off from Guardian services altogether. If he wants to continue as a Guardian, he has to take some theoretical classes and he will have his mana sealed for a time while doing special assignments. As far as I have heard, he has to first work at the recovery center for those that have lost access to their mana.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt,¡± commented Siling, and Terry nodded in agreement.

    By now, the dwarf Gellath ¨C Jorg¡¯s second companion ¨C had joined up with them. Shortly thereafter, the official Guardian overseer for the class arrived as well.

    ¡°Morning everyone, my name is Verecund and today I will accompany the class.¡± He nodded at the two adult dwarves. ¡°Greetings Isille. Greetings Bjorln.¡± He looked over the rest of the group. ¡°You must be Brynn. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. It is nice to finally have a face to go with the constructs that whoop my ass in training.¡±

    Brynn chuckled. ¡°The pleasure is mine. I hope that my works have not roughed you up too much.¡±

    ¡°Nothing that cannot be healed or reattached,¡± said Verecund. ¡°They certainly can be vicious, but they help me grow and I appreciate it. Ah!¡± He started to grin from ear to ear. ¡°You must be Samuel. It is an honor to meet you. I must have read your first dungeon thesis collection, and the referenced reports at least a dozen times.¡±

    ¡°You are too kind.¡± Samuel¡¯s face appeared calm, but his voice was quivering faintly.

    ¡°It seems you have a fan, my life.¡± Brynn smiled warmly at Samuel.

    ¡°Oh, not just one,¡± interjected Verecund. ¡°Samuel¡¯s writings on dungeons are mandatory reading in the dungeon squad. For good reason, too. There were quite a few instructors trying to persuade me to switch classes with them. Even one of the retired ones tried to bribe me with cookies. When I declined, she asked me to at least get you to sign a copy of The Realm¡¯s First Line of Defense¡­¡±

    Verecund paused tentatively in order to gauge Samuel¡¯s reaction. ¡°Truth be told, I also packed my copy of The Immune System Hypothesis.¡± He was scratching his head in embarrassment.

    Samuel gave a slight smile and nodded. ¡°Happy to.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    During the conversational silences, Samuel stole a few glances at the dungeon entrance. With every glance, the color further fled from his face. Subconsciously, Samuel touched the burn scars on his arm. A few drops of sweat had already appeared on his brow.

    Unexpectedly, Samuel felt something on his forearm. Bjorln had walked up to his side. A traditional ceremony among whaka was the forearm bump before a tough battle ¨C hands clenched into a fist and forearms touching bracer against bracer ¨C until the whaka responsible for the first move was ready.

    A moment later, Samuel also felt a hand on his shoulder. Brynn looked at him with her usual warm smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± muttered Samuel. He broke off the forearm ceremony. ¡°Thank you.¡± Samuel touched Brynn¡¯s hand with his own and turned away from the dungeon entrance.

    ¡°No, Whaka, thank you.¡± Bjorln spoke his first words of the day. ¡°Nama.¡±

    ¡°It looks as if we are complete now,¡± exclaimed Verecund. Alrik ¨C the dwarven mage from Lori¡¯s group was walking towards them.

    ¡°Wow, quite the entourage for an introduction class,¡± remarked Alrik, and Florine blushed profusely.

    ¡°Yes, and we should all feel lucky for it,¡± said Verecund with a grin. ¡°I certainly do. Anyway, now that we are complete, allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Verecund and normally I act as an instructor for the dungeon work classes, but¡­¡± He gestured. ¡°Today we have been blessed with a guest lecturer that makes for a far more qualified instructor. Therefore, I will only oversee the class.¡± He nodded at the scarred mage. ¡°Instructor Samuel, the floor is yours.¡±

    Verecund gave one more nod and then stepped aside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± murmured Samuel. ¡°First of all, I ask you to speak up if anything remains unclear. At the Academy, they pick staff primarily for their research. Didactic ability is only secondary, but every teacher at the Academy is told to attend a basic pedagogy and didactics training. Among the many lessons of that training are two that I can wholeheartedly attest to: cycle on the important subjects and start with an empowerment promise.

    ¡°So here is my promise to you: At the end of today, you will know something about dungeons that you did not know before and some of those things can save your lives. If I have done my job right, then above all you will know why you should stay away from dungeons.¡±

    Alrik grimaced as if he had discovered there would be flies for dinner.

    ¡°Here is the start of our cycle for today.¡± Samuel spoke with emphasis: ¡°Dungeon work will inevitably get you killed.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t the same be said for other mission work?¡± interjected Elena. ¡°Corrupted hunts?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± denied Samuel. ¡°But keep that question in mind for later. We will revisit the difference. For now, follow.¡±

    Samuel turned towards the dungeon. One deep and quivering breath later, he stepped through the entrance. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as soon as he felt the long forgotten and still all too familiar feeling of mana suppression.

    Samuel and Bjorln stepped the furthest into the first room. Next were those of the younger generation, then Brynn and Isille. Verecund was the last to enter.

    As soon as Terry passed the entrance threshold, he felt an uncomfortable lack of¡­ something. It felt wrong somehow. Almost as if the air had become thin and as if insects were crawling around on his skin.

    ¡°That oppressing sensation that you are experiencing is the dungeon¡¯s mana suppression,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°It is comparable to the sensation of facing an anti-magic spell or the feeling of being hit by a mana cultivator¡¯s disruption discharge¡ª¡± Something moved in the room''s corner and he winced. He had to remind himself to stay calm. Remind himself that the fear he felt was excessive. Remind himself that experiencing a feeling differed from granting the feeling control over him. Not every feeling deserves a reaction.

    ¡°¡­who can explain how a disruption discharge works?¡± Samuel addressed the aspiring Guardians. He reasoned that questions helped with keeping an audience engaged, but he knew that this question was merely an excuse to buy himself some time.

    ¡°You push your own naturalized mana onto the target and crowd out other mana so that they cannot harvest it,¡± replied Jorg.

    ¡°Correct,¡± confirmed Samuel. ¡°The mana that surrounds you normally is what we call free. It is usable, absorbable, harvestable. Naturalized mana has been adjusted to a specific person. It cannot be easily used by others. It would require time, special items, specific converter spells, or exquisitely high mana control. That is why your mana absorption and regeneration rate are lower in a dungeon. Yes?¡±

    ¡°Does Share Mana belong to these converter spells?¡± inquired Siling.

    ¡°Yes, it does. That spell changes the mana under your control to imitate the mana of another. The better the imitation, the easier it is for the beneficiary to absorb it.¡± Despite his surroundings, Samuel had to smile at the question. He was happy when a student displayed an ability to apply new knowledge. It almost made him forget they were in a dungeon.

    Almost.

    ¡°The fundamental lesson here is that the mana in a dungeon already has an owner ¨C the dungeon itself,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°A dungeon is a living organism, and it uses mana, just like you do.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so we are inside another being right now?¡± Terry found the idea disturbing.

    ¡°Yes¡­ and no.¡± Samuel frowned slightly. ¡°That is actually a matter of theoretical debate ¨C a debate I frankly consider to be quite pointless. People are quibbling over terms, nothing more. Every dungeon has a core. We are now inside the core¡¯s sphere of influence. I leave it up to you if you consider that to qualify as being ¡®inside¡¯ the organism.¡±

    Samuel took a deep breath and then continued: ¡°The degree of mana suppression varies by dungeon. The older and stronger the dungeon, the more intense that suffocating feeling will become. Currently, we are in the entrance room. In this room, the mana suppression is the only thing you will have to face. However, this sensation should serve as a reminder that you are inside the dungeon¡¯s control.

    ¡°There is one more proof for that.¡± Samuel looked at a corner of the room. Without moving, he cast a spell, and a rat levitated from the corner towards him.

    ¡°In the literature, this rat would be grouped among the dungeon seekers. Dungeon seekers are creatures from outside the dungeon that have chosen the dungeon as their habitat but have not gone through dungeon-induced mutation.

    ¡°The most common dungeon seekers are, in fact, a group of aspect beings ¨C the fairies. They seem to be both attracted to dungeons and resistant to dungeon mutation, leaving them in the top position. Generally, they avoid beings like us. It is rare to encounter them in a dungeon ¨C no matter how common they may be.¡±

    Samuel gestured at the folks present. ¡°Technically, everyone of us would now be classified as a dungeon seeker as well. You can distinguish a dungeon seeker from dungeon natives and dungeon assimilated by looking for a mana core with your mana sense. A seeker does not have one.¡± He turned his gaze back to the levitating rat. ¡°Now, for the promised proof¡­¡±

    Terry saw a thin ice needle pierce the rat¡¯s head.

    Contrary to their expectations, nothing happened. There was nothing but silence.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m convinced,¡± sneered Alrik with sarcasm. The exclamation was followed by a short, high-pitched giggle from Florine.

    Jorg raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister with incredulity. That was an odd noise to come out of her. It was not like any of her usual hearty laughs or unrestrained giggles.

    Brynn had to restrain herself from guffawing at Isille, who visibly cringed.

    Verecund shot Alrik a glare, but Samuel did not show any reaction. He simply waited.

    Suddenly, the rat was gone. From one moment to the next, the rat had vanished.

    Samuel pointedly stated: ¡°After the dungeon has led you to your inevitable deaths, this is what awaits you.¡±

    ¡°What about equipment?¡± asked Elena.

    ¡°Depends, but it is not clear on what,¡± said Samuel. ¡°The best predictive indicator is surprisingly the equipment¡¯s value. The higher the value, the lower the chance that it will remain. However, let me emphasize that even this ¡®best¡¯ indicator only yields predictions slightly better than chance. No proper discernible pattern has been identified yet. If you find equipment in a dungeon, then it is more likely to have been placed there by the dungeon than to have been left there by a deceased seeker.¡±

    Samuel averted his eyes from Elena after replying and looked around the entrance room. ¡°After a being dies in a dungeon, its soul holds on for a brief time. As soon as the soul has dissipated into mana, the dungeon will claim its spoils.¡±

    Samuel caught the gazes of his students. ¡°The main takeaway here is, when you have met your inevitable demise in the dungeon, then the dungeon will leave nothing behind. No one will find you because there will be nothing left to find.¡±

    Samuel took a deep breath. ¡°The first advice I will give you is to never enter a dungeon. The second advice I will give you is to never enter a dungeon without setting up at least one Mark-and-Recall spell. If you cannot cast it yourselves, get an imprinted scroll. They may be expensive, but I would propose to you that your lives are worth more than mana coins.¡± He shrugged slightly. ¡°And even an average dungeon run will pay for a scroll.¡±

    ¡°Today is on me.¡± Samuel handed out scrolls to everyone ¨C including the older generation. ¡°These scrolls rely on the dungeon-naturalized mana as a dimensional anchor. Therefore, they only work inside the dungeon. There are two lines on the scroll. They form a pattern resembling a ¡®T¡¯ with the top of the letter being placed in the middle of the paper. Rip the one that halves the paper, the top of the ¡®T.¡¯¡±

    Everyone did as instructed. Terry could see mana activating and somehow blending in with the surroundings.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Samuel. ¡°All Mark spells were successful.¡±

    ¡°How would we know?¡± inquired Miguel.

    ¡°A scroll¡¯s spell failure causes the scroll to crumble into dust,¡± replied Siling.

    ¡°Ripping the second line ¨C the one that halves the remaining half ¨C will transport you back here,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°There are conditions for this to work. One of which we will leave for later. The two others are that Recall only works from inside the same dungeon, and that there is a time limit in which a Recall spell can be activated.¡±

    ¡°Follow,¡± instructed Samuel and descended to the next room. He waited there until everyone had entered. ¡°Same as the entrance room. The subsequent two rooms in a dungeon are practically always the same. These rooms act as mana reservoir dams. The passage between them opens as soon as the concentration of dungeon-naturalized mana drops below a certain threshold. As we are now, it would take around an hour of simply remaining in this place before the passage would open.¡±

    Samuel¡¯s eyes flared up with the glow of mana use. Afterwards, the path was clear. ¡°The process can be intentionally sped up by harvesting and taking control of the dungeon¡¯s mana. Hereafter comes what people generally think of when hearing about dungeons.¡±

    ***

 016 Dungeon Work â€“ The Realms First Line of Defense

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 20 ¨C

    Samuel waited until everyone had moved past the passage door and into the second half of the room. ¡°Before we go on, why are you all here? We have already covered what you will find in a dungeon: inevitable death. But what is it that you seek?¡± He looked at Jorg.

    ¡°Riches, d¡¯uh,¡± announced Alrik. Jorgen frowned, but nodded.

    ¡°And adventure,¡± added Miguel. That earned nods of approval from Calam and Gellath.

    Samuel waited for the others and moved his gaze from student to student.

    ¡°Same,¡± said Florine dismissively.

    ¡°I am intrigued by the dungeon creatures and their uses to my magic,¡± said Siling with a shrug.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t thought about it,¡± admitted Elena after Terry¡¯s honesty.

    ¡°Reasons as good or bad as any other,¡± judged Samuel with a sigh. ¡°Aside from inevitable death, you will most certainly encounter creatures more varied than in other places. That is actually¡ª¡± He stopped himself. ¡°No, let us leave that for later.¡± He glanced at Alrik and Jorg. ¡°Riches? Certainly, there are those. Follow!¡±

    When they walked into the next room, they were faced with magic flying at them. Samuel erased the incoming attacks and cast a Paralyze spell of his own. ¡°Those are slimes. Slimes are the most common example of dungeon-native creatures. They resemble aspect beings, but there is the noticeable difference of the core. They are grouped among the natives instead of the assimilated, because slimes have never been encountered outside a dungeon.¡±

    Samuel cast a spell that Terry could not identify. ¡°Here are your riches.¡± The gooey substance of the slimes oozed to the floor while the cores remained floating in the air. ¡°Aside from special encounters, the most valuable items in a dungeon are the mana cores. Unfortunately for you, shattering the core is frequently the easiest way to defeat the creatures. Core fragments can still be sold. However, their value is vastly diminished. If you want to collect the cores, you will first have to become capable enough.¡±

    ¡°What about the dungeon core itself?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°That would be valuable indeed, but¡­¡± Samuel shook his head.

    ¡°Not gonna happen,¡± finished Verecund. ¡°A mature dungeon doesn¡¯t have its core exposed.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± concurred Samuel. ¡°Compared to other empires, there are not that many dungeons in Arcana. The dungeon density elsewhere is much higher. Even though Arcana is still the largest empire, most of the known dungeons are outside the barrier.¡±

    Subconsciously, Samuel was tracing his burn marks with his fingers while looking pensively at the floor. ¡°When my accepted brother and I did dungeon work, we went to every known dungeon in Arcana. Afterwards, we left and continued our travels outside the barrier.¡±

    Samuel shook his head slowly. ¡°More than a thousand different dungeons, but not a single dungeon core in sight. Only a recently formed dungeon has its core exposed in the last room. The window of opportunity is extremely limited. In recent years, there were several new dungeons discovered in Arcana. Statistically, those were already outliers, but even then: None of them was discovered early enough to retrieve a dungeon core.¡±

    Samuel raised his gaze from the floor and lifted the cores extracted from the slimes. ¡°The mana cores are so valuable because of the sheer infinite number of uses for them. Most prominently in crafting ¨C both items and consumables. It pays to know which core will be worth what to whom, but that goes well beyond an introduction course.¡± He separated the cores into two groups. One of them floated to Brynn, and the other floated to Bjorln.

    ¡°Thanks, my life,¡± exclaimed Brynn with a smile. Bjorln briefly nodded to Samuel.

    Samuel looked over at his students. ¡°Those at your level generally pick one of three options. Sell to a reseller like a general merchant or the Guardians. Use the core to fulfill mission requirements. Or put the item up for auction at the Guild or one of the merchant houses.¡± He shrugged. ¡°However, cores of such low-rank creatures would never get you into an auction. The deeper you go, the higher the level of the creatures will get.¡± He smiled slightly. ¡°Another topic to revisit later. For now, you ought to keep in mind that this is a rule of thumb and not an iron-clad rule.¡±

    ¡°How is the rank of a dungeon¡ª¡± Lori started a question, but Alrik talked over her. ¡°Where do we learn the details of selling¡ª¡± Alrik¡¯s mouth continued to move, but no sound escaped from his lips.

    Samuel had cast a silencing spell, and he was scowling at the dwarven mage. ¡°I will listen to all your questions and I expect the same from all of you. I will never tolerate questions being interrupted.¡± He moved his eyes from Alrik to Lori. ¡°Please finish your question.¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s alright.¡± Florine averted her eyes from Alrik and frowned. ¡°Nevermind.¡±

    A hint of disappointment flashed across Samuel¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Isille cringed in discomfort.

    ¡°Well, that takes me back to my time as a teenager,¡± whispered Brynn to Isille.

    ¡°Gah, tell me about it.¡± Isille whispered back. ¡°She is making me remember things I tried very hard to forget.¡±

    ¡°Take some solace from the fact that Lori takes after you,¡± comforted Brynn. ¡°She is a smart girl. She¡¯ll figure it out. Eventually.¡±

    ¡°Eventually, huh? Hah¡­¡± Isille frowned and shook her head. ¡°Is this like karmic punishment or something? You know, when I was young I was offended at the idea of becoming like Ma. Now, here I am ¨C worrying about the prospect of my daughter becoming like me back then.¡±

    Brynn chuckled. ¡°Sometimes, fate has a sense of irony.¡±

    Samuel waited a moment, hoping Lori would reconsider, and he decided against unmuting Alrik immediately. ¡°Does anyone have a question regarding the rank of dungeons?¡±

    ¡°How is the rank determined?¡± asked Terry. He had caught the question from Lori and was curious about the answer.

    Samuel smiled and nodded. ¡°After a dungeon has been discovered, an initial estimation is done by considering the mana concentration and the degree of mana suppression. Afterwards, they do a pioneer mission ¨C usually in collaboration with the Guild.¡±

    ¡°The Guild? I thought the Guardians are the ones handling dungeons?¡± asked Elena.

    ¡°We are,¡± assured Verecund. ¡°However, the common saying is correct. The Guardians are a profession, the Guild is an obsession. The average Guardian works in proximity to their own place of residence and, over time, becomes intimately familiar with the area and its dungeons.

    ¡°In the Guardians, you will find experts on any dungeon we manage, but that expertise is mostly a matter of depth, not of breadth,¡± stressed Verecund. ¡°Facing an unknown dungeon, however, requires broad experience, versatility, and combat strength. While we do have experts among the Guardians, they may not be focused on dungeon work. Assigning a dungeon run to a Guardian expert that specializes in corrupted culling is not the best use of their strengths.

    ¡°Also¡­¡± Verecund seemed as if he had more to say, but his voice trailed off into silence.

    ¡°The death of a Guild expert is less of a hit to the Guardians.¡± Samuel chose to finish the thought. ¡°It is preferable to hire outside help for the initial exploration and assessment, because generally, that run is the most dangerous.¡± His eyes moved to the floor and his tone became heavier. ¡°Again, not an iron-clad rule.¡±

    Samuel dispelled his Silence spell and looked at Alrik. ¡°Other questions?¡±

    Alrik glowered at the instructing mage and grumbled: ¡°Yeah, I have a question. Where do we learn the intricacies of selling cores?¡±

    ¡°The information on the cores themselves is mostly public. I could prepare a reading list, but I am sure the Guardians already have one of their own.¡± Samuel looked at Verecund.

    ¡°Yes,¡± concurred Verecund. ¡°As always, you can approach the orientation instructor and he will point you to the right advisors. There is a standard list of material. However¡­¡± One corner of his lips curled upward.

    ¡°Actually, selling the core is a different matter,¡± continued Samuel. ¡°Just because you know a core¡¯s worth does not mean you will find someone willing to pay the price. Building the proper connections requires time. Follow!¡±

    They walked along a narrow corridor.

    ¡°Note the stones providing illumination along the walls.¡± Samuel traced some of them with his fingers. ¡°Convenient, aren¡¯t they? One has to wonder at their origins¡­¡± He smiled faintly. ¡°Later. For now, be aware that not every area will be that convenient.¡±

    Samuel raised his left fist at head level. ¡°Halt here. As soon as we turn the corner, there will be another attack. Keep your distance and pay attention.¡±

    Samuel walked forward, and then there were stones flying at him. They were blocked by his barrier spell. ¡°The critters you can see in the back are the second class of dungeon natives: the dungeon constructs.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those goblins?¡± asked Calam with astonishment.

    ¡°I thought goblins went extinct eras ago?¡± added Gellath.

    ¡°They did,¡± assured Samuel. ¡°Those are not actual goblins.¡± He tilted his head and a moment later, one of the creatures was floating towards them. ¡°Note first the core with mana sight. So either a dungeon native or an assimilated being.¡± He looked over his students. ¡°Is anyone of you capable of life sense?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± replied Siling.

    ¡°Really? Neat,¡± exclaimed Miguel in excitement. He whispered to Jorg. ¡°I like this group.¡±

    ¡°What do you sense?¡± Samuel asked Siling.

    The dark-haired elf narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­nothing?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, nothing at all,¡± agreed Samuel. ¡°That creature is a form of unlife. That rules out goblins. Without life sense to rely on, it is still possible to give an approximate estimate by considering the eyes. However, the most definitive way¡­¡±

    Mana flared up around Samuel, and the creature was cut into several parts. ¡°¡­is to verify if the creature bleeds or has any detectable organs.¡± He gestured. ¡°As you can clearly see, it does not. Inside, you will either find a perfectly uniform mush or a few layers of different materials. Dungeon constructs are similar to the constructs any other mana user might create. Hence, the name.

    ¡°In the past, they were sometimes referred to as dungeon elementals ¨C a reference to similarities shared with the elementals among the aspect beings. However, that term is moving out of use. Rightfully so, I might add. Elementals do not come with mana line carvings or rune inscriptions.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lori piped up. ¡°They are inscribed with runes?¡±

    ¡°Not those in front of you, no.¡± Samuel spoke slowly. ¡°Otherwise, this dungeon would not have its current threat classification. Be aware though: For every non-inscribed dungeon construct, expect at least one inscribed variant to exist. It depends on the dungeon, really.¡±

    ¡°Legends say that our own rune inscription system has actually been derived from these dungeon constructs,¡± interjected Brynn, and smiled charmingly at Samuel.

    ¡°A theory that crosses disciplines and for which I am eternally grateful,¡± said Samuel sincerely and affectionately.

    ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± returned Brynn softly.

    ¡°Nevertheless¡­¡± Samuel averted his eyes from Brynn to return his focus to the lecture. ¡°The theory is not uncontested. Beneath it lies a broader question on the nature of dungeons which we will leave for later. Follow.¡±

    They proceeded forward and Samuel gave explanations. He pointed out the relevant markers for detecting a dungeon trap, how to notice an ambush, as well as useful spells or items for navigating across the area.

    ¡°Notice anything different about the walls?¡± prompted Samuel.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°The lights are moving,¡± offered Terry.

    ¡°The lights are alive,¡± added Siling.

    Samuel smiled at them. ¡°Life sense still active?¡±

    Siling nodded in response.

    ¡°A good habit to get into, especially in dungeons,¡± remarked Samuel. ¡°Alright everyone, be warned that your field of vision is going darken.¡± He cast a spell that seemed to form a layer of thin shadow. Afterwards, one of the wall lights floated towards them.

    Suddenly, the creature emitted a bright flash. They could see how the room behind the shadow layer brightened up intensely.

    ¡°Does anyone recognize this creature?¡± asked Samuel.

    Reflexively, Terry was looking at Siling.

    ¡°A flash gecko, a light-aspected mana corrupted,¡± answered Siling. As always, Terry was impressed with her knowledge of magical beings.

    ¡°Absolutely correct,¡± praised Samuel. ¡°Except for one minor detail. This is not a mere mana corrupted anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± exclaimed Siling with realization. ¡°It has a core.¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± confirmed Samuel. He cut the gecko in half with a spell. Soon afterwards, the gecko vanished and only a core remained. ¡°There are three known possibilities for an assimilated creature to appear in a dungeon. First is that a dungeon seeker has spent sufficient time in a dungeon to fall under the dungeon¡¯s influence. Second is that the dungeon has used its assimilated to breed, and the creature was born in the dungeon. Third is that the creature was created by the dungeon from a mana core.¡±

    Samuel let the mana core drop into his hand. ¡°Just like a dungeon native, a dungeon-assimilated creature will always leave behind its core after death. Other parts of the body may be left behind as well ¨C most commonly teeth, scales, or bones. In contrast, soft tissue nearly always gets absorbed by the dungeon. If you are looking for those, you need to go after regular mana corrupted outside. There is a reason hunters are not just diving dungeons.¡±

    Samuel caught the gazes of his students before stressing a warning: ¡°Do not make the mistake and equate the mana-corrupted original with the dungeon assimilated version. Even though the abilities tend to be the same, the core is troublesome and there may be other mutations besides.¡±

    Samuel subconsciously rubbed his thumb over the mana core in his hand. ¡°It has been accepted in the field that the core allows the dungeon to influence the creatures. The level of influence differs between dungeon-native and dungeon-assimilated beings. Additionally, it varies depending on the core itself. You will face something more than just the sum of individual creatures. Think of a dungeon as a hostile party ¨C fully capable of creating specialized roles and coordinating members.¡±

    ¡°A theory that had first been put forth by Instructor Samuel,¡± interjected Verecund, and his respect for the insight was clear on his face.

    Samuel nodded without comment. ¡°The good news is that just like the levels of the individual creatures, the group coordination starts at its lowest and increases progressively. Take note of that pattern. We will revisit it later.¡± He was about to continue when he noticed the look on Terry¡¯s face. ¡°Terry? Something on your mind?¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Terry tried to order his thoughts. ¡°Influencing minds sounds like the hive of the deathblood plague.¡±

    Samuel felt a flash of pride for his former student. ¡°An open debate in the field is the question if dungeon assimilation ought to be classified as a mana curse. One missing link touches on one challenge we talked about before. It is unknown how a dungeon begins to form and this stage is unimaginably difficult to research.

    ¡°One theory is that the core of a dungeon assimilated can be germinated in some way. However, there is no evidence to corroborate this theory yet. In fact, no creature with a mana core has ever been seen wandering outside a dungeon.

    Samuel moved his gaze away from Terry and then looked over the entire group. ¡°The takeaway here is that all dungeon creatures have the means to conspire against you.¡± His tone turned more grave. ¡°They have the means to expedite your inevitable death, and they will.¡±

    Alrik rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. He was losing his temper. ¡°You go on and on about our inevitable deaths. If dungeons are so horrible, then why have you visited over a thousand of them?¡±

    Samuel examined the dwarf calmly. ¡°Because, just like you, we were young and arrogant. We believed that what does not kill us makes us stronger. We did not know any better.¡±

    Alrik exhaled a derisive snort.

    Samuel moved his gaze along the dungeon wall. ¡°I was intrigued by the endless mysteries. Whenever I had found an answer to one of my questions about dungeons, I had already collected countless more questions. Studying dungeons was my dream.¡±

    Samuel lowered his gaze, and sadness invaded his voice. ¡°My brother was hoping to find a way to go against his aspect impairment and to modify his magic to something more in line with his dream of becoming a healer. If that did not work out, then the profits would at least pay for some substitute items.¡±

    A few sympathetic sighs escaped from the group. It was rare to find an aspect-impaired person that did not have similar ideas at some point.

    Bjorln looked at the floor and tried to push away the memories ¨C not the right time and place. He wiped something from his eyes and pushed his hand through his frizzy red hair.

    ¡°And of course, we enjoyed the thrill of adventure,¡± continued Samuel with a sigh. ¡°One thousand one hundred and twenty-seven dungeons. Plenty of riches and excitement.¡± He grimaced and shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    Alrik groaned and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Look at me!¡± ordered Samuel, and his eyes were already completely bloodshot. ¡°It wasn¡¯t worth it!¡± He stared into Alrik¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not a day goes by that I do not curse my past self. My dream is dead and all I wish is that it had died sooner so that my whaka might have lived.¡±

    With every word, Terry felt incredibly guilty at being here ¨C here inside a dungeon. Even Alrik was stunned into silence by that outburst.

    ¡°Once, I believed in the mantra that what does not kill me makes me stronger,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Now, I know better. What does not kill you may still leave you crippled and broken inside.¡± He looked at the dungeon ceiling and a tear rolled down his face undisturbed.

    Eventually, Samuel exhaled sharply and clenched his fists. ¡°Change of schedule.¡± He caught Elena¡¯s gaze and her stomach twisted into a knot when she noticed his eyes on her.

    ¡°The reason that dungeon work is different is that nothing can safeguard you against death here,¡± stressed Samuel with absolute certainty. ¡°Yes, you might overestimate your abilities and take on a hunt you should not have. Yes, you might run into unexpected trouble.¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°No, that is not what I am referring to.

    ¡°If you have hunted a thousand shadow panthers, then the next of similar rank is unlikely to kill you. If you have hunted a high rank, then a low rank is unlikely to kill you. Do you see? There is an element of predictability.

    ¡°Yes, there are risks in a hunt. Yes, there is uncertainty. No, that is not like a dungeon. Outside, your missions will be more or less predictable. Your mission will not deviate much from the missions of those before. Risks, uncertainty, all the variance exists within a narrow spectrum. Information, preparation, strength, and experience are sufficient safeguards. Dungeons are different.

    ¡°Whaka Olgorn and I were arrogant, but we were never reckless. Over the years, the highest ranked dungeons we cleared were ranked S+. The dungeon that even after more than a decade has me waking up crying and screaming, the dungeon that will forever haunt me with the memory of seeing my brother bursting himself into flames, of my brother sacrificing his life to save mine, of my brother vanishing into nothingness. That dungeon was ranked B? and it was a dungeon that we had cleared three times before.¡±

    Samuel looked back at the dungeon wall. His breathing was heavy. He rubbed the burn marks on his arm while Brynn quietly moved over to his side.

    Verecund thought he should add some comments so that Samuel could have time to regain his composure. ¡°Dungeon creatures can mutate, learn, and adapt. A dungeon can evolve, grow stronger, and change structure.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it can,¡± agreed Samuel, but he shook his head. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    Verecund was perplexed. His mind raced for other explanations. ¡°Wait, the tear in The Realm¡¯s First Line of Defense? That was a first-person account? That was your first-person¡ª Cursed Wastes, that¡¯s¡­¡± He gulped and looked absolutely horrified.

    Samuel took a deep breath. ¡°That brings us to the key question: What is a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°An organism?¡± offered Jorg.

    ¡°What is the objective of that organism?¡± prodded Samuel.

    ¡°To kill?¡± suggested Elena.

    ¡°If it wanted to, it could kill you at any time,¡± refuted Samuel. ¡°It does not.¡±

    ¡°To lure living beings inside?¡± proposed Siling.

    ¡°It could use its minions to capture instead or it could limit itself to breeding assimilated.¡± Samuel shook his head. ¡°It does not.¡±

    ¡°Defend its core?¡± proposed Calam.

    ¡°From the creatures it has deliberately lured inside?¡± challenged Samuel. ¡°It could simply close off the dungeon and collapse the entrance room. Instead of placing the weakest creatures at the entrance, it could use the strongest. It does not. Why?¡±

    ¡°If there was no benefit to people, wouldn¡¯t the dungeon get destroyed?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°It is near impossible to destroy a mature dungeon,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°The dungeon can move its core freely and near instantaneously through the area under its control. It can block your senses from detecting it. Even a magic sovereign would find it difficult to destroy a mature dungeon core.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is the answer?¡± demanded Alrik. He was getting impatient and did not care for guessing games.

    Samuel waited in case anyone else had another idea to offer. ¡°Let me recap and see if anything stands out to you. First, the strongest creatures are placed further down. Second, it lures dungeon seekers inside but does not kill them outright. Instead, it sends progressively stronger creatures at them.¡± Again, he waited.

    Alrik groaned loudly. He was not happy with yet another round of guesswork.

    ¡°That second one¡­¡± Terry mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Terry?¡± prompted Samuel.

    ¡°Facing progressively stronger creatures¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°That sounds like training.¡±

    ¡°Why would it train its enemy?¡± questioned Calam.

    ¡°Or its food?¡± added Siling.

    ¡°What makes you think the dungeon considers you its enemy?¡± challenged Samuel. ¡°Maybe from a different angle: If you were a troop commander, where would you deploy your strongest and, respectively, weakest soldiers?¡±

    ¡°The strongest at the most important position,¡± replied Miguel.

    ¡°Right, at the place with something to protect,¡± agreed Gellath.

    ¡°But we have already established that the core does not really need protection,¡± reminded Terry.

    ¡°Strongest in the front, weakest in the back,¡± suggested Elena. ¡°Or weakest in the middle if there are multiple fronts.¡±

    ¡°A reasonable proposal,¡± commented Samuel. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that. If you look at the dungeon from that perspective, what can you infer?¡±

    ¡°That the front is¡­ down?¡± offered Jorg tentatively. ¡°And back is at the entrance?¡±

    ¡°No middle.¡± Elena pointed out.

    ¡°That would mean no enemy at the entrance,¡± added Terry. ¡°So we are not considered an enemy?¡±

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± praised Samuel. ¡°You have arrived at the prevailing theory and current consensus among dungeon researchers.¡± He allowed them a moment to consider further implications before he continued. ¡°The real enemy is what the dungeon is shielding us from. That enemy is why death is inevitable in dungeon work. Hope that you will never encounter it.¡±

    Samuel¡¯s eyes lost focus and his look became distant. He took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°The first sign is a dungeon lock-down. The space gets sealed. Dimensional spells stop working. Your Recall scrolls simply crumble into dust. There are dungeon creatures with the ability to seal space as well, but if the whole dungeon gets sealed, prepare to run for your lives.

    ¡°The second sign is that the dungeon pays less attention to you. Things go silent around you. If you are lucky, that is all you will notice and things will return to normal after a while. However, if you are unlucky, then the dungeon goes mad. All its creatures rush in the same direction. They will not go out of their way to attack you, but they will rip you apart if you stand in their way. And then¡­¡±

    Samuel exhaled sharply. ¡°You may see it.¡±

    Terry felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the intense thousand-yard stare in his accepted uncle¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°A tear in the veil,¡± continued Samuel with a quivering voice. ¡°A tear in the fabric that separates the realms. Creatures step through it you have never seen before. Hellspawn. Their magic looks wrong. Their mana flow looks wrong. They wield abilities you have never even heard of. They use unfamiliar magic systems. They rely on unfamiliar mana aspects. Then suddenly¡­¡± His lip trembled, and he gripped his own arm tightly. ¡°Hell is all around you. An army of dungeon creatures warring against an army of hellspawn. No path to escape.¡±

    A heavy silence fell upon the group.

    Samuel forced himself to establish eye contact with the young generation. ¡°A dungeon¡¯s threat rank does not account for veil tears. No amount of strength, no amount of experience or of preparation can assure your safety against a mad dungeon and whatever may step through those tears.¡± He cycled back to the main lesson. ¡°If you keep entering dungeons, then death is only a matter of time.¡±

    ***

    A few days after their theoretical introduction, the three groups did a supervised delve into the same dungeon. They passed the practical examination with perfect marks.

    When Terry and his siblings returned home afterwards, Isille addressed them: ¡°Congratulations on passing.¡± Her tone did not sound very celebratory. ¡°The next advanced class will be chosen by us. Prepare to go bounty hunting.¡±

    ¡°Why bounty hunting?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°No,¡± said Isille sternly.

    ¡°No?¡± Terry looked at his accepted mother with confusion written all over his face.

    ¡°No, there won¡¯t be further explanations from us this time,¡± said Isille. ¡°I want to see what you pick up in the regular introduction class. I want to see what you can figure out without us holding your hands or pointing out the main challenges.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then there won¡¯t be any family trips this time?¡± jeered Florine. ¡°Such a pity.¡± Her voice was oozing with sarcasm.

    Isille¡¯s eye twitched slightly, but she controlled herself. ¡°That¡¯s right. No family trip.¡± She established eye contact with her daughter. ¡°Only me.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± gasped Florine.

    ¡°I will be one of the main examiners,¡± said Isille firmly.

    ¡°¡­¡± Even though Florine felt like objecting, she knew that bounty hunting used to be her mother¡¯s specialty. This would not be the first time Isille acted as an examiner. As such, Florine saw no grounds to argue.

    ¡°Multiple examiners?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Bounty hunting is not like a routine corrupted culling,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°Arcana as a whole is very safe and we like to keep it that way. Normally, bandits and criminals are quickly taken care of. Normal action will be intentionally delayed for the sake of you getting the chance at an examination.

    ¡°Personnel will have to prevent the group from causing harm without putting them down. They also have to be careful to not raise their suspicions. That is a drain on resources and one that must not be prolonged unnecessarily. If the examinees cannot accomplish their objective, then the examiners will make sure that none of the targets escape or cause further harm. There will be two main examiners and, additionally, a few observing examiners who will maintain distance.¡±

    ***

 017 Advanced Class, Examination: Bounty Hunting

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 46 ¨C

    A tall man with a dark grey coat and well-worn travel boots nodded briefly. ¡°Greetings Mirabilia. Greetings Isille.¡±

    ¡°Morning Khaled,¡± returned the human woman while Isille next to her silently raised her hand as a greeting.

    ¡°Are these the examinees for today?¡± asked Khaled. He lifted his chin at Terry¡¯s group. ¡°A few familiar faces.¡±

    ¡°Here is the updated information.¡± Khaled handed over some documents to Mirabilia. ¡°Just like they would have received it in the city today.¡±

    Mirabilia received the paper files. ¡°Thanks Khaled, we¡¯ll take it from here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll join the others in the second perimeter.¡± Khaled vanished into the shadows. ¡°Call me over when we should collect the targets.¡±

    Mirabilia nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Okay then. Everything is ready and everyone is present. So let us make it official.¡± She clapped once. ¡°Welcome to your practical bounty hunting examination!¡± She gestured to her side. ¡°Next to me stands Instructor Isille.¡± She gestured to herself. ¡°My name is Mirabilia.¡± She opened her arms. ¡°We two will act as the main examiners for today.¡±

    Mirabilia lifted her thumb and pointed behind her. ¡°The man who just left was Instructor Khaled. He is part of the observing examiners, and he was kind enough to deliver a gift for you.¡± She handed the documents to the closest member of the group, which turned out to be Jorg. ¡°This is the last update for the preliminary information.¡±

    Mirabilia puckered her lips and smirked. ¡°Everything else is up to you. Whatever you can¡¯t find in there, you have to figure out yourselves.¡± She drew back her lips. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid those are our parting words. You are not supposed to see us for a while.¡±

    Mirabilia started mana harvesting. ¡°Careful, Isille, this may tickle a bit.¡±

    ¡°If it tickles worse than the last hundred times, I will assume intent, Mira.¡± There was a twinkle in Isille¡¯s eyes. ¡°And then I will have to consider retaliation.¡±

    Mirabilia laughed and finished her spell casting. A shadow fell over the two and a moment later, the shadow dissipated and left no trace of the two instructors to be seen.

    The group huddled closer together and looked expectantly at Jorg.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any major updates,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Sketches remain the same. The most recent incident is still the one with that magic construct trader. Same M.O. They avoid mana users, take no hostages, and try to leave no witnesses alive. Same suspected number of bandits. Same hideout location. Same bounty. Dead or alive.¡±

    ¡°Then let us get this over with,¡± proclaimed Alrik. ¡°They leave this wasted group for examinations. There is no way the bandits will be much trouble.¡±

    Jorg frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on that. It is possible that to pass the mission, we will have to realize that they are too much to handle and report back with updated information.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I believe there are tests in which they expect you to refuse a mission or call for backup,¡± said Miguel. ¡°We should still gather intel first.¡± He turned excitedly towards Siling and gave a broad smile. ¡°And by that I mean, please show me the soul bird.¡± Several other members of the group nodded emphatically.

    Siling smiled back at the excited dwarf and replied in mock exasperation. ¡°All archers literally only want one thing. Tse tse tse.¡±

    ¡°Two things, actually,¡± corrected Miguel with his wide grin remaining stuck on his face. ¡°Life sense and wings. You just happen to offer both at once.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they notice the bird?¡± Gellath piped up.

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± replied Miguel. ¡°First, the cave is in the middle of the forest and it¡¯s a mixed forest. Even without the foliage of the leaf trees, there are still the conifers. While life sense isn¡¯t blocked by the trees, eyesight is. The soul bird is white-ish and blends well into the cloudy sky of the season. Its purple markings aren¡¯t that easy to make out at a distance.¡±

    ¡°Even if they saw it, I have my doubts that your average bandit would recognize a soul spirit,¡± remarked Terry.

    ¡°Grumpy can gather information with life sense from quite a distance, but Grumpy¡¯s mana sense is much less developed,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Terry. ¡°First priority is to confirm the hideout and the number of enemies.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Siling summoned her bloody frogmouth soul spirit.

    ¡°Morning, Grumpy,¡± greeted Calam.

    ¡°Okay, while the bird soul is out there scouting, we can come up with a tentative plan,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°Three entrances, three groups. So we will simply have one group attack each entrance,¡± declared Alrik.

    ¡°Will we?¡± questioned Siling with an astonished expression. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I don¡¯t remember having any such intentions.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± barked Alrik with a frown.

    ¡°A certain someone that for the umpteenth time is trying to dictate to me what I will do,¡± retorted Siling icily.

    ¡°Someone needs to take command,¡± said Florine. ¡°I¡¯m with Alrik.¡±

    Jorg was gobsmacked and believed he was hearing things for a moment. When he and Terry were planning missions with their sister, she never asked for someone to dictate what to do. Their mission planning was always a team effort.

    ¡°How about we first come up with a plan?¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°I just did,¡± replied Alrik and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m with Terry,¡± said Jorg. ¡°That was barely a sentence and hardly a plan.¡±

    ¡°Not even close,¡± agreed Miguel. ¡°Splitting up into three groups while they can gang up and push through a single entrance? That is not a plan.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, come on,¡± groaned Alrik. ¡°How many bandits are there supposed to be? Thirty manaless or something? Big whoop. I could mop them up by myself.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not all manaless,¡± objected Siling. ¡°That¡¯s very unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± concurred Terry. ¡°They avoided every caravan or traveling group that included mana users. They must have someone with mana sense, which means there are mana users among them.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± retorted Alrik. ¡°They have a mana user, so what? We have nine, don¡¯t we? Or do you think so little of your own abilities that you would shrink away from facing anyone with a shred of mana? If they had any ability, why would they try so hard to avoid mana users?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t just need to ¡®mop them up.¡¯ We need to make sure no one escapes,¡± stressed Jorg. He sorted through the files to find the information regarding the suspected hideout. He picked up a branch and walked towards an area where the ground was covered by dirt instead of grass and sat down, where he sketched in the dirt. ¡°North here. East here. Our location. Cave looks roughly like this. Three entrances ¨C here, here, and here. Any thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would very much like to avoid the eastern entrance,¡± said Miguel. ¡°That one goes downwards into the cave. The other entrances are level.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with downwards?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that give us higher ground going in?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but all three tunnels are supposed to meet up in the same cavern,¡± stressed Miguel. ¡°The downwards tunnel would meet the cavern at floor level. With the level tunnels, we will arrive at higher ground. I figure most of the bandits will be in the cavern. I would rather have the high ground then.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Makes sense, thanks.¡±

    ¡°If we want to avoid the eastern entrance, what do we do with it?¡± asked Calam. ¡°It¡¯s an escape route, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We could prepare a trap for them in case they want to escape through there,¡± proposed Siling.

    ¡°Alrik knows Fireball, doesn¡¯t he?¡± asked Gellath.

    ¡°Sure do,¡± replied Alrik with a smug smirk. ¡°Want to smoke them out? I can do that.¡±

    ¡°So start a fire at two entrances and prepare a trap at the third?¡± summarized Gellath.

    ¡°But if there are mana users among them, they might burst through the fire,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°And if they actually burn to ashes, we will lack proof for the completion of the mission,¡± added Jorg.

    Alrik shrugged. ¡°The examiners are watching. Why would we need proof when they bear witness?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that would fly,¡± said Jorg with creased brows. ¡°It would not fly on a regular mission, so I doubt they would accept it in the examination.¡±

    ¡°We could simply herd them in the direction we want,¡± proposed Elena. ¡°Battue.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Elena and her two-handed dueling shield were practically made for that,¡± added Alrik.

    ¡°Calam¡¯s Kinetic Push could also work well,¡± remarked Siling.

    ¡°If we really try to prepare a trap, it better be a good one,¡± said Terry. ¡°Otherwise the trap will have the same problem as the fire. A mana user may simply burst through.¡±

    ¡°Or we could herd them into the cavern, ideally into the lower area,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Then we only need to block off the escape routes. At least the eastern tunnel should be comparatively easy to collapse. It¡¯s downward and narrow.¡±

    Jorg nodded. ¡°Lori, do you think your Raise Wall spell could collapse the tunnel?¡±

    Lori opened her mouth. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°That spell doesn¡¯t have enough oomph for that,¡± interrupted Alrik.

    Jorg¡¯s eyes grew noticeably colder. ¡°Oh, you were called Lori, too? My bad, then.¡± He ignored Alrik and waited for Lori¡¯s reply.

    ¡°N-not without strong empowerment,¡± muttered Lori. ¡°Alrik is right.¡±

    ¡°It could still work well to reinforce a blockage,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Gellath, do we still have explosives from our last swamp boa hunt?¡± inquired Jorg.

    Gellath nodded. ¡°Yes, two or three.¡±

    ¡°Should suffice to create a minor collapse,¡± muttered Jorg pensively. ¡°Then we can use the time it buys us to further reinforce the blockage with earthen walls.¡±

    ¡°I could also use Summon Water in combination with the earthen walls,¡± suggested Gellath. ¡°Maybe even finish it up with Freezing Hands.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t explosives cause quite a ruckus?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°I would hope so,¡± replied Jorg. ¡°If it causes them to run to the entrance and we block it, that would only make our lives easier. Herding without the hassle of having to fight.¡±

    ¡°That only works if they run to the entrance through the cavern,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Not if they run outside first.¡±

    Jorg frowned and nodded. ¡°Yeah, we will need to time it right so that the other entrances are ready at the same time. We can use the Guardian cards to send a signal.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but ready for what?¡± asked Siling. ¡°We have one battue driving force and one collapsing tunnel. What about the third entrance?¡±

    ¡°Block it off too?¡± suggested Terry. ¡°I could use Immovable Object for that.¡±

    ¡°You mean your tertium slabs?¡± Jorg rubbed the beard at his chin. ¡°But that would prevent you from joining up with us in the cavern¡­¡±

    ¡°Not if we also push forward in that entrance.¡± Terry pointed out. ¡°I have some slabs that have handles attached. Siling can use life sense to determine if there are enemies behind the slabs. As soon as there aren¡¯t any, I can dispel Immovable Object and we move towards the cavern.¡±

    ¡°What if there are enemies?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°If Calam is not needed at the other entrance, we could use his Kinetic Push,¡± replied Terry and got a nod from the blonde elf as confirmation. ¡°We prepare while being protected by the transfixed slab. I deactivate the spell and immediately move the slab to my storage bracelet.¡± He gestured at his companion.

    ¡°I throw a Kinetic Push,¡± continued Calam.

    Terry put down his hand again. ¡°We move further in. I summon the tertium slab once more. I cast my spell. Repeat. Use a barrier spear as a second line of defense.¡±

    ¡°That could also work well to draw some of them away from the battue entrance,¡± said Siling. ¡°They probably have no idea that their strength is useless against that spell.¡±

    Jorg furrowed his brow. ¡°I would hope it keeps some pressure away from the battue entrance. Also, I don¡¯t like that the first entrance will have only Lori and Gellath.¡±

    ¡°We could accompany them and only split up after we have gained access to the entrance,¡± offered Terry.

    ¡°I could have Grumpy stay back and keep an eye out with life sense,¡± proposed Siling. ¡°If more enemies are approaching, our group can hurry back. Once the entrance is properly blocked, I can switch to Furball for combat support.¡±

    ¡°Gaining access without immediately collapsing the tunnel might get tricky if they have a lookout placed there,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I can take them out from a distance, but that would not be quiet.¡±

    For a moment, there was silence while everyone considered the scenario and how to resolve it.

    ¡°Maybe I could,¡± murmured Terry.

    Jorg raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t pegged you as the assassin type, Terry,¡± teased Siling. ¡°Do you have another team you work with in secret?¡±

    Terry glanced up. ¡°Actually, I thought that I would have a good chance to approach unnoticed as long as I approach from above.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Siling nodded.

    ¡°Ahh?¡± Gellath felt lost.

    ¡°Terry has a schtick in which he uses Immovable Object to climb through the air,¡± explained Siling.

    ¡°Only, I¡¯m not sure how silent I can make it¡­¡± Terry puckered his lips and moved them from side to side. ¡°Honestly, I would really like to first verify the face before I¡ª¡°

    ¡°I mean, ideally we get a glimpse of their faces even earlier,¡± interjected Miguel. ¡°But depending on how many lookouts we are talking about, I believe I can resolve that issue¡­¡±

    Miguel was wearing a bracer imprinted with the barrier spell on his right, as well as a protective archer glove and a storage bracelet on his left. He summoned a small dart and a vial from the storage item.

    ¡°My pa does a lot of mark and recapture missions ¨C taking blood samples and the like,¡± explained Miguel. ¡°Since he is manaless, he runs it old school. The vial contains a fairly strong and, above all, quick acting anesthetic. Normally, we use it with a blowpipe, but I figure their armor would get in the way. When you¡¯re close, you can ram it directly into the target instead. Then you only need to keep them quiet for a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°Workable,¡± murmured Jorg. ¡°That still leaves me uncomfortable with the western entrance. The current setup will only leave four people for that entrance: Alrik, Elena, Miguel, and myself.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± interjected Miguel. ¡°I think I should stay with Siling¡¯s group. From what I can tell, the battue idea would have you all pushing forward in a narrow tunnel while being engaged in close combat.¡± He frowned and shrugged. ¡°No way I will be of much use there, since I won¡¯t be able to get a clean shot.¡±

    Miguel gestured to the dark-haired elven woman. ¡°With Siling using life sense to give me rough directions behind Terry¡¯s slab and us coordinating on the proper timing, I will be more useful. In case they place archers or other distanced enemies outside the range of Calam¡¯s Kinetic Push, I can take them out. I can roughly aim while their vision is blocked. I¡¯ll know when I can shoot while they will not.¡±

    ¡°Can you manage against armored opponents?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°My composite bow packs an extra punch thanks to metal-aspect reinforcement,¡± explained Miguel. ¡°I have arrows whose arrowheads I have aspected myself. Leather armor won¡¯t protect them from coldfire. Plate armor would be more troublesome and would require multiple hits, though.¡±

    Jorg¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°That would only leave three for the actual battue.¡±

    ¡°At least until our two tunnels converge in the cavern,¡± added Terry.

    Jorg looked at the drawn map. ¡°Lori, Gellath, how long will it take you to circle around to our entrance?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± interrupted Alrik. ¡°I¡¯m already there and Lori is weaker than Elena, anyway.¡±

    Jorg emitted a growl and spoke with forced calm. ¡°Well, I trust Lori¡¯s abilities and I have known her longer than you.¡± He briefly glanced at Elena and then stared at Alrik. ¡°I have never known Lori to go berserk and lose her sanity during combat, for example. To be frank, I would rather have my sister at my side than you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Alrik scoffed. ¡°Will Lori be able to cast a protective barrier spell?¡±

    ¡°No, but just like me, she has a barrier spear and a hand to hold it,¡± retorted Jorg and rolled his eyes. ¡°So, what¡¯s your point?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Jorg,¡± mumbled Florine.

    ¡°I also figure her earth walls are a lot more efficient for blocking arrows,¡± continued Jorg without moving his eyes from Alrik. ¡°They have the benefit of being summonable at a medium distance. They can be stacked and positioned without having to be maintained with mana too.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± scoffed Alrik. ¡°The only people who can do proper medium-range damage here are myself and the archer.¡±

    ¡°Ooohh, I¡¯m ¡®the archer¡¯ now,¡± mocked Miguel and clicked his tongue. ¡°Go figure. I believe I already mentioned that I won¡¯t be of much use in that tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Alright, only me that¡¯s useful then,¡± jeered Alrik. ¡°I can even target them with medium-range spells while staying behind a barrier. My Raise Icicles work no different from that Raise Wall spell. Only mine can actually do damage.¡±

    For a moment, Jorg looked at the dwarven mage in silence and then spoke slowly and firmly. ¡°I do not care about how great you believe you are. I will not enter that tunnel with just you and a berserker. You can prove your prowess by holding the entrance long enough so that we can all join up before pushing forward.¡±

    ¡°At that entrance, we need as much power as we can get,¡± stressed Terry in a calm tone.

    ¡°And Gellath also comes with water healing spells,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I always feel very appreciative of those.¡± He grinned at his water-aspected friend.

    ¡°Yes, there is that as well.¡± Jorg grinned at his group. Miguel and Gellath were his oldest friends outside his family. ¡°I am happier if there is someone else to take over the healing part.¡±

    ¡°You mean if you don¡¯t have to do spellwork?¡± corrected Gellath teasingly.

    ¡°Why, yes!¡± Jorg chuckled. ¡°Why, what did I say?¡±

    ¡°I can send Grumpy to monitor the western entrance after Lori and Gellath have collapsed the eastern tunnel,¡± suggested Siling. ¡°Then our group can assist if necessary. Terry¡¯s spell alone should be sufficient to block for a while.¡±

    Terry nodded to concur with Siling¡¯s evaluation and support her proposal.

    ¡°We could approach the area between those two entrances through the forest, and then move along the hill,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Maybe fan out during our approach so that our movement becomes more difficult to spot from a distance. Even with the soul bird in the sky, we should put the best senses in the first line.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Jorg considered their group. ¡°Eyesight would be you, Miguel. Life sense obviously Siling. Mana sense¡­ Terry, I figure.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± interjected Alrik in mocking disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah really,¡± retorted Siling. ¡°And it¡¯s probably not even close.¡±

    ¡°T-Terry even got accepted into the Academy,¡± said Lori in a low voice.

    Alrik looked Terry up and down. His eyes stopped on the bag bearing the Academy¡¯s insignia. ¡°When did the Academy start accepting half-mages?¡±

    The temperature instantly seemed to drop a few degrees when many eyes were growing cold at once. Even the usually cheerful dwarf Gellath was no exception.

    Contrary to the icy stares, Jorg¡¯s eyes blazed with embers of fury. If this would continue, then Jorg might really deck Alrik and forsake the examination.

    Siling felt regretful that Grumpy was not there to unleash a bowel movement on Alrik¡¯s head. ¡°You little¡ª¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t really,¡± said Terry, unperturbed and with a smile. His aspect impairment did not bother him anymore. In fact, he had even started to think of it as a blessing in disguise. Without his impairment, he might have never met his family. He would not trade his family for all the spell power in the world.

    Terry chuckled and continued. ¡°However, sometimes even the Academy fails to notice at first.¡± He stared pointedly into Alrik¡¯s eyes. ¡°No mage is infallible. Not even the Academy mages.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Anyway, I did indeed pass all their entrance examinations on the pillars of mana foundation. Spellwork classes only started the second season. I flunked the examination at the end of that cycle.¡±

    ¡°Unless anyone else believes they could pass the Academy¡¯s entrance examination, I would say the position for mana sense frontliner has been settled.¡± Jorg eyed Alrik challengingly.

    After a few seconds had gone by with no response, Jorg continued. ¡°So first: approach unseen.¡± He lifted fingers to count. ¡°Take control of the eastern entrance without alerting the enemy. Maintain control of the eastern entrance. Simultaneously, block the eastern entrance and take control of the other two. Join up again and herd them into the cavern.¡± He lowered his fingers and looked around. ¡°Any other thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Would it be better if our group immediately pushes into the tunnel, or should we wait until your side is ready?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Until Lori and Gellath have joined you at the western entrance, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Depends, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Miguel. ¡°Whatever works better to attract their attention. We want to keep them separated and away from the western entrance for as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± concurred Jorg. ¡°Aside from that, the only requirement is that you should not push out of the tunnel and into the cavern before our group is close enough to join up with you.¡±

    Jorg again prompted the others for feedback and questions. ¡°Okay, then let us go through the specifics¡­¡± They went over the planned steps and everyone¡¯s responsibilities until they had it down.

    ¡°Intel seems to match,¡± announced Siling. ¡°Thirty life signals at the supposed hideout.¡±

    Jorg nodded. ¡°I will check my equipment one more time and suggest everyone does the same.¡±

    Eventually, Jorg moved closer to Terry and whispered to him. ¡°Say Terry, who is that dwarf and why does she look like our sister? The Lori I remember would have made that pus weasel eat mud several times over.¡± He shook his head with a frown.

    Terry could only shrug in helplessness. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but I sure hope she fights as well as Lori. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get really worried.¡±

    The group departed for the bandit hideout.

    ¡°Hey Miguel!¡± exclaimed Gellath.

    ¡°I know that look,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°Calam, Gellath wants to talk to you.¡± He pretended not to notice Gellath anymore.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Calam looked at Gellath.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Gellath squinted his eyes at Miguel and then turned to Calam. He grinned expectantly. ¡°Why did they bury the bandit on the hill?¡±

    ¡°What bandit?¡± whispered Terry to Miguel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± replied Miguel. ¡°You are only setting yourself up for disappointment.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Calam. ¡°Why?¡±

    Gellath¡¯s grin vanished and was replaced with a grave expression. ¡°Because he was dead.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± whispered Miguel before smiling and shaking his head.

    ***

 018 Bounty Hunting â€“ First Blood

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 46 ¨C

    Terry noticed the link between his and Siling¡¯s Guardian card flash. The time had come. He silently sneaked towards the edge of the ledge and leaped over it.

    He used his spell and his metal gymnastic rings to position himself directly on top of his target. He inhaled slowly and retrieved the prepared dart together with a cloth drenched in anesthetic from his storage bracelet.

    Terry exhaled and used his mana to cancel the active Immovable Object spell. In order to avoid wasting a part of his attention on the gymnastic ring during the fall, he pushed his arm forward so that the ring remained at his elbow.

    As soon as he was close enough, Terry used his left hand to press the cloth on the target¡¯s mouth and used his right hand to inject the dart in the target¡¯s neck.

    After a few muffled sounds, everything was silent.

    Terry quickly carried the man away from the entrance. Only then did he take the time to examine the man¡¯s face. It matched one of the sketches, and Terry exhaled sharply. He heard ruffling near him and immediately spun around to identify the source of the noise.

    ¡°Good job,¡± whispered Miguel.

    ¡°Tunnel is still clear,¡± added Siling in a whisper.

    ¡°What do we do with him?¡± asked Calam, while pointing at the unconscious man.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If you feel squeamish, we can just tie him up and continue gagging him with the cloth,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Given his weight and the dose in the dart, he will be out for at least one hour, anyway. Even afterwards, he will feel woozy for another hour.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Gellath and I will prepare to block the entrance,¡± informed Lori. ¡°Send us a signal as soon as you are ready at the northern entrance.¡±

    ¡°I will have Grumpy give a warning call in case someone is approaching through the tunnel,¡± said Siling. ¡°Number of calls in quick succession to indicate the number of targets.¡±

    ¡°I figure if only a single person approaches, you can handle that on your own,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Here, those could help.¡± He handed over a few more darts and a bottle of anesthetic to prepare more cloth.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lori received the items and handed some to Gellath. ¡°Even a small group is manageable, especially with life sense assistance.¡± She patted the daggers at her hips. ¡°Now, off with you! We will meet again in the cavern.¡±

    Terry, Siling, Calam, and Miguel hurried to the northern entrance.

    ¡°This may be more troublesome,¡± whispered Siling. ¡°Five targets at the northern entrance.¡±

    ¡°Noise doesn¡¯t matter after the explosion, does it?¡± Miguel pointed out. ¡°All four of us can let loose.¡±

    ¡°But we still need to seal up the entrance quickly,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°This time, I will have to do that first.¡±

    ¡°And we need to make sure none of them escapes,¡± stressed Siling. ¡°Calam?¡±

    ¡°I can keep a Kinetic Pull primed to prevent any runners.¡± Calam shrugged with a slight grimace. ¡°But fighting like that is like having one hand tied behind my back.¡±

    ¡°Then the competition for first blood will be between the lady of the group and myself,¡± joked Miguel. He raised his chin at Siling. ¡°Taking bets?¡±

    ¡°Pff, don¡¯t call me lady if you want to swindle me out of coins.¡± Siling rolled her eyes playfully.

    ¡°Who is talking about coins?¡± Miguel gave a toothy grin. ¡°I want to go hunting with the noble soul bird.¡± His expression turned serious again. ¡°Depending on their placement and equipment, I should be able to incapacitate two or three quickly. However, if they¡¯re standing too close to the entrance, then I have to be careful with coldfire or Terry might catch some.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re standing too close to the entrance, I can kick them in before I seal it.¡± Terry pointed out.

    ¡°Alright, seal the entrance. Keep them from getting close to any of us. Prevent them from running. Take them out. How hard can that be?¡± Miguel summoned his bow from the storage bracelet and gripped it with his right hand. ¡°I will keep an arrow ready and nocked. You should do your air crawler thing.¡±

    ¡°Good news,¡± announced Siling. ¡°At the western entrance, most of the targets moved inside the cavern. Only a single lookout remains. Eastern entrance is still in control as well.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± said Terry. ¡°I will move into position.¡± He walked into the air and hid in a tall tree close to the entrance, where he waited with a primed spell.

    Three explosions reverberated through the area in quick succession.

    Terry burst his mana and leaped down to the entrance. On the ground, he found himself face to face with one man that was still standing inside the tunnel. Without pause or hesitation, Terry summoned a tertium slab that had two handles, and he blocked the entrance. A cloud badger might still wiggle through at the edges, but no adult folk would be able to squeeze through the gaps.

    One out of the fight.

    A bandit was about to pull her weapon on Terry. Before she finished her first step, an arrow had already penetrated her chest. Another bandit was immobilized by roots growing from the ground.

    The bandit inside the tunnel called for his comrades and banged on the metal slab. Terry had finished the Immovable Object spell and had charged it with enough mana so that he could join the battle. He used his barrier spear to finish off the bandit that had been wounded previously by Miguel¡¯s arrow.

    One down.

    Terry activated the barrier imprint when he noticed one of the remaining bandits taking aim with a crossbow. Before the bandit could loosen the bolt, he was hit by an arrow. Shortly after the impact, a light blue fire started to sprout and envelop the man. The bandit screamed hauntingly, and his face grew pale. A moment later, his skin took on a blueish purple shade, and he collapsed.

    Two.

    The immobilized bandit was hit by an Ice Spike. The spike did not penetrate the armor, but it still hurt. Siling cast another Ice Spike and Miguel took aim as well.

    The last remaining bandit made a run for it. Unfortunately for the man, he did not run more than ten steps before an attraction force pulled him back to the fight.

    Miguel changed his target and hit the bandit with a plain, non-magic arrow. In a single fluid motion, he summoned another arrow from his storage bracelet into his left hand and shot again. This time, the arrow was coldfire-aspected again.

    Three.

    Siling¡¯s second Ice Spike hit a weaker point in the bandit¡¯s armor and caused a bleeding injury.

    The banging sounds on the transfixed metal slabs were growing more agitated.

    Terry examined the immovable tertium. Evidently, someone stronger had arrived. His mana sense told him that the person currently challenging the Immovable Object spell was a mana user. He judged that the last bandit would not require his involvement and moved back to the blocked entrance. In theory, the transfixed slab should not yield to power alone and it should also not affect the mana consumption, but just in case.

    It was at this moment that Terry realized that they had overlooked something very important. If the mana user among the bandits was capable of a disruption discharge or Dispel, then their whole plan here at the northern entrance would fall to pieces. Terry cursed inwardly, but there was little to do about it now.

    ¡°Does the slab mind coldfire?¡± whispered Miguel, who had stepped next to Terry.

    Terry considered the question and then replied: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t, not when under my spell.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Miguel nocked an arrow and laid down on the ground and looked through the gap between the metal slab and the ground. He aimed for the feet of the mana user banging against the slab.

    ¡°ARRHG YOU WASTED¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hehehe.¡± Miguel was pleased with his idea. Terry had to agree. That was one way to ease his worries.

    ¡°Careful on the left,¡± shouted Siling from the distance. Terry and Miguel checked what she was talking about and then noticed the eye of a bandit peeking through the gap.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± Terry stabbed forward with his spear, but he was not fast enough to make contact.

    ¡°Down,¡± shouted Siling.

    Miguel responded immediately. He let himself drop to the ground with a nocked arrow, and when he saw the bandit, he immediately loosened it from the bow. The arrow was not aspected and failed to kill the bandit, but it was enough to wound him.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Siling¡¯s latest Ice Spike finally put an end to the last bandit outside their entrance. She and Calam joined Miguel and Terry at the transfixed tertium slab.

    After a few hand signals from Siling, they all stepped away for a moment so that they would not be overheard. ¡°Overall, we are doing fine,¡± said Siling. ¡°The bandits remain scattered. Some are investigating the eastern entrance and some are still inside the cavern. Our tunnel currently has eight.¡±

    ¡°I guess we were lucky that the bandit inside called for help,¡± remarked Terry in a whisper. ¡°Western entrance?¡±

    ¡°Still in position at the entrance,¡± said Siling. ¡°It seems that they killed the lookout without drawing attention. There are only two bandits walking through the western tunnel. I have already had Grumpy inform them.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Please inform us immediately as soon as Lori and Gellath have joined up with the others.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± whispered Siling. ¡°When that happens, I will also switch souls to Furball.¡±

    ¡°Aww boo,¡± uttered Miguel and Siling rolled her eyes in response.

    ¡°Anyway, we should go and cause some trouble,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Don¡¯t want them to lose interest in our tunnel, do we?¡±

    The group returned to the entrance.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s on the left,¡± whispered Siling.

    ¡°On it.¡± Terry readied his barrier spear.

    Siling indicated the height. Terry walked up to the entrance with his spear aimed according to Siling¡¯s guidance. He spun around the corner and stabbed forward. He hit the shoulder of a woman that had been peeking through the gap.

    ¡°They are distancing themselves from the slab,¡± informed Siling.

    ¡°Time for some provocation,¡± declared Miguel. He glanced through a gap to check for bandits with long-range weapons.

    Terry nodded. ¡°Calam?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡± Calam raised a fist in front of his chest.

    Terry and Miguel took point. Siling followed, and then came Calam.

    Siling activated the barrier in her shield. Miguel nocked an aspected arrow and then he, too, activated the barrier spell imprinted in his bracer.

    Terry lifted three fingers and then took one down every second. After he had finished his silent countdown, he returned the metal slab to his storage bracelet and activated the barrier imprint in his spear.

    Miguel had to deactivate his barrier in order to shoot. He took a moment to scan the bandits to make sure that none of them was ready to counterattack at long range. Then he took aim at one bandit that was carrying a shortbow. Miguel deactivated the barrier, shot, and activated the barrier again without wasting so much as a second.

    The arrow found its mark and some of the coldfire even spilled onto the next bandit. The impact jolted the remaining targets from their daze. When they realized that the metal slab was gone, they charged at Terry and the others.

    Terry paid close attention to any bandits that could pose a threat from a distance. Fortunately, the few bandits with long-range weapons seemed hesitant to use them while their comrades were charging ahead.

    ¡°Calam, your turn.¡±

    Calam moved from behind the barrier provided by Siling and stepped next to Terry, who was already preparing his own spell.

    When they judged that the bandits had gotten close enough, Calam unleashed a Kinetic Push to force them right back into the tunnel. The bandits were surprised by the spell. Some lost hold of their weapons. Others were pushed straight into the weapons of their comrades.

    Calam stepped back, and Miguel took another shot. Afterwards, Terry re-summoned the tertium slab and activated Immovable Object.

    On their second iteration, Calam and Terry ran forward. Calam pushed the bandits further into the tunnel so that the group as a whole could move ahead some more. Afterwards, Terry transfixed the tertium slab again.

    ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± asked Siling. ¡°I will summon Furball.¡±

    ¡°Everything alright over there?¡± inquired Terry.

    ¡°As of now, yes,¡± replied Siling. ¡°We will have to push in further before I can sense them again.¡±

    Miguel and the others stopped their provocations and prepared themselves to activate their barrier imprints in case of trouble. Fortunately, Siling¡¯s soul exchange finished without incident and a white bear soul spirit with purple markings joined their group.

    ¡°So far, so good,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Speed up until the others are in range for life sense again?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement and they did as planned.

    After two more rounds of pushing into the tunnel, Siling noticed something was amiss. ¡°Wait,¡± instructed Siling. ¡°Five of them, but staying at a distance. Out of reach for Calam.¡±

    ¡°Archers and Arbalists?¡± Miguel tried to look around the tertium slab, but the gaps were too narrow and the tunnel shaped too irregular for him to get a good look. ¡°Hmph. I could take a shot with Siling directing me.¡±

    ¡°Or we could just move ahead without putting away the slab,¡± suggested Terry. ¡°Assuming they have similar weapons to those we have seen with the other bandits, would their projectiles manage to damage or penetrate the slab?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. This feels like one of those questions from my old school books,¡± complained Miguel. ¡°What kind of person would ever think to make armor from tertium?¡± ¡°Puh-blblbl¡­¡± He forced air through his closed lips, which caused them to vibrate noisily. ¡°The closest metal used for armor would be quintum and by ¡®used¡¯ I mean used several eras ago.¡±

    Miguel used his fingers to feel how thick the slab was. ¡°If we are talking full penetration, then I would say we should be fine approaching at least half of the way. Avoiding any kind of damage? Perhaps half that again.¡±

    ¡°Good enough,¡± said Terry. ¡°Siling, please inform us as soon as any of them move towards us.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Terry prepared a primed Immovable Object spell. He deactivated the active spell transfixing the tertium slab. He grabbed the slab¡¯s two handles and walked forward.

    *Ting* It did not take long until the first projectiles impacted on the slab. None of them caused significant damage. The group proceeded like this until Siling gave a warning and Terry ignited his primed spell to transfix the metal slab again.

    The group settled into a new routine.

    When the bandits attacked the slab, they waited.

    When the bandits distanced themselves while remaining in reach for Calam, they used Kinetic Push.

    When the bandits were out of reach, the group either temporarily blocked with barriers and had Miguel take a shot or they charged forward behind the cover of the tertium slab.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± announced Siling worriedly.

    Reflexively, Terry sunk his consciousness into his Guardian card to feel for the registered links with their companions. ¡°What do you mean? The links still signal that the situation is under control.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Siling looked pensive. ¡°Let¡¯s do one or two more rounds. Hopefully, your mana sense will ease my concerns.¡±

    ¡°Sounds ominous,¡± murmured Miguel.

    The group went back to their routine.

    ¡°Can you sense mana over there?¡± Siling pointed towards the wall, and Terry understood she was pointing towards a location inside the other tunnel.

    While Terry was trying to focus on his mana sense, Siling voiced her concerns. ¡°I can sense two separate clusters of life signatures. If Jorg¡¯s group were moving as planned, then there should only be a single place of confrontation. However, the second cluster seems too active for it to comprise only bandits.¡±

    ¡°Infighting among the bandits?¡± speculated Calam.

    ¡°¡­¡± Siling closely watched Terry.

    ¡°Crap. We need to hurry.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes went wide, and he scowled. ¡°The mana signature in front seems to be blood aspected.¡±

    ¡°The berserker?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°That¡¯s my guess, yes.¡± Terry clenched a fist.

    ¡°Waste it,¡± grumbled Miguel. ¡°The berserker lost control? Never heard that one before.¡±

    ¡°No point in complaining now, is there?¡± retorted Siling. ¡°We need to get going.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Terry. ¡°We need to join up with her before things get ugly.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the berserker still has enough sense left to distinguish friend from foe,¡± murmured Miguel.

    The group sped up their routine. They stopped waiting when the bandits attacked the metal slab. Instead, Calam threw his spell directly at the slab after Terry had deactivated Immovable Object. Terry followed with a brief burst to catch up with the slab and transfix it again. The slab received more damage than before, but their group also advanced more quickly.

    To mix it up, they occasionally put the tertium slab away and pushed forward with summoned barriers instead. Miguel also got in a few more shots with coldfire-aspected arrows.

    ¡°Siling, are there any others in our tunnel?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Or just the ones right in front of us?¡±

    ¡°No others,¡± replied Siling with creased brows. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°So if we take them out, the path is clear all the way to where our tunnels join together?¡± inquired Terry, while biting his bottom lip.

    ¡°Unless others step into it, yeah,¡± replied Siling.

    Terry turned to face their dwarven archer. ¡°Miguel, how many aspected arrows do you have left?¡±

    Miguel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Enough, why?¡±

    Terry glanced at his two elven companions. ¡°We could go with the icicle echidna solution again.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± While the companions from his own group nodded, the dwarf from Jorg¡¯s group was left confused. ¡°The what now?¡±

    ¡°Next time they are all within range, we¡¯ll transfix a few arrows in the air and then have Calam prepare a Kinetic Pull instead of a push,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°So you do have a bit of the assassin type in you,¡± exclaimed Miguel and pictured the result. ¡°Devious. I like it.¡±

    ¡°What do you call that?¡± asked Siling. ¡°Inverse archer?¡±

    It did not take long before the group got a chance to try the experiment. Terry absorbed some mana from a mana container and then transfixed nine aspected arrows at regular intervals into the air. He himself crouched into a corner ¨C one hand on the metal slab and the other holding his barrier spear.

    ¡°Ready,¡± announced Calam.

    Terry put the tertium slab back into his storage bracelet and ducked behind the activated barrier imprint of his spear. Miguel and Siling had activated their barriers as well, with Calam between them. Calam held out his hand from behind the barrier and cast Kinetic Pull.

    Habitually, the bandits charged ahead as soon as they saw the metal slab disappear. The arrows aspected with coldfire were difficult to see in the dark tunnel to begin with and the backdrop illumination provided by the activated barriers made it even more difficult to notice the trap.

    The Kinetic Pull caught the charging bandits completely by surprise. Three bandits died outright when their bodies impacted on the arrows and their bodies were engulfed by coldfire. One more bandit caught the coldfire from the others and suffered a similar fate. The last bandit reacted quickly enough to use the back of his dying companion as a jump point to gain some distance. Unfortunately for him, the arrow shot by Miguel was faster.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Miguel looked over at the result of their experiment. ¡°Not bad. Why didn¡¯t we do that from the beginning?¡±

    ¡°Distraction?¡± replied Siling. ¡°Tying down the targets, remember?¡±

    ¡°Still.¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°If we can mop them up this quickly, then no point in distracting them.¡±

    ¡°Except if there isn¡¯t anyone left to call for help, then we would have done a poor job at drawing attention,¡± reminded Siling.

    Meanwhile, Terry summoned the tertium slab again and transfixed it horizontally on top of the bodies. ¡°No need to wait for the coldfire to stop.¡± He gestured for his companions. ¡°After you.¡±

    ¡°Aww, is this the gentleman putting down the jacket so that the lady does not have to step into the puddle?¡± joked Siling.

    ¡°I¡¯m touched,¡± teased Miguel.

    ¡°Bearded ladies first,¡± declared Siling, and she gestured for the dwarven archer.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t a lady simply step around the puddle?¡± asked Calam. ¡°This makes no sense.¡±

    Once they had all safely stepped beyond the reach of the coldfire, Terry collected the tertium slab into his storage bracelet.

    ***

 019 Bounty Hunting â€“ Verdict

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 46 ¨C

    ¡°Run or jog?¡± asked Miguel.

    Terry looked to Siling.

    ¡°No need to worry about me. I got Furball.¡± Siling climbed on the back of the soul bear spirit. ¡°I will keep an eye out for bandits entering our tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Then you and I should take point,¡± said Terry. ¡°Keep our barrier items close and ready, just in case.¡±

    The group ran through the tunnel to reach the area where it joined with the western tunnel. Siling and Terry indicated the remaining distance via hand signals at regular intervals.

    When they could hear the sounds of fighting, they stopped and switched formation ¨C Terry and Calam at the front, Furball in the middle, Siling and Miguel at the back. They readied themselves for battle. Everyone prepared their equipment and Siling cast one round of Banish Fatigue. Afterwards, they moved forward.

    ¡°Shit, there are more. New cockroaches! Send the BIG ONE!¡± The shout of a bandit echoed from the tunnel walls.

    Calam cleared the path using a Kinetic Push. They hoped to advance far enough to get a clear view into the other tunnel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± murmured Siling. ¡°Is Elena now doing shadow-boxing?¡± With her life sense, Siling could perceive what she assumed to be Elena engaged in battle. However, Siling could not discover any other life signatures close to their blood-aspected ally.

    Siling looked worriedly at Terry and Calam in the front. The two had stepped into the area where the tunnels had joined. Unfortunately, the tunnel leading towards the cavern was too wide to be blocked by one of Terry¡¯s metal slabs.

    Instead, Calam moved there with a primed Kinetic Push.

    Something rushed at Calam from the shadowy tunnel. His spell was already primed and ready, but what he saw made his heart skip a beat. That thing rushing at him was clearly not normal folk ¨C it had four legs, two arms, and four eyes. There were strange markings glowing everywhere on its body, and a haze was rising from its joints.

    ¡°CALAM!¡±

    Calam had frozen up and his spell ended in spell failure.

    ¡°ROAR!¡± The soul bear spirit frenziedly charged into the assailant with all its might. It saved Calam, but was drawn into a fierce fight as a result.

    ¡°Wastes, a battle construct,¡± exclaimed Terry. He wanted to turn around and support Calam, but there was already something rushing at him from the western tunnel. He quickly set up the tertium slab in order to block it.

    Miguel tried to take aim at the construct. Unfortunately, the battle with the soul bear was too chaotic. Taking the shot would risk hitting the soul bear.

    ¡°Calam!¡± Siling ran forward to pull the blonde elf back into the northern tunnel from which they had arrived. ¡°AAAHHHHHHHHH.¡± An ear-piercing scream rang out suddenly.

    To Terry¡¯s horror, he recognized the voice as Siling¡¯s. He turned around and saw her crouching in pain on the floor with blood flowing from her eyes. Furball laid motionless behind her and slowly turned into dust. The battle construct was still looming over the dead soul spirit and pounded the floor.

    Another silhouette appeared from the shadows. Terry dashed towards Siling, but before he could reach her, a pair of hands had already grabbed her. One hand was pressing a knife to her throat. ¡°Everyone, drop your weapons and stop your spells. If I catch so much as the hint of a spell structure, the elf will lose much more than a strange pet.¡±

    Siling was still dazed from the shock and pain of losing a soul spirit. Instinctively, she grabbed the hand holding the knife.

    ¡°Let her go or you will eat the coldfire from my arrow!¡± Miguel glared at the bandit with his arrow nocked. ¡°A painful death to die.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll take my chances, boy. I wager you care more about your companion¡¯s life than I care about life in prison or wherever you would bring me. Now drop the tough act and your weapons.¡±

    ¡°Take the other one as an example.¡± The bandit pointed to Calam, who still appeared paralyzed. ¡°That is how I want you to act.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and if you could get that berserker woman to calm down, that would be swell. It was quite the pain to take control of these constructs, and the bitch has already damaged some of them.¡±

    Terry was gripping his barrier spear tightly.

    ¡°Are you deaf? Or do you care less about your companion than I had thought?¡± The bandit grinned repulsively.

    ¡°T-Terry.¡± Siling¡¯s pained voice made Terry¡¯s stomach twist into a knot. Her bloody eyes were looking directly into his.

    Miguel gritted his teeth. He reluctantly lowered his bow and arrow, but he continued to keep the arrow nocked.

    The bandit emitted a wicked laugh and prodded his hostage. ¡°Good, plead with your companions. We would not want them to be stubborn.¡±

    ¡°Terry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± muttered Siling.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Sil¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I will make it up to you.¡± Siling stared at him intently. Her tone of voice was weird.

    Terry was confused. He noticed Siling¡¯s gaze move repeatedly between him and her hand that was placed at the bandit¡¯s wrist ¨C the wrist on the bandit¡¯s knife hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you pet Sniffles later,¡± continued Siling while staring at him without a single blink.

    Terry finally understood, or was at least reasonably sure that he did. He gave a slight nod and mentally prepared himself for a full mana burst.

    ¡°Now, I will count down from five and I sure hope for the elf that your weapons are on the floor when I am done. 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­¡±

    Siling released the strongest instant lightning charge that her cloud badger soul spirit allowed her to wield. The bandit¡¯s hand and wrist went numb and lost all feeling. The knife fell to the floor.

    Siling rapidly ducked and jumped low towards the area between Terry and Miguel. Simultaneously, she turned so that she could block potential attacks with her shield.

    As soon as Terry saw the knife fall, he burst with as much mana as he could muster and leaped forward. He went above Siling, activated the spear¡¯s barrier imprint and rammed the spear into the bandit.

    ¡°Y-you little.¡± The bandit spat blood and began bursting his own mana to support his recovery. The battle construct moved again, but the bandit had not given it a clear command yet.

    Terry detected with his mana sense that Siling had taken cover behind Miguel. He pulled back his spear and retreated. While doing so, Terry dragged Calam along with him.

    As soon as Terry had distanced himself, Miguel shot an aspected arrow, and the bandit let out a blood-curdling scream under the torture of coldfire. Without pause, the dwarven archer summoned another aspected arrow from his storage bracelet and hit the bandit again.

    Afterwards, Miguel took aim at the construct¡¯s leg joints and then its body. In a matter of seconds, he had loosened more than half a dozen aspected arrows into the tunnel leading to the cavern. ¡°Terry, we could use a coldfire-proof shield in case that thing decides to attack us again.¡±

    Terry was about to summon another tertium slab when his first one suddenly came flying at him from the other entrance. Apparently, his spell had worn off.

    Terry dodged, and he saw a frenzied Elena charging after the tertium slab. She stopped for a moment when she reached the area where the two tunnels joined. Her knuckled gloves were very bloody. So was the dueling shield Elena was gripping with one hand.

    For a moment, Terry thought Elena might attack them. She sure looked mad enough. The joints of the battle construct¡¯s two left legs broke, and it keeled over with a loud crash. The noise made Elena look towards the cavern. When she saw the battle construct, she gave another battle cry and sprang forward.

    ¡°NO!¡± ¡°Elena, WAIT!¡±

    The coldfire was still burning on the construct. Terry went into full burst and grabbed Elena¡¯s arm to hold her back. In response, Elena turned and swung at Terry with the dueling shield in her right hand. Terry had to duck, and this allowed Elena to rip free her left arm. She held the dueling shield¡¯s grip with both her hands. It looked as if she was about to charge and ram her shield into Terry.

    ¡°Elena!¡± Lori and Jorg were running towards them. ¡°That wasted lunatic!¡±

    Elena turned when she heard Lori¡¯s voice. ¡°He¡­¡± She was panting. ¡°He attacked me.¡±

    ¡°Like Wastes he did, you pus for brains,¡± shouted Miguel angrily. He addressed Jorg. ¡°That mad woman was about to throw herself onto coldfire.¡±

    Jorg gave a low growl. ¡°Next time, let her.¡± He glowered at Elena. ¡°It may serve as a good reminder to not turn berserk and pull too far ahead of formation.¡±

    ¡°Jorg!¡± gasped Lori and glared at her brother.

    ¡°What?!¡± barked Jorg. ¡°If she is so intent on getting herself killed, then she can do it on her own.¡± He turned towards Elena. ¡°Do you enjoy getting surrounded? Do you get a kick out of others having to run after you and break formation?¡±

    ¡°Jorg!¡± protested Lori.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you to follow me,¡± retorted Elena coldly.

    ¡°Oh, trust me, if it was not for my sister, I might not have bothered,¡± hissed Jorg.

    ¡°Ooh, everyone¡¯s already here, nice,¡± interjected Alrik with a satisfied voice and a grin. ¡°We are ahead of schedule.¡± He beamed at his blood-aspected companion. ¡°Do tell Elena, have you left a few bandits for the B-team or have you already mopped them all up?¡±

    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± asked Gellath nervously. As soon as he noticed Siling¡¯s bloody face, he gasped with a horrified expression. ¡°What happened?! I can cast Curing Waters!¡±

    Siling was still half-lying on the floor. She weakly shook her head and answered with a shaky voice. ¡°Thank you, but soul wounds cannot be mended using variants of the Cure Wounds spell. You can only support the healing process with Heal and its variants.¡±

    ¡°Soul wound?¡± Jorg and the others now noticed Siling¡¯s state, too.

    Terry hurried to Siling and held out his hand to help her up. ¡°Nice idea. Glad it worked. That was risky.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Siling grabbed Terry¡¯s hand and pulled herself up. ¡°Glad you caught on.¡±

    ¡°For the record,¡± started Miguel, ¡°I¡¯m glad, too, but what exactly was that? I didn¡¯t detect any spell structure.¡±

    ¡°There was none. My bad, but in my defense, you were so enamored with the bloody frogmouth.¡± Siling smiled with tired eyes. ¡°That was a mana ability of my cloud badger soul.¡±

    ¡°Neat,¡± mumbled Miguel.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°We sensed that something was off in your tunnel,¡± explained Terry, and he glanced at Elena. ¡°Two battle clusters. One more than there should be.¡±

    ¡°We quickened our pace in order to join the battle and when we arrived here, we got ambushed by that huge battle construct over there,¡± said Miguel. ¡°It killed Siling¡¯s soul bear spirit.¡±

    ¡°Wastes,¡± cursed Jorg and shot the berserker another glare, which was again greeted with Elena¡¯s defiant unrepentant eyes, which only incensed him further. He had to take deep breaths to calm himself.

    ¡°Could have been worse,¡± said Siling wryly and sighed. ¡°There are still some bandits hiding in the cavern. I would prefer to finish this sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°Most of the coldfire has burned out, but be careful to avoid the remaining embers,¡± warned Miguel.

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Alrik strutted forward.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Jorg sighed and groaned impatiently. ¡°Alrik, you¡¯re a mage, remember? Versatile mage proper even?¡± He sounded tired. ¡°One of our best healers? With long-range spells? Maybe the frontline isn¡¯t the best position for you?¡± He could not help but let a patronizing tone enters his voice. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Miguel snorted.

    Alrik only rolled his eyes. ¡°Elena, would you be so kind?¡±

    Miguel¡¯s amused expression was instantly replaced by a scowl. ¡°So that she can run ahead again? How about no?¡±

    Alrik gave another eye-roll and Elena uttered a low growl.

    ¡°Siling, does your life sense still work?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± replied Siling. ¡°I can hang back with Gellath and give you directions.¡± Gellath nodded and stepped next to Siling with his shield raised higher than normal to protect the taller elf. He checked his mace to be doubly sure that it was ready for battle.

    ¡°Lori, Jorg, how about we go first?¡± proposed Terry. ¡°Barriers activated.¡±

    ¡°Once we have reached the cavern, I can provide covering fire from higher ground,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Finally some sense,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Florine looked to Alrik.

    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± exclaimed Jorg in exasperation.

    ¡°Whatever gets this over with sooner,¡± said Alrik impatiently.

    This time, it was Jorg that rolled his eyes. He silently stepped to the front, where he was joined by Terry and Lori. They pushed forward into the tunnel.

    Fortunately, they did not meet any further resistance until they reached the cavern.

    ¡°Does not look as if there is much fight left in them,¡± remarked Miguel. ¡°Do you figure that battle construct was their main fighting force?¡±

    They reached the cavern at a high platform from which a passage led down.

    ¡°Alright, I have found my spot,¡± declared Miguel. ¡°From here, the whole cavern is in my sight.¡±

    ¡°It seems they are trying to hide themselves,¡± said Siling. ¡°One group is over there.¡±

    ¡°Y-you sure?¡± asked Calam. It was the first time that he had spoken in a while. ¡°That looks like a wall to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Siling did not look at Calam.

    ¡°There is a mana signature and a thin layer of mana in that place,¡± declared Terry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything,¡± commented Alrik.

    ¡°Could be any number of camouflage or illusion spells,¡± continued Terry.

    ¡°Second group is over there.¡± Siling pointed to a different place.

    ¡°No active mana layer there. They could have used a spell like Raise Wall.¡±

    ¡°Illusion option sounds more problematic,¡± said Miguel. ¡°For all we know, they are taking aim at us with long-range weapons. A wall is less trouble since it impairs them as much as us.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here,¡± muttered Siling.

    ¡°I assume I should stay, too. Long-range spells, barriers, and all,¡± snarked Alrik.

    The others approached the first hidden group of bandits with activated barriers.

    ¡°Damn! They have a tracker! Fight!¡± a shout echoed through the cavern.

    A projectile resembling a down-sized ballista bolt was propelled out of the illusionary wall. It crashed into Lori¡¯s barrier. The barrier broke, but the angled impact deflected the projectile away from the group.

    ¡°Incoming!¡± warned Miguel. Terry and the others dispersed to the sides.

    Miguel shot several aspected arrows into the illusionary wall. The following screams told him that some of them had found their mark.

    ¡°Five more in that place,¡± said Siling. ¡°Movement at the second hiding spot.¡±

    ¡°I got it,¡± declared Alrik. A group of bandits broke through the flimsy earthen wall and was about to charge into the cavern. Unfortunately for them, they ran right into the center of Alrik¡¯s Raise Icicles spell.

    The illusionary wall at the first hiding spot had disappeared and the remaining bandits besieged by coldfire were revealed. They tried to dodge the coldfire and make their way into the cavern.

    Calam had primed a Kinetic Push to throw them back into the coldfire.

    ¡°I yield! I surrender!¡± The bandit dropped his weapon and held his hands in front before moving them behind his head.

    Calam stopped his spell. ¡°Uhm, okay?¡±

    The bandit walked closer. The corner of his mouth curled up. In the blink of an eye, the bandit had summoned a throwing knife from his storage bracelet and threw it at Calam.

    Jorg jumped in from the side and deflected the knife with his spear. Since he did not have the time to activate the barrier imprint, his hand was grazed by the weapon and a thin, bloody line appeared.

    Before the blood from Jorg¡¯s wound could gather into a droplet, the offending bandit was already skewered by several spears.

    ***

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Mirabilia stepped out of the shadows. ¡°That was¡­¡± She frowned while looking around. ¡°¡­messy.¡±

    Next to her, Isille also became visible. She clenched her teeth and wore a grave expression.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Siling?¡± asked Mirabilia.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± assured Siling. ¡°I can manage. I only require time to fully recuperate.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear. Hmm.¡± Mirabilia clicked her tongue a few times. ¡°Anyway, first things first. Khaled?¡±

    Khaled stepped out from the shadows and he was frowning just as much as Mirabilia.

    ¡°Please take charge of the targets,¡± asked Mirabilia. ¡°The examination has ended.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll pick up the live capture outside and then I¡¯ll hand him and the bodies over to the city guard.¡± Khaled walked over to the bandit corpses and then they all vanished into the shadows.

    ¡°Thank you Khaled.¡± Mirabilia looked at her examinees. ¡°Now, what to do with you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Given your mana levels, mission records, and theoretical exam results, this bandit group should have been a walk in the park for you, but that sure didn¡¯t look like it.¡±

    Mirabilia took a deep breath. ¡°Leaving aside all the issues below moderate, there was at least one major incident with the risk of crossing into catastrophic territory.¡± She frowned. ¡°To be frank, I already considered interfering right then and there.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You were able to resolve the incident on your own, but it could have gone either way.¡±

    Mirabilia took another deep breath. ¡°Near the end, there was another incident that could have manifested in at least moderate consequences. At least moderate. You again resolved it on your own.¡±

    Mirabilia¡¯s head movement was fluctuating between nodding and shaking. Eventually, she turned to Isille. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s right on the edge. It could barely¡ª¡±

    ¡°They failed,¡± judged Isille with a scowl to frighten a terror grizzly.

    Mirabilia nodded with no objection. ¡°They failed. Unanimous.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± roared Alrik incredulously.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®failed¡¯?¡± yelled a flabbergasted Florine.

    Most of the group only added their sighs to the following silence.

    ¡°You have failed your bounty hunting examination,¡± repeated Mirabilia in a firm voice. ¡°You may retake the examination at a later date.¡±

    ¡°Why in the Wastes would we fail?¡± demanded Alrik. ¡°The mission was to hunt down the targets and we have done exactly that!¡±

    ¡°All targets are either dead or captured!¡± stressed Florine.

    Mirabilia spoke with the practiced calm of an instructor and examiner used to rebellious students. ¡°You have barely succeeded in this mission, but the exam is about more than this single mission.¡± She opened her eyes and slightly shook her head as if this should have been obvious. ¡°The exam is an evaluation if you are prepared to take on such missions.¡± She shrugged. ¡°You could not convince us that you are.¡±

    ¡°So let me get this straight.¡± Alrik stared at them with disbelief. ¡°We were successful in the mission. However, despite that fact, you remain unconvinced that we can be successful in such missions?¡± He was gesturing wildly. ¡°This is ridiculous! We were successful, so evidently we are ready for such missions!¡±

    ¡°If you successfully predict a coin toss, does it make you ¡®ready¡¯ to predict the next ten correctly?¡± Mirabilia¡¯s voice developed a sharp tone. ¡°You could barely make it through a single mission without casualties. We are supposed to evaluate if you are prepared to survive more than just a single mission.¡±

    ¡°Bah,¡± scoffed Alrik. ¡°I was never in any real danger during this mission. Why do I have to fail just because that soul mage failed to protect herself?¡±

    ¡°Because you are a team!¡± interjected Isille with a bark.

    ¡°And you are judged as one,¡± added Mirabilia.

    ¡°You said it yourself. We resolved all incidents without interference,¡± retorted Elena.

    ¡°Right, and it was just a single incident,¡± added Florine. ¡°That is not fair!¡±

    ¡°It was not just a single incident,¡± reminded Isille. ¡°When you stopped and spared the bandits, the situation could have just as easily spiraled out of control again.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± hissed Alrik with a sneer. ¡°That force mage screwed up and everyone else gets punished for consequences that did not even happen?¡±

    ¡°You are a TEAM!¡± roared Isille. ¡°All nine of you! If anyone among you has a lapse in judgement, then it is on everyone to catch the mistake before it becomes a problem. You are responsible for having each other¡¯s backs. His mistake is yours as well. You could have objected, but you did not. You could have watched the bandits more closely, but you did not. You could have prepared a spell just in case, but you did not.¡±

    ¡°But Jorg did,¡± objected Florine. ¡°Nothing happened!¡±

    ¡°Not nothing,¡± disagreed Mirabilia firmly. She pointed at Jorg. ¡°He received a cut.¡±

    ¡°A cut?! That¡¯s all?¡± Alrik could not believe his ears. ¡°Absolutely ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Yes, a cut,¡± repeated Isille sternly. ¡°A cut from a hidden weapon. A cut that was completely avoidable if you had not shown misguided mercy.¡±

    ¡°Misguided mercy? What the¡­¡± Florine was at a loss for words. She could only shake her head. ¡°So what? We are not allowed to be merciful during bounty hunts? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think they go through the trouble to classify the bounties? Dead or alive,¡± retorted Isille. ¡°There is a time and place for everything. The time for hesitation is before you enter the battle. The time for sentiment is before weapons are drawn. The time for mercy is when you have the overwhelming advantage and are in complete control of the situation.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe you had the overwhelming advantage? That you were in complete control of the situation?¡± questioned Mirabilia. ¡°Because it sure did not look like it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that up to us?¡± demanded Florine. ¡°Us showing mercy has nothing to do with our ability! Just because we choose not to kill the targets does not mean that we cannot!¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± said Isille and took a deep breath. ¡°If you value your own life that cheaply, then you can risk it on your own. Then you don¡¯t belong on a team. Once you are on a team mission, you are risking more lives than yours alone.¡± She seemed desperate for them to understand. ¡°If you fall, then the others in your team will have to face even more danger. You won¡¯t be able to cover the back of your whaka when you are dead.¡±

    ¡°And if your team fails the hunt, then the targets will continue to inflict harm on others,¡± added Mirabilia. ¡°Your judgement is part of your ability as well. Your judgement and coordination appeared lacking. Pure mana-wise, you should have done a lot better.¡±

    Florine shook her head angrily. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Terry. ¡°Terry, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?! The Veilbinder believed in second chances as well!¡±

    ¡°In contrast to you, the Veilbinder could afford it,¡± rebuked Isille sharply. ¡°If the blade that made the cut was coated in spirit poison, then the Veilbinder would have been able to heal the wound. Would you? Would any of you?!¡± Isille challenged them. ¡°No. If the blade had been coated in spirit poison, then your companion would be dead.¡±

    Isille returned her gaze to her daughter. ¡°And that aside, I happen to have read that book of yours as well. There is no way the Veilbinder would have made the same mistake in your position. There is a clear line that the Veilbinder followed. If you failed to notice that line, lass, then you ought to go back and read it again.¡±

    ¡°We will not reconsider the verdict,¡± declared Mirabilia firmly. ¡°The verdict was unanimous and final.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Elena turned to leave and violently bumped into Terry and Calam on her way out.

    ***

 020 Of Friends and Companions

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 49 ¨C

    ¡°Lori, STOP!¡± yelled Jorg. ¡°What in mana is going on with you today? This is a spar, not a wasted death match.¡±

    ¡°Tse.¡± Lori rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± Jorg shook his head with an exasperated look. ¡°Stop bursting so much. Or do you not like your mana channels anymore? Is that it? If you want to destroy them, go get a pill. Don¡¯t turn Terry and me into accessories.¡±

    ¡°Did anything happen today?¡± asked Terry with a furrowed forehead. ¡°You seem¡­ upset.¡±

    ¡°No, I am not ¡®upset¡¯,¡± hissed Lori. ¡°I am pissed. Why aren¡¯t you two? Ma clearly set us up!¡±

    Jorg and Terry were struck dumb by the accusation.

    ¡°Even if she did, we walked right into it,¡± said Jorg with a shrug. ¡°We made a mistake, and we failed. What is the point of getting angry at that?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Terry. ¡°We failed the mission. I don¡¯t see what that has to do with Ma Isille.¡±

    ¡°If Ma had not been there, we would have passed,¡± accused Lori. ¡°She made us fail.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Mirabilia also pointed out our mistakes,¡± objected Terry. ¡°And Instructor Khaled, who observed, didn¡¯t look impressed with us either.¡±

    ¡°She said it was ¡®on the edge¡¯,¡± stressed Lori. ¡°It was Ma that pushed us off the cliff.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Mirabilia said it was ¡®messy¡¯ and that does not sound like a pass to me,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°What is the point in passing an examination if we haven¡¯t learned all that we were supposed to?¡±

    Jorg nodded. ¡°It is possible that Instructor Mirabilia tried to give Ma some face by even considering letting us pass.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I would certainly prefer not to spend contribution points on retaking an exam, but passing just because of Ma would leave a bad aftertaste as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± scoffed Florine. ¡°It is also possible that Ma wanted to put us down from the start. Not only possible, but highly probable if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°She wanted to teach us a lesson for getting uppity.¡± She talked herself further into anger. ¡°Alrik was right ¨C that was ridiculous. That must have been payback for choosing dungeon work.¡± She looked at her brother. ¡°Wasn¡¯t dungeon work your idea, Jorg? So why aren¡¯t you angry?¡±

    Jorg furrowed his brow. ¡°Well, among other things, because I do not believe any of it.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± added Terry. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they planned for bounty hunting from the beginning. We could ask Auntie Brynn in our next mana crafting lesson.¡±

    ¡°As if Aunt Brynn would tell us the truth,¡± scoffed Florine. ¡°She was probably in on it, just like she was in on their little family trip surprise during the dungeon work class.¡± She was scowling. ¡°Treating us like little children. Embarrassing me in front of¡ª¡± She cursed.

    Terry protested: ¡°Auntie coming to the dungeon was Unca Samuel¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Lori rolled her eyes.

    ¡°They wanted to see how we would deal with folk as our opponents,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Make sure that we are prepared to face a person and deal with them as needed.¡±

    ¡°It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Terry. ¡°No matter what work you do, you may run into people looking to start a fight with you. Better to face folk now than to freeze up later.¡±

    ¡°Oh great, and for that valuable lesson, we all had to burn up our contribution points?¡± demanded Lori. ¡°If they wanted us to kill the bandits, they could have just said so. Because of that stupid deal about the advanced classes, I dragged Alrik and Elena into bounty hunting.¡±

    Lori shook her head, bit her lips, and grumbled: ¡°Now they have lost contribution points because of Ma¡¯s petty vendetta.¡± She continued in a lower voice. ¡°Because of me. As if I wasn¡¯t bad enough already.¡± A defiant glint entered her eyes. ¡°And speaking of ¡®freezing up¡¯, the only person who froze was Calam!¡± She kicked the earth. ¡°It¡¯s all his fault.¡±

    Terry did not know how to respond to that accusation towards one of his companions. He dropped his gaze and became pensive.

    ¡°So Calam messed up, and?¡± Jorg shrugged. ¡°That was not the only reason we failed the examination. They judged us as a team and ¨C as a team ¨C made mistakes that gave the bandits unnecessary openings.¡± He sounded disappointed, but also resigned.

    ¡°Calam flinched, yes. But what else?¡± Jorg continued his retrospection. ¡°Let¡¯s see. How about the question why Terry¡¯s group ¨C including Calam ¨C had to rush over in the first place?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, right! That berserker went expectedly berserk. She pulled too far ahead and completely messed up the timing. She ignored everything, got in everyone¡¯s way, and single-handedly destroyed our group¡¯s coordination.

    Jorg saw Lori was getting ready to protest and continued quickly: ¡°She even lashed out against her own teammates for mana¡¯s sake!¡± He glowered. ¡°And as a finishing touch, we had Alrik acting the pest beetle the whole time. Him berating everyone in the group sure does wonders for our future team cohesion.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair!¡± protested Florine. ¡°Elena was under the lingering effects of bursting with blood-aspected mana. She would never¡ª She is my best¡ª¡± Her mind was racing to find excuses for her chosen companions. ¡°And Alrik was upset at Ma screwing us over!¡±

    ¡°So?¡± retorted Jorg nonchalantly.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®so¡¯?¡± wondered Lori. ¡°They can¡¯t be blamed for that! Elena didn¡¯t choose to be blood-aspected. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. She can¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice trailed off while she frowned at Jorg.

    ¡°¡®If you can¡¯t blame people for their vices, then you can¡¯t praise them for their virtues either.¡¯¡± Terry muttered to himself. While he was lost in his thoughts, he recited the quote without being fully aware of it.

    Jorg and Lori were both familiar with that particular quote. They had all read the Path of a Mage together, but none of them had ever paid much attention to that line before.

    Florine glared unhappily. ¡°Get over yourself Terry! You¡¯re not the Veilbinder! We are not talking about curse mages or cultists.¡± She whispered to herself with a downcast expression. ¡°We¡¯re talking about my companions and about my best friend.¡± Defiance entered her eyes, and she crossed her arms with an angry shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for today.¡± She packed up. ¡°I am done.¡±

    Terry was gazing into the distance and tried to sort out his thoughts. Yes, I am not the Veilbinder. I am well aware of that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°Our failed examination was three days ago, but only today she started acting like¡­¡± He gestured wildly at the back of his departing sister. ¡°¡­this.¡± For a while, Jorg looked after Lori in silence. Then he turned back to Terry. ¡°Continue our spar one on one?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Terry? Hel-lo? Anyone there?¡± Jorg waved in front of his brother¡¯s face.

    ¡°Huh? Sorry. Uhm¡­¡± Terry took a deep breath. ¡°There is something on my mind. Can we switch to physical exercise instead? I need some time to think, and in a sparring session, I can¡¯t afford to be distracted.¡±

    ***

    Calam arrived at the relaxation area of the training grounds. Terry and Siling were already sitting at a table. There was some small talk, but Terry was too nervous to pay attention. He was pale, fidgety, and his stomach felt queasy.

    Terry was working up the nerve to speak his mind. ¡°Calam, I¡­¡± He gritted his teeth and swallowed. ¡°I believe it would be better if you stopped doing mission work for a while. At least¡ª¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Calam was aghast. ¡°Is this because of me wanting to spare the bandits, because¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± denied Terry hurriedly and without hesitation. ¡°The failed mission was on all of us. If I had stood in your place¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I would probably have made the same mistake. You are kind. That is one of your virtues. That¡¯s one reason I treasure being your friend.

    ¡°Then why?¡± asked Calam. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡±

    ¡°You flinched, Calam.¡± Siling replied instead of Terry. ¡°Froze up completely. Again.¡±

    Calam frowned and averted his eyes.

    ¡°I talked to the Guardian advisors,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°What?! About me?!¡± Calam¡¯s face became flushed. Terry could not tell if it was from anger, shame, or embarrassment.

    ¡°They offer something called freeze therapy for problems like yours.¡± Terry tried to force himself to look into Calam¡¯s eyes and keep his own gaze steady, but without much success.

    ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Have. A Problem,¡± snarled Calam.

    ¡°Yes. You. Do,¡± retorted Siling sharply. ¡°You freeze up whenever something unexpected happens. The dwarven instructor was right. When on a mission, you are risking more than your own life.¡±

    ¡°And so are we if we ignore your problem,¡± added Terry.

    ¡°What problem?¡± demanded Calam exasperatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t get what the big deal is. Everyone was fine.¡±

    ¡°FINE?!¡± Siling snapped. ¡°Just because you cannot see the injuries, it does not mean there aren¡¯t any! I lost a soul spirit, Calam. My own soul has been injured. It may take a season for me to get back to normal. If a warrior could not use their arm properly for such a time-span, would you call that ¡®fine¡¯?!¡±

    That stunned Calam into silence.

    ¡°Until this¡­ issue has been resolved,¡± began Terry, which already invited an eye roll and an angry intake of air from the target of their intervention. ¡°I do not believe it is a good idea for you to do the kinds of missions I would pick.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not that much stronger than me!¡± scoffed Calam.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Terry finally mustered the resolve to look Calam in the eyes. ¡°That is precisely why. I am not strong enough. You need a bigger safety margin so that you can avoid unexpected danger. I am not strong enough to provide that during the missions I want to take. I¡­¡± He bit his lip. ¡°I want to be prepared when I need it. I want to improve, Calam. For that, I need to challenge myself. Unexpected dangers are inevitable. I don¡¯t have confidence¡­¡±

    Terry considered his words. ¡°You need a safety margin to avoid¡­ issues. I can¡¯t provide that on these mission levels. If we do those kinds of missions, then one of these days, your flinching may put one of us out of commission and leave the other two in danger no one prepared for. I am not strong enough. I need someone to whom I can trust my back. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I would have your back and you know that!¡± protested Calam indignantly.

    ¡°I know you would want to.¡± Terry had a pained expression. ¡°I trust your intentions, but¡­¡± He desperately searched for words. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª I don¡¯t trust your actions anymore. Not when you freeze up like that. I can¡¯t cover for someone freezing up ¨C for someone flinching on the regular. I don¡¯t have the confidence to watch your back for that in those situations, and I can¡¯t rely on you to have mine.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Calam, you are the first real friend I ever made outside of my family.¡±

    ¡°Some friend you turned out to be,¡± huffed Calam with disappointment and indignation.

    Terry closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.

    Siling remained silent, and she crossed her arms.

    Terry opened his eyes again and watched Calam. ¡°I would be happy to¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°To occasionally accompany you on suitable missions or to simply meet up.¡± He smiled bitterly at how unlikely this now seemed. ¡°I¡­ I hope we can stay friends, but I cannot do regular mission work with you until you have¡ª¡±

    Calam broke eye contact with Terry and moved his gaze to Siling. ¡°What about you, Siling? You think the same as Terry?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Siling kept her eyes on Calam.

    Terry closed his eyes and sighed in resignation.

    ¡°Right now, Calam,¡± continued Siling. ¡°I think of you as more of a pus weasel than as a friend.¡±

    Terry opened his eyes and watched Siling, who was glaring furiously at Calam.

    ¡°You have a wasted problem, Calam,¡± hissed Siling. ¡°Everyone has problems. But instead of addressing your problem and working through it, you try to downplay it and you attempt to deflect the blame. Not only are you recklessly risking your own life, you do the same for our lives. To top it off, you are trying to push all the responsibility onto us. So yeah, ¡®Some friend you turned out to be.¡¯ That is what I think.¡±

    ¡°Fine then,¡± spat Calam. ¡°You don¡¯t want me? I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡± He stood up. ¡°Good riddance.¡± He stormed off.

    Now Terry only felt empty. There was a moment of silence at their table. ¡°Maybe I¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Siling cut Terry off. ¡°If you had not brought up the topic, then I would have. Calam might not go completely berserk like that blood-aspected woman, but he is definitely not in control of his actions.¡± After another pause, she continued. ¡°Anyway, we need a new companion. Someone that is also looking to take part in the bounty hunting examination.¡±

    ¡°No retake before your soul has fully healed,¡± insisted Terry.

    ¡°You sure?¡± asked Siling. ¡°The other two groups seemed rather impatient. Particularly, that mage dwarf from your sister¡¯s group.¡±

    ¡°Then Alrik will have to learn some patience,¡± said Terry unperturbed. ¡°Lori will understand.¡± His brows raised slightly. ¡°I hope.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Even if we did not wait for your recovery, we would still require time to practice coordinating with a new member.¡±

    ¡°Any ideas?¡± asked Siling.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have the best track record when picking companions.¡± His eyes lost focus while speaking¡­

    ¡°Hey!¡± replied Siling in mock offense ¨C a transparent attempt to lighten the mood, which Terry appreciated.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Terry pointed at his remaining companion. ¡°Technically, you were picked by the Guardian advisors.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but at least you knew how to take advice.¡± Siling pointed back at Terry. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try that again? Discuss with the advisors, I mean. Worst-case scenario, it does not work out.¡±

    ***

    Lori stared with mouth agape and desperately hoped she had misheard. In her shock, she had even stopped eating mid-bite. Her face was frozen as the rest of the family continued eating their dinner. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®a season¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It is true that it will take a while before another opportunity for a bounty hunting examination arrives,¡± interjected Isille.

    ¡°But not that long, right?¡± protested Lori.

    ¡°Not unless longer travel times are prohibitive,¡± replied Isille and glanced at her human son.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of when the mission would become available,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Instead, I was thinking of when we would be ready.¡±

    ¡°You mean your group?¡± inquired Jorg. ¡°Is it because of Siling¡¯s soul?¡±

    ¡°Does she require healing supplements?¡± asked Bjorln before muttering pensively. ¡°Soul medicine is tricky¡­¡±

    ¡°Siling prefers to let her soul recuperate without external interference,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Apparently, the soul will come out stronger that way at the end. If she is lucky, she may develop a new soul spirit spot. For now, she will stick to regular spellwork without channeling through her soul.¡±

    ¡°Miguel will want to wait as well,¡± stated Jorg. ¡°I think he has a bit of a crush on her, or at least on that grumpy spirit bird of hers. Anyway, that spirit and her life sense are really useful. It would be a pity to miss it during the retake. We can do other mission work until then.¡±

    ¡°But can¡¯t she still use normal spells?¡± Florine felt unresigned. ¡°Can¡¯t we still do the retake even without her soul spirits?¡±

    Terry shook his head. ¡°Siling¡¯s recovery is only one reason. We also need to look for a new teammate.¡± After that statement, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him.

    ¡°What about Calam?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°The bounty hunting examination was not the first time that Calam froze up completely,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°Will he go into freeze therapy?¡± inquired Isille.

    ¡°Sadly, no,¡± replied Terry with a downcast expression. ¡°Siling and I tried to convince him that he needs it, but he refuses to acknowledge that he even has a problem¡­¡± He shrugged with lowered eyes. ¡°And we refuse to work together with him like this.¡±

    ¡°Wastes Terry, is that how you treat your companions?¡± Lori looked appalled. ¡°If they¡¯re too weak, kick them out?¡± She grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She unhappily stabbed her fork into her food without looking at her human brother. ¡°I expected better.¡±

    ¡°I do remember you having try-outs when searching for a group member,¡± interjected Jorg with a raised eyebrow. ¡°How is that different?¡±

    Lori returned an offended glare. ¡°Back then, those were still strangers! We weren¡¯t companions!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t run a completely imbalanced team,¡± interjected Isille calmly. ¡°A group can have specialized roles, but everyone should roughly be at the same level regarding their role. In the end, you will have to align on missions and if the levels are too different, then what is appropriate for one would be boring or lethal for the other.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say so,¡± snarked Lori. ¡°I¡¯m glad that not everyone thinks like that.¡±

    Isille clicked her tongue. ¡°Imagine me teaming up with you.¡±

    Lori groaned but did not interrupt.

    ¡°If we would take missions at your level, then either I would handle everything on my own or simply watch over you,¡± said Isille. ¡°That is not a group. That is an instruction class. If we would take missions appropriate for my level, then we would be a suicide troop.¡±

    Isille ignored the eye-roll of her daughter and turned to Terry. ¡°But strength wasn¡¯t really the determining factor, was it?¡± She, too, would expect differently from her accepted son.

    ¡°No, I simply do not know how to pick a mission when¡­¡± Terry searched for the right words.

    ¡°Your companion may suddenly stop fighting altogether?¡± offered Isille, and Terry nodded. Isille pointed at him with her fork. ¡°Good call. All the strength in the world is useless if it cannot be counted on.¡±

    Isille cut her meat and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have a chat with Guardian management. We should probably keep a shadow near his area of deployment. Calam seems like a nice kid. It would be a shame if he got himself killed because of his unresolved problem. At least, they should note the issue on his record so that he won¡¯t get any missions without sufficient safety margins.¡±

    ¡°Honest Terry is at it again,¡± sneered Florine. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting your abandoned companion barred from making his own choices.¡± She grumbled. ¡°I guess I should be glad that my own companions don¡¯t treat me like that.¡±

    Isille¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Whaka Florine, you do realize that after every single one of your classes, the instructors and examiners add notes to your record? Calam¡¯s record already has two entries referring to a potential freeze problem. One by Instructor Khaled and one by myself. Terry has not told us anything we haven¡¯t noticed before. He has merely further corroborated our own suspicions, and this helps us to treat the issue with the appropriate priority.¡±

    ¡°Well, that makes it all okay then.¡± Florine spoke with sarcasm. ¡°I¡¯m sure Calam will be thrilled at being the focus of your literary works.¡±

    ¡°Better than Calam getting him or others killed,¡± interjected Terry sharply. The conversation was starting to get to him, and he wanted it to be over.

    ¡°A season then,¡± said Jorg in an attempt to defuse the tension. ¡°Should be fine from my side. I don¡¯t believe Miguel or Gellath will have particular objections.¡±

    Florine sank down in her chair, crossed her arms, and scowled.

    ***

    Terry sat alone in the relaxation area within the training grounds. He was practicing his mana crafting on a metal rod. It was one of the metal rods that the twins and Terry had used during their initial experiments with the Immovable Object spell.

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd shape for a worry stone,¡± quipped Siling, who had just arrived.

    ¡°Greetings, Siling.¡± Terry¡¯s voice was dispirited, and his eyes were gloomy.

    ¡°Maybe we should postpone the meetup with Tiana?¡± wondered Siling. ¡°If you are not in the mood, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± insisted Terry.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound fine,¡± said Siling. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Lori thinks I¡¯ve abandoned my companion,¡± muttered Terry. He shrugged. ¡°And Calam turned his link off.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Or erased it completely from his Guardian card. Who knows?¡±

    ¡°That little pus weasel.¡± Siling frowned. ¡°Alright, that settles it. I will give him a week to regain some sense.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I am planning out my spellwork curriculum,¡± said Siling. ¡°If Calam doesn¡¯t start acting like decent folk in a week, then I will include force spells. Or at least the Kinetic Push. I am missing good defensive spells and that one has both defensive and offensive uses. It also pairs up nicely with your Immovable Object.¡±

    Terry nodded in response. ¡°Do you believe Calam will change his mind?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, can¡¯t care,¡± replied Siling. ¡°Time is too short. We¡¯ll see what happens if and when it happens. Until then, there are plenty of other things to occupy our time. Like spellwork. Any suggestions?¡±

    Terry tilted his head and thought about it. ¡°I figure you already put the frontal Barrier on the list?¡±

    Siling nodded.

    ¡°Liquify Earth,¡± suggested Terry. ¡°That spell is way too useful for a basic-level spell. Until recently, it was the bane of my all-out spars against Lori. Wastes, even now it is incredibly annoying. The spell might have some synergy with your Entangling Roots, too.

    ¡°Lori¡¯s Raise Wall might be a useful defensive addition as well. In contrast to the barrier, it can be raised at a distance. It will stay in place without requiring continuous mana infusion.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Siling considered the suggestion. ¡°On the one hand, it can be raised where it is needed. On the other hand, I can¡¯t take it with me in case I have to move. Earth or stone blocks differently from a mana barrier, too. Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Nassim had a light-aspected Camouflage spell that seemed quite handy,¡± continued Terry. ¡°Could help you avoid trouble and may pair up nicely with your life sense and bird eyes.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but generally, I don''t want to scout ahead in person,¡± said Siling. ¡°It probably can¡¯t fool mana or life sense, either. I would rather stay in the back and use the mana for defense or movement. Although¡­ Hm, I will put it down as a, maybe. Depends on how long it would take to learn, as well as its mana upkeep.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°For movement, there would be Haste¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait a second, that is an expert-level spell.¡± Siling looked incredulously at Terry. ¡°You know, sometimes I forget you were an Academy mage.¡±

    ¡°Technically, I never made it to mage status while at the Academy,¡± corrected Terry. ¡°I only learned a spell after my expulsion.¡±

    ¡°That may be, but still.¡± Siling gave a wry smile. ¡°Your sense of normal is way off. Like really.¡±

    ¡°My bad,¡± mumbled Terry.

    ¡°No worries, but stick to advanced level spe¡ª¡± Siling interrupted herself and raised her brows. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Terry had suddenly flinched, looked away from Siling and to the metal rod in his hand. ¡°I¡­¡± He inspected the metal rod thoroughly. ¡°I think I have finished my first mana-crafted item.¡±

    He injected mana into the rod. The imprint activated and the metal rod was transfixed in the air. ¡°The imprint is fuzzy as a cloud badger, though.¡± Terry laughed happily. ¡°Uhh, sorry about that. Only spells up to advanced level?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sorry me,¡± chided Siling and gestured. ¡°Gimme. Let me see.¡±

    Siling checked and activated the imprinted metal rod herself. ¡°Huh, it really is as fuzzy as a cloud badger.¡± She handed the rod back to Terry and beamed at him. ¡°Congratulations! So when can I order an imprinted shield? I am hoping for a companion¡¯s discount.¡±

    Terry smiled back at her. ¡°Once I can manage to defuzz my imprinting, I will be happy to give you a friend¡¯s discount. As for spells¡­¡±

    Terry puckered his lips and moved them from side to side. ¡°I am not sure. Depends if you want to emphasize acting as a healer, support, or opportunist. With the spells so far, you could have a great opportunist combination when adding Rock Spear or Raise Icicles.¡±

    ¡°You mean with Kinetic Push?¡± asked Siling.

    Terry nodded. ¡°As well as with Entangling Roots and Liquify Earth.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Siling tapped her finger on her chin. ¡°Not much use against armored opponents, but then I could at least delay. Rock Spear allows propelling the spears forward, too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Raise Icicles does not, but it¡¯s usually quicker,¡± explained Terry. ¡°And Rock Spear requires you to stand on earth or rock.¡±

    Siling shrugged. ¡°Yeah, okay, but that is pretty much always the case.¡±

    ¡°You mean aside from hunting bloody frogmouth?¡± quipped Terry.

    ¡°Meh, the net worked better anyway.¡± Siling waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I will make a note of it and check the details for both of them. There probably isn¡¯t enough time for both. I still have my eye on an advanced spell.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Resummon Spirit.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a soul spell?¡± Terry became concerned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do any soul channeling before my soul has healed,¡± assured Siling. ¡°But I can already practice the shaping and priming.¡±

    Terry heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°Resummon my soul spirit right in front of me,¡± explained Siling. ¡°If Grumpy takes a long flight, it can save the return trip.¡±

    Terry grinned. ¡°And if you run into trouble, you can get immediate support from a combat soul. Sounds great.¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°Maybe I should go item shopping as well¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Greetings. Are you Terry and Siling?¡±

    Terry turned around and his mind ground to a halt when it had to process what he was seeing. In his family, Terry was used to turning towards a voice and seeing nothing but empty air at first, or perhaps a few traces of hair at the lower edges of his peripheral vision.

    When Brynn and Samuel were visiting, Terry got to see faces.

    The sight in front of him now was entirely new.

    ¡°Waow.¡± Siling stood open-mouthed. ¡°Those arms are already making me feel safe. Greetings, Tiana. I¡¯m Siling. The silent human is Terry. Normally, he communicates through talking, but right now he seems to try and make do with blinking.¡±

    Eventually, Terry realized he was looking at an armor plate. He looked up and finally discovered a human face. Half of the head was trimmed very short. The other half held longer hair that was kept away from the face with a silver hairpin. That hairpin looked awfully delicate and somewhat out of sync with the rest of her appearance.

    ¡°Greetings, Tiana.¡± Terry suppressed his embarrassment. ¡°Apologies for spacing out. Seriously, though. Impressive physique. What kind of training regimen do you have? Can I join?¡±

    Not only was Tiana very tall, she absolutely radiated strength. Thanks to Bjorln insisting on physical exercise, Terry was far from a twig himself and looked the part of a physical fighter. However, Tiana was something else entirely.

    Even Bjorln would be impressed by her muscular stature.

    ¡°Pardon, Terry?¡± interjected Siling. ¡°Maybe we should first wrap up the whole teaming up thing before you start nerding out on exercise?¡±

    ¡°Right, fair point,¡± muttered Terry sheepishly.

    ¡°Here, my Guardian card,¡± offered Tiana. ¡°I would like to inspect yours as well.¡±

    ¡°O-kay?¡± Siling received Tiana¡¯s card first. Afterwards, she and Terry fingered for their cards and presented them to Tiana.

    Terry whistled sharply when looking through the mission record.

    ¡°You failed the bounty hunting examination,¡± noted Tiana. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We made mistakes,¡± replied Terry. ¡°We failed to put sufficient emphasis on one part of the intel. Our group coordination could have been better. We were too soft on the targets and that led to taking unnecessary risks and one messy situation too many. We dealt with everything, but things could have gotten ugly.¡±

    ¡°The companion that left, were they the leader who made the call?¡± inquired Tiana.

    ¡°The what?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Leader,¡± repeated Tiana. ¡°The one who made the plan.¡±

    ¡°Normally, we develop plans together,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°Okay?¡± Tiana creased her brows. ¡°Color me skeptical.¡±

    Siling narrowed her eyes. ¡°Well, one of the allied groups definitely had a ¡®leader¡¯.¡± She continued in a murmur. ¡°He also picked pus weasel as a secondary occupation.¡± She cleared her throat and continued. ¡°However, our group did not have that little dictator type before.¡±

    Tiana¡¯s expression had darkened at Siling¡¯s last statement.

    ¡°Anyway, the split of the group had nothing to do with the mission failure,¡± stressed Terry, but Tiana seemed unconvinced.

    ¡°You have completed a lot of missions,¡± said Terry. ¡°All successful too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but also a lot of group hopping,¡± noted Siling. ¡°What gives?¡±

    Tiana straightened her back and intentionally maintained eye contact. ¡°They could not handle me being better than them.¡±

    Siling blinked silently, and her eyebrows marched upward with each blink. ¡°Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± said Tiana firmly.

    ¡°All seven groups of them?¡± questioned Siling.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Tiana pressed her lips tightly together.

    ¡°Well, ¡®color me skeptical.¡¯¡± Siling deadpanned.

    ¡°You got a problem?¡± Tiana¡¯s face flushed. ¡°I am merely giving you my honest answer. Are you calling me a liar?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean when you say they could not handle you being better than them?¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°I mean that I propose a good plan and they reject it. They drag me into a stupid plan and in the end, I am the one who has to step up in order to salvage the mission. Then, when I dare to remind them that this could have been avoided, they throw a fit.¡± Every one of Tiana¡¯s sentences oozed frustration. ¡°Every time.¡± Tiana was looking at Terry with an odd mixture between staring and glaring ¨C not quite angry, but somehow preparing for confrontation.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°You left?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Tiana.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I have never left a group of my own accord.¡± Tiana¡¯s voice was getting louder and more desperate. ¡°They left me. Decided that I was not a ¡®good fit.¡¯ Told me to look for another group.¡±

    ¡°Even though you were the one that salvaged the missions?¡± questioned Siling.

    ¡°Yes,¡± sighed Tiana.

    ¡°All seven groups of them?¡± pressed Siling.

    ¡°Yes, all seven groups,¡± growled Tiana with a scowl.

    ¡°Alright,¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°While I have pretty good mana sense and control, I am mostly a mana cultivator. Because of an aspect impairment, I can only cast a single spell on my own. I am still trying to figure out new uses for the spell, but its most obvious use is in defense. Siling covers the healing.¡±

    ¡°Mage proper at your service,¡± announced Siling.

    Tiana displayed a hint of surprise. ¡°I¡­ am a pure mana cultivator. I have a control impairment, but my internal mana control is unaffected.¡±

    Terry made a quizzical expression. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about that condition before. Does it mean trouble with external mana control?¡±

    ¡°I wish it was only ¡®trouble.¡¯¡± Tiana sighed. ¡°The most I can do with mana outside my body is activate the imprint in mana-crafted items.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Terry can imprint a shield for you,¡± suggested Siling. ¡°I have first dibs though.¡± She struggled with herself for a moment. ¡°Uhm, I also specialize as a spirit mage. I bind the souls of magical creatures and then summon them as support in combat.¡±

    Tiana¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, but she remained silent.

    ¡°The flying soul spirits are incredibly useful during hunts,¡± praised Terry. ¡°Siling can also use the pure mana abilities of the bound souls. Thanks to her bloody frogmouth soul, she can even use life sense.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Unfortunately, in the bounty hunting mission¡­¡± He caught Siling¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Right, one of my soul spirits died and my soul needs time to recover,¡± explained Siling. ¡°It may take up to a season before I can safely use my soul spirits again. I prefer not to rely on medicine for recovery.¡±

    ¡°We want to wait with retaking the bounty hunting examination until after Siling has recuperated,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    Tiana considered the question before shaking her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    ¡°Meet up on the training grounds tomorrow?¡± suggested Terry.

    They continued to chat for a bit, but shortly afterwards, Tiana left. Apparently, she was not very interested in small-talk.

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Well, then. She seemed¡ª¡±

    ¡°Almost as big as the chip on her shoulder?¡± offered Siling.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was about to say competent according to her mission record, but yeah.¡± Terry puffed his cheeks. ¡°That, too. Anyway, no point in second-guessing. We will see for ourselves soon enough.¡±

    Siling shrugged. ¡°Her mission record was impressive alright.¡±

    ***

 021 Warming Up

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 63 ¨C

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Siling blinked with a blank face until she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Excuse me, but what?!¡±

    Terry cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re very good at this.¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes and hissed through gritted teeth: ¡°Do you have a better plan?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry flatly. ¡°I believe the plan is great.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± blurted Siling with incredulity. Her eyes narrowed and moved from side to side as if she was suspecting a prank. ¡°You do? It is?¡±

    ¡°At least, I believe so.¡± Terry looked at Tiana with his forehead in wrinkles. ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, because you haven¡¯t really explained it, though.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Tiana, now equally confused. ¡°I have explained everything.¡±

    Siling tilted her head, crossed her arms, and puckered her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Tiana¡¯s voice was drenched in annoyance. ¡°What part don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    Terry felt a visceral reflex when hearing her tone. He had to remind himself of one of Bjorln¡¯s adages to remain calm.

    Don¡¯t be the one to escalate a neutral response into a negative pattern.

    He took a deep breath and reminded himself of his accepted father¡¯s advice.

    Everyone can have a bad day. One bad day is not an inexcusable pattern of behavior. Her annoyance does not necessarily reflect on me. It might not even have anything to do with our conversation. Maybe she has a headache. Maybe she has other things that occupy her mind. Maybe I am misinterpreting her tone.

    He exhaled slowly.

    Be charitable if possible. Otherwise, de-escalate or extract yourself from the situation. Othernotwise, everyone will go insane.

    ¡°Well, there was that bit at the beginning,¡± replied Siling with a deadpan expression. ¡°And at the end.¡± She puffed her cheeks. ¡°And more or less all the bits in between.¡±

    Terry had to chuckle at Tiana¡¯s scandalized expression. ¡°You should come hunting with Ma Isille. She would chew your ear off about the difference between objectives and steps. Speaking from personal experience here.¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really feel an urge to meet your mo¡ª Wait, did you say Ma Isille? Like Instructor Isille?¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow at his ma being recognized. ¡°Yup.¡±

    Tiana looked at him with bewilderment. ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty tall for a dwarf?¡± Terry grinned. ¡°I get that a lot.¡±

    Siling laughed with a snort. ¡°I¡¯m sure Tiana, of all near-giants, can sympathize on that account.¡±

    Tiana could not suppress a smile. Just like that, the tense moment had already passed.

    ¡°Actually, they accepted me into their family when I had nowhere else to go,¡± explained Terry.

    Tiana looked him up and down. ¡°Like the proper accepted family? Whaka?¡±

    Terry nodded.

    Tiana whistled. ¡°That¡¯s quite the responsibility. I, uhm, I wouldn¡¯t mind going hunting with Instructor Isille.¡± Despite her impressive stature and battle attire, Tiana somehow gave off the impression of a shy child. Or maybe Terry only imagined that.

    ¡°Great, I will talk with her,¡± said Terry. ¡°What about you, Siling? Ma Isille could also comment on our group coordination.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Siling turned her head to the side and averted her eyes.

    ¡°You actually have to think about it?¡± exclaimed Tiana in astonishment. ¡°That¡¯s like a free instruction class with one of the most renowned instructors among the Guardians¡¯ reserve. Granted, she is a pure mana cultivator, and you don¡¯t practice mana cultivation, but still.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Siling looked troubled. ¡°The thing is, Terry has told me a bit of those hunts before and, well, they seem to include an awful lot of running around.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± exclaimed Terry in understanding.

    ¡°¡®Ahh¡¯ what?¡± questioned Tiana with her forehead still in wrinkles.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have my soul bear mount anymore,¡± whined Siling while still trying to avoid Tiana¡¯s gaze with a nervous laugh.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± exclaimed Tiana in a flat tone.

    ¡°Maybe we can rent a horse or one of those dracolisks,¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± repeated Tiana with even more disbelief.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Siling still tried her best to pretend that she could not hear Tiana.

    ¡°Or you could transform into luggage again,¡± suggested Terry teasingly.

    ¡°No.¡± Siling¡¯s response was instantaneous. In contrast, Tiana found herself entirely lost at the remark again.

    ¡°Anyway, I think it would be nice if we could hunt with the whole group, but you don¡¯t have to feel obligated to join us, Siling,¡± said Terry with a shrug.

    ¡°Gah¡­¡± Siling grabbed her head in frustration. ¡°Now, I feel guilty. Curse your kind consideration tactics!¡± She smacked her lips. ¡°Okay, fine, but can you at least try to haggle the running down to a minimum?¡±

    Terry agreed with a chortle.

    ¡°So what was this about objectives?¡± inquired Tiana and cleared her throat.

    Terry rubbed his forehead. ¡°I will probably butcher the explanation, so I would appreciate it if you don¡¯t quote me in front of Ma Isille. What I took it to mean is that the most important part of a plan is the why and not the how. One must clearly communicate the intermediate objectives, what you want to achieve, and why. The specific steps to achieve an objective may be important, but not as much as the objective itself.

    ¡°Ma says that sooner or later, there are always hiccups ¨C a specific step doesn¡¯t work out or there is a change of circumstances. When that happens, you want every individual member to be aware of what they are supposed to achieve and why. That way, they can try to identify an alternative step to achieve the same objective, even when you don¡¯t have a chance to regroup and discuss again.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Sure, we can go on a hunting trip together,¡± agreed Isille. ¡°Is this because of your new companion? I am not the only instructor with a control impairment, but I can certainly give a few pointers on how to cope.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Terry blinked silently while he replayed the words in his head. ¡°You have a control impairment?!¡±

    ¡°Heh, so that wasn¡¯t it?¡± Isille blew some air through closed lips. ¡°Yes, I do. Runs in the family, actually. Or at least on my side of the family, particularly among the women. Internal mana control is fine, but as soon as the mana leaves my body, it feels foreign. My pa had the same problem. That is why our family places such a heavy emphasis on mana-crafted items.¡±

    Isille rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°After the chipmunks had taken their first examination, I cried tears of relief. Jorg seems to be somewhat affected, but even he can pick up spellwork, albeit at a slower pace. And Lori¡­¡± Pride and happiness entered her eyes. ¡°Lori has the best potential for mana control I can remember in our family line, and she also has the brains to make use of it.¡±

    The look in Isille¡¯s eyes changed again. ¡°Truth be told, I felt very guilty about having a daughter and¡­ passing on my¡ª I still remember the stories of my sister and what it was like for myself. Sigille eventually overcame it somewhat, but only after painstaking efforts over decades and even then¡­¡±

    Isille shook her head. ¡°Even my determined monomaniac of an elder sister only mastered a few basic spells as well as disruption discharges. Forming a mana refractor for an aspected discharge still remains outside her reach.¡± She smiled and admiration flashed across her face. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Sigille gained some new insights from her practice. Last I heard, she was attempting to form an internal mana refractor in order to achieve an aspected burst.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Aspected burst?¡± Terry¡¯s inner Academy student awoke with curiosity. ¡°What good is that?¡±

    ¡°In theory, the same as any other burst with aspected mana, which is to say it depends on the aspect,¡± explained Isille. ¡°Use a life aspect to further increase health and stamina regeneration. That sort of thing. For you, we don¡¯t know. There are no records of bursting with oscillating mana. We had Whaka Samuel observe when you attempted bursting for the first time in order to detect any potential negative effects. However, none of us detected any particular effect ¨C negative or otherwise. It appears to act just like unaspected mana when it comes to bursting.¡±

    Isille took a deep breath. ¡°Anyway, if control impairment wasn¡¯t the reason, then what?¡±

    ¡°Communication problems,¡± replied Terry. ¡°Tiana seems brilliant, but her explanations are a bit¡ª¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± interrupted Isille with a knowing look. ¡°That¡¯s not uncommon, actually. The most brilliant ones often have the most trouble communicating their ideas. The curse of knowledge. The Guardians offer a few team leader courses, but normally those would be suggested later. If she seems like a good fit, I can recommend her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Ma!¡±

    ***

    Tiana used the leaf-shaped gladius in her right hand to deflect Terry¡¯s first spear. She tucked her shield arm close to her body, moved her right leg further back while keeping it straight, and bent the left knee in anticipation of Terry¡¯s second spear. Everything was one fluid motion.

    In contrast to their encounters in previous sparring sessions, however, Tiana added a step. Immediately after absorbing the initial impact of the second spear with her core weight and outstretched leg, she burst mana and used all her power to straighten her left leg abruptly. Her shield ¨C supported by her body ¨C managed to imbalance Terry.

    With Terry out of balance, Tiana rapidly followed up with another step while feinting to parry his other spear. Instead of actually using her gladius to parry, she turned her body to dodge and simultaneously used the practice blade to aim a blow at the inside of Terry¡¯s knee. He had put his weight on this leg during his last spear thrust. Consequently, he completely lost his balance and landed on the ground.

    Terry tried to get up again, but Tiana had already replaced her gladius with a long spear and thrust it forward to pin him on the ground.

    An ice spike came flying at Tiana, but was harmlessly blocked with her shield.

    Terry tried to roll to the side in order to increase the distance, but Tiana stayed in close pursuit.

    Roots grew from the ground and entangled Tiana¡¯s feet. Without so much as a moment¡¯s pause, she exchanged her shield for a single-edged longsword and cut the roots apart by pushing the blade with her shin. Tiana did not even take her eyes away from Terry for that.

    After another burst, their sparring round was over. Tiana¡¯s win. Again.

    ¡°Our loss,¡± said Terry. ¡°Good spar.¡±

    Tiana gave him a hand to get up while Siling approached from where she had kept her distance.

    ¡°You know, Tiana, we have you outnumbered. You could at least pretend that we pose a threat,¡± complained Siling. ¡°I feel like we lasted a few more seconds before. Is that you getting better or us getting worse?¡±

    ¡°Tiana is getting better,¡± replied Terry contemplatively. ¡°The change feels familiar, but I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Tiana smirked. ¡°Well, I did get some valuable pointers from Instructor Isille.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Hey!¡± No wonder it felt familiar.

    ¡°Instructor Isille was right,¡± said Tiana with a shrug. ¡°You do have a habit of putting more force and focus into one of your spears. You may switch sides occasionally, but you fail to fight completely ambidextrously. During a combination, you almost never switch it up. The predictability makes it much easier to break your flow and destroy your balance.¡±

    Siling gasped exaggeratedly. ¡°Spies and treachery! Enemy informants among the family!¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes. ¡°Instructor Isille told me to see if I can get you to drop the bad habits. Apparently, you have grown somewhat accustomed to her beatings.¡±

    ¡°News to me,¡± grumbled Terry, and he let himself fall to the ground again. ¡°I don¡¯t feel very accustomed. Might as well make myself comfortable here.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± taunted Tiana. ¡°Instructor Isille assured me that you would have more fight in you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Terry waved her off. ¡°Just taking a moment to mentally prepare myself to kiss the ground twice as often from now on.¡±

    Tiana snorted and laughed. Next to her, Siling guffawed, which eventually transformed into a giggle.

    Terry raised his head from the ground to look at the giggling Siling with a raised eyebrow. Then he turned to Tiana. ¡°Unless you decide to go after the healer for a bit. You know, from a tactics point of view, that would make perfect sense.¡±

    Tiana caught on and nodded. ¡°Right, it would.¡±

    ¡°H-hey now, w-wait a second.¡± Siling looked frantically from one to the other. ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Greetings, Terry.¡± Brynn walked into the room. ¡°Just you again today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Lori is out with her group.¡± Terry shrugged.

    Brynn frowned. ¡°I take it she still has it in her head that we somehow set her up for failure?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a yes then.¡± Brynn sighed.

    ¡°She really is out with her group, though,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°I know,¡± grumbled Brynn. ¡°However, I also understand that such a sudden change in mission schedule flexibility is hardly a coincidence.¡± She exhaled sharply. ¡°Oh well, nothing to do about it. Students that don¡¯t want to learn are no fun to teach either.¡±

    Terry felt at a loss for words. His Aunt Brynn sounded hurt, but he was not sure which words would make her feel better. He also thought that Lori was acting unreasonable, but he did not want to speak ill of his sister, either. The whole situation was frustrating.

    In the past few cycles, Terry had picked up the habit of replaying the words he heard in his mind whenever he did not know what to say. Sometimes it helped. Even if it did not make his own words come out better, it at least helped him remember conversations.

    Recalling Brynn¡¯s last sentence caused him to cringe. Terry cleared his throat. ¡°I guess I need to apologize to you and Instructor Samuel for my first season at the Academy.¡± He lowered his head. ¡°Nama. Teaching me back then couldn¡¯t have been fun for either of you.¡±

    That comment took Brynn by surprise. ¡°Well, look at you acting all grown up all of a sudden.¡± She smiled, which made Terry feel a wave of relief. ¡°No worries, though. Believe me, at your age, I was a much bigger pain for my supposed teachers.¡±

    ¡°¡®Supposed¡¯?¡± Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    Brynn sighed. ¡°Even a mage proper sometimes doesn¡¯t have full liberty to choose their spell path. It matters little if you have the ability when there is no one permitted to teach you. In that respect, the results of my first examination spelled certain doom for my own ambitions.¡±

    Brynn rubbed her eyes and spoke distantly but wearily. ¡°If I had simply been a mage proper, they might have allowed me a general education. However, since the examination revealed me to be gifted in the air aspect, they immediately wanted to press me into becoming a combat mage specializing in air, with healing as a secondary focus. ¡®Mobile support for the Wasteguard is what the empire needs.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Wasteguard?¡± The term was unfamiliar to Terry.

    ¡°The Guardians in the other empires are different in many aspects,¡± explained Brynn. ¡°Different management. Different degrees of interference by the local governments.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Honestly, the standardized membership card and the demarcation to the Guild might be the only commonalities. The Wasteguard is a specialized branch of the Guardians outside the barrier. It specializes further into the Deathguard, the Demonguard ¨C you get the drift. The names are usually quite self-explanatory.¡±

    Brynn took a deep breath. ¡°I was born in the Tiv Empire, where my empire-assigned instructors had little fun trying to teach me air-aspected magic.¡± She snorted. ¡°Only fair, because their attempts weren¡¯t fun for me either.¡± She sighed. ¡°At least the mana foundational training was somewhat useful for my own goals.¡±

    Brynn clapped loudly to introduce a change of topics. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a pity that Lori isn¡¯t here. Since you have both managed to imprint your first items, I brought you a celebratory gift. Here¡­¡± She handed Terry a necklace with a tear shaped pendant.

    Terry could sense that the pendant was a mana-crafted item. When he sunk his consciousness into the pendant, he discovered it was another dimensional storage item, but of unimaginable scale. ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°The other storage items of yours are primarily for mana cultivators or mages,¡± explained Brynn. ¡°That is a proper mana crafter¡¯s storage. Spacious, organized, maximum time-deceleration, and comes with a personalized mana lock. On the other hand, it takes a lot longer to summon items. Crafters rarely suffer the same time pressure as a cultivator in combat.¡±

    Terry was stunned. ¡°This is way too valu¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop right there, Whaka Terry,¡± interrupted Brynn. ¡°I really don¡¯t need you to worry about my finances.¡± She chortled. ¡°In exchange, I expect you to take the craft seriously. If you want to refuse, then only because you cannot agree to this request of mine.¡±

    ¡°B-but I can only cast and imprint a single spell,¡± protested Terry.

    ¡°All the more time to focus on the foundations of mana crafting.¡± Brynn grinned challengingly. ¡°You could spend several lifetimes without exhausting the limits of what can be done with a single type of imprint and good foundations. Take out the contents.¡±

    Terry retrieved a wooden box with two handles.

    ¡°Open it,¡± instructed Brynn.

    Terry pulled the handles to the side, and the box rearranged itself to a flat container displaying a variety of tools.

    ¡°These are the tools of the trade.¡± Brynn pointed. ¡°Ignore the stuff in the right compartment. Those are for inscriptions and, frankly, those alone are insufficient for the task. Those in the left and middle compartment are the tools for carving mana lines.

    ¡°With Lori, the study of directional lines makes the most sense. With you, I am not entirely certain. Directional lines would also benefit your spell imprints. However, going by the close combat ideas that you and Bjorln mentioned last time, it may make more sense to focus on shielding first.

    ¡°Those tools take some time to master. Imagine a pen with which you have to write in three dimensions. Some of these are like pens. Others are like configurable stamps. If you ever reach the level of Archmage and beyond, your own mana shaping would reach the same level of mana intensity and precision without requiring the assistance of these tools. Anyway, for now I would suggest experimenting with them a bit to get the feel.

    ¡°Until then, I think I have a quick-fix for your shielding problems.¡± Brynn summoned a book from her storage bracelet. ¡°This is a reference for mana-osmotic materials. You can think of them as naturally occurring mana shields. Mana is either completely blocked in certain directions or at least severely impaired.

    ¡°Mind you, for most purposes, these materials are merely supplementary. The most obvious drawback is that the physical properties of these materials may be at odds with the intended purpose. Furthermore, these materials cannot be adjusted to a personalized mana lock. The directional shielding applies to all mana, and that includes yours. Nevertheless, they have their uses and they may be sufficient for the ideas you have in mind.¡±

    Brynn held out the book. When Terry attempted to grab it, she pulled it back. ¡°You still intend to learn proper mana shielding, right?¡±

    Terry hurriedly nodded.

    ¡°Good, because these materials have their limits. By contrast, the only limits in mana shielding are your own ability, creativity, and perseverance.¡± Brynn handed the book to Terry. ¡°And keep me in the loop for the ideas you have in mind. If any of them catches my fancy, then we might find someone to assist you with adding a proper mana lock.¡± She winked before switching to a serious expression again.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll explain the theory when my second disciple is present as well. For now, let us focus on defuzzing your spell imprints.¡±

    ***

 022 The Demon Is Vanquished

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 73 ¨C

    Siling and Terry were whispering to each other.

    ¡°About finished with your scheming?¡± asked Tiana with a confident smirk on her face.

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Terry and grinned. Today, he had come prepared with a plan and with his newly purchased mana-crafted item: a fingerless corset glove.

    It took way longer to get the glove than Terry had expected. Apparently, the spell imprint he had his eye on was a favorite among pickpockets, which was unfortunate for him. Terry first had to have a chat with some very distrustful members of the city guard before he was allowed to place his order.

    Terry was wearing his Blinding Flash glove on his right and the new corset glove on his left. The long laced part of the new glove was hidden from sight by his cloud badger bracer. He was excited to test his plan. He had already repurposed one of his tertium slabs for it.

    ¡°Ready!¡± shouted Siling.

    The three took their standard positions for their spars ¨C Siling and Terry on one side, Tiana on the other.

    After both sides had prepared themselves, Tiana charged at the other two.

    Siling dashed to the left and started casting.

    Unexpectedly, Terry ran to the right. This raised Tiana¡¯s suspicions. Normally, Terry would either face her directly or stick close to Siling. However, she could not come up with any explanation that would warrant a deviation from her initial intentions. Therefore, Tiana followed Siling to the left.

    Good. Attention drawn away ¨C first objective, check.

    Terry was happy, but he also knew that he needed to hurry. It would not take long for Tiana to catch up with Siling if left unimpeded. He used a full burst to jump as high as he could. When he reached the peak of his jump, he activated the Immovable Object imprint in a mana-crafted rod. He used the transfixed rod as a jumping point to propel himself higher up and into the direction of Siling.

    Tiana blocked an ice spike with her shield and dodged the roots, trying to entangle her feet. She did not know what the two had planned, but whatever it was, it would not matter if the healer was down. She used a short burst to cover the last stretch towards Siling while readying her sword arm.

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± Tiana was lifted into the air.

    Siling had a smirk on her face and even waved her hand tauntingly. ¡°Bye bye.¡±

    Tiana was not amused. She exchanged her leaf-shaped gladius with a javelin and hurled it at Siling.

    ¡°Wahh,¡± exclaimed Siling and she quickly hid behind her barrier shield.

    After wiping the smirk from Siling¡¯s face, Tiana looked around to figure out what exactly was going on. She saw one of Terry¡¯s tertium slabs in the air. It was transfixed right in the direction that Tiana was pulled in. The slab had some holes in it and she could see Terry¡¯s arms poking out. Whatever Terry was doing, it caused Tiana to flail about in the air, which made her feel like a fish out of water.

    Neutralize her physical abilities ¨C second objective, check.

    Siling¡¯s comments about force magic had given Terry a few ideas, and he had searched for suitable spell imprints. Unfortunately, force magic imprints were in high demand and were, therefore, relatively expensive. Eventually, Terry stumbled upon a spell from an outer system with similar effects ¨C  Gravitational Attraction.

    That spell was a favorite among pickpockets because it could be targeted. You could use it to pull a specific purse as opposed to pulling everything in range. Naturally, the range of the targeting depended not only on the quality of the spell imprint and carved mana lines, but also on the user¡¯s mana sense and reach in mana control. Even though this was a deal-breaker for many, it was a perfect fit for Terry.

    Despite its popularity among the less upright citizenry, Gravitational Attraction was less popular among mana cultivators when compared to Kinetic Pull. The primary reason was that the former¡¯s attraction was bidirectional and the latter¡¯s pull was unidirectional. While the bidirectional attraction represented a smaller subversion of the physical laws, the saved mana was not worth the inconvenience in combat for most cultivators.

    The convenience of the kinetic force spells was that they left the caster unaffected. The caster could create a pulling vortex or a pushing wave and would feel nothing beyond the changing wind. Gravitational Attraction, on the other hand, applied an equal force to both the target and the caster.

    While this did not represent a problem for pickpockets going for small items, it was impractical in battle. Fortunately, Terry¡¯s own Immovable Object spell offered a workable combination to offset the drawback. The spell made his own mass irrelevant and the only limiting factors were his mana, his arm muscles, and the laces on the corset glove.

    Like all mana-crafted items, the glove came with usage limitations. You could only use it a certain number of times within a specific time frame without providing additional mana and risking the structural integrity of the spell imprint. Even with Terry¡¯s proficiency in mana control, he preferred not to risk it in a spar. The glove had eaten up most of Terry¡¯s savings, but as far as he was concerned, it was worth it.

    Tiana summoned another javelin and threw it at Terry. It was the only way for her to do a ranged attack. Unfortunately for her, it was difficult to aim ¨C even more so when floating in the air. She knew that hitting the tertium slab would be completely useless. She had to hit his arms. That would represent a tough challenge, even if she had been standing on solid ground.

    Terry had laid down flat on his tertium slab and put his gloved arm through a prepared hole so that he did not have to resist the attraction force with his own strength. To him, it felt like he was being pulled into the ground by his arm. Nevertheless, his arm still had to carry Tiana¡¯s total weight.

    If Terry were to accidentally target something that was way too heavy, then he might dislocate his own shoulder with the spell combination. That was also the combination¡¯s weakness. Fortunately for him, Tiana was not aware of this weakness yet.

    Terry repeatedly deactivated and activated the glove¡¯s spell imprint. He might not be able to rely on the glove as freely during their next spars today, but this entire plan was more of a single-time thing, anyway. Terry felt guilty when he considered how Tiana¡¯s stomach must feel. However, he had no choice if the plan was supposed to work. Initially, Terry had to attract Tiana from an angle. For the next steps, he needed her to be directly below him and with some distance to spare at that.

    Tiana could not remember the last time she had felt this nauseated. She had stopped trying to take aim at Terry. It was difficult enough to begin with, but the whole up and down and up again also made her head spin dizzily. Tiana could only bide her time until she saw an opportunity. Until then, all that was left for her was to try her best not to vomit all over the training grounds.

    Terry injected more mana into the Immovable Object spell on the tertium slab. His distanced mana control was not precise enough to enable the shaping of spell structures away from his casting hands yet, but it sufficed to resupply mana to an active spell.

    Tiana tried her best to reorient herself in the air so that she could always have an eye on Terry and she positioned her shield arm to block potential ice spikes thrown by Siling. Eventually, she could see Terry¡¯s eyes peeking through a hole from directly above her. Tiana summoned another javelin, but made no attempt to throw it. Her past experiences had taught her that any exaggerated movement would cause her to spin uncontrollably in the air. Tiana could not afford that unless it was worth it.

    Terry had to prevent himself from clenching his right fist in anticipation. Such a movement might tip Tiana off, and he went a long way to avoid that. He even placed his right arm through its prepared hole from the very beginning, even though that would provide more surface area for a ranged attack.

    As soon as Terry judged that Tiana was close enough and was sure that she had her eyes open and focused on him, he activated the spell imprint in his right glove. The Blinding Flash achieved the desired result. In fact, the result went beyond expectation ¨C not only did it land, Tiana¡¯s reflexive head jerk and arm movement even caused her to spin again.

    Tiana cursed herself for falling for that item. Redirecting mana sped up her recovery, but her vision would still be impaired for a moment. She knew that Terry had a Blinding Flash glove, and they still managed to use it effectively on her. Tiana made a mental note that she needed to improve her situational awareness even further. At least she still had her mana sense to rely on.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Tiana sensed several mana clusters move towards her and recognized the pattern of Siling¡¯s Ice Spike spell. Her mana sense did not have a long range, but with her excellent reaction time, it was sufficient time to allow her to block. Again, the movement caused her to further spin around. Tiana exchanged her javelin with a second shield in order to better block the incoming projectiles.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Disorient and distract ¨C third objective, check. Final step.

    Terry summoned a heavy weighted net and let it drop straight down. Afterwards, he repeated that process two more times.

    Tiana was still relying exclusively on her mana sense and was completely taken off guard when the first net entangled her. The weights on the net pulled down while she was still attracted upwards. Consequently, the net squeezed her body together.

    After the second and third nets had found their mark, Terry deactivated the Gravitational Attraction imprint and quickly packed up to get down.

    Tiana impacted on the ground. Before she had any chance to get up, she could already feel the result of Siling¡¯s empowered Entangling Roots spell. Her mana sense told her that Terry was already closing in as well.

    ¡°Alright, my loss,¡± declared Tiana with composure. ¡°Good spar. Now please get me out of this.¡±

    ¡°Just a second,¡± said Terry, and moved to help Tiana.

    ¡°WOOHOO!¡± Siling approached and recalled her entangling roots. ¡°The demon has finally been vanquished!¡±

    Terry snorted in laughter. Tiana, on the other hand, shot Siling an unamused look from beneath the nets. ¡°Demon, huh?¡±

    ¡°A lovely demoness, but a demon nonetheless.¡± Siling wrinkled her brow when a question entered her head. ¡°Do demons even have sexes?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± said Terry. ¡°Elementals don¡¯t, but the possessed bodies usually do.¡±

    ¡°What about battle demons taking human form?¡± pressed Siling with a long face and glance at Tiana.

    ¡°Uhh, what?¡± Terry looked perplexedly at Siling.

    ¡°Terry, you do realize that I¡¯m just kidding and talking nonsense, right?¡± Siling tilted her head. ¡°Sometimes, I can¡¯t tell.¡±

    Now it was Tiana¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°Your demonic companion would appreciate it if you could free her from her shackles.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha. We wouldn¡¯t want to arouse the ire of our battle demon,¡± said Siling. ¡°Not more than necessary, I mean.¡± She knelt down and contributed her efforts to disentangle Tiana from the nets.

    Eventually, they got Tiana out of her predicament. Siling and Terry both held out their hands and helped Tiana stand up.

    ¡°So, fellow vanquisher Terry, what is the score?¡± inquired Siling with an intentionally deadpan expression.

    Terry raised an eyebrow and then acted as if he had to think. ¡°Hmm, let us see. By my count and including all matches up to now¡­¡± He added a dramatic pause. ¡°The score should be thirty-five wins for the lovely battle demoness and for the mighty demon vanquishers¡­¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°¡­exactly one win total.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Siling nodded. ¡°I think we should quit while we¡¯re ahead.¡±

    ¡°I believe we would first need to get ahead for that.¡± Terry chuckled.

    ¡°Yes, otherwise you will have to drop your titles as demon vanquishers,¡± interjected Tiana.

    ¡°Meh. That¡¯s a price I am willing to pay,¡± retorted Siling. ¡°If it appeases the demon and spares me from suffering its vengeance during follow-up matches.¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± said the battle demon with an imposing smile. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±

    Siling gave an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Okay, but just remember that¡­¡± She pointed her finger at Terry and raised her voice. ¡°This whole plan was Terry¡¯s idea and that he is entitled to the brunt of the vendetta.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± protested Terry.

    Siling pointedly looked away from him and in another direction.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± started Tiana, ¡°How did you levitate me into the air? Was that the Kinetic Pull spell you told me about before?¡±

    ¡°No, with Kinetic Pull, your javelin would also have been pulled towards my hand,¡± replied Terry. He displayed the glove on his left hand.

    ¡°Gravitational Attraction imprint. In contrast to force magic, it distributes the force equally. We are both being pulled to each other. If you can add a counter-force or increase your mass enough, I would be pulled further than you. Using it from an immovable object helps me to defend against those scenarios, but it also carries a risk.¡±

    Tiana pondered the implications. ¡°So to defend myself, I would have to hook myself to something heavy enough? Or summon heavy items?¡±

    ¡°Shh! Terry, what are you doing?¡± Siling gasped. ¡°No slipping intel to the enemy, remember? At least not while they¡¯re ahead.¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Tiana isn¡¯t the enemy though.¡± Terry pointed out. ¡°She is our companion. If she improves, then so does our group.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the score, Terry,¡± protested Siling. ¡°What is more important ¨C keeping your life during missions or getting ahead with imaginary points? Huh? Huh? Huh?¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re kidding again, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± praised Siling with a self-satisfied smile. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at this. I was beginning to worry.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Greetings,¡± said Brynn. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see both of my disciples here again. I hope you have already familiarized yourself with the carving tools?¡±

    Lori and Terry nodded.

    ¡°Very well, then allow me to give a short demonstration. I have prepared one of Arcana City¡¯s popular tourist souvenirs for the purpose.¡± Brynn summoned a dull crystal ball from her dimensional storage bag. ¡°This is a cheap trinket whose main purpose is to look pretty. The crucial differences to some random balls of glass are that the crystal material is tougher and that it comes with a spell imprint. It has been imprinted with the Polish Stone spell.

    ¡°Here comes the applicability to our lesson ¨C activating the imprint will target the object itself.¡± Brynn sent her mana into the item, and the crystal ball was quickly polished to perfection and turned sparkly. ¡°That starting point is precisely one motivation for mana carving.¡±

    Brynn picked up one of the crafter¡¯s tools. ¡°The first step in addressing the limitation is to carve directional lines. This tool contains an adjustable mana lens. By channeling your mana through it, you can create a focus point in front of the tip. You can control the distance from the tip and the intensity of the focused mana. Similar to imprinting, you can use this focus point to leave durable mana traces in an object.¡±

    Brynn quickly carved her desired mana lines into the trinket and allowed her disciples to examine the result with their mana sense.

    ¡°The lines alone do nothing as long as the imprint remains stationary. We still need a pulse generator. You can think of it as something like an additional partial imprint. The imprint does nothing on its own, but if it gets connected to a proper imprint, then it will affect the mana flow. Basically, the pulse generator gets charged and when it is filled up, it will emit a mana pulse. That pulse temporarily destabilizes the spell imprint.

    ¡°Imagine a water fountain and you flick your finger at the running water. The main difference to water is that a primed spell imprint is structurally stable. It requires more energy to break up the structure than you would put into a pulse generator. Instead of collapsing, the structure shifts and then splits. You get two primed imprints as a result. What you want to achieve is that the shifted structure connects to the directional mana lines. That is how the spell structure gets propelled outwards.¡±

    Brynn used a different tool to carve a pulse generator. Then she took out a plain rock and pointed the crystal ball at it. When she activated the spell imprint, it was this rock that got polished instead of the imprinted crystal.

    ¡°The mana ratio depends on the mana you put into the pulse. Too little and the directed spell will become too weak. Too much and you risk the stability of the main imprint. The stronger the original spell imprint, the better your mana control, the higher your familiarity with the imprinted spell ¨C the more you can get out of an imprint without risking a collapse.

    ¡°That also gives us a segue to mana shielding. A pulse generator is not the only thing that can destabilize a spell imprint. Here, I have one souvenir for each of you. Activate the imprint and try to keep it activated.¡±

    Lori and Terry received the crystal balls and did as instructed. Afterwards, Brynn gave a small wave with her hand, and the spell imprints deactivated.

    ¡°That is a very undesirable vulnerability for many mana-crafted items. If left unmitigated, that would be a deal breaker for combat. In order to mitigate that, we have to block incoming mana. Hand them back to me, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Brynn received the crystal balls.

    ¡°Shielding has a very simple theory behind it. Cover the area with mana tilings in order to prevent mana from going where it is not supposed to, while still allowing it to enter and flow where it should. Just like you would tile a floor, you tile the item. The robustness depends on the tiles.

    ¡°If you leave gaps, then the result is fragile and weak. Therefore, most crafters resort to working with periodic tilings using the same tile everywhere. As it turns out, the number of possible tiles for this purpose is very limited. In fact, ignoring size ¨C there are only five different possible patterns. That goes both for tiling floors and for tiling mana shields.

    Brynn took another tool from the box in front of her. ¡°This is what I called a stamp before. It has a fancy technical name, but an adjustable stamp explains it best. You configure it to get the tile you want and then you stamp it.¡±

    Brynn started working on the crystal balls while she continued her explanation.

    ¡°That is the gist of it, even though I have left out a few relevant parts. First, it is absolutely possible to cover an area using other patterns. However, if you want to avoid gaps and get a stable shield, then you will need a combination of multiple basic shapes. Such a pattern is called quasi-periodic.

    ¡°Their advantage is that they are less predictable. While the surrounding area of two tiles may look similar, it is never identical. That property makes them less easy to penetrate.¡±

    Brynn exchanged the crystal ball for the second one.

    ¡°Their disadvantage is the flip-side of their advantage. They are less predictable.¡± Brynn shrugged. ¡°Therefore, they are a pain to get right. Many a crafter has been driven to madness by trying to identify a proper quasi-periodic pattern for the area in an item.

    ¡°The second part I left out is that we are not necessarily talking about two-dimensional tiles. The same theory applies to three-dimensional crystals. Three-dimensional stamps are the basis for the best mana shielding available. If you ever want to order a custom quasicrystal shielding, I suggest you prepare a lot of coins ¨C and perhaps some cookies and nerve medicine for the poor crafter fulfilling your order.

    ¡°Here, let us try again.¡± Brynn handed over the crystal balls and they repeated the experiment.

    Even though Terry could see a similar mana flow from Brynn¡¯s wave of hands, the spell imprint remained active this time around.

    ¡°You can keep them,¡± offered Brynn. ¡°They¡¯re eccentric enough to act as collector¡¯s items. They are probably the only items in existence that have a shielded Polish Stone imprint. I don¡¯t think anyone has ever seen a need to shield that one before.¡± She chortled to herself.

    ¡°¡°¡°Thanks Auntie!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Now, generally, it is advisable to pair a mana shielding with two more techniques: mana cloaking and the creation of a personal mana lock. Basically, hiding the mana in an item ¨C  including your imprint and shield structure ¨C and creating a full shield without gaps that can only be penetrated by your personal mana signature. However, those are topics for the future.¡±

    ***

 023 The Impenetrable Woman

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 52 ¨C

    ¡°Are you certain that your soul has fully recovered?¡± asked Terry. ¡°There is no rush. We can wait.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes,¡± replied Siling. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Putting the recovery topic to one side for the moment, are you really sure that you want that as your next soul spirit?¡± questioned Tiana. She was looking with disgust at the information brought by Siling.

    ¡°It may not be the prettiest creature, but it adequately fits my needs.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were looking for a mount,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°That looks tall enough, but it does not exactly look comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Meh, I will get used to it or I can bring a pillow. The primary metal aspect is one of the best arguments in favor of the wiremoss tarantula. Its metal coating can achieve similar effects to Metal Skin or Claw Nails. It is a mana ability, which means I will be able to use it.¡±

    Terry was convinced by the Metal Skin argument. As far as he was concerned, a healer could never have too much defensive ability.

    ¡°Also, I am not only looking for a mount.¡± Siling used the index finger on her right hand to tap the fingers on her left hand and count the favorable arguments.

    ¡°The wiremoss tarantula can take a hit thanks to its metal aspect. It can perform mid-range attacks by flicking its metal-aspect-reinforced urticating hairs. It offers debilitating support with its silk and a venomous bite. The silk threads can be reinforced with the metal aspect or they can be made sticky by relying on its minor nature aspect. The nature aspect also makes its venom more potent. Last, its high burst speed synergizes well with my Resummon Spirit spell.¡±

    Siling paused for a moment. Her eyes moved up, and she thought over everything to see if she had forgotten anything. Eventually, she nodded and lowered her hands again. ¡°Its biggest weakness in the wild is its lack of brains. That is less relevant as a soul spirit because I can order it around.¡±

    Tiana was rendered speechless by the amount of information bubbling out of the little elf. Overwhelmed, she quickly retracted her concerns. ¡°Fair enough. Then all we need is a plan. Going by the creature''s weak points, we could try to mimic the tarantula hawk wasp¡¯s strategy. I can ask my brother to aspect some additional equipment with lightning for us. He wanted to thank Terry for the imprinted equipment attachments, anyway. Let¡¯s leave the details for later. First, we should wrap up our training.¡±

    ¡°Your turn to get pummeled, Terry,¡± declared Siling with a mischievous smirk.

    Their group had become more balanced and familiar with each other. Now, they used the customary two against one rotation in their sparring sessions. The three stood up and took their positions.

    Terry was facing the other two and checked his equipment one more time. His progress in mana crafting had allowed him to incorporate some new strategies. Besides tertium items, he now carried several pieces made from septimum and octavum.

    Octavum was a dark-grey metal commonly used for equipment. It was durable and comparatively affordable. Its main drawback was its heavy weight. Although, depending on the equipment, that could be an advantage as well. The vivid yellow metal septimum, in contrast, was rarely used in crafting, because it was expensive and the metal¡¯s properties did not justify the cost.

    Terry saw the two metals through a different lens: Septimum was the metal with the smallest activation delay for the Immovable Object spell. Octavum, on the other hand, had the largest delay.

    Terry supplemented his cloud badger armor with some new bracers, as well as a set of knee-high lace-up boots. The core material was again cloud badger leather. In addition, the new equipment was prepared with imprinted septimum and a shielding material. He was particularly proud of the mechanism inside the boots.

    The match started.

    Siling immediately cast a frontal Barrier spell.

    Terry ran left and activated his Gravitational Attraction glove with Siling as the target. Her new barrier spell was a moving barrier and moved together with her. This was helpful in most circumstances, but it did not offer protection against Terry¡¯s glove.

    Siling activated the imprinted Immovable Object spell in the small attachment affixed to the handle of her barrier shield.

    Alright then¡­ Terry had not really expected his probe to succeed. It was him that had crafted the imprinted attachments for his companions and he was well aware that they could counter his glove.

    From the corner of his eye, Terry noticed Tiana moved to his right. This was unusual. Normally, she charged at him directly and would never allow Terry to get between her and Siling. He immediately became wary, but took his chances regardless.

    Terry kept the glove activated, which pulled him towards the transfixed Siling and provided some additional acceleration. As long as Siling kept Immovable Object active, she could not escape either.

    Terry realized his mistake as soon as he had entered Siling¡¯s casting range. The elven woman deactivated her barrier and in the next moment, Terry was caught in the crossfire of two rock spears from both sides. Siling did not pause and quickly added some ice spikes from the front and Tiana hurled a javelin from the back.

    Terry activated the Immovable Object imprint in one of his bracers to pull himself up in the air and dodge. He could have used a shield or barrier spear to block, but Terry wanted to practice his item assisted movement in the air.

    Terry was taken aback when Tiana did not continue with javelins and instead summoned a loaded crossbow from her storage bracelet, quickly took aim, and shot. Immediately afterwards, she returned the unloaded crossbow back into the storage item and exchanged it for another loaded crossbow. In this manner, Tiana rapidly loosened a handful of bolts. All the while, Siling kept adding her own spell projectiles.

    This is going to be a pain¡­

    ***

    ¡°This is where the wiremoss tarantulas are supposed to be,¡± said Siling and pointed towards the grassland area. ¡°I¡¯ll have Grumpy look for matching life signatures.¡±

    ¡°We can try the day plan first, but I am still not sure if it is a good idea to attack these things in their burrow,¡± remarked Tiana.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°If their vision is as bad as the info states, we should not have any trouble escaping if the day plan does not work out. Their tremor sense won¡¯t do them any good when we¡¯re in the air.¡±

    Tiana nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll have to test it before the local Guardians close shop for the day. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to rent darkvision goggles anymore.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Siling?¡± Terry looked at his elven companion. ¡°Will you be able to use the tremor sense ability as well?¡±

    ¡°Nope, shouldn¡¯t be the case. It¡¯s a physical ability, not mana related. Some creatures have earth sense, which uses mana for similar effects. I would have to go for those, but I don¡¯t really see the need at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Would be useful for tracking.¡± Terry pointed out.

    ¡°And for avoiding ambushes,¡± added Tiana.

    ¡°Meh, many things would be useful. I have to prioritize. Although, I hope that this new soul spirit pushes my own soul over its current limit so that I can advance and get an additional soul spot. Then I can consider my options again.¡±

    Siling jerked her head away from her two companions. ¡°Over there. Grumpy has found something.¡±

    The three quickly moved towards the target location.

    ¡°The silk lined burrow matches the description from the Guardian info,¡± observed Tiana.

    ¡°Size and shape of the life signature fits,¡± stated Siling. ¡°Terry?¡±

    ¡°Aspected mana with metal as the primary aspect,¡± said Terry.

    Siling exchanged souls to summon her cloud badger soul spirit. If the lightning-aspected weapons did not do the trick, then Sniffles might get a turn. Afterwards, she distanced herself from the entrance.

    Tiana took out a barrier-imprinted long spear and a shield.

    Terry retrieved an octavum throwing needle. He directed some mana into it and threw the needle into the air. The needle flew until the Immovable Object imprint activated. Afterwards, he activated his glove to let Gravitational Attraction pull him up towards the transfixed needle.

    When Terry arrived near the needle, he deactivated his glove and directed mana into the septimum material inside his boots instead. The imprint activated, and Terry stood transfixed in the air.

    Terry glanced down and considered his position relative to the entrance. He switched the activation in his boots from one foot to the other. This allowed Terry to walk in the air. Although, it had to be admitted that his steps were awkward. His practice and his iterating on the mechanism design enabled Terry to move a lot more fluently than in the past, but the whole idea had its limits ¨C an immovable boot did not really lend itself to rolling over from heel to toes. He felt a bit like a waddling duck.

    After reaching his desired spot, Terry summoned a tertium slab and moved on top of it. Next, he summoned their prepared bait: a bundle of cloth sprayed with the pheromones of a blade hopper. Blade hoppers were metal-aspected corruptions of normal grasshoppers and one of the wiremoss tarantula¡¯s staples.

    They had already tied a long rope to the bait before. Terry only had to check that it was still attached securely. While testing the rope, he already started another dimensional storage retrieval. This time from his crafter¡¯s pendant.

    Eventually, Terry stepped off the slab again and finished summoning an enormous boulder. He did not know what his Aunt Brynn would think about him using the precious pendant for the common rock, but he hoped she would understand the utility. He tied the other end of the rope to the screw hooks that had been inserted into the boulder.

    As his last preparation, Terry summoned a U-shaped tertium piece. He positioned it with the open end to the top and threaded the rope through the opening before transfixing the tertium in the air.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Terry threw the bait down to Tiana, who promptly hurled it into the wiremoss tarantula¡¯s nest.

    As soon as the bait touched the wiremoss tarantula, the creature wrapped its appendages around the cloth. The retractable claws at the end of its legs extended into the bait.

    ¡°Now!¡± shouted Tiana.

    Terry disrupted the imprint in the tertium slab. Without the support of the transfixed slab, the boulder dropped down to the ground. The rope tightened and then the bait with the wiremoss tarantula got pulled out of the nest and into the daylight.

    Terry tensed and readied himself. If the creature kept clinging to the bait, then it would be his responsibility to probe with a lightning-aspected weapon.

    However, when the wiremoss tarantula got dragged outside, the burrow¡¯s wall touched its back. This caused the creature to let go of the bait and it quickly used its back pair of legs to kick off some hairs from its body. The hairs were thin, barbed, and the metal-aspect reinforcement could make for some nasty wounds.

    Unfortunately for the creature, the only thing it hit was its own burrow. Even though it had six eyes, its vision was too bad to distinguish anything more than light and movement.

    The boulder impacted on the ground. This startled the wiremoss tarantula, and it dashed off into another direction with astonishing speed.

    Terry threw an octavum ring into the air towards the wiremoss tarantula. The ring was tied with elastic rope to another octavum ring in Terry¡¯s hand. When the imprint of the thrown ring activated, Terry deactivated the imprint in his boots and swung towards the creature.

    As soon as the creature was back in his range, Terry stabilized himself with his boots and activated Gravitational Attraction on the mana-corrupted arachnid. He pulled it back far enough for Siling to take over.

    Siling cast a Kinetic Push, and the creature was propelled back to Tiana.

    Tiana kept her shield but exchanged her barrier spear for a lightning-aspected javelin.

    The wiremoss tarantula hit the ground and quickly got back on its feet. Afterwards, it remained completely motionless and sensed for tremors with its legs.

    Terry used his octavum rings to return to Tiana and the wiremoss tarantula. Then he watched the two. Let¡¯s see if the creature is as much of a ditz as Siling claimed.

    Tiana stomped her foot on the ground. The wiremoss tarantula quickly turned. It reared up into a threat posture ¨C it lifted its front legs into the air and extended its fangs. It made a loud hissing sound produced by stridulation.

    Apparently, yes.

    Tiana hurled the javelin straight into the creature¡¯s thorax.

    The metal-aspect corruption increased the physical defense of the wiremoss tarantula. However, the underside between its legs remained a weak point and the metal aspect was incapable of blocking lightning. The creature collapsed. It was far from dead, but the lightning-aspected weapon disrupted its nervous system and caused paralysis.

    Tiana quickly finished off the paralyzed wiremoss tarantula. Afterwards, Siling started her soul capture while Terry observed the process with mana sight.

    Eventually, Siling stood up with a broad grin. ¡°Success!¡±

    ¡°New soul spot?¡± inquired Tiana.

    ¡°Not yet, but very close. Strengthening the wiremoss tarantula soul will most likely push me over the limit.¡±

    ¡°Does your soul still feel okay?¡± asked Terry, with concern written all over his face.

    ¡°Better than ever!¡± Siling closed her eyes. After a brief moment, her skin received a metallic shine. She opened her eyes again and probed her palm with the fingers of her other hand. Then she clenched her fists and pumped them in the air. ¡°Muahahaha, the metal coating is mine! I am the Impenetrable Woman!¡±

    ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Tiana tried hard to hold back her laughter until she simply could not keep it in anymore and broke out in a loud guffaw.

    Siling shot her a puzzled glance. It took a while before Tiana could talk again.

    ¡°Ha-haaa.¡± Tiana wiped something from her eye. ¡°Sorry, but haha. That was an unusually intense purity pledge.¡±

    Siling blinked and stood flabbergasted. Her mouth opened a few times without saying anything. ¡°Point taken. Let¡¯s forget that name. Please. Pretty please.¡±

    ¡°Haha, sure.¡±

    ¡°No promises from me,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°I may address you like that during spars if it helps to throw off your spell casting.¡±

    Siling gasped. ¡°Hey now, whatever happened to you, Terry? You used to be such a nice young man and now you are thinking of playing dirty!¡±

    ¡°You started using Liquify Earth in our spars,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°That changed me.¡±

    Siling turned her head and pondered. She closed her eyes and pointed towards the burrow. She spun several times while keeping her eyes closed. Again, she pointed and then opened her eyes. ¡°Huh? That wasn¡¯t in the information.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Apparently, wiremoss tarantulas have a mana ability similar to the True North spell. It appears that I am now an elven compass. Don¡¯t recall ever having used a compass before, but more abilities are always appreciated. Lucky~¡±

    Terry inspected the mana corrupted corpse. ¡°I thought the tarantula was supposed to have eight legs.¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± replied Siling. ¡°The two pairs in front are not really legs.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow and tilted his head. ¡°They look pretty leggy to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the legs have claws,¡± explained Siling. ¡°Those have fangs.¡±

    Terry puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to respond to that. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how that thing can survive in the wild with a threat posture that exposes its weak point,¡± said Tiana incredulously. ¡°Such a stupid behavioral pattern.¡±

    ¡°A bit like going into a fistfight with your face presented and your arms down,¡± added Terry with a nod.

    ¡°Not the best strategy, no,¡± agreed Tiana.

    Siling shrugged. ¡°A remnant from its non-corrupted days, I suppose. There are barely any non-magic creatures capable of ranged attacks. Or perhaps the posture remains adaptive overall, even if it is very maladaptive in some situations? More predators backing off at the sight than predators with the ability to take advantage of the weak point. Something like that. Probably.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Here we go,¡± muttered Siling. Her new wiremoss tarantula soul spirit was now strengthened enough to take corporeal form. After her spellwork, a white tarantula with purple markings appeared. It was about the size of a donkey.

    Tiana grimaced at the sight.

    ¡°First things first,¡± said Siling and moved towards the soul spirit. The wiremoss tarantula lowered its body for Siling to climb on.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°Pillow it is.¡± After testing out her new mount, she climbed down again.

    ¡°I will name you Pricklybum,¡± grumbled Siling and rubbed her buttocks.

    ¡°It¡¯s reaction speed is impressive,¡± praised Terry.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess the lack of brains has its advantages,¡± said Siling. She tested commands to the soul spirit. This eventually devolved into a sort of synchronized dance routine between her and the wiremoss tarantula.

    Tiana shuddered, which caught Siling¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be like that, Tiana! Give Princess Pricklybum a hug!¡± The soul spirit spread out her front legs ¨C including leg-like limbs ¨C and slowly approached Tiana.

    ¡°Keep that thing away from me,¡± yelled Tiana and positioned herself so that Terry was between her and the wiremoss tarantula. ¡°I mean it. Please.¡±

    Siling made Pricklybum put down her limbs and droop its head as if it was moping. Two limbs moved as if it was wiping tears from its many eyes.

    ¡°Secret anti-demon weapon acquired!¡± Siling pumped her fists.

    ¡°If that thing comes close during spars, I will hurt it,¡± warned Tiana.

    Terry turned to Tiana. ¡°Did I just become your designated meat shield?¡±

    ¡°Hush.¡± Tiana looked embarrassed. ¡°Only if it comes over for cuddles. In combat, I won¡¯t be squeamish.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s a good little creature of nightmares?¡± Siling bent and slapped her knees when asking the question towards the soul spirit. ¡°Who¡¯s a good little creature of nightmares?¡±

    She made the wiremoss tarantula point with its limbs towards itself.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! You are!¡± Siling guffawed. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±

    ***

    Lori rapidly dual-cast Liquify Earth.

    Terry activated his imprinted bracers in time. He built up momentum with his lower body and then deactivated the imprint in order to let his momentum carry himself beyond the liquified earth.

    Unfortunately, Jorg was caught off guard this time, and he slipped. He reflexively used his hand to catch himself on the ground, which caused his hand and lower arm to sink into the muddy earth. Jorg immediately felt dread for one of Lori¡¯s new spells and hastily tried to use his spear in order to push himself above the mud.

    Lori burst forward and cast Harden Earth. Jorg¡¯s hand, which had been stuck in the mud before, was now trapped in rock and Lori continued to charge at him.

    Terry dashed forward to intercept Lori. To his surprise, Lori suddenly jumped back again and cast Raise Wall. An earthen wall rose between Terry and Jorg on one side, and Lori on the other.

    Terry recognized Lori¡¯s next spell structure before it was activated ¨C Harden Earth again. The spell choice perplexed Terry even further, and he eyed the wall warily.

    Why would Lori go on the defensive now?

    Terry moved next to Jorg in order to help free him ¨C or at least try to. Terry had already suffered under his sister¡¯s new spell combination several times, but he was still not sure how to deal with it. How was he supposed to free a trapped body part from rock without risking injury? Crushing the rock while the hand was trapped inside did not seem like a feasible option.

    Terry had found it difficult to believe that the Liquify Earth spell could possibly become even more annoying, but this new spell combination had unimaginably succeeded in the feat.

    Terry could sense another spell structure from behind the wall. He recognized it from Lori¡¯s spell practice. He had to think for a moment to recall the supposed effects. When Terry remembered the spall effect, his pupils dilated, and he hurriedly summoned a tertium slab to protect Jorg and himself.

    It was not a second too late, because right at this moment, Lori finished casting Rockspall Touch. She struck the hardened earth wall with her palm.

    Lori¡¯s palm-strike reverberated through the hardened earth wall with a bang. The spell impact caused countless rock shrapnel to be propelled from the side facing Terry and Jorg. Luckily, the rocks were blocked by the tertium slab.

    ¡°Wastes,¡± murmured Jorg. ¡°You¡¯d think she was angry with me.¡±

    ¡°Did you steal her dessert again?¡±

    ¡°Not today, no.¡±

    ¡°We surrender,¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°We do?¡± asked Jorg. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± questioned Lori. ¡°Jorg¡¯s out, but you¡¯re still standing, though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really,¡± replied Terry. ¡°Good spar. I would rather continue the rotation instead of going one on one. The spar is supposed to be two against one so that two can practice coordination while one can face increased pressure.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not fair for Jorg to slack off while we sweat.¡± Lori teased her twin brother.

    ¡°I would do less slacking off if you would stop this rock entrapment,¡± protested Jorg.

    ¡°I mean, you could avoid it, no?¡± retorted Lori challengingly.

    ¡°I also remember that you threatened to learn the Liquify Earth spell at some point,¡± interjected Terry, while looking at his brother. ¡°Whatever happened to that?¡±

    Jorg grimaced.

    ¡°You could also learn a long-range attack spell,¡± offered Lori. ¡°If you require further motivation, we could suggest some spells to Ma and Unca Samuel.¡±

    Jorg gasped. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not angry with me?¡±

    Lori chuckled in response and cast Liquify Earth to liberate Jorg.

    ¡°Actually, since we have some time,¡± started Lori. ¡°Alrik suggested that our groups travel a bit and take missions on the road to broaden our horizons. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprising,¡± said Jorg with a drawl. ¡°I got the impression Alrik does not enjoy working with others.¡±

    ¡°Well, Alrik wanted to travel, and I suggested we team up with your groups again,¡± explained Lori. ¡°I mean, everyone is already familiar with each other and our bounty hunting retake showed that we can work together.¡±

    I guess¡­

    They had recently taken their second attempt at passing the bounty hunting examination and Terry could only describe it as a steamrolling success. In fact, it had been over so quickly and easily that it had felt surreal. They had been careful to avoid similar mistakes to their failed examination, but there was more to it than that.

    Terry thought that part of the difference was simply Tiana¡¯s presence because she had changed the overall group dynamics for the better and her plans were invaluable as well. They had all gotten stronger. With all factors combined, the retake was like a breeze in the park with nothing noteworthy to happen. A sharp contrast to their initial examination.

    Terry believed Lori had a point. Their groups already knew each other. At least he knew what he did not like. Terry still did not like Alrik or Elena, but perhaps a longer trip with all their groups as a team could help with that.

    ***

 024 The Weight of the Vow

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 95 ¨C

    ¡°This one looks interesting,¡± judged Miguel. He pulled out a pamphlet for a corrupted culling mission from the pre-approved list provided by the local Guardian advisors.

    The three groups of Terry and his siblings had all agreed to team up and travel together in order to get some broader experience with various mission types. They had already reached Arcana¡¯s C-zone.

    Mission variety, however, had turned out to be a sensitive topic.

    ¡°I would rather take this one,¡± said Alrik while he placed a different pamphlet on the table.

    ¡°Another courier mission?¡± groaned Miguel. He looked the information over. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even pay that well.¡± He narrowed his eyes and watched Alrik. ¡°Normally, you¡¯re the biggest money hawk among us. What¡¯s up with you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± replied Alrik casually. ¡°It looks like a good mission.¡±

    ¡°I would also prefer to do a corrupted hunt once in a while,¡± interjected Siling.

    ¡°How about starting with ¡®once,¡¯¡± grumbled Miguel. ¡°This entire trip we have done nothing but courier and escort missions.¡±

    ¡°But this mission seems important,¡± retorted Lori. ¡°The destination is a healer in Chaba and it is marked as urgent. Isn¡¯t it our duty as Guardians to jump in here to help?¡±

    Jorg raised an eyebrow. ¡°I guess¡­¡±

    Terry and Tiana immediately nodded. Their mixed team had experienced several such disagreements during the past few days. Often, it had fallen to Terry¡¯s group to act as the tie-breaker.

    Having convinced both Tiana and Terry, the matter was practically settled, and Alrik smiled contentedly.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± exclaimed Miguel aghast. ¡°Another courier mission? Seriously?!¡± He threw his hands up in the air and shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have against courier missions.¡± Alrik shrugged.

    ¡°Nothing, absolutely nothing. But that does not mean I want to be married to them,¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°I thought we were aiming for variety. Is this supposed to classify as ¡®variety¡¯? Five courier missions and one escort mission?¡±

    ¡°Even you have to admit that the corrupted hunts available here are less than satisfactory.¡± Alrik pointed out with a smirk.

    ¡°Not the most interesting creatures, no,¡± remarked Siling with a slight frown.

    ¡°Heck, at this point, I am willing to settle,¡± grunted Miguel gruffly. ¡°I¡¯d shoot a chilly chicken just to get it out of my system.¡±

    Siling snorted and guffawed.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine for you, but others may want a challenge,¡± retorted Lori. ¡°We¡¯ve all lost contribution points when we had to retake the bounty hunting exam.¡± Her tone was oddly high-pitched and tense. Elena, who had noticed it, placed a comforting hand on Lori¡¯s shoulder while the dwarf continued speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time.¡±

    Miguel scoffed. ¡°How exactly does that fit with us going to¡­¡± He examined the pamphlet again. ¡°Danang? A place that barely qualified for a tertiary gate? Yes, that sounds like a really worthwhile excursion. Next stop, Podunk Hollow?¡±

    ¡°Miguel¡¯s got a point, Lori,¡± interjected Jorg.

    ¡°Bum Burrow back of beyond?¡± grumbled Miguel, which evoked a suppressed grin on Elena¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m also not sure if we can count on the missions in Danang being any better than here,¡± Siling to concur with Miguel.

    ¡°Middle of the Backwater Belt?¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grunted Alrik.

    ¡°Silent Settlement at the arse-end of nowhere?¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± snapped Lori with a glare at Miguel. ¡°We get it.¡±

    ¡°Shucks,¡± uttered Miguel with a deadpan face and defiant eyes. ¡°I have not even reached Pissant Anytown yet.¡±

    Alrik clicked his tongue while wearing a sullen expression.

    ¡°Terry, what do you think?¡± asked Lori.

    Terry scrunched up his face and looked over the documents listing their options. ¡°The hunts here really aren¡¯t all that interesting.¡±

    Alrik¡¯s lips curled upwards.

    ¡°However, I think Siling made a good point,¡± continued Terry. ¡°I would not expect the missions to get better down there. So we are really investing in a two-way trip just for the courier mission.¡± He looked towards the tall woman next to him. ¡°Tiana? Your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°The bigger cities aggregate the most challenging missions of the surrounding areas,¡± said Tiana while thinking. ¡°There may be a few interesting missions exclusive to the smaller places, but then there are usually local Guardians settled there as well. If the mission has not been reported to the major cities, then they do not require additional hands. I would rather work where my support is actually wanted instead of snatching the work from others.¡±

    ¡°If we want a better mission pool to pick from, we should probably stick to the primary or at least secondary cities,¡± said Siling.

    Alrik¡¯s smile had vanished at this point.

    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± agreed Miguel, while both Jorg and Gellath nodded.

    Lori made eye contact with Alrik, and the dwarven mage clicked his tongue. ¡°How about we rest for the day?¡± suggested Alrik.

    Jorg furrowed his brow. ¡°It is only late afternoon.¡±

    Alrik shrugged. ¡°If we want to go back to the primary cities, then that would take a while. The fee at the inn here is probably lower. Who knows when we will have the chance to come back here? We should at least experience the local specialties, no?¡±

    Miguel rolled his eyes and groaned quietly.

    ¡°And maybe tomorrow the missions will look different?¡± Alrik smirked.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I would not mind having a look around and settling in for the night.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± exclaimed Alrik. ¡°Any objections?¡±

    Miguel glared at him, but did not raise his voice.

    When they were about to separate, Alrik nodded at Lori. ¡°Jorg, do you have a minute?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, sure.¡±

    While Alrik, Lori, and Jorg stayed behind, the rest all moved along.

    ¡°Hey Miguel, you know what a chicken and coldfire have in common?¡± prompted Gellath.

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± sighed Miguel. He pressed his hand against his forehead.

    ¡°Another one.¡± Tiana chortled.

    Gellath watched them happily and waited for the cue.

    ¡°Alright,¡± muttered Miguel in resignation. ¡°Please, enlighten me.¡±

    Gellath grinned broadly. ¡°They¡¯re both blue except for the chicken.¡±

    Miguel displayed an almost pained expression. He exhaled a strange noise ¨C a mixture of laughing and sobbing.

    Terry could not help but snort and chuckle.

    ¡°Of course,¡± declared Miguel, who had recovered a deadpan expression. ¡°Why did I not think of that?¡± He shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s so obvious once you hear it, right?¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°You learn something new every day.¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes.

    Despite herself, Elena had to smile with an almost envious expression. Her eyes darted between the people engaged in friendly banter until her eyes rested on the cheerful jokester dwarf in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s almost like he feeds off of others¡¯ cringing. Amazing.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± pleaded Miguel. ¡°You¡¯re encouraging him.¡±

    ¡°Want to know why Goblins can¡¯t clap their hands?¡± asked Gellath with anticipation.

    ¡°See?¡± Miguel gestured at Gellath and looked exasperatedly at Elena. ¡°Now look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bite,¡± said Terry. ¡°Why?¡±

    Gellath changed his expression and spoke with a grave tone. ¡°Because they¡¯re extinct.¡±

    Miguel groaned and looked to the heavens. ¡°Make it stop.¡±

    Siling giggled while Elena smiled silently.

    ***

    Late in the evening, Terry stood over his mattress in his room at the inn. He had spread out the blanket to prepare for his most recently invented training exercise. The blanket and mattress were supposed to cushion falling items to prevent any noise disturbances.

    Terry summoned metal balls from his storage bracelets. He juggled five balls over the mattress ¨C three octavum, one septimum, one tertium ¨C and then began to incorporate his Immovable Object spell. He transfixed one ball in the air before summoning another from his storage bracelet to fill up the gap.

    Some balls had been imprinted with the Immovable Object spell. For others, Terry first had to properly cast the spell. While he continued to juggle five balls at all times, the number of balls that were transfixed in the air increased steadily.

    Terry had thought of the exercise together with Isille and Samuel.

    The first goal was to have the balls become transfixed in a specific pattern, like a straight line. Aside from training his hand-eye coordination, this also forced Terry to get the timing right for the activation of his spell or the spell imprints. It needed to be adjusted depending on the target position, the force used when throwing the ball, the ball¡¯s material, and the difference between activating a spell imprint and casting a spell from scratch.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Isille, in particular, encouraged Terry to train with imprinted throwing weapons based on octavum. Samuel was the one who insisted on including some non-imprinted balls so that Terry would also train his spell control, mana sense, mana reach, and casting concentration.

    Soon after Terry had started, the second aspect of the exercise was revealed when the Immovable Object spell for the first ball wore off. The ball fell and Terry had to add it to his juggling without losing his rhythm.

    This was not intended as an exercise in reflexes. Instead, it was an exercise in control. Terry was supposed to control how long the spell was active by controlling the amount of mana used during activation. If he messed up, then there would be multiple balls falling down at the same time ¨C which, in turn, would mess up his juggling completely. While it was possible to make up for control with speed and reflexes somewhat, it only worked up to a point.

    Currently, Terry allowed himself to keep his mana sense active and watch the mana movement with mana sight in order to estimate the spell duration of the transfixed balls. The long-term goal, however, was to rely solely on his mana control without resorting to reflexes or mana sense as a crutch.

    Terry continued like this for an hour. Before going to bed, he still intended to do some ring training. To his chagrin, the juggling was surprisingly exhausting. Even ignoring the mental fatigue, juggling for longer periods was exhausting in a purely physical manner. Therefore, he adjusted his plans and decided on a brief break.

    Terry retrieved his notebook and pen. Then he sat down on the floor and looked over his notes. He was trying to identify improvements for his armor parts that had been imprinted with the Immovable Object spell. He was satisfied with the mechanism in his boots for now. However, the bracers were a different topic.

    Terry was hoping for better mobility in the air, but he discovered that his movement was very limited, with a bracer plate transfixed in place. The bracers were useful for anchoring himself, for example, when he wanted to do a two-legged kick. They could also come in handy when trying to stop or redirect his movement.

    Unfortunately, Terry always had to be very careful when activating them, or he would risk breaking his own arms. After all, an elbow joint did not support free movement in all directions.

    For the kind of melee mobility that Terry yearned for, he would need to come up with something better. His current scribbles and sketches focused on an idea he thought of when thinking back to his first experiments that had led to Jorg¡¯s bloody nose.

    Instead of imprinting the bracer plate, the plate would have an imprinted spherical object embedded. The bracer plate ¨C and with it Terry ¨C could rotate freely around the transfixed spherical object.

    Imprinting only the spherical object had the additional advantage that only the sphere would necessitate septimum for the low activation delay. The rest of the bracer plate could be made from a cheaper material with similar durability.

    On the other hand, an unimprinted plate would be susceptible to damage when blocking unless Terry cast the Immovable Object spell himself. Terry was not sure yet if the savings from the cheaper material would be worth it.

    The problem with the idea was still how to incorporate the sphere into the armor. The sphere needed to be large enough for Terry to imprint it. Another challenge was the need to get used to the weird rotation axis. Transfixing a metal spear and then swinging around it at the location of your hands or hips felt different from rotating around a location at your forearm.

    The additional mobility came at a price. With the imprinted plate, Terry could transfix himself in any position at any angle. All it required was enough body tension. In contrast, if only the sphere was imprinted, then gravity would act on him and rotate him accordingly.

    I should probably keep both the plate and sphere imprinted¡­

    Terry pondered. He subconsciously played with the pen and rotated it around his fingers.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m in favor of doing the courier mission,¡± stated Jorg.

    Miguel, who had been leaning back on the chair until this point, straightened himself and blinked. He shook his head and snapped his fingers next to his ears.

    ¡°Beg your pardon?¡± Miguel scrunched up his face.

    Terry¡¯s group was just as surprised, but they remained silent.

    Gellath shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. If Jorg wants to do it, too, then why not?¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± exclaimed Alrik. ¡°Then that makes at least five of us.¡±

    ¡°We should inform the Guardians that we will accept the mission as soon as possible,¡± said Lori, and stood up immediately.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± praised Alrik and stood up as well.

    Before Miguel had any chance to object, the two were already on their way.

    ¡°W-what just happened?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°What the what now?!¡± He turned to Jorg and whined. ¡°Whyyy?¡±

    Jorg looked around and considered his words. ¡°I heard once that smaller places occasionally have investigatory missions. You know, unverified suspicions or a time window before the missions get communicated to the bigger cities. That kind of mission could be a fresh experience. Since we¡¯re already this close, we might as well try our luck. I have a good feeling. Call it a hunch.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Ugh, welcome to Woop Woop Nowheresville,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    ¡°Oh, cheer up Mister Grumpy Pants!¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t seem so bad.¡±

    ¡°Over three houses, yay,¡± uttered Miguel in a flat voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Maybe a quarter of one of Arcana¡¯s districts?¡±

    ¡°I always suspected you were bad at math,¡± retorted Miguel with a dry grumble.

    Jorg squinted at his friend and companion. When he heard Lori giggle, he turned to her. ¡°No comments from the cheap seats, please. Such information is classified as Family Secret.¡±

    ¡°The tower over there is the destination with the recipient,¡± declared Alrik.

    ¡°I guess there are upsides to having only a single tall building around,¡± snarked Miguel.

    ¡°Give it a rest,¡± replied Jorg. ¡°If the missions are of no interest, we can take a trip to hunt for some food.¡±

    Miguel considered the idea. He looked expectantly at Siling. The elven woman smiled back and assured: ¡°You can have free access to Grumpy.¡±

    That seemed to cheer Miguel up. ¡°Deal. No backsies.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So much for your hunch,¡± groaned Miguel.

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re not going the clairvoyant path anytime soon,¡± added Gellath.

    Jorg was unperturbed. ¡°Then how about the hunting trip?¡±

    ¡°There is a good spot north of here,¡± stated Alrik.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± questioned Tiana.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here before not too long ago,¡± explained Alrik. ¡°My father manages caravans and I accompany some of them occasionally.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like a hunting enthusiast,¡± said Miguel with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°No, but there were others¡­¡± Alrik spoke while already walking ahead.

    ***

    ¡°What exactly did your caravan escorts hunt?¡± Miguel surveyed the area. ¡°Field mice? Because this does not look like a place for normal game.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even sense field mice,¡± said Siling with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°Wasps? Maybe?¡± Miguel squeezed air through his closed lips. ¡°Okay, I give up. What are we supposed to hunt here?¡±

    ¡°The hunting spot is further north,¡± replied Alrik.

    ¡°Then why are we stopping here instead of there?¡± pressed Miguel.

    Alrik smiled. ¡°I have a better mission for us: dungeon work.¡±

    That caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°There was no such mission available at the Guardians.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the dungeon isn¡¯t public yet,¡± explained Alrik. ¡°I discovered it the last time I was here.¡±

    ¡°And you did not report it?¡± questioned Tiana.

    ¡°Why would I?¡± scoffed Alrik. ¡°To lose the opportunity for the first dungeon dive? Perhaps miss the once in a lifetime chance to recover a dungeon core? What kind of fool do you take me for?¡±

    Tiana chose not to answer that particular question.

    ¡°Hold up right there,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Dungeon work? A secret dungeon? A dungeon that has not been explored with a pioneer mission before? Are you out of your mind?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made the necessary inquiries,¡± assured Alrik dismissively. ¡°I measured the mana concentration and mana suppression at the entrance. The measurements show a very weak dungeon ¨C even weaker than the one in which we had our dungeon work examination. That is exactly what makes me believe the dungeon has formed recently. Why else would I have hopes of getting my hands on a dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°Even if it is a weak dungeon, dungeon work still requires preparation.¡± Tiana pointed out. ¡°You can¡¯t just spring this on us in the middle of nowhere. At the very least, we should buy Mark-and-Recall scrolls.¡±

    ¡°All here.¡± Alrik summoned a bundle of scrolls. ¡°One for everyone. My treat.¡± He handed three to Tiana, three to Jorg, and one each to Lori and Elena.

    Jorg excitedly distributed the scrolls to Miguel and to Gellath.

    ¡°I even have some spares with me just in case,¡± said Alrik. ¡°No one has to enter the dungeon without a Mark spell in place.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª What¡ª No!¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already had a vote in our group,¡± said Alrik. ¡°Lori and Elena are in. Jorg?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I want to,¡± assured Jorg instantly. ¡°Gellath, Miguel, what do you think? This is a better mission, right?¡±

    Gellath nodded enthusiastically.

    Miguel contemplated a moment longer. ¡°Are you sure about the measurements?¡±

    Alrik nodded. ¡°Naturally. And if we notice any trouble, we can always leave with the scrolls. So what¡¯s the harm?¡±

    Miguel shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. Sounds interesting to me.¡±

    Tiana turned to Terry and Siling. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, but if you want to, I don¡¯t mind.¡± In contrast to the others, she had attended the regular dungeon introduction class, which did not include the warnings that Samuel had emphasized and built his lecture around.

    Terry was getting frantic. He recalled Samuel, Bjorln, Isille. All of his family that would be worried beyond belief and protest in horror. ¡°No. You can¡¯t do this!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Alrik perked up and jeered. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go? All this whaka stuff is just for show then?¡±

    ¡°Leave him alone, Alrik!¡± barked Jorg. ¡°No one has to go if they don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Alrik has a point,¡± interjected Lori. ¡°I am going. And you are going, Jorg. Aren¡¯t whaka supposed to stand together against danger?¡± Her disappointed eyes rested on Terry. ¡°Such a weak dungeon hardly qualifies as any real danger, but still.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª I¡ª¡± Terry searched for words. ¡°That cuts both ways. I am pretty sure that you are not supposed to drag your whaka into unnecessary danger, either. Normal dungeon work is one thing, but this¡ª We should at least tell Ma and Pa about this.¡±

    Lori and Jorg grimaced and became wide-eyed.

    Alrik scowled. ¡°I discovered this dungeon. This was my secret.¡± He turned to Lori. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they were alright? What the Wastes, Lori! I trusted you!¡±

    ¡°Th-they are. T-Terry did not mean that. Right?¡± Lori looked pleadingly at Terry. ¡°You would not betray our trust and rat us out!¡±

    ¡°Terry look,¡± started Jorg. ¡°You do not have to go into the dungeon if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s a weak dungeon. It¡¯s fine if you want to wait outside, but there is no need to involve Ma and Pa.¡±

    ¡°Then, will you stay away from it, too?¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°I am going,¡± insisted Lori.

    Jorg shook his head as well. He did not meet Terry¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± interjected Tiana. ¡°You expect us to keep this a secret? From everyone? I dislike the idea of entering an unknown dungeon without at least informing my brother. What about afterwards? Do you expect me to lie to my brother about this mission?¡±

    ¡°Afterwards, you can do what you want,¡± replied Alrik with a shrug. ¡°If there is any chance for us to get the dungeon core, it will be in the first run. Once we are done, you can inform your brother, the Guardians, or whomever you wish. This was my information to share. If you want to join, then my condition is that you let us have the first dive in peace. Now, let¡¯s hurry. Everyone that wants to go, follow me.¡±

    Terry¡¯s expression became sullen, and he turned to Tiana and Siling. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I would like to go,¡± responded Siling with a slightly guilty expression. ¡°Perhaps I can find a good match for my new soul spirit spot. Still, I understand if you two don¡¯t want to and I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tiana with a furrowed brow. ¡°Tempting, but I am also getting a bad feeling. However, nevermind us. What about you, Terry? Are you going?¡±

    Terry nodded with a pained look. ¡°They¡¯re my whaka. If they encounter danger, then I want to be there. I don¡¯t want to drag anyone else into this though. You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then that settles it.¡± Tiana cut him off. ¡°We¡¯re not letting you go in there alone, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Siling.

    ***

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a dungeon entrance?¡± questioned Miguel. ¡°Looks like a wall.¡±

    ¡°There is mana flowing,¡± stated Terry sullenly.

    ¡°Precisely! That¡¯s how I first discovered it,¡± said Alrik with a proud grin. ¡°I suspect the reason no one has noticed it before is that the entrance and mana reservoir room on this side are not fully developed yet. It is easily dismissed as a wall if you do not pay attention with mana sight.¡±

    ¡°How do we fill the reservoir limit like this?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have your sister help out the dungeon construction a bit.¡± Alrik pointed a thumb at Lori.

    ¡°Raise Wall and Harden Rock should suffice to improvise a proper reservoir room,¡± elaborated Lori. ¡°Once the room is in place, we accumulate our naturalized mana inside to open the passage door.¡±

    ***

 025 Devastating Difference

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 99 ¨C

    Terry half hoped that the Mark-and-Recall spell scrolls would turn out to be faulty products. Alas, no such luck. All Mark spells were successful.

    Terry felt that the mana suppression inside was noticeably different. When he voiced his concerns, Alrik shut him down and blamed his nerves. Most of the others were too excited to pay attention to begin with, and Terry did not press the matter.

    The first few floors were as expected ¨C some slimes, some fake goblin constructs, some flash geckos. The only trouble emerged from the dungeon combinations. This dungeon had a penchant for using the gecko¡¯s blinding flash to mask long-range attacks. Spells and magic attacks remained visible in mana sight, but the projectiles thrown by the fake goblins did not contain any mana.

    Tiana had a pair of darkened goggles prepared. She had purchased them as a cheap counter to Terry¡¯s annoying glove. However, walking through the dungeon with darkened goggles also proved less than satisfactory. In the end, they mostly forced their way through with barriers, earthen walls, and shields.

    The next floors introduced brighter mana illumination coming from the walls. They brought a large increase in the number of dungeon constructs. In most of the rooms, the group had to battle several fake goblin parties that were equipped with simple weaponry.

    ¡°Something larger is coming from the next room,¡± warned Siling. ¡°No life signature, but Pricklybum¡¯s tremor sense is tingling. I¡¯ll let it place a tripwire.¡±

    The wiremoss tarantula soul rapidly dashed towards the room entrance and fastened a wire thread to the entrance walls with sticky liquid. Afterwards, it crawled to the ceiling and backed off from the entrance.

    Everyone else readied their weapons.

    ¡°I can sense a core,¡± informed Terry. ¡°Wait, more than one? I believe there are smaller ones around it.¡±

    A construct that was roughly the size of Tiana approached slowly through the tunnel. When it reached the entrance, it tripped over the wire thread and fell forward into the room.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s an earth warrior construct,¡± said Jorg.

    Tiana rushed forward with a huge war hammer ¨C one of her recent equipment additions. The hammer had already crushed many constructs in this dungeon.

    Before Tiana could reach the construct, the construct¡¯s skin scuttled off. It looked as if the construct was shedding large scales ¨C only these scales had legs. More of these flat crab-like constructs swarmed in from the tunnel. They rapidly gathered in front of the fallen earth warrior. They extended some of their legs and formed a many-scaled wall.

    Tiana¡¯s war hammer smashed against them, but to no effect. The constructs had formed a proper shield wall and the force of Tiana¡¯s attack was distributed among too many construct legs to have much impact.

    ¡°Damn, those are shield leggers!¡± exclaimed Jorg. He had read about them when researching dungeon work. They had never encountered them in any of the introduction dungeons.

    Miguel frowned. These constructs displayed a remarkable sense of coordination. If they were smart enough, then his coldfire-aspected arrows would be countered. He could not risk one of these things charging at his companions while being ignited with coldfire.

    ¡°I got it,¡± declared Alrik. He cast Raise Icicles beneath the shield leggers.

    Once the shield wall had been broken, Siling followed up with Kinetic Push to scatter the constructs.

    Immediately afterwards, Tiana charged forward again. She aimed her war hammer at the sluggish earth warrior¡¯s head.

    The half downed construct blocked with one of its arms. The arm cracked, but protected it from further harm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go for the head!¡± commanded Alrik. ¡°That¡¯s where the core is located.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I aimed at the head.¡± She looked at him sternly.

    ¡°The core¡¯s the most valuable part,¡± rebuked Alrik.

    ¡°Our lives are more valuable,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°That thing is a construct we have not encountered before.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to learn what it can do, no?¡± returned Alrik. ¡°Lori, that thing is mostly formed from earth. You do it. Siling, clear the way from these annoying things.¡±

    Siling¡¯s eyelid twitched. Despite her irritation, she threw another Kinetic Push. The spell also supported the earth warrior in standing up.

    Lori dashed forward. Without explicit coordination, Elena and Terry moved to cover her flanks.

    Lori dodged the construct¡¯s punches and quickly darted towards its torso. She pushed out her palm and infused it with her ignited Rockspall Touch spell. A layer of the construct¡¯s back broke apart.

    The construct aimed another fist at Lori. Elena rushed forward and blocked the hit with her dueling shield. She burst her mana and pushed the construct into a wall. She frenziedly rammed the shield into the construct again and again.

    Terry summoned two metal short spears and chased after them. The spears had been imprinted with the Immovable Object spell.

    The construct angled one of its arms to deflect Elena¡¯s dueling shield. It swung the second arm at Elena, whose attention was still elsewhere.

    Terry jumped in and activated the Immovable Object spell in his bracer to block the arm. Simultaneously, he placed and angled the imprinted spears across the construct¡¯s torso in order to pin it against the wall with the Immovable Object.

    ¡°Elena, it¡¯s trapped,¡± declared Terry. ¡°Go!¡±

    Elena turned to Terry with a glare. She gave no indication of acknowledging the information.

    ¡°Elena, back!¡± yelled Lori. Elena¡¯s eyes recovered some sanity, and she retreated.

    Terry summoned a shield and used a burst to pin one of the construct¡¯s arms against the wall. He channeled mana into the imprint in the shield¡¯s handle attachment. The Immovable Object imprint activated successfully. He used two more shields to repeat the procedure for the second arm and the legs.

    ¡°All yours, Sis,¡± muttered Terry and jumped to the side.

    Lori relied on another Rockspall Touch to damage the construct¡¯s torso. She tentatively tested a Liquify Earth spell at the construct¡¯s neck, but the spell failed to activate. The mana from the construct¡¯s core was still blocking her. One more Rockspall Touch to the area where the neck connected to the torso, and the construct was down.

    The construct partially dissipated into dust. A mana core remained behind. This core differed from the ones they had collected before. Lori picked it up and offered it to Alrik.

    ¡°What are those?¡± asked Siling and pointed towards several parts of darker material.

    ¡°First time that one of the dungeon constructs left more than a core,¡± remarked Jorg.

    ¡°That construct was different,¡± said Terry. ¡°I could sense mana lines inside of it.¡±

    ¡°Bah, hooey,¡± scoffed Alrik. ¡°You were probably confused by the light effects from the walls. Lori, did you notice any mana lines?¡±

    ¡°N-no.¡±

    Terry did not pursue the topic further. No point. He picked up one piece from the floor. ¡°So what are these?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some reinforcing structures?¡± speculated Siling. ¡°You know, like bones or exoskeletons for normal creatures?¡±

    ¡°It looks as if they could have been part of the arms,¡± said Tiana.

    ¡°Are dungeon constructs supposed to be that way?¡± Terry picked up a different piece. ¡°Could have been a head plate to protect the core. I have looked into many materials, but I don¡¯t recognize this one.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it either,¡± said Alrik. ¡°Which means it¡¯s definitely not very valuable. Just leave it here. No need to waste space in our storage items.¡±

    Terry pictured how Alrik would react if he knew Terry was carrying around normal rock boulders in his crafter¡¯s pendant. ¡°I at least want to show them to Aunt Brynn. Perhaps they have some use after all.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Alrik rolled his eyes.

    Terry collected the pieces into his crafter¡¯s pendant.

    ***

    Terry frowned. Something was off about this floor. They had been walking for nearly an hour without encountering anything¡­

    ¡°HUuaahm,¡± yawned Gellath. Other ¨C more silent ¨C yawns followed.

    ¡°Stop,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°Something does not seem right.¡±

    ¡°You mean that this floor is unusually boring?¡± offered Gellath.

    ¡°No, I mean that we are going in circles.¡± Siling looked around with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Jorg blurted out.

    ¡°How so?¡± inquired Tiana.

    ¡°I mean that literally,¡± explained Siling. ¡°Up, left, down, right, repeat with some variety, but with the same result.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± denied Alrik. ¡°I paid attention to our path.¡±

    ¡°It varies,¡± stressed Siling. ¡°The pattern gets changed occasionally, but the figurative needle on my north sense tells me that this is what it boils down to.¡±

    ¡°True North spell?¡± inquired Miguel.

    ¡°Mana ability of the wiremoss tarantula,¡± replied Siling.

    Miguel nodded and looked with suspicion towards the path they came from.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of labyrinth floor?¡± guessed Gellath.

    ¡°What kind of labyrinth only has a single path to follow, though?¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°While we did change direction, we never encountered a fork. I don¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± agreed Jorg. ¡°If this is truly a labyrinth floor, then this dungeon is on a different level than those of the introduction class.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already poke a hole in that theory?¡± groaned Alrik. ¡°Not a single fork, remember?¡±

    ¡°I take Siling¡¯s word that something is wrong,¡± stressed Miguel. ¡°There must be something that we are missing.¡±

    Gellath yawned again.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Missed your nap time today?¡± teased Miguel.

    Gellath stuck out his tongue in response.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Elena furrowed her forehead. ¡°I think I am getting tired as well.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t blame you,¡± replied Alrik unconcernedly. ¡°This floor does not offer much excitement.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s the dungeon?¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Or one of its creatures?¡±

    ¡°Bit paranoid, are we?¡± replied Alrik.

    ¡°Could anyone cast Cure Poison on me?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Did you get bitten by something?¡± questioned Jorg.

    ¡°I got it,¡± said Siling and cast the spell. ¡°And? Feel any different?¡±

    Miguel closed his eyes and examined himself. ¡°No, not really. Still unusually tired.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Siling puckered her face. ¡°Let me try another one.¡±

    Terry recognized the spell structure as belonging to Banish Fatigue.

    ¡°How about now?¡± Siling watched Miguel.

    ¡°Still no change.¡± The dwarven archer shrugged.

    Siling¡¯s and Terry¡¯s facial expressions instantly turned grave.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m afraid we have a wasted problem,¡± said Siling. ¡°Gellath, Elena, let¡¯s try with you as well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± inquired Tiana.

    ¡°Banish Fatigue does not help either,¡± explained Siling. ¡°Which means this is not normal tiredness.¡±

    Gellath and Elena showed the same results as Miguel.

    ¡°We ruled out poison. That leaves spells or mana abilities from other aspects,¡± summarized Miguel.

    ¡°Comparatively weak ability,¡± added Terry. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too different.¡±

    ¡°Or short exposure,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Speaking of which, did you notice any life or mana signatures?¡±

    ¡°Many weak life signatures are close, but¡­¡± Siling looked up and pondered.

    ¡°¡­but there is only the ceiling, right?¡± Terry finished her thought. ¡°I can sense some small mana cores, but there is only the ceiling.¡±

    ¡°Camouflage?¡± Jorg and looked up warily.

    ¡°I had Pricklybum check out the ceiling before,¡± replied Siling. ¡°There was nothing.¡±

    Terry jumped and relied on his imprinted boots to walk up to inspect the ceiling from up close. After refraining from blinking for about ten seconds, Terry noticed slight movement. ¡°Something is crawling around in there.¡±

    Terry summoned a cheap dagger from his storage bracelet and poked at the ceiling. Rubble fell down. It became apparent that the ceiling was not made of solid stone. It was porous. A proper ceiling only appeared after a gap that was several inches wide. That gap was sufficient for small creatures to reside in.

    Pricklybum moved next to Terry, and he made some space for the soul spirit. The wiremoss tarantula rammed one of its clawed legs into the ceiling and excreted some sticky liquid. It retracted its leg and Terry could see a slightly fluorescent butterfly creature glued to the soul spirit¡¯s limb. ¡°Siling, have a look at Pricklybum¡¯s catch. Do you know what that is?¡±

    The wiremoss tarantula webbed the caught creature and lowered it on a thread to Siling.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Attacus sleepmoth,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°We¡¯ve probably been hit by its dream-aspected drowsy ability. They¡¯re only minor corrupted, but we should avoid exposing ourselves even longer.¡±

    ¡°Does a Fireball fit into the gap?¡± asked Alrik.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so. Let me try something.¡± Terry summoned two items he had received as part of his mana crafting exchanges.

    The first was a short spear he had received from Tiana. The spear tip had been aspected with lightning by Tiana¡¯s brother Chadwick. Terry aimed the spear at one of the creatures through the opening. The creature died quickly and fell down.

    The second spear¡¯s tip had been aspected with coldfire by Miguel. Terry carefully used the spear to attack one of the sleepmoths. The creature caught the coldfire. Before it died, the sleepmoth took flight and spread the coldfire to other victims.

    ¡°Works somewhat, but this would still take forever.¡± Terry placed the spears back into his storage bracelet.

    ¡°I can try Cone of Cold,¡± suggested Gellath.

    ¡°Better, but¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°There are too many around here and we still have to move. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s workable to eliminate them wherever we go.¡± He added in a mumble, ¡°This would have been perfect for Calam¡¯s Kinetic Pull.¡±

    Tiana exchanged her shield and gladius with her war hammer again.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Siling said we¡¯re going in circles. Now, we find an assimilated mana-corrupted creature with a weak drowsy ability,¡± recapped Tiana. ¡°To me, that strengthens the case for a labyrinth. At the same time, Miguel was right in that we have never reached a fork.¡±

    Tiana moved to one wall and swung the war hammer against it with her full might. The wall cracked, but nothing more.

    Jorg tried to follow the thought. ¡°You think the walls are moving?¡±

    Terry let himself fall down to the floor again. ¡°Some walls could be dungeon constructs, but then there should be a core.¡± He examined the floor around the walls. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s hidden in the floor or ceiling again? Problem is we do not know how far away the core might be. Nor how big the construct core of a moving wall would be. That wasn¡¯t part of the introduction class.¡±

    ¡°So no way to easily distinguish the moving walls from the proper walls?¡± asked Lori. ¡°Nothing to do, but try then. I don¡¯t want to stay around the wasted moths.¡± She started to cast Rockspall Touch.

    Terry summoned the war hammer from their cloud badger hunting days and joined the two in testing the walls.

    Siling considered joining in with an empowered Kinetic Push but thought better of it. This dungeon made her feel uncomfortable. It was better for the people with healing spells to preserve mana when they could.

    Eventually, Lori¡¯s spell broke through one wall.

    Something immediately jumped through the following dust cloud at the dwarven woman.

    Lori quickly activated the barrier imprint in her short spear. Her spear became heavier. She could see a construct clinging to the tower shield barrier with its extended legs.

    The underside of the construct had one thick spike in the middle. Inside the construct, there was a screw mechanism for thrusting the spike forward an inch and pulling it back into its body.

    The creature¡¯s legs tightened, and a moment later, Lori heard her barrier shattering.

    The creature fell and leaped again towards its dwarven target. This time, Lori used a prepared Raise Wall spell to block the construct.

    ¡°Spike creeper,¡± shouted Jorg. ¡°Don¡¯t let it wrap its legs around you! That spike can¡¯t extend very far, but it can muster a lot of pressure!¡±

    Lori nodded and cast Liquify Earth on the floor in front of the wall.

    The spike creeper crawled over the earthen wall and jumped at Lori. Lori used her short spear to bat the construct into the prepared mud. She followed up with Harden Earth. The spike creeper was trapped in the floor.

    ¡°Good job,¡± praised Jorg.

    ¡°Except for the fact that we can¡¯t get at its core,¡± complained Alrik with a frown.

    Lori was taken aback and replied apologetically. ¡°I could liquify the earth partly and then we can try to extract it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± muttered Jorg and shot a glare at Alrik.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting uppity,¡± said Siling. ¡°Pricklybum¡¯s tremor sense is going haywire. That spike packs a punch. It will probably escape soon.¡±

    Lori and Jorg stepped back from the area.

    ¡°Oh good, then we can recover the core after all,¡± exclaimed Alrik.

    The spike creeper broke through the floor and crawled up. Before it could get far, Tiana crushed the whole construct with her war hammer.

    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?!¡± demanded Alrik with a flushed face.

    ¡°Hoopsie,¡± replied Tiana with a scowl towards Alrik. ¡°How clumsy of me.¡± There was not the slightest hint of apology or embarrassment in her voice. There was only a defiant challenge towards the arrogant dwarven mage.

    Terry¡¯s lips curled upwards. He noticed similar reactions from others in the group. Miguel made no attempt to hide his thumbs-up to Tiana.

    Alrik grunted and let it go.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± started Tiana. ¡°Now that we have confirmed our suspicions, how do we proceed?¡±

    ¡°I still remember the direction from which we entered,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to leave,¡± objected Alrik.

    ¡°This dungeon is way beyond the introductory dungeons,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°Screw your measurements!¡±

    ¡°I have to agree,¡± said Jorg. ¡°These spike creepers could be lethal, especially if your reflexes have been dulled by the sleepmoth.¡±

    ¡°We have the scrolls,¡± reminded Alrik. ¡°We can return anytime. We might as well see how far we can get. We have come all this way. What is the point in turning back when we could move forward instead?¡±

    ***

    After the labyrinth, they passed through two more floors that contained mostly normal rooms ¨C some familiar enemies and nothing too far out of the ordinary.

    There was one weird room that was completely devoid of anything remotely threatening at first glance. This caused the group to fear a potential trap. However, if there was one, then they did not trigger it.

    In contrast, the first room on this new floor was far from peaceful.

    ¡°Waste it,¡± cursed Miguel. ¡°Bad kitty! Piss off already!¡± He fired an aspected arrow at the purplemist lynx. The arrow found its target. Unfortunately, it was blocked by the creature¡¯s arcane shield. Even so, the arrow drew the attention of the mana-corrupted feline.

    Gellath used the chance to put some distance between himself and the purplemist lynx.

    The eyes of the mana-corrupted feline glowed in a bright magenta.

    Miguel nocked another arrow. Before he could fire it, shrubbery grew right in his line of sight. He barely stopped himself from releasing the arrow and having the coldfire ignite the shrubbery directly in front of him. ¡°Someone do something about those wasted trash pandas!¡±

    The purplemist lynx released two arcane bolts directed at Gellath, but they collided with an earthen wall instead.

    Miguel moved from behind the shrubbery in order to take aim again.

    Siling¡¯s wiremoss tarantula soul spirit rushed past him and sunk its fangs into one of the escaping shrub raccoons.

    ¡°Thanks, Princess,¡± murmured Miguel and looked around. He was tempted to aim for the corrupted raccoons as well. However, his past attempts had already taught him two things. First, these creatures were too quick with their mana ability. Second, he hated them with a passion.

    ¡°Ugh, this is taking forever,¡± complained Alrik. ¡°Elena, hurry it up!¡±

    Elena frowned before bursting her mana, and then she charged at the lynx.

    ¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Tiana aghast. ¡°No¡ª Wait!¡± She glanced at the purplemist lynx whose eyes were already glowing. She dashed forward without hesitation and exchanged her weapon with a tower shield from her storage bracelet.

    Shrubs grew right in Elena¡¯s path and entangled her legs.

    An enraged Elena ripped through the shrubbery and was immediately faced with two arcane bolts in her path.

    One was blocked by Lori¡¯s earthen wall and Tiana blocked the second with her tower shield.

    Meanwhile, Elena jumped over the wall.

    ¡°No! Constructs over there!¡± warned Tiana. She burst her own mana and tried to grab Elena. Unfortunately, the frenzied woman dodged on instinct.

    Terry was hunting down shrub raccoons when he heard Tiana¡¯s shout. He cursed and changed direction.

    Siling finished off the nature-aspected raccoon with a Rock Spear instead. She observed the battlefield and instructed her soul spirit.

    A spike creeper jumped towards Elena. It was hit by a bolt fired from Tiana¡¯s crossbow.

    Elena smashed a large fake goblin construct into smithereens.

    A second spike creeper appeared, but it changed direction in mid-air when it was pulled towards Terry¡¯s glove.

    A third spike creeper did not jump. Instead, it scurried along the floor until a horrid scream echoed through the room. The spike creeper had latched onto Elena¡¯s leg and the extendable spike had maimed her calf.

    In an all-consuming fury, Elena ripped the construct apart, which caused blood to gush out of her wound. Fortunately, her blood-aspected mana supported her own health regeneration and wound closure, and that effect was amplified when bursting. Unfortunately, the pain drove her sanity even further into the back of her mind.

    ¡°Quick!¡± exclaimed Gellath. ¡°The wound must not close like this!¡± He and Lori took off towards Elena. When a shrub raccoon tried to entangle them, Lori used an earthen wall to propel the creature into the air.

    Tiana ran in front of Elena to prevent any other constructs from getting closer.

    ¡°Hissss!¡± The purplemist lynx dodged Alrik¡¯s Raise Icicles spell. Two incensed eyes with vertical slits searched for the source. The eyes started to glow.

    Elena raged and punched the floor.

    ¡°Someone hold her down!¡± shouted Gellath while he was casting Healing Waters on Elena.

    ¡°Do what now?¡± blurted Terry. He looked at the berserk woman fighting with the floor with more than a little reluctance.

    ¡°I can stabilize her condition from here.¡± Gellath elaborated with a frown. ¡°The water spells will also disinfect the wound. But we have to make sure that there are no foreign objects in the wound before it closes. She is still bursting her blood-aspected mana. We don¡¯t have time for her to come back to her senses.¡±

    Lori¡¯s lower lip trembled when she saw all the blood. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Tiana volunteered. ¡°My size is more up to the task.¡±

    Lori nodded and switched positions with Tiana.

    ¡°Terry, once I have her down, use your Immovable Object items.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± replied Terry. He continued in a mumble, ¡°Next time, we ought to prepare a way to cast the Calm spell.¡±

    The purplemist lynx stalked around the group. It suddenly dashed and charged towards Alrik.

    Alrik cast Raise Icicles. The corrupted lynx simply sped up and evaded the spell without breaking its stride.

    Alrik threw a Fireball. The creature dodged to the side and pressed forward.

    An aspected arrow impacted on the arcane shield of the purplemist lynx. The shield broke, but the lynx continued its charge.

    The oversized lynx reached Alrik and shattered his barrier with its paw.

    Alrik gulped and stumbled backward.

    The purplemist lynx pounced on Alrik and was greeted by a barrier spear right to its flank. Jorg had arrived in time.

    Before Jorg could follow up, the creature instinctively activated its repulsion mana ability. Jorg and Alrik were both pushed away.

    A shrub raccoon appeared to entangle Alrik on the floor. Unexpectedly, the purplemist lynx attacked the raccoon and tore it apart. In its wounded state, the assimilated lynx¡¯s instincts overruled the dungeon¡¯s guidance. ¡°Hisss!¡±

    Pricklybum had arrived and rained a barrage of barbed needle hairs down on the purplemist lynx.

    The purplemist lynx pounced on the wiremoss tarantula. Pricklybum used its burst speed to lure the lynx to a different place.

    Even though the tarantula¡¯s burst speed was high, it lost out to the lynx over the long run. The purplemist lynx¡¯s teeth were about to sink into one of Pricklybum¡¯s legs when the wiremoss tarantula spirit vanished into thin air, only to reappear next to Siling, who was also casting Heal on Elena from a distance.

    The purplemist lynx sniffed the air and looked around. Its arcane shield reappeared, and it dashed towards the wounded Elena.

    After the corrupted creature had traversed half the distance, it was greeted by a throwing needle. As with the arrows, the purplemist lynx ignored the little object and relied on its arcane shield. The lynx did not notice that, shortly before the arcane shield made contact with the needle, the object stopped moving forward and became transfixed in the air.

    The arcane shield shattered. The needle entered the lynx¡¯s shoulder and caused the creature to come to a sudden halt where it screeched and hissed.

    Earthen walls appeared around the lynx. The creature¡¯s pupils dilated at what it saw.

    Tiana jumped and swung the lightning-aspected version of her giant war hammer. The creature¡¯s head got crushed and lightning sizzled through its body.

    Tiana retreated quickly. She generally avoided the lightning-aspected hammer for a reason. In contrast to her brother, her own lightning resistance was not that pronounced yet. She shook her numb hand and observed the purplemist lynx.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± yelled Siling, and Tiana exhaled sharply.

    Terry dropped down from the air next to Siling. ¡°If you want this soul, you need to hurry.¡±

    ¡°The abilities are neat, but not worth the risk.¡± Siling shook her head. ¡°My soul needs to become stronger before I can collect and strengthen a creature like that.¡±

    Terry looked around. ¡°What about the shrub raccoons?¡±

    ¡°Too much overlap with my Entangling Roots. Besides¡­¡± Siling looked over at Elena. ¡°No non-essential casting when a companion is out on the floor.¡±

    With the primary threat gone, they quickly eradicated the rest of the dungeon beings in the room.

    ¡°You feeling alright?¡± asked Lori anxiously.

    ¡°Y-yes, thank you,¡± replied Elena weakly. ¡°Only a bit tired.¡±

    ¡°One Banish Fatigue, at your service,¡± announced Siling.

    Elena smiled in response. ¡°Sorry for moving too far ahead and¡­¡± She looked at Tiana and Terry. ¡°And for punching you.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°I can take a punch,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°But the biting was uncalled for.¡±

    Elena averted her eyes and flushed from embarrassment.

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t bruise easily, I do prefer not being punched. There was no need for you to burst.¡± Tiana scolded before softening her reprimand. ¡°You were doing fine before. We had control of the situation.¡±

    Elena bit her lip and clenched her fists.

    ¡°Your leg should be fine again,¡± declared Gellath. He cast one last round of Curing Waters. ¡°Although the fresh tissue will feel a bit tingly for a while. Tell me if you notice any cramping.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Gellath.¡± Elena was truly grateful.

    The water-aspected variants of the fundamental healing spells brought several disadvantages for the caster. First, their range was shorter ¨C Gellath had to come close and run around all the time. Second, the variants required more time to cast. Third, the caster had to actively control the spell. All of these took a toll on the caster. In exchange, the water-aspected variants brought a benefit to the spell target. They entailed a soothing cooling effect and eased the pain immensely.

    ¡°Haha, yes!¡± Alrik¡¯s happy exclamations resounded through the room.

    The repulsion ability of the purplemist lynx had thrown Jorg and Alrik into different directions. While lying there on the floor, Alrik had noticed a reflection. He had walked over to investigate immediately. The result was a fist-sized purple mana crystal in his hand.

    Jorg was already half across the room towards Elena¡¯s group and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡±

    ¡°A purple mana crystal!¡± Alrik giddily jumped from foot to foot. ¡°A purple mana crystal!¡±

    Jorg shrugged and then looked around for any straggling mana corrupted.

    Eventually, everyone gathered together again.

    ¡°You okay, Elena?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Fine, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡± Alrik could not stop laughing happily.

    ¡°Can we stop already?¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°We have covered twice the number of floors than there were in any of the introduction dungeons. It is not getting better, is it? No way that the dungeon core is still exposed.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Siling. ¡°This dungeon is beginning to make my skin crawl. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Even I¡¯ve had my fill for today,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Good timing, too. Apparently, Alrik discovered something good. Purple mana crystal or something.¡±

    Siling¡¯s eyes popped wide open. ¡°Waow, really?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Alrik smirked. He proudly displayed the crystal.

    ¡°What¡¯s that good for?¡± whispered Miguel to Terry.

    ¡°Incredibly useful for casting devices,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Traditional mage staves and the like. Aside from amplifying certain mana aspects, it can act as the foundation for powerful mana-crafted items, because any imprint in it develops its own spell control and improves with use.¡±

    Miguel whistled. ¡°Sounds valuable.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°If we sell that with the other cores and items we picked up, the trip was worthwhile for everyone.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®sell¡¯?!¡± demanded Alrik. ¡°No way am I going to sell a purple mana crystal. Are you out of your mind?!¡±

    ¡°I would love a purple mana crystal as much as the next mage, but we only have one,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°Yeah, and?¡± retorted Alrik. ¡°It¡¯s mine. I found it.¡±

    The others looked at Alrik as if he was a terror grizzly that started a tap dance.

    ¡°Seriously, what is wrong with you?!¡± exclaimed Miguel incredulously.

    ¡°You found it, yes,¡± began Jorg with forced composure. ¡°And everyone else protected you on the way here. Putting aside all the other floors, if it had not been for Elena, you would have been turned into meat paste several times on this floor alone. I also distinctly remember saving your hairy bum from the purple fleabag more than once.¡±

    Alrik scoffed. ¡°I found it. It¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then you can buy out everyone else¡¯s share,¡± suggested Tiana.

    ¡°Are you mad? It¡¯s mine.¡± Alrik scoffed again. ¡°You have no share.¡±

    Gellath looked from side to side. ¡°Is he for real?¡±

    ¡°H-he did find it, though,¡± muttered Lori with a conflicted expression.

    Jorg looked at his sister in exasperation.

    Alrik sneered. ¡°You want to stop the dungeon dive? Your call. However, the purple mana crystal is mine.¡± He ripped apart a scroll and vanished.

    ¡°The little¡ª¡± Miguel stopped mid-sentence and gestured wildly. ¡°How has no one fed him to a terror grizzly yet? Is it the dimples? The glossy curls? The big fireballs?¡± His hand gestures morphed into choking an imaginary neck.

    Miguel¡¯s reaction jolted everyone else from their disbelieving daze.

    ¡°What the wasted¡ª¡± Jorg was flabbergasted.

    ¡°Pest beetle,¡± growled Siling.

    Tiana and Terry only scowled. Gellath seemed less than surprised. Elena sighed.

    ¡°M-maybe¡ª I m-mean¡ª We wanted to stop the dive, anyway, right?¡± stammered Lori.

    Elena drew a sharp breath, gnashed her teeth, and shook her head.

    ¡°Seriously, Lori?!¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°Just stop it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you, Jorg!¡± barked Lori. ¡°I won¡¯t stay quiet just because someone tells me to.¡±

    Miguel snorted and averted his eyes. Siling raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°I wish,¡± mumbled Terry.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you reserve some of that temper for the pest beetle once in a while?¡± Jorg shook his head. ¡°Nevermind that now. However, once we are out, we need to talk.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Lori frowned. ¡°Are we going or not?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Jorg. His tone was bitter.

    All of them summoned the leftover half of their Mark-and-Recall scrolls from their storage items.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t see what the fuss is about,¡± murmured Lori. ¡°Someone has to go first. What does it matter if it was Alrik?¡±

    Lori ripped her scroll apart¡­ and the scroll crumbled into dust while Lori remained where she was. Her brain struggled to process what had just happened.

    ¡°Everyone wait!¡± Terry was quicker. He walked over to Lori and then everyone turned to the dumbstruck dwarf.

    ***

 026 Standing Together

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 99 ¨C

    *Hong* A deep bell-like sound echoed through the dungeon room and then the entire floor quaked abruptly. *WRRRROOOMM!*

    For a moment, there was utter silence.

    ¡°Did anyone else¡¯s sphincter just clench itself?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°Or is that just me? What was that sound? Is the dungeon supposed to shake and make that sound? I don¡¯t remember that part from the introduction.¡±

    Tiana readied her equipment.

    ¡°Definitely not just you,¡± muttered Siling. She directed her soul spirit to move towards the ceiling.

    Gellath stepped closer to Miguel. ¡°Maybe dungeons are like cats. It¡¯s purring because it¡¯s happy.¡±

    ¡°I like that,¡± replied Miguel. ¡°Positive thinking. Happy dungeon. Happy, happy dungeon.¡±

    Jorg and Elena stepped next to Terry and Lori.

    ¡°Your scroll?¡± asked Jorg anxiously.

    Lori was still in a daze.

    ¡°Spell failure,¡± said Terry.

    Elena¡¯s eyes showed determination. She crumbled her own Recall scroll in her fist and then exchanged it with her dueling shield.

    Terry caught the reaction and sighed inwardly. His earlier impression of Elena during the bounty hunt had settled somewhere between bad and worse. Nevertheless, Elena¡¯s companionship with Lori was undeniable. Over time, Terry¡¯s opinion of Elena had improved. However, that shift in opinion was limited to Elena¡¯s non-addled state ¨C when her mind was not affected by her bursts. Unfortunately, the blood-aspected woman continued bursting her mana all the time.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked Gellath.

    ¡°We can¡¯t escape with the scrolls or we would leave Whaka Lori behind,¡± stated Terry. He summoned his barrier spear. ¡°I, for one, choose the scenic route.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe I missed a few sights on the way down.¡± Jorg nodded to Terry and patted Lori on the shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, there was this really cute poison slime,¡± quipped Miguel. ¡°I miss the little fella.¡±

    Gellath prepared his mace and shield.

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± mumbled Lori.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Elena kissed Lori on the top of her head.

    ¡°Sis, we could attempt to use our tremendous charm to get through the dungeon creepers, but maybe our weapons would work better?¡± teased Jorg. His cheeky grin finally jolted his sister out of her daze.

    Lori summoned her barrier spear and checked her daggers.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re lucky, and this dungeon does not have any reserve forces,¡± remarked Jorg.

    Terry blew up his cheeks and shook his head slightly.

    ¡°Hate to play the Debbie Downer,¡± said Siling. ¡°But this dungeon absolutely does.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already late,¡± said Tiana. ¡°We should probably take a rest before venturing forth.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t, the attacus sleepmoth may become our downfall,¡± warned Siling.

    Terry frowned. ¡°Would it make sense to send one out and let them get help?¡±

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± questioned Jorg. ¡°We already know what awaits us on the way up, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Not sure if it is even a good idea,¡± interjected Tiana. ¡°We don¡¯t know what caused the spell failure. If it was just a faulty scroll, it is one thing. However, if it is related to the room ¨C like a spatial seal or dimensional travel limit ¨C then we would waste emergency escape paths.¡±

    ¡°Pity that the signal cards don¡¯t work with dungeon interference,¡± muttered Gellath. ¡°Would have been really useful now.¡±

    ¡°Nothing we can do about it.¡± Terry sighed. He made eye contact with Jorg. ¡°Dungeon work is different.¡±

    ¡°Should we stay here or move to a different room to get some rest?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°This room was the last we cleared,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Probably the last to receive reinforcements, right?¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, the creatures here were a lot more annoying than the previous floors,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°We can fortify our position and barricade ourselves in for the break,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Use the time before new creatures arrive to block the entrances, set up some earthen walls and so forth.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be Debbie now,¡± said Miguel. ¡°At the risk of stating the obvious, this room has changed since we passed here before.¡±

    The group was looking at the pathway leading out of the room and up to the next floor.

    ¡°When we came down, we entered this room from the left,¡± said Tiana. She walked to the general area. ¡°I remember looking around to get my bearings.¡±

    Terry stepped next to her and focused on his mana sight. Eventually, he frowned and shook his head. ¡°If it¡¯s moving walls again, then the construct cores are well hidden and cloaked in some way.¡±

    Jorg sharply exhaled. ¡°Wastes, I don¡¯t like the idea of the dungeon choosing our path.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we smash the walls again?¡± suggested Gellath.

    Tiana summoned her war hammer. ¡°Worth a shot.¡± She tested the wall. When it did not budge, she tried again a few feet to the left.

    Eventually, there was a crack at one spot. However, when they cleared the rubble, all that greeted them was yet another wall.

    Tiana clicked her tongue. ¡°Can¡¯t tell. Even if this is the right spot¡­¡±

    ¡°It would take a long time to break through this way,¡± continued Lori.

    ¡°Long time for the dungeon to change things further,¡± added Terry.

    Jorg¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You believe that¡ª¡± He gulped.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°If the dungeon can change the rooms like this, then it can also redirect its minions wherever we are headed.¡±

    ¡°Can dungeons get angry?¡± Siling grimaced and shifted her gaze from side to side. ¡°Even dungeons as lovely as this one?¡±

    ¡°If the dungeon can easily redirect its creatures, then why the need to redirect us, though?¡± questioned Miguel.

    ¡°I know as much ¨C or little ¨C as you do,¡± replied Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t speak dungeon either. Maybe it has something specific planned for us? Creatures can be redirected, but rooms are more stationary.¡±

    Jorg¡¯s expression turned dark.

    ¡°To sum it up,¡± started Tiana. ¡°We can either follow the way laid out for us and face the dungeon¡¯s challenge or we try to break through here and risk facing the dungeon¡¯s wrath.¡±

    Lori bit her lip. ¡°Or you all could¨C¨C¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°No!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°And if you suggest that one more time, I¡¯ll get mad,¡± stressed Elena.

    ¡°Yeah, if you keep on looking all guilty, we¡¯ll have you suffer punishment,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Gellath, the next time Lori does that, you tell her a ¡®joke.¡¯¡± He made air quotes.

    Gellath nodded before he fully understood the command. After his brain had caught up with the words of his friend, he squinted at Miguel and puckered his lips. ¡°What did the archer say when he lost his bow?¡±

    ¡°I said next time, Gellath. Also to Lori. L-o-r-i.¡± Miguel pointed. ¡°Lady with the sideburns. The only face at our height that has no beard.¡±

    Gellath crossed his arms and continued squinting at Miguel.

    Miguel sighed in resignation. ¡°Okay, what did the archer say when he lost his bow?¡±

    Gellath nodded, uncrossed his arms, and replied with a deadpan expression. ¡°Where¡¯s my bow?!¡±

    Miguel stood in silence and smacked his lips.

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± remarked Siling, and kept her expression blank as well.

    Miguel looked from one to the other. ¡°Maybe if we keep this up, the dungeon will throw us out of its own accord?¡± He turned his gaze to the others. ¡°Anyway, where were we? Picking our poison?¡±

    ¡°If the dungeon really isn¡¯t our enemy, I would prefer to not turn it into one,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His statement perplexed Tiana. ¡°The dungeon seems hostile to me already.¡±

    ¡°Reference to our dungeon work introduction class,¡± explained Jorg. ¡°Dungeons are more likely to see us as sparring partners.¡±

    Tiana furrowed her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that from my introduction class.¡±

    ¡°Our class was different,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Our uncle acted as a guest lecturer. He went above and beyond the practical knowledge for delving.¡±

    Tiana nodded. ¡°Maybe you can elaborate on the lecture during our way up. In any case, I agree with the choice. The pathways normally offer respite. If we have to exhaust ourselves completely just to arrive in a room, then we would incur yet another disadvantage. Other opinions?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Trap.¡± ¡°Trap.¡± ¡°A trap if I ever saw one.¡±

    The group was looking at the moat in front of them. The water was muddy and they could not see how deep it was. On the other side of the moat, the earth was elevated and prevented one from easily leaving the water.

    ¡°Close, but I call ambush,¡± declared Siling. ¡°Life signatures from behind the earth barricade. None from inside the water.¡±

    ¡°Second that,¡± said Terry. ¡°Some smaller cores in the water ¨C constructs, presumably. Mana signatures from over there are water and ice aspected. Two ice-aspected signatures are more intense than the others. Either stronger slimes or dungeon assimilated would be my guess.¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°In any case, the water is off limits,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Not looking forward to meeting an ice-aspected spell after having taken a swim.¡±

    ¡°Assuming you even get the chance to step out of the water,¡± said Elena.

    ¡°They may also freeze the whole moat,¡± said Gellath.

    ¡°Or have the constructs drown you outright,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Cheery bunch, aren¡¯t we?¡± quipped Miguel.

    ¡°I could try to raise the earth,¡± suggested Lori. ¡°Viability depends on how deep the moat is.¡±

    ¡°Pricklybum could prepare some wire thread to help us cross over,¡± offered Siling.

    Then, both Lori and Siling looked at Terry.

    ¡°Assuming the creatures let me get to the ceiling¡­¡± Terry pondered out loud. ¡°I could prepare rope swings for all of you or horizontal ropes for climbing. Alternatively, we could cross using the tertium slabs.¡±

    ¡°That would still have us jumping into the thick of it,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if we can use the moat to our advantage,¡± said Tiana. ¡°We can¡¯t cross it easily, but the same applies to the other side.¡±

    ¡°Rely on purely long-range attacks?¡± proposed Miguel. ¡°Pity that the pest beetle has already left and took his fireballs with him. Coldfire won¡¯t work that well if Terry¡¯s intel is correct. However, if they¡¯re really slimes, then I could easily aim for their cores. That would mean no intact cores to collect, though.¡±

    Tiana nodded. ¡°I could use my prepped crossbows.¡±

    ¡°Pricklybum and I can support, too,¡± stated Siling. ¡°I could use Rock Spear from a distance and have Pricklybum do guerilla tactics with Resummon Spirit. If I see a good opportunity, I can clear the way with a Kinetic Push and the rest can get over.¡±

    Tiana nodded. ¡°If I use the crossbows from the ceiling, then I could also leap down as the first vanguard. Lightning-aspected weapons should work well and I can hold out with a shield.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have enough mana to freeze the moat myself,¡± said Gellath. ¡°However, Cone of Cold would work well against the water-aspected beings.¡±

    ¡°Better to secure the position first,¡± interjected Lori. ¡°I should move over as fast as possible so that I can raise some earthen walls.¡±

    Lori looked at Siling. ¡°If we liquify and tear down the earthen walls on the other side, then Miguel will have a free view from here.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Is anyone else seeing the forest?¡± asked Gellath. ¡°Or is some kind of corrupted insect playing tricks on me again?¡±

    ¡°Remind me to bash Alrik over the head with his measuring devices,¡± grumbled Jorg.

    ¡°That¡¯s a forest alright,¡± said Siling. ¡°One crawling with life.¡±

    ¡°And mana cores,¡± added Terry.

    ¡°Most of the life signatures are tiny.¡± Siling squinted at the unnatural forest. ¡°However, there are some worrying signatures up in the trees.¡±

    ¡°Where exactly?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°From the tree with the missing bark, two to the left.¡± Siling pointed.

    Miguel narrowed his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t see anything, even though the distance should be within my range.¡± He walked a few steps forward and to the sides. He shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Check it out from above?¡± suggested Terry. ¡°There is definitely a mana core there.¡±

    Miguel nodded. ¡°Much obliged.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to climb yourself, or should I give you a piggyback ride?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Oh, so Miguel can get a piggyback ride?!¡± Siling put her fists on her hips and puffed her cheeks exaggeratedly.

    Terry blinked. ¡°The trees are not as high this time, and I have the Gravitational Attraction glove now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to mention that I weigh less,¡± added Miguel with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°I am going to pretend I never heard that,¡± said Siling while narrowing her eyes at the cheeky dwarf. ¡°Alright, enough nonsense. I want to know what is lurking in the trees.¡±

    Terry threw an imprinted octavum needle. He used his glove to pull himself to the transfixed needle with Miguel on his back. Up in the air, Terry summoned an imprinted tertium slab and activated the Immovable Object spell. With their footing prepared, they both stepped on the slab and observed the trees.

    ¡°Still nothing,¡± mumbled Miguel. ¡°Can you point the core out for me again?¡± Afterwards, he yelled down. ¡°Siling, can you point at the creature and keep pointing?¡±

    Siling and Terry did as requested. Miguel asked Terry a few more questions. He nocked an aspected arrow and aimed at the spot pointed out by Siling and Terry.

    Miguel loosened his arrow.

    A bright light appeared, and something fell from the tree. The creature was roughly a size between a dwarf and a human. It rolled on the floor in order to extinguish the coldfire dancing over its back. Its screeches were mixed with deep growls.

    Miguel fired two other arrows to kill the dungeon-assimilated being. Afterwards, Terry and Miguel moved down again.

    ¡°The creature had some kind of invisibility ability,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Yeah, that was a shining dropbear,¡± stated Siling. ¡°They¡¯re light-aspected mana corrupted with a mana ability similar to the Camouflage spell.¡±

    ¡°Bear?¡± blurted Jorg. ¡°That sounded more like a donkey.¡±

    ¡°Or an excited pig,¡± murmured Gellath.

    ¡°They¡¯re corrupted descendants of koalas,¡± explained Siling. ¡°Koalas are marsupials, not bears. However, they were sometimes inaccurately named koala bears. Apparently, the misnomer followed the creatures through their corruption. The ¡®drop¡¯ half of the name is accurate though. They hide in the trees and let themselves drop onto the heads of their victims.¡±

    Miguel grimaced. He moved his gaze between Terry and Siling. ¡°Have I told you yet how much I appreciate your group tagging along? If you had abstained from the dungeon dive, I may cuddle a carnivorous donkey-bear right about now.¡±

    Jorg winced and lowered his gaze.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting out first,¡± said Terry.

    Siling looked at Miguel and corrected him. ¡°Marsupial.¡±

    ¡°Bless you,¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°Let¡¯s hunt some donkey-bears.¡±

    They stepped into the forest. Siling and Terry continued to act as spotters for Miguel.

    ¡°Larger mana core ahead,¡± announced Terry.

    ¡°No life signature,¡± added Siling.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a look from the treetops.¡± Terry used his imprinted items to lift himself up into the air again.

    ¡°Something feels different about this location,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°It¡¯s making my nose itchy.¡± He looked around. While trying to avoid or eliminate the shining dropbears, their group had reached and then followed a clearing. Now, they were standing at an intersection between several clearings.

    Unfortunately, Miguel could not determine the source of his uneasy feeling. Therefore, he put the thought out of his mind and aimed towards the direction of the spotted mana core.

    ¡°Many small life signatures are approaching,¡± warned Siling.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vast hordes of mice ran at them from every clearing.

    ¡°Protect your eyes!¡± warned Siling. ¡°Those are seed mice. Their seed projectiles are not very dangerous, but don¡¯t let them hit you in the eye!¡±

    Not long after Siling had uttered her warning, the rodent army fired countless seeds at them. To everyone¡¯s annoyance, the corrupted creatures were so small that they could easily pass below shields or barriers. The corrupted rodents attacked from every direction and the group had to keep their arms close to their heads in order to protect their eyes.

    ¡°Annoying pests!¡± exclaimed Miguel. He crushed two seed mice with his foot.

    ¡°What is even the point of these things?¡± Jorg stomped as well.

    They spent several seconds trying to eradicate the seed mice when a quiet whistling sound could be heard.

    Tiana was the first to react, but Elena was not far behind. They both used shields and protected their flanks from the clearing ¨C Tiana to the left and Elena to the right.

    Two small and quick rocks collided with their shields. The impact was powerful enough to even dent Elena¡¯s thick dueling shield.

    Realization dawned on Miguel. ¡°Ah Wastes, we walked into a perfect spot for a crossfire ambush.¡±

    Further rumbling and a large earth warrior construct came into view from the front.

    Elena increased her mana flow and reflexively prepared to rush the construct.

    ¡°Elena, no!¡± yelled Tiana. ¡°We got this! Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Elena stopped and glanced back. Lori raised several earthen walls to protect their flanks. Without pause, the dwarven woman applied Harden Earth.

    ¡°Could be vacuum cannon constructs,¡± surmised Jorg. ¡°They¡¯re slow to reload. Gather earth, compress earth, harden earth, expel air ¨C all steps take time.¡±

    Miguel whistled and waved to the trees. A moment later, he was lifted up and flew towards the treetops through Gravitational Attraction.

    Siling shuffled her way towards the front of their group. She cast Kinetic Push, and hordes of seed mice flew through the air before colliding with the earth warrior.

    Aspected arrows began raining down on the construct.

    Terry leaped from the trees and slowed his fall with his gymnastic rings connected by elastic rope.

    ¡°Express delivery.¡± Terry summoned two imprinted tertium slabs with attached handles from his storage bracelet. ¡°In case the earthen walls are not sufficient. Just make sure to channel enough mana into it.¡±

    Terry blocked several seed projectiles. ¡°What are these things?¡±

    ¡°Annoying is what they are,¡± grumbled Siling. ¡°They¡¯re called seed mice.¡±

    Gellath finished his own spell ignition and a Cone of Cold eradicated a large part of the rodent horde.

    ¡°If you hold out here, then Miguel and I can take care of the ranged constructs,¡± said Terry. ¡°Anyone else want a lift?¡±

    Siling contemplated the offer. ¡°Better view would be good for my spells.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to keep you here,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Your Kinetic Push is the best way to keep the earth warrior at a distance, particularly when it¡¯s ignited with coldfire. The spell also helps with our pest problem. Aside from that, you and Terry are our best sensors. I want to keep at least one of you around.¡±

    Siling nodded. ¡°You heard the lady. All piggyback rides are postponed until further notice.¡±

    Tiana looked at Jorg. ¡°Vacuum cannon constructs are not that mobile, correct?¡±

    ¡°Correct. Not when they have already started firing. They can¡¯t even adjust their aim without preparation.¡±

    ¡°Great, then we should get this sorted out easily enough.¡± Terry stepped up into the air to go construct hunting.

    Tiana walked to Elena and praised loudly. ¡°Good reaction. If you had not blocked the second rock projectile, things would have gotten ugly.¡±

    Elena smiled. ¡°Still a moment behind you though.¡±

    Tiana leaned closer and lowered her voice so that only Elena could hear. ¡°Your reaction to that earth warrior construct, however? Please don¡¯t.¡± She stared firmly into Elena¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please do not try to do everything on your own. There is no need for this. We all work better together.¡±

    ***

    The group followed a narrow corridor leading up to the next room. They stopped in front of the entrance.

    ¡°There are quite a lot of life signatures,¡± stated Siling. ¡°However, I can¡¯t tell which of the life signatures actually belong to the next room. Seems as if some of them are clinging to the walls.¡±

    ¡°Flash geckos?¡± guessed Gellath.

    Siling shook her head. ¡°Too big for those.¡±

    Tiana frowned. ¡°We have to assume yet another unfamiliar enemy.¡± She sighed. ¡°Siling, please inform us immediately in case you recognize the creature. Terry?¡±

    Terry focused unusually long on his mana sense. Eventually, he had to accept that the result would not change or go away. He gulped. ¡°Many mana cores ¨C over fifty. Perhaps a hundred.¡±

    ¡°Like the seed mice?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Sadly, no.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°The cores are way bigger than those. The ones on the walls are air aspected. A few on the floor seem earth aspected. Some light-aspected and shadow-aspected cores appear at higher locations. The rest appear to be constructs with core sizes all over the place. Most of them are in the smaller range ¨C like the fake goblins. However, there are about a dozen cores big enough for earth warrior constructs.¡±

    Silence fell over the group.

    ¡°That was not the most worrying part,¡± continued Terry with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but I believe there is something cloaked in there. Something big.¡±

    ¡°Cloaked?¡± exclaimed Lori. ¡°What did you notice?¡±

    ¡°The mana is distorted in one place, but I can¡¯t sense a core or any other mana absorbent there. The only theory I can come up with is cloaking.¡±

    ¡°Explanation for those not versed in mana crafting?¡± prompted Jorg.

    ¡°Mana ¨C like other forms of energy ¨C can be positive or negative,¡± explained Terry. ¡°If you want to hide positive mana, you can wrap it in matching negative mana structures. From the outside, the mana signatures add up to nothing. Aunt Brynn showed it once by completely hiding a spell imprint from our mana sight.¡±

    ¡°Even Terry could not pick the mana signature up,¡± added Lori with a frown. ¡°Auntie told us that a proper cloaking can only be detected through the surrounding mana distortions ¨C if it can be detected at all.¡±

    ¡°Any cores close to the entrance?¡± asked Tiana.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a look,¡± declared Tiana.

    ¡°Me too,¡± said Miguel.

    The two peeked through the entrance and into the room.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the weird room from before?¡± whispered Miguel.

    The room had a high ceiling and an easily recognizable layout. About a quarter into the room, there was a large earth barricade with an opening on the left. Further behind, there was another barricade with an opening on the right. Together, these two obstacles formed a passage to follow.

    A similar barricade hung from the ceiling into the gap between the barricades on the floor. The view towards the back of the room remained completely obstructed. There were many crevices and craters inside the room¡¯s walls.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make out any dungeon beings,¡± said Tiana. ¡°You?¡±

    Miguel shook his head. ¡°The elevated earth is in the way.¡±

    The two walked back to the group.

    ¡°Good news is that we are back on our familiar route,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Remember the big room with nothing in it? That¡¯s where we are headed.¡±

    ¡°Bad news is that it has gained some occupants,¡± said Tiana. ¡°And we need to get through them.¡±

    ***

 027 The Dungeons Challenge

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 100 ¨C

    ¡°Sounds workable,¡± murmured Tiana. ¡°If we can use the layout to our advantage, that would make things a lot easier.¡±

    ¡°Siling and I will try to create a new opening on the right,¡± said Lori. ¡°Then, the openings in both walls are aligned and we can break through without following the narrow passage. Maybe we can even trap some of the dungeon beings inside the passageway.¡±

    ¡°If that does not work out, we try a rope route above the barricades,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Our first priority is to get a better idea of what we¡¯re up against,¡± stressed Tiana. ¡°Take no chances. Retreat and regroup if anything unexpected happens. If the easy way does not work, then we can at least engage the dungeon creatures on our own terms: together and on our side of the wall. If anyone notices anything suspicious, shout it out immediately.¡±

    After they had discussed several possible scenarios, the group entered the next room. As soon as everyone had walked into the room, the entrance behind them was closed off ¨C movable walls again.

    ¡°Does this count as suspicious?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°First time this¡ª Incoming!¡± Tiana interrupted herself when she noticed the glimmer of something flying at them. She used her shield to block and was surprised to not feel any impact. Instead, she quickly felt a pull at her shield.

    ¡°Skybark spider!¡± shouted Siling. ¡°Webbing!¡±

    Both Tiana and Siling activated the Immovable Object imprint in their shield attachments. They quickly cut the web threads. Miguel, too, had a similar attachment for his bow and he summoned an aspected arrow to get rid of the webbing.

    Lori and Jorg stabbed their spears into the floor before making use of their daggers. Elena used her dueling shield in a similar manner.

    Terry relied on his bracer.

    ¡°Huaah!¡± Gellath was too slow to react and got pulled into the air.

    Terry activated the imprint in his Gravitational Attraction glove. Jorg burst forward and cut the thread, pulling at Gellath before Tiana caught the falling dwarf.

    An aspected arrow later, a skybark spider went up in light-blue flames.

    ¡°Take this.¡± Terry handed Gellath an imprinted shield attachment. ¡°Don¡¯t want you to fly away on us.¡± He turned to Elena. ¡°This one¡¯s for you.¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks,¡± mumbled Elena.

    All the other companions already had a similar attachment for their equipment.

    ¡°Lovely start, what do we¡ª¡± Another web thread attached itself to Miguel. ¡°Wasted crawl-things!¡±

    Miguel clenched his fist. Normally, he used the immovable attachment as a kind of aim stabilizer for long-distance shots. However, it was impossible to take aim while the attachment was transfixed. His bow would be useless if he had to keep the imprint active to not get abducted all the time.

    ¡°Shining dropbears above,¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°Two corrupted approaching from below,¡± shouted Siling.

    ¡°Below?¡± blurted Jorg.

    Siling used two mana balls to indicate for everyone¡¯s mana sense where she expected the creatures to arrive.

    Terry threw two imprinted octavum needles in quick succession and one of the shining dropbears dropped right onto a transfixed needle.

    Unfortunately, Terry had mistimed the second needle. The spell¡¯s full activation finished a moment too late. The needle hit the shining dropbear regardless, but the wound was shallow. Fortunately, the impact had been sufficient to disperse the corrupted koala¡¯s camouflage.

    Now that everyone could see the creature, it was easy for them to dodge and aim. Before the creature landed on the floor, Lori had finished casting Liquify Earth. The shining dropbear plummeted further down than it had expected and only its head remained above the earth, where it was soon pierced by a crossbow bolt.

    ¡°I knew it,¡± growled Jorg. ¡°Strangle noodles!¡± He quickly changed his grip and angled his spear to match the liquified earth tunnel the corrupted boa had created.

    ¡°Swamp boas,¡± shouted Siling. ¡°They have a mana ability similar to the Liquify Earth spell.¡±

    ¡°Our group had the displeasure of encountering them before,¡± grumbled Jorg. ¡°Anyway, I got one.¡±

    ¡°Do you need coldfire for the swamp boa?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Not necessary,¡± said Tiana. ¡°The skybark spiders are more problematic. I¡¯ll bait the second swamp boa.¡± She placed her leg near the area of Siling¡¯s projected mana ball.

    The earth around Tiana¡¯s foot liquified, and the swamp boa curled around her leg. The creature attempted to pull Tiana into the partially liquified floor.

    Tiana used her Immovable Object imprint to secure herself and then kicked out her leg to drag the swamp boa above the earth. Once the creature was exposed, Tiana ripped the swamp boa in half.

    ¡°I need more arms,¡± grumbled Miguel. He cut another web thread that prevented him from taking aim.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the air-aspected skybark spiders are faster than Pricklybum,¡± muttered Siling.

    Miguel perked up his ears. ¡°Mind if I take the Princess out for a ride? My arrows are fast enough, but I could use some more limbs. If the limbs can climb walls, then all the better.¡±

    Siling tilted her head. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t get motion sickness.¡± Then, she shouted: ¡°Terry, we need some rope!¡±

    Lori raised a few earthen walls as fortifications while Siling and Terry helped Miguel to secure himself on the wiremoss tarantula soul spirit.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± exclaimed Miguel when his dwarven butt met the spiky spider. ¡°Alright, Pricklybum. Let¡¯s show the little critters which spider is boss!¡±

    Siling snorted and then instructed her soul spirit.

    ¡°Onwards!¡± Miguel seemed to enjoy himself while the wiremoss tarantula dashed towards the nearest skybark spider.

    A web thread attached itself to Miguel again.

    ¡°Not this time.¡± Miguel ignored the thread and took aim. The rope with which he was attached to Pricklybum tightened, and Miguel stayed securely attached to the soul spirit. The soul spirit, in turn, was securely clawed into the wall. Pricklybum could have cut the thread, but why destroy something that held the target in place so nicely?

    A moment later, another skybark spider went down in light-blue flames.

    ¡°Next,¡± mumbled Miguel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him go too far away,¡± said Tiana to Siling.

    ¡°Yup, I don¡¯t have a Resummon Miguel spell yet. I¡¯ll keep them on a short leash.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him when scouting the barricade,¡± said Terry. ¡°In the worst case, I can pull him away.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± acknowledged Tiana. ¡°We¡¯ll start working the barricade.¡±

    ¡°No life signatures up to the barricade,¡± stated Siling.

    ¡°No mana cores either,¡± added Terry. He jumped and continued walking up into the air. After he had reached sufficient height, he used his imprinted octavum rings with elastic rope to swing towards the barricade and examine it from a high vantage point.

    While Terry was scouting ahead and Miguel was hunting down skybark spiders, Tiana led the others to the right corner of the barricade. There, Lori and Siling started to cast Liquify Earth.

    ¡°Shield leggers in the crevices!¡± yelled Miguel. The most recent target of their spider hunting unit had gained some unexpected assistance.

    Fortunately, there was sufficient distance between his target and his companions this time. Miguel did not have to worry about the ignited creatures running off towards the others. ¡°Under control on my side!¡±

    ¡°Shining dropbears on the wall,¡± shouted Terry. ¡°One is moving towards the liquifiers!¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°No need to interrupt your casting,¡± replied Tiana. She summoned another loaded crossbow and focused on her mana sense. Terry had already placed a mana ball at the wall to indicate the creature¡¯s location. ¡°Just tell me when.¡±

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Tiana loosened the bolt and immediately exchanged the crossbow with her war hammer. When the wounded shining dropbear had lost its camouflage, she jumped and batted the creature away from the casters.

    Before the shining dropbear could recover, Elena had already crushed its head.

    ¡°We¡¯re through,¡± said Lori. The liquified earth flowed to the floor, and the barricade revealed a hole. They had a straight path forward. Lori cast Harden Earth on the muddy floor to provide secure footing again.

    ¡°Cores moving towards you!¡± shouted Terry.

    Lori rapidly cast Raise Wall spells through the hole in order to fortify their position. Afterwards, Lori, Jorg, and Gellath dashed through the hole and into the gap between the barricades.

    Two large walls suddenly moved into the passage. One obstructed Lori¡¯s group from advancing further into the room. The other was blocking them from retreating back to the others. They had become trapped between the barricades.

    When Elena saw Lori vanish behind the wall, she reacted viscerally. She started to burst her mana.

    ¡°Elena, no!¡± yelled Tiana. ¡°We got this. Stay with us.¡±

    Elena interrupted her burst. She bit her lip and clenched her fists.

    Above their heads, Terry swung himself onto the barricade.

    ¡°Crap,¡± cussed Jorg. ¡°Fortifications?¡±

    ¡°Hardened walls and muddy moats,¡± said Lori. ¡°Already on it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Jorg focused on his breathing to keep his composure. ¡°Multiple enemies and clear line of sight. First hit?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll prepare Cone of Cold,¡± said Gellath.

    Jorg nodded. ¡°Good.¡±

    Tiana tested the moving wall construct with her war hammer. The construct did not even show a dent.

    ¡°This one¡¯s different from those before,¡± said Siling. ¡°There are squiggly mana lines inside.¡±

    ¡°Rune inscriptions,¡± shouted Terry. ¡°No getting through there unless you can overpower or disentangle the inscribed mana.¡±

    ¡°Liquify another hole?¡± suggested Siling.

    A rope fell down next to her. Terry had fixed it on top of the barricade.

    ¡°That works, too.¡± Siling grinned.

    Terry threw another rope down on the other side for the case that Lori¡¯s group needed to escape. Terry was tempted to jump down and join them¡­

    They got this.

    Terry took a deep breath. He still had a shining dropbear to take out on this wall.

    Fake goblin constructs with a varied assortment of weapons charged at Lori¡¯s fortifications. Behind them, three earth warriors were following. The goblin constructs sunk into the liquified earth, but continued to move forward.

    Some constructs hurled rocks at Jorg and the others, but these projectiles were easily dodged or blocked and did not pose a threat.

    Terry used his glove to pull the shining dropbear onto a transfixed octavum needle. Afterwards, he turned in order to join up with Lori¡¯s group. From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement on the wall that was hanging from the ceiling¡­

    Jorg noticed a mana ball appearing in his mana sight. The ball was hovering on the floor near one of their hardened walls.

    ¡°A mana marker,¡± said Lori. ¡°Either Siling¡¯s or Terry¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Strangle noodle,¡± growled Jorg.

    ¡°Ready,¡± declared Gellath.

    ¡°Keep your distance from the mana marker.¡±

    Gellath stepped around the indicated spot and ignited his Cone of Cold toward the constructs inside the liquified earth. Some mana cores shattered outright. Other constructs were stuck in the frozen mud.

    New constructs pushed towards the frozen region. They first had to climb out of the liquified earth and onto the frozen mud. Even if they succeeded in this, they inevitably slipped and fell.

    Projectiles kept raining down on the group.

    Lori watched the approaching constructs and waited for the right moment. Jorg kept his eyes on the mana marker.

    ¡°AHH!¡± Gellath screamed while crouching down and holding his head.

    The scream resounded in Jorg¡¯s ears and he turned around. He could see Gellath and what he saw froze the blood in his veins. Gellath¡¯s skin was melting from his face. Blood was flowing from his mouth. His eyes popped out of their sockets.

    ¡°No nonono.¡± Jorg stood frozen and horrified. More screams echoed in his head. Subconsciously, his hands moved towards his ears.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡± Lori realized that something was off.

    A swamp boa had wrapped itself around Jorg¡¯s leg and pulled him into the partially liquified earth. Jorg made no attempt to resist the mana-corrupted creature.

    ¡°Spike creepers!¡± shouted Terry. ¡°Up top!¡±

    ¡°Crap,¡± cursed Lori. ¡°Crap crap crap.¡± She changed targets for her Rockspall Touch. Instead of unleashing it on the hardened wall, she aimed it at the floor near Jorg. That violent eruption of rock shrapnel took care of the swamp boa roaming underneath below.

    A spike creeper hid himself among the incoming projectiles. Before the construct could reach the downed Jorg, it was pulled up again.

    ¡°Jorg?! JORG!¡± Lori slapped Jorg¡¯s face.

    Another falling spike creeper was hit by a rock spear.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Jorg was in a daze. ¡°GELLATH! WHAT HAPPENED TO GELLATH?!¡± He frantically looked around. Gellath was there ¨C crouched down and holding his head. His face was normal. ¡°Thank mana¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Lori. Once she was sure that Jorg was okay, she moved back towards the wall again and hurriedly cast another Rockspall Touch.

    ¡°Mind-affecting magic.¡± Jorg rushed to Gellath to jolt him out of the hallucinations.

    Elena climbed down from the rope. ¡°Everything under control? We heard screaming.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± whimpered Gellath in horror. ¡°N-no! Everyone, d-don¡¯t leave me! Please, don¡¯t leave me here.¡±

    Jorg¡¯s stomach turned. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He hugged his friend. ¡°It was just a dream. We¡¯re not leaving. We¡¯re all with you.¡±

    Gellath calmed down, but his eyes retained a trace of panic.

    ¡°We were hit by a mind-affecting ability,¡± explained Jorg. He shook his head to gain back his composure.

    Lori ignited her Rockspall Touch on the hardened wall. Rock shrapnels bombarded the constructs behind the wall.

    ¡°We have a creature with a mind-affecting ability!¡± shouted Elena.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°What effect?¡± Siling yelled back. Her head looked down from the top of the wall.

    A falling spike creeper was eliminated with a crossbow bolt.

    ¡°Intense hallucinations,¡± replied Jorg. ¡°Fear. Incapacitated both Gellath and me.¡±

    Siling furrowed her brow. ¡°That is a rather powerful ability.¡±

    ¡°Nasty too,¡± said Terry. He was standing next to her on the first barricade. He pulled another spike creeper out of the falling projectiles.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Miguel eliminated the construct with an unaspected arrow.

    While Tiana could quickly exchange her prepared crossbows, the number of pre-loaded crossbows was limited and reloading a crossbow took more time than nocking an arrow. An arrow did not cost any mana or risk a spell imprint.

    Therefore, they tried to have Miguel take care of as many spike creepers as possible. Terry, Tiana, and Siling would only move if a spike creeper was already half on its way to the floor.

    ¡°The only aspected mana core we have not identified yet is the shadow-aspected one,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Siling bit her lip. ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s the shadow aspect from the outer system? I don¡¯t know any creature with a fear-inducing ability on that level. At least not any creature we would survive meeting.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be entirely certain, no,¡± admitted Terry. ¡°There are many aspects I have never sensed before. Shadow is just the closest among the ones I have sensed.¡±

    ¡°Situation is under control for the moment,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Siling, if you join them on the floor, then your Kinetic Push would be a suitable defense against the spike creepers. Terry would be free to scout one of the suspect cores.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± acknowledged Siling, and Terry nodded as well.

    ¡°Pay attention to signs of the mind-affecting ability,¡± warned Terry. ¡°Elena, in particular, may react strongly. We can¡¯t afford to have her go berserk.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye on each other for early signs.¡± Siling climbed down the rope.

    Once Siling had joined up with Lori¡¯s group, Terry took his leave.

    ¡°Can you shortly take the first watch for creeper intervention?¡± Miguel asked Tiana. ¡°I would like to switch targets to get some aspected arrows into the earth warriors.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± replied Tiana, and braced the crossbow against her shoulder.

    Terry swung towards the barricade hanging from the ceiling. There, he punctured one spike creeper with his spear and then climbed along a crevice towards one of the unidentified monster cores.

    Scenes invaded Terry¡¯s mind¡­

    Samuel and Brynn shook their heads in contempt at his latest spell failure.

    Isille and Bjorln showed him the door. Lori and Jorg refused to have anything to do with a failure like him.

    Calam froze up and got killed. Terry had been too slow.

    Tiana cradled the bloody-eyed Siling who was in her death throes. They glared at Terry, who had dragged them into all this.

    Everyone was dead. Terry was alone.

    Terry was a failure.

    Failure.

    Blood rushed to Terry¡¯s head.

    Actions, not thoughts.

    Actions.

    Subconsciously, Terry burst his mana. The sound of something shattering entered his ears. Terry was not sure if the sound had anything to do with the mind-affecting ability, but the increased mana flow helped him shake off the hallucinations.

    Terry kept bursting his mana at a relatively safe rate ¨C his mana balance was broken and his available mana decreased, but his mana channels remained undamaged. He could not afford to lose himself in hallucinations when no one was around to pull him out again.

    Finally, Terry reached the culprit and mumbled to himself: ¡°Melon-sized black slimy toad with dark purple warts.¡± After memorizing the creature¡¯s appearance, Terry struck out with his spear. He shouted the description for Siling and then collected the monster¡¯s core.

    Siling pondered with a finger on her lips.

    Jorg rushed forward and finished off the second earth warrior. Next to him, Elena was crushing a spike creeper with her dueling shield. Both of them moved to the sides and back towards their fortifications.

    Siling ignited a Kinetic Push and the latest barrage of projectiles mixed with spike creepers was repelled.

    Lori cast Rockspall Touch on the floor to get rid of the last swamp boa in the vicinity.

    ¡°Could be grievance toads,¡± yelled Siling.

    Terry lowered himself next to her with a gymnastic ring in his hand.

    ¡°Did they use any other ability?¡± inquired Siling.

    ¡°No, the thing did not defend itself,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°Then it was most likely a grievance toad.¡± Siling nodded to herself. ¡°They have a comparatively strong mana ability similar to the Horror spell, but that is their only ability until they enter the middle levels of the second rank.¡±

    Siling puckered her lips and furrowed her brow.

    ¡°Want to collect their souls?¡± Terry grimaced.

    ¡°Thinking about it¡­ Useful, yes, but also incredibly creepy. Soul magic has a bad enough rep without using abilities from the lower system.¡±

    ¡°Lower system?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re aspected towards darkness, not shadow. Hmm¡­¡± Siling released another Kinetic Push.

    ¡°The ability would only work on living creatures, right?¡± asked Jorg before he dashed forward to eliminate one of the fake goblin constructs.

    ¡°On life and deathlife, but not on unlife or undead,¡± murmured Siling. ¡°Fair point. Also works better on brains than simpler nervous systems. Alright, that¡¯s a no. I¡¯ll stay at my current level of creepiness.¡± She looked expectantly at Terry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll inform Tiana and Miguel.¡± Terry looked around to maintain a good idea of the overall battle situation. ¡°We can coordinate to take out the remaining grievance toads in the barricades.¡±

    ¡°You were supposed to tell me I am not creepy at all, though.¡± Siling pouted.

    ¡°No more than the rest of us.¡± Terry climbed up the rope.

    ¡°Aside from the wasted toads, the situation is under control,¡± said Jorg. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict?¡±

    ¡°No soul hunting in the creepy room,¡± replied Siling. ¡°Also, Terry is getting resistant to my nonsense. I¡¯m feeling wistful.¡±

    Jorg snorted. ¡°Yeah, they grow up so fast.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°For the record, I appreciate your attempts to lighten the mood.¡±

    ¡°M-me too,¡± stammered Gellath. He remained close to Siling the whole time in order to protect their main healer. Gellath had been silent since he had fallen under the grievance toad¡¯s horror ability.

    ***

    The inscribed walls moved and sunk back into their original place. The group had cleared the passageway.

    They had already discussed how to proceed from here on. Everyone stayed close to the next barricade, and they slowly approached the exit leading to the rest of the room. They did not walk through it.

    Instead, Miguel and Pricklybum climbed up the barricade and secured a climbing rope at the top.

    A web thread attached itself to Miguel and pulled.

    Miguel shot the offending skybark spider down. Afterwards, their skybark spider hunting unit moved out and up towards the ceiling.

    While moving, Miguel stole glances at the rest of the room. Unfortunately, the walls at the back of the room lacked the usual dungeon illumination. That had not been the case when they had passed the room on the way down.

    Down below, Siling paid close attention to Miguel¡¯s position. The short leash was more important now than ever.

    While Miguel and Pricklybum were working hard to decrease the number of skybark spiders, the others made their way up the barricade. Terry was first. He had already retrieved the previous ropes and secured one of them as a second climbing rope at the top of the barricade.

    Terry was constantly targeted by web threads. Again, he relied on his bracers to transfix himself and then cut the thread. He nervously watched the back of the room ¨C the place where he suspected a cloaked mana core to be.

    Jorg and Tiana helped up Gellath and Siling. Lori brought up the rear and was the last to climb up.

    ¡°The wasted spiders are really annoying,¡± grumbled Elena. Another web thread had attached itself to her dueling shield.

    ¡°Allow me.¡± Jorg cut the thread with his short spear.

    ¡°There are many more skybark spiders on this side,¡± said Terry. ¡°It will take a while for Miguel to sort them out.¡±

    From the back of the room, a sound like rhythmic drumming reverberated.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Tiana with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°Could be the fake goblin constructs,¡± said Jorg. ¡°I read that the shield carriers sometimes bang their own shields.¡±

    Tiana narrowed her eyes warily. Then she closed them completely and focused on her hearing. Masked by the loud banging, a few faint whistling sounds were barely noticeable.

    Elena¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide.

    ¡°INCOMING! SHIELDS OUT AND DOWN!¡± yelled Tiana. Simultaneously, she retrieved and activated the imprinted tertium slab Terry had provided earlier.

    Terry transfixed another tertium slab as additional cover.

    ¡°Gellath!¡± Jorg was about to dash forward when he saw that Elena had already arrived next to Gellath and pulled him behind Tiana¡¯s tertium slab.

    ¡°Th-thanks,¡± mumbled Gellath.

    Blasts of impacts reverberated through the room. Together with the rhythmic banging, all quieter sounds were completely drowned out.

    Undetected, another web thread attached itself to Gellath. Amid all the noise and impacts around them, Gellath was pulled away. The sudden abduction triggered the horrors from the previous magic to resurface in the dwarf¡¯s mind, and Gellath froze up. His mind went blank. He did not use the Immovable Object imprint in the attachment for his shield. He did not even utter a sound.

    ¡°No!¡± Elena realized what was happening and lunged forward, but it was too late. Gellath had already been pulled over the barricade¡¯s ledge.

    ¡°Gellath! CATCH!¡± Jorg threw a rope at him, but his friend failed to react.

    Terry activated his Gravitational Attraction imprint. More and more web threads continued to attach themselves to the dwarf. The skybark spiders ¨C and whatever dungeon beings helped them ¨C had entered a tug of war with Terry. He placed his foot against the transfixed tertium slab. Unfortunately, only one side of this tugging contest had to spend mana and risk the danger of spell-imprint collapse.

    ¡°PISS OFF!¡± roared Miguel. On the ceiling, Pricklybum was charging towards the skybark spiders while the dwarven rider shot arrow after arrow at the beasts. Unfortunately, most of the arrows were blocked by shield leggers. As soon as one of them caught coldfire, it distanced itself from the others and a new shield legger took its place.

    ¡°GELLATH! SNAP OUT OF IT!¡± shouted Jorg.

    Siling attempted to cut the web threads using her Rock Spear and Ice Spike spells, but without much success.

    ¡°¡°¡°INCOMING!¡±¡±¡± yelled both Elena and Tiana.

    Another barrage of vacuum cannon constructs had arrived. This time, there were fewer projectiles ¨C different vacuum cannons than before. The previous cannons were still reloading.

    One projectile impacted on the tertium slab maintained by Tiana.

    The second projectile impacted on the wall directly where Terry was standing. Underneath his feet, a part of the wall caved in. Even though it did not collapse completely, it was enough for Terry to lose his footing. He was pulled close to the ledge and nearly fell himself.

    Out of reflex, Terry deactivated the Gravitational Attraction imprint, and he instantly regretted his reflex when he saw how quickly Gellath was dragged further away.

    Actions.

    Terry stood up, burst his mana, and jumped after Gellath. He relied on his roped octavum rings to swing after the dwarf in the hopes of getting back into his reach for the Gravitational Attraction imprint.

    Jorg blanched. He clenched his fists. Things were spiraling out of control and he felt absolutely useless.

    ¡°Elena, can you take care of the second tertium slab?¡± asked Tiana.

    Elena nodded, but could not take her eyes from Gellath.

    *Hong* A deep bell sound reverberated through the room.

    Everyone¡¯s pupils constricted as the back of the room turned unexpectedly bright. The illumination was not really any brighter than the first part of the room, but it was a stark contrast to the darkness that had loomed in this particular direction before.

    Many constructs ¨C earth warriors and fake goblins ¨C were located in the direction that Gellath was dragged towards.

    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the worst part.

    ¡°Wastes,¡± cursed Siling. Tiana gritted her teeth.

    The worst part¡­ was that.

    Terry was getting close. He ignored the army of constructs on the floor and focused only on Gellath.

    Closer.

    Closer.

    Nearly there.

    Something rushed at him. Something huge. Something glowing. Then there was a fist. A big glowing fist.

    Terry was still in full swing and airborne. There was no elegant way to dodge. His sparring reflexes kicked in. He did not have time to retrieve items from his storage bracelets and also activate a spell imprint.

    Terry raised his feet towards the fist and activated the Immovable Object imprints in his boots. He straightened his legs and back. He kept his arms close to his body in order to provide as little surface area as possible.

    The fist impacted on the transfixed boots, and rubble fell down from it.

    Two additional palms slapped at Terry and tried to squash him between them. Terry bent his knees ¨C effectively pulling himself towards the transfixed boots. He held his head between his arms, tucked in his elbows, flexed his wrists, and activated the imprints in his bracers.

    More rubble fell down while Terry remained unharmed. He could feel the octavum ring at his elbow loosen. The second half of the roped rings had fallen down. The imprint had deactivated. Now there was no way for him to get to Gellath fast enough.

    ¡°NO!¡± roared Miguel in fury. ¡°LET ME GO! SILING! LET ME GO!¡±

    Siling gritted her teeth. Miguel was about to cross too far into the enemy territory.

    ¡°I CAN STILL REACH HIM! I CAN BURST! THEY CANNOT RESIST COLDFIRE! LET ME GO!¡±

    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± yelled Jorg. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE BURST!¡± He turned to Siling with tears in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯ll die if he does. Don¡¯t let him!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too far,¡± cursed Tiana. She was aiming her crossbow. ¡°Even if the crossbow has the reach, I would risk hitting Gellath.¡±

    ¡°GELLATH!¡± screamed Miguel.

    ¡°We still have a chance if Gellath snaps out of it,¡± said Tiana. ¡°He gets pulled towards a crater in the wall. If we take out the creatures there, he would be safe from the constructs below. Gellath should also have an immovable shield attachment. Miguel needs to get close enough to take out the crawlers. We can check from below how the other constructs and that inscribed earth giant react. We must avoid a full-blown battle. Ensure Gellath¡¯s safety first. Scatter them. Draw their attention. Don¡¯t get tangled up.¡±

    Jorg shouted instructions to Miguel, and the group rushed towards Gellath.

    ¡°Terry PULL!¡± yelled Miguel. He had waited for the inscribed earth giant to retract its four arms.

    Terry deactivated all active Immovable Object imprints. Simultaneously, Miguel cut himself loose from the wiremoss soul spirit and let himself fall from the ceiling. Terry activated the Gravitational Attraction imprint in his glove and the two were pulled towards each other.

    Two fists lashed out at Terry, but they hit nothing but air.

    Terry activated the Immovable Object imprint in his boots. The inscribed earth giant had stopped pursuing him and he did not want to distance himself further than necessary from Gellath. While continuing to pull Miguel, Terry transfixed a tertium slab for the two of them.

    ¡°Move,¡± ordered Miguel and he took aim. He gritted his teeth. Even from here, it was still so far away. From the corner of his eye, he could see Pricklybum dashing towards Gellath along the ceiling ¨C out of reach for the inscribed earth giant. He could hear the others continuing to shout and try to jolt Gellath out of his daze. Miguel took a deep breath.

    ¡°That one first,¡± growled Miguel. The corrupted crawlers were in different locations. They naturally pulled in different directions, too.

    Miguel had to eradicate the skybark spiders in an order that would have Gellath pulled to a comparatively safe position. He had to get the timing right. He had to adjust his aim according to the time required for the Immovable Object imprint in his stabilizing attachment.

    Another deep breath later, a skybark spider went up in coldfire.

    ¡°Wastes,¡± cursed Jorg. ¡°That giant is way too fast for its size.¡±

    ¡°At least it sticks towards a specific area,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Regardless, we won¡¯t be able to charge towards Gellath like this,¡± judged Tiana. ¡°There are too many constructs in the way. That four-armed giant will arrive before we are able to push through. Spider update?¡±

    ¡°Making progress,¡± replied Siling. ¡°Miguel needs more time to aim, but he is doing a good job at redirecting Gellath towards an elevated area. Pricklybum has eliminated some skybark spiders and then successfully drawn some constructs away. The inscribed giant attacks Pricklybum as soon as it crawls within reach.

    ¡°Actually, I am starting to wonder why the construct completely ignores the captured Gellath. Pricklybum can only move safely across the ceiling and the first few feet down along the walls. I¡¯ll try to have it snatch some of the web threads attached to Gellath.¡±

    ¡°AAAHHHH N-NO! P-PLEASE NO! NO!¡± Blood-curdling screams resounded across the room ¨C Gellath¡¯s screams.

    Everyone turned in panic, but they could not make out the cause of the screams.

    ¡°Waste it, the toads,¡± cursed Terry. ¡°Over there.¡± He pointed for Miguel. ¡°Gellath has entered the range of their ability.¡± He shouted the intel to Siling and the others.

    ¡°Can¡¯t get to the grievance toads quickly,¡± said Siling. She shook her head. ¡°Pricklybum would have to hide in every crater along the way.¡±

    ¡°Focus on getting control of the threads,¡± said Tiana through gritted teeth. ¡°First priority is to ensure Gellath¡¯s safety and regain some control of the situation. Let Terry and Miguel handle the grievance toads.¡±

    A few moments passed like this. Miguel had finished off the grievance toads. Gellath¡¯s screams had stopped, but the following silence was almost as unbearable.

    ¡°Bad news.¡± Siling grimaced. ¡°The web threads disintegrate shortly after the skybark spider¡¯s death. They must require mana to maintain.¡±

    Jorg gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

    ¡°Prepare a dash and resummon,¡± said Tiana. ¡°The redirect looks successful, but if we can¡¯t count on Gellath to take an active role, then Pricklybum may have to push him into the crater and web him there. Next priority is to slap Gellath out of his stupor. Of course, it would be best if the soul spirit could barricade itself in there together with Gellath.¡±

    Siling exhaled a sharp breath. ¡°Understood.¡± She directed her soul spirit from crater to crater. The others drew the inscribed earth giant away after each attempt.

    Everyone held their breath until finally, Pricklybum pushed Gellath inside a crater. Unfortunately, there was not enough space for both the dwarf and the soul spirit.

    The inscribed earth giant charged towards the crater.

    Tiana stepped forward into the active range of the construct. However, the construct seemed to attach more importance to the soul spirit, whose rear end was hanging outside the crater. It ignored Tiana¡¯s group.

    The wiremoss tarantula started to poke and prod the dazed dwarf. Siling was biting her lips and prepared to ignite her primed spell structure at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°¡°¡°GELLATH!¡±¡±¡±

    Everyone was screaming their lungs out to get the dwarf back to his senses.

    Siling clenched her teeth. She instructed her soul spirit to pinch the dwarf¡¯s earlobe between its claws ¨C one last attempt to wake him up from his stupor. Then, she let Pricklybum use its legs to propel itself outside the crater and ignited her spell.

    The four-armed giant immediately changed direction and charged at Tiana. She waited for the construct to distance itself from Gellath. Afterwards, she stepped outside its active range again.

    The wiremoss tarantula soul spirit reappeared next to Siling. She instructed Pricklybum to go back to the ceiling ¨C getting closer to Gellath and ensuring that no creature gets close to his crater.

    ¡°¡°¡°GELLATH!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Wh-what¡­ WHAT¡¯S GOING ON?!¡± screamed Gellath.

    Sighs of relief. At least he was back to his senses.

    Gellath crawled towards the ledge of the crater in the wall. The inscribed earth giant rushed at him.

    ¡°WAAAH!¡± Gellath quickly scurried back into the crater. He was extremely pale and his forehead was sweaty.

    ¡°STAY WHERE YOU ARE!¡± shouted Jorg. ¡°DO NOT LEAVE THAT CRATER!¡± He gulped. ¡°WE ARE HERE! WE¡¯RE WITH YOU!¡±

    Miguel shot down the last of the skybark spiders. There were still some grievance toads left in the room, but the creatures were stationary and they were along the left wall near the barricade. In contrast, Gellath¡¯s crater was in the back wall on the right side ¨C out of range for the remaining toads.

    Miguel and Terry joined up with Tiana¡¯s group.

    *Hong* A familiar bell sound could be heard.

    An exit opened on the left side of the back wall. An easy chance to escape if they chose to abandon their abducted companion.

    ¡°Piss off, you wasted dungeon!¡± growled Miguel. ¡°We¡¯re not done here.¡±

    ¡°The scroll,¡± exclaimed Tiana.

    Jorg clenched his fists. ¡°Please work. Please.¡±

    ¡°GELLATH, USE THE RECALL SCROLL!¡± shouted Tiana.

    ¡°GELLATH RECALL! IT¡¯S OKAY! THE EXIT IS ALREADY OPEN!¡± shouted Jorg. ¡°YOU HAVE DONE YOUR PART! USE THE SCROLL!¡±

    Gellath whimpered. His face was already a mess ¨C full of tears and snot. He fumbled to retrieve the scroll from his dimensional bag.

    He ripped the Recall scroll in half, but the scroll crumbled into dust¡­

    ¡°No.. no¡­ NOOOO!¡±

    When Jorg heard the scream, he was close to vomiting. All color drained from his face and his breathing became erratic.

    Gellath was still in the crater. Spell failure.

    *Hong* The dungeon demanded a choice.

    ***

 028 Whaka Against the Odds

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 100 ¨C

    It was quiet in the room. This only made Gellath¡¯s occasional whimpers seem even more deafening. They had tried to get him to talk again, but Gellath had not responded to their shouts.

    ¡°The inscribed earth giant does not leave its range,¡± said Tiana. ¡°The other grounded constructs obstruct the path to Gellath. None of them are showing any signs of attacking him yet.¡±

    ¡°The dungeon has intentionally taken a hostage,¡± said Siling with a grave expression.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think like this,¡± exclaimed Miguel with a pained expression. ¡°I¡¯ll go kill the other grievance toads.¡± Without waiting for a reaction, he clenched his fists and trotted towards the left wall near the barricade.

    ¡°Have Pricklybum follow him,¡± said Tiana. ¡°If the dungeon changes its mind and goes after Gellath, the soul spirit alone could not salvage the situation, anyway.¡±

    Siling nodded in silence.

    ¡°We have to fight our way through the constructs,¡± said Jorg while already preparing his equipment. He was exceedingly pale, but his eyes showed determination. ¡°And we must keep that inscribed earth giant busy somewhere away from Gellath¡¯s location.¡±

    ¡°Last time, the earth giant went after Gellath first,¡± said Tiana. ¡°It immediately changed targets when Gellath put his head out of the crater. Even if we could count on Gellath¡¯s cooperation, he could not get out alone.¡±

    ¡°Gravitational Attraction would not be fast enough, either,¡± added Terry.

    ¡°We need to extract him,¡± said Jorg with bloodshot eyes. ¡°No way around it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try and keep the inscribed earth giant busy,¡± declared Tiana.

    ¡°No,¡± objected Jorg firmly. ¡°If anyone is to lead the rescue team, it¡¯s you. I¡­¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°I don¡¯t trust myself in this. Your situational awareness is better than mine, anyway. As for keeping the inscribed earth giant busy, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°No, we will do it,¡± insisted Terry, who was currently absorbing mana from a mana container. ¡°Frankly, I am the only one who saw that thing up close, and none of us can block those punches in a normal manner. Dodging may work for a time, but I would not trust myself to dodge more than two or three times in a row. That thing is unreasonably fast for its size. That only leaves¡ª¡±

    ¡°You could hand over your imprinted items to me,¡± interrupted Jorg.

    ¡°No.¡± Terry¡¯s tone did not allow any objection. ¡°Some, yes ¨C for emergencies ¨C but I am the only one for which the activation limits practically do not apply. You¡¯re not as familiar with the spell as I am. Your mana control isn¡¯t as good, either. My imprints aren¡¯t good enough for anyone else to activate the imprint as quickly or frequently as I could.¡±

    ¡°We could also use Liquify Earth to trap that thing,¡± suggested Lori. ¡°Maybe we can even trap it with Harden Earth.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Tiana. ¡°But I would not count on that thing staying trapped in earth. The earth warriors could repair smaller damage using the surrounding earth. We have to assume that the earth giant has some control over the earth element as well.¡±

    ¡°If Gellath does not respond, then someone needs to carry him,¡± said Elena. ¡°Perhaps I should switch with Jorg?¡±

    Terry, Jorg, Tiana, and Lori shook their heads at the same time.

    ¡°I had hoped that you could keep Gellath safe,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Your reflexes are only second to Tiana¡¯s. Your long legs would be better, too.¡±

    ¡°The inscribed earth giant requires combat power,¡± said Tiana.

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than Jorg,¡± interjected Elena with a frown.

    ¡°Only if you burst and right now, that would be catastrophic,¡± replied Tiana while staring into Elena¡¯s eyes. ¡°Compared to Jorg, your advantage lies mainly in situational awareness and, to a lesser degree, in reflexes ¨C exactly the traits required to keep a helpless companion safe.¡±

    ¡°Even with bursts, you could not block an attack of the inscribed giant,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Bursting would only impede your ability to dodge and coordinate with others. Also¡­¡± He looked at Lori.

    ¡°Jorg, Terry, and I have trained together for longer than anyone else here,¡± said Lori. ¡°When it comes to coordinating with each other, this is the best split.¡±

    ¡°Elena, I trust you not to burst with Gellath on your back,¡± said Jorg gravely.

    ¡°Or before he is on your back,¡± added Tiana sternly.

    Elena gulped and nodded.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the objectives down before we discuss the steps,¡± said Tiana. ¡°When Miguel is back, we¡¯ll get his input.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± replied Terry honestly. ¡°But thanks for asking.¡± He focused on his breathing.

    Lori, Terry, and Jorg were standing at the edge of the inscribed giant¡¯s range on the left side of the room ¨C as much distance as possible from Gellath¡¯s location.

    Terry stood in the middle, and the two dwarves each had one of their bracers in contact with Terry¡¯s. All three of them were staring at the inscribed earth giant construct.

    Miguel was roped to Pricklybum again. They were currently located at the ceiling above Gellath.

    The others ¨C led by Tiana ¨C were at the edge of the giant¡¯s range on the right side of the room ¨C as close to Gellath as possible.

    Terry exhaled sharply before breaking the forearm ceremony, and he stepped forward.

    The inscribed giant immediately charged at him, and Terry stopped blinking.

    A moment before the construct arrived, Terry activated the imprint in his throwing needle and retreated with a burst. The needle entered into the construct. The giant stopped, but then it pushed forward regardless of the damage.

    As expected.

    This was one of their optimistic ideas ¨C nothing more than a tentative test. The cloaking prevented Terry from seeing where the core was located. They did not know if the construct had a similar protective plate as the inscribed earth warrior from before, but had to assume it did. By now, Terry was convinced that the first earth warrior they had encountered had indeed been inscribed. The dungeon had given them fair warning.

    Lori and Jorg dashed around the construct. Each of them was carrying an imprinted gymnastic ring made of tertium. The rings were firmly connected with a thick and sturdy rope. When they had passed the construct, they hurriedly threw the rings back to Terry. The rope was tied around the giant¡¯s legs and then around his arms as a result.

    The construct turned and rushed at Jorg. Its charge was stopped when the rope tightened around its arms thanks to Terry¡¯s activation of the Immovable Object imprints. Unfortunately, the construct did not trip from the unexpected deceleration.

    Jorg, Lori, and Terry quickly threw more roped rings around.

    ¡°Miguel GO!¡± shouted Terry.

    Miguel and Pricklybum dashed along the wall towards Gellath¡¯s crater ¨C another tentative probe. Until now, the only construct lashing out at Gellath had been the inscribed giant. The remaining constructs had not threatened him or Pricklybum in any way.

    With a bang, a rock projectile from a vacuum cannon impacted in front of Pricklybum. To make things worse, a second projectile impacted next to Gellath¡¯s crater. Some fake goblin constructs also hurled stones at the crater.

    ¡°Warning shots,¡± growled Miguel. He tapped Pricklybum to have it abort the attempt.

    As soon as Pricklybum had retreated, the fake goblin constructs stopped attacking the crater.

    ¡°Failure,¡± declared Siling.

    ¡°Our turn,¡± said Tiana and resolutely charged forward. Siling activated her air coating ability and ran after her. Elena brought up the rear and followed.

    The inscribed earth giant was madly thrashing around. On the one hand, this was good in that the construct entangled itself further. On the other hand, Terry and the others still had to put enough distance between the construct and themselves when circling around it in order to reinject mana into one of the transfixed rings.

    Lori ignited her empowered Liquify Earth spell. The inscribed earth giant sank into the floor.

    Tiana burst into the army of fake goblins and swung her lightning-aspected war hammer to smite the creatures into dust. She kept her eyes fixated on the nearest earth warrior.

    Siling had finished her empowered Entangling Roots spell from behind her active barrier. The next two earth warriors were caught up in the sprouting roots.

    Aspected arrows rained down on the entangled earth warriors from above.

    Elena circled around to keep Siling always between herself and Tiana. She crushed the core of an approaching fake goblin and then batted two more away with her dueling shield.

    ¡°Any signs of the vacuum cannons yet?¡± shouted Tiana. If they eliminated the ranged threat to Gellath, they could have Miguel perform another attempt.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± replied Siling, and she clenched her teeth. It was hard for her mana sense to keep up with everything.

    Back with the three siblings, the inscribed earth giant construct had sunk up to its torso into the muddy earth. The group had repositioned several of the rings so that the ropes would not prevent the construct from sinking further into the earth.

    Lori released her empowered Harden Earth spell, and the construct was now surrounded by rock. She and her two brothers positioned themselves between the construct and Gellath. They eyed the construct warily.

    The inscribed earth giant stopped thrashing around¡­

    *Hong.* The glow of the runic inscriptions on the construct intensified.

    *Hong* New runic inscriptions became visible, and the inscribed earth giant construct emitted a pulse.

    Terry¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He had seen such a dense net of sizzling mana lines before. His fears came true when all the transfixed rings fell to the floor.

    Disruption discharge.

    The giant construct slapped the floor with its four palms. The rock around the construct¡¯s lower body liquified again, and it pushed itself up.

    *Hong*

    Terry burst his mana and a quiet, shattering sound rang in his ears. He charged at the construct with clenched teeth. Half a step behind were Lori to his left and Jorg to his right.

    The construct continued to lift itself above the earth using two arms and attacked Terry with his two remaining arms. Terry dodged one and threw out an imprinted septimum ball to block the second. Simultaneously, he used the Gravitational Attraction glove to pull one of the gymnastic rings to himself. He continued running and activated the imprint in the ring without pause.

    Lori cast Liquify Earth at the location of the construct¡¯s hands for lifting itself. After sinking slightly, however, the earth hardened again ¨C another ability from the earth giant.

    Jorg used the transfixed ring as cover to dash to the other side of the construct. A fist struck out, but was blocked by the immovable ring.

    Terry transfixed another ring in the air. He threw an octavum ball towards Jorg for a slower activation delay. He hurled another at a higher location.

    The construct regained its footing on solid ground. Jorg summoned the war hammer he had borrowed from Tiana. He leaped into the air and used the transfixed octavum ball as a follow-up jumping point. Jorg used the second transfixed ball to change direction. He struck the back of the construct¡¯s knee with all his might.

    The construct went on its knee, and Jorg circled back to the front. Terry threw out two octavum needles ¨C one near Lori and another one way up. He used the latter needle to pull himself up with his glove.

    Lori raised an earthen wall and jumped. The construct punched out but was blocked by a transfixed needle.

    Terry activated the imprint in his boots and then pulled Lori towards himself. Shortly afterwards, he changed targets and attracted another roped ring from the floor.

    Lori used a transfixed ring to jump and propel herself to the construct¡¯s torso. She struck out her palms and ignited her Rockspall Touch spell structures.

    Terry activated the Immovable Object imprint in the roped ring.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The construct struck at Lori with one palm but was obstructed by rope attached to two immovable rings.

    The earth giant emitted another disruption pulse. Fortunately, Terry¡¯s boots and bracers had been shielded with mana-osmotic material. Terry activated his glove imprint with Lori as its target again. He used his free hand to throw out three metal balls in quick succession ¨C one octavum, one tertium, one septimum ¨C utilizing three different activation delays for his Immovable Object spell.

    The construct struck at Lori, but only hit air when Lori was pulled towards Terry. Its second fist was blocked by the transfixed tertium ball.

    A palm towards Terry was blocked by the immovable septimum ball.

    Terry judged the distance and stopped attracting Lori. He threw out two more octavum balls and pulled Jorg up.

    Lori used a transfixed octavum ball to change direction and dodge a palm strike. A second transfixed ball provided cover before she reached a third near the constructs shoulder. There, she activated her barrier spear.

    Jorg used a transfixed octavum ball to jump towards Lori. He used the active barrier of her spear as a follow-up jumping point and retrieved the large war hammer from his dimensional bag again.

    Terry attracted several roped rings to transfix. He used his glove and imprinted boots to move through the air.

    Jorg smashed the construct¡¯s head with the war hammer. The earth giant had been in the process of standing up. On the one hand, this increased the impact. On the other hand, this also increased the recoil for Jorg and the dwarf was propelled backwards.

    Lori fell down and caught herself on one rope attached to a transfixed ring. She used the rope to lower herself to the construct¡¯s knee. She summoned the war hammer provided by Terry ¨C the one he had prepared for the cloud badger hunts, and she pelted the back of the construct¡¯s knee again.

    Terry used any available breathing room to retrieve octavum items or some of the roped rings from the floor. He threw out two imprinted balls for blocking. He deactivated the imprint in his boots, fell, and dodged another of the construct¡¯s fists. Next, he activated his glove to attract Jorg ¨C slowing the fall of the dwarf while accelerating his own.

    Jorg grabbed one of the secured ropes and swung himself over to Lori. ¡°I have an idea.¡± He quickly aligned with Lori and then shouted for Terry. ¡°Let it stand up!¡±

    Lori lowered herself down to the floor under the cover of Terry¡¯s transfixed items. She started her quickened casting.

    Back with the hostage extraction team, Tiana was observing the battle with the giant from the corner of her eyes and cursed. ¡°Wastes.¡± She loosened the bolt of her crossbow and, without pause, exchanged it with her lightning-aspected war hammer. The bolt hit its mark ¨C a construct core ¨C and another earth warrior went down. ¡°We need to hurry!¡±

    ¡°I could¡ª¡± started Elena.

    ¡°NO BURSTS!¡± Tiana cut her off with a shout.

    Elena gritted her teeth and continued pulverizing the nearby fake goblin constructs.

    ¡°I believe I have located one vacuum cannon,¡± yelled Siling. ¡°Tiana, can you hold the left flank?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Tiana dodged the spear of a fake goblin and then retaliated with her war hammer. She dodged another attack and swiftly summoned a shield to block the incoming projectile barrage from above.

    Siling exchanged her barrier shield with her metal-reinforced quarterstaff. She had not used it in a long time. She hated engaging in close combat. Siling activated her air and metal coating abilities, and then she deactivated her barrier spell.

    ¡°Elena, this way!¡± Siling batted one fake goblin away and destroyed the core of another with her metal-coated hand.

    Elena dodged and blocked another barrage of projectiles. She moved closer to Siling and helped to clear the path.

    Back with the siblings, the inscribed earth giant punched at Terry with two fists. The fists collided with a transfixed tertium slab. Thanks to the layer of liquified earth provided by Lori, the giant slipped backwards some more. Any punch the earth giant threw at an immovable object while standing on the slippery surface had it push itself away from the object. By controlling the location of the immovable object and the angle of the hit surface, the group could control the direction the construct pushed itself.

    So far, Jorg¡¯s idea was working. They were getting the earth giant closer and closer to the left wall. Already, the construct was out of its initial active range. They were successfully increasing the distance between the construct and Gellath.

    Finally, the construct¡¯s heel hit the wall.

    Terry threw out two octavum needles and used a transfixed ball to jump towards the construct¡¯s torso. The first needle transfixed itself near one of the giant¡¯s upper arms. The construct tried to punch out, but the needle was in the way. Its arm continued to move ¨C and the needle entered its arm ¨C but the movement was slowed as a result.

    The second needle failed to transfix itself in time. The construct¡¯s arm had already collided with the needle before it became immovable. Terry reflexively positioned his arm ¨C first to avoid injury from coming to an abrupt stop, and second to block properly ¨C and then activated the Immovable Object imprint in his septimum bracer. He quickly followed up by flexing his wrist in order to move his hand out of harm''s way.

    The fist collided with the immovable bracer. Terry transfixed a septimum ball near his bracer. At this range, he required the lowest possible activation delay. He deactivated his bracer imprint and used his Gravitational Attraction glove to cover the rest of the distance towards the construct¡¯s torso.

    Terry reached the construct¡¯s torso and activated the imprint in his bracers. He used the bracers to position himself horizontally and step on the giant¡¯s chest. There, Terry activated the imprints in his boots and summoned two tertium slabs with handles. He transfixed the slabs to the left and right of him. Next, he deactivated the imprint in one of his boots.

    The inscribed construct punched against the slabs, but the immovable objects did not budge.

    When the giant moved its upper body back for the punch, Terry rapidly followed with his movable foot and then activated the imprint in that boot. Foot by foot, the giant¡¯s torso was pinned to the wall.

    The inscribed earth giant emitted another disruption discharge. While the other transfixed items fell to the floor, Terry¡¯s shielded boots continued to block the construct¡¯s chest. He rapidly reactivated the imprints in his septimum bracers. He hurriedly re-transfixed the two tertium slabs with the Immovable Object spell as well.

    Meanwhile, Lori and Jorg threw the roped rings back and forth. Lori liquified the earth. She focused on keeping the area of effect narrow but deep. Then, she inserted a roped ring deep into the liquified earth. Afterwards, she hardened the earth to rock.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the slabs,¡± said Jorg. By now, the two could move freely on the floor. Since the construct was pinned to the wall, it could not reach the two dwarves.

    Lori used an empowered Liquify Earth spell to create a deeper liquified region that was big enough for one of Terry¡¯s tertium slabs. They threaded several roped rings through the handles. The slab was supposed to become a central anchor. They then pressed the connected slab into the liquified earth and Lori hardened the earth again.

    ¡°Backup is ready!¡± shouted Lori.

    Terry retrieved Tiana¡¯s large war hammer from his storage bracelet. He had previously used his glove to collect the item from Jorg. Next, Terry retrieved a cheap short spear he had bought for his experiments with the Immovable Object spell. He poked the spear a few inches into the construct¡¯s chest. He took out a U-shaped tertium piece and transfixed it to fixate the spear while gravity did the rest.

    Terry hammered away. Blow by blow. Spear by spear. Sword by sword. Terry retrieved item by item and nailed the construct to the wall. Further obstructing the construct¡¯s movement was only a side benefit. He still did not know where the construct¡¯s core was, but it must be somewhere.

    Terry rapidly absorbed mana from a mana container. Afterwards, he summoned a tertium plate and placed it against the torso. He cast an empowered Immovable Object spell. Then, he walked to the construct¡¯s head.

    At the other side of the room, Siling shouted: ¡°Second cannon down.¡± Two earth warriors were getting close to her ¨C one with inscriptions and one without.

    Elena jumped next to her elven companion and blocked a javelin hurled at Siling from the distance. Siling thrust her quarterstaff at another fake goblin and when the creature fell to the ground, she followed up by crushing its core.

    An earth warrior reached Elena and punched at her. Siling liquified the earth under the construct¡¯s feet. Elena rammed her dueling shield forcefully against the construct¡¯s punch, which caused the earth warrior to slip and fall. Elena rapidly followed up by using the bladed end of the dueling shield to pierce the construct¡¯s core.

    Tiana looked around before charging at the inscribed earth warrior closest to her two companions. She blocked the creature¡¯s punch with her round shield and then thrust her leaf-shaped gladius from below into the creature¡¯s head to bypass the protective plate with perfect accuracy. The core shattered.

    Afterwards, Tiana joined up with her two companions. There were still constructs obstructing their path, but they were getting close. If the purpose of the hostage was only to force them to fight, then they could simply continue until the constructs were wiped out. However, none of them wanted to rely on the dungeon¡¯s lasting benevolence. If the dungeon changed its mind, they were still too far away to save Gellath.

    ¡°Miguel NOW,¡± shouted Tiana. Close to her, Siling handed her barrier shield to Elena. Elena placed both her dueling shield and the barrier shield into her storage bracelet. Her turn.

    Miguel and Pricklybum dashed along the ceiling and over all the webs the two had prepared before. Pricklybum cut the simple webbing with its claws without breaking stride. The long wire threads that had been reinforced with the metal aspect fell down ¨C one side remained attached to the ceiling.

    Tiana retrieved a tower shield and angled it towards Gellath. Elena took a run-up and jumped on the tower shield. Tiana went into full burst, jumped, and pushed out the tower shield with her two arms. Elena matched Tiana¡¯s timing perfectly for her jump from the shield.

    Up above, Elena grabbed hold of a wire thread. Simultaneously, Siling ignited the spell structure of her empowered Kinetic Push. Elena used the acceleration and grabbed hold of the furthest wires she could reach. She looked around to get an idea of her location and then decided for a wire thread to cling onto and summoned her dueling shield.

    In the distance on the ceiling, Miguel saw Elena¡¯s location and estimated the direct paths from the remaining constructs to Gellath¡¯s crater. By Terry¡¯s previous estimate, there could be three to four vacuum cannons hidden among the constructs.

    Tiana¡¯s group had already eliminated two, and they had focused on the right side.

    Previously, there was one cannon aiming at the wall near the ceiling. The cannons could not quickly adjust their aim.

    All they needed to do now was to cover the most probable paths from the left side to Gellath¡¯s crater.

    Pricklybum used two of her limbs to hook the wire thread that carried Elena. Then, the soul spirit moved according to Miguel¡¯s tap signals. Down below, Elena was moved with them.

    Tiana charged at the constructs in the way and kept an eye on Elena. Siling followed close behind and primed the next Kinetic Push.

    Elena noticed a quiet whistling sound. She judged her position relative to Gellath and retrieved her dueling shield. She hid behind the shield and held fast onto the wire thread.

    With a loud metallic bang, the rock projectile was deflected.

    Elena spun rapidly and fought the resulting nausea. She stuck out her dueling shield to slow the spinning. She channeled mana into the immovable attachment provided by Terry. Luckily, it was one of Terry¡¯s later works, and the imprint was not too fuzzy. Even with Elena¡¯s bad external mana control, she could activate it relatively quickly. The only trouble was that she was limited to the pre-primed number of charges.

    The dueling shield became transfixed and Elena finally stopped spinning. The rope above and below her grip continued to spin some more while Elena considered her position again. When the rope had calmed down enough, she deactivated the Immovable Object imprint.

    Up above, Pricklybum continued to pull Elena towards Gellath¡¯s crater. Miguel had observed the impact of the rock projectile with Elena¡¯s shield and used that information to judge the location of the vacuum cannon. Elena could intercept projectiles aimed at Gellath.

    Tiana¡¯s group only moved on the right side.

    Finally, Miguel could let loose and vent his pent up hatred. With a mirthless smile and bloodshot eyes, he rained down aspected arrows. He focused on the left side, where he judged the remaining cannon to be. Arrow after arrow ¨C as fast as he could retrieve them from his storage bracelet. Until his fingers turned bloody from stretching the bow¡¯s sinew and then more without pause.

    Elena arrived near Gellath¡¯s crater and swung herself into it. Her stomach plummeted when she saw the trembling dwarf. She gritted her teeth, placed the dueling shield in front of her legs, and retrieved a tertium slab from her storage bracelet. The slab was slightly too big to fit into the crater and she had to summon it outside of the crater.

    Elena retrieved a pair of roped rings and threaded one end through the handles so that she could pull the slab onto the crater to keep it in place ¨C even when moving close to Gellath. Elena channeled mana into the Immovable Object imprint. The slab successfully blocked the projectiles from the fake goblin constructs, but they were uncertain how it would fare against the projectiles from a vacuum cannon.

    Elena cursed her bad mana control when struggling with the imprint activation, but eventually succeeded before the cannon became active. She continued injecting mana in order to be on the safe side. Her mana sense was not sufficient to judge the required amount.

    ¡°Good,¡± exclaimed Tiana. ¡°Now let¡¯s prepare them a safe path out.¡± Next to her, Siling nodded and released another Kinetic Push.

    Inside the crater, Elena was consoling the whimpering Gellath. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She hugged him close to her. ¡°We¡¯re here. We¡¯ll get you out. I¡¯m sorry I could not catch you on the barricade. I¡¯ll get you out. It will be fine. We¡¯re here.¡±

    Elena improvised the rope harness according to Terry¡¯s previous instructions and secured the dwarf inside. She retrieved the barrier shield provided by Siling and fastened it to Gellath¡¯s forearm. ¡°Grab onto the shield and hide behind it. When I tell you to, channel your mana into it. That¡¯s all you need to do. Channel your mana into the imprint and don¡¯t stop, okay?¡±

    Gellath sniffled, but managed a nod.

    Elena tied the dwarf to herself ¨C back to back.

    Back at the inscribed earth giant, Terry cursed inwardly. No core in the head, either? Did I misjudge the size of the cloaked core?

    Terry retrieved his barrier spear and started poking the earth giant in different places while walking backwards ¨C which meant down in his horizontal position.

    Finally, Terry encountered resistance where the neck met the torso. He retrieved a cheap spear and rammed it into the location. The spear was blocked. Terry probed the place further until he found a location where the spear had entered an inch deeper.

    Protective plate again.

    Terry fixated the spear with a U-shaped tertium piece and then hammered the spear into the construct.

    With a sizzling sound, the construct¡¯s inscriptions flared.

    This was either a good sign or absolutely terrible.

    Terry ignored the sounds and inscription activity and focused solely on hammering the spear as rapidly as possible.

    A cracking sound reverberated when the spear suddenly met no more resistance and entered deep into the construct. Terry sensed surging mana¡­ and a shattered mana core.

    The inscribed earth giant emitted a bright white pulse which enveloped Terry.

    Crap. What is it now?!

    Down below, Lori and Jorg were also seeing the pulse and gripped their weapons tensely. But nothing happened. Eventually, the construct dissipated. Earth, pieces of dark material, and remnants of a shattered core fell to the floor.

    Terry heaved a deep sigh of relief. He could finally relax his legs and allow gravity to bend his knees. As a result, he was hanging upside down. It looked as if he was doing a handstand in the air and with his knees bent at a right angle.

    Terry took a deep breath. He saw the topsy-turvy image of Lori and Jorg rushing towards Tiana¡¯s group.

    Good idea.

    Terry exhaled sharply. He activated the imprints in his bracers and deactivated the imprints in his boots. He tightened his core muscles and pulled his legs in front of him and moved into a position as if he was standing. Afterwards, he deactivated the imprints in his bracers and allowed himself to fall. He used his boot imprints to interrupt his descent at one intermediate location ¨C it felt not much different from landing on the floor. Then, he could finally land on real ground again.

    Terry darted after his whaka. In the distance, he could see that something was pushed out of the dungeon floor ¨C a small plateau with several items on it. He ignored it. So did Jorg and Lori. All of them continued dashing towards the others.

    ¡°Now, Elena!¡± shouted Tiana.

    Elena loosened her grip on the rope and let the tertium slab fall to the floor. She took a run-up and jumped out of the crater. She tucked in her legs and protected herself with her dueling shield.

    Gellath was already channeling mana into the barrier shield, and the mobile barrier followed the two.

    Siling used her air coating and ran with eyes on Elena and Gellath. When the position and timing were right, she released her empowered Kinetic Push to cushion their fall and propel them further away from most remaining constructs.

    Tiana blocked a javelin with her shield. Siling reactivated her barrier spell. Afterwards, the two fought their way through the constructs towards Elena.

    Elena landed safely on the floor. She used her dueling shield to bat a fake goblin construct away and dodged the spear of another one. Her ear picked up the sounds of rocks impacting on the mobile barrier. Elena could hear a silent whimper, too. She gritted her teeth and ran.

    Elena dodged where she could. When she couldn¡¯t dodge, she tackled the smaller constructs with her dueling shield in front of her. She never stopped running.

    All around the blood-aspected woman and her guarded dwarf, constructs were hit with a barrage of unaspected arrows.

    Next to them, constructs were immobilized with entangling roots and pierced by rock spears or crossbow bolts.

    Behind them, constructs were flung around by force magic and a lightning-aspected war hammer.

    Then, an earthen wall was raised near Elena¡­

    ***

 029 The Dark Night After the Dungeon

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 1 ¨C

    The group was slowly walking towards a passageway into the next room. Elena continued to carry the silent Gellath on her back. Fortunately, the rooms after their face-off with the inscribed earth giant had been familiar again. The layouts were the same as on their way down. The creatures were roughly the same as well.

    ¡°So, what are those items?¡± asked Siling.

    The group had split up the dungeon reward before ¨C eight identical inscribed rings and eight identical inscribed daggers with scabbards. However, none of them had checked the use yet.

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem like self-sustaining or permanently active items.¡± Siling curiously examined the inscribed ring in her palm.

    Terry sunk his mana into his own inscribed ring ¨C an inscribed item suggested its own use when mana was channeled into it.

    ¡°Hey, careful! What if they¡¯re fiendish items?!¡± exclaimed Siling. Her exclamation made Gellath tremble on Elena¡¯s back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fiendish items have an aura? These do not.¡± Terry checked out the sheathed dagger.

    ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®fiendish¡¯ for a reason. Who is to say that auras can¡¯t be cloaked, too?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry had not considered that possibility. ¡°Fair point. Luckily, these items carry regular activation inscriptions.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°The ring allows me to place markers ¨C up to five. It then allows me to visualize the markers in relation to each other.¡±

    ¡°Could be the five-point inscription,¡± remarked Jorg without turning around. In the past, Jorg would have excitedly jumped around Terry and checked out the ring. Now, however, he was not in any mood for such things. ¡°They¡¯re frequently recommended for dungeon divers to deal with labyrinths. You can mark your entrance location, relevant waypoints, and the last fork. Then you can compare your current location and always find the path back.¡±

    ¡°Mine goes to the sell pile,¡± murmured Siling.

    ¡°The scabbard requires a touch of mana in order to release the dagger,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°That¡¯s a common safety inscription,¡± commented Lori. ¡°Prevents losing your dagger or accidentally stabbing yourself when rolling around.¡±

    ¡°The dagger is weird,¡± continued Terry. ¡°It only suggests infusing mana into it. I don¡¯t notice any effect except that the dagger appears slightly bigger ¨C but only in mana sight.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± exclaimed Lori, and checked out her own dagger. ¡°That¡¯s the keen inscription! The injected mana forms a mana blade to extend the actual blade.¡±

    ¡°And another one for the sell pile,¡± mumbled Siling flatly.

    ¡°Alright, detailed inspections for later,¡± said Terry. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this dungeon first.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Clear,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Clear,¡± echoed Siling.

    Tiana nodded and raised her hand to signal everyone to enter the room.

    Terry, Tiana, and Miguel went first.

    Siling, Elena, and Gellath followed next. Elena was still carrying Gellath. Aside from a few whimpers, the dwarf was completely silent. He trembled from time to time and always hid behind the barrier shield.

    Lori and Jorg stuck close to them and spread further out to cover their flanks.

    Siling¡¯s wiremoss tarantula soul spirit brought up the rear. Its tremor sense, sticky fluid, and needle-hair ranged attack had proven valuable in that position.

    Lori used Raise Wall and Harden Earth to block the exit leading deeper into the dungeon. Afterwards, the wiremoss tarantula reinforced the structure with its metal-aspect-reinforced wire threads and its sticky liquid.

    Of course, the dungeon could inject its own mana to take control of the wall and tear it down ¨C if it so wished. So far, however, the dungeon core demonstrated no further intention to interfere with their ascendance.

    Despite all appearances, they could not help but steal anxious glances at the earthen wall. Even though these impromptu barricades were far from indestructible, they eased everyone¡¯s nerves. Every wall emphasized the group had progressed further on their path to safety.

    They were making steady progress, but everyone was exhausted and remained on edge. Fortunately, the pressure had already fallen a lot. They had cleared the previous two rooms with ranged attacks coordinated through Terry¡¯s mana sense and Siling¡¯s life sense.

    They continued up towards the next floor.

    ¡°Emphasized-aspect creatures back left,¡± said Terry. ¡°Some cores immediately after the corner on the right. Smaller cores around the walls.¡±

    ¡°Life signatures from the back on the left ¨C so probably slimes,¡± added Siling. ¡°Small life signatures from the walls ¨C probably flash geckos again. No life from the others.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon constructs,¡± muttered Terry.

    Siling nodded. ¡°Not very large, according to Pricklybum¡¯s tremor estimate. We are getting close to the surface. Should be the goblin lookalikes.¡±

    ¡°I hate these blinding lizards,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    ¡°At least they¡¯re weak,¡± said Siling. ¡°Terry, any of the slimes seem the lightning type?¡±

    Terry closed his eyes and focused on his mana sense. ¡°Don¡¯t think so, no. Weak fire, weak poison, ice, but no lightning.¡±

    ¡°The fire one is annoying, but¡­¡± Siling pondered loudly. ¡°If we don¡¯t mind damaging the cores, then Pricklybum can be the vanguard. The flash does not affect it and its urticating hairs should be enough for the geckos.¡±

    ¡°I doubt anyone could care less about monster cores at this point,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± exclaimed Miguel, and the others nodded.

    Tiana exchanged places with the wiremoss tarantula soul spirit and took position next to the barricaded exit.

    The soul spirit activated its metal coating, crawled up to the corner, and then charged into the next room. Inside, it kicked off the barbed needle-like hairs from its back in all directions.

    The geckos were quickly dealt with. Even a few of the dungeon constructs and slimes had their cores shattered.

    A few small ice spikes impacted on the wiremoss tarantula¡¯s metal coating with little effect.

    ¡°Geckos are down,¡± declared Terry.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± exclaimed Miguel. He nocked an aspected arrow and activated the barrier imprint in his bracer. He followed the wiremoss tarantula and dealt with the remaining creatures.

    Eventually, the group reached the inner mana reservoir dam room. The passage door provided a secure wall for their backs and they only had to watch the entrance leading deeper into the dungeon.

    Once they had fortified their position, everyone harvested mana in order to hasten the door¡¯s opening. While Siling and Jorg, as the main healers, had to restrain themselves somewhat, Terry could make good use of his mana foundation. To further hasten the process, Terry even retrieved some mana containers from his dimensional bag and dumped the stored naturalized mana into the room.

    The seconds ticked by¡­

    After a few minutes, the passage door finally moved.

    ¡°Clear.¡±

    Even though there should be no dungeon creatures beyond the reservoir door, checking had become a reflex by now.

    Terry and Siling stood aside in order to let Miguel, Jorg, and Elena¡¯s group through first. They had grown very wary. It was better to evacuate Gellath first and they should have some support per moving group as well as one healer. Siling as the main healer remained on the side of the dungeon. Just to be prepared. Just in case.

    To everyone¡¯s relief, nothing happened. Terry and the others followed without further incidents.

    They were out.

    Thank mana!

    The sky was dark. Despite the barrier¡¯s background illumination, some stars remained visible.

    Siling let herself fall to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again.¡±

    Elena let Gellath down. Her eyes were full of concern.

    ¡°Th-thank y-you.¡± The poor dwarf was still extremely pale, damp with sweat, and trembling uncontrollably.

    ¡°Anytime.¡± Elena wanted to say some comforting words, but she felt at a loss. Seeing the pitiful dwarf¡¯s complexion made her stomach drop.

    Jorg and Miguel hurried over to Gellath¡¯s side.

    Tiana stepped to Elena and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Good job! Thank you.¡± This jolted Jorg as well. He and Miguel, too, expressed their gratitude to Elena.

    ¡°It would take us several hours to get to an inn,¡± said Tiana. ¡°How about we set up camp instead? Rest a bit and then we depart in the morning.¡±

    The group agreed and soon there were several tents, summoned seats, blankets, as well as a fire for them to gather around. Bjorln had always nagged Terry and the twins to carry supplies for a proper campfire in their dimensional bags ¨C a shovel to dig a hole, some stones to line the hole, and dry wood.

    Terry joined the others at the fire.

    Miguel and Jorg were sitting with Gellath between them. Occasionally, they put their arm around Gellath¡¯s shoulders to soothe him. Gellath seemed better, but still far from good.

    ¡°If I see that little pest beetle again, I am going to light an arrow up his arse,¡± growled Miguel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll add one of Grumpy¡¯s bowel movements to that,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°Come on, Alrik could not know what would happen,¡± protested Lori weakly.

    ¡°So WHAT?!¡± roared Miguel. He noticed Gellath wince next to him and he lowered his voice again. ¡°I do not give a hoot what he knew. It¡¯s what the little pus pellet did.¡±

    ¡°He abandoned his group in the dungeon,¡± said Tiana. ¡°That is inexcusable.¡±

    ¡°He probably thought we would follow immediately afterwards,¡± retorted Lori. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we? We all had the scrolls. He couldn¡¯t have known that one would fail.¡±

    ¡°Nah, Alrik probably hoped we would take our sweet time so that he can quickly get away with his beloved purple mana crystal,¡± sneered Siling. ¡°That thing seemed more valuable to him than us.¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not fair!¡±

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    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t Alrik here?¡± questioned Terry. ¡°If he thought we would follow right after him, why wasn¡¯t he here waiting for us? Why did it not worry him when we did not come out? Why aren¡¯t there people here looking for us?¡±

    ¡°Because we wanted to keep this a secret!¡±

    ¡°Funny,¡± snarled Miguel. ¡°Alrik did not seem to care very much about what we wanted when he left us in the dungeon. How considerate of him to conveniently remember only the parts that benefit himself.¡±

    ¡°Alrik wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to enter the dungeon!¡±

    ¡°No, but he was the only one that wanted to leave without the rest of the group,¡± retorted Tiana.

    Lori wore a conflicted expression and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    Silence followed. Eventually, Tiana turned to Elena, who was sitting next to her. ¡°You did a good job there dodging with Gellath.¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks Elena,¡± muttered Gellath. His shaky voice inspired a fresh wave of pity and concern among the group.

    ¡°I realize it may not be my place to say, but¡­¡± Tiana considered her words. ¡°Elena, you seem to do better without bursting.¡±

    Elena grimaced.

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Your situational awareness is excellent as long as you keep your wits. I doubt¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± snapped Elena. ¡°You have no idea! None of you does!¡±

    ¡°Please, explain it to us,¡± insisted Tiana calmly.

    Elena seemed close to tears. ¡°Do you know how people look at me when they hear that I have blood-aspected mana? No matter what I do, people only think of me as a berserker!¡±

    Jorg cringed.

    ¡°If I burst, then people treat me as a berserker. If I don¡¯t burst, then people treat me as a weak berserker! In their minds, I always go berserk.¡±

    ¡°Elena,¡± said Lori softly. ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any neat abilities like life sense. My mana control is still insufficient for spellwork. I have nothing else! Bursting is all I got!¡± Elena took a deep breath and shook her head. She looked into Lori¡¯s eyes. ¡°If I had not relied on bursts, I would not have won the duel against you, Lori.¡±

    This time, it was Lori¡¯s turn to cringe and wince. She had often regretted holding try-outs to find their third companion. Mostly because it had left Lori feeling weak after her loss. She had always identified herself with her strength and ability. The loss had lowered not only her own opinion of herself but also the opinion of her first chosen companion. It had placed her as the weakest member of her own group, which had naturally made her feel insecure and increasingly miserable.

    However, there was one thing that Lori felt would feel even more miserable: The thought of admitting that her first attempt to form her own group had ended in a failure, especially the thought of admitting it to her mother.

    ¡°I need the increase in combat power,¡± stressed Elena. ¡°Combat power is the only reason I even found a group, especially a competent and comparatively nice group, even with a mage proper for healing. Lori, you are the first companion that did not treat me as a ticking time bomb. Alrik may be a pus weasel, but he is also an excellent healer and if I am to burst, then I need a healer around.¡±

    Elena grimaced and shook her head again. ¡°Without my combat power, I would never have found a way into¡ª What am I supposed to do?!¡±

    ¡°Elena,¡± started Lori. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. I love having you in the group. Waste the bursts. I do not care.¡± She truly did not. Whenever Lori had felt down and disappointed with her own relative weakness, Elena had been there to cheer her up.

    Lori hated her past self, because she knew she might not have given Elena a chance as a companion without the try-outs. Just another reason she felt miserable. She didn¡¯t feel deserving of Elena¡¯s comfort. Elena¡¯s comforting words hurt. Alrik¡¯s harsh words, by contrast, resonated with her. Not only was he their group¡¯s leader, his words mirrored how she felt about herself.

    Elena smiled at Lori, but the smile was bitter. ¡°I know you don¡¯t, Lori, but Alrik does. And when it comes down to it, you always seem to follow Alrik¡¯s lead.¡±

    The words were like a bucket of ice water for Lori. They smacked the words right out of her mouth and made her feel ashamed. She had felt frustrated for a long time and had worried about being too weak for her group ¨C worried that Alrik would see her as a burden.

    All this time, she had been afraid of being cast out.

    All this time, she had gone to Elena for comfort.

    Never had she realized that Elena was suffering from the same pressure as herself.

    ¡°There are people willing to give one a chance regardless of the stereotypes,¡± murmured Siling to herself.

    ¡°It is undeniable that combat power helps, true,¡± acknowledged Tiana. ¡°However, combat power alone would not have others group up with you for this long, no matter how powerful you may be.¡±

    Lori nodded.

    ¡°You can take my word on that,¡± added Tiana in a mumble.

    Lori moved closer to Elena and gave her a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Elena. Forgive me. I did not realize. I never meant for you to feel this way.¡± She still resented the idea of having her first group end in failure, but with Elena at her side, it did not feel that terrible a possibility anymore.

    ¡°Bursting is only a preview of the combat power you can attain anyway,¡± said Tiana with a shrug. ¡°Continue training and your baseline power in the future will be more powerful than your bursts are now. Paired with your judgement, you would be a valuable companion for any group with brains enough to work with you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not as alone as you might think,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°There may not be many blood-aspected cultivators, but you could visit the fire-aspected trainees in the Guardians. Bursting with fire-aspected mana can be¡ª¡±

    Miguel grimaced. ¡°¡­let¡¯s just say it does not lose out to the blood aspect in terms of suicidal or involuntary homicidal results. It does not affect the cultivator¡¯s mind as much, but it is extremely difficult to control a fire-aspected burst. Once started, you may not be able to stop. None of the fire-aspected trainees are allowed to burst their mana. Myself included.

    ¡°Honestly, Elena, I believe you¡¯re comparing yourself to the wrong crowd.¡± Miguel glanced around. ¡°Seriously, our groups are mostly abnormal to begin with.

    ¡°Lori? Single-aspected, sure, but she¡¯s a beast in combat. Heck, even knuckle-brain Jorg is. They practically had private tutoring from two Guardian instructors every day of their lives. That¡¯s hardly normal.

    ¡°Terry? Former Academy mage and mana foundation freak extraordinaire.¡±

    ¡°Student, not mage,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Tomato potato,¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°Siling? Spirit-gifted mage proper. Collector of mana abilities. Comes with a carefully curated assortment of pets. I¡¯m willing to bet that she was already memorizing mana-corrupted creatures when I was still learning to count my toes.¡±

    ¡°My mom is a Guardian, too,¡± muttered Siling.

    ¡°Tiana?¡± Miguel looked over and paused. ¡°I can only imagine a doctor trying to slap the buttocks of baby Tiana on the day she was born. Legend has it that baby Tiana dodged. Because of course she did.¡±

    Terry snorted and chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that baby Tiana wrestled the doctor to the ground,¡± interjected Siling. ¡°Then she led the rest of the nursery to take control of the hospital. Because of course she did.¡±

    Tiana squinted at Siling and stuck out her tongue.

    ¡°Totally normal, right?¡± Miguel moved his eyes back to Elena. ¡°You, Gellath, and I may be the only normal folks here.¡± He glanced at Gellath. ¡°As long as we¡¯re ignoring Gellath¡¯s abnormal sense of humor, that is.¡±

    Gellath smiled weakly in response.

    ¡°My mana control is barely sufficient for a coldfire variant of the Flickering Candle spell,¡± continued Miguel. ¡°My coldfire resistance is enough to handle aspected items, but it is far from enough to use bursts safely. If I were to burst, I would freeze myself to a crisp in less than a minute.¡± He sighed and added in a murmur: ¡°Probably others of the group as well.¡±

    Tiana sympathized. ¡°I remember my older brother going through his lightning-resistance practice every day. I will never forget his pained expression when zapping himself. Every day. For years.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! It will be a long time before I can consider incorporating bursts.¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°No spellwork. No bursts.¡± He paused and looked at Tiana. ¡°And I would give a talented toddler equal odds to beat me in melee.¡±

    ¡°Odds on the toddler,¡± muttered Gellath.

    ¡°Oh good! You¡¯re getting back to normal.¡± Miguel patted Gellath on the shoulder. Miguel had to force himself to smile. Gellath still seemed far from his usual self. The contrast was painful.

    Miguel swallowed and reordered his thoughts. ¡°Whenever my pa and I get the chance, we cook dinner together and talk about our hunts. When he tells me about the pheasants, the rabbits, or the occasional wolf, it reminds me of how much of an advantage I already have.¡±

    Miguel made eye contact with Elena. ¡°You¡¯re a brilliant companion as long as you keep your head. Can¡¯t speak for others, but I would be happy to team up with you anytime. We can form a no-bursts-allowed squad.¡± He scrunched up his face. ¡°Although I could not even heal a paper-cut if my life depended on it. So we may want to keep Gellath and Jorg around to cheer us on.¡±

    Jorg snorted. ¡°Sure, let me fetch my pom-poms.¡±

    Lori clung to Elena¡¯s arm. ¡°No snatching companions. Elena is with me.¡±

    Elena smiled and wiped some tears away.

    ¡°Then make sure she gets treated right,¡± mumbled Miguel quietly before continuing in a louder voice. ¡°Anyway, sorry for using the b-word before. I apologize if it made you feel as if I was not willing to give you a chance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too.¡± Jorg spoke up. He glanced around ¨C Elena, Terry, Miguel. ¡°For many things.¡±

    Jorg was afraid to look at Gellath, because he felt helpless when faced with his friend¡¯s pitiful appearance. Jorg recoiled from the knowledge that he himself had led Gellath to this pitiful state. A moment later, Jorg felt ashamed at his cowardice ¨C ashamed of not even bearing to see the consequences of his own actions.

    ¡°Dungeon work was a terrible idea. Gellath, I¡ª¡± Jorg tightened his arm that rested around Gellath¡¯s shoulders. Finally, he mustered up the resolve to look at his friend¡¯s face. ¡°I should have never dragged you here. Nama. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± objected Terry, who was staring into the fire. ¡°It was our fault. Just like with the bounty hunt. We worked as a group. Not even Alrik, the little pest beetle, is solely responsible. Our fault. All of us. I should have refused. I should have blocked your path. I should have contacted Ma and Pa as soon as Alrik brought up the secret dungeon. It was my fault that I did not.¡±

    Jorg sighed and stared into the fire.

    ¡°At least now that we¡¯re out again, we don¡¯t have to tell them,¡± remarked Lori. She could already hear her mother¡¯s disapproving reprimands. Her stomach turned when she imagined Isille¡¯s disappointed look reserved for lecturing a foolish child. If Isille heard about the secret dungeon work, Lori would not be able to live this down for a long time ¨C or at least, that was what Lori feared.

    ¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°Of course we do!¡±

    Jorg paled and became wide-eyed. He had not thought about that yet. He could deal with his mother¡¯s disapproval or disappointment. Jorg was used to it from his lackadaisical spellwork training. He also understood that his mother¡¯s words often seemed much harsher than her feelings. No, for him, it was something else that he feared.

    Jorg balked at the image of his father when he would hear about dungeon work ¨C secret dungeon work, no less. Memories from their talks on the introduction class flashed through his mind: His father¡¯s look when they told him. The smile that disappeared. The voice when he refused. The clenched teeth when they insisted. His trembling voice when he implored them to change their choice. His teary eyes. Oh mana, the eyes¡­

    ¡°Wastes¡­¡± whispered Jorg.

    ¡°B-but why?¡± asked Lori. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. What good will telling them do?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten about Gellath?¡± growled Miguel. ¡°He will need help.¡±

    ¡°O-of course, but that¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing,¡± interrupted Miguel.

    Jorg clenched his teeth and nodded.

    ¡°I agree,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°The dungeon squad may also need the information on the spatial anomaly,¡± interjected Tiana. ¡°Or whatever caused the spell failures for the Recall spell. They should be made aware of that.¡±

    ¡°I would also like to prevent Alrik from leading another unsuspecting group into his secret dungeon,¡± said Siling. ¡°From how he has acted, I would not put it past him. That dungeon should not stay secret.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we¡ª¡± started Lori.

    ¡°NO!¡± Terry interrupted with a shout. ¡°I could not. Not a good liar, remember? ¡®Honest face¡¯? And you know what?! After everything that happened, I think I prefer it that way. Nothing good has ever come from lying to the people that care about me.¡± He shook his head and frowned. ¡°And I hate lying to the people that I care about. I¡¯ve had enough of this.¡±

    Terry rarely got angry, and this loud outburst took the group by surprise.

    Lori grimaced and shook her head, but she offered no rebuttal.

    Shocked by his own tone of voice, Terry lowered his gaze to his own feet. ¡°And I want to know what I could have done better. I want their advice. I want to hear their ideas.¡±

    ¡°On the bright side,¡± interjected Jorg, ¡°When Ma Isille hears the story, she may take the initiative to feed Alrik to a vortex hamster. There is that, at least.¡±

    Siling and Miguel snorted and laughed.

    ¡°I can take some comfort in that while I am being grounded for life.¡± Jorg smiled wryly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we get visiting rights,¡± joked Miguel. ¡°I want to check on your spellwork progress now that you will finally have the time to practice.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Jorg looked unamused. He shrugged. ¡°Could be worse. I¡¯ll accept whatever they come up with.¡± He glanced at Gellath and murmured: ¡°Whatever punishment they come up with, it pales to what could have happened.¡±

    Like this, the group sat for a while. They chatted, ate a bit, and tried to expel the remnant adrenaline so that they could rest. Eventually, they slowly separated and moved towards their tents.

    They had set up some wards that would alert them if anyone was approaching their camp. Siling had also assigned her bloody frogmouth soul spirit to look out for new life signatures in the area and wake her in case of anything large.

    When Terry was about to enter his tent, he was held back by Siling grabbing onto his arm.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°What for?¡± Terry scrunched up his face.

    ¡°For voting to go into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, that was not any individual¡¯s fault. We acted as a group.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I still wanted to say it.¡±

    Terry raised his eyebrows. ¡°If anything, it is I who should be sorry. I asked you. I chose to follow my whaka. I dragged you into this. I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡®Not any individual¡¯s fault. We acted as a group,¡¯¡± echoed Siling. She smirked with self-satisfaction.

    As if she had planned for me to say this.

    Terry smiled back at her. ¡°¡®I know, but I still wanted to say it.¡¯¡±

    They wished each other a good night, and Terry entered his tent. He was too exhausted to care about his armor or other equipment. He simply laid down on his bedroll and went to sleep.

    Not long after everyone had gone to sleep, one mana signature disappeared from the camp¡­

    ***

 030 Diverging Paths

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 1 ¨C

    ¡°No trace of him,¡± muttered Siling with a voice full of anguish. She turned towards the group. ¡°Neither Grumpy nor I can sense Terry¡¯s life signature. In fact, there is no life signature matching folks aside from us.¡±

    Just like that, the last bit of color vanished from Jorg¡¯s face. Tiana gritted her teeth and looked around without knowing for what.

    ¡°Could he have gone back inside?¡± asked Miguel.

    Tiana clenched the leaf-shaped gladius in her hand and looked towards the hidden dungeon entrance.

    ¡°No way,¡± denied Siling. ¡°Why would he do that?¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t.¡± declared Jorg firmly. ¡°Nor could he. Terry alone could not open the dungeon that quickly.¡±

    Silence fell over the group again.

    ¡°Maybe Terry just left?¡± suggested Lori. With a night of rest behind her, she felt more inclined to continue arguing the point of admitting their secret dive to their parents. Terry was the one who had insisted on revealing the truth.

    ¡°Without his tent and bedroll?¡± questioned Siling.

    ¡°He did seem pretty angry,¡± said Elena.

    ¡°So what?¡± Siling remained incredulous. ¡°Terry would not scare us like that, no matter how angry he may be.¡±

    ¡°The link with the Guardian card has been turned off,¡± said Lori. ¡°That could only have been done by Terry.¡±

    ¡°Or Terry is in a place in which the links are blocked.¡± Miguel looked towards the dungeon again.

    ¡°If he was in the dungeon, then he would have had to descend beyond the reach of my life sense.¡± Siling shook her head. ¡°It makes no sense.¡±

    Tiana eyed Lori and Jorg. ¡°I understand why Terry would be mad at you, but why would Terry be angry with us? Why are the links with our cards disabled as well? That is what I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°No helping it, is there?¡± remarked Elena. ¡°We are not in any shape to do another dungeon dive.¡±

    Lori shook her head. ¡°No, we will go home. Terry will probably sit there waiting for us in the living room, with our angry parents waiting right next to him to punish us. Perhaps this whole link disablement act is some kind of screwed up way for Ma to teach us a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Siling did not believe it. She turned around and moved to dismantle Terry¡¯s tent.

    ¡°We would need to get help in any case,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Better do it quickly. If we hurry and take the direct route without making any stops, we should arrive in Arcana late afternoon or early evening. Then we¡¯ll know for certain.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own homes to go to?¡± asked Lori. She was not looking forward to being admonished by her parents in front of Tiana and Siling. She still expected that Terry had gone ahead to make sure that they couldn¡¯t change their mind about telling the truth.

    ¡°I believe we had that discussion before,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°My answer remains unchanged.¡±

    ¡°I am not going anywhere until I have seen that Terry is okay,¡± insisted Siling. She continued in a murmur: ¡°I hope he is okay.¡±

    A chill ran down Jorg¡¯s back. He had been quiet the whole return trip. In contrast to Lori, he had not talked himself into a specific theory for Terry¡¯s sudden absence. He just had a bad feeling in his stomach.

    The group arrived at the door. Before Lori could fully press the door handle, the door was already being ripped open.

    ¡°Why in the Wastes are Terry¡¯s links turned off?!¡± Isille¡¯s roar shook everyone to their bones.

    Behind the opened door stood Isille with a mad look in her eyes that managed to scare even Tiana. Right behind her loomed Bjorln, Samuel, and Brynn.

    Isille glanced over everyone. ¡°Where is Terry?!¡±

    Siling¡¯s stomach sunk into the abyss and beyond. Tiana clenched her fists.

    ¡°He is-isn¡¯t here?¡± Lori¡¯s face was ashen. All the soothing self-delusions she had carefully crafted shattered into pieces in a single moment.

    Jorg seemed to have completely lost control of his facial muscles. His stomach did not perform any better, and he vomited in front of their home.

    An oppressive silence suffocated everyone. Isille stopped blinking completely and her mouth opened several times without uttering a sound. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®he isn¡¯t here¡¯?¡± Isille was still not blinking and now maintained eye contact with Lori. ¡°Where is Terry?¡±

    Lori was too overwhelmed to answer. Growing fear. Her lips trembled. Intensifying regret. Tears fell from her eyes. Crushing guilt.

    ¡°What the Wastes is going on?¡± asked Bjorln slowly.

    ¡°I-it c-can¡¯t be.¡± Jorg was stammering. ¡°P-please no.¡±

    Lori¡¯s mind remained blank. She could not take command of her own voice.

    ¡°Alrik discovered an unknown and seemingly new dungeon,¡± said Tiana. She was surprised to discover that the expressions of Isille and the others could turn even darker. Tiana knew it was important to list the important parts quickly, but she had to avert her eyes to maintain her composure. ¡°¡­we all made it out again. We needed to rest. When we woke up, Terry was nowhere to be found anymore. Siling scanned a large area with her soul bird¡¯s life sense. No trace.¡±

    Isille was trying hard to control her breathing. She knew she was supposed to stay calm, but it was too difficult. All Isille could manage were glares towards the twins. She did not trust herself to speak right now.

    ¡°Where?¡± Samuel was the first to recover. Tiana described the dungeon¡¯s location and the hidden entrance.

    ¡°Bjorln?¡± Samuel laid his hand on Bjorln¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We must hurry.¡±

    This jolted Bjorln out of his daze. ¡°I will assemble the tracking and dungeon squads. We will head over there immediately.¡± He passed by Tiana and the others and sprinted towards the Guardians¡¯ headquarters.

    ¡°I will go to the Academy and ask Ser for assistance,¡± stated Samuel. ¡°His divination magic and scrying temporal inspection may be of help.¡±

    ¡°I will issue a locating quest at the Guild,¡± declared Brynn. ¡°Wait for me at the Academy gate.¡± After addressing Samuel, she left hurriedly.

    ¡°Isille,¡± started Samuel, ¡°We need to collect all the information that we can get.¡± With those departing words, he rushed out the door as well.

    ¡°¡­¡± After a silence that seemed like an eternity, Isille found her voice again. ¡°Who was present?¡±

    ¡°Everyone from our three groups,¡± replied Tiana.

    ¡°But Alrik abandoned us in the dungeon,¡± said Siling. ¡°He departed earlier.¡± She could not help but think that if Isille were to clench her teeth any harder, they would probably burst into pieces.

    ¡°Does not matter. We need everyone¡¯s statements.¡± Isille pondered for a moment. ¡°Tiana, Siling, thank you. Go home to your families. Eat something. Rest. If you are afraid of forgetting anything important, then please write it down. We will have all of you come back later today, so that we can reconstruct what happened.¡±

    Isille now stepped outside. ¡°I have to leave now as well. I need to inform Guardian management.¡±

    ¡°C-can we do an-anything?¡± stammered Jorg.

    Isille faced her children. She took a deep breath to come herself. ¡°Eat something. Rest. If you are afraid of forgetting anything important, then write it down.¡± Her voice sounded hollow. Tears were escaping from her glaring eyes.

    Waiting no longer, Isille turned and left while Jorg and Lori were too choked up to say anything else.

    ***

    Isille was pacing around the spacious room that had been prepared by Guardian management. There was a large half-circle of chairs opposite a row of tables.

    The left-most chairs were taken by Lori and Jorg. The two were as pale as the bed sheets in which they had spent a sleepless hour before this meeting.

    Next to them sat Miguel with his father. The manaless hunter wore a somber expression and had his arm around Miguel¡¯s shoulder. Pity and helplessness flashed through his eyes whenever he glanced at Isille or at Gellath¡¯s parents.

    Gellath seemed a proper mess. The Guardians had arranged trauma counseling and had already scheduled therapy sessions for the poor dwarf. Unfortunately, Gellath still needed to give his testimony. He was seated between his parents. Both of them tried to comfort their son as best as they could.

    The door opened and four people stepped in. Isille walked over to greet them. ¡°Thank you for coming, Elena. You must be Elena¡¯s father? My name is Isille.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes? H-hello. I¡¯m Zoltan. I-I¡¯m afraid I have little knowledge about Guardians or anything. I¡¯m just a waiter¡ª¡±

    ¡°No worries, we will explain everything. We are only here to collect information that may be of help in locating a missing Guardian. Elena is a witness. All that is required of you is to be her father and support her.¡±

    Zoltan calmed down noticeably. He was manaless and felt very intimidated inside the Guardians¡¯ headquarters. Isille¡¯s words made him feel more at ease, and he nodded.

    ¡°That I know how to do.¡± Zoltan smiled at his daughter. Elena gave a smile in return. Her filial affection was muffled by the somber overall atmosphere.

    ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Isille pointed towards the chairs before greeting the next group.

    ¡°Thank you, Tiana.¡± Isille examined the man next to Tiana. The man was wearing the uniform of an Arcanian soldier. While there was a clear family resemblance, Isille knew Tiana to be an orphan.

    The giant of a man introduced himself of his own accord. ¡°Greetings, my name is Chadwick. I am Tiana¡¯s older brother.¡±

    Isille nodded. ¡°Good, I appreciate you accompanying Tiana. These things can be¡­¡± Isille had to remind herself to remain detached ¨C  just like all the other times she had hosted such a meeting before. She swallowed and continued. ¡°Stressful. It is good to have some trusted faces and shoulders to lean on with you.¡±

    Chadwick put his hand on Tiana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My sister is strong.¡± He looked very proud. ¡°I came at her request mostly to see if I could do anything to help. Anything that I could do personally or request from my superiors.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Isille¡¯s voice broke. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡± She was about to go back to her routine of trying to wear down the floor when she heard voices from outside.

    ¡°But Pa!¡±

    ¡°SILENCE! I have had enough. I suggest you appreciate the sight of the sun now, because I can assure you it may be your last chance to see it during this cycle.¡±

    ¡°D-dear, don¡¯t you believe that is excessive? Little Al only¡ª¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Only NOTHING! Secret dungeon work! Abandoning his companions! A kid is missing for mana¡¯s sake!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Alrik, you are my son. I have always been proud of you. Now¡ª You will always be my son, but never in my life have I felt so much shame and anger as I am feeling right now. You will take responsibility and we, as a family, will take responsibility. We will do everything we can to find that missing kid. If you have to give testimony a thousand times, then so be it. If they want to examine your mind and memories, then so be it. If a wasted shaman comes and claims that drinking urine and doing a handstand would help, then so be it. Are we clear?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No more pampering until we have found a way to make this right. Hope to mana that there is a way¡­¡±

    There was a brief moment of silence before a group of three dwarves stepped through the door.

    Alrik immediately felt the uncomfortable gazes of everyone in the room. He tried to avoid the looks from the other groups and quickly searched for eye-contact with Lori. Alrik was certain to find some support from Lori. Unexpectedly, his hopes were dashed when Lori refused to spare him a single glance.

    Meanwhile, the adult dwarven man wearing flashy robes hurried over to Isille. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. If there is anything we can do ¨C anything at all ¨C please.¡±

    Isille had to bite her tongue to keep her feelings in check. ¡°Thank you for coming. We will inform you if there is anything. Please take a seat.¡±

    Isille tried very hard not to look at Alrik. She knew he was barely more than a child. She knew he had not intended anything like this. She knew it was not his fault alone.

    However, despite all that knowledge, Isille had to fight the urge to shake the wasted pest beetle until¡­

    Until nothing.

    Isille knew it would not help one iota. It would not help her mood. It certainly would not help Terry.

    ¡°Sorry for being this late.¡± Siling hurried through the door with two people in tow.

    ¡°Thank you for coming, Siling. You as well, Daiyu. Thank you for accompanying your daughter.¡±

    Siling¡¯s mother was also a member of the Guardians. While they were no close associates, Isille and Daiyu at least knew and recognized each other.

    ¡°Anything. My daughter speaks highly of Terry as a companion.¡±

    Isille looked behind the two.

    ¡°Calam?¡± Isille was surprised. ¡°What are you doing here? You were not part of the dungeon run, were you?¡±

    Calam opened his mouth without saying anything and shook his head.

    ¡°I went to him,¡± explained Siling. ¡°I remembered that Terry always kept his link with Calam active even though Calam had set it to off.¡±

    Calam visibly winced at this statement, and he carefully examined his own feet.

    Siling sighed. ¡°I thought there was a chance that¡­¡±

    Despite her better judgement, a seed of hope sprouted inside of Isille and her eyes widened a bit¡­ It only lasted a moment. Both Siling and Calam were shaking their heads with sad expressions.

    ¡°Thank you for trying,¡± whispered Isille.

    ¡°When Calam heard Terry was missing, he asked to come along,¡± explained Siling.

    ¡°Alright, I will get a chair.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Isille. You stay.¡± Mirabilia patted Isille on the back. ¡°I will get it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mira.¡±

    The door opened again and Khaled stepped in.

    ¡°Sorry, Isille. No luck yet.¡± Khaled shook his head. ¡°We have combed through every inch of that dungeon repeatedly, and we have scanned the entire sector with every means available at this time. Nothing.

    ¡°The dungeon squad will continue to investigate inside. The tracking squad will investigate the closest dimensional gates. Bjorln remains at the dungeon together with those Academy mages. Their temporal inspection is still ongoing. Brynn¡¯s constructs have spread out to do a sweep of the surrounding sectors. Some Guildheads have also joined our efforts. Given the faces that I could recognize, I can only assume that Brynn has offered a fortune to catch their attention.¡±

    Khaled took a deep breath. ¡°Nothing yet. We have created copies of the linked signaling cubes and they will be placed in an amplifier at different locations. If a signal from Terry¡¯s cube is caught, then we will triangulate it. There are still many other things to try, but it will require time.¡±

    Isille sighed. ¡°Tamar is already in the backroom together with Dwayne. If you go get Javier, then we can start.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Strange indeed,¡± mumbled Ser.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Samuel.

    ¡°I can sense the boy entering his tent, but I sense no sign of him leaving it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± said Bjorln.

    ¡°It definitely is improbable,¡± admitted Ser. ¡°Nevertheless, that is what I sense. The first life sign in the temporal flicker is the tall girl looking into the tent in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Space magic?¡± surmised Brynn. ¡°Did they somehow get tangled up with a dimensional mage?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± said an elven woman walking up to them, and her eyes quickly found the tall human woman with auburn hair. ¡°You¡¯re the client? Brynn?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is me.¡±

    ¡°Greetings. My name is Mia. Going by your outfits, you¡¯re Academy mages. Is the missing person an Academy student? If so, that should have been included in the provided intel. It increases the likelihood of this being a kidnapping.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Brynn shook her head. ¡°Terry is not a student at the Academy anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡®Anymore¡¯?¡±

    ¡°He was, but I can assure you that Terry does not fit the normal Academy kidnapping profile,¡± asserted Brynn.

    ¡°Terry was at some point technically a member of the Antelias family,¡± added Samuel. ¡°But they rescinded his last name and disavowed the family connection when Terry got expelled.¡±

    ¡°Lovely lot.¡± Mia frowned. ¡°Alright, then I agree with you. The kid would make for a bad target to get at the Antelias family.¡±

    Samuel and Ser jolted and observed an empty spot on Mia¡¯s right. A second later, sand rose from the earth and slowly take the shape of folk. After a moment, a wrinkly, white-haired elven man rose from the sand.

    ¡°Greetings. Hmm. Oh? It seems a temporal inspection was already performed.¡± The elf focused his murky eyes on Ser. ¡°A man of the craft, I see. A human at that. My pleasure.¡±

    Ser raised an eyebrow, but he chose to remain polite. It was not a simple task to detect a temporal inspection, and it was even harder to trace the source accurately. ¡°Likewise. My name is Ser. Who am I speaking to?¡±

    The elf¡¯s lips curled upward. ¡°This cycle, I go by Roy.¡± He put his hand on Mia¡¯s shoulder. The two seemed to have a quick ¨C and silent ¨C exchange of information.

    ¡°Why did you rule out action by a dimensional mage as unlikely?¡± inquired Samuel.

    ¡°Because the space here is too stable,¡± replied Mia. ¡°Unanchored dimensional travel is not that clean. Given the area that has been searched without success, the space distortion would have to be quite extensive. Not even the best dimensional mages could cover that up without a trace.¡±

    Roy nodded in agreement. ¡°Anchored dimensional travel can be ruled out as well. I do not sense a dimensional gate and a fresh anchoring would be noticeable in the temporal inspection. Besides, outside the magic sovereigns, there are maybe two dozen mages capable of long-distance dimensional anchoring in Arcana. You are looking at two of them and we are well acquainted with the others.¡±

    ¡°Look there,¡± exclaimed Mia. ¡°Apparently, the mission caught the attention of William and his sniffing pets as well.¡±

    In the background, a man wearing a hooded robe became visible. The robe looked as if it was overgrown with moss. Countless bumblebees of various sizes and colors flew out of the man¡¯s sleeves. The insects quickly spread out.

    ¡°Mhmh, no idling then,¡± declared Roy. ¡°We should split up. I¡¯ll take the dungeon.¡± Roy transformed into sand which fell to the ground.

    ¡°I assume the Guardians are doing an interview with the others from the group?¡± inquired Mia.

    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Bjorln.

    ¡°I will amend the information deposited with the Guild as soon as possible,¡± added Brynn.

    ¡°Good. Hope to see you soon.¡± With those parting words, Mia emitted a light glow before her appearance slowly faded away.

    ¡°Exactly how much did you offer as a reward?¡± asked Ser. It was rare for him to take note of other mages, but these two definitely left an impression.

    ¡°However much is needed to find Whaka Terry,¡± replied Brynn firmly. ¡°I gave my agent at the Guild full authorization over my primary account.¡±

    Samuel stepped over, took Brynn¡¯s hand, and raised it to his lips.

    ***

    The first sensation that hit Terry was the unmistakable stench of something rotten. Something very rotten. A cold, hard, and wet floor. Water dripping onto his head.

    Huh?

    The realization that none of these sensations made any sense jolted Terry awake. After all, Terry went to sleep on a bedroll in his rainproof tent, which stood outside in the fresh air.

    ¡°Am I still dreaming?¡± mumbled Terry. He looked around, but everything was dark. He used his mana sense and felt terror bubbling up.

    This felt like a dungeon.

    Can¡¯t be.

    It certainly looked like a dungeon. The walls were all emitting enough mana for Terry to sense that he was in a cavern that seemed barely big enough for him to fit inside.

    Mana signatures of differing strengths and sizes were scurrying all around him in the distance for as far as his mana sense reached. Terry swallowed and tried to get his breathing under control.

    Think.

    If his mana sense was to be trusted, then Terry was alone in the cavern. He circulated his mana and felt the familiar signatures of his mana-crafted items.

    Thank mana, I was too exhausted to care about sleeping in my equipment.

    Terry summoned one of his cheap mana-crafted light-sources: a small ring that had been charged with light-aspected mana. Its light illuminated the cavern and Terry¡¯s sight confirmed what he had perceived before with his mana sense.

    How the Wastes did I end up in a dungeon again?!

    Sleepwalking? How would I have gotten out of the tent? Or past the mana reservoir, for that matter? Also, the others would have noticed¡ª

    The others? Are they here too? Are they alright?

    Terry panicked again. A sound nearby made him flinch and reflexively grab the ring in his hand to hide the light.

    And what is this nauseating stench?

    Terry put the ring back into his dimensional bag. He took a deep breath and checked his equipment.

    Storage items are all there. At least I won¡¯t starve anytime soon. Lucky me.

    Terry gave a wry smile and shook his head roughly in order to bring himself to focus again. He summoned his Guardian card and signaling cube.

    All links are off. Waste it.

    With his mana sense at full alert, Terry sneaked towards the only tunnel leading out of the cavern. The tunnel was not long. After a few steps, there was a cliff blocking his path.

    I guess that explains why I got the cavern all to myself. Lucky me.

    Strange. How the Wastes did I get up here? Is sleep casting a thing?

    Terry laid flat on the floor and peeked over the ledge. There were lights below. He could see movement.

    ¡°Holy¡ª¡± Terry forced himself to stop his exclamation and crawled back from the ledge.

    Undead? Wasted undead? Since when are there undead in Arcana?

    Or are those dungeon assimilated? Can undead become assimilated by a dungeon? How did they get into the dungeon in the first place?

    Terry concentrated on his mana sense.

    I don¡¯t sense a core. Mana, yes. Core, no.

    Deep breaths.

    This would be a lot easier if it was not for that suffocating stench in the air. I should have bought the scent mask back then instead of renting it.

    Undead. Wasted undead. I don¡¯t remember any undead in Alrik¡¯s dungeon. I certainly would have noticed this horrible stench.

    Different dungeon then? How? Why?

    I hope the others are safe.

    Wait, are ALL those mana signatures undead?!

    Terry crawled back some more and then hurriedly retreated into the cavern. He sat down at the wall in the back. He hugged his knees and buried his face in them.

    Memories flashed in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Gellath who cracked silly anti-jokes at the training grounds. Gellath who rushed over, concerned to check if anyone required healing. Gellath who cried and suffered a mental breakdown in Alrik¡¯s dungeon.

    Elena who charged ferociously into battle. Elena who refused to use the Recall spell without a moment¡¯s thought after Lori¡¯s scroll had failed. Elena who seemed so incredibly lonely when opening up to Tiana at camp.

    Miguel who looked so excited whenever Grumpy was summoned. Miguel who threatened the bandit with cold fury in his eyes. Miguel who clenched his fists in frustration whenever an archer could offer little help.

    Tiana who happily highlighted the objectives for one of her plans. Tiana, whose weapon or shield appeared right where it was needed. Tiana¡¯s grimace when she talked about being cast out of her previous groups.

    Siling who chatted giddily without pause about potential new soul spirits. Siling who, to his relief, already moved to the appropriate position for the situation. Siling with a stream of blood flowing from her eyes.

    Jorg who passionately argued for using mana games instead of shaping exercises. Jorg, whose expression turned serious during a mission. Jorg who looked completely crestfallen after Gellath¡¯s Recall scroll had failed to activate.

    Lori¡¯s mischievous grin whenever she successfully used Liquify Earth against him in their sparring sessions. The radiant look of pride Lori got when she learned a new spell. How different Lori seemed when she was around Alrik.

    Lori and Jorg on the day they first met. When they suffered together with him through Bjorln¡¯s physical exercise routine. When they read the Veilbinder¡¯s story to each other.

    The day Terry learned the Immovable Object spell surrounded by his family.

    Whaka.

    Subconsciously, Terry changed his posture. He stopped hugging his knees. His legs moved further apart. He leaned back against the wall behind him. His arms were outstretched and resting on his knees.

    Actions.

    Terry stared at the tunnel.

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 1, Cultivating Perseverance ¨C

 Arc 01 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy, Terry¡¯s former mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, fire- and ice-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): dwarven woman, Guardian, external mana control impairment, sister of Isille

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille

    Matteo: human man, possessed by elementals, accepted son of Sigille

    Ben: human man, Guardian

    Leah: human woman, Guardian

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor, friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian, Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian

    Javier: Guardian

    Roy: elven man, Guildhead, dimensional mage

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead, dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead

 031 A Familys Faith

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 2, Undying Defiance ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 8 ¨C

    Isille opened the door and saw the two bundles of misery staring blankly into nothingness.

    ¡°Get up and get dressed,¡± ordered Isille. ¡°We are going for a walk.¡±

    Lori and Jorg did not answer. They had barely spoken a mouthful of words since Terry¡¯s disappearance a week ago. They could not muster any will to question their mother¡¯s commands. In silence, they followed Isille outside.

    Isille led them to an area in the Guardians¡¯ training grounds. There, she picked up two practice short spears. She shoved one to Lori and one to Jorg.

    Jorg accepted the spear with numb apathy. Lori furrowed her brow and looked unwilling, but she accepted the spear, anyway.

    ¡°That is enough of you two shutting yourselves in. Tiana, Siling, and Elena have teamed up to do mission work. Miguel has signed up for the tracking squad¡¯s preparatory curriculum. Gellath has registered for freeze therapy. Even Calam has finally found some sense and he is going to join therapy together with Gellath. I do not care what you choose to do, but I expect you to do something besides drowning yourselves in your own thoughts.¡±

    Jorg kept his empty eyes down on the spear. Lori gritted her teeth but said nothing.

    ¡°If Terry is dead, then there is nothing you or I or anyone can do about it.¡±

    Tears ran down Lori¡¯s face.

    ¡°Do not try to suppress your grief. Remember this feeling of guilt. Etch this feeling of helplessness into your heart. Have it become a part of you, but have it drag you forward instead of dragging you down. If you do not want to lose your loved ones, then work to improve yourselves. Learn to better protect them and to better support their growth.¡±

    Isille shook her head. ¡°If Terry was here, do you believe he would be happy with you shutting yourselves off in his memory? Or would he quote some lines from that book of his instead? Do you not believe he would give his life so that you could live yours? Then live! Do not forget, but also remember to live!¡±

    Isille looked at her two children and sighed. ¡°That being said, I myself believe that Terry is still alive. I do not have any evidence. I choose to believe, because that is the only path in which we can make a difference.¡±

    ¡°What difference could we make?¡± retorted Lori.

    She threw her practice spear on the ground. ¡°The best trackers of the Guardians have come up with nothing! Not even the Guild was of any help! For mana¡¯s sake, what could I do that they have not already done and done better than I ever could? Please, just tell me¡­¡± Lori¡¯s voice trailed off into a whimper.

    Jorg tightened his grip on the practice spear.

    ¡°Soon,¡± started Isille. ¡°Some of the Guildheads will stop searching. The Guild only pays by results. Their time is valuable and they have no personal incentive to prefer one mission over another. It has already been established that this is not an easy mission ¨C not even for experts. Even if the promised reward is huge, their math naturally includes the time invested as well. Some may still figure that they have a new idea worth trying. Some may persist for a while because they have already sunk so much time into it.¡±

    Isille looked into the distance. ¡°Eventually, they will all stop. The Guardians will pay attention for longer, but they cannot divest resources indefinitely, either ¨C not without anything to show for it.¡±

    Isille met Lori¡¯s gaze. ¡°Eventually, there will only be us that are looking for Whaka Terry. That is what we can do.¡±

    Isille bent down. She picked up Lori¡¯s spear and held it out to Lori with one hand.

    ¡°Or is trying our best too much to ask for our whaka?¡±

    After a pause, Lori stepped forward and received the spear.

    ***

    ¡°And again, nothing but ghouls to be found.¡± Terry sighed. ¡°So much for the easy to reach areas.¡±

    Terry sunk his consciousness into the ring on his left ring finger. In his mind, Terry could see five markers floating in the air. Terry erased one marker and then created a new marker for his current location.

    Afterwards, Terry turned to get back to his latest cavern residence high up in the walls.

    Good job, Terry. If your whaka are trapped in here with you, you are really making a difference. Big help you are.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying alright.¡± Terry paused. ¡°Great. Barely a week alone and I am already losing it.¡±

    Is it bad to talk to yourself?

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s perfectly normal. Absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about.¡±

    Except for your companions. Companions that might be running out of food.

    ¡°¡­or have turned into ghoul food.¡± Terry clenched his teeth. ¡°They are fine. They must be.¡±

    I thought you were past your wishful thinking phase?

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Terry closed his eyes and took some deep breaths, which caused him to grimace. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll never get used to this stench.¡±

    ¡®Never¡¯? How long were you planning to stay?

    ¡°Hah¡­ Okay. One step at a time. One step after the other. Focus. Focus.¡±

    Eventually, Terry arrived back at his cavern and sat down. He looked over the hordes of ghouls roaming beneath. They mostly ignored him as long as Terry did not come too close. Luckily, they only attacked with teeth and claws. They had no means for long-range attacks.

    Terry leaned back and laid down on the floor. He stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°Has it really been a week?¡±

    How would I know? Don¡¯t get much sunshine in here. No stars, either. The mana-crafted watch does not work. The mechanical clock gets distorted when in the storage items.

    ¡°Maybe I should keep the mechanical clock in the cavern?¡±

    Maybe knowing the actual time would be incredibly depressing?

    Terry sat up again. ¡°I still have supplies. I need to thank Pa Bjorln for his repeated nudges to stock more than I thought necessary.¡±

    Even though it bordered on neuroticism.

    ¡°Well, maybe he was trapped in a crappy dungeon once upon a time as well,¡± grumbled Terry.

    I¡¯m sure the experience will be nothing but beneficial for your own mental health. Right?

    Terry scowled and exhaled a sharp breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lori and Jorg got the same speeches, nudges, and less than subtle hints.¡±

    But did they listen and take them to heart?

    Terry bit his lip. ¡°Gellath, Elena, Miguel, and Tiana don¡¯t carry storage items with time deceleration. Did they pack non-perishable provisions? Tiana probably did.¡±

    Gellath and Elena probably did not.

    ¡°Miguel might have.¡±

    But Miguel prefers restocking on the road and usually supplements his supplies with hunting. Not much edible game in here.

    Terry looked over the ledge again. ¡°Well, at least the stench is good for curbing the appetite.¡±

    He turned so that he had the ledge on his right. His back rested against one side of the tunnel and his feet were touching the other.

    ¡°Alright, now that we have established that I won¡¯t be able to help anyone anytime soon, let¡¯s focus on the essentials.¡±

    Terry spoke the last words in an imitation of Samuel¡¯s tone. He really hoped that he would be able to drop these habits again outside the dungeon.

    ¡°All the paths I looked at led to huge gatherings of ghouls or dead ends.¡±

    No way around a fight. Can¡¯t avoid the things forever.

    ¡°Unfortunately, ghouls were only touched on in passing during the mana cursed introduction. They were mostly referenced as comparison to zombies.¡±

    The zombie plague may overpower a living being, which results in a life turning. In contrast, the ghoul plague acts as a weakening poison on the living. A turning only happens when the poisoned victim dies while the poison is still in the system. Less problematic for mana cultivators, but very problematic for the manaless.

    ¡°Yeah, if a ghoul has inflicted you with poison, then chances are it will rip you apart shortly after, anyway.¡±

    Ghouls are also supposed to retain more of their intelligence after the turning.

    ¡°Great.¡± Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°Alright, no idea. What would others do?¡±

    Terry retrieved a notebook and his trusty practice pen.

    ¡°The Veilbinder?¡±

    Yeah, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll quickly get to his level.

    ¡°Tse. Defer judgement, you little pus weasel. ¡®Start with the possible but impractical and then get to the practical.¡¯¡±

    Be my guest.

    ¡°Thank you. The Veilbinder?¡±

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    Freeze them. Burn them. Blast them. Shred them.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    Crush them. Throw them. Break them. Shock them. Oh, and don¡¯t forget decay, petrify, explode, and disintegrate. Disintegrate always sounds very intimidating. OH oh oh, and ignite the ghouls¡¯ mana and have them erase themselves! That is so awesome.

    ¡°Alright, this won¡¯t work.¡±

    Told you.

    ¡°What about after he had sacrificed his mana foundation?¡±

    Find a narrow path. If none is available, create one. Trap them. Cut them apart with his sword. One by one. Repeat for years until the ghouls are all gone. Maybe inspire them to better their ways and have them choose him as their new leader.

    ¡°Puh-blblbl¡­¡± Terry sharply exhaled air through his closed lips. ¡°Traps. Narrow path. Eliminate their numbers advantage.¡± He scribbled in his notebook.

    ¡°Saint Petra?¡±

    Cast a holy light sanctuary that purifies the ghouls all at once?

    ¡°Alright, next. Saint Dalia?¡±

    Have the shadows swallow them whole.

    ¡°Find a place to throw them from. Kivis?¡±

    Stalk them tirelessly. Ambush them one by one.

    Terry underlined the ¡®Eliminate their numbers advantage¡¯ entry he had written before. He paused. Then, he added a new line. ¡°Pull them out of the group.¡±

    ¡°The Valkyrie?¡±

    Force magic. Crush them into a pulp. Rip them to shreds.

    Terry puckered his lips. ¡°Let something heavy fall on them.¡±

    How about less legendary figures?

    ¡°Unca Samuel?¡±

    Probably some insanely obscure and weirdly specific spell that eliminates a group of ghouls when they add up to a prime number.

    ¡°Not helpful. Auntie Brynn?¡±

    Constructs. Lots of them.

    ¡°Not available. Hmm¡­ Perhaps ¡®Find Allies¡¯?¡±

    Yeah, right. I believe you already covered that when you failed to find your companions. Remember the ¡®failed¡¯ part?

    Terry frowned. ¡°Ma Isille?¡±

    Scowl at them angrily until the ghouls flee in shame and terror. Terry snorted. Or pick a suitable spot and eliminate them one by one.

    Terry recalled the day he had first entered the training grounds when he had seen the practice match with Isille. In the match, Isille had used minimal attacks to influence the golems formation and prepare a way for Bjorln.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Herd them into a specific direction.¡±

    ¡°Pa Bjorln?¡±

    Ice punch. Fire punch. The end.

    ¡°Fire. Lori?¡±

    Liquify liquify liquify. Terry tilted his head. Harden. Rockspall Touch.

    ¡°Immobilize them. Shrapnels¡­ Shrapnels¡­¡± Terry leaned slightly to the right ¨C outside his hole in the wall ¨C and then looked up towards the ceiling. ¡°Stalactites¡­ Puh-blblbl¡­¡± Terry squeezed air through his closed lips, which caused them to vibrate noisily.

    ¡°Jorg?¡±

    Spear? Or explosives like they used for the swamp boas.

    ¡°No explosives available. I only have some sticky traps.¡±

    ¡°Siling?¡±

    Good question. Probably use the wiremoss tarantula to navigate the wall and use rock spears from a distance.

    ¡°But where would you even aim?¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°That part wasn¡¯t part of the mana cursed introduction class.¡±

    For zombies, you need to destroy the nervous system. For vampires, you need to inflict sufficient damage to the circulatory system before it can regenerate.

    ¡°What about ghouls?¡± Terry squinted down at the ghouls. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to find out.¡± He wrote down ¡®weakness¡¯ and underlined it twice.

    ¡°Tiana?¡±

    Beat them until they crawl back into their graves of their own volition.

    ¡°If I knew how Tiana comes up with her plans, I probably wouldn¡¯t need a notebook. Anyway, Miguel?¡±

    Coldfire-aspected arrows.

    ¡°I have the coldfire-aspected spear and dagger.¡± Terry put his finger on his lips. And edited his previous note. ¡°Fire of whatever kind. Ranged attacks.¡±

    Make sure not to suffocate yourself. No windows in here.

    Terry looked around. ¡°How do dungeons get ventilated, anyway?¡±

    That¡¯s a question for Instructor Samuel. Probably not the time to start a thesis on dungeon architecture.

    ¡°Gellath?¡± Terry winced. ¡°I hope he¡¯s okay. Please, let them all be okay.¡±

    Gellath alone? Hide.

    ¡°Already doing that for what may or may not have been a week. Works until it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    With support? Line them up, followed by Cone of Cold.

    Terry underlined the ¡®herd them¡¯ entry.

    Maybe try to drown them? Terry remembered Gellath¡¯s Summon Water spell.

    Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°Can ghouls drown?¡± He circled the ¡®weakness¡¯ note. ¡°Not sure if I could even catch enough water to drown that many¡­¡±

    ¡°Elena?¡±

    Normal companion Elena or angry berserk Elena?

    Terry frowned. ¡°Normal Elena.¡±

    Would have to fight her way through. Duel shield to their ugly visages. Once they have fallen to the floor, use the bladed part to pierce them where it hurts.

    ¡°Trip them?¡±

    Terry was scribbling another note when he noticed a commotion with his mana sense. ¡°What¡¯s got them all excited?¡± He returned the notebook and pen to his dimensional bag.

    Terry used his roped rings and imprinted equipment to quickly navigate the dungeon area and arrive at the location of interest. He squinted his eyes. The ghouls practically fell over themselves to claw at a specific location.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry focused on his mana sight. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± He swung himself even closer.

    That¡¯s a mana core!

    It was the first sign of a dungeon creature that Terry had encountered in this dungeon.

    ¡°But the core is so tiny.¡±

    And the noisy neighbors don¡¯t let me see anything.

    Terry walked through the air until he was right on top of the hubbub. He still had to keep some distance, because he did not know how high ghouls could jump.

    Terry looked at his left hand. To the pile of ghouls below. Back to his left hand.

    Not our enemies. More like a sparring partner.

    Terry cast his gaze up to the dungeon ceiling and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, dungeon. If that thing turns out to be a grievance toad, I¡¯ll feed it to the ghouls.¡±

    Perhaps we can domesticate a pet ghoul?

    Terry imagined a ghoul sitting on the floor and begging for food at the table ¨C using ghouly puppy eyes. He shivered. ¡°Eww.¡±

    Terry concentrated on his mana sense and channeled mana into his Gravitational Attraction glove. He had never targeted a mana core before ¨C or anything that was still contained in something else. However, since he could not see the rest of the dungeon being, this was the only option. He did not even know if it would work.

    It did. A tiny mana core zipped into his left hand. The horde of ghouls turned their heads towards Terry.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry waved his hand slightly.

    Why am I doing that? They¡¯re not friends, Terry. Bad creatures. Poison. Plague. Undead.

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    Terry ignored the horrifying stares from below and examined the dungeon being on his left palm.

    ¡°Slime, huh?¡± There was a small, white blob.

    Terry scratched his nose. ¡°Were you bigger before? Did some of your squishy bits stay behind?¡±

    What happens to a slime if you pull only at its core? Terry shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize your aspect.¡± Terry prodded the slime with his finger. The slime wiggled annoyedly.

    Wait, how do you wiggle annoyedly? Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Anthropomorphizing?¡± Terry clicked his tongue.

    Losing it.

    ¡°Absolutely normal. Nothing to worry about.¡± Terry exhaled sharply. He turned his attention back to the slime. ¡°You don¡¯t look like much of a dungeon critter. A seed mouse would probably pose more of a threat than you.¡±

    Terry could hear Jorg¡¯s voice in his mind: ¡®What¡¯s even the point of these things?¡¯

    ¡°Do you have a point, little one?¡± Terry poked the slime again. He walked over to a crevice in the wall.

    ¡°If slimes resemble aspect beings, then you are supposed to feed on mana. Hungry?¡± Terry channeled a bit of mana into his finger and infused it into the slime.

    The slime hurriedly retreated from Terry¡¯s finger ¨C as hurriedly as a slime could manage, anyway.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned. He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, I figure oscillating mana is more of an acquired taste. Not pet material then. I won¡¯t let you nibble on my aspected items.¡±

    Terry moved his palm to the crevice. ¡°Here you go. The ghouls won¡¯t get you here.¡± The slime moved from Terry¡¯s hand and disappeared into the crevice.

    ¡°Put in a good word for me with the dungeon. If it could open up a passage, that would be nice.¡±

    Terry looked from side to side. Nothing happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected.¡±

    Something entirely unreasonable.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Losing it~

    ***

    Bjorln silently stepped into their home. It was already late, and he did not want to wake the chipmunks. The twins had faced trouble sleeping since Terry¡¯s disappearance.

    Thankfully, Isille convinced them to pick up training again. Physical exercise was one of the best treatments for a troubled mind.

    Folk¡¯s stress-response evolved to prepare a body for an explosive burst of energy consumption ¨C beneficial for rapidly escaping from a terror grizzly, but very detrimental over extended periods. Psychological stress inflicted the stress-response without the physical need. Exercise finally provided the body with the outlet that it had been preparing for.

    Additionally, exercise provided a state of focused and structured attention ¨C a state of Flow. Clear goals, immediate feedback, and a sense of control could do a lot to remove awareness of the worries and frustrations of everyday life.

    The exercise tired the chipmunks out and an exhausted body found sleep easier. All in all, the training offered a multitude of coping mechanisms and sleeping assistance. It would be a shame if Bjorln disturbed the bit of progress that they had achieved in getting the twins back to normal.

    Bjorln heard a muffled sniffle and jolted towards the sound. He saw his favorite armchair in front of an extinguished fireplace. On the armrest, he could recognize an elbow ¨C a familiar elbow attached to a person he loved very much.

    Bjorln snuck over and discovered his chosen life partner. His beloved Isille was bawling her eyes out.

    When Isille saw him, she slid over to the side and looked at Bjorln with a trembling lip. Bjorln crawled up. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest. Bjorln gently caressed her face ¨C her teary, snotty mess of a face.

    ¡°Nearly all Guildheads have given up,¡± whispered Isille. ¡°Guardian management wants to talk to me, too. I can¡¯t¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I know this talk. I have given these talks. The first one. The second one¡­¡± Isille sobbed. ¡°The last one. I know what¡¯s coming. I don¡¯t want it to come. I just¡­¡±

    Bjorln kissed her on the forehead. He brought his face closer and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.

    ¡°Not when I¡¯m all snotty,¡± complained Isille, but she finally managed a slight smile.

    The two passed a moment in silence.

    ¡°Could you tell me that Whaka Terry is alright? Even if you don¡¯t believe it? I need someone to tell me he¡¯s okay.¡± Isille¡¯s pleading eyes turned up to Bjorln.

    Bjorln kissed Isille¡¯s forehead again and held her more tightly. ¡°I would never lie to you, my life.¡±

    Isille pouted, but snuggled closer to Bjorln.

    ¡°There is still hope,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°Whaka Samuel thinks so, too. He has spent practically every free moment inside that accursed dungeon. Whaka Brynn, Khaled, and I will join him again tomorrow. You know how relentless Whaka Samuel gets when something doesn¡¯t add up.¡±

    ¡°¡®When lost, start at the beginning¡¯?¡± quoted Isille.

    ¡°Yeah. Only this time, it¡¯s much more intense than his research projects. I think the combination of Whaka Terry being missing and a dungeon being involved has triggered something in him. On the one hand, I¡¯m thankful for it. On the other hand, I¡¯m worried about him.¡±

    ¡°Whaka Brynn looks over him.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of worries ¨C how do you think the chipmunks are doing?¡±

    Isille considered her answer. ¡°I believe Lori¡¯s temper will push her through the worst, but she may overdo it. Her need to prove herself works against her when there are things outside her control. We should pay attention that she does not end up pushing herself too hard.¡±

    Bjorln nodded in response.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Jorg. He seems¡­¡± Isille searched for words. ¡°Lost somehow. Lori has found her voice again, but Jorg remains completely resigned to everything. I can¡¯t recall him talking back to me about anything since Terry¡¯s disappearance. He does exactly as he¡¯s told and not a single thing besides ¨C nothing of his own inclination. He walks around like an empty shell and it scares me.¡±

    ¡°You keep an eye on Lori. You understand her better than I do.¡±

    ¡°Not as if my understanding helps me much in knowing what to do,¡± grumbled Isille. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if I misjudge how much she resembles me, or if I am just really bad at predicting how I would have reacted myself.¡±

    Isille noticed Bjorln stiffening up. ¡°No comment required.¡±

    Bjorln relaxed again and gave his Isille another kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll make some time for Jorg. I need to go climbing soon to gather ingredients. I¡¯ll take him with me.¡±

    The two huddled closer together.

    ***

 032 Disappointing Expectations

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 16 ¨C

    ¡°S-sorry for being late,¡± apologized Lori.

    Elena stood up and walked over.

    ¡°No worries,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°We still need to pick a mission, anyway.¡±

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± asked Elena. She examined her best friend concernedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Lori sighed and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll manage. Thanks for asking and thanks for letting me join the group. I feel better if I keep myself occupied. Spellwork, exercise, mana crafting, I¡¯ll take anything.¡±

    Tiana nodded in sympathy. ¡°Thanks for joining us. We can align on a sparring and mission work schedule later.¡±

    ¡°We can also train together outside schedule,¡± interjected Elena. ¡°Or visit the teahouse again.¡± She eyed Lori concernedly. ¡°You need to relax, too.¡±

    Lori gave Elena a hug.

    ¡°Any news?¡± asked Siling.

    Lori shook her head with sad eyes.

    Siling took a deep breath. ¡°Terry will turn up again. He just has to.¡± She blinked in quick succession. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s the hunt for today?¡±

    ***

    Terry sat on a bear pelt from his non-magical beast hunting days. He went over his notes.

    ¡°Fire works. Coldfire works. Lightning only works if it sparks a fire. Piercing the brain is useless. Piercing the heart is useless. Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Hissss.¡± A ghoul laid on the floor in front of him ¨C or what was left of a ghoul to be more accurate. The ghoul only consisted of a head, a neck, and a torso. Terry had amputated its limbs, and he had pinned its torso to the floor with two spears.

    ¡°Shh,¡± shushed Terry. ¡°Be quiet, Alrick Four.¡±

    Annoyingly, the creature was still alive, albeit not kicking. Terry looked at the hissing head that was turned his way.

    Can I call that thing alive?

    ¡°Probably not. Instructor Khaled would reprimand me for my inaccurate use of terminology.¡±

    Then, he would give a lecture on the differences between deathlife, undead, and unlife. In the physical world, death is the absence of life, just like darkness is the absence of light. In the mana world, however, the aspect pairings go beyond mere absence. They¡¯re energies with opposite charges. Darkness erases light and light banishes darkness. Death vanquishes life and life conquers death.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not life. I know that at least. It converts mana to the death aspect, which is technically the negative energy counterpart to the positive energy life aspect. That it carries any energy from the death-life-spectrum rules out unlife. It¡¯s not properly living, but only guided by the mana curse ¨C so not deathlife either. Undead.¡±

    No shit.

    Terry frowned. ¡°What do you call an undead before it¡¯s finally dead-dead? Life is to ¡®alive¡¯ as undead is to¡­¡± Terry scrunched up his face.

    I hated these exercises at school.

    ¡°Hissss.¡±

    ¡°Not helping.¡± Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°Forget it.¡±

    Terry looked at his mechanical clock and shook his head. He took a long spear and poked the ghoul in frustration.

    ¡°How are you still not dead yet?¡± Terry scowled. ¡°I liked the first three Alricks better.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes at Alrick Four. ¡°You are a normal ghoul, right? If the ghoul plague was that much of a pain to deal with, surely they would have given it more time in the introduction class.¡±

    It was only the intermediate-level introduction class. You were not supposed to storm the undead lairs on your own.

    ¡°Nenenenene,¡± retorted Terry out loud while making faces. ¡°Hmph.¡± He sighed. ¡°This will be a pain.¡±

    Terry glanced back at Alrick Four. ¡°Your mother wasn¡¯t a troll, was she?¡± He snorted. ¡°That¡¯s something Lori would say.¡±

    ¡°Hissss.¡±

    ¡°Not to you, Alrick. Lori is suffering from a severe lack of humor whenever one of your little namesakes is around.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t think you have an equivalent of bleeding out.¡± Terry stood up. ¡°Off with your head! You can still salvage your reputation as the black sheep among the Alricks if you could please finally die.¡±

    Pretty please.

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Alrick Four, what happened to your limbs?!¡± He searched on the tunnel floor. ¡°Wait, did the dungeon take them? Or did I misplace them?¡±

    Losing it~

    ¡°Can a dungeon absorb amputated limbs? Uncle Samuel only talked about death.¡±

    You were not supposed to amputate limbs. Or get them amputated, for that matter.

    ¡°The other Alricks did not have any disappearing body parts.¡±

    The other Alricks were all burnt to a crisp.

    ¡°Or frozen to a crisp.¡±

    A distinction without a difference in this case.

    ¡°Smartass.¡± Terry glanced down at the roaming ghouls. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to recruit Alrick Five.¡±

    ¡°Hisss.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re ugly enough without getting all jealous, you piece of pus.¡±

    Terry used a cheap ¨C and slightly bent ¨C sword to decapitate the creature. Afterwards, he examined the sword.

    Stupid inscribed earth giant.

    ¡°I need to get new equipment.¡±

    Yeah, let¡¯s ask the nearest dungeon merchant. Oh wait. There is none!

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry looked at the sword again. ¡°Maybe I should purchase some big nails next time.¡±

    Maybe you should avoid running into inscribed earth giants.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Terry retrieved his coldfire-aspected dagger. Next, he carefully used the coldfire surrounding the dagger to cleanse the sword¡¯s blade quickly. He returned the coldfire dagger to his storage bracelet.

    Afterwards, he channeled some mana into the scabbard at his right hip.

    Terry had chosen the right side for his dagger because it was supposed to be primarily a supportive weapon. Yes, Terry could fight with a dagger, but having reach was better. If he had to rely only on the dagger, then something was already going wrong and he was probably on the defensive. Blocking with the dagger in reverse grip felt better for him.

    Terry expected the dagger to be used mostly as a finisher that supported his barrier spear. A thrust for finishing required a normal grip on the dagger, and Terry still had a tendency to prefer his right hand for the short spear.

    A predictable tendency you were supposed to get rid of. The voice in Terry¡¯s head spoke with Ma Isille¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡±

    The scabbard released the inscribed dagger. Then Terry channeled some mana into the dagger and used the mana blade to create a small ¡°X¡± on the sword¡¯s hilt. Last, Terry pushed the sword into the floor.

    Terry sat down again and underlined an entry in his notebook: Intel on ghoul poison. Terry did not know if the poison could be neutralized with coldfire, nor if it would lose its efficacy when exposed to the air for longer periods, nor if the earth could completely absorb it from the blade. However, these were all the means he could think of.

    Terry still felt hesitant to put the contaminated weapons back into his storage bracelet. Terry knew that the thought was irrational, but it still felt¡­ icky. Perhaps he could bring himself to put them back into his storage bracelets, but there was no way Terry would let the items anywhere near his food supplies ¨C irrational or not. He would not put the marked items into his dimensional bag or crafter¡¯s pendant.

    Wonder what Aunt Brynn would think of you using the crafter¡¯s pendant for your sandwiches?

    ¡°Auntie would understand. I should thank her. The time-deceleration is much more exaggerated than in the dimensional bag.¡±

    So the last bite you eat before you starve will be fresh!

    ¡°It¡¯s the little things that cheer me up.¡±

    Terry glanced at the floor. The ghoul had vanished.

    ¡°Finally.¡± Terry returned the dagger to its scabbard.

    In the past, Isille had always recommended to keep at least one backup blade ready and outside of dimensional storage items. Isille herself always wore a dagger as a backup blade and a knife as a backup for the backup.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Terry and the twins understood the point, but any additional items could become annoying quickly when you moved around a lot.

    You needed to properly secure the items in their sheath so that they did not fall out. This, however, would also impair the speed with which you could draw them, which in turn made them question the usefulness. If drawing the dagger required the same time as retrieving the dagger from storage, then what was the point? In the end, Lori was the only one who kept her daggers equipped most of the time.

    However, Terry had some time to think recently.

    Whoop-dee-doo.

    In retrospect, Terry did not like being encumbered by something he did not use frequently. The dagger sheath got in the way. A single sheath upset his balance, and he would need to adjust. Even a light item could become annoying over long periods.

    All other ¨C more defensible ¨C reasons were just post-hoc justifications.

    Here in the dungeon, Terry reconsidered his position. If he were to experience any shenanigans that could affect his storage items, then he preferred at least one weapon available.

    So you can chew on the weapon while starving to death.

    At least, the inscribed dagger could be drawn quickly. The safety inscription was sufficient, and Terry did not need to secure the dagger any further.

    His throwing needles, on the other hand, were more problematic. Terry had improvised a sheath using pelts, threads from his ropes, and some tertium he bent into shape. He moved his Academy bag further back, but made sure that it still hid the pocket on his left into which he had sewn his dimensional bag. Then Terry attached his improvised sheath to his belt.

    Nom nom nom.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Get up!¡± ordered Terry. He laid on the floor of the tunnel leading to his cavern. His feet were dangling down the wall.

    No.

    ¡°Get up!¡±

    No.

    ¡°Get up, get up, get up!¡±

    What¡¯s the point?

    ¡°The point is that you need to get out of here! The point is that your whaka need help!¡±

    Your whaka are probably dead.

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± roared Terry. He sat up.

    ¡°¡°¡°Hisss.¡±¡±¡± The downstairs neighbors complained about the noise.

    ¡°You, too.¡± A tear ran down Terry¡¯s cheek.

    All your plans are stupid, anyway.

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°I killed Alrick Eight in single combat.¡±

    Great. If you pull them to you one by one, you will only need what? One or two seasons to get through them all? Not accounting for the fact that there will be EVEN MORE of them waiting in the next area.

    Terry clenched his teeth. He retrieved his notebook and looked over the entries.

    ¡°No idea what happened to the limbs of Alrick Four. The limbs of Alrick Five did not disappear.¡±

    You probably lost them. Just like you lost your marbles. You are good at losing things.

    ¡°Crushing the head of Alrick Six worked.¡±

    And now the war hammer is all icky.

    ¡°Crushing the torso of Alrick Seven worked, too.¡±

    Icky. And you had to crush the whole torso before it finally disappeared. How are you going to use that? Put on some weight and sit on it?

    Terry circled the entry: Let something heavy fall on them.

    Like what?

    ¡°The boulders.¡±

    But then they will get icky.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The boulders only fit into the crafter¡¯s pendant.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    But that¡¯s where the food is!

    ¡°I know,¡± growled Terry.

    Icky.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    How are you going to retrieve the boulder? Gravitational Attraction won¡¯t work for that. Or are you trying to rip out your own arm? Excellent idea! You are getting more smarter all the time! Haha, MORE smartER!

    ¡°You are getting obnoxious.¡±

    I am you, so¡­ Bit of an own goal there, don¡¯t you think?

    Terry scribbled again. ¡°Rope. Pulley.¡±

    You don¡¯t have any wheels with you.

    ¡°But I have lots of rope and perhaps I can improvise some wheels.¡±

    Terry looked down at the ghouls. ¡°If there was a slope, the boulder could be dropped at the highest point and then it would roll. It would crush them all in one go.¡± Terry made a note.

    Except there isn¡¯t a slope. Even if there was, that would not help you in the other areas. Even if there was, the ghouls would pile up and block the boulder.

    ¡°I could use the glove to provide additional acceleration. Also, the ghouls would vanish after they¡¯re dead-dead. Dungeon, remember?¡±

    Alright, if the area would be different than it is and if all other areas would coincidentally be different as well, then you would have a way to cut down the time required. Maybe you would only need two months! Hooray!

    Terry looked over his notes again. He added another circle ¨C perhaps the sixth for that particular entry.

    ¡°I still need to find a way to herd the ghouls.¡±

    The sixth circle is definitely going to help. The first five were obviously insufficient. Seven might be excessive, though.

    ¡°Back to the core question.¡±

    What¡¯s the point?

    ¡°Why is there no exit?¡±

    Maybe there is one, and you are too blind to find it.

    ¡°Could all the different areas count as one room?¡±

    Don¡¯t know. Ask Instructor Samuel. Then again, strictly speaking, you haven¡¯t even cleared the area, have you?

    ¡°The ghouls aren¡¯t dungeon creatures.¡±

    Not yet. Maybe they will get assimilated soon. Maybe you will get assimilated, too.

    A chill ran down Terry¡¯s back.

    There is also that slime.

    Terry frowned.

    ¡°Could it be like the inscribed giant and there is a special trigger?¡±

    Didn¡¯t hear any bells. Maybe this dungeon doesn¡¯t like bells?

    ¡°Another possibility is that this area functions as a mana reservoir room.¡±

    The ghouls emit mana, too, though. If this was about the ratio of dungeon-foreign mana, then the passage should have opened already.

    ¡°Then where is the exit?¡±

    Going in circles, Terry.

    ¡°¡®When lost, start at the beginning.¡¯¡±

    I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s what Uncle Samuel meant.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something.¡±

    Yeah, your marbles.

    ¡°I need to have another look around. Get a new Alrick. I need to do something. Get up!¡±

    No.

    ¡°Get up,¡± growled Terry.

    I don¡¯t wanna.

    ¡°I did not tell you to ¡®want¡¯ it. I told you to do it. Screw ¡®want.¡¯ I did not want to go into Alrick¡¯s dungeon, either. I did because I had to.¡±

    Your instructors would be soo proud, mocked Terry¡¯s mind.

    ¡°So would I,¡± barked Terry through clenched teeth. ¡°It¡¯s what I would be proud of. I am proud that we all made it out of that dungeon. I want to be proud to get out of this one, too. I have to get out if I am to see my family again. I have to get out and request help if my companions are trapped in here.

    ¡°I have to get out. I have to. I have to try. That¡¯s who I want to be. That¡¯s who I want to become. That¡¯s what counts. That overrules you. You don¡¯t count.¡±

    Well, that was uncalled for. That hurts, you know.

    ¡°IT¡¯S SUPPOSED TO! You¡¯re supposed to get used to it! You¡¯re supposed to walk it off and if the hurt does not go away, THEN AT LEAST YOU WILL HAVE MOVED ON!

    Don¡¯t scream! You¡¯re embarrassing me in front of the neighbors.

    ¡°To others, you will be the person who walked forward!¡±

    Others? Who? The Alricks? I don¡¯t believe they care very much.

    ¡°You! YOU! Future YOU!¡± Terry glared with red eyes. ¡°I! I will look back and know that I walked¡­ or at least made a step.¡±

    You¡¯ll still know that I was there with you. You won¡¯t forget me. I won¡¯t go away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get used to it,¡± growled Terry. ¡°Screw what you feel like. Screw your moods. Screw your intrusive thoughts. You¡¯re no different from the wasted grievance toads. It¡¯s actions that count. Screw your bullshit!¡±

    Terry talked himself into defiant anger. His pulse quickened, and he stood up while continuing to glare into nothingness.

    You have failed so far.

    ¡°And every failure lets me eliminate one more option,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°Every failure allows me to get that much closer to getting it right. I can take pride in having failed.¡±

    Proud to be a failure? Well, that¡¯s a new one. Go and fail, Terry! That¡¯s one thing you are sure to succeed in. Knock yourself out.

    ***

    Isille walked out of her workroom. She was sure she heard something.

    The twins were supposed to sleep, but Isille could see a light flicker under the door to Lori¡¯s room. Isille walked closer to the door and could now distinguish the sound of crying. She knocked.

    ¡°Wh-what, oh. Y-yes?¡± Lori¡¯s voice sounded unusually weak and quiet.

    Isille entered and closed the door behind her.

    ¡°I-I know that I¡¯m supposed to sleep, but I¡­¡± Lori looked down at her own feet. ¡°I just can¡¯t get my head around the Propel Rock spell. I know I should be able to cast it, but I¡­ I¡­¡± Lori started sobbing.

    Isille hurried over and hugged her beloved daughter.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to disappoint you again,¡± said Lori between her sniffles.

    ¡°Sweet child, I¡¯ll always love you, Whaka Florine.¡± Isille kissed her daughter on the head and patted her back. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that you are supposed to disappoint me?¡±

    Lori furrowed her brow, but did not want to look up. She savored the hug with her mother. She could not remember why she had refused them so often.

    ¡°You¡¯re our beloved daughter, not our puppet.¡± Isille kissed her daughter¡¯s head again. ¡°You are supposed to disappoint us at times. It¡¯s literally impossible to fulfill everyone¡¯s expectations. Everyone has different ideas about who you should become. Even your pa and I don¡¯t agree on everything, nor do we expect you to always agree with us. All we ask is that you disappoint us for the right reasons. Choosing whose expectations you care about and which expectations you want to fulfill is choosing who you want to become.¡±

    Isille continued patting Lori¡¯s back. ¡°I can¡¯t even count the number of times I¡¯ve disappointed my parents. More times for the wrong reasons than I would like to admit. Stupid dimple-faced reasons.¡± Isille sighed.

    Isille¡¯s gaze grew distant as she recalled her own past. ¡°However, the biggest disappointment was one I chose for the right reasons¡­ Did I ever tell you about my pa¡¯s side of the family?¡±

    Lori shook her head. She kept clinging to her ma.

    ¡°Pa was a soldier. So was his pa. So was his pa¡¯s ma and so forth. It was a point of pride for the family that they could trace their service all the way back to the battle against the mana cursed in the Deep. Every generation included soldiers. Sigille and I are the first generation that chose not to enlist as soldiers. I can¡¯t imagine my pa¡¯s disappointment back when Sigille informed him of her decision. However, I still remember his face when I told him that I, too, wanted to become a Guardian instead.

    ¡°Anyway, that was a decision for the right reasons. I like mission work, but I also enjoy teaching. Furthermore, being a soldier has changed over time, especially in the other empires. Heck, according to what Sigille has told me, being a Guardian in the Tiv Empire is changing fast, too. Yes, Pa was disappointed at first, but as a former soldier he understood the commitment to follow orders and that you had to be careful in choosing whose orders you are willing to follow.¡±

    Isille looked down at her daughter and established eye contact. ¡°Just like you have to be careful in choosing whose expectations you try to fulfill. Be careful whom you grant such power over your future. Be discerning when deciding whom to allow into your life. Be ready to disappoint. Ensure that it is for the right reasons. You¡¯re a smart girl. You¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    ***

 033 Progress Follows Focus

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 17 ¨C

    Bjorln held out his hand and helped up Jorg over the ledge.

    ¡°The best time for harvesting the soothing dew is shortly after the sun has fully risen,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°We¡¯re still early. Come, let¡¯s sit down.¡±

    They settled next to each other on the mountain plateau. In the distance, they could see the Guardians¡¯ training grounds and further behind, the large silhouette of Arcana Academy.

    Bjorln took a moment to order his thoughts and to search for the right words.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Whaka Jorgen.¡±

    The statement jolted Jorg from his own thoughts and he looked perplexedly at his father.

    ¡°I did not see it before, but I have realized that your ma and I have made a mistake. We try our best, but in the end we, too, are still trying to figure things out. Maybe if we have more children in the future, we¡¯ll know better.¡± Bjorln paused. ¡°Nah, who am I kidding? We will probably just make different and new mistakes.¡±

    Jorg furrowed his brow but remained silent.

    ¡°Sometimes, you spend so much time worrying about one thing that you completely neglect to fully think through the alternatives. You probably remember little of the time, but when Lori and you got your first examination, your ma and I were nervous wrecks. Every night, we spent hours talking and trying to soothe each other.¡±

    Bjorln lowered his gaze and wrung his hands. ¡°They¡¯ll be able to use mana. They won¡¯t have to live as manaless. We won¡¯t have to see our children die of old age under our eyes. It¡¯ll be fine. Her external mana control will be fine. Even if it is not, we can train with items. We can help. It¡¯ll be fine. They won¡¯t be aspect impaired. Even if, their aspect impairment will not prevent them from following their dreams. We can help. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Bjorln sighed. ¡°Your ma was mostly worried about your external mana control. She thought of herself, her sister, her pa. I, on the other hand, was more worried about aspected mana. My parents were manaless and my side of the family does not have any records about mana users among previous generations. Olgorn and I are the only points of reference. I was fine, but Olgorn¡­¡± Bjorln closed his eyes. ¡°I could not bear the thought of seeing one of you grow up like Olgorn did ¨C so sure of what he wanted to become and tormented by the fact it was not meant to be.¡±

    Bjorln took a deep breath. ¡°When we heard the results of your examinations¡­¡± Bjorln opened his eyes and looked at Jorg. ¡°That was one of the happiest days in my life. Lori¡¯s external mana control was fine. Your external mana control was somewhat impaired, but your mana was unaspected. With some effort, you could even become a mage proper if you chose to do so.¡±

    Jorg averted his eyes. He felt ashamed for his lack of effort.

    ¡°I failed to consider that light throws a shadow. I¡¯m sorry, my beloved son. I only looked at the results as a blessing. I failed to recognize the unique problem it implied for you ¨C a problem that neither Isille nor I ever had to deal with before.¡±

    Jorg looked up at his father in puzzlement.

    ¡°Your ma insisted you learn the fundamental healing spells because of her own experiences. One of her companions once died under her eyes when a simple Cure Poison spell could have saved her. Aside from that, we felt hesitant to dictate anything to you. We were tempted sometimes ¨C seeing you pick up one spell after the other, always dropping the practice when it did not yield results quickly.¡±

    Jorg closed his eyes and hung his head. The feeling of shame inside of him welled up again.

    ¡°However, we always thought that it was your choice to make. I¡¯m sorry, Jorg. I should have seen it.¡±

    Bjorln gazed into the distance.

    ¡°I have thought a lot about our impairments since then and I believe now that for some, the impairments are a blessing as much as a curse. For Olgorn, it was undeniably a curse. Looking at you, I realize that for me, it might have been a blessing. As often as you remind me of my brother, in this aspect, you are like me.¡±

    Bjorln put his arm around his son. Jorg continued to look down at Arcana and listen.

    ¡°Some people always see a path to follow. Olgorn knew what he wanted to become even before he could count his toes. I did not.¡± Bjorln shrugged. ¡°Not really, at least. Mana cultivation, yes, but I never put much thought into it. I did not have to. My impairments put in guardrails as soon as I was born. I simply followed the path that was available. Limitations are a curse in many aspects, but a blessing in one: They force focus. Olgorn, your ma, your sister, me ¨C none of us had to choose our path. There simply was not much of a choice. Same goes for Whaka Terry.¡±

    Jorg winced at Terry¡¯s name. Bjorln tightened his grip around Jorg and rubbed Jorg¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I am certain that Olgorn or your ma would have felt liberated if their limitations had been lifted. Olgorn would have become the happiest healer in the realm. Your ma would have become even more outstanding.¡±

    Bjorln took a deep breath. ¡°In contrast, I have come to the conclusion that I would have felt lost without my limitations. Paralysed by all the options. Always second-guessing if I made the right choice. Dabbling a bit in everything. Never committing to anything. Inevitably getting frustrated at my lack of noticeable progress.¡±

    Jorg teared up. Bjorln kissed his son on the head and rubbed his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Whaka Jorgen. We¡¯ll figure it out. We¡¯ll find a path you can commit to. A focus that¡¯s worthy of your time and efforts. Progress follows focus.¡±

    Together, they watched the sunrise over Arcana.

    ***

    After another swing of Terry¡¯s war hammer, the stalactite finally fell down. Terry watched it impact within the ghoul horde.

    ¡°Effective, but not efficient,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°Not worth the hammering time.¡±

    I believe that counts as a failure. Good for you!

    ¡°It¡¯s within expectations.¡±

    That¡¯s not fair. Anything is within expectations if you expect failure.

    ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s liberating. Should have done that from the beginning.¡±

    Terry retrieved his notebook and pen from his dimensional bag. ¡°Idea 12 ¨C Unsatisfactory. Too slow.¡± Then, he returned the items to the dimensional storage. ¡°Next.¡±

    Terry air-stepped to another location. He used his Gravitational Attraction glove to pull one ghoul to himself. Before the ghoul came close enough to attack, Terry deactivated the imprint and observed the ghoul falling down. The ghoul was speared by a stalagmite on the floor. It continued thrashing and hissed loudly.

    ¡°Idea 13 ¨C Workable for immobilization. Quicker than single combat. Next.¡±

    Terry attracted another ghoul. When it came close enough, Terry deactivated the glove and swung the war hammer. Unfortunately, the hammer¡¯s head was not big enough to crush the ghoul¡¯s skull in one go.

    Pity that we didn¡¯t get the model that Tiana used.

    ¡°It was meant for cloud badgers.¡± Terry observed the ghoul¡¯s accelerated fall. He had intentionally batted the ghoul towards a flat area that lacked stalagmites.

    *Splat*

    Terry¡¯s brows pricked up.

    ¡°Hisss.¡±

    Terry frowned. ¡°Idea 14 ¨C Unsatisfactory. Next.¡±

    Another ghoul flew through the air. This time, Terry deactivated the Immovable Object imprints in his boots first and deactivated the glove afterwards. Terry quickly reactivated his boots and stepped around in the air. The ghoul was flying up past him and Terry grabbed a hold of one of the creature¡¯s ankles. He turned the creature in the air and then let it fall ¨C head first.

    *Splat*

    Terry narrowed his eyes. Only silence followed. ¡°Workable.¡±

    Only if that thing does not thrash around too much on its way down.

    ¡°Idea 15 ¨C Somewhat workable. Quicker than single combat.¡± Terry bit his lip. ¡°Next one is going to take time to prepare.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ***

    19 bodies of pus in the net~

    19 bodies of pus~

    Attract one more to add to the set~

    20 bodies of pus in the net~

    Terry had attached some of the nets in his storage items along the ceiling. He used his glove to direct the ghouls into the net one by one. In the beginning, it took him several activations. By now, Terry had gotten better at judging the timing and positioning required.

    He was also getting increasingly comfortable with the spell¡¯s structure. Since Terry did not have to shape the spell structure himself and only needed to feed additional mana or primers to the imprint, it played to Terry¡¯s strengths. While he still had to observe the imprint, he got an increasing number of activations out of the glove.

    In a safe location with no immediate threats or distractions, that is.

    ¡°Thanks for sharing, Mister Grumpy Pants. Alright, off you go.¡± Terry pulled a rope, and the net tipped. The ghouls inside fell down.

    *Splat* *Splat* *Splat*

    ¡°One, two, three, four, five. Five fell on the head.¡±

    Not good enough.

    ¡°Yeah yeah. Maybe I should really switch to letting the whole bundle fall at once. They would add to the weight and squash each other.¡±

    Or cushion each other. Depends on the perspective. It would also introduce the same issue as the boulder. How will you retrieve the net with all those creatures inside?

    ¡°Fair point. I could let them swing full speed against a wall.¡±

    And the survivors?

    ¡°I could repeat the process. Up here, I could use the boulders as a counterweight. The ghouls can¡¯t reach here and prevent me from retrieving the boulder.¡±

    Sounds complicated, though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll write it down as Idea 32.¡±

    Suit yourself.

    ***

    Terry dodged a claw. ¡°You know, Alrick Ten, I still feel like I¡¯m missing something.¡±

    Terry¡¯s voice was muffled. He had improvised a face mask with a spare shirt. Terry still did not know how exactly the ghoul poison was transmitted.

    Alrick Ten lunged at him. Terry activated the imprints in his bracers and placed a two-legged kick into the ghoul¡¯s ugly visage.

    ¡°Hisss.¡±

    ¡°Come on, again. I need the practice.¡±

    Terry dodged another combination of claws. It felt increasingly instinctual to him to avoid the jerky movements and abrupt attacks. It differed from the movements of normal folk or even mana-corrupted beasts, but he was finally getting used to it.

    ¡°What do I know about ghouls? Any other comment from Instructor Khaled that I missed?¡±

    Terry grabbed the ghoul¡¯s right arm with his own right hand. Then, he rotated his own body while simultaneously kicking into the ghoul¡¯s right knee with his left leg.

    ¡°Venomous.¡±

    Terry dodged to the side when the creature lunged at him again.

    ¡°Mana corrupted.¡±

    Terry held up his arms. He activated his bracers and dodged by pulling himself up.

    ¡°Undead that avoids the sunlight.¡±

    Terry activated the imprints in his boots and looked down at Alrik Ten. On a whim, Terry activated his Blinding Flash glove.

    The ghoul hissed loudly and frenziedly snapped at him.

    ¡°Hm. Does not seem to affect you much. Or maybe you can get by with smell and hearing? Do undead even perceive the world like normal folk?¡± Terry squinted at the ghoul. ¡°Do you even rely on your eyes?¡±

    Terry sighed. He found fewer and fewer uses for his Blinding Flash glove. He recalled Siling¡¯s evaluation of the grievance toad¡¯s horror ability.

    Does not work on constructs or other unlife. May not work on all undead.

    ¡°To be fair, I did not expect to fight one or the other when I bought it. It worked well on folk, beasts, and corrupted.¡±

    Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°Undead that avoids the sunlight. Undead. Avoids the sunlight.¡±

    I think you mentioned that already.

    ¡°Why specify ¡®sunlight¡¯?¡±

    Because they avoid sunlight?

    ¡°Yes, but it was Instructor Khaled speaking. He was a stickler for being precise in your words.¡±

    And?

    ¡°And for not being overly specific. Why reference sunlight? Do they not avoid other forms of light?¡±

    The Alricks did not do so well with fire. They probably avoid that.

    Terry summoned one of his rings that had been aspected with light-aspected mana.

    ¡°HISSS!¡± Alrick Ten clawed at Terry. It even jumped, although only a light hop.

    Terry had never seen a ghoul jump before. Terry quickly pulled himself further up and observed the ghoul. The ghoul¡¯s frenzy did not calm down.

    Terry stretched out his arm that held the glowing ring. He moved the ring around. The ghoul followed.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Terry threw the ring down. The ghoul ignored Terry and went after the ring without so much as a pause.

    Fetch, Alrick Ten! Fetch!

    Terry deactivated the imprints in his boots and let himself fall to the floor. The ghoul continued to ignore Terry.

    ¡°That is the opposite of avoidance.¡± Terry was grinning broadly.

    Finally. Turns out the seventh circle is the charm. Not six. Six was totally insufficient. Seven. Seven is the sweet spot. Eight would have been excessive, though.

    ¡°Thanks, Alrick Ten. You have become my new favorite.¡± Terry summoned his war hammer. ¡°You have earned your eternal rest.¡±

    Later, Terry returned to his cavern in a good mood. He marked a few ideas that would immediately benefit from the ability to herd the ghouls into a specific location. Terry pondered for a moment and then decided to try Idea 25 next.

    However, before he returned to his ideas, Terry checked his side experiment. He had set it up in order to distract himself from his own annoying thoughts¡ª

    HEY!

    For the side experiment, Terry had decided to interact some more with the only neighbor that was not attempting to kill him.

    So far anyway.

    Terry still refused to let the slime absorb aspected mana from his equipment. However, his storage contained some mana items that Terry did not care about as much: mana cores or what was left of them. Chips and shards mostly.

    Terry examined the current state of the buffet he had laid out before. He compared the leftovers with his notes. He did not trust himself to remember everything.

    Good call.

    ¡°Picky little thing,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°No interest in any of the monster cores. More of a construct core aficionado. This is not what I would have expected.¡±

    Yeah, all the cores taste the same to you!

    ¡°I did not taste any mana cores.¡±

    If you say so.

    ¡°At least it did not touch the grievance toad¡¯s core. That would have been somewhat worrying.¡±

    Disturbing. Don¡¯t dress it up in euphemisms. It would have been deeply, deeply disturbing.

    ¡°I thought aspect beings fed primarily on aspected mana.¡±

    Maybe you haven¡¯t offered the right aspect?

    ¡°The elementals are single-aspected at the first rank. They only develop secondary aspects at the second rank ¨C if at all. All the slimes I¡¯ve met so far have been single-aspected.¡±

    Have you considered that maybe you haven¡¯t offered the right aspect?

    ¡°No, never thought of that before.¡±

    I thought you did not like lying?

    ¡°I make exceptions for sarcasm.¡±

    Good for you.

    ¡°Pity that I can¡¯t test the arcane aspect. Tiana carried the core of the purplemist lynx.¡±

    Yeah, the others would have been thrilled to have you feeding it to a dungeon creature.

    ¡°Fair enough. While we¡¯re on the topic of enough ¨C enough of this.¡±

    Terry laid down some more construct cores. He had used cores from a fake goblin, a shield legger, and a spike creeper before. This time, Terry picked a core from a vacuum cannon and a shard from an earth warrior.

    Afterwards, Terry left to test his next idea.

    ***

    ¡°Any news?¡± inquired Miguel.

    ¡°Sadly, no,¡± replied Jorg.

    The two were sitting in the relaxation area of the training grounds.

    ¡°Gellath will probably be a bit late,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Their therapy group was traveling today ¨C guided practice missions. He¡¯ll be happy to see you again.¡±

    Jorg smiled. ¡°How is he doing?¡±

    ¡°Much better. Trauma counseling helped a lot. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the type to bottle things up, and it seems to work in his favor now. Last time we met, he even inflicted his humor on me again.¡±

    Jorg chuckled.

    ¡°First time in my life that I was glad to hear one of his anti-jokes. Freeze therapy will probably take a while, though. We three won¡¯t be going back to mission work anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as we can meet up. How is the tracking curriculum?¡±

    ¡°Ah well.¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°Turns out coldfire isn¡¯t all that suitable for tracking magic. Who would have thought, right?¡± Miguel smiled wryly. ¡°Not as if my mana control would have allowed me to cast the spells even if there were any.¡±

    Miguel shrugged. ¡°Anyway, nothing fancy so far. Mostly the old-school stuff. I can breeze through there, because Pa had already taught me a lot in that area. Last session was great, though. They showed us something I did not know before ¨C something that I could teach Pa. That was nice.¡± Miguel smiled in reminiscence.

    ¡°Later, they will introduce me to suitable mana-crafted items that can make up for my lack of spells. Then I just need to save some coins.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, we can help you there with mission work.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully. What about you? How are you going to use the time? Continue to abuse the weight-controlled items in the physical exercise area?¡±

    Jorg shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Lori to help me learn the Raise Wall spell. I¡¯ll also join mana crafting lessons with Auntie Brynn.¡±

    Miguel¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his eye-sockets. ¡°Wait, what? You never mentioned an interest in mana crafting before and¡­¡± Miguel pointed at Jorg. ¡°You volunteered for spellwork?¡±

    Jorg nodded. ¡°I asked my family for advice. I thought about what I really wanted and I¡ª¡± Jorg clenched his fists. ¡°I never want to feel like¡ª I never want to see one of my companions being trapped and surrounded again. If I¡¯m not fast or strong enough to reach them quickly, then I need to find a way to keep them safe until I can reach them. I want to focus on ranged defense and mobile barriers.¡±

    Jorg lowered his gaze and looked at the table. ¡°T-Terry could use his imprinted items to block that giant. He could block at a distance. He could block for Lori and me. I want to be able to do something like that, only at a distance that would have helped Gellath. I want to be able to hurl an item that raises a barrier around my friends. Something to protect them.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Miguel forgot to blink. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t call you knuckle brain anymore.¡±

    ***

 034 Correcting Assumptions

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 21 ¨C

    ¡°What¡¯s the idea?¡± asked Mia. She caught Brynn¡¯s raised eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. Today, you are generously paying for my time and I am not exactly complaining, but I also don¡¯t enjoy peddling in false hope.¡±

    ¡°No need to call it false,¡± grumbled Bjorln.

    ¡°I sympathize with your feelings, but we have examined everything several times without any leads. Besides today, you have already paid everyone to share their tests and findings ¨C findings that boil down to nothing. Our techniques have yielded no lead whatsoever. I fail to see how an approach that failed us could possibly help you. You have already paid a considerable sum for nonexistent results. I don¡¯t want to scam a grieving family out of their savings.¡±

    They reached the room inhabited by the purplemist lynx and the shrub raccoons.

    ¡°Your approaches have helped me come up with a list of underlying assumptions,¡± said Samuel. He flicked his hand and the shrub racoons disintegrated.

    Khaled stepped out of the shadows behind the purplemist lynx and with a touch of his fingers, the corrupted creature decomposed. Only a monster core was left behind.

    Verecund threw a small ball towards the ceiling in the middle of the room. The ball sizzled and discharged several thin lightning bolts. Each one of them hit and disabled a spike creeper construct. Afterwards, the ball returned to Verecund¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Assumptions?¡± prompted Mia.

    ¡°I suspect one of them to be wrong.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Samuel looked around with mana sight. ¡°There are a number of different things that don¡¯t add up. That gives us several suspects. The prime suspect is our assumption that no dimensional mage was involved.¡±

    Mia frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not an assumption. That¡¯s a conclusion based on the stability of surrounding space after the fact. I know that Academy mages are prone to arrogance, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°As are Guild mages,¡± interrupted Samuel. ¡°I should know. I am one. I am not questioning your experience in dimensional travel nor your accomplishments in space magic. I am not qualified to question your conclusions. You and your Guild partner are the most qualified when it comes to assessing the space. That is precisely why we invited one of you here.¡±

    ¡°I like to be complimented as much as the next elf, but I am afraid I don¡¯t follow. If you are not questioning my conclusions, then what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°On the day of Whaka Terry¡¯s disappearance, we cast a wide net for the investigation.¡±

    ¡°All the way to the F-zone,¡± interjected Khaled. ¡°Dimensional gates up to the G-zone.¡±

    ¡°Some of the Guild members expanded the search even further,¡± continued Samuel. ¡°That William in particular.¡±

    Samuel examined the core of the purplemist lynx. ¡°No trace whatsoever. None of the techniques yielded anything and some of the things that were tried seem way too obscure for there to be an intentional effort to defend against them.¡±

    ¡°If the kid died in the dungeon, then¡ª¡± started Verecund.

    ¡°I am working under the assumption that Terry is not dead,¡± interrupted Samuel.

    ¡°Maybe that is the assumption you ought to question,¡± said Mia.

    Bjorln clenched his fists.

    Samuel stared into Mia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will, but only after I have ruled out everything else.¡± Samuel slowly enunciated the last two words.

    Brynn smiled warmly at Samuel.

    ¡°I will change my mind if ¨C and only if ¨C I find conclusive evidence. So far, there is none.¡±

    Samuel looked around the room. ¡°Continuing with the assumption that Terry is alive, then how is it possible that the search yielded nothing? The distance searched is far vaster than anything that could be covered by any means other than¡­¡±

    ¡°Space magic.¡± Mia finished the thought. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that the space was too stable.¡±

    ¡°Too stable for unanchored dimensional travel and no signs of anchored space magic,¡± recapped Samuel. ¡°However, you and Roy excluded the magic sovereigns.¡±

    Mia looked at Brynn. ¡°Is he serious?¡±

    ¡°Always, I¡¯m afraid,¡± replied Brynn. ¡°Now, more than ever.¡±

    Mia turned back to Samuel. ¡°You believe the kid was abducted by a magic sovereign? I thought the kid held no relevance for the Antelias family.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t. I am not trying to draw conclusions now. I only try to identify assumptions. The assumption here is not about a magic sovereign in particular, but about an extremely skilled dimensional mage.¡±

    ¡°Alright, granted. If there was an extremely skilled dimensional mage, they could have found a way. However, I cannot see what could be the motivation for this hypothetical mage.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± said Samuel, unperturbed.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t see how that helps you. It¡¯s not an actionable theory. It does not yield any leads.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, no. Not on its own. Nevertheless, it can be a starting point. If we increase the distance for considered locations, then that may yield new theories.¡±

    ¡°Or it may lead you down a perpetual labyrinth. If there is no distance limit, then you can¡¯t ever falsify the theory. That is nothing but wishful thinking.¡±

    ¡°A valid objection and one I will keep in mind,¡± replied Samuel in a calm voice.

    ¡°So what does any of this have to do with us being here again?¡± asked Khaled. ¡°Here inside the dungeon. The last known location was outside the dungeon, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± replied Mia.

    ¡°I am still trying to collect information,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Making the assumptions explicit and filling in the gaps. We are here to fill one of the gaps. We have investigated the dungeon several times, yes. However, we have never encountered a similar scenario as the children described. No spatial anomalies, no bell sounds, no inscribed earth giants¡­¡±

    ¡°Special encounters can¡¯t be summoned on command,¡± interjected Verecund. ¡°I know you are aware of that.¡±

    ¡°Dungeons can be willful, yes. With that being said, frequently, there is indeed a deterministic trigger. A sequence of events that leads to certain dungeon behavior. In any case, we can¡¯t rule it out until we have actually tested it.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you had us all set up Mark-and-Recall spells?¡± asked Mia.

    ¡°No, in that this is a general habit of mine, but yes, in that I want to verify the dungeon behavior if one of us escapes by relying on this particular spell. Next, by relying on a scroll. Then, by relying on a scroll from the same vendor that Alrick bought from. I have a few more tests after that ¨C mostly related to the mana and mana-aspect ratio in the room.¡±

    Mia looked from face to face. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ***

    Think this will hold?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Terry was standing ¨C or hanging ¨C topsy-turvy on the ceiling. He pulled on a metal staff that he had inserted through the opening of a screw hook. The turn of the screw drove the hook further into the ceiling.

    Why didn¡¯t you buy wall plugs when you prepared the boulder for the wiremoss tarantula hunt?

    ¡°Because I did not think of it and it wasn¡¯t necessary back then. I¡¯m already happy that I had some spare screw hooks.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure this will hold.

    ¡°Neither am I.¡± Terry threaded the rope through the hook and tied a secure knot. The screw hook was located in the center of the room.

    Remember the required length?

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry walked through the air.

    Here, right? Right?

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry retrieved a tertium slab from his storage bracelet and cast the Immovable Object spell to transfix the slab in the air. Next, he summoned the prepared boulder from his crafter¡¯s pendant and threaded the rope through the screw hook on top.

    The boulder had undergone some recent changes. Terry had inserted two smaller screw hooks on opposite sides. The area around these screw hooks glowed brightly ¨C courtesy of the light-aspected rings that Terry had secured there with cut-resistant rope.

    After Terry had secured the boulder to his satisfaction, he glanced down one more time.

    Are you sure that you remembered the required length?

    ¡°Yes, I have written it down.¡±

    Think it will hold?

    Terry glanced at the bigger screw hook on the ceiling. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Idea 27, let¡¯s see.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    He air-stepped away and disrupted the active spell in the tertium slab. Terry had to pull the slab out of the way quickly so that it would not fall together with the boulder.

    The boulder swung down, and Terry watched with bated breath.

    ¡°¡°¡°Hisss!¡±¡±¡±

    *SPLAT!*

    The ghouls were charging at full speed into the path of the boulder pendulum. The boulder won the collision. A few of the ghouls were vanishing.

    Terry grinned.

    The collision had caused the boulder to rotate. The moving lights turned the remaining ghouls even more frenzied.

    The boulder ascended to its equilibrium position on the opposite side of the room. Terry paid close attention to how high it was ascending.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to periodically add some force to make up for the force lost in the collision.¡±

    Stupid, chubby ghouls.

    Next, Terry examined the screw hook in the ceiling.

    ¡°It held.¡±

    Careful about the rotation, though. Would be a shame if it loosened the screw.

    Terry nodded to himself. Then he went back to watch the swinging boulder pendulum. After three full swings, Terry was grinning ear to ear.

    Look at them all vanish! Congratulations, Terry! You failed at failing! That¡¯s how much of a failure you are!

    Terry snorted, sighed, and eventually chuckled.

    He walked over to the next equilibrium position. When the boulder came close to him, Terry gave it a push.

    Eww.

    There was an unpleasant sensation on Terry¡¯s fingers.

    Eww. There¡¯s pus.

    Terry examined his fingers.

    I wonder what it tastes like.

    ¡°Eww, gross!¡± Terry grimaced.

    You say that now, but what are you going to do about it? Use coldfire on your hands and precious gloves? Yeah, you really didn¡¯t think that one through, did you? You could have wrapped your hands in something. But noo. You could have used your feet and kicked the boulder¡ª

    ¡°Kicking would probably be easier, too.¡±

    Don¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m reprimanding you! Ma Isille isn¡¯t here. Someone has to do it!

    ¡°I really need to get out of here. You are starting to worry me.¡±

    Meanie.

    ¡°Anyway, workable.¡±

    Except the other areas are not as spacious. What are you going to do about the ghouls there?

    ¡°Help them move.¡±

    You¡¯re such a nice neighbor. Oh oh, are we going to use the fishing rod with the glowing ring again? That was fun. All the chubby Alricks were so excited.

    Terry kicked at the boulder.

    *SPLAT!*

    I love that sound. Do you think there is a spell imprint or enchantment for replaying that sound?

    ¡°Ask Instructor Brynn.¡±

    I prefer it when I give the snarky retorts.

    Terry continued until all the nearby ghouls had either vanished or were too immobilized to charge into the path of the boulder pendulum.

    What are we going to do about the maimed Alricks that are still alive-dead? They won¡¯t vanish on their own. Lori would get mad at us if we leave Alricks lying around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll clean them up later. First, I¡¯ll have to get the boulder into the net.¡±

    Right. Don¡¯t want to get the icky boulder near the food. Better if it stays up there before we pick it up again. Think it¡¯ll hold?

    ¡°Stop that.¡±

    ***

    You know¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Terry was lying on the ground in his cavern. His feet were dangling down the wall. There were no ghouls below anymore.

    You know¡­

    ¡°Please. Just. Don¡¯t.¡±

    You know, I won¡¯t go away, right?

    Terry clenched his teeth.

    Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful? All the Alricks are gone. I¡¯m still here with you. Even the slime does not visit anymore. But you still have me! The ungrateful blob is probably all fat and squishy and happy somewhere outside. It could have at least left a note telling us where the exit is.

    ¡°Slimes don¡¯t go to the surface.¡±

    Hey, maybe the Antelias people were slimes in disguise. A conspiratorial plot to infiltrate the Arcana government! If you were descended from slimes, then that would explain why you, too, don¡¯t go to the¡ª

    ¡°Stop it.¡±

    You have cleared the area. All the Alricks have vanished. Even though you¡¯re still not sure why some of the alive-dead Alricks turned dead-dead when you weren¡¯t looking. All the Alricks are gone, but you¡ª

    ¡°Stop it,¡± growled Terry.

    You¡¯re not seriously missing the hissing noises, are you? The newfound silence makes me sound that much louder. That doesn¡¯t bother you, does it?

    Terry scowled.

    There is no exit.

    ¡°There has to be.¡±

    But there is none. You looked. Twice.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something.¡±

    Marbles.

    Terry sat up and sighed loudly. He could hear the echo. He sighed again.

    ¡°Puh-blblbl¡­¡± Terry forced air through his closed lips and summoned a shard of the inscribed earth giant¡¯s core. He placed it on the ground.

    You know you held that core back for a reason.

    Terry did not retrieve the shard again.

    If the ungrateful blob starts taking hostages, I¡¯ll blame you.

    Terry stared at the shard.

    ¡°Something. Missing something. Something.¡±

    Like what?

    ¡°...¡±

    Would it cheer you up if I imitate voices again?

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±

    I could show you the wiremoss tarantula dance again. That cracked you up for minutes! Or hours. I don¡¯t know. Hard to tell in here. You sounded so happy! Mad bonkers, obviously, but happy nonetheless!

    Terry stared emptily at the darkness below. He whipped his head from side to side.

    Are you playing metronome? YES! That¡¯s how you can keep track of time in here! Why did I not think of that?

    ¡°When lost, start at the beginning.¡±

    Not that again. Are we going back to circles? Eighth? Ninth?

    ¡°Beginning.¡± Terry activated the imprints in his boots and absentmindedly walked towards the first cavern he woke up in. Terry had always kept the marker in his ring with the five-point inscription. However, Terry did not really need the marker anymore. He knew the area by heart.

    Seriously? Again?

    ***

    I hate this notebook.

    Terry erased a line and drew a new one. He examined the result and compared his sketch to the actual room.

    You¡¯re no good at this.

    ¡°It¡¯s only the first area. I¡¯ll get better with practice.¡±

    I don¡¯t think your food supply will last long enough for you to get sufficient practice.

    Terry shrugged. He walked around the room ¨C step by step. He added the measurements to his sketch.

    Perhaps you can put the big armchair into that corner? Over there will be the dining area? Not that you have much food left to dine on¡­

    ¡°Beginning. Beginning.¡±

    End. I think you¡¯re closer to your end.

    ¡°Beginning.¡± Terry furrowed his brows.

    What?

    Terry returned his notebook and pen to his dimensional bag. Then he clapped loudly once.

    Applause! That¡¯s what you were missing! Thundering applause!

    *Clap¡­* *Clap¡­* *Clap¡­*

    What are you clapping for?

    ¡°Not sure.¡± Terry closed his eyes. *Clap¡­* *Clap¡­* He walked towards a corner of the room.

    Ouch. Terry stubbed his foot. Great idea.

    Terry opened his eyes again.

    Yup. Those are stalagmites. I believe we have seen those before.

    Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s that behind there?¡±

    A marble?

    Terry climbed and made his way to the suspicious spot.

    That¡¯s a hole alright. Going down. D-o-w-n. You want to go up. Remember? Surface? Up?

    Terry kneeled. ¡°I could squeeze through.¡±

    Then, you can get stuck and finally starve in peace. Or maybe the hole gets narrower and narrower and you can turn yourself into Terry paste!

    Terry retrieved a light-aspected metal rod from his storage bracelet. He held the light into the hole. The light did not reach the bottom.

    Jump.

    Jump jump jump.

    Paste~

    Terry let go of the glowing rod and observed the fall.

    No paste?

    Terry gritted his teeth. He secured a rope on the stalagmites. Then, he retrieved another glowing ring and put it on his right hand. Terry slowly made his way down the hole. After he had reached the end of the rope, Terry relied on his imprinted boots to continue.

    Eventually, Terry arrived at the bottom. He saw a narrow tunnel. There was only one direction to follow. At the end of the tunnel, Terry reached a dead end.

    Terry looked up, and it turned out that the end was not so dead after all. Up above, there was a narrow passage similar to the hole Terry had used before. Terry air-stepped up.

    After he had finally pulled himself up, Terry stared at the next area.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    This dungeon is an ARSEHOLE!

    In front of Terry was an exit. A proper looking, upwards going exit. Terry looked nervously from side to side.

    Don¡¯t say that out loud. Don¡¯t tell the dungeon, I called it that. I know you¡¯re a tattletale. I¡¯ll tell Lori!

    Terry sat down and held his face in both hands. He took some deep breaths.

    Come on. Go. Go go go! Up. UP!

    ¡°I thought you wanted to lie down and die.¡±

    That was then. This is now. I¡¯ve changed my mind. You are supposed to do that on occasion. Up up up.

    ¡°Good to know. Now, you know why I should not listen to you.¡±

    Yeah yeah. Shut up. Up. Up up up.

    ¡°Yeah right, until next time, you pus weasel.¡±

    Up.

    ***

    What the¡ª

    ¡°What the¡ª¡± Terry froze.

    He had encountered no enemies since finding the proper exit. He had not even sensed any mana signatures. Until now.

    That can¡¯t be right. Can it? Terry gulped.

    His mana sense had picked up the most intense signature he had ever sensed. It was not large. It was not even that much mana. However, it somehow burned itself into his mana sight.

    Like a candle with the intensity of a sun. A strange sun with a uniform brightness everywhere. As far as mana signatures went, this was as abnormal as it would be for a sun. Mana users consume, absorb, or regenerate mana all the time. This was the same for folk, constructs, or creatures. Terry had never heard of a perfectly uniform mana signature, nor of one with this intensity.

    To make it worse, the signature was definitely multi-aspected and extraordinarily abnormal. Terry could sense five distinct ¨C and extremely pronounced ¨C aspects. He only recognized three of them, but they sufficed to make anyone uncomfortable.

    Life ¨C That one¡¯s alright. Upper system. Sometimes wonky, but alright.

    Blood ¨C Lower system. Potentially troublesome, but I won¡¯t judge. Elena would get sad.

    Death ¨C Lower system again. Death. Like the ghouly Alricks. Death.

    Death. Time to panic. I¡¯ll go first. You join whenever.

    The signature had popped into existence from one moment to the other. No bells. No quake. Nothing. It was still in the distance, but it was definitely in the way.

    Dun dun dun.

    Terry stood frozen with mouth agape.

    Ha Ha ha HAHAHAha! Want to lie down now? HAHAHA. And you thought you were getting out of here! Go ahead. This is going to be fun. Oh, your forehead is getting all sweaty.

    ¡°SERIOUSLY?!¡± A voice reverberated through the dungeon. ¡°AGAIN?!¡±

    Uhm. Did you say anything? It sounded deeper than usual.

    ¡°I¡ª What?¡±

    ¡°STUPID DUNGEON FAIRY!¡±

    Are you making voices? You told me not to make voices. I am sensing a double standard here.

    Terry shook his head and dazedly started running. Running towards the voice ¨C faster and faster. Running towards the abnormal mana signature.

    ¡°WHY?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS¡ª?¡±

    ***

 035 The Angry Naked Mage

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 32 ¨C

    ¡°WHY? WHY ALWAYS NAKED?! WHY?¡±

    Terry tripped while running but caught himself and continued dashing into the direction of the voice.

    You¡¯re screwing with me, aren¡¯t you? Are you making voices? Admit it.

    Am I going crazy or you? Heh. Redundant. Distinction without a difference.

    Hello?

    Anyone there?

    Another fork ¨C Terry made a guess and ran left without slowing down. There were no mana signatures in sight.

    Except for the scary one. Are we sure that we want to run there?

    Terry continued running as fast as he could. He was tempted to burst.

    Great idea. Empty your mana pool before we even reach the scary thing.

    He decided against bursting his mana and continued with his balanced mana consumption.

    A chasm appeared at the front. The path continued on the other side.

    Uhm¡­ Are you sure that¡¯s¡ª

    Terry did a short mana burst and sped up as much as he could. Then he jumped without hesitation.

    Hello?! Anyone there?!

    Terry landed on the other side and dashed forward.

    ¡°FINE! YOU WANT ME TO BE THE ANGRY NAKED MAGE?! I¡¯LL BE THE ANGRY NAKED MAGE!¡±

    Alright, maybe that¡¯s not you making voices. That does not sound like anything you would come up with. Are you sure that you want to go towards the scary signature? It talks, yes. However, even talking things can stab you, especially when they are talking nonsense.

    Clenched teeth. Eyes staring forward. Foot by foot. Terry ran.

    Fine. Ignore me. I¡¯ll just keep talking to myself. Wait. Forget it. You know what I mean.

    Terry stopped short in his tracks. ¡°Ghoul signatures.¡±

    Do you think the scary thing is friends with Alrick? Perhaps Alrick could put in a good word for us?

    Terry hesitated and took a deep breath.

    What now?

    Terry clenched his fists and dashed forward.

    Sounds like a plan. Oh wait. NO, IT DOESN¡¯T!

    ¡°EWWW! THERE¡¯S PUS!¡±

    One of the Alricks just vanished. Not on friendly terms then. Stay cool and you can deny that you know Alrick. Maybe the scary thing won¡¯t know that you¡¯re acquainted.

    Left. Left. Right. Up. Jump. Terry stopped thinking¡ª

    Sort of.

    ¡ªand charged forward in a daze.

    I don¡¯t mean to alarm you, but did you notice the rate at which the Alricks are disappearing? That¡¯s quicker than anything you have ever come up with. I don¡¯t think the scary thing had time to redecorate the interior, either. So¡­ Remember the stabbing possibility? Are you sure you¡ª

    Oh, the scary thing is running now, too! Think you scared it away? HAHA. As if.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry reached a dead end. He turned around and sprinted towards the last fork.

    You do realize that you did not update any markers in the five-point ring, right? Just saying. Your memory was a bit iffy the past few days. Or weeks. Or whatever time we spent in the arsehole¡ª

    Pfffft. The suppressed laugh inside Terry¡¯s head sounded like Siling.

    Siling would have laughed with me. You¡¯re no fun. Sorry, not sorry. No voices from now on. Pinky promise. You still don¡¯t know how much time we spent in the arsehole dungeon, though.

    Another fork.

    Alrick in the left tunnel.

    Terry turned left and continued running.

    I feel like you misunderstood my intention when pointing that out. Alricks usually try to take a bite of you. Bad creatures. Poison. Plague. Undead. Remember?

    Terry saw the ghoul. He continued running. He flexed his arms so that his elbows were bent at a right angle and lifted his arms up. Terry jumped and transfixed his bracers. His forward momentum carried his body into the air, and Terry kicked out with both legs.

    Pow. Right in the pussy kisser¡­ Okay, that¡¯s a really unfortunate heteronym right there. How have I never noticed that before? More importantly, how do I un-notice it again?!

    Terry deactivated the imprints and curb stomped the ghoul¡¯s head in passing ¨C just to be sure. Back to running. At the end of the way, there was a slope that was leading up.

    Two Alricks next fork on the right.

    Terry turned left again.

    Fine. They¡¯re on the left. Can¡¯t hide anything from you. I was sure you would fall for that. Spoilsport.

    Without stopping his run, Terry summoned his short spear that had a coldfire-aspected tip. He jumped, tugged in his legs and bent his knees so that his shins were parallel to his movement direction. He activated the imprints in his boots at head-level.

    The forward momentum had Terry¡¯s body move forward and straighten itself. He rapidly struck out twice ¨C once per ghoul head ¨C and deactivated the imprints in his boots before his own momentum would become problematic.

    The two ghouls fell down. Terry finished a forward roll and continued running. He returned the short spear back to his storage bracelet.

    Fresh Alrick ahead. The tunnel is quite narrow, though.

    Terry channeled mana into both his storage bracelets and retrieved one short spear each ¨C coldfire-aspected tip and barrier spear.

    You returned the coldfire spear like what? Ten seconds ago? Don¡¯t you feel stupid for doing that?

    Terry activated the barrier spear in his left hand and continued running. He pierced the ghoul and then tackled it with the activated barrier.

    ¡°Hisss!¡±

    Terry burst some of his mana and continued running. Simultaneously, he angled the barrier shield to have a free line of attack for his right arm and struck out with the coldfire-aspected spear. Again. Again. Again.

    I could do an impression of Ma Isille and commend you for opening with your left, but I know you don¡¯t like that.

    The ghoul ignited and vanished shortly after. Terry put his spears away while running.

    Double-fork after the next corner. Fresh Alricks on both sides. They are waiting at the fork. You could avoid them by¡ª And you¡¯re already running down the passage. Of course you would do that.

    Terry retrieved his coldfire-aspected short spear for his right and a coldfire-aspected dagger for his left. He changed his hold to have the dagger in reverse grip.

    Why don¡¯t you just keep the spear out? Do you really believe it is going to make a difference in your running speed? Or are you scared of freeze-burning yourself again? Coward.

    Terry turned left at the fork and struck out the spear towards the head of the ghoul charging at him from the right. Simultaneously, he ducked below the claw of the attacking ghoul on the left and moved behind it. Terry straightened his back again, swung his left arm, and, in one fluid motion, hammered the aspected dagger into the back of the ghoul¡¯s head.

    Terry exhaled a sharp breath and dashed into the left tunnel. He returned his weapons back to their respective storage bracelets. More running.

    I think you are supposed to climb up there.

    A large cliff became visible in the distance.

    Up up up.

    Terry retrieved an imprinted octavum ball and threw it above the cliff. Without slowing down, he jumped and activated his Gravitational Attraction glove on the transfixed ball. Terry pulled himself towards it.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Three Alricks are up there. I thought about keeping it from you because you meanie keep ignoring me, but I figure I¡¯ll be the bigger person here.

    He caught the transfixed ball in his left hand, deactivated the imprint, and returned the ball to his storage bracelet. He could see the three ghouls charging at him while he fell towards the plateau.

    Terry used his arms to gather momentum and rotate himself in the air until he fell head first. He tugged in his legs and activated the imprints in his boots. The three ghouls were charging at him from three different sides, but Terry could stay out of their reach by flexing his legs and crouching upside down. He finished them off with the coldfire spear.

    Afterwards, Terry gathered forward momentum and deactivated the transfixed boots. He landed with a safety tap, pushed himself off with his hands, and dashed up the sloped passage.

    Up up up.

    Eventually, Terry stopped encountering new ghouls.

    Probably all eaten by the scary thing.

    Wait, was that the sound of water splashing? Is that¡­

    ¡°Sunlight!¡±

    DON¡¯T STOP NOW OF ALL TIMES, YOU IDIOT! RUN! THE RESERVOIR ROOM IS OPEN! RUN!

    Closer.

    Closer.

    Terry could see the exit. He could not help but burst his mana and he ran¡­

    Terry was out. When he felt the sunlight on his face and smelled the fresh air, Terry¡¯s legs gave out under him. He slid on his knees and his shins until he came to a stop.

    I always knew you could do it. Didn¡¯t I always tell you that you could do it?

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry.

    Now you sound like Miguel. Double standard. Hypocrite!

    Terry grabbed the earth ¨C the grass ¨C underneath his hands. He leaned back and looked towards the sky.

    Blink.

    Blink. Blink.

    ¡°Wait, WHAT?!¡±

    The sky was not supposed to look like that. It was different from how Terry knew it.

    Shhh. Be quiet. I¡¯ll take whatever sky I can get.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s¡­ Where is the barrier?!¡± Terry stood up and looked around.

    Involuntarily, his eyes stopped at the man bathing in the lake nearby.

    That¡¯s not how I imagined the scary thing to look.

    Hello? Anyone there?

    Crap, it¡¯s coming out.

    The naked man with the abnormal mana signature stood at the side of the lake ¨C with hands placed at his hips and looking around from one side to the¡ª

    Crap, it saw us. Run! Run! Why aren¡¯t you running yet? I know you can run. Run!

    ¡°You¡¯re not the dungeon fairy, are you? I don¡¯t remember stepping on you,¡± said the scary thing.

    It speaks nonsense. Watch for knives!

    ¡°Where exactly would those be hidden?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°What?¡± asked the scary thing.

    Maybe the scary thing should watch for knives, too.

    Terry closed his eyes and shook his head. Time to readjust to normal society.

    In NO WAY is that guy normal society! Alright alright, I¡¯ll be quiet now.

    ¡°S-sorry, my name is Terry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Devon. Or Dev. Elvis and Poppy call me Dev. The looney cultists named me something else, but the Captain said I¡¯m not supposed to use that name because it tends to terrify people.¡±

    Uhm¡­ Sorry to interrupt again, but did you hear that right now?

    Devon smiled innocently ¨C seemingly unaware of the outrageous statement he weaved into his introduction¡­ or the fact that he was still naked with his hands on his hips, for that matter.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ What?¡± Terry¡¯s brain hurt.

    ¡°What what?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Terry swallowed. ¡°Where am I?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°Between a dungeon and a lake?¡±

    Terry¡¯s headache intensified.

    ¡°I was wondering why there was a folk signature in the dungeon,¡± said Devon. ¡°Normally, when I wake up naked in a dungeon, I¡¯m the only folk around.¡±

    So many questions¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got into that dungeon. I went to sleep in camp with my¡ª Wait, were there any other folk signatures in the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Missing someone?¡±

    ¡°My companions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sad. At least when the dungeon fairy gets to me, I can always sense my companions. Anyway, if your dungeon fairy is like mine, then it only targets a single individual. Your companions should be where you left them.¡±

    A weight lifted off of Terry¡¯s shoulders.

    Seriously? You¡¯re putting your faith into the word of a naked stranger talking about dungeon fairies?

    ¡°Although your dungeon fairy may be different. Did you wake up completely naked and with no equipment?¡±

    ¡°No, I still had all my equipment with me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Devon looked around again. He looked down at himself and back at Terry. ¡°Lizzy told me to avoid running around naked. Do you, by chance, have some clothes I could borrow? The Captain keeps my spares.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. Sure.¡± Terry summoned some sparring robes from his dimensional bag. Devon was half a head taller than Terry, and he looked like his muscles had mostly been nurtured passively with mana. Fortunately, the cut of the robes made allowances for such differences.

    Should you ask about his abnormal mana? I¡¯m scared to ask about the abnormal mana.

    ¡°I hope these fit. I have some spare boots as well.¡± Terry still kept the old boots without the Immovable Object mechanism in his dimensional bag.

    ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t need the boots.¡± Devon quickly dressed himself.

    Terry¡¯s thoughts finally caught up with the situation and he frantically summoned two items from his dimensional bag ¨C his Guardian card and his signaling cube.

    He sunk his consciousness into the Guardian card and¡­ Nothing. No active connection. All links seemed off.

    Terry gritted his teeth and sensed the signaling cube¡­ Nothing. Terry sighed and took a deep breath. He looked at the sky.

    ¡°Where are we right now?¡± asked Terry.

    Devon looked at him in puzzlement. His eyes moved from the dungeon to the lake and back.

    ¡°I know, but where is this place?¡±

    Still puzzlement.

    ¡°Or a different way, where is Arcana?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Where is the Arcana Empire?¡±

    ¡°Never heard of it.¡±

    Terry¡¯s brain ground to a halt. He took a few seconds to recover from that response. ¡°The biggest remaining empire?¡±

    ¡°Is that like a big city? I¡¯m afraid there are none of those nearby.¡± Devon squinted and looked around. ¡°The closest would be in that direction, but it¡¯s not particularly big and not particularly nearby.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry stared with mouth agape. ¡°What about the barrier? The Arcana Empire is surrounded by a barrier.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of barriers before. Lizzy can cast barriers.¡±

    Terry was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Hey, I recognize this!¡± exclaimed Devon. ¡°That¡¯s a Guardian card. I have one, too. Not with me, though. After I had lost the third one, the Captain kept the next one for me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a Guardian?¡±

    ¡°The Captain and Lizzy are, too. Deathguard.¡±

    Terry blinked. ¡°Deathguard?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Where the Wastes are we?¡±

    ¡°Is that a trick question?¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯m not good at those. You just said it yourself. We¡¯re in the Wastes.¡±

    Ha. Hahahaa. Wanna go back into the dungeon?

    ¡°Or in the Wasteborder at least. The Captain always grumbles that the Wasted Zone is growing way too wide to still be called a ¡®border.¡¯ You should probably talk to the Captain. I¡¯m not good with location names. I rarely need them and I make up names for the ones I need.¡±

    Devon started to point. ¡°Squirrely Forest ¨C seriously, they are everywhere. Stinkylands ¨C don¡¯t go there. Scary Lake ¨C definitely don¡¯t go in there.¡±

    Terry blinked. Devon was pointing at precisely the lake he had bathed in a few minutes prior.

    ¡°¡®Scary¡¯ Lake?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Something is sleeping down there.¡± Devon held up his hand and lowered it to around Terry¡¯s height. ¡°Terry, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The thing is sleeping around eleven hundred Terrys deep. I don¡¯t know how quickly it can come up, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend testing it.¡±

    So many questions¡­

    ¡°Although it should be fine to wash yourself in the shallow area. I¡¯ll warn you if the scary thing moves.¡±

    Look who¡¯s talking! Come to think of it, you should consider the offer. I wouldn¡¯t trust your own nose after living so close to Alrick all this time. Reintegration into society probably works better if you don¡¯t reek of ghoul and desperation.

    ¡°Th-thanks. I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    You should probably wash your equipment, too. Icky. Maybe skip the boulder. That would look weird.

    Devon patiently waited for Terry to finish while looking around and seemingly observing something. However, Terry could not make out what that something could possibly be.

    Greebles? Maybe the scary man is a descendant of cats? Perhaps a major mana corruption? Don¡¯t say that out loud. The scary man may get mad.

    Terry took deep breaths. He was still acting in a daze. This still seemed like a dream. The fresh water helped calm him down and feel some sense of normalcy. It felt like ages ago that he could use water which he did not have to recycle from the air using a water-aspected water catcher.

    Don¡¯t drink the water. I know you want to. Don¡¯t. Lake. Body of standing water. No drinking from standing water. Unhealthy. Even without scary things sleeping at the bottom.

    Terry slapped his face.

    Still here.

    ¡°No dream,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±

    There might be some tears mixed in with the lake water now.

    And pus. Don¡¯t forget the pus. No drinking. Icky.

    ¡°Thanks for keeping lookout,¡± said Terry and walked towards Devon.

    ¡°Sure. I always do that.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, could you tell me how I can get to the nearest Guardian outpost?¡±

    ¡°Sure, by walking.¡± Devon pointed. ¡°That direction. It would take a while, though. Over thirty thousand Terrys. My estimations get a bit off at that distance. Everything sticks so close together.¡±

    So many questions¡­

    ¡°Also, I would not recommend the direct route. That would lead you through the angry kitty park ¨C the shadow panthers are really grouchy ¨C and right by one of the recent demon fortresses. I believe it was bears possessed by earth elementals. Or was it the one with the mana corrupted possessed by ice elementals? The villager possessed by a magma elemental?¡± Devon puffed up his cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t remember. Anyway, the Demonguard did not get around to clear that one yet.¡±

    Just ignore it. Focus. Focus.

    ¡°Nearest dimensional gate?¡±

    ¡°Nearest what?¡±

    Okay, I¡¯m out. This won¡¯t work.

    Terry blinked in silence. Devon looked at him expectantly. The seconds ticked by with no one saying anything.

    Awkward~ The scary man doesn¡¯t seem to mind, but I¡¯m getting uncomfortable. Say something.

    ¡°I need to get to a Guardian outpost.¡±

    ¡°You should probably ask the Captain. The Captain told me not to give other people directions.¡±

    Didn¡¯t he just do that?!

    ¡°We are currently investigating some disappearances and while we¡¯re in the area, I am supposed to check out a potential bandit hideout.¡± Devon gazed in a different direction. ¡°That way. The dungeon fairy actually did me a favor this time. I¡¯m closer than I was before. I won¡¯t have to run all the time.¡±

    Ignore it. Focus.

    ¡°Anyway, once I¡¯m done with that, I am supposed to join up with the Captain and Lizzy again. You can tag along. I like to have someone to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Y¡ª Wait, Captain sounds like the army. I¡¯m, well, not from around here. Will that be a problem?¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry. The Captain is best people.¡± Devon walked ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Terry followed.

    ¡°Although Lizzy may stab you,¡± added Devon. ¡°She does that sometimes. I¡¯ll protect you. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Did you hear that? I probably imagined that, right? There¡¯s no way he really said that.

    ***

 036 Deathguard Scout

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 32 ¨C

    ¡°How far away?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Around four hundred Terrys,¡± replied Devon. ¡°Almost there.¡±

    ¡°How come we haven¡¯t encountered anything on our way here?¡±

    Yeah, I was so looking forward to meeting possessed terror grizzlies and elemental armies. You know, the real authentic Wastes experience. NO, I was not. Why are you complaining, dimwit?

    ¡°Oh? Did you want to? The Captain always tells me to try and avoid delays if possible, but I have gained some time thanks to the dungeon fairy. So we can take a detour if you want.¡±

    Wastes no.

    ¡°No. I was just wondering,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°I expected some creatures could not be avoided.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh, you only need to keep your distance. You just need to be aware of their location. Some creatures also stay far away from me.¡±

    Ask about the abnormal mana? Perhaps you should stay away from him, too? You know, if you had any sense left. So maybe not. Up to you, really.

    ¡°Mana signatures,¡± exclaimed Terry absentmindedly.

    You should really stop talking to yourself when others are around.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± asked Devon. ¡°You can sense that from here? Good. So there are mana users there. Doesn¡¯t really help me determine if they¡¯re bandits, but good to know. Sometimes, I miss my own mana sense.¡±

    What?

    ¡°However, life sense and death sense are unexpectedly useful.¡±

    One of these is not like the other. Ask about the abnormal mana?

    ¡°Without them, I could not help the Captain and Lizzy, or find my way back to them. That would be sad.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He was replaying some of Devon¡¯s recent and earlier statements back in his mind. Something was off there somewhere.

    ¡°Alright, we have arrived. I¡¯ll quickly check if they¡¯re bandits. You can wait here.¡±

    Devon walked into the cave entrance.

    Terry blinked.

    Did you hear Devon talk about a plan at any point in time? No? Because he¡¯s simply waltzing in there.

    ¡°Greetings!¡± shouted Devon. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to figure out if you¡¯re bandits.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mouth slowly fell open, and his mind blanked. He heard a quiet whistling sound. ¡°Devon! Dodge!¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Devon turned his head back to Terry. He made no attempt to dodge whatsoever.

    *Thwip* An arrow hit Devon in the chest.

    Devon turned away from Terry and looked down at the arrow. ¡°How rude! I believe you really are bandits.¡±

    ¡°D-Devon what are you doing? Move out of their line of sight!¡±

    ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± Devon turned his whole body around.

    ¡°Why did you announce yourself?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to determine if there are bandits here. This is my plan.¡±

    An arrow hit Devon in the back. Devon did not even flinch.

    ¡°This is a plan?!¡±

    Devon shrugged. ¡°It worked before. I tried other plans, but they did not work as well. The Captain said it¡¯s because my social skills are¡ª¡± He scratched his forehead. ¡°What was it?¡± Devon tried to recall the term while another arrow hit his back. ¡°Nonexistent. That was it.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Terry pointed at the arrow lodged in Devon¡¯s chest. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡±

    ¡°Meh. You get used to it.¡±

    See? That¡¯s how you sound to others when you say things like that!

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re bandits. What do you think, Terry?¡±

    Terry nodded absentmindedly.

    ¡°Alright, the Captain said that bandits are bad people and Lizzy said I¡¯m allowed to defend myself when attacked. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Devon stormed into the cavern.

    Terry stood dumbfounded.

    Don¡¯t you want to help? Although the scary man probably doesn¡¯t need help from the likes of you¡­ Don¡¯t you want to watch? Ask about the abnormal mana?

    Still in a daze, Terry walked into the cave.

    Screams echoed from the walls.

    ¡°What in the Wastes are you?!¡± demanded one bandit. His sword was planted in Devon¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me before? I¡¯m Devon.¡±

    Terry recognized the flicker of a spell structure. However, the casting was way too quick for him to compare it with his memory.

    Devon punched out with his palm at the bandit¡¯s face. Shortly before the palm impacted, a giant bright red flame erupted from Devon¡¯s hand. The bandit¡¯s head disappeared.

    Scary. Run?

    ¡°RUN!¡± shouted one bandit.

    See? The bandits get it.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± said Devon, and another spell structure flickered. A large sheet of black ice appeared on the ground.

    What¡¯s black ice?

    Two bandits slipped and fell on the ice. Then, they started aging at a visible pace. In the blink of an eye, they had breathed their last breath.

    Nevermind.

    A mana user attacked Devon with a naginata whose blade was on fire ¨C an aspected weapon. Devon dodged.

    First time I¡¯ve seen him do that.

    ¡°The children laugh at me when I don¡¯t have eyebrows.¡± Devon grumbled to himself. He struck out his hand and a giant bright red fire burst forth. The bandit died in an instant. Even the aspected weapon was pulverized.

    ¡°Hold!¡± demanded a bandit that held a knife towards the neck of a woman in leather armor. ¡°Or you¡¯ll have her blood on your hands!¡±

    Devon tilted his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    The scene irritated Terry a great deal. His blood started to boil. Without thinking, he activated the imprints in his boots and walked up towards the ceiling ¨C out of sight.

    ¡°So what now?¡± asked Devon. He looked expectantly at the bandit.

    ¡°You tie yourself up. Then, I will escape with the hostage. Once I feel safe, I will let her go.¡±

    Devon raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the point in me tying myself up? I¡¯m not good with knots. Even if I was, I could just burn off the rope.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have a rope that is resistant to hellfire?¡±

    ¡°H-hellfire?¡± The bandit seemed close to crying. He glanced at the black ice that blocked his escape route. ¡°N-n-netherfrost?¡±

    I know you¡¯re busy right now, but did you hear that? Two more aspects from the lower system. Just saying. One extremely hot and also burns through mana, life, and death. One extremely cold and absorbs mana and life. Scary, don¡¯t you think? Just saying. If I remember right, these can¡¯t even be extinguished or melted through normal means. They¡¯re both eternal unless the caster stops channeling mana. Just saying. Run?

    The bandit gulped. ¡°P-please just let me go. I¡¯ll release the woman once I¡¯m outside.¡±

    Devon frowned. ¡°Are you a bandit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to let bandits go.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t move aside, this woman will die. You hear me?!¡±

    ¡°The Captain said it¡¯s not always possible to save everybody.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± The bandit¡¯s eyes opened wide. His knife was pulled away from him. His eyes followed the knife. The last thing the bandit saw before he died was a bright flash. A spear penetrated his head.

    ¡°NOOO!¡± screamed the hostage. She went on her knees and hugged the corpse.

    Not the reaction I expected.

    The woman looked up and glared at Terry with red eyes. She drew a sword from the scabbard of the dead bandit and swung at Terry in a frenzy. It was not difficult for Terry to dodge.

    Bandit hideout. Armor. Look, she even has a dagger at her hip! No injuries. No restraints. Grieving for a bandit. Yup. Probably a bandit. You could have noticed that before if you had paid more attention instead of getting flashbacks to Siling¡¯s bloody eyes. Then again, I figure the end result would have been the same.

    Devon was walking up to the bandit that frenziedly attempted to slice up Terry.

    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to defend people,¡± said Devon. Another bright red flame later, the last bandit was dead. Only Terry and Devon were left in the cave.

    Devon looked up at Terry. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could fly.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Terry deactivated the imprints and did a half turn in the air to land on his feet.

    ¡°You a mage?¡±

    Half-mage. Although ¡®half¡¯ may be an overly generous estimation. Ouch ouch ouch. Stop biting the inside of your cheek to get rid of me. Meanie.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Somewhat. I can only cast a single spell, though.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°Immovable Object.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of it.¡±

    Make a sulking face! That would be funny. Come on, pout! Siling would have done it. Embrace the nonsense! Why can¡¯t I be Siling¡¯s inner voice? Maybe then I could even pet the soul spirits in her soul spots? Although, the last time you saw Siling, her soul spirits weren¡¯t that pet-worthy. Maybe she got another Furball? Ouch ouch ouch. Stop that!

    ¡°It¡¯s the one I used to stay in the air.¡±

    ¡°Seems fun. Pity I can¡¯t learn it.¡± Devon walked towards the black ice and somehow dispelled it. Then, he used hellfire to incinerate the remains of the bandits. ¡°The Captain says I have to clean up if we want to avoid more undead running around.¡±

    ¡°What were those spells?¡±

    ¡°Burning Hands and Slick Ice.¡±

    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t.¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°Uhh, sorry. I mean, I¡¯ve seen these spells before. They did not look like that. I get that they¡¯re aspect variants, but even variants¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve empowered them.¡±

    Cast that quickly. Empowered to that degree. What?

    Terry¡¯s inner Academy student raised his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to use a different spell structure then? Isn¡¯t mana expenditure for such a strong empowerment ridiculous?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t really need to worry about that.¡± Devon shrugged. ¡°Also, I have little choice. I lost access to most of my spells when I lost my mana sense. Now, I can only cast the spells I know by heart. Those that I have cast a million times.¡±

    That¡¯s hyperbole, right? A MILLION times? He must be exaggerating. Wait, should you be worried about losing your mana sense, too? Great. Now you have another worry to keep you up at night. You¡¯re welcome.

    Devon finished burning the last corpse. He paused and looked down at himself ¨C arrows sticking out, holes in the robes, blood everywhere. ¡°Perhaps I should have updated my wardrobe before burning the bodies.¡±

    Devon glanced at Terry. ¡°Were you very fond of the robes? I don¡¯t think I will be returning them in good condition.¡±

    No shit.

    ¡°N-no. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, now that we are finished here, we can join up with Lizzy and the Captain.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to look around first? In case there¡¯s anything useful here?¡±

    Your dungeon neurosis is showing, Terry.

    Devon shrugged. ¡°Normally, I just leave everything to the scavengers. If there was anything important they expected me to recover, then the Captain would have told me. I don¡¯t really need anything and I tend to lose my equipment regularly, anyway. We are still making good time. So you can look around if you want.¡±

    Oh look, there¡¯s rope! One can never have too much rope! Thank mana for storage items!

    ***

    Alright, THAT¡¯S IT. When will you ask about taking a break? You know how you get when you haven¡¯t slept or eaten in a day. Was it a day? When was the last time you slept or ate in the dungeon? I don¡¯t re¡ª Wait, that¡¯s not the point! I don¡¯t think you will outlast the scary man when it comes to stamina. Ask him. Ask him. Do it. Do it now!

    ¡°D-Devon?¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°When do you want to take a break?¡±

    ¡°I always forget to do that when the Captain and Lizzy are not around.¡± Devon kept walking, unperturbed.

    The voice in Terry¡¯s head started sobbing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need sleep?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not really,¡± muttered Devon. ¡°Mana and life energies work as a substitute. I don¡¯t like to sleep. When I sleep, the voices get louder.¡±

    Devon has voices? Are they pretty? Introduce me! No wait, don¡¯t. His voices are probably all deep and growly and instructing him to crush the puny mortals. Hey, maybe the Captain and Lizzy are voices, too? Perhaps Lizzy is telling him to sacrifice his camping buddies to the lower realms. You know what? I¡¯ve changed my mind. Who needs sleep anyway? Bah. Let¡¯s just collapse later on the road. That¡¯ll do.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware that mana can substitute for rest somewhat, but doesn¡¯t the consumption get worse and worse the longer you do it?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    How about food? You should still have that dried jerky. You know, the one you nibbled on for a few days before you got out of the dungeon. It¡¯s the one with your slobber on it. Also, the only one left. It should be easy to find.

    ¡°Do you eat?¡±

    Good idea. Don¡¯t retrieve the precious jerky if he wants a bite. There is little enough left as it is. You could tell him it¡¯s all slobbery, but I am not convinced that would stop him.

    ¡°Sometimes. Poppy tells me to taste the food when we visit the children.¡±

    That guy has children?! Or are the children the food? How sure are you that Devon is really part of the Deathguard as opposed to the thing the Deathguard protects people from?

    ¡°Children?¡±

    ¡°There is an orphanage in the Chara Settlement.¡±

    Still ambiguous. Keep going.

    ¡°You visit the orphanage?¡±

    ¡°To play with Fluffy and the kids.¡±

    Still ambiguous.

    ¡°Poppy is shy around the kids, but she accompanies me often and then packs some food as a gift. Poppy and Elvis grew up in an orphanage, too.¡±

    Aww. See? I told you Devon is best people. How dare you have those mean thoughts about him. Shame on you! Okay, he can have some slobbery jerky, but don¡¯t bring it up on your own! No need to go that far. Start eating and see if he reacts.

    ***

    ¡°Hey Lizzy!¡± shouted Devon.

    Stabbity stab stab.

    Terry moved behind Devon.

    ¡°Back already?¡± a human woman in plate armor walked out from behind the trees. She did not seem to be encumbered by her armor, nor did the armor make any sound.

    Terry could sense an active mana layer over the armor, but he did not discover any imprints. The woman herself radiated two mana aspects: life and metal.

    Probably a metal aspect spell. More silent stab stab.

    ¡°Who is this¡ª Devon, why does he look afraid of me?!¡± Lizzy glared at Devon.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re scary,¡± replied Devon in a deadpan manner.

    ¡°Did you tell people I would stab them again?¡±

    ¡°You do that sometimes.¡±

    ¡°NO. I. DON¡¯T.¡± Lizzy pointed her finger at him angrily with each word.

    ¡°You stabbed me when we first met.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª How often do I need to explain that to you!¡± Lizzy stomped her feet. ¡°How was I supposed to know that you wanted to escape from there! The cultists were performing this weird ritual¡ª¡±

    ¡°Binding the incarnation of the Devonian Devastation from the Second Abyss,¡± added Devon helpfully. ¡°The looneys in the tower never shut up about how honored I should feel to serve as the vessel.¡± Devon rolled his eyes.

    ¡°YES! Do you have any idea how that sounds?! When we entered the room, you instantly grabbed that glowing stone. How was I supposed to know that you were forcefully interrupting the ritual? I thought you were trying to hasten the apocalypse. Do you have any idea how scary the intel made this ancient cult sound?¡±

    ¡°The Captain didn¡¯t stab me.¡±

    ¡°The Captain was already an experienced Deathguard! It was my first mission to bring down a deathcult. Nearly two decades ago! I DON¡¯T STAB PEOPLE!¡±

    ¡°You stabbed me later, too.¡±

    ¡°That was SPARRING. You stopped dodging for no reason!¡±

    ¡°The Captain never stabs me during spars.¡±

    ¡°Because the Captain reacts faster than I do! Stop spreading rumors about me stabbing people!¡±

    ¡°You stabbed me,¡± insisted Devon unperturbed.

    Lizzy was about to pop a vein, but she stopped herself from continuing the squabble. She looked at Terry.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Don¡¯t listen to Devon. I don¡¯t stab people. I¡¯m Lizzy.¡±

    ¡°Her real name is Elizabeth the Third of Castellan,¡± interjected Devon. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t like it when I point that out.¡±

    Lizzy¡¯s eye twitched, and she held out her hands to choke an imaginary neck.

    Wow. I think the vein on her forehead is getting its own vein on its forehead.

    ¡°Just Lizzy, please. How may I address you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Terry.¡±

    ¡°I met him at a dungeon,¡± said Devon. ¡°He wants to see the Captain.¡±

    ¡°Did you wake up in a dungeon again, Devon?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Yeah, but this time, it was actually helpful. It was closer to the bandits, and it was easy to get out.¡±

    Did you hear that, Terry? It was easy to get out of that dungeon. E-A-S-Y!

    ¡°How often do you wake up in a dungeon?¡± asked Terry.

    Are you sure that you want to know?

    ¡°Maybe every other week or month or so,¡± replied Devon.

    See? Did that make you feel any better? No, of course, it did not! It certainly did not improve my lingering anxiety regarding our dungeon visit. Is this going to be a regular thing? You will need more rope.

    ¡°Frequently enough to be a problem,¡± added Lizzy. ¡°Although he always finds his way back. Like a dog. Devon¡¯s theory is that the dungeon fairies became infuriated when he kept finding their hiding spots.¡±

    ¡°I also stepped on one of them by accident,¡± interjected Devon with a shrug. ¡°The little things were zipping around everywhere.¡±

    ¡°My alternate theory is that Devon¡¯s an idiot.¡±

    Devon narrowed his eyes at Lizzy. Then he turned to Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the mean old lady.¡±

    Old? She does not look old. In fact, now that you mention it, she looks very pretty. Huh, Devon looks handsome, too. HAHAha. You¡¯re the ugly one here, Terry! Haha hm¡­ Aww, now I made myself sad¡­ You should have invited one of the Alricks to tag along. Then you would not have to be the ghoul of the group.

    ¡°I told you not to call me that!¡± screeched Lizzy.

    Devon held her gaze and asked with a blank expression. ¡°Call you what?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lizzy turned away and walked ahead.

    Devon turned to Terry. ¡°I have found that she insults you less if you push her buttons quickly. However, I have not figured out yet why age is one of the buttons. Lizzy may be slightly older than the Captain, but she is way younger than me.¡±

    ¡°EVERYONE is younger than you!¡± shouted Lizzy in exasperation.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± Devon furrowed his brow and looked at Terry again. ¡°Can it?¡±

    I got nothing.

    Lizzy stopped walking and addressed Terry. ¡°How many people do you know that have been alive at the beginning of the LAST era? Maybe even the one before?¡±

    Devon¡¯s eyes waited expectantly for Terry to answer.

    Is that a trick question?

    ¡°None?¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Devon. ¡°I thought there must be some. Lizzy, didn¡¯t you tell me about these powerful mages somewhere or the bony mages somewhere else?¡±

    ¡°The magic sovereigns in Arcana and the Lich Kings,¡± corrected Lizzy. ¡°Yeah, granted. Not everyone is younger than you.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± exclaimed Devon in triumph.

    Wait wait wait. HOLD UP!

    ¡°Magic sovereigns?¡± blurted Terry.

    ¡°Hm? Yeah, the highest position in the Arcana Empire,¡± explained Lizzy.

    Devon stared absentmindedly into the distance.

    ¡°Y-you h-have heard of Arcana?¡± stammered Terry. His breathing became erratic. His heart palpitated. His vision turned blurry.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Lizzy looked at him in confusion. ¡°Everyone has heard of Arcana. They¡¯re the biggest remaining empire and synonymous with advanced magic. Why? Are you okay? You seem¡ª¡±

    They¡¯re onto you. Quick! Hide the knives!

    ¡°Hi Captain,¡± shouted Devon.

    ¡°Who is our guest?¡± asked the Captain and stepped into their path.

    Terry turned towards the high-pitched voice and saw only air. His upbringing kicked in and he lowered his gaze.

    Dwa¡ª DON¡¯T SAY THAT OUT LOUD! No sideburns! Pay attention! No sideburns! Actually, no hair on the head at all. What is that about? Nevermind. Not a dwarf. Different facial structure. Barely taller than Bjorln but not a dwarf. Human. Human woman. Little human woman. Little bald lady. Holy mana that¡¯s a lot of knives! She looks tough. I wonder who would win in a fight ¨C Ma Isille or the little bald lady?

    Oh look, her expression is changin¡ª CRAP she¡¯s talking to you. What did she say? I don¡¯t know. Why are you asking me? Quick, say something to smooth things over!

    ¡°P-pardon?¡±

    Smooth.

    The Captain stepped closer and moved her finger in front of Terry¡¯s eyes.

    Little calloused finger.

    ¡°When was the last time you slept?¡±

    Good question.

    ¡°Devon, did you take any breaks when you came here?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°Oh boy, I¡¯ll do first aid.¡± Lizzy cast Banish Fatigue.

    Ahhh, that feels nice. I like Lizzy. Nice Lizzy.

    ¡°Only a temporary mitigation and it does not ease the mental exhaustion,¡± said the Captain. ¡°He needs proper rest.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m Terry.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Terry. I¡¯m Megumi.¡±

    ¡°I met Terry at the dungeon,¡± said Devon. ¡°He has a Guardian card. He wants to go to a Guardian outpost.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Megumi turned from Devon to Terry. ¡°What were you doing in a dungeon?¡±

    Don¡¯t tell them you were too blind to find the exit! That would be too embarrassing. Tell them you had to fight your way through some terror grizzlies! On the other hand, if we meet terror grizzlies on the way, then they may expect you to fight them, too. Tell them you were busy cuddling puppies!

    The worry in Megumi¡¯s eyes increased when Terry did not respond for a while. ¡°Nevermind, how long were you in the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t know.¡± Terry pondered with a distant gaze. ¡°Not sure.¡±

    ¡°What is the last date you remember before the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°R-rising S¡ª No, first day Setting Sun.¡±

    ¡°Yikes,¡± exclaimed Lizzy.

    ¡°The village we are supposed to investigate is nearby. It may be macabre, but there you can find a proper bed. We will need to spend some time there to investigate, anyway. You will be able to sleep peacefully. Can you hold on for another hour?¡±

    No.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ***

 037 Investigating the Disappearances

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 38 ¨C

    Terry jolted awake. His heart palpitated, and he broke out in a sweat. He examined his surroundings.

    ¡°Bed?¡±

    His memory of the last day was hazy at best. He had no recollection of entering this room. Terry was glad to discover that he was still wearing his armor. He hurriedly checked his equipment ¨C dagger, ring, throwing needles, storage items ¨C all there. Terry heaved a sigh of relief.

    Two knocks rang on the door. ¡°Terry? Devon said, you¡¯re awake. Can I come in? I brought something to eat.¡±

    Terry remembered that the voice belonged to the woman called Lizzy.

    ¡°Yes, come in.¡±

    The door opened, and Lizzy carried a tray of food as well as a waterskin. The tray reminded Terry that they were currently in a village ¨C an empty village. The Deathguard was investigating the cause for the disappearance of the inhabitants.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Lizzy concernedly. ¡°You slept for more than a day.¡±

    I¡¯ve got a headache.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are, but I hope you will be. Eat your fill and take your time. Once you¡¯re ready, come out and sit at the table. Devon will notice, and we¡¯ll join you. The Captain wants to talk to you.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ***

    ¡°Morning, Terry!¡± greeted Devon cheerfully. ¡°Or afternoon, I guess.¡± He sat down at the table.

    ¡°Glad to see you looking better,¡± said Megumi. She took the seat opposite Terry.

    ¡°Thank you for keeping watch,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Who are Lori and Jorg?¡± interjected Devon.

    Terry winced. ¡°How do¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You talked and screamed in your sleep,¡± explained Megumi. ¡°There were other names, too.¡±

    Terry gulped and focussed on his breathing. ¡°Lori and Jorg are my whaka.¡±

    ¡°Raised by dwarves?¡± asked Megumi with a raised eyebrow.

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°That bag of yours bears the insignia of Arcana Academy.¡± Megumi pointed. ¡°Your mana signature seems abnormal enough for you to really be an Academy student, too. A lot of your items light up like a bonfire in mana sight ¨C mana crafted, but not cloaked. That¡¯s unusual around here. You asked Lizzy about Arcana before.¡±

    Megumi stared into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you from Arcana, Terry?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry looked in befuddlement at Devon. ¡°I asked about Arcana. You said you never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t,¡± replied Devon.

    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± interjected Lizzy.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Devon tilted his head.

    ¡°He probably heard it, but did not listen,¡± said Megumi. ¡°How did you end up in the Tiv Empire?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m in Tiv?¡±

    ¡°So you really didn¡¯t know?¡± Megumi searched Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, you are in Tiv. According to the map, at least. We¡¯re currently in the Wasted Zone. Not many people dare to settle here. You might just as well call it the Wastes.¡±

    Megumi tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°Devon said he met you at a dungeon. What were you doing there?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry lowered his gaze to the table and then moved it to Devon. ¡°I was trying to get out of the dungeon when I saw Devon¡¯s mana signature.¡±

    ¡°And you ran towards him instead of away?¡± asked Lizzy with wide eyes. ¡°Arcanians know no fear, I guess. Normally, mages start screaming or fainting when they see his freakish mana signature.¡±

    Devon gazed out the window.

    ¡°Devon mentioned that you have a Guardian card,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Would you mind showing it to me?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Terry retrieved his Guardian card from his dimensional bag.

    ¡°The idea of Devon showing around a kid from Arcana is hilarious,¡± remarked Lizzy. ¡°Truly the blind leading the blind.¡±

    ¡°My eyes are fine,¡± said Devon flatly.

    ¡°Yes, they are. It¡¯s your sense I¡¯m talking about,¡± retorted Lizzy. ¡°The only thing worse than your mana sense is your common sense.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for years, but you never explain what this common energy is supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Terry handed the card to the Captain.

    Megumi received the card and examined it. ¡°Arcana registry. Regular hunts. Corrupted hunts. Mana cursed work. Dungeon work. Bounty hunts. Finished intermediate curriculum.¡± Megumi recalled her consciousness out of the card. ¡°Do you mind if I create a link with my own card?¡±

    ¡°Mine too,¡± said Devon. ¡°Terry is nice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m carrying your card anyway, Devon,¡± said Megumi. Then she pursed her lips. ¡°On the other hand, more links are better to keep track of each other out here. Lizzy?¡±

    Lizzy handed over her card to link up as well.

    ¡°Uhm sure,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if the card still works. All the other links appear off.¡±

    Megumi linked up the cards. ¡°All the other links are with people in Arcana?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The card is fine. There is a signaling range and you are way out of it. You couldn¡¯t possibly be any further away from Arcana while staying in the empires. Also, there is the barrier surrounding the Arcana Empire. Its mana disturbance is no less than a dungeon¡¯s.¡±

    Megumi handed the card back to Terry. ¡°You would need an amplification tower to get through the distance and interference. They have one at most Guardian outposts.¡±

    ¡°How can I get to the outpost?¡± Terry glanced at Devon in uncertainty. ¡°I asked Devon about the nearest dimensional gate¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, you are definitely from Arcana,¡± exclaimed Lizzy.

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°No dimensional gates in Tiv,¡± explained Megumi. ¡°They¡¯re a vulnerability. Temporary gates may be opened on occasion, but no permanently anchored dimensional travel is allowed. Gates are nice to travel fast, but the wasted creatures and Thanatos soldiers can access them, too. If you¡¯re not careful, you have enemy combatants pop up right in the middle of a city. That¡¯s too much of a risk around here.¡±

    ¡°So what can I do? I need to go back to Arcana. I have to find out what happened to my companions. If they¡¯re still trapped in the dungeon¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not,¡± interrupted Devon. He was still looking out the window. ¡°At least not in the dungeon where we met.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°No folk signatures.¡±

    ¡°But you woke up in the upper floors of the dungeon. They could be further down.¡±

    ¡°Nope. No one there.¡±

    ¡°How would you know?!¡±

    ¡°No folk signatures.¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°Captain, please break the cycle or I will get a headache,¡± pleaded Lizzy.

    Megumi chortled. ¡°Terry, if Devon says there were no signatures, then take his word for it. His life and death senses are impeccable. He is the best scout we have in the Deathguard.¡±

    Devon turned his head and grinned from ear to ear.

    ¡°Scout?!¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°I was present when Devon checked the bandit hideout. He did not seem very¡­ subtle.¡±

    Lizzy snorted and snickered.

    Megumi tilted her head. ¡°Well, yes, he does get discovered every time.¡±

    Devon¡¯s face returned to a blank expression.

    ¡°However, he always comes back with the information we requested.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t ask him for directions,¡± interjected Lizzy. ¡°Or you¡¯ll be running right into a demon fortress.¡±

    Devon looked out the window again.

    ¡°Anyway, if Devon says there were no other folk in the dungeon, you can trust him on that. As for you getting to an outpost, I¡¯m afraid that will be difficult. We could, however, send a message to the outpost from the nearest settlement. They have a dimensional mailbox there. Unfortunately, even the nearest settlement is quite a distance away. I¡¯m sorry, but we have a mission here and we can¡¯t escort you right now.¡±

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    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡± He clenched his teeth.

    ¡°You could try to make your way to the settlement on your own, but frankly, I would advise against it. You¡­ How to say it? You stand out a bit. Even if you could avoid the common threats¡ª¡±

    ¡°Terry¡¯s mana sense is good,¡± interjected Devon.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Megumi examined Terry. ¡°Maybe Terry could even help us here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s good. He could recognize the mana users among the bandits from four hundred Terrys away.¡±

    ¡°Devon, I told you to use meters instead of random things you see around you.¡±

    ¡°I remember you saying that, but I forgot how long a meter is and I lost the reference stick you gave me. Terry is sitting right there. You can convert Terry to meters.¡±

    ¡°What exactly are you doing here?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°There have been reports of abandoned villages ¨C missing citizens. Life in the Wasted Zone is dangerous, but these disappearances are unusual.¡±

    ¡°If I can help, I¡¯m happy to. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± Terry stopped himself and shook his head. ¡°No, nevermind. From what you have said, there would be no way to contact my family, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any acquaintances in Tiv?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°No¡ª Wait, yes, maybe. My aunt is supposed to live in Tiv, but I¡¯ve never met her.¡±

    ¡°Name or location?¡±

    ¡°Sigille. She¡¯s a Guardian, too.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s eyes widened. She blinked in silence.

    ¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Lizzy. ¡°Sigille as in the Divine Hammer Sigille?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s what Pa and Ma called her, yes. She is supposed to work with someone from the Guild.¡±

    ¡°That would be Matteo ¨C yet another celebrity,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°The Mad Kid,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Youngest person on record to have joined the Guild and taken on death hunts. He¡¯s not as famous as the Divine Hammer, but he is recognized as one of the top figures among the younger Guild generation ¨C right up there with Amelia the Spellcrusher and Dargones the Magebane.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll need to come up with a new name at the Guild since he¡¯s not a kid anymore,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Matteo is something of an honorary Deathguard, even though he is not a member of the Guardians. Takes on death hunts irrespective of the payout.

    ¡°Anyway, that should make things easier. Once we are in the settlement, we can send a letter to inform your aunt and her accepted son. They¡¯ll probably come to fetch you personally. With their resources, they may even be able to request the help of a dimensional mage. That would cut down waiting time significantly.¡±

    Terry nodded. A part of him was getting excited to meet his famous aunt. Lori and Jorg would be jealous. As soon as Terry thought about the two, his stomach plummeted. He still did not know for sure if they were okay.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your decision?¡± prompted Megumi.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join you until we reach the settlement.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± exclaimed Devon happily. ¡°More company.¡±

    ¡°By the way, what did you mean when you said I stand out?¡± inquired Terry.

    Lizzy snorted and laughed.

    Megumi smiled and shook her head. ¡°You really are from Arcana. Ignoring your mana signature ¨C which is absolutely ridiculous for someone at Academy age. Further ignoring the enchanted Arcana Academy bag¡­¡±

    Megumi pointed. ¡°Your boots have imprints. Your bracers have imprints. Your fingerless gloves have imprints. You carry an inscribed dagger with a matching scabbard. There are four imprinted throwing needles. Two of them seem to be made of septimum. You have an inscribed ring on your left hand. You have not only one, but two storage bracelets. When I asked you for the Guardian card, you have used yet another storage item ¨C one that is presumably even more valuable.¡±

    Megumi paused for emphasis. ¡°Even ignoring the contents of your storage items, you are already a walking fortune.¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Terry was at a loss for words. He was wondering what the Captain would say about his crafter¡¯s pendant.

    ¡°Some basic rules for living in Tiv. Avoid displaying your storage items. Only wear equipment you actually need or whatever helps you survive. And for mana¡¯s sake, get your items cloaked.¡±

    Terry nodded and immediately returned the five-point inscribed ring to his dimensional bag. He also made sure that the dimensional bag was set to closed.

    ¡°How much¡ª¡± Terry was wondering how expensive it would be to cloak his items when he recalled something and immediately put his hand into the dimensional bag... to discover that he was completely broke. His mana coins had vanished.

    ¡°What¡¯s the trouble?¡± asked Lizzy when she saw Terry¡¯s grimace.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to cloak my items,¡± replied Terry. ¡°My savings have evaporated.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Megumi chuckled. ¡°Arcana and its fancy mana coins. Although, I suppose that function is by intentional design.¡±

    ¡°You can have my salary thing,¡± said Devon. ¡°I still owe you for the robes.¡±

    ¡°Devon, what did I tell you about giving your salary away?¡± Megumi frowned.

    ¡°Not to do that. You also told me to pay for things. I borrowed robes from Terry, and now they have holes in them. Also, I¡¯m not really giving it away. I don¡¯t have it in the first place. You keep the salary. You only let me have it once.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you spent it all in one day,¡± grumbled Megumi.

    ¡°The slum children got a tummy ache from all the sweets.¡± Lizzy laughed. ¡°I believe the dog was also putting on weight that day.¡±

    ¡°I also bought items from Poppy,¡± said Devon in reminiscence. ¡°Those were fun.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll pay for the robes and don¡¯t worry, Terry,¡± said Megumi. ¡°If you¡¯re helping out in the mission, you¡¯ll get a salary. I will also have them record the mission on your card. The cloaking issue is not urgent. You¡¯ll be traveling with us until your aunt picks you up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone in Tiv is foolish enough to try and rob someone when the Divine Hammer is around,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°Probably not, but I¡¯m more worried about the imperial censors. From what I¡¯ve heard, the tensions are running high at the moment.¡± Megumi glanced at Terry. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like the Divine Hammer is unfamiliar with the territory.¡±

    ¡°The scavengers have turned back again,¡± announced Devon. ¡°They are distancing themselves from the village. Around a hundred Terrys away and the distance is increasing. They seem to be running.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Lizzy asked towards Terry. ¡°That¡¯s the normal reaction to Devon.¡±

    ¡°Good that we have arrived in time.¡± Megumi heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to investigate after the scavengers have rummaged around for valuables.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Found anything?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Hidden basement,¡± replied Lizzy. ¡°Terry¡¯s mana sense really is extraordinary. He discovered an enchanted quiver in a place that looked like solid stone. Then, we discovered a mechanism to open the basement.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have found nothing that would explain the disappearances. The basement seemed like your average hiding spot for an unlicensed mana user ¨C books and notes, but nothing sinister. Best guess is that it was an aspect archer trying to make the jump to proper spellwork.¡±

    ¡°Any aspected arrows in the quiver?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Some,¡± replied Lizzy. ¡°Normal fire aspect. Nothing sinister. The enchantment only makes the quiver fireproof. No crafter¡¯s signature. Dark market product.¡±

    ¡°Up to you Terry,¡± said Megumi. ¡°You can keep it or leave it. If you leave it, then the scavengers will take it. They¡¯ll pick this place completely clean.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not much of an archer,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°You can try to sell it in the settlement.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, Captain,¡± exclaimed Lizzy. ¡°Inviting an innocent kid from Arcana to deal in dark market goods,¡± teased Lizzy.

    ¡°Everything out here is dark market goods,¡± grumbled Megumi. ¡°If I see a licensed merchant for magical goods in the Wasted Zone, I¡¯ll change my tune.¡±

    Megumi looked Terry up and down. ¡°And it¡¯s not as if Terry¡¯s legal status could possibly be made any worse in that regard.¡± She counted pointedly with her fingers. ¡°Illegal entry. Illegal import of magical items. Unlicensed mana usage. A quiver or more won¡¯t make a difference there, and the vals from a sale could be put to good use.¡±

    Terry¡¯s face paled when Megumi listed his crimes.

    Megumi eyed Terry and added: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Law-abiding citizens are as rare as licensed merchants out here. I¡¯ll vouch for you in the name of the Deathguard. You¡¯ll be fine. Back to the investigation. Devon?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sense any survivors, nor do I sense any aspect beings spawned from death. There is an undead horde roaming in the area. Northeast.¡±

    ¡°The big one?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°No. The big one is still further away. North-northeast. It¡¯s moving further north again. I believe it¡¯s clashing with another demon army.¡±

    ¡°How many demons?¡±

    ¡°One. The other life signatures seem like elementals.¡±

    Megumi frowned. ¡°Pity. I¡¯m still hoping for something to wear down the big horde before it finds its way further into the Wasted Zone. Let¡¯s hope the demon is a fire user.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Anything else in the vicinity that could have been here within the past two weeks?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t list squirrels or other non-magical beings,¡± added Lizzy. ¡°Only beings that would pose a threat.¡±

    ¡°Some mana corrupted in the desert between us and the small undead horde.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± judged Megumi.

    ¡°Some darkness elementals in the east.¡±

    Megumi shook her head again. ¡°There are no signs of a fight anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Some of the houses look rather chaotic,¡± reminded Lizzy. ¡°Things laying on the ground. Drawers left open. As if someone was looking for something.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but no fresh blood or damaged doors.¡±

    ¡°Mind mage?¡± suggested Lizzy. ¡°Could have made people leave on their own accord.¡±

    Megumi contemplated the idea. ¡°Half-right, I believe. A mind mage would have little to search for here. Also, why would a mind mage have the people pack things like their underwear? Even the poorest waster should have more clothes than we found.¡±

    Megumi shook her head. ¡°It really looks as if the people simply chose to leave. They left in a hurry, but not under any threat. Otherwise, there should have been at least one person resisting and putting up a fight. Some villagers packed orderly. Others left behind more chaos. Why aren¡¯t there any tracks? It hasn¡¯t rained here. The wind isn¡¯t strong. If everyone left on foot, there should still be tracks.¡±

    ¡°Dimensional mage?¡± proposed Terry.

    ¡°Arcana,¡± mumbled Lizzy.

    ¡°There are not many dimensional mages in Tiv to begin with,¡± explained Megumi. ¡°Of those there are, most are only capable of unanchored travel. I don¡¯t believe villagers would trust a random dimensional mage to transport them somewhere when they can¡¯t see the destination. At least not without a good reason.¡±

    Megumi clicked her tongue. ¡°There are only three known mages in the Tiv Empire that can set up long-distance dimensional gates: the Mage Supreme in Tiv palace, her disciple, and Silver-Eyes Jee from the Guild. The Mage Supreme and her disciple serve the royal family. Not even the Assembly can order them around. I can¡¯t vouch for Jee, but I also can¡¯t think of any reason for him to act here. The cultist channelers or demons generally don¡¯t do well with space magic. It¡¯s possible that another dimensional mage has crossed into Tiv Territory, but that would be hard to prove.¡±

    ¡°Thanatos?¡± suggested Lizzy.

    ¡°Possible. However, while I can imagine some wasters resenting the Tiv Empire for allowing the Wastes to overrun their homes, I can¡¯t imagine that everyone would play along with Thanatos. Nor can I imagine what Thanatos¡¯s angle would be.¡±

    ¡°Spread discontent and fear among the wasters?¡±

    ¡°Drop in the bucket.¡± Megumi smiled wryly.

    ¡°Could someone perform a temporal inspection?¡± asked Terry.

    Lizzy and Megumi were both stunned into silence.

    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re just pulling our legs,¡± accused Lizzy.

    ¡°Anyway, I doubt we¡¯ll be finding anything more here,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the small undead horde. Devon?¡±

    ¡°North to the Black Sand Desert. Unless you want to take a detour, we will have to cross paths with some mana corrupted. The horde is behind the tunnel with the crawly things. There are also several folk signatures approaching the tunnel from the southeast.¡±

    ¡°Southeast?¡± Megumi furrowed her brow. ¡°How far east? Is there any danger that they attract the horde further into the Wasted Zone? Any risk for other villages?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell. So far, the horde does not seem to pay them any mind.¡±

    ¡°Alright, please inform us if you notice any change.¡± Megumi moved her gaze from Devon to Terry. ¡°How well do you do against undead, Terry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve fought ghouls before.¡±

    ¡°In Arcana?¡± Lizzy looked incredulous.

    ¡°No, in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Undead dungeon creatures?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They did not have mana cores. They were just in the dungeon for some reason. A lot of them.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your primary weapon? I assume you don¡¯t always rely on the dagger.¡±

    ¡°I mostly use short spears.¡±

    And boulders. Don¡¯t forget the boulders.

    Megumi frowned. ¡°Piercing weapons are not the most efficient way to deal with undead.¡±

    ¡°Aside from barrier spears, I also have a spear aspected with coldfire. That one worked well against the ghouls.¡±

    ¡°Did he just say barrier spears?¡± blurted Lizzy. ¡°And coldfire? Yeah, the Captain was right. Your legal status can¡¯t become much worse as far as magic violations go.¡±

    ¡°Hm alright, we¡¯ll have you spar with Devon later so that I can get an idea of your abilities,¡± said Megumi.

    ***

 038 Helpful Guests

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 43 ¨C

    Terry and the others were travelling through the desert of black sand.

    ¡°I would have never figured your mana signature to be aspected,¡± said Megumi from the front.

    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that they let an aspect-impaired mage into Arcana Academy,¡± said Lizzy, who was walking next to the Captain. ¡°You would think if anyone knew how to identify aspect impairments, it would be them.¡±

    ¡°It took everyone by surprise.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Everyone thought my mana was unaspected. Actually, I¡¯m not completely sure that it isn¡¯t. Uncle Samuel compared unaspected mana to a transparent glass ball, while aspected mana would be like colored glass. My mana seems to be transparent, but it moves on its own for some reason. There were only a few references to the condition in the entire Academy Library. No one has really studied oscillating mana.¡±

    ¡°Oscillating mana?¡± Lizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like an aspect.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it either,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°I have,¡± said Devon from Terry¡¯s right. Everyone turned to him.

    ¡°What?¡± blurted Lizzy. ¡°You? Where? How? When?¡±

    ¡°The looneys were talking about it once. I remember wondering how to spell that word.¡±

    ¡°What did they say?¡± questioned Terry. He did not like the idea of an ancient deathcult being the leading experts on his mana type.

    Devon tilted his head. ¡°I think that was around the time they discussed the affinity adjustment rituals they planned for me. I only remember the term. They were doing resistance exercises with me. At that point, it was earthfire or darkfire or brightfire or¡ª It was some kind of fire. It hurt. I blacked out shortly after the term was brought up.¡±

    Terry swallowed and did not press the point. He was very curious about the idea of affinity adjustment rituals and wanted to know why oscillating mana would come up. He felt conflicted, but did not press the topic. Whenever Terry asked about Devon¡¯s past, the stories from the tower led to some very dark corners that made Terry uncomfortable.

    ¡°When we raided the deathcult, we collected all the writings,¡± said Megumi. ¡°We can submit a research request for you to Guardian management. Although if I were you, I would not get my hopes up. The deathcults are not known for being meticulous note takers. The few that have enough brain cells left to write are usually clever enough to not leave written evidence or any kind of intel that could be used against their purpose. That particular cult managed to avoid detection for more than an era. I would assume they were of the clever sort.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Devon pointed at Terry¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Mana container,¡± said Terry.

    Lizzy shook her head from side to side. ¡°Arcana.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± inquired Devon.

    ¡°Mainly mana regeneration training. I siphon mana at my regeneration rate and insert it into the container.¡±

    ¡°Can I try?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but this one already has my naturalized mana. Wait, I¡¯ll have some empty ones.¡±

    In front of them, Lizzy threw up her hands when she heard that.

    ¡°Here.¡± Terry handed over an empty mana container. ¡°Just insert your¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s full,¡± said Devon, and examined the container curiously.

    ¡°Huh? No way. I¡¯m sure it was empty.¡± Terry received the mana container. He checked the container and fell into a daze. It was full alright, but it was full with Devon¡¯s mana. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to only insert mana at your regeneration rate.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°I thought I did. Let me try again.¡± He reached out his hand.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Terry dumped Devon¡¯s mana from the container into the surroundings and handed the container back. This time, he also kept his mana sight on Devon to check for any mana fluctuations that would indicate Devon¡¯s mana was decreasing.

    ¡°It¡¯s full.¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡± Terry tilted his head. As far as Terry¡¯s mana sight could tell, Devon did not even lose any mana. ¡°Huh. Again.¡±

    Terry was getting interested in how often Devon could do that without a change in his mana pool becoming noticeable. Before long, Terry had retrieved another empty mana container and containers were quickly passed between him and Devon.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Megumi stopped walking and turned towards the two.

    ¡°Don¡¯t answer that,¡± said Devon. ¡°That¡¯s a trick question. Elvis explained this one to me before. It really means that she wants us to stop what we are doing.¡±

    ¡°Right, and can you think of any reason why I might want you to stop flooding the surroundings with an abnormal amount of abnormal mana?¡± Megumi raised her eyebrows.

    Devon maintained a blank expression. ¡°Is that another trick question?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, mana corruption?¡± replied Terry with embarrassment.

    ¡°Right.¡± Megumi shook her head slightly. ¡°I see the education in the leading empire on magic has not failed you entirely.¡±

    Terry did not know where to look.

    Wow, this is incredibly awkward. Well done, Terry!

    ¡°Can you imagine what kind of mana-corrupted creature would spawn from this kind of mana? I expect this from Devon, but please don¡¯t add to my worries.¡±

    ¡°If you expect this from me, then why do you seem surprised so often?¡± asked Devon.

    Megumi scowled at Devon. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience. You know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°I wish I did,¡± retorted Devon with a pout. ¡°In my defense, I grew up in a tower of looneys.¡±

    Megumi snorted and chuckled. Then she looked at Terry. ¡°What¡¯s your excuse?¡±

    Keeping ghoul company for an extended period of time?

    ¡°Uhm. In my defense, I grew up in the Greenhouse.¡±

    That works, too.

    Megumi¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets, and she gulped. Lizzy blanched and stood with mouth agape.

    I believe you made it worse.

    ¡°P-please tell me you¡¯re joking,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°Was that a joke?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°N-no?¡±

    ¡°Are we seriously taking a Seedling to an undead horde?¡± asked Lizzy. ¡°If my family knew about this, the Castellans would get a collective heart attack. This is a diplomatic disaster in the making. If anything happens to him and the Arcana government hears that one of their future Council members has come to harm within Tiv borders while travelling with a Castellan, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna happen,¡± interrupted Terry.

    ¡°I appreciate your optimism, Terry, but Lizzy is right,¡± said Megumi. ¡°I can¡¯t bear responsibility for someone related to the Arcana Council and¡­¡± Megumi glanced at Lizzy. ¡°Let¡¯s just say things are even more complicated than you could imagine.¡± She sighed. ¡°Hmph. Can¡¯t help it. Waste it. This means we have to abort the mission and escort you to the nearest outpost immediately.¡±

    ¡°No, seriously,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Aspect impairment, remember? When I got expelled from the Academy, my supposed family rescinded my last name and disavowed me completely. I have nothing to do with the Council. The only people that care about me in Arcana are my accepted family and my companions.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s expression relaxed again. ¡°It sounds horrible to say it out loud, but I¡¯m relieved. This mission needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Thanks for telling us, even though it delays your own goals.¡±

    Do you want to admit to her that you did not even consider that part?

    ¡°Captain? A group of mana corrupted life signatures has changed course,¡± said Devon. ¡°They are now moving directly towards us. Fast, too.¡±

    Now look at what you¡¯ve done.

    ¡°How many?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Sixty or so.¡±

    ¡°Around here¡­¡± Megumi pondered. ¡°Probably a clan of darkblood hyenas. Terry, can you identify the blood and darkness aspect?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m familiar with the two.¡±

    ¡°Good. Tell me as soon as you can confirm the aspects. Can anyone provide secure footing here?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°I could.¡±¡±¡± Lizzy and Terry responded at the same time.

    Lizzy looked at Terry in surprise. ¡°I thought you could only cast the Immovable Object spell. Doesn¡¯t that require a target?¡±

    Terry retrieved a tertium slab.

    Lizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°You collect some strange items, but I see. Let¡¯s give Terry a chance. I¡¯ll act as backup.¡±

    A minute later, Terry sensed the creatures. ¡°Aspects match. Blood and darkness.¡±

    ¡°Good, transfix the slab as soon as they come into sight,¡± said Megumi. The four of them stepped onto the slab.

    Terry saw the black hyenas with blood-red spots and cast the Immovable Object spell.

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    What now? Not very forthcoming with her objectives¡­

    When the Captain judged the hyenas to be close enough, she finished her own Raging Winds spell. Megumi directed the spell into the black sand in front of them.

    Isn¡¯t the spell supposed to hit the enemy?

    The darkblood hyenas sank into the sand. Squeaks could be heard at the beginning, but eventually, everything turned silent.

    ¡°I thought you cast Raging Winds,¡± said Terry. ¡°At least, the spell structure looked like that.¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± Megumi continued to channel mana into the spell for a few more seconds.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it applied in this way. Isn¡¯t the spell normally used to deflect arrows and other projectiles?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but in this environment, it¡¯s much more efficient than wind blades.¡±

    ¡°¡®In this environment¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Desert. Sand. If you direct the right amount of air into sand, you create a fluidized bed and the sand starts to behave like a liquid. Gravity does the rest.¡± Megumi stopped her spell. ¡°Remove the airflow again and gravity does the finishing touch, too.¡±

    The sand calmed down, and it was impossible to tell that moments ago there were sixty mana corrupted walking around on it.

    ¡°Captain, the life signatures have entered the Crawly Tunnel from the east,¡± informed Devon.

    Megumi¡¯s expression became austere. ¡°How close is the horde?¡±

    ¡°Close enough to notice them soon.¡±

    Megumi clicked her tongue. ¡°No waster would be that stupid. Not even the scavengers dare enter the Bulwark. Everyone knows the catastrophic consequences of drawing undead to this side of the mountain range. Either they aren¡¯t aware of what they¡¯re doing ¨C which would mean they aren¡¯t locals ¨C or they are intentionally inviting the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°Or they are aware and don¡¯t care,¡± added Lizzy. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some ruthless people among the self-identified scavengers. Seemed more like bandits to me. I would not be surprised if there were bodies buried beneath their ¡®scavenged¡¯ areas. I would not put it past them to use the Bulwark as a way to avoid the elementals outside.¡±

    Megumi grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s also possible that they changed their M.O. to avoid investigations. Much more credible to claim the ¡®scavenging¡¯ defense when the victims have visible wounds from wasted creatures. Wastes, I hope that¡¯s not it. The Bulwark and its sense disruption acts as the last natural line of defense against the undead hordes. If they¡¯re led to one of the entrances then¡ª¡±

    Megumi interrupted herself with a grunt and shook her head. ¡°The village did not show any signs of undead. Let¡¯s not make further assumptions for now. It only serves to sour the mood. We¡¯ll see whom we will encounter in the Bulwark. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Yes, Captain.¡±¡±¡±

    Terry turned to Devon. ¡°Do you have a rank, too?¡±

    ¡°Rank?¡±

    ¡°Like the Captain. Do you have a military rank, too?¡±

    Devon looked at Megumi. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s my rank?¡±

    ¡°Tolerated.¡±

    Lizzy snickered.

    Devon looked back at Terry. ¡°I am tolerated.¡±

    I got nothing.

    After several seconds of blankly staring into Terry¡¯s face, Devon noticed something was off. ¡°That¡¯s not a rank, is it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have ranks in the Deathguard,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Captain is just a nickname that carried over from when I still served in exchange for my magic education ¨C before I officially joined the Deathguard.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Two unaspected, three earth-aspected, one dual-aspected in earth and metal, four-fire aspected. All ten are mana users,¡± informed Terry.

    The four were standing on a plateau inside the tunnel leading through the Bulwark. Devon casually incinerated a corrupted spider trying to bite him.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Megumi scowled. ¡°Unlikely to be scavengers then.¡±

    ¡°Thanatos?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Probably. Two supporters, four shields and four incinerators ¨C sounds like a waste squad to me. I don¡¯t believe the Assembly has changed course and decided to send Tiv soldiers to patrol the Wasted Zone again.¡±

    ¡°Last we talked, Grandpa said that the bulk of the army is still defending the northeast in order to safeguard our spot at Arcana¡¯s barrier and maintain at least one safe border,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°If anything, they¡¯re doubling down on their course. Grandpa wasn¡¯t happy, but the motion was passed by the Assembly and even the old Founding King spoke in favor of it.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably hoping that their recent integration efforts with the cultists can make up the numbers for the army,¡± surmised Megumi. ¡°Everyone wants a place at Arcana¡¯s barrier ¨C one less border to defend against the Wastes. Speaking of which, Thanatos wants to claim a spot at the barrier, too. Thanatos uses squad sizes of six to ten soldiers. If it¡¯s Thanatos, then they have suffered no casualties while traveling through the Wasted Zone.¡±

    ¡°Or they had casualties and were forced to combine squads.¡± Lizzy pointed out.

    ¡°And get back to exactly ten?¡± Megumi stared into the distance. ¡°Possible, but unlikely. Devon, what¡¯s the horde doing?¡±

    ¡°The Crawly Mountain blocks them from traveling further south. If they follow the mountain range towards our location, their path will lead them to the entrance. Unless something else catches their attention, they will spill into the Crawly Mountain soon.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them through here. Even if it¡¯s only a small horde.¡±

    About that¡­

    ¡°How small is ¡®small¡¯?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Small horde is up to two hundred,¡± explained Lizzy. ¡°Normal is up to a thousand. The big one has over fifty thousand and counting. The bigger the horde, the more likely it is to contain stronger undead.¡±

    ¡®Only¡¯ two hundred. E-A-S-Y. Right, Terry? Terry?!

    ¡°Lizzy, prepare to seal off the tunnel behind us,¡± ordered Megumi. ¡°While the corrupted crawlers will leave none of their tunnels blocked permanently, we can still block it temporarily. Our guest should soon¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eeek!¡± An involuntary exclamation rang through the tunnel. Apparently, their mana sensors had finally noticed Devon¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± chuckled Megumi. ¡°Always cracks me up. Terry, keep your distance. Lizzy, wait for my signal. Devon, let¡¯s go greet our guests.¡±

    The Captain burst her air-aspected mana. The aspected burst led to a phenomenon similar to the air coating ability. In the blink of an eye, she had dashed behind the guests. Devon greeted them from the front.

    Megumi recognized the crimson uniforms. ¡°So it really is Thanatos paying our humble empire a visit.¡± The Captain spoke in a loud voice.

    ¡°POSITIONS!¡± shouted the Thanatos squad leader.

    The soldiers moved to have one wall at the back. The soldiers at the flanks summoned large tower shields and one-handed hammers. They raised additional earthen walls. Next, a spherical barrier appeared around them.

    ¡°Kill the woman!¡±

    Terry recognized the familiar spell structure from Rock Spear.

    Megumi dodged the spears without trouble.

    ¡°Squad leader, there!¡± shouted a soldier. He pointed at Devon.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    Devon charged towards the barrier and struck out with a palm bringing hellfire. The barrier shattered immediately.

    ¡°Lizzy, now!¡± shouted Megumi. Then, she herself cast a succession of empowered Wind Blade spells towards the tunnel from which the soldiers had arrived.

    *WROOOM!* The two tunnels collapsed simultaneously.

    ¡°What the Wastes are you doing?!¡± yelled the squad leader.

    ¡°Ready to talk?¡±

    One soldier whispered: ¡°They¡¯re four in total, squad leader.¡±

    The squad leader glanced around. They had the advantage in numbers. However, Megumi¡¯s casual attitude and Devon¡¯s abnormal mana signature made him wary. He addressed the Captain.

    ¡°You¡¯re in our way. Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in Tiv territory. Why?¡± retorted Megumi.

    ¡°We¡¯re at war, haven¡¯t you heard?¡± sneered the squad leader.

    ¡°Normally, I don¡¯t care much about guests as long as you don¡¯t harm the citizens. I¡¯m only obligated to report your positions.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we talking? We haven¡¯t harmed any citizens.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What would you call drawing the attention of an undead horde towards the tunnel entrance of the Bulwark?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t just walk through the Bulwark Mountain. The Bulwark is a naturally formed cloaking barrier. It obfuscates life signatures and makes them harder to detect but only those outside. Inside the tunnels, your life signatures light up like a blinding flash for the undead outside. You have attracted a small horde here.¡±

    The squad leader examined Megumi¡¯s face for traces of a lie. ¡°If that is true, then how would you know? Obfuscation would mean that you don¡¯t know what happens on the other side of the mountain range. Also, you are here as well. Wouldn¡¯t your life signatures cause the same problems?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, we have our ways to know what is happening on the other side. You don¡¯t expect me to reveal the precise means to an enemy combatant? We¡¯re at war, haven¡¯t you heard? We are here, because we detected your actions. I won¡¯t disclose how we did that, either.¡±

    ¡°If you want us to get out of the Bulwark, then collapsing the tunnels is an odd strategy to go about it.¡±

    ¡°The horde is already at the tunnel entrance.¡±

    The soldiers frowned as realization dawned on them.

    Megumi watched them sternly. ¡°You¡¯re uninvited guests that have invited trouble for the citizens. We have sealed off the entrances so that you can clean up after yourselves. I assume you want to be remembered as helpful guests instead of as enemy combatants. Otherwise, we can continue where we left off.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± The squad leader stared into Megumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thanatos won¡¯t bow to threats.¡± He signaled using mana.

    Several Fire Spear spells flew at Megumi. An earthen wall turned to stone and developed spikes. Then, it got propelled towards Devon. A metal hammer grew in size and was flung at Terry, who was keeping his distance on the ceiling.

    ¡°Barrier up! Earth mages, get ready to clear the tunnel! Fire mages¡ª¡± The squad leader¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    A wild wind surrounded Megumi and blocked all the fire lances. Before the spherical barrier could be reestablished, Megumi threw out a Wind Blade at the nearest earthen wall. The wall got cut in half and so was the unprepared earth mage behind it.

    The spiky rock wall collided with an angled sheet of condensed metal-aspected mana ¨C a courtesy of Lizzy¡¯s finished spell. From behind the deflected rock wall, Devon charged at the Thanatos soldiers.

    The metal hammer collided with a bracer that did not budge an inch. The hammer did not return as it was supposed to, either. It was trapped between an immovable bracer and a transfixed septimum needle. The squad leader raised his hand and channeled more mana into the Move Metal spell, but to no avail. For the first time, he examined Terry more thoroughly.

    ¡°HOLD!¡± shouted the squad leader. ¡°We can talk.¡± Another spherical barrier appeared to protect the Thanatos soldiers.

    ¡°Devon, ice ring,¡± ordered Megumi.

    Devon cast the netherfrost Slick Ice spell variant. The black ice surrounded the soldiers. It did not touch them, but the netherfrost did touch the spherical barrier. Shortly thereafter, the barrier collapsed under the effects of mana absorption.

    ¡°Forgive me if I take precautions for this talk from now on,¡± said Megumi, while holding the gaze of the squad leader.

    ¡°Netherfrost,¡± cursed the squad leader and looked back towards Terry ¨C or more specifically at the Academy insignia on Terry¡¯s bag. Then he looked at Devon and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear you talking,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Or do you want me to start? You can try to free the tunnels, but it will take longer than it takes for the horde to arrive.¡±

    The squad leader continued to move his gaze from Terry to Devon. ¡°I was not aware that there were Arcanians among you. I apologize for any previous incivilities. Thanatos does not mean to offend Arcana.¡±

    Megumi glanced over to Devon and was relieved that he did not show any reaction. If the Thanatos soldiers had developed the wrong idea, there was no need to correct them.

    ¡°Scared of Arcana, are you?¡± derided Lizzy. ¡°Invading the Tiv Empire is fine, but offending Arcana is off-limits?¡±

    The squad leader eyed the armored woman near the second collapsed tunnel. ¡°Thanatos does not fear strength. Thanatos respects strength. That respect has to be earned. The Arcana Empire has earned it. The empire of the Cowardly King has not.¡±

    ¡°Keep the hammer, Arcana,¡± shouted Megumi. ¡°Thanatos desires to make reparations.¡± The hammer had by now returned to its original size.

    The squad leader frowned but did not object.

    ¡°So? The horde?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be? Are you going to fight the horde, or are you going to fight us and the horde?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll fight. First, the horde.¡± The squad leader looked at the dead woman who had been cut in half. Afterwards, he growled at Megumi. ¡°You¡¯ll regret that, Tiv woman.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to be addressed as Megumi, thank you.¡±

    The squad leader raised an eyebrow and recalled the intel on notable Tiv combatants. ¡°The Captain?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of me? Well, now I feel special.¡± Megumi kept a blank expression.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been briefed on all the Nine Blademasters.¡±

    ¡°Do we get reparations, too?¡± quipped Megumi.

    ¡°No, but you have earned a fair warning. A soldier¡¯s life is negligible to Thanatos. To reuse your earlier words, I am only obligated to report it. I am not oath bound to enact vengeance. That being said, losing blood to unacknowledged outsiders is a dishonor for the whole bloodline. In Thanatos, blood debts are sacred and to be repaid drop for drop.¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± said Megumi.

    The Thanatos squad leader addressed the soldiers under his command. ¡°Salvage Fernanda¡¯s equipment. Incinerate her body. Signal the platoon leader and inform him about her death.¡±

    ***

 039 A Small Horde

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 43 ¨C

    ¡°Should I just continue calling you Thanatos?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Damian,¡± said the Thanatos squad leader. ¡°We¡¯ll be setting up fortifications down here. Don¡¯t get in our way.¡±

    ¡°Suits me perfectly. My primary concern is that none of the undead breaks through the Bulwark. Your lives are secondary.¡±

    Damian smirked. ¡°You would fit in well in Thanatos.¡±

    ¡°I very much doubt that.¡± Megumi scowled.

    ¡°Watch your back.¡± Damian maintained his smirk and established eye contact. ¡°Our only concern is to get out of here. You or your concerns are worthless to us.¡±

    ¡°Lovely. We¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Megumi turned her back to Damian and intentionally paced her steps as a sign of confidence. She led Devon, Lizzy, and Terry back up to the plateau.

    ¡°Alright, listen up!¡± commanded Damian. ¡°I want smooth, hardened walls all the way from there to there. The first wave will be mindless runners. Normally, it¡¯s zombies first, then the ghouls. Can¡¯t do much about the ghouls climbing with their claws, but if I see a zombie scaling the walls, then I will assume you want to aggravate me.¡± He glared at them.

    ¡°Leave an opening and create a funnel for them to run through fire. Set up the earth so that the air can always flow to the fire and smoke always flows away from us. If my eyes get irritated, you will be the ones crying later.

    ¡°Let them run into a dead end back here. Save your mana for the ghouls. If the ghouls ignore the funnel and climb over the first wall, then crush them with a second.

    ¡°We need to bring down their numbers before the skeletal warriors and any possible evolutions arrive. The skeletons won¡¯t fall for the funnel. They¡¯ll switch from melee mana weapons to ranged ones.

    ¡°Once they have arrived, the unaspected mages will focus on maintaining our barrier to defend against the mana arrows. Fire mages, focus on area-of-effect spells from behind the barrier, but monitor your mana. Earth mages, wait for a good time to bring down parts of the ceiling in a controlled manner. Controlled! You will have to eat any rock that falls on this half of the cavern, clear? The more of the low-ranks we can take out quickly, the more room we have to deal with any evolutions.¡±

    Damian clicked his tongue. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have to be said, but just in case, don¡¯t let yourselves get hit. Any mana attack by a skeletal warrior will absorb life and mana. Any failure of yours will strengthen the enemy. Skeletal warriors gain protective equipment formed from mana with increasing levels. They will gain the death aura ability at the higher levels of the first rank and eventually evolve into undead of the second rank. If a failure of yours to dodge or block increases the number of death knights or similar on the field, then you will be the first to fight them. Clear?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Yes, squad leader.¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°You heard them?¡± asked Megumi. The others nodded.

    ¡°Good. Our priorities are different. None of the undead are to breach the Bulwark. Whatever creature passes the Thanatos line will be priority one for us.¡±

    Megumi looked at Terry and added explanations for his benefit: ¡°Any skeleton with a green aura needs to be eliminated quickly. First, the aura is an indicator that their dormant death aura curse has become active and any death they inflict afterwards will cause another skeletal warrior to rise. Second, the aura is evidence that they have entered the high levels of the first rank, and this means that they are close to evolving to the second rank.

    ¡°The second rank death aura creatures are death knights, death mages, and death specters. Their evolution depends on the mana and life energies they have absorbed during the first rank. The death knight is merely a significantly more powerful version of a skeletal warrior.

    ¡°A death mage spells trouble, because it learns proper spellwork. In particular, it has a Death Spear spell whose casting center can be placed just as freely as a Rock Spear or Fire Spear. It can bypass fortifications.

    ¡°A death specter is even more annoying. It¡¯s incorporeal and can¡¯t be hurt by purely physical means. It can summon haunt projectiles that carry intent. The haunts move according to the specter¡¯s will. They pass through physical objects. They absorb mana and life energy on contact. They induce a mild fear effect on living beings.

    ¡°Long story short, if you see something green, take it down.¡± Megumi looked at Devon. ¡°Your first priority is to keep watch over the Wastes. If more creatures are being attracted to the Bulwark, inform me immediately. If you notice anything else out of the ordinary, tell me after things have calmed down.¡±

    Megumi examined the fortifications prepared by the Thanatos soldiers. ¡°For anything else, trust your own judgement.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Devon agreed happily.

    Megumi raised an eyebrow and then squinted at Devon.

    ¡°Second thoughts?¡± joked Lizzy when she saw Megumi¡¯s expression. ¡°Want to retract the last instruction?¡±

    ¡°Nah. We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry pondered the statements by the Captain.

    Glad that the dungeon was filled with Alricks instead of death specters?

    From the description, the death specter sounded like the worst possible enemy for Terry to face. He would have to add some more brainstorming topics to his notebook.

    Afterwards, Terry examined the one-handed hammer from the Thanatos squad leader. It had a single imprint for the Enlarge Object spell. While useful, Terry was disappointed. He had hoped that the hammer¡¯s movement was an imprint instead of spellwork. He had already started wondering about a combination of his Gravitational Attraction glove and the flying hammer.

    Neat, but in all likelihood, that would incur an outrageous mana expenditure. You might get an award for the least efficient flying attempt.

    ***

    The vanguard of the small undead horde arrived, and Terry was feeling wistful about the enchanted scent mask again. After the smell came the zombies.

    The corpses of rotting flesh poured into the cavern by the dozens. The life signatures of the Thanatos soldiers caused the zombies to enter a frenzy. They charged at the only opening in the fortifications.

    Roughly half of them filled the prepared funnel.

    Two of the Thanatos fire mages ignited their spell structures for Circle of Flames. The area inside the funnel lit up in a crescendo of fire. The two overlapping magic circles incinerated the zombies, and they turned into ashes. Their fates did not deter the later zombies from charging into the same trap.

    Two dozen ghouls reached the walls. For the ghouls, the attraction towards life signatures was less intense than for the zombies. In addition, the ghouls harbored an instinctual aversion towards fire. They avoided the funnel and rammed their claws into the hardened earth to climb.

    Aren¡¯t you glad that Alrick has never been this motivated?

    ¡°Alrick,¡± muttered Terry. Devon looked around to see who that might be.

    Terry used one of his roped octavum ring pairs to swing closer to the Thanatos soldiers. He activated the imprints in his boots and retrieved a light-aspected metal rod from his storage bracelet. Terry threw the light-aspected rod to the other side of the fortifications and close to the funnel entrance.

    Down below, Damian observed his actions.

    Terry had never tested which of the ghouls¡¯ instincts was stronger ¨C their frenzied hatred for the light aspect or their aversion to fire. His dungeon experience had been missing some mages to provide proper ventilation.

    The glowing metal rod passed through the fortifications. Without hesitation, the ghouls dropped from the walls and threw themselves at the metal rod.

    ¡°Good,¡± murmured Megumi.

    Terry walked through the air and then activated his Gravitational Attraction glove to pull the glowing rod through the funnel to himself.

    The ghouls pursued the glowing rod. They ignored the lingering embers and traces of fire-aspected mana in the funnel. Their loathing of the light aspect had won over any other instincts.

    Damian signaled the fire mages and another round of flaming circles engulfed the area.

    A mana arrow flew at Terry and forced him to dodge. Afterwards, a metal-aspected barrier appeared in front of him and covered his retreat to the plateau.

    ¡°Thanks, Lizzy.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    In the distance, they could see the arrival of the skeletal warriors. Mid-level warriors appeared at the front with swords or axes and shields formed from mana. Some even wore protective armor. Behind them were dozens of other skeletal warriors.

    Like a wave, the skeletal warriors switched from melee equipment to bows formed from mana ¨C row by row.

    Here and there, a few of the skeletal warriors emitted a green aura.

    ¡°Nearly half have entered,¡± said Devon.

    ¡°If the remaining half is similar¡­¡± Megumi looked over the area. ¡°Fifty in the lower levels. Thirty-something in the middle levels. Ten or so in the higher levels. Those ten will be our priority targets.¡±

    The skeletal archers combined their mana arrows to attack the barrier of the Thanatos soldiers. The fact that the barrier did not collapse instantly made Terry wonder at how terrifying Devon¡¯s hellfire must be.

    The earth quaked.

    ¡°Here come the big ones,¡± said Megumi.

    Three tall skeletons with a green aura entered the cavern. The previous warriors were as tall as an average human. These death knights were a head taller than Tiana.

    One of the death knights dashed forward with a two-handed mana axe and cleaved a gap into the protective earthen walls.

    The second used a tower shield together with a one-handed axe and remained in the back. The last took cover behind the tower shield and used a mana bow to attack the barrier.

    ¡°Waste it.¡± Megumi frowned. ¡°Thanatos won¡¯t be able to wait for the other second ranks.¡±

    Some of the skeletal warriors switched to melee weapons and rushed towards the opening in the defensive fortifications.

    Damian clicked his tongue and signaled the two remaining earth mages. They and Damian ignited their spell structures. Parts of the ceiling collapsed onto the horde of skeletons. One of the death knights and many of the first rank skeletal warriors were crushed.

    ¡°Earth mages, fire at will,¡± ordered Damian. ¡°Unaspected, focus on the barrier and preserve mana. Fire mages, make the death knights move.¡±

    The front row of the remaining skeletal warriors switched to melee weapons and aimed for the opening in the wall again.

    Flames engulfed the two death knights in the back and they quickly jumped to the sides.

    ¡°Five priority targets remaining,¡± muttered Megumi. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Air currents enveloped the Captain, and she jumped from the plateau. Instead of falling down, the air currents turned into a whirlwind and propelled her forward with amazing speed.

    In her flight, Megumi dodged some mana arrows with minimal changes to her own movement.

    Three of the first-rank skeletal warriors imbued with death aura reached the Thanatos fortifications.

    Megumi ignited her spell structure and a vast Wind Guillotine descended from the sky. Two green auras vanished. A third skeletal warrior was cut in half, but remained active. The spell had cut off its legs, but the head remained intact. A rock spear from one of the Thanatos mages finished the job.

    A moment later, a Wind Blade split the head of another high-level skeletal warrior in the back. Unfortunately, a second Wind Blade was blocked by the tower shield of a death knight that had just entered the cavern. This last skeletal warrior imbued with death aura was still using a ranged mana weapon.

    Megumi floated in the air and narrowed her eyes.

    The skeletal archer with the green glow was lifted up and pulled towards her direction. Megumi glanced around to discover Terry standing in the air while being protected by a metal-aspected barrier.

    The Captain followed up with another Wind Blade that eliminated the last among their current priority targets.

    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* The sounds of collisions reverberated through the area.

    The Thanatos squad leader and the other two earth mages propelled several rock walls into the skeletal warriors that had breached the first defensive line.

    There were now four death knights in the cavern. One of them had cleaved another opening into the fortifications. Two of them had used mana bows the whole time. Now, however, all four of them switched to shields and protected the entrance into the cavern.

    ¡°AHHH.¡± The scream of a Thanatos fire mage resounded through the cavern.

    His neck had been pierced from behind by a Death Spear. His eyes burned away in a green fire. Then his whole body ignited. His uniform turned to ash. His flesh evaporated. It did not take long for a green glow to settle on the man¡¯s bones. After the glow had worn off, all that was left was a new low-level skeletal warrior of the first rank.

    The newly formed undead immediately summoned a mana sword. Before the skeleton got a chance to attack, its head was pulverized by Damian¡¯s one-handed war hammer.

    ¡°Death mages,¡± cursed Damian. ¡°Don¡¯t just blindly rely on the barrier! Eyes open for casting centers! Use your shields to block!¡±

    Megumi and the others observed from the plateau again.

    ¡°Two death mages,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Luckily, they¡¯re still in the lower levels of the second rank. Otherwise, they would fly through the air instead of hovering over the ground.¡±

    Circles of flames ignited under the feet of the death knights and death mages. The mana-cursed creatures scattered.

    The Thanatos barrier disappeared for a second and then reappeared. An enlarged one-handed hammer darted through the air and crushed the head of a death mage.

    A Death Spear targeted Damian beneath the Thanatos barrier but was blocked by his tower shield.

    Rock and fire spears attacked the remaining death mage. Unfortunately, they were blocked by the death knights.

    One of the death knights switched to a mana bow and attacked the barrier.

    Another death knight switched to melee equipment and dashed towards the nearest opening in the fortifications.

    The two remaining death knights stayed behind to protect the death mage and archer.

    ¡°Curses,¡± spat Megumi. She scowled when she saw the green translucent creature flying into the cavern. ¡°Devon, get ready to jump in.¡±

    The melee death knight had reached the barrier and swung its two-handed axe. The axe was blocked by a small metal-aspected barrier placed by Damian. Simultaneously, earthen walls surrounded the death knight and two overlapping Circle of Flames spells incinerated the undead.

    An earth mage blocked another Death Spear.

    The last death mage was caught in the crossfire of several spear spells and perished. As soon as the death mage disappeared, all death knights switched to melee equipment and ran towards the Thanatos soldiers.

    A green shadow overtook all the death knights and rushed towards the barrier. The death specter moved through the fortifications unimpeded. Several small green translucent skulls left the creature¡¯s body and flew at the Thanatos soldiers.

    ¡°Fire mages, moving shields to block the haunts!¡±

    The mixed-aspect barrier was insufficient to stop the green skulls. The haunts zipped around the soldiers in little circles. The fire mages did their best to block them with small fire-aspected barriers. However, there were simply too many haunts for them to block.

    An earth mage groaned in pain and his eyes grew wide. One of the haunts had passed through his body and it took some of his mana and life energy with it. The haunt circled around for a second serving. The earth mage forcefully shook his head to shake off the fear effect.

    The three death knights reached the barrier and frenziedly hacked at it.

    Damian cast Metal Hammer, and a heavy block of condensed metal-aspected mana fell upon one of the death knights. Simultaneously, he cast Move Metal Object to direct the one-handed war hammer he had thrown outside the barrier earlier. The hammer had returned to its original size and collided with the head of another death knight.

    ¡°ATTACK!¡± roared Damian.

    The unaspected mages dispelled the barrier. All the Thanatos soldiers scattered in order to dodge and distance themselves from the haunts.

    Damian¡¯s moving hammer was blocked by the death knight¡¯s defensive equipment. Damian charged the death knight with two more hammers in hand. He pelted the death knight with blows and broke the cursed creature bone by bone.

    The two remaining Thanatos earth mages raised short earthen walls behind the last death knight. Damian followed the progress in his peripheral vision. When the moment was right, he enlarged a hammer and threw it out with another Move Metal Object spell. The hammer collided with the death knight and made it stumble over the earthen walls. Once the knight had fallen to the ground, the two earth mages threw away their shields. They enlarged their own war hammers and crushed the death knight¡¯s head.

    The two unaspected mages joined the three fire mages in attacking the death specter. Their efforts showed less effect than they would have hoped for. Even though light-aspected and fire-aspected spells could hurt the creature, the fact that the specter could fly limited their options. To make it worse, the haunts were still darting around and every contact replenished the death specter¡¯s health and mana.

    A wind tunnel propelled Devon right in front of the death specter. His eyes glowed intensely from mana use and then he struck out his palm. A giant blast of hellfire engulfed the death specter.

    The haunts disappeared.

    Damian saw the hellfire from the corner of his eye while he smote the head of the last death knight.

    The battle was over.

    ***

    ¡°Now, if you would be so kind as to get your asses out of the Bulwark, that would be great.¡± Megumi glared at the Thanatos soldiers.

    Damian and the other two earth mages had already cleared the tunnels.

    The mana-corrupted spiders and centipedes did their part to clear the rubble, too. This was one reason why the Bulwark could never be closed off permanently.

    ¡°We aim to please,¡± sneered Damian. ¡°It has been a pleasure, Captain. I am sure we will meet again.¡±

    ¡°Lovely. I would say it was a pleasure, too.¡± Megumi clicked her tongue. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. Please, don¡¯t wait around on my account. I¡¯m sure you have somewhere else to be and someone else to bother.¡±

    Damian led the soldiers out of the Bulwark and into the Black Desert.

    ***

    ¡°Devon?¡±

    ¡°Thanatos has left the Bulwark. No creatures are approaching from the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Megumi nodded.

    ¡°However, there is something abnormal in the Wastes.¡±

    That statement caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of the defining characteristic of the Wastes?¡± quipped Lizzy. ¡°The Wastes being abnormal seems normal, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Explain,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°There is an area with no life or death signatures.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s unusual about that?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Only strong signatures can be sensed, right?¡±

    ¡°Correct in theory,¡± said Megumi. ¡°However, general rules don¡¯t apply if we¡¯re talking about Devon¡¯s senses. Even wasted areas harbor life and there are few life signatures too weak for Devon to sense. From outside the Bulwark, it would be one thing ¨C the Bulwark¡¯s interference could serve as an explanation. From inside, however, it is unusual.¡±

    ¡°Hostile unlife?¡± speculated Terry. ¡°Or cloaking?¡±

    Lizzy grimaced.

    ¡°Life and death signatures can be cloaked, too, yes.¡± Megumi pondered out loud.

    ¡°But that would imply highly intelligent creatures,¡± interjected Lizzy. ¡°High-rank undead or folk.¡±

    ¡°How large is the area?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Slightly bigger than the Chara Settlement,¡± replied Devon.

    Lizzy sighed. ¡°Do we have to check it out? A stroll through the Wastes with a chance of liches is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Necessary,¡± interrupted Megumi. ¡°Unusual activity in the Wastes has the highest priority. It supersedes our investigation.¡± She raised her chin at Devon. ¡°Lead the way and keep an eye out for trouble.¡±

    ***

 040 Welcome to Syn City

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 43 ¨C

    ¡°What is the distance to the anomaly?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Currently, around one thousand Terrys,¡± replied Devon.

    ¡°You should not use Terry as a unit of measurement,¡± reminded Lizzy.

    ¡°Around twelve hundred Captains then.¡±

    Lizzy narrowed her eyes at Devon.

    ¡°What about our tails?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°One has broken off toward the anomaly. The other one is keeping a constant distance. Still beneath the sand.¡±

    Terry looked at the red sand underneath his feet. He still found it difficult to believe and to accept that he was really walking through the territory of the Wastes.

    Megumi furrowed her brow. ¡°A death signature moving through sand is unusual. Same goes for moving on its own and keeping a distance.¡± She clicked her tongue.

    After some thought, Megumi continued: ¡°Let¡¯s split up for a bit. Devon, you and Terry go towards our tail. I want to know what Terry¡¯s mana sense can pick up. Don¡¯t aim directly for the signature but rather in the rough direction to get close enough. Make it look as if we are searching for something else. Lizzy and I will move parallel to you. Stay within eyesight.¡±

    Terry followed Devon in calm, measured steps. He focused on his mana sense.

    Eventually, Terry stopped walking. ¡°Devon.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Close enough.¡± Terry tried not to show any reaction that could be perceived by whatever or whoever was tailing them. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Death, earth, air.¡±

    Megumi scowled and pinched her own forehead. ¡°Unless that is a new and very intelligent mana corrupted, that spells high-level death mage or young-ish vampire.¡±

    ¡°Turn back?¡± asked Lizzy.

    Megumi shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Signatures are moving out of the anomaly and towards us,¡± said Devon. ¡°Seems as if they are popping into existence at a specific location.¡±

    ¡°How many signatures?¡±

    ¡°Six.¡±

    ¡°Death signatures?¡±

    ¡°Five of them.¡±

    ¡°Only five?¡± blurted Lizzy. She turned to Megumi. ¡°Necromancer?¡±

    ¡°Or a thrall. Or a worshipper of the lower realms. Or any other lunatic deathcult,¡± grumbled Megumi with tired eyes.

    ¡°They¡¯re splitting up,¡± said Devon. ¡°Only the life signature and one death signature are approaching now. Huh?¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°The death signature suddenly became smaller.¡±

    ¡°Vampire transformation,¡± said Megumi with narrowed eyes. ¡°Makes the thrall theory more likely, but no need to cast judgement prematurely. Let¡¯s see if we can get some information out of them first, thrall or not.¡±

    In the distance, they could see a muscular old man approaching. A bat sat on his head. The man had both arms raised and kept walking towards them.

    ¡°The bat seems unaspected with pronounced blood and spirit aspects,¡± said Terry. ¡°The man is unaspected with a comparatively weaker mana foundation.¡±

    ¡°Heeeek!¡± exclaimed the man, and recoiled.

    ¡°I believe Devon just entered his range of mana sense,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°That reaction does not seem very thrall-like.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t eat me, will he?¡± asked the man and pointed at Devon. ¡°What is up with that freakish mana signature? Is that why there are Deathguards here? To capture you?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Megumi in a commanding voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m Logan.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing in the Wastes, Logan?¡±

    ¡°I asked first. Why is the Deathguard here? Why is the Deathguard bringing that?¡± Logan pointed at Devon.

    ¡°That was rude,¡± said Devon. He turned to Lizzy. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was.¡± Lizzy scowled at the man.

    ¡°I answered one of your questions,¡± said Logan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer mine?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Megumi again.

    ¡°I already told you I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m not talking to you, Logan. You want to know why we are here? We detected an anomaly in the Wastes. Before that, we were investigating disappearances of citizens.¡±

    Logan grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m still not talking to you. Logan was the name of a guard in one of the villages whose inhabitants disappeared.¡±

    ¡°You.¡± Megumi looked at the bat. ¡°Who are you? If you are not willing to talk, then I can only make assumptions and right now, they don¡¯t cast you in a favorable light.¡±

    ¡°Now, wait a moment,¡± growled Logan.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± came a voice. The bat flew from Logan¡¯s head and, after a shroud of black smoke, an elven man with blood-red eyes stood in its place. ¡°My name is Ying. It is in an honor to meet the Captain.¡±

    Megumi narrowed her eyes. ¡°If it is such an honor, then why did you not appear in your true form? Or did you think a Deathguard would not recognize a transformed vampire?¡±

    ¡°It was a compromise,¡± said Ying sheepishly.

    ¡°A foul one,¡± grumbled Logan, and he looked at Ying. ¡°You knew she would recognize you for what you are! Why didn¡¯t you tell me when I made the suggestion?¡±

    Ying smiled sheepishly. ¡°Because then you would have continued to object to me accompanying you, which brings me back to the earlier question.¡± He looked at Devon. ¡°Who are you? Your mana signature is somewhat concerning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Devon,¡± replied Devon in a cheery voice.

    Ying blinked and then looked at Megumi. ¡°Is that supposed to explain anything?¡±

    Terry could not help but chuckle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t distract from the main topic,¡± said Megumi. She never took her eyes off Ying. ¡°What are you doing in the Wastes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an unclaimed region. I am free to be here.¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap. What are you doing in the Wastes with a person claiming the name of a missing citizen of Tiv?¡±

    ¡°Hey, now!¡± exclaimed Logan. ¡°I¡¯m not only claiming the name, it is my name! Yes, I was a guard at the Silent Stream Village. So what? I was not aware that I have to give the empire notice when I want to leave its borders.¡±

    ¡°Logan!¡± Ying shot him a glance.

    Megumi raised her eyebrows. ¡°What is it that was left unsaid right now?¡±

    She was looking from one to the other. Eventually, she focused her gaze on Ying. ¡°I believe I am already being very open-minded here. Citizens are missing. Now, you appear next to one taking a stroll in the Wastes. If you are not willing to explain yourselves, then I am forced to go by appearances.¡±

    ¡°What appearances?!¡± demanded Logan angrily.

    ¡°Logan, please calm yourself,¡± said Ying. ¡°Captain, you have a good reputation. As you have said, you are open-minded.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°However, not everyone is like you. As a member of the Deathguard, you will have to report your findings. Some of the people reading the reports will not be like you. Please, turn back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, shouldn¡¯t you worry about protecting the citizens in the Tiv Empire?¡± growled Logan. ¡°The Wasted Zone is crawling with death and corrupted! People are getting slaughtered left and right and Tiv is doing jack shit about it! You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Logan, please calm yourself,¡± said Ying. ¡°The Guardians are not the Tiv army.¡±

    Logan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. ¡°They take our taxes, but when the Wastes come knocking, they withdraw all troops. We are not allowed to learn magic to defend our homes or to teach magic to others. If we want to learn magic, then they order us to learn some bullshit or to protect other places instead of our home. If we learn it anyway, they label us criminals and suddenly find soldiers to send out. They tell us to move, but don¡¯t make room for us anywhere.¡±

    The more he talked, the more Logan¡¯s face became flushed from anger. He spat out: ¡°Screw the Tiv Empire!¡±

    Lizzy frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to discuss politics,¡± said Megumi calmly. ¡°As your friend said, I am not a soldier. Not anymore. I am a Deathguard and I want to know what happened to the citizens.¡±

    Ying and Logan both responded with silence.

    ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to talk, then I guess I will have to ask your other friends,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Lizzy, apprehend them!¡±

    Terry felt mana surging from Lizzy¡¯s direction, and a moment later, Lizzy grew as tall as a giant. Her plate armor and other metal equipment grew together with her.

    ¡°Life aspect Enlarge Person and metal aspect Enlarge Object,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Lizzy rapidly grabbed both Logan and Ying ¨C one in each fist.

    ¡°RELEASE THEM!¡± A loud and flat voice reverberated through the air. A lich appeared.

    Next to the lich, two death mages dove out of the earth and flew into the air.

    Down on the sand, two death knights stepped out of camouflage.

    All of them wore a lot of protective mana equipment. All of them were infused with a bright cyan aura.

    ¡°Cyan?¡± Megumi narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± exclaimed one of the death knights with the voice of an old woman.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Gretchen, I¡¯ll protect you from the scary man!¡± promised the other death knight with the voice of an old man. The death knight moved in front of the first and pointed his sword at Devon.

    ¡°Aww Wilhelm, you¡¯re making me blush, my life!¡± A giggle could be heard. ¡°Inwardly at least. I have misplaced my skin, you see.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Terry stood with mouth agape. He forcefully shook his head. ¡°Did they just talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, dear,¡± replied Gretchen. Terry could not figure out how the sound was produced.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Devon waved. Reflexively, Terry started waving, too.

    ¡°Such nice young men,¡± exclaimed Gretchen. ¡°Wilhelm, put away the sword. Saul, maybe we can talk this through? Look, the one over there is practically still a child.¡± She pointed at Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight a child.¡±

    ¡°Gretchen!¡± The lich was aghast. Saul sounded a lot more like normal folk now. He addressed the two death mages: ¡°Olivienne, Yancey, don¡¯t let down your guard!¡± Then, he turned back to the death knights. ¡°Gretchen, they have taken Logan and Ying hostage!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I told you this way of doing things was a bad idea,¡± grumbled Gretchen. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight the Captain. She was always one to truly care about the manaless citizens and wasters.¡±

    ¡°Sh-she was one of my heroes growing up,¡± said Olivienne.

    ¡°The magic of the other one is the Castellan combination,¡± said Yancey. ¡°The Castellans opposed the Preacher¡¯s restoration of magic restrictions. The old Castellan was also one of the few Tiv officials that spoke in support of the Preacher¡¯s motion to reestablish army patrols to protect the Wasteborder. They may very well be the least despicable of the ruling bunch.¡±

    ¡°Be that as it may!¡± exclaimed Saul.

    Terry could swear that if the lich still had eyelids, then they would twitch.

    ¡°We have to think of the others! We are carrying more lives on our shoulders than our own!¡±

    ¡°Lizzy, release the two,¡± ordered Megumi.

    Lizzy was still trying to process what was happening when the Captain¡¯s command resounded through the air. She placed Logan and Ying on the ground. Afterwards, she returned to her normal size.

    ¡°I am afraid I have even more questions now,¡± said Megumi. ¡°I expect some answers.¡±

    Devon poked Lizzy¡¯s shoulder with a finger.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Gretchen called me a nice young man. That means she is older than me, right?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you took away from all this?!¡±

    ¡°It means that she believes she is older,¡± interjected Megumi. ¡°Gretchen and Wilhelm ¨C those are names from the list of the Yellow Creek Village.¡±

    ¡°A beautiful place,¡± exclaimed Gretchen.

    ¡°Before it was overrun by the Wastes,¡± muttered Wilhelm regretfully.

    ¡°Our home for over sixty years,¡± continued Gretchen.

    Megumi¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Is that what happens to the missing citizens? You turn them into undead?¡±

    ¡°Deathlife,¡± corrected Ying. ¡°Deathlife. Not undead.¡±

    ¡°And no, it is not what happens to them,¡± insisted Logan. ¡°Not unless they choose it.¡±

    ¡°We were manaless, old, and dying, dear,¡± said Gretchen. ¡°We chose to live an afterlife to protect the young.¡±

    ¡°I was sick and bedridden,¡± said Olivienne. ¡°Now, I get to do something meaningful.¡±

    ¡°I was hunted for violation of magic restrictions,¡± said Yancey. ¡°The Tiv soldiers left me crippled and on the verge of death. I chose this instead.¡±

    ¡°The cyan aura, the sentient skeletal warriors, the missing citizens,¡± enumerated Megumi. ¡°I expect answers.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± uttered Saul.

    ¡°We could give the young ones a chance, couldn¡¯t we?¡± asked Wilhelm. Gretchen took his skeletal hand in her own.

    ¡°We could,¡± said Ying. ¡°But then we will need assurances.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to hand over my blades?¡± quipped Megumi.

    Ying snorted. ¡°I understand better than most that a mana user does not require weapons to be armed.¡±

    ¡°We could seal their mana,¡± suggested Saul.

    Megumi and Lizzy frowned.

    ¡°Oh? Please try,¡± said Devon nonchalantly. ¡°The looneys said that was not supposed to be possible anymore.¡± He tilted his head.

    Saul¡¯s jaw hung wide open.

    ¡°Devon,¡± exclaimed Lizzy in a reprimanding tone.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any mana sealing,¡± stated Megumi matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Maybe later?¡± asked Devon.

    ¡°A promise from the Captain will do,¡± said Ying. ¡°Promise that you will keep an open mind and that you won¡¯t cause harm to the innocent.¡±

    Megumi raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s a promise I have already given a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°He makes it sound like we are the suspicious ones,¡± grumbled Lizzy.

    ¡°I am not only talking about the actions you perform directly with your own hands.¡± Ying gazed into Megumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am talking about your reports.¡±

    ¡°I will report what I find,¡± said Megumi. ¡°I have no intention of causing harm to the innocent, nor will I stand by when innocents get harmed.¡±

    Yancey snorted and spat out: ¡°Big words for one of Tiv¡¯s dogs.¡±

    ¡°The Captain isn¡¯t like that!¡± objected Olivienne.

    ¡°What?! I don¡¯t see her defending the innocent from the imperial censors! What a load of wasted pus! Where was the honorable Captain when the mage hunters came for me and my family?!¡±

    The cyan light in Yancey¡¯s eye sockets flickered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill her, but that does not mean that I trust her empty promises.¡±

    ¡°Yancey is right,¡± said Saul. ¡°They are a threat to our families.¡±

    Ying sighed and bit his lip.

    ¡°Let me sum it up for you,¡± started Megumi. ¡°We have detected an anomaly in the Wastes. We have located some of the missing citizens whose disappearance we were supposed to investigate. If I send the report like this, what do you think will happen?¡±

    Ying nodded.

    ¡°Maybe we should contact the Lightbringer and ask for guidance?¡± suggested Olivienne.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Ying, and shook his head. ¡°The Progenitor is busy at the moment. I don¡¯t know what exactly has him occupied, but he is already troubled by having to provide safe passage whenever we accept new citizens.¡±

    ¡°That Progenitor is a dimensional mage, I take it,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Much more than that,¡± said Saul.

    ¡°Yes, he is a dimensional mage,¡± added Ying. ¡°Not the only one among us, but the best.¡±

    Ying watched the faces one by one: Devon, Megumi, Lizzy, and Terry. Then he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s take our chances and show them our home. I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±

    ***

    Terry looked around. They had left behind the red sand and were now walking on proper earth again. In front of them, he could sense a large mana distortion. However, his eyes could see nothing. There was nothing but air.

    Ying stepped forward and raised his hand. Buildings appeared like a mirage in the desert.

    ¡°Welcome to Syn City,¡± said Ying. He, Logan, and Saul walked first.

    Several people were aiming bows at Devon and the others.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Dad?¡± asked a woman that kept a fire-aspected arrow nocked.

    ¡°Yes, Romana,¡± replied Logan. ¡°For now.¡±

    ¡°Please, everyone, relax,¡± said Ying. ¡°We want to show our guests the true ideal of Synergy. Hostilities are unwarranted.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make some cookies,¡± said Gretchen happily.

    ¡°Ehh,¡± uttered Logan. ¡°While I appreciate the sentiment, I don¡¯t trust pastries from someone without taste buds.¡±

    ¡°Insolence!¡± exclaimed Wilhelm. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know my Gretchen makes the best cookies in the world!¡±

    ¡°No need to throw the pearls to the swine, dear.¡± Gretchen chuckled.

    ¡°Uhm, where did Devon go?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°What?¡± Lizzy looked around. ¡°Oh, damned Wastes. Why does he always do that?¡±

    Megumi closed her eyes and listened. Then she pointed. ¡°Over there. I can hear barking.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I sense him?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Our cloaking inhibits your mana sense as well,¡± replied Ying. ¡°It takes some getting used to.¡±

    The group walked in the direction that Megumi had pointed out. They arrived to find Devon playing with a large molossoid dog. Several children were standing next to them and guffawed.

    ¡°Devon,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Devon was lying on the ground and the dog slobbered over his face.

    ¡°What did we tell you about running off without warning?¡± asked Lizzy.

    A small terrier stopped in front of Lizzy and growled. Lizzy squinted at the little furry creature.

    ¡°Not to do that,¡± replied Devon with a blank expression. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Before Lizzy could really get into it, Megumi raised her hand in front of Lizzy to interrupt.

    ¡°The children ¨C life or death signatures?¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± replied Devon. He sat up and patted the dog on his lap. ¡°One of the little ones that are peeking at you from behind the tree is a vampire.¡±

    The large dog slobbered Devon¡¯s face again. ¡°Easy, Buttercup.¡±

    Devon looked at Lizzy and then at the little dog that was growling at her. ¡°Brutus is bluffing. No need to be scared.¡± The little terrier barked.

    ¡°You can wait here if you want,¡± said Megumi. ¡°We¡¯ll continue inspecting the place.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Devon smiled happily and asked the children: ¡°Anyone got a ball?¡±

    ¡°Did you also come from the Silent Stream Village?¡± Terry asked Romana.

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°Is this yours?¡± Terry retrieved the enchanted quiver he had found before.

    Romana received the quiver but kept her eyes on Terry. ¡°You¡¯re not from Tiv, are you?¡±

    Lizzy snorted. ¡°Busted.¡±

    ¡°He has nothing to do with the imperial censors,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Nor do we. No need to worry.¡±

    ¡°It was mine, but I don¡¯t need it here.¡± Romana handed the quiver back to Terry. ¡°Thanks, though.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need it?¡± Megumi moved her eyes over Romana¡¯s bow.

    ¡°No. In Syn, I can learn proper spellwork and get proper equipment.¡± Romana was paying close attention to Megumi¡¯s reaction.

    Megumi only nodded and then looked back at Ying. ¡°I will take a careful look around and talk to the Tiv citizens¡ª¡±

    ¡°SYN citizens,¡± interrupted Romana.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Logan approvingly.

    ¡°I will talk to the people here,¡± continued Megumi unperturbed. ¡°I need to understand the circumstances of everyone¡¯s arrival. It does not seem as if any of the folk here are under duress or kept against their will.¡±

    ¡°Tse,¡± uttered Logan.

    ¡°Duress was what we lived under in Tiv,¡± growled Yancey.

    ¡°Do as you wish,¡± said Ying. ¡°Everyone is free to talk to you just like they are free to leave whenever they want.¡±

    ¡°Free to leave and brave the Wastes you mean,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°As opposed to our lives in Tiv?¡± sneered Romana. ¡°In Tiv, the Wastes came crawling right into our homes and nobody gave a crap. Here, we still have patrols.¡±

    ¡°I will talk to people,¡± repeated Megumi and addressed Ying. ¡°Later. For now, there are still the questions of the cyan aura, the sentient skeletal warriors, and the choice you spoke of before.¡±

    ¡°Follow me,¡± said Ying.

    They walked past vertical farms and greenhouses. Inside, skeletal warriors were working.

    ¡°Are all of them sentient?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Saul. ¡°Only the afterlives of those that committed to Syn.¡±

    ¡°The others are truly undead,¡± added Ying. After catching Megumi¡¯s expression, he added: ¡°They¡¯re not corruptible by death aura. There is no risk of them joining the hordes in the Wastes.¡±

    They continued walking in silence. Terry saw some people practicing spellwork or sparring. Most of the people he saw, however, were engaged in leisure activities ¨C chatting, drawing, reading, playing games.

    Eventually, the group reached a large building at the center of the city.

    ¡°You may activate your mana sense, but please refrain from channeling any mana,¡± said Ying, and used an inscribed panel to open the door.

    Inside, Terry saw a large brazier with a bright yellow fire. The fire was even more intense in his mana sight.

    ¡°This is the Heart of Synergy,¡± said Ying. ¡°The Progenitor calls it the Fountain. Many of the citizens call it the Light of Reason. This is the answer to your questions.¡±

    Megumi examined it cautiously.

    ¡°It does not look like a normal spell structure,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°It is not,¡± said Saul. ¡°It is the work of a very complicated ritual.¡± He praised: ¡°Good eye.¡±

    ¡°So, how does this work?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°Could it be used to tame the hordes in the Wastes?¡±

    Saul snorted. Terry was becoming increasingly curious about how the sounds were created.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Ying. ¡°A person has to accept the Heart before their death in order to be reborn.¡±

    ¡°Is the death aura still active?¡± Megumi observed Ying¡¯s face. ¡°If a cyan skeletal warrior kills a life, what happens?¡±

    ¡°An undead rises,¡± replied Ying. ¡°However, they won¡¯t develop a regular death aura. They will forever be bound to the Heart. Yellow aura instead of green.¡±

    ¡°And what if a yellow skeletal warrior kills a life?¡±

    ¡°Nothing will happen,¡± replied Saul. ¡°The Light prevents the spread of the death aura curse.¡±

    ¡°How does one accept the Heart then?¡±

    ¡°That is a literal description,¡± said Saul. ¡°If you reach your hand into the brazier, the Light will enter your body. You have to allow it.¡±

    ¡°And if I die, then I would rise as an undead?¡±

    ¡°As deathlife,¡± corrected Ying. ¡°Not as an undead.¡± He exchanged a look with Saul. ¡°There is more.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Saul hesitated, but chose to follow Ying¡¯s lead. ¡°It will also siphon some mana and life energy from the Lightbearer.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± blurted Lizzy.

    Megumi kept her eyes on Ying.

    ¡°Best trade I ever made,¡± said Logan.

    ¡°A few miserable years of life in exchange for a peaceful paradise,¡± said Romana.

    ¡°Paradise?!¡± Lizzy was aghast. ¡°How is this different from the Lich Kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been to the Lich Kingdoms if you ask such a question,¡± spat Ying. It was the first time that the vampire displayed signs of anger.

    Lizzy was taken aback by the change in tone, but she pressed on. ¡°How are people here different from cattle?¡±

    ¡°Cattle?¡± Logan laughed. ¡°We are not being eaten. We are being fed.¡±

    ¡°We are being protected,¡± said Romana. ¡°Which is more than we were granted in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°People are free to learn, too,¡± said Yancey.

    ¡°A-and we can protect everyone in our afterlife,¡± said Olivienne.

    ¡°No one here has to work unless they want to,¡± said Logan. ¡°I wish this place had existed when I was still young. I¡¯ll be damned if others wouldn¡¯t feel the same. Happiness instead of drudgery. Safety instead of the Wastes. What siphoning of life?! In the Wasted Zone, we risked death every day. Here, we can grow old in peace! No sane waster would choose differently!¡±

    ¡°No one is forced to accept the Heart,¡± said Ying. ¡°People get to choose after they become of age.¡±

    ¡°What if a person refuses?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t happened yet,¡± said Logan. ¡°People have some sense around here. They¡¯re neither idiots nor selfish pest beetles.¡±

    ¡°They are free to leave,¡± said Ying. ¡°Or to perform alternative work. If they do not accept the idea of protecting Syn in the afterlife, then they will have to contribute differently during their lifetime.¡±

    Megumi clicked her tongue. ¡°We will need a place to stay. I want to take my time talking to people.¡±

    ***

 041 Living in Syn

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 45 ¨C

    ¡°And they informed you that the Heart siphons some of your life energy?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied the man sitting in front of her. ¡°Right on the first day.¡±

    Lizzy and Terry were leaning against a wall near the entrance door while Megumi interviewed some of the villagers one by one.

    ¡°And you chose to accept the Heart despite the cost?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The man raised his eyebrows. ¡°Losing a few years of your lifespan in exchange for getting to live the rest of your life untroubled? Getting a chance to protect your loved ones after death?¡±

    ¡°On the day that they opened the dimensional gate for you to visit Syn City, did you interact with the Progenitor?¡±

    The man shook his head slowly. ¡°Not much, no. The Lightbringer only opened the gate. Ying and Saul take over pretty much all the day-to-day responsibilities. The Lightbringer can be considered our patron saint. Ying is practically our mayor.¡±

    ¡°Could you describe the Lightbringer to me?¡±

    ¡°If you stay here long enough, you may meet him yourself. Then again, he usually wears a mask. Simple. Plain white. Holes for the eyes. Not much I can describe for you.¡±

    Megumi asked a few more questions. Afterwards, she thanked the man and sent him out.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Depends on whose perspective I am taking,¡± replied Megumi. ¡°I believe they are here by their own volition and that they have willingly accepted the Heart of Synergy.¡±

    Lizzy nodded. ¡°They don¡¯t show any of the usual signs of mind interference.¡±

    ¡°I could not detect any significant mana layer either,¡± added Terry. ¡°Except for the traces of the Heart, I mean.¡±

    Megumi shrugged. ¡°From the perspective of an average waster, there is little reason to refuse Syn¡¯s offer.¡± She scowled. ¡°Since Tiv has stopped sending the army to patrol the Wasted Zone, their lives have constantly been under threat. More than the danger, the people hate the uncertainty. Here, they get a definite deal. They can get a feeling of control.¡±

    ¡°Are they though?¡± Lizzy looked outside the window. ¡°Are they in control?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Ying has any nefarious ulterior motives,¡± said Terry. ¡°Saul¡¯s lack of facial expressions makes it hard to get a read on him, but he seems genuinely concerned about the citizens.¡±

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s an awful lot of trust to put into an unknown magic,¡± retorted Lizzy.

    Megumi nodded. ¡°I agree with both of you. The unknown nature of the magic worries me. Even if I were to put my trust in Ying and the others, I am less willing to place faith in this mysterious Progenitor. Even Saul does not seem to fully understand the magic. That is a lot of risk embodied in a single individual. The fact that the individual is masked does not inspire me with confidence, either. From the perspective of a paranoid Deathguard, this reeks of trouble.¡±

    Megumi clicked her tongue and shrugged. ¡°Then again, from the perspective of a desperate Wasteguard, the whole idea of Synergy is a glimmer of hope.¡±

    ¡°Because Syn will only grow stronger with time?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Allies against the Wastes?¡±

    Megumi nodded and tapped her fingers on the table while thinking out loud. ¡°Everyone gets an afterlife. No limits on the lifespan in the afterlife. Unaffected by the death aura curse. The deathlife citizens even get a portion of the life energy to grow more powerful more quickly.¡±

    ¡°Synergy, huh?¡± muttered Lizzy.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there is another side to this.¡± Megumi scowled. ¡°While Syn growing stronger over time would be beneficial for the fight against the Wastes, the question remains how the other empires will feel about such a newly formed neighbor.¡±

    ¡°I believe many in the Assembly won¡¯t be happy about Tiv citizens leaving for Syn,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°There were already talks about closing off the border and cracking down on emigration when people left for Arcana or the other empires.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I am afraid a nation of undead¡ª¡± started Megumi.

    ¡°Deathlife,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Exactly my point,¡± said Megumi. ¡°I am afraid that many people would not see it like that. They will see death knights.¡±

    ¡°Or liches and they will automatically think of the Lich Kingdoms,¡± said Lizzy and sighed. ¡°I certainly did.¡±

    ¡°In any case, it would be easy for someone to fan the flames.¡± Megumi sighed. ¡°I can see why they were worried about the report.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to write it?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Megumi firmly. ¡°Besides, eventually, a report will be written. You can¡¯t keep something of this scale a secret forever, not even in the Wastes. Better for the report to be written by someone with an open mind.¡± Her gaze became unfocused, and she pouted. ¡°Although, it sure would be nice if that someone was someone else.¡±

    Lizzy snorted and chuckled. ¡°Poor Captain.¡±

    Megumi smiled mirthlessly at Lizzy and then turned to Terry. ¡°Could you tell Devon to pay me a visit? I would like to have some input from his senses.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ***

    Terry walked into the city park. He still found it difficult to believe that they were in the Wastes when he saw the fresh grass and trees.

    ¡°Uh, Devon?¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment, Terry,¡± said Devon. ¡°Millie and I have to defend the honor of the princess.¡±

    Devon was crouched down on all fours. A little vampire girl was sitting on his back. She carried a small wooden stick in one arm and used a shoe as a shield in her other arm. Her expression was solemn.

    Opposite the two was a little boy riding on Buttercup, the large molossoid dog. The boy, too, was equipped with a stick and a shoe.

    ¡°Princess?¡± Terry furrowed his brow and moved his eyes over the area.

    Two small children were sitting in the back. They were holding two guinea pigs that were wearing tiny crowns. The two petted the little furry creatures happily.

    In front of the guinea pigs, there was a large glass container with a frog inside. The frog wore a tiny crown, too. The children had also equipped it with a wig.

    ¡°Ruff.¡±

    Terry could see the little terrier Brutus running around. Someone had strapped a small saddle on him. The saddle contained a hamster in a transparent ball.

    Eventually, Terry found a familiar face ¨C or rather a familiar skull. Olivienne was sitting next to the royal guinea pigs. A toddler was seated in her lap. The boy was eating pieces of mandarin that Olivienne was peeling for him.

    Terry walked over to sit next to Olivienne.

    ¡°Greetings, Terry.¡± Olivienne¡¯s voice was cheerful. ¡°Say hello to Terry, Pedro.¡±

    Little Pedro hid his face in his mother¡¯s dress.

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit shy,¡± said Olivienne.

    ¡°No worries.¡± Terry sat down and looked at the preparation for the jousting match. ¡°So, what is this all about?¡±

    ¡°Chris called the princess a toad,¡± explained Olivienne. ¡°He refused to kneel to the royal family in apology.¡±

    Terry chuckled while Pedro stole glances at him.

    ¡°You look different today,¡± said Terry. Olivienne¡¯s dress was filled out more than was expected from a skeleton.

    Olivienne chuckled. ¡°Padded with foam so mommy is soft and retains some warmth. While my senses work differently now, I still enjoy the hugs of my little one.¡±

    Pedro offered Terry a piece of mandarin.

    ¡°Thanks, Pedro.¡± Terry smiled at the toddler and received the fruit.

    ¡°Ready!¡± shouted an older boy that stood guard next to the princess. ¡°Go!¡±

    Devon slowly crawled forward, and Buttercup moved to greet him.

    Once the two had reached each other, Buttercup stood still and slobbered Devon¡¯s face. Devon raised a hand to scratch Buttercup at the neck.

    ¡°NO Buttercup!¡± exclaimed Chris. Buttercup had laid down and then rolled over to expose her belly to Devon for pets. This caused Chris to find himself on the ground as well.

    ¡°Victory!¡± declared Millie happily.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count!¡± objected Chris.

    ¡°Hey now, Chris,¡± interjected Devon. ¡°You said the goal of jousting was to get the other person to fall from their saddle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but!¡±

    ¡°Come on, you know the princess is a frog and not a toad. Olivienne said so. The princess has long legs. Long legs means frog.¡± Devon laid down on his stomach to allow Millie to get off.

    Chris scrunched up his face.

    ¡°The Captain says there is no shame in making mistakes,¡± said Devon. ¡°That¡¯s good, because I tend to make them all the time. Lizzy always tells me that I am supposed to learn from mistakes. I am sure an honorable knight would admit his own faults. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Chris pouted. He trudged to the glass container and kneeled in front of the princess.

    ***

    Terry had stopped listening in on the interviews. Instead, he mostly used the days to spar with the different inhabitants of Syn. While the styles of Logan or Romana were not too different from what Terry was used to, battling some of the others represented an entirely unfamiliar experience.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The skeletal bodies of Gretchen and Wilhelm did not tire out at all. They did not present any of the weak spots of normal folks. No liver punches. No pressing down on sensitive nerves. No threatening arteries or other lethal vulnerabilities for feints or finishing moves. In real combat, Terry would use aspected weapons. In sparring, however, they forced him to improve his technique and evasive movements.

    Olivienne and Yancey were even worse for Terry. They had both reached high enough levels of their rank to get mastery over aspects aside from death. Olivienne wielded both ice and earth while Yancey wielded air and earth.

    Both death mages could fly, and Yancey¡¯s mastery over the air aspect enabled him to fly way too fast for Terry. Even though Terry could approach through the air, he was too slow to get close enough and pose a threat.

    To make it worse, the two death mages did not need to breathe and their earth spells allowed them to dive into the ground. Fortunately, Terry¡¯s mana sense was good enough to avoid being ambushed from below. Unfortunately, the two could cast ranged spells, which meant that they could attack Terry with no way for him to retaliate.

    Terry had hesitated to ask Saul or Ying for a spar. The two had a special status in the city, and there was also the fact that Terry understood them to be way out of his league with respect to combat.

    In the end, Terry¡¯s curiosity won out, and he asked Ying for a spar to learn how a vampire fights. Ying agreed to join him once. Once was enough for Terry to confirm his suspicions that Ying had held back when they had first met in the Wastes.

    The mayor was an impressive mage on top of being a vampire. His vampiric mana ability allowed him to levitate even in his elven form and he could use his bat-transformation to dodge attacks. The spar ended when Ying summoned a shadow panther soul spirit.

    Not only was Terry unable to defeat the panther, Terry was also too excited to discover that Ying was collecting soul spirits. Ying, on the other hand, seemed keen to learn about Arcana. Therefore, the two quickly dropped the practice weapons and chatted instead.

    After the sparring sessions, Terry usually continued practicing with his rings and imprinted equipment. Today, he had trained until the late evening and then cleaned himself at home.

    Syn had provided two rooms for Terry and the others. One for Lizzy and the Captain. One for Terry and Devon.

    Terry was in fresh clothes and dried his head with a towel. He looked around the room. Devon¡¯s bed was still as untouched as on the first day. Terry had never seen Devon sleep. Actually, Devon seemed averse to even entering the room ¨C or anything with a roof over his head, really. Unless there was any important reason to be inside, Devon remained outside, even if the weather was bad.

    Terry placed the towel around his neck and walked out the door. Even with the interfering effect from Syn¡¯s cloaking, it was now easy for Terry to locate Devon¡¯s abnormal mana signature. Terry found him lying on the grass in the city park.

    Devon was watching the stars in the sky.

    ¡°Still not in the mood to sleep?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Devon. ¡°When I sleep, the voices get louder.¡±

    Terry was still unsure if he should press the topic. He doubted that Devon¡¯s voices were of a similar nature to his own intrusive thoughts. It was more likely to be related to whatever the deathcult was trying to do to him.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t believe I will ever get tired of watching the sky,¡± said Devon with a satisfied expression. ¡°It is so much more beautiful than I imagined it to be when I was stuck in that tower.¡±

    Terry laid down on the grass. He placed one arm underneath his head and joined in the sky-gazing. There were a lot more stars visible here than in Arcana because of the light pollution of Arcana¡¯s barrier.

    While watching, Terry practiced compressing the spell structure for the Immovable Object spell¡­

    ***

    ¡°Do you want to visit Arcana?¡± asked Terry. He munched on one of Gretchen¡¯s cookies. They were delicious.

    ¡°It would be nice if I could,¡± replied Ying. ¡°But as you have realized yourself, it is difficult.¡± He sighed.

    A death specter approached from the sky and grumbled with the voice of an old woman. ¡°Stupid useless mana corrupted.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, the banshee has returned,¡± exclaimed Wilhelm.

    ¡°Banshee?¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a death specter?¡±

    ¡°She was a banshee even before her death,¡± grumbled Wilhelm. ¡°No mana required. Unpleasant character makes up for a lack of mana or ethereal form.¡±

    ¡°WHO¡¯S A BANSHEE, YOU STUPID WASTE OF SPACE!?¡± howled the banshee.

    ¡°Greetings, Ethel,¡± said Ying. ¡°I take it the upranking did not go very well?¡±

    Wilhelm snickered.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± growled Ethel.

    ¡°Life sometimes. Karma. The vicissitudes of fate.¡± Wilhelm snickered again.

    ¡°Hmph! If I had a physical body, I would smack the grin from your face.¡±

    ¡°Haha, but you don¡¯t, you old banshee,¡± retorted Wilhelm. ¡°Even fate itself has decided that your unpleasant character should come with the proper form.¡±

    Megumi, Lizzy, Saul, and Gretchen walked up to them.

    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back already?¡± asked Gretchen. ¡°Oh, did the upranking fail? I¡¯m sorry for you.¡±

    ¡°Insufficient to cross into the next rank?¡± asked Saul.

    Ethel nodded and grumbled.

    ¡°Maybe this is one of those fairytales,¡± said Wilhelm. ¡°Methinks the shrew ought to fix her violent tendencies before she will be accepted into the physical realm again.¡±

    ¡°Once I have ranked up into a reaper, I¡¯ll show you violent tendencies,¡± growled Ethel.

    Wilhelm scratched his non-existent nose ¨C he put his finger into his nasal hole. ¡°See, that¡¯s why no one wanted to be around you and why Gretchen and I had to take you in. Also, it¡¯s IF you rank up in the proper path and remember that you would have to rank up multiple times first.¡±

    ¡°Wilhelm, don¡¯t argue with Ethel, please,¡± said Gretchen.

    ¡°Why not?¡± retorted Wilhelm. ¡°It¡¯s not as if her heart can give out anymore. I have swallowed my anger countless times in the past to not agitate the old banshee. Now, however, her health is impeccable. Her anger issues can¡¯t cause her to fall dead a second time.¡±

    ¡°Wilhelm, please,¡± said Gretchen softly. ¡°For me.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Wilhelm took Gretchen¡¯s bony hand. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that an angel like you can be related to the ba¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wilhelm,¡± interrupted Gretchen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold my lack of a tongue.¡± Wilhelm turned to Ethel. ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t have to control my facial expressions anymore to make it convincing.¡±

    ¡°Why the urgency to rank up?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Haaahh.¡± Ethel uttered a sad, long-winded sigh. Terry thought to notice a skull movement from Wilhelm that would go well with an eye-roll.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to see the physical world when lacking the ability to interact with it?¡±

    ¡°She wants to play bridge again,¡± interjected Wilhelm.

    ¡°Among other things, yes!¡± snapped Ethel.

    ¡°Right now, she has to ask others to hold and play the cards for her,¡± said Wilhelm gloatingly. ¡°The fairytale is forcing dear Ethel to confront her own reputation among the villagers.¡±

    ¡°Insensitive scoundrels!¡± spat Ethel.

    ¡°As you can see, the very idea is an affront to dear Ethel¡¯s character. She would rather face all the demons in the Wastes than to admit her faults and apologize for her own past behavior.¡±

    ¡°Bah! They¡¯re all¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ethel!¡± exclaimed Gretchen in a reprimanding tone.

    ¡°Haaah¡­ Saul, how long until I can attain a corporeal body again?¡± asked Ethel.

    ¡°Difficult to say,¡± replied Saul.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long way until the reaper stage,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Luckily.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way?¡± asked Gretchen.

    ¡°We could try and transform her. We would have to find the right materials and then mold them into the familiar form of a skeletal warrior. Then, she could take possession of the body and turn into a spectral warrior. The body could serve her until she ranks up into a corporeal form.¡±

    ¡°Is a spectral warrior still impervious to physical attacks?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°The body isn¡¯t,¡± replied Saul. ¡°But the specter inside still is. If the body gets destroyed, a specter will remain.¡±

    ¡°What materials do you need?¡± asked Ethel.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the hard part. You would need a material that has been specifically prepared for holding and interacting with mana. Ideally, an inscription base metal. However, those are controlled materials inside of Tiv. Even in the dark markets of the Wasted Zone, there are few willing to sell it. The only alternative would be to extract the material from inscribed dungeon constructs.¡±

    Terry¡¯s ears perked up. He retrieved some of the darker material left behind by an inscribed earth warrior. ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Saul. He received the material from Terry.

    ¡°Terry, what did we tell you about brandishing your storage items?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Terry was embarrassed. ¡°Not to do that?¡±

    Don¡¯t follow up with ¡®Why?¡¯. Devon is a bad influence on you.

    ¡°Yes, that would work,¡± said Saul. ¡°However, we will need to compress it first and we would need a lot more than this.¡±

    ¡°Are there more like Ethel?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Mana forbid!¡± Wilhelm blurted out.

    ¡°No other death specters so far,¡± said Saul.

    ¡°Does the Heart impact the evolution distribution?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°Specters are rare, but not that rare.¡±

    ¡°Not that we know of, no. Our conjecture is that we choose our battles differently than regular skeletal warriors cursed with the death aura. We haven¡¯t been able to identify the precise evolution requirements yet.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry hesitated and turned to the Captain. He whispered into her ear.

    ¡°You got what?¡± blurted Megumi. Then she burst into laughter. ¡°Okay, you are from Arcana alright. Go ahead if you want to.¡± She shook her head.

    Terry smiled and started summoning from his crafter¡¯s pendant. After he was finished, the dark material from the inscribed earth giant was placed on the ground.

    ¡°Would this be enough?¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª¡± muttered Lizzy. ¡°Where did you take that out from?¡± She caught Megumi¡¯s eye. ¡°Nevermind.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Saul was rendered speechless for a moment. ¡°That would work, yes.¡±

    ¡°I also have some more pieces from the inscribed earth warriors. I don¡¯t have any use for them at the moment. So you can have them.¡±

    ¡°GREAT!¡± shouted Ethel. ¡°Go on Saul, take it!¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grumbled Wilhelm.

    ¡°Ethel!¡± said Gretchen in a reprimanding tone.

    ¡°Yeah yeah. Thank you, boy!¡±

    Saul looked at Terry in silence before he said: ¡°Thank you, Terry. Is there anything that we could offer you in exchange? I am afraid we don¡¯t have much money on hand.¡±

    ¡°Could you cloak some of his items?¡± asked Megumi.

    Saul nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Terry thought it over. ¡°I don¡¯t know how easy it is for me to stock up on septimum and octavum in Tiv. Also, I was wondering if there was any way for me to kill a specter.¡±

    ¡°A natural reaction to Ethel,¡± quipped Wilhelm.

    ¡°Wilhelm!¡± reprimanded Gretchen.

    ¡°Sorry, dear.¡±

    ¡°Any materials that could be used for aspecting would be helpful. Enough for a spear tip.¡±

    Terry remembered Megumi¡¯s comment regarding piercing weapons and his experience in the bandit hideout. ¡°Or maybe a glaive.¡±

    He remembered Devon. ¡°Are there any materials that could be aspected with hellfire or netherfrost?¡±

    Saul chuckled at the flood of words escaping from Terry¡¯s mouth. ¡°I think we can prepare a range of aspects for aspecting. However, hellfire and netherfrost are not an option. Most abyssal aspects are very problematic for aspecting.

    ¡°Even if there were materials that could withstand them, you would not be able to place them in your storage items anymore. Regular fire may not harm a storage item from the inside, but hellfire does because it burns through mana. It¡¯s similar for netherfrost with its mana absorption.¡±

    ¡°I can show you around the market later,¡± said Ying. ¡°It does not measure up to Arcana, but it can put the average Tiv settlement market to shame.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t have any vals,¡± admitted Terry. ¡°And I have no idea how much the inscription material is worth.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Ugh, even for septimum, I would not know how much it costs in Tiv.¡±

    Lizzy slapped her own forehead. Ying burst out in laughter.

    ¡°Such a nice young man,¡± exclaimed Gretchen.

    ¡°Interesting bargaining strategy,¡± said Saul, and chuckled. ¡°The kid is growing on me.¡± He turned to Megumi. ¡°But you should walk the Tiv markets together with him.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much.¡± Megumi shook her head.

    ***

    ¡°I am afraid your friend is not within the boundaries of Syn City anymore,¡± said Saul.

    ¡°I asked the protectors, but no one saw him leave,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°Why would he leave without informing anyone?¡± asked Logan.

    Megumi sighed. ¡°Long story.¡±

    ¡°Involves dungeon fairies,¡± grumbled Lizzy.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± blurted Ying.

    ¡°Devon has the unfortunate tendency to be whisked away into dungeons,¡± explained Megumi.

    ¡°Dungeons?¡± exclaimed Saul. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Do you have a way to track him?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡±

    ¡°He generally wakes up naked in a dungeon,¡± elaborated Lizzy. ¡°Whatever item we give him is lost in the process.¡±

    Terry imagined he could see a raised eyebrow on Saul¡¯s skull, even though that was impossible.

    ¡°Do we wait for Devon here?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°No point,¡± said Megumi. ¡°He is just as likely to appear in the direction we are going. Equal chances to move closer to him or to move away from him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll find his way back to us,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Always does.¡±

    ¡°A pity. The trip to the Bulwark would have been safer with his mana signature as a deterrent.¡± Megumi clicked her tongue. ¡°Oh, well.¡±

    ¡°We can escort you to the Bulwark,¡± offered Ying. ¡°And while my space magic does not compare to the Progenitor, I can still open a gate for some distance.¡±

    ***

 042 Blood Debts

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 57 ¨C

    ¡°Thanks for the escort,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Our pleasure,¡± replied Ying.

    ¡°Olivienne and I will go back to patrol anyway,¡± said Yancey.

    Terry observed a specific dune of red sand. A moment later, Olivienne flew out from the sand.

    ¡°Nothing to worry about in the vicinity,¡± said Olivienne. ¡°You can safely enter the Bulwark.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Then we should not dawdle.¡±

    ¡°About the report,¡± started Ying with hesitation in his voice.

    ¡°It will be sent.¡± Megumi looked into Ying¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I will keep a close watch on the reaction. I understand your concerns, but that bridge would have to be crossed sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°I doubt the Tiv Empire desires to make more enemies. We have our hands full as it is.¡±

    Yancey snorted. ¡°You have to forgive me if I don¡¯t share your optimism. It seems to me that the Tiv Empire always finds resources as long as it¡¯s for the wrong ends. No soldiers for patrols in the Wasted Zone, but there will always be a few soldiers to go on mage hunts.¡±

    ¡°Those are independent decisions,¡± retorted Lizzy. ¡°Not done by the same people. That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of the point,¡± interjected Megumi. ¡°I get it. A single person in a position of authority can be enough to cause problems. Even if the majority is sensible¡ª¡±

    ¡°Big if,¡± sneered Yancey.

    Megumi sighed. ¡°If problems arise, we¡¯ll try to intercede.¡±

    ¡°¡®Intercede¡¯ ¨C ain¡¯t that a nice and non-committal term?¡± snarked Yancey. ¡°What happened to ¡®won¡¯t stay idly by when innocents get harmed¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Yancey,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°I stand by what I said,¡± stressed Megumi.

    ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°¡°¡°Farewell.¡±¡±¡±

    ***

    ¡°With those numbers¡­¡± Lizzy hesitated. ¡°It could be that the Wasteguard has dispatched troops to deal with something urgent.¡±

    ¡°Possible,¡± murmured Megumi. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± She glanced at Terry.

    After the group had left the Black Sand desert behind, Terry noticed a group of mana signatures. Habitually, they tried to circumnavigate the unknown signatures.

    ¡°They have changed direction with us,¡± said Terry worriedly.

    The Captain remained composed. ¡°I doubt the Wasteguard would find us that fascinating.¡±

    ¡°Thanatos?¡± speculated Lizzy.

    Terry stopped. ¡°New signatures from the front.¡±

    Lizzy frowned.

    ¡°If they¡¯re looking to sell a fight, I won¡¯t ask for change,¡± said Megumi. She unbuttoned some of the leather strips that secured her blades.

    Lizzy enlarged a few pieces of her prepared miniature metal equipment, and she channeled mana into her helmet. Soon after, the facial area was covered by a translucent grey layer of condensed metal-aspected mana.

    While the visor required some mana to maintain, it had the benefit of providing better visibility than metal by itself, and in contrast to crystal-based equipment, the mana layer did not collect condensation from Lizzy¡¯s breath.

    ¡°Terry, move up and keep your distance,¡± ordered the Captain. ¡°Stay out of range for their sensors if possible. You can feel free to add to the fight, but avoid getting in harm¡¯s way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I would rather face twice the number of these pests than to explain to the Divine Hammer how we got her nephew injured,¡± quipped Lizzy.

    ¡°If they¡¯re Thanatos, they know you, right?¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they come prepared? We could try to make a run for it.¡±

    ¡°I need to make my report and I do not intend to lead them to the Chara Settlement,¡± said Megumi. She checked some of the wind crystals attached to her push daggers.

    Wind crystals were a special type of mana crystal that could be moved with air-aspected mana. Since Megumi¡¯s mana was aspected, she relied on the wind crystals as a substitute for the lack of a Move Object spell.

    Megumi looked up and caught Terry¡¯s eye. ¡°Besides, just because someone is prepared does not mean they have prepared well. Arrogance and rage are bad advisors when planning ahead. Now, up you go. No time to dawdle.¡±

    Terry took comfort in the Captain¡¯s composure. He threw an octavum needle and used the transfixed needle to pull himself up into the air.

    ***

    The Captain focused on the sensation of the surrounding air. She repeatedly emitted pulses of her own air-aspected mana and sensed for changes.

    Megumi opened her eyes and threw out a Wind Blade. ¡°Stop right there.¡± Without a moment¡¯s delay, she threw out a second Wind Blade to her back. ¡°Not a single step closer.¡±

    Both blades had carved a deep gash into the earth.

    Two figures faded into view. In the first location, a man dropped his light-aspected Camouflage. In the second, a woman stepped out of the shadows. They were dressed in crimson armor.

    ¡°No need to continue hiding the others,¡± said Megumi with a stern expression. ¡°I know how to count.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect to your mathematical prowess, I see no need to voluntarily yield an advantage,¡± said the man. ¡°You may be able to sense them, but I doubt it¡¯s as efficient as vision.¡±

    ¡°No need to waste time talking to a dead person, Platoon Leader,¡± taunted the woman. ¡°Let me settle the debt.¡±

    ¡°If you piss off now, I can pretend that I never heard that,¡± said Megumi calmly.

    ¡°No need to waste time talking to a dead person, Captain,¡± said Lizzy and glared at the woman. ¡°If they¡¯re looking for blood, we can drown them in their own.¡±

    The woman snarled and exposed her teeth.

    ¡°I have heard that Castellans are famous for displaying resolve in disadvantageous situations,¡± remarked the man. ¡°Or is it that your mathematical prowess pales compared to the Captain¡¯s? Are you not able to recognize your disadvantage?¡±

    His expression hardened. ¡°The blood debt is with the Captain. If you have useful information to share with Thanatos, we can think about sparing your life, Castellan.¡±

    ¡°I have heard that Thanatos soldiers come with an extra arsehole for spewing shit,¡± retorted Lizzy. ¡°If you keep it shut, I can think about not ripping you a third one.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes grew cold.

    ¡°The Arcanians aren¡¯t here,¡± said the woman. She started casting a spell.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± commanded the man. ¡°Do not put private grievances over public duty. You¡¯ll get your chance, but Thanatos comes first.¡±

    The man observed Lizzy intently. ¡°Why would a Castellan travel with Arcanians?¡±

    ¡°None of your business,¡± spat Lizzy.

    The man moved his gaze to Megumi. ¡°Or should I ask when the people of the Tiv Empire started masquerading as Arcanians?¡±

    Megumi kept her expression blank, with no reaction.

    ¡°I heard Damian¡¯s report, and I find it quite difficult to believe that a student of the renowned Arcana Academy would be incapable of casting a simple directed Magelight spell.¡±

    He raised his head and looked down at Megumi with narrowed eyes. ¡°Or why he should prefer moving a light-aspected rod to attract the attention of ghouls.¡±

    The man raised his eyebrows and smirked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t really an Academy student, was it?¡±

    Megumi showed no reaction.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Although I have to admit the hellfire and netherfrost sounded quite convincing. Or did the Tiv Empire find a way to fake aspects like it found a way to forge an abnormal mana signature?¡±

    The man opened his arms and grinned. ¡°Nothing? No comment?¡±

    Megumi watched him with calm eyes.

    ¡°Stop fishing for intel, you boorish git,¡± sneered Lizzy.

    ¡°Some people don¡¯t know how to appreciate the kindness of others,¡± said the man. He signaled with his hand.

    The first to react was not anyone among the Thanatos soldiers but the Captain. A wind blade went for the man¡¯s hand.

    The wind blade collided with a body barrier that weakened the attack but did not block the blade completely. The blade cut through half of the man¡¯s arm.

    The man gritted his teeth and jumped back. He cast a light-aspected variant of the Cure Wounds spell and reactivated his camouflage.

    The blood-relative of the deceased Fernanda moved back into the shadows.

    The Captain snorted and retrieved a pouch from her storage item. She threw the powdery contents into the air and cast Raging Winds.

    The raging winds blocked several ice spikes that had been aimed at them. The sticky, glittery powder clung to the soldiers and turned the enemies¡¯ camouflage useless.

    An intensely blinding flash illuminated the entire area. The Captain and Lizzy both reacted in time to protect their eyes. Unfortunately, the bright light did not relent or go away.

    *Crack!* The sound of breaking ice could be heard. One of the Thanatos soldiers had attempted to attack Lizzy with a Raise Icicles spell. The spell broke against the metal-aspected barrier that Lizzy was maintaining below her feet.

    Megumi was livid, and she stormed forward into the direction of the densest cluster of Thanatos soldiers. While the blinding light prevented her from using her eyes, she still had her mana sense and the ability to make rough guesses based on sound and air disturbances.

    In Megumi¡¯s mind, the only signature she needed to really keep track of was Lizzy¡¯s. Every other place was a target to be eradicated.

    The wind raged around the Captain and she unleashed the push daggers from their sheaths. Her air-aspected mana pulled and pushed the wind crystals and soon the Captain was surrounded by a storm of blades.

    ¡°AHHHRG!¡± The blood of Thanatos soldiers soaked the earth and painted it crimson.

    *Ting!* The Captain¡¯s ears perked up at the sound of something blocking her dagger. The sound indicated that it was either a shield or a metal-aspected barrier. She cast another spell to direct the blades and reposition the center of the blade storm.

    ¡°URGH!¡± A shield was not much use if the blades came from everywhere.

    *Krchk* The Captain recognized the sound of a collision with hardened earth. She focused her mana and pushed on the wind crystal again and again until she could feel the dagger breaking through the obstacle and then through the target behind it.

    In her mana sight, Megumi could see a dense net of sizzling mana lines crashing towards her. She instantly drew back her daggers and cast a spell to propel herself into the air.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± uttered Lizzy. She countered with her own disruption discharge that crowded out the one from Thanatos.

    For a moment, everything was silent as the combatants could see each other clearly.

    Megumi sent down a barrage of wind blades and wind guillotines.

    Two Thanatos soldiers flew up using a spell that was similar to the Captain¡¯s. They engaged her in the air.

    Lizzy enlarged a miniature saber to the size of a person. She threw it at the Thanatos soldiers. Then she sped up and directed it with a Move Metal Object spell.

    Some Thanatos soldiers countered Lizzy¡¯s directing with their own Move Object spells.

    Two soldiers charged at Lizzy and grew to twice their original size.

    One was a man that had been half-naked before the giantification. He had now surrounded himself with earth-aspected mana. The earth-aspected barrier was combined with a Rock Armor spell that created armor from rocks in the surroundings.

    The other was a woman that was protected by a dense layer of rubbery leaves and thick vines. After growing in size, she cast an Armor of Thorns spell on top.

    Lizzy growled and finished her own casting. She, too, enlarged herself and her plate armor. However, Lizzy did not stop at twice her original size and empowered the spells until she dwarfed the two giant soldiers from Thanatos.

    Without pause, Lizzy used a shape metal spell to equip one of her gauntlets with a large spike. Then, she punched a hole through rocks and through the Thanatos soldier hiding inside the rock armor.

    Before Lizzy could turn her attention to the thorny giantess, she found herself entangled with countless roots and vines that pulled at her every limb.

    A Thanatos soldier summoned water close to the fettered Lizzy and then moved the water to enclose her head to drown her. Next to the water-aspected mage, the other soldiers were preparing a battle construct.

    Up in the air, Megumi was occupied with the two air-wielding Thanatos soldiers while blocking offensive spells from below.

    The biggest nuisance was that one of her airborne opponents was gifted not only in the air aspect but additionally in the lightning aspect. While the soldier could use his own wind barriers to counter Megumi¡¯s wind attacks, she unfortunately could not block his ranged lightning spells. To make it worse, his burst-speed surpassed her own, and he maintained his distance.

    Lizzy used another Shape Metal spell to create a breathing straw that penetrated the water bubble. She could already see the cannon construct that was aiming at her. She readied herself with metal-aspected barriers and prepared to burst in order to rip apart her fetters.

    *WROOM*

    The water that had enclosed Lizzy¡¯s head disappeared. Both the mage and the cannon construct had been crushed by a large boulder that fell from the sky.

    Lizzy¡¯s eyes opened wide because of the unexpected development. She glanced up and muttered: ¡°Collecting strange items indeed.¡±

    ¡°What the¡­¡± The lightning-gifted Thanatos soldier searched for the source of the boulder. He managed to catch a glimpse of something further up in the air.

    The soldier soared towards Terry. Megumi burst her mana and obstructed his path. They exchanged several ranged attacks.

    Eventually, the soldier became intrigued by the apparent value the Captain attached to whatever or whoever was up there. He threw caution to the wind and burst his mana to quickly reach the target.

    The first victim of the soldier¡¯s decision was the second airborne Thanatos soldier. Without the cover provided by the lightning spells, the Captain had split her in half after a few exchanges.

    Afterwards, Megumi pursued the lightning-gifted soldier.

    A throwing needle met the soldier in his path. The soldier ignored the needle at first and he had to halt himself when he realized the needle was not deflected by the winds he had surrounded himself with. He examined the transfixed needle.

    Next, the soldier felt himself pulled towards the transfixed needle. Instinctively, he empowered his own movement spell to counteract the attraction force. He grabbed the throwing needle to keep the bladed part at a distance. Next, the soldier prepared mana and disrupted the spell inside the needle.

    He stared towards Terry¡¯s location and charged up.

    ¡°Waste it,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°I preferred the mindless beasts.¡± He looked at the assortment of items on the tertium slab. ¡°I need to buy time for the Captain to catch up or this will become unpleasant.¡±

    Terry threw some more octavum needles and observed the soldier¡¯s reactions.

    The soldier was painfully aware that the Captain was close on his heels. He decided against dodging and instead used short disruption discharges and quickened Wind Blade spells to get the throwing needles out of his way.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry grabbed two of the items on the tertium slab. ¡°If he cuts them apart, then this could work.¡± He rapidly threw them at the approaching Thanatos soldier.

    The soldier could vaguely make out that these were not throwing needles. He proceeded as before. He unleashed a short disruption discharge and then released two quickened Wind Blade spells.

    *Pufffluummmm* *Pufffluummmm*

    Before the soldier knew what had happened, he was already drenched in a sticky liquid.

    ¡°Shit!¡± cursed the soldier. He had noticed that the liquid hardened quickly.

    The soldier became enraged. Lightning illuminated his eyes.

    ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Terry stepped into the air above the tertium slab.

    Going by Terry¡¯s initial experiments, an immovable object should not conduct electricity. Terry¡¯s boots should be insulated as well.

    However, Terry was uncertain if the insulation was still valid after he had tinkered with them. Terry was also not willing to rely entirely on his early experiment results in a situation like this.

    ¡°Maybe I should buy some rubber equipment next time.¡±

    Maybe you should avoid running into hostile soldiers.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Lightning bolts impacted on the tertium slab.

    The soldier tried to maintain his movement speed, but while he could cast hands-free, it was not quite at the same level. The disturbance in the air told him he had run out of time. The Captain had caught up with him.

    Down below, Lizzy was busy fending off attacks from the Thanatos soldiers. Rotating metal-aspected barriers to cut any roots or vines. Ground-level metal-aspected barriers to secure her foothold and to block attacks from below. Airborne metal-aspected barriers to block or to allow her to step into the air. Disruption discharges to disturb any problematic spells.

    Lizzy gritted her teeth. She was holding on, but barely so. If she wanted to break this stalemate, she would have to cast Haste and go on the offensive ¨C at the risk of walking into any traps the Thanatos soldiers might have prepared. She needed to make up her mind if she should take the gamble or wait for the Captain to join up with her again.

    Lizzy was still uncertain when she noticed movement in the distance. She squinted and then exhaled a sharp breath. A corner of her lips moved upward, and she muttered under her breath: ¡°You¡¯re screwed.¡±

    ¡°Eeek!¡± uttered one of the Thanatos soldiers.

    The platoon leader moved his gaze. His mana sight reacted first. He could not help but blurt out: ¡°Abomination!¡±

    An angry naked mage sprinted full speed towards the Thanatos soldiers.

    An experienced soldier reacted in time and positioned his spear. Devon threw himself on the spear without flinching. A bright red flame of hellfire swallowed the soldier and before the ash had settled, Devon was already jumping the next soldier.

    A body fell down from the sky and turned into a splatter on the ground.

    Black sheets of ice surrounded a group of Thanatos soldiers, and they aged until they had breathed their last breath.

    A Thanatos soldier in charge of another battle construct was cut in half by a Wind Guillotine. The Captain had returned from the sky.

    Lizzy was finally free to take care of the thorny giantess. She enlarged a miniature metal war hammer and crushed the woman into a pulp.

    Devon had just incinerated another Thanatos soldier when he noticed a mismatch between his eyesight and his life sense. Something was approaching the Captain from the shadows. Devon glared at the spot and summoned netherfrost.

    The mana absorption of the netherfrost disturbed the woman¡¯s spell, and she was thrown out of the shadows. She hurriedly retreated from the black ice. Unfortunately for her, she ran right into the path of Megumi¡¯s blade storm.

    ¡°Hurgh.¡± A push dagger penetrated the woman¡¯s throat. The woman glowered hatefully at Megumi.

    The Captain channeled more mana and gave another push to the wind crystal on the dagger. The push dagger left the woman¡¯s nape, and she collapsed.

    The platoon leader was casting spell after spell: Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Brightfire Spear¡­

    Devon kept charging towards him unperturbed.

    In his desperation, the platoon leader even tested a light-aspected banishment spell from the upper system, but to no avail.

    ¡°We can talk!¡± shouted the platoon leader. ¡°We surrender!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±¡±¡± Megumi, Lizzy, and Devon growled in unison.

    ***

 043 Home Is Where the Dog Runs to Greet You

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 58 ¨C

    Terry used his roped rings and imprinted boots to lower himself back to the ground. He saw the remnants of the preceding carnage and grimaced.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Lizzy concernedly.

    ¡°Hey, Terry!¡± Devon waved at him. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was still naked and drenched in blood from top to bottom. He smiled cheerfully.

    The picture did not help ease the queasy feeling in Terry¡¯s stomach.

    Megumi walked towards the corpse of the platoon leader. When she was only a few steps away, she suddenly jumped back.

    The platoon leader¡¯s corpse ignited in a dark grey fire. His body and all of his equipment evaporated into nothingness.

    ¡°Enchantment for destruction of evidence,¡± muttered Lizzy. ¡°I wonder what kind of intel he had on him.¡±

    Megumi kept her eyes on the flames.

    A nebulous silhouette became visible in the flames. The only distinguishable features were two completely white eyes and a third eye at the forehead with a large crimson iris.

    ¡°As expected, the Captain would rather increase her blood debt than settle accounts,¡± sounded a hollow voice.

    ¡°If it was expected, then why go through the motions?¡± questioned Megumi. ¡°Trying to get rid of unwanted soldiers?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, these soldiers were far from unwanted. They were very popular among the troops. In fact, some of them were candidates for the Popular Wing of the Bloody Hall. Their families will miss them, too. I will make sure to inform them of your hand in this.¡±

    ¡°Fine with me as long as you do not forget to inform them of your own hand in this.¡± Megumi scowled and spat out: ¡°If you did not want them to die, you should not have sent them here to kill!¡±

    ¡°My dear Captain, I am pleading innocent. I have warned them of your abilities and advised against immediate action. However, eliminating one of the Nine Blademasters would be a huge contribution and¡­ Well, the soldier you have killed before was quite popular, too. I am afraid their ambition and lust for vengeance have rendered all my warnings moot. Don¡¯t worry. I am sure the next batch of troops will take heed of this lesson.¡±

    A hollow laughter rang through the air and the shadowy figure vanished together with the dark grey flame.

    ¡°Lovely,¡± grumbled Megumi.

    ¡°Seems as if that was the only one with such an enchantment,¡± said Lizzy.

    Megumi took a deep breath and turned around again. She surveyed the traces of the preceding battle and then addressed the pale Terry: ¡°You did bounty hunts before, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Terry did not know how to put his feelings into words.

    ¡°The average bounty hunt is a lot less vicious than this,¡± commented Lizzy. ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel nauseated when the adrenaline wears off.¡± She examined the area and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember when my stomach became numb to sights like this.¡±

    Terry bit his lips.

    ¡°Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself,¡± said the Captain. ¡°They forced this battle. In contrast to Damian¡¯s squad, they came with the explicit intention of spilling blood. They did not probe. They went all out. Hesitation in such a situation would treat the lives of our companions too cheaply.¡±

    Megumi looked Terry up and down. ¡°It definitely feels different when you have to make the first and final call yourself. You can¡¯t always count on someone else doing a pre-assessment to classify if lethal force is warranted. It ought to feel different.¡±

    Megumi inhaled slowly and deeply. ¡°Just remember that sometimes the choice does not include an option that makes you feel good. Sometimes the choice forced on you is between bad and worse. Always keep in mind that you are not solely responsible for the result.¡±

    Terry nodded and held his neck. ¡°I thought the military had a custom about accepting surrender?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡± Megumi shrugged. ¡°But for purely practical considerations and not because of any high-minded ideals. It mostly exists to offer a way out to a hesitant enemy commander. It is generally done out of consideration for your own troops. That should also clue you in on when violations of the custom are tacitly approved.¡±

    A distant look entered Megumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°It depends on how the enemy commander reacts. If they are yielding early enough¡­¡± Megumi tilted her head to one side. ¡°Or if they have already played all their cards and inflicted all the damage they could.¡± She tilted her head to the other side. ¡°You want to incentivize the enemy to show restraint in addition to a willingness to surrender.¡±

    Focus returned to Megumi¡¯s gaze. ¡°More importantly¡ª¡±

    ¡°None of us are military.¡± Lizzy finished the thought. ¡°We¡¯re Guardians.¡±

    Megumi nodded in agreement. ¡°We may tolerate uninvited guests as long as they do not pose a danger to the citizens. On the flip side, we are also not obligated to show concern for the greater military picture.¡±

    ¡°I am not military anymore.¡± Megumi glanced at Lizzy. ¡°My concerns are different now.¡±

    ¡°Devon, what did we tell you about running around naked?¡± demanded Lizzy.

    ¡°Not to do that,¡± replied Devon. He looked down at himself and then back at Lizzy. He shrugged. ¡°There were no pants around. I noticed life signatures lying in ambush and then moving towards you all, so I started running.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, the Captain has my spares.¡± Devon held out his hand to Megumi.

    Megumi blinked and waited. ¡°If you think I will hand you fresh clothes while you are in this state, you are mistaken.¡±

    Devon looked down at himself again to notice all the dried blood. ¡°Fair point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some buckets and attach the water collectors,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°We could all use some clean up.¡±

    ¡°Alright, the rest of us will rummage through the corpses and look for salvageable items.¡± Megumi paused and turned back to Devon. ¡°If some of their uniforms fit you, take them. You run through clothes quicker than I can handle.¡± Her tone turned grouchy.

    ¡°Poor Captain.¡± Lizzy chuckled. ¡°The color should fit Devon well. It hides all his usual blood stains.¡±

    Megumi snorted. ¡°Yeah, I figure that¡¯s why Thanatos picked the color.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it cause problems for Devon to run around in a Thanatos uniform?¡± asked Terry. ¡°What if anyone believes him to be a Thanatos soldier?¡±

    ¡°Then they have never seen a proper soldier in their life.¡± Megumi blurted out.

    ¡°I figure those beliefs would be shattered as soon as Devon opens his mouth,¡± joked Lizzy.

    Devon curiously opened his mouth. When he did not hear any shattering sounds, he went back to nonchalantly stripping the Thanatos soldiers to check if their uniforms would fit him.

    Terry walked forward to help. Before he had reached the first corpse, he noticed another body further behind and gasped.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Terry was dumbfounded by what he saw.

    One of the Thanatos soldiers that had been killed by the Captain¡¯s storm of blades was a bipedal reptile with opposable thumbs and the build of a muscular human.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Devon when he noticed Terry¡¯s lack of movement. ¡°Did you know this lizan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right!¡± exclaimed Lizzy. ¡°Arcana.¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, there are barely any newfolks in Arcana,¡± said Megumi and stepped up to Terry. ¡°It makes sense that you have never seen one before.¡±

    ¡°Newfolks?¡± prompted Terry.

    ¡°Folks from realms whose permanent portals have opened only in recent memory,¡± explained Megumi. ¡°Did you learn about the realm entrances to the elven and dwarven realms?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Terry and moved his gaze back from Megumi and to the lizan corpse. ¡°There are supposed to be two realm entrances to the elven realm, but the location is only known for one of them.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°In the forest, right at the southernmost point of Arcana¡¯s barrier. Sandwiched right between Tiv to the West and the Free Factions Union in the East,¡± said Megumi. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that weird forest, then Thanatos would have already expanded its borders up to the barrier. The forest is forcing Thanatos to either annex the surrounding area from Tiv or from the Free Factions Union.¡±

    ¡°There are supposed to be many realm entrances to the original realm of the dwarves¡­¡±

    ¡°True, all of them underground,¡± continued Megumi. ¡°As far as we know, the portals towards these two realms have not changed for as long as our historic records go back.¡±

    ¡°However, some permanent portals to at least three distinct other realms have appeared.¡± Megumi raised her chin at the corpse. ¡°One of them is the origin realm of the lizans.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Megumi crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s actually somewhat unusual for a lizan to appear in Thanatos uniform. The location of the lizan portal is unknown, but it is assumed to be located deep within the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°That sounds troublesome for the lizans,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°It most certainly is.¡± Megumi shrugged. ¡°But the lizans are not very open about it. Either they are not able or not willing to ask for assistance.¡±

    ¡°¡®Not able¡¯?¡±

    Megumi tilted her head to the left. ¡°Could be an enchantment or geas to prevent them from revealing the location.¡± She tilted her head to the right. ¡°Or it could be a simple result of a cultural and language barrier.¡±

    Megumi caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°The lizans are the most recent newfolk. They¡¯re not like the dwarves or elves with whom we have cultivated a common language. In contrast to the felans and canans, there are no fundamental language impartation scrolls available yet.¡±

    ¡°So if you meet a lizan that talks with broken speech, take note of the effort they had to put in,¡± interjected Lizzy. ¡°It should take a few minutes before enough water has been drawn.¡±

    ¡°Felans and canans, was it?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Terms derived from feline for cats and canine for dogs,¡± explained Megumi. ¡°Bipedal and opposable thumbs, fur on their whole body, tails, heads resembling their animal counterparts, and, on average, more muscular than humans. Canans are generally taller and lizans are usually a head shorter than humans. Felans fall somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°You may get a chance to meet Mal in the Chara Settlement,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Mal is a canan that works as a coordinator for the Wasteguard.¡±

    ¡°Where are the realm entrances for felans and canans?¡± inquired Terry curiously.

    ¡°The entrance to the canan realm is within Thanatos¡¯s borders. The felan entrance is located in the territory of one of the martial sects in the Free Factions Union.¡±

    Terry was surprised. ¡°So this Mal had to escape from Thanatos?¡±

    Megumi and Lizzy glanced at each other.

    ¡°Technically, yes,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°You may have a distorted idea of life in Thanatos, though,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Thanatos won¡¯t show mercy if you stand in their way, but they¡¯ll leave you alone otherwise. They believe in strength and that belief also entails the freedom to pick your side.¡±

    ¡°They believe themselves strong and if you fail to side with them, then that is your own weakness.¡± Megumi grumbled: ¡°And they¡¯re doing a much better job defending against the Wastes than the Union or, well, Tiv, for that matter.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I hate to admit it, but yeah,¡± grumbled Lizzy. ¡°What was their motto again?¡±

    ¡°If you are unwilling to bleed and defend the empire, then you do not deserve a say in it,¡± replied Megumi and then explained it for Terry¡¯s benefit: ¡°All political rights are tied to serving in the military. If you want to vote or to be elected, you will have to serve.¡±

    ¡°I meant the other one,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°Serve once, serve for eternity?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that one.¡± Lizzy looked with reproachful eyes at the empty air in front of her. ¡°I like that one.¡±

    ¡°What does it mean?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°It means that the active military may redraft any former military personnel,¡± explained Megumi.

    ¡°All representatives in the Bloody Hall are former military,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Half the seats are filled through election and the other half is drawn by random lottery from the most recent veterans. All of them can be conscripted if the active military ever deems it necessary.¡±

    ¡°Haaahhh¡­¡± Lizzy gave an elongated sigh. ¡°I figure the Assembly would pass less inane resolutions if they risked suffering the consequences at the frontline themselves.¡± She puckered her lips in a sulk.

    Megumi snorted. ¡°You might as well hope for the next zombie to cut off its own head. They make the rules. They won¡¯t make them to the disfavor of themselves.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa said some of the older nobles want to introduce a motion to change the preselection of electable candidates. As it is now, the originalist and the restoration faction have a stranglehold on everything. No candidate that promotes liberties for mages has any chance to be put on the ballot.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Megumi raised her eyebrows. ¡°Your grandfather is impressively relentless. I would not expect this motion to fare any better than the last ten. The originalist faction is too entrenched in their ways. They will never willingly let go of their lawfare on mages. In the past, the reality of the Wastes has forced them to compromise, but the Preacher has given them a new way out with his Devout Treaty.¡±

    ¡°This fits!¡± exclaimed Devon happily. He was holding a Thanatos uniform against himself. ¡°And it only has a hole near the heart.¡±

    Megumi chuckled. ¡°It is fortunate that you¡¯re easily pleased.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Megumi shook her head with a smile. ¡°Clean yourself up and put some clothes on. We¡¯ll continue to collect and separate the items.¡±

    ***

    ¡°That over there is the Chara Settlement,¡± said Megumi.

    Terry could see a random assortment of small houses just in view. The entire area seemed smaller than any one of Arcana¡¯s districts.

    Miguel would get grouchy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll first have to do a check-in with one of the local coordinators. Afterwards, we can post our messages. One to Guardian management, one to the Deathguard branch, and one to your aunt.¡±

    ¡°C-can you ask Aunt Sigille if the others are alright?¡± asked Terry anxiously. Terry¡¯s stomach still plummeted when he thought about his siblings and companions.

    ¡°Mhmh. I suspect your aunt will first check in with your family, anyway. If you have anything else that you want to be included, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Just be aware that all official communication channels to Arcana are monitored by imperial censors,¡± interjected Lizzy.

    ¡°Sigille should know what to leave unsaid,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°I just want to know about the others,¡± said Terry. ¡°And to let everyone know I am fine.¡±

    Devon sped up and walked past the others.

    ¡°RUFF RUFF!¡± A bob-tailed sheep-dog darted towards them from the Chara Settlement.

    ¡°It¡¯s always nice to come home,¡± exclaimed Megumi.

    Devon was already on the ground. The dog circled him excitedly while rubbing his head and neck against Devon.

    ¡°Greetings, Fluffy,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°I see you are still playing favorites.¡± She chortled.

    Fluffy was focused on Devon for roughly a minute before he detached himself to demand pets from the others.

    When the dog was satisfied with Megumi¡¯s and Lizzy¡¯s affection, he finally turned to Terry and skeptically sniffed at him. After repeatedly stretching his head to sniff and then retreating with a jump, Fluffy eventually wagged his tail and walked closer to be petted.

    To Terry¡¯s disappointment, he did not receive much of an opportunity because a moment later, the dog was already back to circling Devon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it too hard,¡± said Lizzy when she noticed the disappointed expression on Terry¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance. The dog barely leaves Devon¡¯s side for about a day whenever we return after a longer absence.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Devon, let¡¯s get going or the children will be worried about the dog,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Right.¡± Devon stood up to follow Megumi.

    ¡°Ruff.¡± Fluffy ran next to Devon and wagged his tail at an astonishing pace.

    When they had arrived at the Chara Settlement entrance, Devon pulled Terry forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go visit Elvis and Poppy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll quickly take care of the paperwork,¡± said Megumi and looked at Lizzy. ¡°Can you keep an eye on them?¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    Terry, Lizzy, and Fluffy followed Devon to an area with a lot of merchant booths and hawkers that placed their wares over a blanket. Devon approached one of the largest merchant booths that was in front of a small building.

    ¡°Hello, Elvis!¡± greeted Devon.

    ¡°Dev, old geezer, what up? Long time, no see. Poppy has missed you. I did, too.¡± He gestured with one hand as if he was about to pinch the air. ¡°A wee bit. Poppy is tinkering in the back. She¡¯ll be happy to see you. You can still tell by the ear-wiggle.¡±

    ¡°This is Terry,¡± said Devon. ¡°Terry is nice.¡±

    ¡°Greetings?¡± Terry had to do a double-take at the pointy ears. ¡°Elvis?¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± said Elvis and raised his palms in front of his chest. ¡°Yes, I am Elvis the elf.¡± He grinned. ¡°I can assure you my parents were great, aside from that minor lapse in judgment. At least as far as I can remember.¡±

    Elvis curled all fingers except for his index fingers that pointed at the sky. ¡°The name also has its upsides when you are selling stuff. I never have to introduce myself twice.¡±

    Elvis lowered his arms. ¡°Hey, Lizzy!¡±

    Terry was mesmerized by the items out in the open. There were countless small and large mechanical toys and contraptions. Many of them whirred around or jumped up and down. None of them emitted any mana.

    Terry picked up one of the toys that had a winding mechanism. After being wound up, Terry heard several clicks before a latch sprung to the side and a coil spring propelled a whittled head out of a box.

    Terry looked up and saw other contraptions in which coil springs pulled or pushed on items. Subconsciously, he pulled and extended the coil spring in his hand.

    Elvis took the toy from the absentminded Terry. ¡°You break it, you buy it.¡± He winked. ¡°But for friends of Dev, we can put it on his tab.¡±

    Lizzy snorted.

    ¡°Sure,¡± agreed Devon readily.

    Lizzy frowned at him and scolded: ¡°What did the Captain tell you?¡±

    Devon tilted his head with a deadpan expression. ¡°When specifically?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, nevermind then. I don¡¯t want to get in trouble with the Captain.¡± Elvis chuckled. ¡°And I¡¯m not even sure of Dev¡¯s account balance. For all I know, we still owe him.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Actually, strike that. We definitely owe him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to help,¡± said Devon. ¡°That reminds me, let¡¯s visit Poppy!¡±

    ¡°Hold up,¡± said Elvis and raised his hand. ¡°On a scale of one to perilous incense, where does our new friend land?¡±

    Devon examined Terry with perplexed eyes.

    Don¡¯t look at me. I don¡¯t know what the Wastes he¡¯s talking about.

    ¡°If perilous incense floats by, then Terry and you could share a room,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°A sensible person then.¡± Elvis grinned. He lowered his hand and motioned towards the house entrance. He whispered: ¡°My mana is your mana.¡±

    Elvis opened his mouth but paused before speaking: ¡°Just tell me if you want to buy any of the special items. I would advise against a purchase without a strictly verbal instruction manual.¡±

    Lizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°And that from the person who said warning labels are instructions on how to enhance the product.¡±

    ¡°Well, you need to know the warnings before you can decide which to respect, which to ignore, and which to use as inspiration.¡± Elvis quickly raised and lowered his eyebrows twice.

    ***

 044 A Nice Accomplice

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 70 ¨C

    Devon led the way into the house. Fluffy was still circling him every few steps.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what was this about incense?¡± Terry asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Elvis was inquiring about your attitude towards the restrictions on magic.¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face in confusion. He could not read that question into the words that were used.

    ¡°Perilous incense is one of the many regional codes for imperial censor,¡± explained Lizzy.

    Devon opened a trapdoor and then walked into the basement.

    Terry felt a weird sensation and subconsciously focused on his mana sense. Somehow, the basement was devoid of mana and yet not quite. Like some lingering residue that vanished as soon as you try to focus on it. Like a glimmering light that you can only detect from your peripheral vision.

    As soon as Terry walked through the trapdoor, a heavy mana aura hit him. He halted on the stairs to examine the trap door and ceiling. It must be cloaked somehow, but it did not use any of the techniques that Aunt Brynn had displayed during her quick introduction.

    ¡°Terry?¡± Lizzy tapped on his shoulder.

    ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± Terry continued descending the stairs and followed Devon towards a room below the back of the house.

    ¡°Hey, Poppy!¡± exclaimed Devon cheerfully.

    Terry entered the room behind Devon and the dog. He could see the back of an elven woman sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her ears ¨C like the rest of her back ¨C were messy with lots of soot and some dark oily gunk. Terry thought he could see the ears wiggling when Devon uttered his greeting.

    Happy or not, the woman did not turn around or display any other action to acknowledge their presence. She continued tinkering with something on the ground.

    ¡°Ohh, that one¡¯s new.¡± Devon walked towards one of the many shelves and picked up a small contraption.

    Terry moved his eyes over the many items lying around. He thought he could detect something like rune inscriptions in some of them, but again, they did not look like the runes he had seen from Aunt Brynn, nor like the ones he had seen in the dungeon.

    Terry reached out for one of the items.

    ¡°Careful,¡± warned Lizzy. ¡°Everything down here is a prototype. How to put it¡­¡± Lizzy puckered her lips and considered her words. ¡°Let¡¯s say I would not be surprised if Devon was the only returning customer for this particular section.¡± She emphasized the word ¡®returning¡¯ in an odd manner.

    Devon looked up when he heard his own name and accidentally triggered something in the small contraption he was holding. The contraption snapped shut around his left index finger.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Devon ignored the contraption and tilted his head in contemplation. ¡°I get it.¡± He wrinkled his forehead. ¡°I think.¡±

    ¡°Last time, the recoil ripped off my arm.¡± Devon said more cheerfully than would seem appropriate. A moment later, he frowned. ¡°The Captain and Lizzy made me reattach it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re mean like that,¡± said Lizzy drily.

    ¡°I wanted to see if it grows back,¡± grumbled Devon. ¡°My pinky finger did grow back.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I am still disturbed by the fact that you tried that,¡± exclaimed Lizzy.

    Devon shrugged. ¡°How have you been, Poppy? When can we try some of these? How is the orphanage doing?¡± Devon examined the other items on the shelf in front of him and talked without minding the lack of responses.

    ¡°You know, we really saw some interesting things during this trip. I packed some of Gretchen¡¯s cookies for you, but unfortunately, the dungeon fairy took them. Stupid dungeon fairy.¡±

    Devon continued ignoring the contraption on his finger.

    A sizzling noise could be heard from whatever Poppy was working on. Afterwards, she put the thing down. She turned her head and looked at Devon.

    ¡°Dev!¡± Poppy¡¯s voice was very quiet and soft. ¡°Long gone.¡±

    ¡°During the urgent mission, we had to intervene with some other urgent thing and visit the crawly mountain. Afterwards, we discovered something even more urgent.¡± Devon puffed his cheeks. ¡°Although, I guess in the end, it turned out to be the first urgent thing again.¡±

    Devon grinned broadly. ¡°Anyway, I saw many things that we can talk about with the children. I even got to defend the honor of a princess in a jousting match!¡±

    Devon¡¯s eyes moved to Terry. ¡°Oh, and I met Terry.¡± He pointed. ¡°Terry is nice.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Poppy,¡± said Terry.

    Poppy slowly moved her gaze to Terry. She blinked, then jerkily turned around and sat back down again. ¡°¡ªlo¡± A quiet syllable could be heard. Poppy picked up her contraption once more.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry did not know how to react.

    ¡°Poppy is a bit shy with new people,¡± said Devon calmly. He kept his left hand behind his back. ¡°She warms up to nice people.¡±

    Terry glanced at Lizzy. Lizzy held her hand face down and rocked it slightly. She muttered: ¡°Understatement. Patience required.¡±

    Patience then.

    Terry could hear the voice of Samuel in his head and smiled. He decided to take a cue from Devon and simply talk, despite the lack of responses.

    Only you would take Devon, of all people, as a role model for social competence. Weirdo.

    ¡°Are those rune inscriptions?¡± asked Terry. He could see the tool that Poppy used, but it differed from those that Brynn had given him.

    Silence followed.

    Terry continued examining the tools and items in mana sight.

    ¡°Squiggly lines.¡± Terry perceived a barely audible utterance from Poppy.

    Another sizzling noise could be heard, and a small puff of smoke rose from the contraption.

    ¡°Bad squiggly line.¡±

    Terry wondered if the tools were all self-made. He was awed by the implications and wondered what Aunt Brynn would make of Poppy.

    Terry felt humbled. Terry did not know what to do with the feeling. One part was gratitude for having been born in Arcana, and even more so for Aunt Brynn. The other part was¡­

    Terry was not sure. He looked around at the odd cloaking. He remembered the code used by Elvis. Terry experienced something akin to feeling frustration on another¡¯s behalf. It was mixed with respect for their obstinate persistence.

    If Terry had been in the same situation, would he have picked up mana-crafting? Mana cultivation? Spellwork?

    Who knows¡­

    Terry was pulled out of his thoughts when Devon left the room. A moment later, Devon returned and put the contraption back on the shelf.

    Lizzy sniffed the air. ¡°Why does it smell like blood?¡± She examined the direction where Devon came from. ¡°What did you do?!¡± She walked out of the room.

    ¡°What are you looking for, Poppy?¡± asked Devon.

    Poppy was moving her head from side to side and seemed to search for something.

    ¡°Mana crystal.¡± A soft whisper came as a reply.

    Devon moved his gaze over the area. ¡°Don¡¯t see any. Terry, how about your mana sense?¡±

    ¡°None around.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°I have some with me. What size do you need? Small shard, ok?¡±

    The back of Poppy¡¯s head moved with a timid nod. She held out her hand over her shoulder without turning around.

    Terry retrieved a leftover piece from his mining days and handed it to Poppy.

    ¡°¡ªnks.¡±

    ¡°Devon, what the Wastes!¡± resounded an exclamation from Lizzy. ¡°Why is there a finger in the trash bin?!¡± She stomped back into the room.

    *Krch-poff!* a blast reverberated through the area. In his mana sight, Terry could see a dense net of sizzling mana lines escape from the contraption that Poppy was pointing towards the wall in front of her.

    ¡°Ruff.¡± Fluffy escaped and dashed out the room and up the stairs.

    Rumbling and tumbling noises followed. Elvis crossed paths with Fluffy and hurriedly ran into the room.

    ¡°What happened?!¡± Elvis was panicked. ¡°Sis, are you ok?! Do you need healing balms? Any bleeding? Do I need to run for a healer? Oh wait, Lizzy is a healer. Lizzy, you must save Poppy!¡±

    Poppy turned around with a deadpan expression. She held up the contraption and blinked. ¡°Works.¡±

    Elvis regained his composure and exhaled sharply. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He inhaled slowly. ¡°Great.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°We talked about this, Poppy. No testing in the house. Our cloaking is good, but not that good. Our neighbors are tolerant, but not that tolerant. They draw the line at blowing up the neighborhood. Most importantly, no testing yourself! Don¡¯t hurt yourself!¡±

    Elvis sighed, and his eyes wandered over the room. ¡°Where did you even find a mana crystal? I thought I had hidden all of those.¡±

    Uh-oh.

    Poppy blinked and turned away again. She mumbled: ¡°Terry is nice.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Elvis mechanically moved his gaze to Terry. ¡°Another troublesome person.¡±

    Objection! Innocent!

    Say something!

    Devon is a bad influence on you¡­ Defend yourself!

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Terry was stupefied. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words escaped from his lips.

    ¡°Sorry, Elvis,¡± said Lizzy. She was holding her forehead. ¡°I got distracted and left the room for a moment.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Terry. His curiosity had been piqued. ¡°It looked like a discharge.¡±

    With a hint of explosion. The wall is sturdier than the one in Lori¡¯s room.

    ¡°Squiggly line,¡± muttered Poppy. ¡°Focus.¡±

    Like the basis for a mana refractor?

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    The mana stayed unaspected though¡­

    ¡°Does it work with aspected mana cores?¡± asked Terry.

    Elvis stared at Terry. ¡°Troublesome indeed! No unattended visits for you. You get the Dev classification.¡±

    Waste it.

    ¡°I have to say that¡¯s impressive, Poppy,¡± said Lizzy. She slowly shook her head at all the different contraptions. ¡°You have a gift. Arguably one that should never be used, but a gift nonetheless.¡±

    Voices reached them from upstairs.

    ¡°Why did Fluffy come out of Poppy¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that Fluffy came out and ran back in again?¡±

    ¡°Where is Elvis?¡±

    ¡°Do you think he will mind if we take some toys?¡±

    ¡°No stealing. The Captain said stealing is bad.¡±

    ¡°I thought Dev said that.¡±

    ¡°Dev said the Captain said that.¡±

    ¡°Fluffy!¡±

    ¡°Can we enter?¡±

    ¡°Elvis warned us not to enter on our own.¡±

    ¡°But Fluffy¡­¡±

    The voices continued chattering.

    ¡°I believe your legion of minions has arrived, Dev,¡± said Elvis, and laughed. ¡°I better go up while my booth is still standing.¡±

    Poppy rose from her cross-legged position and walked behind Devon. Devon waited for Poppy and then they followed Elvis.

    Lizzy and Terry brought up the rear.

    ¡°Fluffy!¡± ¡°Come out, Fluffy!¡± ¡°Here, Fluffy!¡± Children¡¯s voices rang one after the other.

    ¡°Ruff!¡± Fluffy ran circles around Devon and Poppy.

    ¡°¡°¡°DEV!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Dev is back!¡±¡±¡± The children shouted excitedly.

    ¡°¡°¡°Hey, Poppy!¡±¡±¡±

    Poppy peeked at them from behind Devon¡¯s back and gave a short wave with her hand.

    Afterwards, Poppy switched her hiding place and hid next to Elvis in his booth. She knelt on the ground. Only the upper half of her head and her fingers were visible above the counter while she stole glances at the excited children. Her ears were wiggling visibly.

    By now, the children were already pulling on Devon and clinging to him everywhere.

    ¡°Easy, kids!¡± said Lizzy. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯re going to rip Devon into pieces. He already lost more body parts today than he was supposed to.¡± She shot Devon a reproachful glance.

    ¡°AHh! It¡¯s the stabbing lady!¡± shouted one of the girls and hid behind a larger boy.

    Lizzy scowled at Devon. ¡°On second thought, do your worst.¡±

    Devon, however, was beaming happily. ¡°I¡¯ll come visiting tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Poppy, too?¡± asked another girl.

    Poppy waved again from behind her hiding place.

    Devon nodded. ¡°Today, I still have to show Terry around. Ah, right. This is Terry.¡± He pointed. ¡°Terry is nice.¡±

    There it is again. Careful this time. No handing out items willy-nilly.

    Terry waved hesitatingly.

    ¡°Terry can fly,¡± said Devon. ¡°Or at least something like that. He can also help others stay in the air.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Woah.¡±¡±¡± Sparkling eyes were gawking at Terry.

    No handing out items willy-nilly!

    Megumi walked up to them. ¡°Greetings, everyone.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°The Captain!¡±¡±¡± The children stood straight and saluted respectfully.

    Megumi snorted and shook her head while chuckling. ¡°At ease, monkeys.¡± She eyed them one by one. ¡°I hope you have behaved yourselves during our absence. I will check with the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Found a coordinator?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Unfortunately not. Looks like a substitute should be somewhere in the settlement, but no one was in. I left a marker for the substitute to come find me.¡±

    ***

    Lizzy and Devon were meeting up with Terry and Megumi.

    ¡°I found him at the orphanage,¡± said Lizzy, and pointed her thumb at Devon. ¡°He was having an argument with the slum children again.¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± denied Devon.

    ¡°Yes, you were.¡±

    ¡°No, I was not.¡±

    Megumi puffed her cheeks and waited for the two to reach a conclusion.

    ¡°I saw you!¡± Lizzy shook her head in exasperation.

    ¡°I have you know, bllblbl¡­¡± Devon stuck out his tongue and blew air to make his lips vibrate. ¡°...is not an argument.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re what? Nine?¡± Lizzy raised her hands in front with palms turned up to the heavens. ¡°Honestly.¡±

    ¡°Even at nine, ¡®bllblbl'' is not an argument.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re children. You are supposed to be an adult.¡±

    Devon squinted his eyes at Lizzy and puckered his lips. Then he retorted eloquently by sticking his tongue out and¡­ ¡°Bllblbl.¡±

    Terry could not help it and broke into laughter at Lizzy¡¯s expression.

    After the argument ¨C if it was one ¨C had been settled, the group continued walking through the streets of the Chara Settlement. Lizzy and Megumi discussed the plans for the day.

    ¡°Oy, Lil¡® Captain and Ol¡® Lizbeth, over here!¡± A woman¡¯s voice reached them from the side of the street.

    Terry could see Megumi¡¯s face freeze mid-sentence. Afterwards, she appeared to make an exceptional effort to display a blank expression.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lizzy, on the other hand, made no such effort.

    Lizzy and Megumi walked first.

    Devon did not pay attention, and Terry had not seen who was shouting at them. They simply followed.

    ¡°Varnika.¡± Megumi nodded.

    ¡°You know, we were already walking towards you, Varnika. If you had waited a few more seconds, you would not have to scream over half the empire.¡± Lizzy scowled at the offending party.

    Terry did not know where to look and, for once, it was not because of the awkward atmosphere. This time, it was because this Varnika was decidedly underdressed ¨C literally. She was literally lacking clothes except for a few small pieces of scale armor.

    To not cause offense, Terry averted his eyes and looked towards the side¡­ where he saw that Devon did not share his concerns. On the contrary, Devon was openly staring at Varnika¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Lizzy noticed Devon from the corner of her eyes and frowned. Megumi skillfully maintained her blank expression.

    ¡°Like what you are seeing, handsome?¡± asked Varnika coquettishly. She winked at Devon.

    Devon showed no reaction. The seconds ticked by and he continued staring in silence.

    ¡°I promise they won¡¯t run away,¡± teased Varnika and giggled.

    Devon showed no reaction.

    ¡°You know¡ª¡± started Varnika.

    Devon averted his eyes and looked at Lizzy. ¡°I don¡¯t get this armor.¡±

    Terry was certain he heard a suppressed snort. It could not have come from Lizzy, who stood there with mouth agape. However, Megumi also seemed an unlikely candidate, and she was still wearing a blank expression.

    Devon turned to Terry. ¡°Is it enchanted or something? Is there a mana layer there?¡± He pointed at Varnika¡¯s chest. ¡°Can you tell?¡±

    Devon moved his gaze back to Varnika, and he tilted his head. His expression suddenly brightened with an idea. ¡°Or do you have really high regeneration like I do?¡±

    Shortly after, Devon scrunched up his face again. Something still did not seem right.

    Varnika glanced at Lizzy and then at Devon. She recovered her flirtatious smile. ¡°No need to hide the good parts if I don¡¯t get hit, anyway.¡±

    ¡°But then, what is the point of the armor scales there?¡± Devon pointed. ¡°Do these parts get hit? They look pretty jiggly. Do they flap around and that¡¯s why they get hit?¡±

    This time, Terry was sure that the suppressed snort came from Megumi¡¯s direction. Her face, however, betrayed nothing.

    Varnika¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°You got a problem?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Devon pondered. ¡°I hope not. I don¡¯t like having problems.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to mess with me?¡± Varnika glared at him.

    ¡°Huh? Why would I do that? I barely know you.¡± Devon turned to Lizzy. ¡°I don¡¯t get this person.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Varnika, I assume you have something more important to discuss with us,¡± interjected the Captain.

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I do. A few days ago, Mal had to take a trip outside the settlement. He should be back soon. He asked for you to wait in order to discuss some things in person.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Varnika.¡±

    Varnika glanced at Lizzy again. Afterwards, she threw an unsatisfied glance in Devon¡¯s direction and took her leave.

    ¡°What a strange person,¡± muttered Devon with a perplexed look.

    Lizzy patted him on the shoulder.

    Megumi snickered and wiped something from her eye. She took a deep breath. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find an inn for Terry and get something to eat. My treat.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So Devon, when are you and Poppy finally going out?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°We go out all the time.¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°To the orphanage. To walk Fluffy. To test her new ideas.¡±

    Megumi rested her head on her palm and looked at the exchange with amusement.

    ¡°Not like that.¡± Lizzy puckered her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you like Poppy?¡±

    ¡°Of course I like Poppy. Poppy is best people. Like the Captain.¡± Devon nodded towards Megumi. ¡°And Terry.¡± Another nod. ¡°And Elvis and Gretchen¡­¡± Devon moved his eyes back to Lizzy.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good people, too, Lizzy.¡± Devon wagged his index finger at her. ¡°When you don¡¯t stab people.¡±

    Terry had to suppress a snicker.

    Lizzy narrowed her eyes at Devon, but decided to let it go. ¡°I meant settling down. Finally live a normal life.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was.¡± Devon furrowed his brow and looked from side to side. ¡°Seems more normal to me.¡±

    ¡°I would very much hope so,¡± said Megumi and chuckled. ¡°I would hate to lose out to a deathcult tower in that comparison.¡±

    ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t just settle down,¡± said Devon. ¡°That does not fit with my plans at all.¡±

    That statement caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°You have ¡®plans¡¯?¡± asked Lizzy with a skeptical expression.

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Devon. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll keep accompanying you and the Captain to keep you both out of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually the one attracting the trouble?¡± questioned Megumi.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Devon wore a proud expression. ¡°Then there is less trouble left for you two.¡±

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± said Terry, and grinned.

    ¡°I figure if the Captain ever decides to retire, you two will already be old and wrinkly,¡± said Devon. ¡°You ladies will probably move into a nice little cottage where the Captain can polish her sword collection and you can pile up your bad pottery.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be wrinkly,¡± barked Lizzy.

    ¡°Yes, you will,¡± retorted Devon nonchalantly. ¡°All wrinkly and flabby. I¡¯ve seen that before.¡± He reminisced. ¡°Somewhat tinier, too. Women seem to shrink more for some reason.¡±

    Devon frowned and glanced back at Lizzy. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll call me Eveline or something.¡±

    Lizzy scowled. ¡°For the last one, you¡¯re picturing Lady Rumsworth, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Devon maintained a deadpan expression.

    ¡°So, where do you fit in?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Someone has to keep a lookout and make sure the villagers don¡¯t disturb the two wrinkly ladies.¡±

    ¡°Why would the villagers disturb the two?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Elvis said that villagers are known to go around with torches and pitchforks if they find an evil witch.¡±

    ¡°And why would the villagers believe there is an evil witch?¡± questioned Lizzy. She squinted at Devon with a bad presentiment.

    Devon shrugged. ¡°I figure if rumors go around about the old flabby lady that stabs people, they might have similar reactions. Better to be on the safe side.¡±

    Lizzy glared at Devon and demanded: ¡°Why exactly would there be such rumors?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to defend people, but I¡¯m not going to lie for you, Lizzy. The Captain said that lying is bad.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound too bad to me,¡± interjected Megumi with a warm smile. ¡°Sounds like a nice retirement.¡±

    Lizzy¡¯s angry expression melted away.

    ¡°But you¡¯ll be in charge of keeping the vermin out of the garden, too,¡± said Megumi to Devon. ¡°And if you ever want your own cabin to receive visitors, you¡¯ll have to build it yourself.¡±

    Devon frowned. ¡°The roof is going to be all leaky. Elvis and Poppy might complain.¡± He looked at Lizzy. ¡°I¡¯ll have to borrow some of your pottery to catch the water.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Megumi tapped her fingers on the table and pondered. Eventually, she looked at Devon. ¡°Aside from your orphanage visit, we should reserve some time tomorrow to restock supplies. For you, that primarily means spare clothes.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Megumi handed Devon some paper notes denominated in vals, the Tiv currency. ¡°I figure you can get them yourself. You can check the secondhand shop again.¡±

    ¡°Terry, for you.¡± Megumi handed Terry some vals as well. ¡°I have included your contributions in the message to Guardian management. I can already share the monetary reward. To properly enter your assistance in our mission into your Guardian card, however, you will need to go to the nearest Guardian outpost.¡±

    Megumi paused and established eye contact with Terry. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be quite as unreasonable with your salary as Devon.¡±

    ¡°We should still accompany him to the market,¡± said Lizzy with a teasing tone. ¡°Terry had barely arrived in the settlement when he had already become an accomplice in trying to blow it up.¡±

    Objection! Innocent!

    Terry smiled wryly.

    Megumi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do I even want to know?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Lizzy flatly.

    ***

 045 The Abyss Lord and the Aspiring Hawker

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 71 ¨C

    Terry awoke in the middle of the night.

    His mana sense had been over-developed to begin with, and his long stay under the dungeon¡¯s mana suppression had intensified his sensitivity to mana even further. His subconsciousness was reacting to mana signatures even when he was sleeping.

    Terry could sense death-aspected mana in the distance outside the boundaries of the Chara Settlement. The signatures seemed different from normal folk and from any other creature that Terry had sensed before.

    Terry clenched his fists and was about to get up when a multi-aspected signature with the intensity of a small sun entered his perception range. Devon was quickly approaching the death-aspected signatures.

    The death-aspected signatures vanished one after the other. Afterwards, Devon distanced himself from the settlement again.

    Terry sat in silence and concentrated on his mana sense. It did not take long before a similar sequence of events played out again¡­ and again¡­ and again¡­ The signatures were not always death-aspected and the number of signatures varied, but the sequence of events remained the same.

    Terry did not know how much time had passed while he followed the happenings.

    No barrier.

    No life signature cloaking.

    And the Wastes¡­

    ¡°Wasted Zone.¡± Terry murmured to himself. He reminded himself to thank the sleepless Devon for keeping watch.

    ***

    Lizzy and Terry walked through the streets of the Chara Settlement. They wanted to collect Devon and then pay a visit to Elvis and Poppy.

    The two turned a corner and halted in their tracks when they saw Devon.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Lizzy¡¯s jaw hugged the ground. ¡°What¡­ What are you wearing?!¡±

    ¡°My new robes,¡± replied Devon.

    ¡°These are not robes.¡± Lizzy gestured with both hands. ¡°That¡¯s a dress.¡±

    Devon blinked. ¡°These were the robes with the best enchantments.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a dress.¡±

    Devon blinked. ¡°These robes are enchanted to smell nice and¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a dress.¡±

    Devon blinked twice. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    Lizzy shook her head in exasperation. ¡°For starters, robes usually aren¡¯t sleeveless. Nor do they come with such a neckline.¡±

    Lizzy moved her gaze down and shook her head again. ¡°Nor with an A-line cut that narrow at the waist, for mana¡¯s sake.¡±

    She looked up and gestured at the dress again. ¡°They normally don¡¯t sport a flowery pattern, either.¡±

    Devon kept a blank expression. ¡°These robes are enchanted to mend themselves. I like that.¡±

    Lizzy stared at him. ¡°Fine then. Forget it. You look lovely.¡±

    Devon squinted at her. ¡°The tone of your voice does not match the content of your words. Is this one of these trick statements?¡±

    ¡°I like the daisies,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°They stand out on the pink background.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Devon cheerfully.

    ¡°At least you didn¡¯t get a slinky dress with leg slits,¡± said Lizzy in resignation.

    ***

    Poppy was carrying a large package out of their house. Today, Poppy looked spotless. There were no traces of grease, oil, or soot anywhere to be found.

    ¡°Uhh, Poppy, what are you doing?¡± asked Elvis nervously.

    ¡°Dev is back,¡± replied Poppy in a monotone voice.

    ¡°Ah yes, your lookout is back, but remember when we talked about it being better if we pick out the items together?¡±

    Poppy looked past Elvis. ¡°Dev is back.¡±

    Elvis followed her eyes and saw Terry¡¯s group. The words were stuck in his throat when he saw Devon¡¯s outfit.

    ¡°What the¡­ No, wait. That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡±

    Poppy was spreading a blanket on the ground next to Elvis¡¯s booth.

    ¡°You can join me in the booth, Poppy. I¡¯ll make room for your items.¡±

    Poppy acted as if she did not hear him and knelt behind the blanket.

    ¡°Poppy always takes time to watch the hawkers when we walk Fluffy,¡± interjected Devon. ¡°The booths are boring.¡±

    Elvis moved his gaze from his sister to Devon. It paused again on Devon¡¯s outfit until Elvis decided to focus on one troublesome person at a time.

    ¡°I know.¡± Elvis sighed. He walked to Poppy. He kissed her on the head and then patted her hair.

    Meanwhile, Poppy was happily taking items from her box and placed them on the blanket.

    ¡°Uhh, better not that one,¡± exclaimed Elvis with anxious eyes and picked up one of the items.

    Poppy continued placing her items unperturbed.

    ¡°Oh mana, no, definitely not that one!¡± Elvis sorted out another item.

    ¡°Not that one either¡­¡± Elvis examined the device in his hand. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s too dangerous to sell to randoms. Maybe if a member of the Wasteguard or of the settlement guard shows an interest though. I¡¯ll keep it below the counter in the booth.¡±

    Poppy was done placing her items. She raised her eyes to watch the street¡­ and immediately lowered her gaze again timidly. She was staring at her own hands, but her ears wiggled in happiness.

    ¡°Greetings, Lizzy. Can you keep watch for a moment?¡± asked Elvis. ¡°I need to hide these somewhere out of reach.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± said Lizzy.

    Elvis brought the items back into the house.

    ¡°What happened to the worries about perilous incense?¡± questioned Terry.

    ¡°Devon keeps a lookout,¡± replied Lizzy. ¡°He knows all the signatures from around here and no unknown signatures are allowed to come near Poppy.¡±

    Terry crouched down in front of the wares of the aspiring hawker. He examined the items until he saw one resembling the contraption from the day before.

    ¡°What does this do?¡±

    Poppy quickly stole a glance at the item and then returned to staring at her own hands.

    ¡°Mana sublimation.¡± Poppy¡¯s voice was still quiet, but it was more audible than the day before. ¡°Squiggly lines to release the mana from its crystallized form.¡±

    This was the longest statement Terry had ever heard Poppy utter. Terry thought that this change showed Poppy¡¯s passion for her work. He felt his own mood brighten at the realization. Terry enjoyed interacting with people that were passionate about something.

    Not sure if anyone else would look at Poppy and pick ¡®passionate¡¯ as the term to describe her¡­

    Terry thought that sincere excitement was infectious.

    Even if it is muffled by timidity.

    ¡°Like the device yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Different.¡± Poppy wrung her hands that continued to attract her gaze. ¡°Less focused. Missing crafted crystal for modifying the mana after sublimation. Crystal needs to be prepared with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sis, are you spilling your trade secrets again?¡± Elvis had returned. He rubbed Poppy¡¯s head.

    ¡°Merchant spy?¡± Poppy¡¯s voice was barely audible now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it this time,¡± said Elvis. ¡°Terry is with Dev, which also reminds me...¡±

    Elvis stared at Devon in silence for a while until he could not take it anymore. ¡°Are we just going to ignore that getup?¡±

    Lizzy snickered. Terry shrugged.

    Even Poppy raised her eyes to examine Devon. ¡°It is a bit odd.¡±

    Lizzy, Terry, and Elvis all turned to Poppy.

    ¡°See?¡± exclaimed Elvis. He pointed with his head and eyes at Poppy, and then looked back to Devon.

    ¡°It is not the season for daisies,¡± muttered Poppy perplexedly.

    Elvis hid his face in his hands and inhaled deeply. ¡°Nevermind.¡± He kissed his sister on the head again. ¡°You two were made for each other.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± Devon furrowed his brow and turned to Lizzy. ¡°Can it? Is there a chance that their parents knew the looneys?¡±

    Lizzy guffawed at Elvis¡¯s tired expression. ¡°I missed being home.¡±

    ¡°Shared pain is half the pain,¡± said Elvis and smiled wryly. He glanced at Terry. ¡°Terry¡¯s mana signature is ridiculous enough. If he outlives us, Terry may have to take over.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Pardon?

    ¡°Terry is not quite ready for that kind of responsibility.¡± Lizzy talked in a teasing tone. ¡°However, he does demonstrate some capability to learn.¡±

    ¡°May you two be eternal and everlasting,¡± interjected Terry drily.

    ¡°Sounds exhausting,¡± retorted Elvis.

    ¡°How much for this one?¡± asked Terry, and pointed.

    ¡°One,¡± mumbled Poppy.

    ¡°One val?¡± questioned Terry with incredulity.

    ¡°Poppy, remember when we talked about prices having to match material costs and labor investment?¡± cued Elvis.

    Poppy nodded. ¡°Two.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry was speechless.

    ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re still working on price setting and haggling.¡± Elvis placed both elbows on the counter in his booth and rested his chin on his palms.

    Elvis shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re with Dev. If you want something, I¡¯ll put it on his tab.¡±

    ¡°What about the device from yesterday?¡± asked Terry. ¡°The one with the focus crystal.¡±

    ¡°Still experimental,¡± replied Elvis. ¡°The only one to whom I would hand that without further testing and iterating is Dev. It should be fine for normal mana crystals. It may be fine for unaspected mana cores. However, for anything aspected, the recoil gets exponentially worse.

    ¡°Poppy has an idea for some improved ¡®squiggly lines¡¯, but we don¡¯t have the right tools yet. I was thinking about more of a low-mana approach, but I don¡¯t know which materials would be up to the task.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry stood up from his crouching position.

    Remember the scolding about showing off your storage items?

    ¡°Uh, Lizzy?¡± Terry whispered to her.

    ¡°Capability to learn acknowledged,¡± teased Lizzy. ¡°But it is fine here. They¡¯re family.¡±

    ¡°This is an imprinted handle attachment. I have imprinted it with the Immovable Object spell.¡± Terry activated the imprint to demonstrate the effects.

    Elvis tapped on the transfixed attachment. Next, he grabbed the thing and pulled.

    ¡°Neat,¡± exclaimed Elvis. ¡°Might be a temporary quick fix. Unfortunately, imprints are a bit problematic. Without phenomenal shielding, they are generally a bit too unstable to be near these devices. People find them more troublesome to use, too ¨C with the risk of imprint collapse and all. Sadly, we also could not replicate it. None of us have learned proper spellwork.¡±

    ¡°This is a crafter¡¯s reference my Aunt gave me.¡±

    When Elvis heard the words, he immediately let go of the transfixed attachment and received the book in a manner that one would receive a newborn child. He reverently flipped through the pages.

    ¡°This¡­ This is¡­ Where did you get this?¡±

    Terry had already summoned a wooden box with two handles. ¡°Uhm, I use the tools for carving mana lines, but¡­¡± Terry pulled the handles to the side. ¡°The inscription tools would go to waste if they stayed with me.¡±

    Elvis stood slack-jawed.

    ¡°My Aunt once said that these alone are insufficient, but I believe her standards are also somewhat high. I figure if they include the tools in the set, then they must be usable. I don¡¯t know if they would be of use to Poppy, though.¡± Terry scratched his cheek.

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened when he remembered something else. ¡°Ah, right. I also have a reference for mana-osmotic materials if that would help.¡±

    Elvis examined Terry in silence and then turned to Lizzy. ¡°Where exactly did you pick Terry up?¡±

    ¡°Dungeon.¡± Devon interjected his reply from the side.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed the bag yet, have you?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°What bag?¡± Elvis¡¯s eyes wandered along Terry to find a bag. ¡°Why? What¡¯s with that bag?¡±

    ¡°The crest does not ring a bell?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± Elvis tilted his head. ¡°Should it?¡±

    ¡°Only if you¡¯re interested in magic.¡± Lizzy chuckled.

    Elvis narrowed his eyes. Afterwards, he flipped to the last page of the crafter¡¯s reference in order to check for a printing location.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± His eyes opened wide. Elvis closed the book without comment and cleared his throat. ¡°Alrighty then.¡±

    ¡°You know what, Poppy? Terry really is nice.¡± Elvis turned back to Terry. ¡°Thanks, mate. I can make copies of the books, but I can¡¯t copy the other stuff. How much?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry was caught off-guard by the question. ¡°One?¡±

    ¡°Is this a joke?¡±

    Terry held his neck and replied: ¡°You can subtract it from Devon¡¯s tab, I guess. Like I said, I am not using the inscription tools, anyway. However, if I could trade some imprinted items for some of Poppy¡¯s inventions¡ª¡±

    Terry remembered his first visit to the booth. ¡°Actually, I was also wondering about some of your inventory. How many sizes and rates are there for the coil springs? Where did you get this latch mechanism? Ah, right, there was also the levered screw¡ª Did you create that yourself? Also¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait, hold up. You¡¯re going a mile a minute there. I can¡¯t keep up.¡± Elvis held out his hands and chuckled. ¡°A kindred spirit, I see.¡± He grinned.

    ***

    Terry absentmindedly followed Devon and Poppy to the orphanage. His mind was still buzzing with some ideas he had discussed with Elvis earlier.

    ¡°There you are.¡± The Captain¡¯s voice jolted Terry out of his daze. ¡°Mal had some questions regarding the mana flow of the Heart of Synergy.¡±

    Terry looked at Megumi, and then at the canan that was accompanying her. Mal was even taller than Tiana. There was grey fur on every exposed body part. His head resembled that of a malamute.

    ¡°Greetings, Terry.¡± Mal¡¯s voice was husky, and he spoke slowly with careful enunciation. ¡°I am called Mal.¡±

    Terry returned the greeting and answered the questions of the Wasteguard coordinator. However, Terry was soon distracted by Devon, who was standing behind the Captain and Mal.

    Devon¡¯s hand hesitatingly reached out towards Mal¡¯s fluffy head, but he restrained himself and pulled his hand back again.

    Terry was repeating some statements on the Heart¡¯s ritual that he had heard from Saul.

    Devon¡¯s hand inched closer to Mal¡¯s fur until he jerked his hand back and crossed his arms afterwards. He pointedly turned his head away from the fluffy sight.

    Terry described how he perceived the mana layer on the Lightbearers. He noticed Devon peeking at Mal.

    Devon¡¯s head was still turned away in an intense struggle with himself. He stole glances from the corner of his eyes. Mal¡¯s furry ears twitched whenever air passed over them. Devon puffed his cheeks.

    ¡°Going by the statements, the syphoned life energy at every single point in time is pretty minor,¡± said Megumi. ¡°It adds up over time, however. The cumulative effect is comparable to a poor diet or lack of exercise. Several years of a normal lifespan.¡±

    ¡°Life expectancy of an average waster does not reflect a healthy lifespan anyway,¡± commented Mal.

    ¡°We had Devon check the flow of life energy, too. It matched the statements.¡± Megumi turned to Devon. ¡°Right, Devon?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Devon?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Devon uncrossed his arms and looked at the Captain. ¡°Sorry, what are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°The flow of life energy in Syn was below the threshold I described to you?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Devon turned his head to stare at a point further away. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Unknown signatures.¡±

    ¡°Poppy, could you wait here with the Captain for a moment?¡± Devon asked Poppy, who was hiding behind him. After she had stepped closer to the Captain, Devon walked away with large strides.

    ¡°Terry, please go with him,¡± said Megumi. ¡°If he reacts like that, then it¡¯s likely to be a creepy fan squad.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But you never know.¡±

    A what now?

    Despite his confusion, Terry quickly ran after Devon.

    ***

    ¡°It is really him!¡±

    ¡°B-but that outfit?¡±

    ¡°The mana intensity is indubitably that of the Devonian Lord.¡±

    ¡°It matches the ancient texts, but there are fewer aspects than expected.¡±

    ¡°Silence! Hurry up and kowtow to your Abyss Lord.¡±

    A group of five people wearing cloaks prostrated themselves on the ground in front of Devon. Terry found their mana signatures to be eerie. The signatures seemed similar to folk and yet somehow different ¨C as if their mana did not originate from themselves.

    Channelers probably.

    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s been a while since this has happened,¡± muttered Devon.

    ¡°Oh, your Devastating Venerableness, how may we serve you in your conquest?¡± The woman did not lift her head from the ground while speaking.

    ¡°Your Abyssal Excellency, just say the word and it shall be done.¡± A man spoke in an almost ecstatic tone.

    ¡°Do you want to bring the Abyss into this realm?¡± asked Devon.

    ¡°Yes, oh Lord! There is no purpose greater than that! Command us as you see fit!¡±

    ¡°Praise be!¡±

    ¡°Please, your Devastatingness, grant us this boon and allow us to share a small part of your ambition!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, very well,¡± said Devon flatly.

    Terry thought he must have misheard.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± ordered Devon, and led the way.

    To do what?

    ¡°Uhm, where are we going?¡± Terry whispered to Devon.

    ¡°To the settlement guards.¡± Devon replied without lowering his voice.

    ¡°Are we going to start by taking over the Chara Settlement? Wonderful!¡± The abyss worshippers displayed gleeful expressions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unless I tell you to,¡± commanded Devon.

    ¡°Of course, my Lord. We will follow your Excellency¡¯s orders even if it means to lay down our lives.¡±

    Devon led the group until they reached a large, ugly building. Devon knocked on the door.

    ¡°Finally, the time has come!¡± One worshipper could not contain her excitement.

    ¡°Yes? Ahh, Devon, good to see you.¡± An armored woman opened the door. ¡°Everyone is really grateful that you are joining the night shift again. It¡¯s always a strain when the Captain and you are absent for longer times. Uhm¡­¡±

    The woman noticed the abyss worshippers that seemed to be itching for a fight. ¡°This again, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yup, looney season.¡± Devon turned to address his devoted followers: ¡°Do you want to invite the abyss into this realm?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°YES, MY LORD!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Do you want to violently overthrow the Chara Settlement?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°YES, MY LORD!¡±¡±¡±

    Devon looked back at the guard. ¡°Is that sufficient?¡±

    ¡°Sure is. This way then.¡± The woman stepped out of the doorway. ¡°We¡¯ll have to seal your mana. Everyone can pick a cell.¡±

    The abyss worshippers did not move from their spots.

    ¡°Pick your cell!¡± commanded Devon.

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Devon asked with a blank face. ¡°What happened to following my orders?¡±

    ¡°Of course, your Devastatingness. Hurry in and pick your cell!¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°H-how is that going to help with the Abyssal Rebirth?¡±

    ¡°It is not for the subject to question the sovereign! Do you dare rebel against your Abyss Lord?!¡±

    ¡°NO, no, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The Devonian Lord will have his reasons. The Lord works in mysterious ways.¡±

    Devon maintained a deadpan expression and waited for all the worshippers to be taken into custody. Afterwards, he and Terry took their leave.

    ¡°Looneys,¡± grumbled Devon.

    ¡°Does this happen frequently?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know where they keep coming from. I am always surprised the world hasn¡¯t run out of looneys by now. It has to happen eventually, right?¡± Devon looked at Terry. His eyes were pleading for affirmation.

    ***

    ¡°Got everything you need?¡± asked Megumi. She was examining a dagger displayed in the shop.

    ¡°Most of the parts that I can assemble myself,¡± replied Terry. ¡°The custom orders will take a while.¡±

    ¡°It is good that you keep yourself busy. It will take some time for the letter to reach the Guardian outpost in which your aunt is registered. Knowing the Divine Hammer, it is also likely that she is out on a mission. As far as I know, she normally only stays in the outpost to train rookies during the season of the Setting Moon. Contacting your family in Arcana requires some bureaucracy, too. You can¡¯t count on them gaining assistance from a dimensional mage without delays, either.¡±

    ¡°Are you looking for a new weapon?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Always. One can never have too many blades.¡± Megumi grinned. ¡°However, in this case, I am merely admiring the craftsmanship. It is a pity that all these weapons are unfinished.¡±

    ¡°Unfinished?¡±

    ¡°No magic,¡± replied Megumi, with traces of sorrow in her eyes.

    Terry wondered at the meaning behind those words and searched his memory for any statements that were close in sentiment. ¡°My ma once said one should never have too much of a gap between the quality of the material forging and the level of the spell imprint.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s lips curled upwards. ¡°Sounds like a smart woman. Something like that, yes. Only out here, it is less about imprints and more about suitable inscriptions, aspecting, or enchantments.¡±

    She surveyed the displayed items and shook her head. ¡°Even the best material has weak points, and you need magic to cover them.¡±

    Megumi pointed at one of the most expensive items. ¡°This weapon is like having the best cook pick only the best ingredients only to stop after half the recipe.¡±

    ¡°My¡ª¡± Megumi interrupted herself and her expression sank. After a pause, she continued: ¡°My family had many accomplished smiths. A common saying was that a smith that only knows smithing knows little of that. Magic engineering can assist in the material forging and you need enchantments and mana crafting to properly finish a product.¡±

    She heaved a deep sigh. ¡°This weapon is unfinished and finishing it would require more resources than can reasonably be justified out here. Ugh... and if you go through the trouble anyway, you risk running afoul of the censors. Better to get a cheap but finished product.¡±

    ***

 046 Kindred Spirits

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 84 ¨C

    ¡°This should be far enough from the settlement,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Unless you have ramped up the threat-level since last time.¡±

    They were in the middle of a sparse forest.

    ¡°No no no,¡± replied Elvis. ¡°At least we had no such intention.¡±

    ¡°Devon?¡±

    ¡°No folk signatures aside from us.¡± Devon was wearing the flowery dress again.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Elvis turned to Poppy. ¡°Let¡¯s see how our latest iterations perform.¡±

    Terry smiled at the familiar ear-wiggle. Then Terry retrieved his own prototypes for testing.

    Elvis held out a U-shaped device to Devon. ¡°You must not point the open end at any of us. Not under any circumstances. No matter if you¡¯re channeling mana or not.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± acknowledged Devon. He stepped away from the others.

    ¡°Alright. This concept is still in the early stages. It is better to channel mana slowly for this one.¡±

    Warning bells went off in Terry¡¯s head. He remembered Devon¡¯s first attempt to fill a mana container.

    ¡°Uhm, maybe¡ª¡±

    *Buzzzz¡­* Devon had already pointed the open end at a tree and channeled his mana into the inscribed device.

    *KAZAP!* A blue lightning bolt hit the tree, and it splintered into pieces.

    Devon looked down at his stomach. His flowery dress was mending itself in several places where he had been hit by wood shrapnel.

    ¡°Good robes,¡± mumbled Devon. Some of the daisies were now bloody.

    Devon sniffed the air. The remnants of the tree had caught fire. Devon quickly created a sheet of netherfrost below the tree to contain and extinguish the flames.

    ¡°How is the hand?¡± asked Elvis.

    ¡°Stings a bit,¡± said Devon.

    ¡°Okay, translated to normal people, that means it hurts like hell,¡± commented Elvis. ¡°The core inscription itself seems to work though. Congratulations, Poppy!¡±

    ¡°Good squiggly line.¡±

    Devon moved his hips from side to side and scrunched up his face.

    ¡°Is your butt itchy?¡± quipped Lizzy. ¡°If I did not know any better, I would think your pants don¡¯t fit, but you are not wearing any.¡±

    Devon poked his stomach. Afterwards, he walked to Terry. ¡°Could I borrow your dagger?¡±

    ¡°Sure?¡± Terry channeled mana into his inscribed sheath to release the dagger.

    Before Terry knew what was going on, the dagger had already been plunged into Devon¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, gross.¡± Elvis averted his eyes. ¡°Dev, sometimes¡ª Uff, it is getting worse.¡±

    Devon had removed the dagger and started rummaging around in his own intestines. It was a gruelling sight.

    ¡°Found it.¡± Devon pulled out a piece of wood. ¡°Pesky thing.¡±

    The flowery dress mended itself. The blood remained.

    ¡°Devon, seriously,¡± exclaimed Lizzy in dismay and disgust.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Devon was nonchalant. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That image is going to haunt me,¡± said Terry with a distraught expression. He shook his head forcefully. Unfortunately, the scene refused to fall out.

    No handing out items willy-nilly!

    Terry exhaled a sharp breath. ¡°Focus.¡± He retrieved his notebook and pen to document his own experiments.

    ¡°Shield and slabs first,¡± mumbled Terry. He retrieved a new shield that had a pointy spike embedded in the middle.

    Terry walked up to one tree and held the shield with his left arm. He pushed against the shield to examine how far the spike would enter the tough wood. Next, he picked a fresh spot and activated the Immovable Object spell in the grip attachment.

    After the shield had been transfixed, Terry pulled at a small lever hidden in the back of the shield near its edge. The lever caused a metal ring to rotate. Once the gaps in the ring had moved to the right place, the compression coil spring did the rest.

    *Krchk!* The spike pierced into the wood.

    Terry examined the result. ¡°Not bad.¡± He deactivated the imprint again and pulled the shield out of the tree.

    ¡°Too bad that it¡¯s a pain to compress the coil spring again.¡±

    Thank mana for the boulder and its weight!

    Terry wrote down his findings and then picked up a tertium slab that had handles, a hole, as well as a thicker area with similar openings to the metal ring before.

    Terry walked up to the tree and cast the Immovable Object spell on the slab. Afterwards, he retrieved the second essential part. It was made from a sturdy metal and looked like a big screw with a spike on one end and a hole that was orthogonal to the spike at the other.

    He placed the new part on the ring opening and then rotated it into the tertium slab. Threads had been cut both into the slab and into the pointy part. The slab contained female threads like a nut to match the male threads in the screw.

    Terry put a metal rod through the hole at the other end. Afterwards, Terry used the metal rod as a lever to turn the screw and the spike pierced the wood inch by inch.

    ¡°Nasty little idea,¡± remarked Lizzy, who was watching Terry from the side.

    ¡°Got it from a dungeon,¡± said Terry. ¡°Spike creepers are nasty little constructs.¡±

    ¡°Remind me to stay in your good graces,¡± quipped Elvis.

    *RUMBLE!* Devon had downed another tree with one of the early prototypes from Poppy¡¯s arsenal.

    ¡°Although, if I really do fall out of your good graces, I can call my little sister to protect me.¡± Elvis chuckled. ¡°I believe she still has you beat.¡±

    Terry retrieved his next set of items. The first one looked similar to his throwing needles, with the only difference being that there was no real grip. Instead, there was a smooth rod of metal that was shorter than the grips on his normal throwing needles.

    Right behind the bladed front of the needle was an octavum sheet. The octavum sheet was linked to the front of the needle with a latch. Terry called this an anchored needle.

    He prepared to throw, cast the Immovable Object spell on the octavum sheet, pressed a trigger, and threw the anchored needle.

    The Immovable Object spell activated, and the needle was transfixed in the air. A short moment later, the triggered mechanism released the latch. A coil spring propelled the bladed part away from the transfixed octavum.

    ¡°Curious,¡± commented Elvis. He had looked up from his own ¨C less martial ¨C prototypes to follow Terry¡¯s experiments.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a pain to get the timing right, though. It also won¡¯t work against tougher armor¡­¡± Despite his complaining, Terry wore a wide grin on his face. ¡°Basic idea works. I¡¯ll leave the detailed material and spring rate tests for later.¡±

    ¡°Lizzy, could you help me with the next one?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Sure, what do you need?¡±

    ¡°A disruption discharge. One moment.¡±

    Terry picked up a similar throwing needle. In contrast to the previous anchored needle, this one had not only an octavum sheet, but the needle itself was also made of octavum.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry hesitated. ¡°Hmm, right, I had not thought of that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Well, I figured that a disruption discharge would disrupt imprints in the order it hits them, which was the basis for this one, but¡­¡± Terry grimaced. ¡°I would have to throw the needle at you for that.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the reluctance.¡± Lizzy giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She enlarged a shield from her belt of miniature metal items. ¡°Show me what other nasty idea you have come up with.¡±

    Terry was relieved by her response. He activated the two imprints in rapid succession, pressed the trigger, and hurled the needle towards Lizzy. The needle became transfixed in the air.

    ¡°Now!¡± shouted Terry.

    Lizzy unleashed a disruption discharge at the needle. The disruption wave hit the first imprint that was located close to the bladed tip of the needle.

    *Thwish!* The bladed part of the needle was propelled away from the octavum sheet that was still transfixed. It flew towards Lizzy and impacted on her shield. *Ting*

    ¡°Interesting idea,¡± commented Elvis.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I get what you meant before about the direction of the discharge,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°That problem aside, it could work as a counter. Normally, a cultivator would not expect their own disruption discharge to act as a trigger. After the first attempt, however, the surprise won¡¯t work anymore.¡±

    ¡°Fine with me if they then become more hesitant to use discharges,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°And if I get the timing of the two imprints right, it would still act as a regular anchored needle.¡±

    Terry retrieved another item. ¡°Hmm, I need a target again.¡± He looked hopefully at Lizzy.

    ¡°Did I somehow become the second Devon?¡± Lizzy blurted out. ¡°Fine, as long as it doesn¡¯t explode or anything.¡±

    ¡°You have my gratitude!¡± Terry was beaming at her. ¡°Uhm, just try to run, I guess.¡±

    Lizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Okay?¡±

    Terry channeled mana and then hurled a pair of bolas at the running Lizzy. The connecting cord wrapped around Lizzy¡¯s torso, but she continued her movement.

    ¡°Hugh!¡± Lizzy was pulled to a sudden stop when the imprints in the octavum weights activated and became immovable.

    Lizzy tried to wiggle out of it. When that did not work, she unleashed another disruption discharge and disentangled herself from the bolas.

    ¡°I like this one,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°The faster the target, the bigger the pain.¡±

    ¡°As long as I manage to hit the target,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°The connecting rope is a weakness, too.¡±

    ¡°Any more needs for a guinea pig, or am I dismissed?¡± quipped Lizzy.

    ¡°Thanks, Lizzy,¡± replied Terry. ¡°I¡¯ll have to act as the experimental subject for the remaining ones.¡±

    *Puff!* An ocher smoke was created from the latest test of one of Poppy¡¯s contraptions.

    ¡°Ugh, disgusting.¡± Lizzy held her nose.

    Elvis was hurriedly retreating from the smoke. Once the smoke had reached Terry, his eyes became irritated, and he instantly felt like vomiting. The stench was gut-wrenching.

    Good to know that your sense of smell has recovered from being surrounded by Alricks. Although right now, this recovery appears somewhat regrettable.

    You still need to buy a scent mask.

    ¡°Reminds me of the tower smell,¡± said Devon, and sniffed the air. He remained unperturbed and continued standing in the thick of it. ¡°A mix of sulfur and molten flesh.¡±

    ¡°What was that thing supposed to do?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Good squiggly line,¡± murmured Poppy.

    ¡°Good?!¡± Elvis was flabbergasted. ¡°Was that supposed to happen?¡±

    Poppy tilted her head. ¡°Devon¡¯s robes have a fragrance enchantment. I wanted to try, too.¡±

    Devon pulled up his dress and sniffed. ¡°Good robes.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, seriously.¡± Lizzy evacuated the area while holding her nose.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°I hate it.¡± He quickly packed up and followed Lizzy¡¯s lead.

    ***

    In the late evening, Terry sat down on the floor in his room. He had finished his juggling exercise, and he wanted to think about how to improve his mana crafting skills before switching to ring training.

    Terry had encountered a roadblock with his mana crafting. He had mastered the exercises that Aunt Brynn had instructed him to do, but now what? The curriculum did not account for being thrown into the next empire without prior warning. He was missing the guidance from his instructor.

    Terry had even asked Poppy and Elvis for advice. Unfortunately, Elvis had little interest in magic beyond the minimum necessary for complementing his mechanical contraptions, and Poppy had apparently started out directly with her own version of rune inscriptions. Even their cloaking was based on Poppy¡¯s runic system. It did not follow the regular mana crafting path.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry tapped his pen against his temple.

    He could carve basic directional lines, but he had no idea how to create a pulse generator. Nor did he know how to go about carving mana lines for chaining different imprints.

    He was able to create stamps for a regular periodic shielding based on tiles, but quasi-periodic and crystal-based shielding were still beyond him. For three-dimensional stamps, he would first have to figure out how to use the tools to create the proper shape. For quasi-periodic tiling, he knew a few examples, but he did not know the rules for picking the right basic shapes. The very idea of quasicrystal shielding was giving him a headache.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry pondered. ¡°When stuck, start at the beginning.¡±

    Beginning of what?

    ¡°Problem. When you have a problem looking for a solution, first make sure you have really nailed down the correct problem.¡±

    Terry smiled when remembering Instructor Samuel and Instructor Brynn.

    And?

    ¡°For the crystals, I have to fiddle with the tools. Thinking alone won¡¯t help. What¡¯s the problem with the quasi-periodic tiling?¡±

    That it is hard?

    ¡°Why is it hard?¡±

    For one, you don¡¯t know how to pick the right tile shapes.

    ¡°Why is that important?¡±

    If the shapes don¡¯t fit properly, you will run into a dead end.

    ¡°Point taken.¡± Terry tapped the floor with his pen. ¡°Why do I need to pick shapes at all?¡±

    Because you only know a few examples and you can¡¯t use those shapes.

    Terry continued tapping on the floor. ¡°Why?¡±

    Why what?

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I use those shapes?¡±

    Because they won¡¯t work for your ideas.

    *Tap* ¡°Why not?¡±

    Because those tile shapes would yield a set of specifically shaped tilings. If the area in the item you want to shield is different, they won¡¯t work. You will reach a dead end.

    *Tap* *Tap* ¡°True.¡±

    Terry rubbed his chin with his free hand. ¡°Why does the area in the item have to be different?¡±

    Is that a trick question?

    Terry snickered.

    ¡°Hmph, it is difficult because I don¡¯t know how to select the tile shapes for a specific area.¡±

    Terry scribbled the statement down in his notebook. Afterwards, he searched his memory. He was not the first person to ever hit a roadblock and some members among the elder generation of his family had shared their stories before.

    Terry mumbled: ¡°Don¡¯t be fixated on finding the right answer. If stuck, search for a different arrangement of information that will provoke a different way of looking at the situation.¡±

    Terry tapped the floor again. After a while, he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

    ¡°Flip it?¡±

    Which part?

    ¡°If I can¡¯t match the tiles to the area, I will have to match the area to the tiles.¡± Terry puffed his cheeks.

    That¡¯s cheating! Also, that kind of limits the options for items, doesn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°But it could work for armor. Instead of finding tiles to match an armor piece, I could test scale armor and match the scale shape to the tile shapes from the examples.¡±

    Sounds more like a mid-term project.

    ¡°Fine with me.¡± Terry retrieved one of his old throwing needles that had not been imprinted. ¡°I can experiment with aspecting again in the short-term.¡±

    Terry had repeatedly tried his hands at aspecting items in the past. However, he had never crossed the threshold for the aspected mana to become self-sustaining. He had consulted with Miguel and discovered that Miguel never had to throw that much mana at an item. Terry had even started to wonder if oscillating mana could really be used for aspecting.

    ***

    ¡°Alright, iteration three,¡± mumbled Terry.

    ¡°I hope the shock absorbers work out,¡± said Elvis. He was looking forward to the results of their brainstorming together.

    ¡°Rumble.¡± Devon and Poppy had downed another tree in the nearby forest.

    Terry equipped a new pair of bracers and boots. They were still early prototypes and trimmed down to the basics.

    ¡°Are you sure that you want to test them out together?¡± asked Lizzy. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to test them individually first?¡±

    ¡°Where is the thrill in that?¡± Elvis laughed.

    ¡°No need to worry,¡± said Terry. ¡°I kept the mechanisms separate. These bracers only include the pearls. There are other bracers for the rest and there is no need to step up too high for this round.¡±

    Terry could not help but smile. ¡°¡­and I really want to experience how it feels together.¡±

    One last breath and then Terry dashed forward.

    While running, Terry stretched out his arm and jumped. In the air, he activated the Immovable Object imprint in the septimum pearl embedded in his bracer.

    The septimum pearl was embedded in another layer of metal in which it could rotate freely. The complete sphere was surrounded by compression coil springs that acted as shock absorbers. There was significantly less strain on his arm than with the previous iteration.

    Terry kicked out in the air, and his momentum caused him to rotate around the imprinted pearl. Next, Terry activated the imprint in the septimum pearl inside the second bracer. The two immovable pearls created a fixed rotation axis and he could swing himself around it.

    Terry activated one imprint in his boots. The imprinted layer was slightly sunk into the sole. It was a single piece of septimum. It looked like two open arrow symbols merged into one with a single strip following most of Terry¡¯s sole. At each end of this strip, there was the open arrowhead for balance. The layer became transfixed, and the attached extension coil springs brought Terry¡¯s rotation to a gradual stop.

    Terry waited for the imprints in his boots to deactivate and then allowed himself to rotate into an upright position so that his soles were pointing at the ground again.

    Terry disrupted the transfixed pearls and simultaneously, he injected as little mana as possible into the extension layer imprint within his boots. Immediately afterwards, Terry jumped.

    Terry could feel the resistance from the extension coil springs, but the resistance vanished as soon as the imprint in his boots deactivated again.

    Terry was grinning from ear to ear and continued his air jumps.

    ¡°Terry!¡± shouted Lizzy in a stern tone of voice.

    ¡°Ah, right, not too high.¡± Terry cleared his throat.

    Terry allowed himself to fall again and activated a second imprint in another layer of his boots. The transfixed layer pressed against compression coil springs.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry thought about what to try next. ¡°Direction change.¡±

    Terry first tested walking in the air. While he still had to get used to the proper timing and coil spring resistance, it was already more fluent than his old boots.

    Terry jumped again. Afterwards, he rotated himself ninety degrees and then did another air jump, which changed his movement direction in the air.

    Next, he rotated himself opposite to his movement direction and activated the imprint in the second layer again. After he had come to a stop, he rapidly switched imprints and jumped towards his original position.

    Terry did a few more tests with his imprinted pearls. He also incorporated transfixing the outer shell of his bracers, similar to how his old bracers worked.

    ¡°Workable,¡± exclaimed Terry happily.

    He let himself fall to solid ground again.

    ¡°That looked like fun,¡± said Elvis.

    ¡°The shock absorbers really helped,¡± said Terry. ¡°I can try to add pearls to the boots with that. The compression coil springs in the soles don¡¯t seem too useful though. The opposite direction switch still made my knees groan.¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re springs, not miracles.¡± Elvis chuckled. ¡°If your space is limited, you have to pick a higher spring rate to cushion the force and you¡¯ll have to share the pain. You could try moving them to the shins or calves to increase the available space.¡±

    ¡°That would make the shielding even more difficult, among other things.¡± Terry frowned slightly. ¡°Hmph, well, can¡¯t win them all. I guess I¡¯ll drop the compression layer.¡±

    Would have been a temporary crutch, anyway. No help but to cultivate!

    ¡°The extension layer seems fine as is. The fixed layer can stay as before.¡± Terry scribbled in his notebook. ¡°Next one.¡±

    ¡°The dangerous one?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Only if it doesn¡¯t work,¡± replied Terry. ¡°And I do have a backup with the roped rings.¡±

    Terry equipped his old familiar boots. Afterwards, he put on a new pair of bracers.

    He stepped up into the air again.

    Boring! Jumping was more fun!

    Terry smiled wryly.

    When he judged the height high enough, Terry transfixed a roped ring in the air as backup. Afterwards, he deactivated the imprints in his boots and allowed himself to fall.

    Terry activated the imprint in his bracer. Another embedded pearl made of septimum was transfixed into the air. The outer layer was attached to an extension coil spring.

    The spring¡¯s resistance brought Terry to a gradual stop.

    After Terry had reached an equilibrium, the extension coil spring pulled him back up. Terry¡¯s weight alone did not keep the coil spring extended this far.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll just have to get the timing right.¡± Terry used his boots to step up again. Up there, he repeated his previous preparation and allowed himself to fall again.

    This time, Terry simultaneously activated the imprints in both bracers. Two coil springs were extended and afterwards pulled Terry rapidly into the air again.

    ¡°Workable,¡± muttered Terry, and used the roped rings to return to the ground.

    Terry was walking towards his notebook with a cheerful face when he saw that Devon and Poppy had joined up with them. The others were wearing grave expressions.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Devon sensed something at the Bulwark,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°We need to inform the Captain immediately.¡±

    ***

 047 Haunted by the Dead

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 23 ¨C

    The Captain returned from her surveillance flight over the Bulwark with a grim expression.

    ¡°Was Devon right?¡± asked Lizzy while preparing for the worst.

    ¡°Afraid so,¡± stated Megumi. She retrieved her Guardian card and sunk her consciousness into it.

    Lizzy¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the card. ¡°Is it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Worse.¡± Megumi switched the signal on the links with the nearest Wasteguard coordinators to have them send help. Afterwards, she took a deep breath.

    ¡°The death signatures on the plateau on top of the Bulwark are ghouls. Lots of them.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°Let her finish,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°If it was just that, then the Captain would not request reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°There is an undead horde lurking right on the other side of the Bulwark,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Not a small one.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lizzy looked at Devon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything.¡± Devon looked perplexed and tilted his head. ¡°Nothing, actually. Complete lack of signatures, now that you mention it.¡±

    ¡°The death signatures are cloaked.¡± Megumi stared at the Bulwark.

    Lizzy stood with mouth agape. ¡°But that would mean¡­ It¡¯s not the big one, is it? Please say it¡¯s not the big one.¡±

    Megumi shook her head. ¡°No, but it¡¯s not a small one either. It¡¯s larger than your average horde. Maybe two or three times more than normal. It doesn¡¯t add up.¡±

    ¡°Which part?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Such a horde should not have liches,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Nor any other creature with both the ability to use a large-scale cloaking and the intelligence to actually use it.¡±

    ¡°If the group split from the big one, then it would be possible, but¡­¡± Megumi continued staring at the Bulwark. ¡°Why would it? Why now? Why lurk outside the Bulwark? Why did the ghouls climb the mountain?¡±

    ¡°Were you able to assess the threat-level?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°I did not dare to get too close, but I could not detect any creatures that would confirm the big one as the origin. Corpse corruptions. Higher-level second-rank death auras. Nothing out of the norm. There are probably some third-ranks, but it still doesn¡¯t add up. Something is amiss.¡±

    ¡°Corpse corruptions?¡± inquired Terry.

    ¡°Term for mana-corrupted ghouls or zombies,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°I saw a shade on the plateau,¡± said Megumi. ¡°And I could smell the stench of blood abominations.¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± uttered Lizzy with a grimace. She elaborated for Terry: ¡°Shadow-aspected ghoul corruption and blood-aspected zombie corruption. One is annoying. The other is annoying and disgusting.¡±

    ¡°The sheer number is problematic.¡± Megumi shook her head. ¡°With us alone, I don¡¯t see a way to contain this if the horde starts moving.¡±

    The Captain grunted in frustration. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s focus on first things first. As long as the horde is staying in place, the cursed on the plateau have priority.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh, no need to wait around for the cavalry and stand idly by while ghouls are infesting the Bulwark,¡± said Lizzy while she was switching the signal on her own Guardian card.

    ¡°The inside of the Bulwark is off limits, but the plateau is fair game.¡± Lizzy looked around. ¡°Which one of us three will give Devon a lift?¡±

    ***

    Megumi eradicated the nearby ghouls, and they could finally step onto the plateau.

    Terry saw more ghouls in the distance and retrieved a light-aspected metal rod.

    ¡°Not a good idea this time,¡± said the Captain. ¡°You should throw that away quickly.¡±

    Without waiting to understand her reasoning, Terry hurled the rod to the front.

    ¡°Hiss.¡± A black creature with a fuzzy outline and indistinguishable features stepped out of the shadows. The creature pushed the glowing rod into the shadows and the rod disappeared.

    ¡°Shade,¡± said the Captain and quartered the corpse corruption with two wind blades.

    ¡°Time to start pest control,¡± said Lizzy, and equipped her weapons.

    The group hunted down all the ghouls they could see. Afterwards, Devon pointed out the remaining death signatures on the plateau.

    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t add up.¡± Megumi muttered to herself.

    ¡°Well, ghouls do have the ability to scale walls,¡± remarked Lizzy.

    ¡°Yes, but they don¡¯t normally. Not unless they are in a frenzy. Battle frenzy. Life signatures paired with the scent of deceased ghouls. Light-aspected mana.¡± Megumi surveyed the plateau again. ¡°Nothing that would match what we are seeing here.¡±

    ¡°Do you suspect that there was a command involved?¡± Lizzy grew concerned. ¡°A death whisperer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that one is among the third-ranks in the horde, but¡­¡± Megumi shook her head. ¡°It still does not add up. Why would it have the ghouls come up here? Why would it have the rest of the horde wait down there?¡±

    ¡°Did you detect any aspect beings risen from death among the horde?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°None. If there is a death whisperer, then it has only whispered to the cursed corpses.¡±

    Lizzy was relieved and shrugged. ¡°If it¡¯s a death whisperer, then that would indicate that it¡¯s not a high-level one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the high-level ones do love their death spirits,¡± muttered Megumi.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Devon tilted his head and stared at the ridge in front of them. ¡°It comes from in there.¡±

    ¡°Shade again?¡± guessed Lizzy.

    Megumi furrowed her brow. ¡°Possible, but unusual. Could be¡ª Above!¡±

    Things came flying at them.

    They blocked, dodged, and batted the projectiles away.

    ¡°Curses, constructs!¡± Megumi instantly flared her mana when she realized the nature of projectiles. She flung out a rapid succession of wind blades and then released a quickened Raging Winds spell.

    *Bzzt*

    Among the hail of projectiles, even more constructs had appeared out of camouflage when hit by the winds.

    Some constructs released bouts of electricity and these constructs then overcame the wind pressure and flew fast at Lizzy¡¯s metal armor.

    Another moment later, Lizzy¡¯s metal armor turned liquid in several places.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lizzy focused on regaining control of the metal to keep her most vital spots protected.

    While Lizzy was busy worrying about her heart and similar lethal vulnerabilities, the earth under her exposed feet turned liquid.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± exclaimed Lizzy. She had sunken slightly into the earth and something had pricked her foot.

    The Captain flew over and pulled Lizzy away from the area of effect. From the corners of her eyes, she could see metal spikes poking out of the muddy earth.

    ¡°Haargh.¡± Lizzy was gasping for air and collapsed in excruciating pain.

    ¡°NO!¡± Megumi¡¯s face became ashen. ¡°Some kind of poison.¡±

    Megumi retrieved healing items from her storage item and applied them.

    Terry clenched his fists. He hated not being able to cast any healing spells.

    Devon furiously pushed his palm against the wall. The rock was melted by hellfire. In the bright red fire, a fettered ghoul became visible before it, too, was incinerated.

    ¡°None of them are working.¡± Megumi turned frantic.

    Terry retrieved some of his own items to try. He wanted to hand them to Megumi when he noticed terror in her eyes. He followed her line of sight and saw faint purple lines appearing on Lizzy¡¯s face.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Megumi struggled with herself and then anxiously turned to Devon. ¡°Could you¡ª?¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°No, he can¡¯t,¡± spoke the gloating voice of a woman.

    A face made of vines had appeared at the ridge. ¡°Not unless your little freak knows a fourth spell that he has kept hidden. I know the freak can cast a blood-aspected variant of the Healing Light, but I¡¯m afraid that even if he were to sacrifice all of his health using the Sacrificial Light, it won¡¯t help one bit with spirit poisoning. Otherwise, I would not have gone through the extreme hassle of acquiring some.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s eyes turned blood-shot when she heard the words ¡®spirit poisoning.¡¯

    ¡°A life for a life,¡± growled the voice. ¡°The Castellan killed my sister. A blood debt has to be paid in blood.¡±

    Megumi shredded the vines with a wind blade.

    ¡°And here I was trying to give you a chance.¡± Another face had grown from the ridge. ¡°I have heard some stories about the famous Captain. Rumors say that there once was a planned bombing by the Magic Liberation Front.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s eyes became empty.

    ¡°The rumor goes on to say that it was the famous Captain that discovered the plot ahead of time.¡± The voice laughed derisively. ¡°But not without being detected. It is said that the Captain¡¯s family was kidnapped to force her into stopping her report so that the attack on the Assembly could progress forward.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s breathing became erratic. Her fists were clenched so hard that her nails dug into her palms.

    ¡°Did they really make you listen to their voices? Listen to the torture? Listen in on their deaths? Your parents, your uncle and aunt, your¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± spat Megumi.

    ¡°Your adorable little cousin that idolized you as her hero?¡±

    ¡°One by one.¡± The voice snorted. ¡°And the Assembly is still standing to this day. What a hero indeed.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± demanded Megumi.

    ¡°To confirm another part of the rumor. It is said that the honorable Captain may have some regrets regarding her heroic decision.¡±

    The voice snorted. ¡°So? How about it? A life for a life. My private debt is with the Castellan, but your life is worth more in the war. If you take your own life, then I can consider sparing your loved one this time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not always possible to save everybody,¡± said Devon with a shaking voice.

    ¡°Shut up, Devon!¡± Tears were rolling down from Megumi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You know, there is a time limit on this offer,¡± spoke the face of vines. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the clock is already ticking for your companion. Her mana is still shielding her spirit and the Castellans seem to have a higher resistance than most, but the clock is ticking, nonetheless.¡±

    Megumi¡¯s eyes were glued to Lizzy¡¯s face.

    ¡°Or is it that the honorable Captain is willing to trade the lives of others but never her own?¡±

    The Captain took deep breaths and glared at the face. ¡°¡®Consider¡¯ sparing, huh? Empty words, nothing more. You¡¯re trying to tempt me with lies.¡± Tears were rolling down her cheek.

    The Captain turned to Devon. ¡°We need to get Lizzy to a proper healer.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, you disappoint me, Captain,¡± interjected the voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the first choice, I¡¯ll have to force the second one on you.¡±

    Devon¡¯s head jerked around. ¡°Life signature matching folk in the Bulwark.¡±

    ¡°If that is you, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡± The voice interrupted Megumi with a taunt. ¡°Are you going to split the Bulwark in half? Crack open the earth to pull out your target?¡± Derisive laughter echoed. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t believe you will find the time.¡±

    Terry and the others jerked their heads towards the Wastes. The cloaking of the undead horde was gone. The undead creatures started moving towards the Bulwark.

    ¡°I am not sure if you can make time for a healer appointment, either. Brings back memories, doesn¡¯t it, Captain? Save your loved ones or do your duty? Which regrets will you pick this time?¡±

    Megumi shredded the face again.

    ¡°Devon, get Lizzy to a healer as fast as possible!¡± Megumi stepped forward towards the Wastes. ¡°I¡¯ll entertain the horde.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Devon grabbed Megumi¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡±

    Megumi exhaled sharp air. ¡°You got that right. Now take your hand away or I will cut it off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll grow back,¡± retorted Devon nonchalantly. ¡°You¡¯re faster than me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you regret that you did not take the first offer?¡± The voice interjected again with glee.

    Megumi turned and glared with hateful eyes at the face of vines.

    The voice giggled, and then a sharp edge entered her tone. ¡°In Tiv, lives may not be worth much, but in Thanatos, we still honor our dead. All you needed to do was to lay down your life and face the consequences of your actions.

    ¡°Pay for the past that has caught up with you. Instead, you are forcing me to drag the innocent citizens of the Tiv Empire into this. Now they will¡ª What?¡± The voice¡¯s tone switched to surprise mid-statement.

    Megumi turned again to see the back of Devon and his fluttering dress. Devon was sprinting towards the edge of the Bulwark.

    ¡°If you die while I live, then Lizzy may stab me again¡­¡± With those words, Devon leaped over the ledge. He was falling right into the path of the undead horde.

    ¡°That¡¯s two down. Haha.¡± The voice gloated and laughed after the woman had regained her wits.

    Megumi stared after Devon for one more breath. She glanced at the face of vines and tried hard to compose herself. She muttered: ¡°Venting my frustration by cutting down undead won¡¯t save her.¡±

    The Captain took one more look at Lizzy. Finally, her gaze rested on Terry.

    ¡°Can you protect her?¡± asked the Captain while staring into Terry¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡ª I will try my best,¡± said Terry hesitatingly.

    ¡°Can you protect her?!¡± demanded the Captain.

    I don¡¯t kn¡ª

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry replied firmly, with clenched fists.

    ¡°Good.¡± The Captain nodded and stared into the distance. ¡°I¡¯m faster.¡±

    The Captain burst as much mana as she could manage and soared into the air. Then she took off toward the open Wastes. A moment later, she had already vanished into the sky above the red sand.

    ¡°Escaping on her own?¡± The voice was tinged with confusion. ¡°What does she hope to find in the Wastes?¡±

    Terry ignored her and retrieved one of his new tertium items. It was a single large sheet of tertium that represented a flat cube. The cube¡¯s edges were perforated to allow Terry to easily fold the flat surface into a cube and back.

    Terry pulled Lizzy onto one of the squares and then bent the cube around her.

    ¡°Is that your plan for protecting her?¡± sneered the voice. ¡°I should thank you. Now, I can create a statue for the Captain to commemorate her failure.¡±

    A construct fell onto the cube. Terry quickly ignited his prepared spell structure. The construct¡¯s attempt to liquify the tertium cube failed, and Terry pierced the construct with his inscribed dagger.

    ¡°You will fail,¡± insisted the voice.

    Within expectations.

    Terry snorted. ¡°Just one more voice to ignore¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems you have all forgotten that there were ghouls on the plateau. Why don¡¯t we invite some more?¡±

    Terry could see blinking lights in the distance and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hmph.¡±

    He glanced at the face of vines and pondered.

    Most likely a nature-aspected spell to create an avatar. If it is orthodox spellwork, then there is not much risk to the caster. If the spell was channeled through the soul, however¡­

    Not every soul-channeled spell is as vulnerable as corporeal soul spirits, but only a few don¡¯t present any opening¡­

    Nature aspect¡­

    The voice¡¯s derisive laughter rang through the air again.

    ¡°Worth a shot,¡± mumbled Terry.

    He retrieved an item shaped like a bell with a handle as wide as his own hand. The handle controlled the metal parts inside. Rotating it to the right caused the inside near the handle to tighten. Rotating it to the left would do the opposite.

    Next, he retrieved the core of a poison slime. Terry put the mana core into the wide opening at the bottom. He rotated the handle to the right until the core was held in place.

    Terry aimed the open bottom at the face of vines. He activated the handle attachment that had been imprinted with the Immovable Object spell. Next, he channeled mana into the inscribed device.

    The focused mana sublimator discharged a poison-aspected blast of mana.

    ¡°Wha¡ª AHH!¡± The face of vines grimaced and disappeared.

    ¡°Huh, it really worked,¡± exclaimed Terry.

    Congratulations, you made her angry.

    ¡°What is she going to do? Send ghouls after me? I think we¡¯ve crossed that line already.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath.

    Devon must have arrived on the ground.

    The sky in the distance flashed repeatedly with the bright red illumination of Devon¡¯s hellfire. The illumination clearly outlined the shadows of the creatures that were crawling up onto the plateau.

    What if she leads the ghouls to the other side?

    ¡°I have to protect Lizzy.¡±

    So you are just going to ignore the undead breaching the Bulwark and entering into the Wasted Zone? What if they reach one of the villages? No patrols. They¡¯ll multiply and¡­

    Terry clenched his teeth and estimated the size of the plateau.

    That won¡¯t work. No way will you be able to move around fast enough while maintaining the immovable cube.

    Terry slowly exhaled the air in his lungs. He stepped away from the cube and retrieved two other items.

    Terry jumped and transfixed a brightly glowing rod in the air.

    Not a good idea this time.

    Terry closed his fingers around a heavy glaive. The glaive¡¯s long, single-edged blade was surrounded by flames, while the spike at the other end radiated an icy cold.

    ¡°Let them come.¡± Terry stared at the silhouettes in the distance.

    Yeah, just a bunch of chubby Alricks!

    Except for the shadowy Alricks that haven¡¯t submitted to your experiments yet. Don¡¯t worry about those. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re very tame and cuddly.

    Don¡¯t think about what else might come crawling up either.

    ¡°Not helping,¡± grumbled Terry.

    Who said I was trying to help?

    ***

    Terry injected additional mana into the cube and judged the remaining time with his mana sense. ¡°Should hold for a while.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Hiss!¡±¡±¡±

    Terry grabbed the glaive tightly and charged towards the next batch of ghouls that were clawing at the shining metal rod in the air.

    He swung the glaive with both his arms from left to right. The glaive¡¯s blade cut through the first line of frenzied ghouls. The heavy weapon split the closest ghouls in half. Those that were standing further back suffered gashes that went up in flames.

    Terry pushed with his left arm and then let go with it. His right arm guided the glaive¡¯s momentum to finish the half circle that cut into the ghouls.

    Near the end of the half circle, Terry finished casting a quickened Immovable Object spell with his right hand. The spell¡¯s activation stopped the glaive¡¯s momentum instantly.

    While the glaive was thus transfixed, Terry turned around behind the glaive¡¯s immovable cover to change his grip. His right hand moved to the glaives front and his left hand grabbed the back.

    The spell ended, and Terry swung the glaive with both arms. This time, he pushed with his right arm and let his left hand guide the glaive¡¯s momentum. Again, the half circle ended with a transfixed glaive.

    Terry mowed down the gathering of ghouls line by line. All the while, he paid attention to the mana signatures in his mana sense ¨C both to watch for possible enemies and to monitor the duration of active Immovable Object spells.

    Terry noticed a hint of shadow-aspected mana and quickly retreated. A shadow rushed towards the transfixed glowing rod. The shade yanked at it in order to pull it down, but the rod remained immovable.

    Not for long, however, because when a layer of shadow had completely enveloped the rod, the Immovable Object spell got disrupted. The shade fell back to the ground with the rod in its claws. Soon after, the rod vanished into the shadows.

    With the light-aspected distraction gone, all remaining ghoul heads turned to Terry.

    Uh-oh.

    Terry quickly retrieved another light-aspected item and hurled it away.

    ***

 048 Allies

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 23 ¨C

    The ghouls rushed at Terry in a frenzy.

    Terry clenched his teeth and waited for them to come within range. Then, he swung his glaive to cut down the first of the ghouls.

    He transfixed the glaive and jumped back. The ghoul¡¯s charge was blocked by the glaive¡¯s pole. Terry retrieved two short spears ¨C one fire-aspected and one coldfire-aspected. He rapidly struck out and pierced the heads of the ghouls that were held back by the transfixed glaive.

    Terry took a run-up and used the immovable glaive as a foothold to jump. He gathered momentum to rotate topsy-turvy and then activated the imprints in his boots. From the air, he struck down and eradicated the ghouls one after the other.

    Where did the shade go?

    Terry skewered the skull of another ghoul.

    Can a shade threaten the cube?

    Terry returned the spears to his storage bracelets. Afterwards, he retrieved two shining metal rods and walked down ¨C or rather up in his topsy-turvy state ¨C to get on top of them, where he started another retrieval. This time, from his crafter¡¯s pendant.

    A large boulder appeared in the air and fell onto the two shining rods.

    Terry gathered momentum, deactivated the imprints in his boots, and let himself drop to the ground again. He picked up the glaive and then pushed the spike into the earth.

    Terry retrieved his coldfire spear and a bolas. He watched the ghouls clawing at the light-aspected items.

    Those are your last shining rods. Maybe you should have used the boulder with the glowing rings as bait instead? That would have been less easy for the shade to take away¡­ I think¡­ Maybe.

    Terry used the moment of respite to check on Lizzy and inject additional mana into the immovable cube. When he noticed a trace of shadow-aspected mana, Terry ran forward.

    The shade rushed from the shadows to grab the shining rod.

    *Wroom!*

    After the shade had disrupted the spell in one of the transfixed rods, the boulder fell down and crushed the ghouls beneath it. Unfortunately, the shade was holding on to the second rod and escaped the fate of the other ghouls.

    Terry hurled the bolas at the shade. The rope wrapped around the shade¡¯s torso and the octavum weights became immovable.

    Terry dashed forward. He jumped and then activated the imprints in his boots. His coldfire spear penetrated the skull of the shade.

    Is it dead? I miss the conclusive feedback from the dungeon¡­

    Terry retrieved a barrier spear, stabbed it into the shade¡¯s torso, and activated the barrier. He angled the barrier so that he could continue aiming blows at the head with his coldfire spear.

    After two more blows, the shade let go of the transfixed shining rod and Terry pulled back his spears to let the creature drop to the ground.

    Terry had to dodge when he noticed two more shadow-aspected signatures. One was aiming for the remaining rod while the other was lunging at him.

    Terry gathered momentum and deactivated the imprints in his boots. He rotated in the air until he could stare down at the attacking shade and then reactivated his boots.

    Terry blocked with his barrier spear and then counterattacked with his coldfire spear. While Terry did manage to finish off the shade that was focused on him, the remaining shade had successfully disposed of the light-aspected rod.

    You are running out of herding items¡­ and you ought to preserve a few in case of cube emergencies¡­

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry stared at the silhouettes in the distance. While the sheer endless amount of ghouls crawling onto the plateau seemed daunting, Terry found some courage in the never-ending flashes of hellfire.

    Devon is scary~

    Remember Ma Isille¡¯s comment about team balance? Something about suicide squads? Ouch ouch ouch, stop biting the inside of your cheek!

    Terry took a deep breath and returned his coldfire spear to his storage bracelet. ¡°Change in tactics.¡±

    Wait, hold up a second. You¡¯re not really¡­ You are. Are you sure?

    Terry retrieved one of the aspected items he had acquired in Syn: a short spear whose tip had been aspected with brightfire.

    Brightfire was an intersection aspect of fire and light. It burned with a white flame that was harmless to living beings but inflicted damage on death creatures.

    ¡°Their fear of fire is dwarfed by their loathing of the light aspect.¡±

    Terry prepared himself mentally. He bent his left arm, whose hand was holding the barrier spear. He activated the barrier and kept the barrier close to his body. His other arm was outstretched and kept the brightfire tip at a distance.

    Did you really turn yourself into bait? Are you an idiot?

    Terry clenched his teeth and refused to blink¡­

    He caught the flicker of a shadow-aspected mana signature. Terry turned rapidly and struck out with his barrier spear to prevent the creature from disappearing again. He activated the imprint in the barrier spear¡¯s attachment. With the first spear transfixed, Terry stepped around the shade and used the brightfire spear to aim for the shade¡¯s skull.

    Ghouls were charging towards Terry.

    After the shade was dealt with, Terry took possession of the barrier spear again. He considered switching weapons, but decided against it. The glaive could not attract the ghouls and, in the end, Terry still felt most comfortable with two short spears in his hands.

    He started engaging the ghouls directly. Dodging on the ground. Moving to the air. Striking down from above. He used the brightfire spear to direct their attention and, whenever possible, to eliminate them quickly.

    Terry was getting into a rhythm. The ghouls were not much different from the ghouls in the dungeon, and he was familiar with their movements. The only lingering anxiety in his mind was the possibility of more shades appearing.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense picked up new signatures. This time, they were not shadow-aspected.

    ¡°Curses!¡± Terry dodged a translucent green skull that came flying at him. He slashed the haunt with his brightfire spear and it disappeared.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry muttered anxiously to himself. ¡°Crap crap crap.¡±

    His cube would not protect Lizzy from ethereal creatures.

    Terry returned his spears to their storage bracelets. He hurled a light-aspected ring into the distance and collected the glaive back into his storage item. Next, Terry hurried back to the cube.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stay on the ground. I can¡¯t intercept ethereal creatures coming from below.¡±

    Terry disrupted the active spell and bent open the cube. He heaved Lizzy onto his shoulders and then used his imprinted boots to step up into the air.

    Heavy!

    Don¡¯t tell her I said that.

    ¡°Wastes, if only Lizzy had used an imprint to make her armor lighter, then I could activate that myself.¡±

    Despite his grumbling, Terry tirelessly stepped further up.

    Terry was unsure about how high he should go. On the one hand, a higher location would give him more wiggle room for intercepting the creatures. On the other hand, a higher location would also increase the risk of hurting Lizzy if he messed up with keeping her cube transfixed in the air.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Terry uttered in frustration. ¡°No sense breaking my head over this¡­ HERE!¡±

    Terry retrieved a tertium slab and transfixed it in the air. Afterwards, he retrieved another flat cube and placed it on top of the transfixed slab. He placed Lizzy on one of the cube¡¯s squares and folded the cube around her. Last, he cast Immovable Object on the cube.

    Another haunt appeared next to Terry, and he slashed it with his fire-aspected spear. He searched the area for the incoming death specter.

    He gulped when he discovered more than he had bargained for. His eyes saw a translucent green death specter, but his mana sight saw another signature right next to the specter.

    Dun dun dun. You¡¯re dead. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you made it this far.

    Terry hurled the fire-aspected spear at the invisible signature.

    The impact caused a flicker that revealed a creature that resembled a death specter except for the foggy white mist that covered its translucent body.

    ¡°Phantom!¡± cursed Terry. ¡°Why does a third rank have to appear here?!¡±

    ¡°Aside from invisibility, a phantom can materialize its claws. If that thing gets to Lizzy with its claws, then¡­¡±

    Terry hurriedly retrieved the mana sublimator and loaded it with the mana core of a fire slime.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    You only have one intact mana core aspected with fire.

    Terry scowled and took aim.

    If this doesn¡¯t work, then¡­

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    The creatures flew rapidly towards Terry.

    Terry ignored a haunt that attacked him. He could feel a stinging pain and the sensation of his remaining mana dropping. He kept his eyes on the death specter and phantom.

    Th-this is n-not a g-good¡ª

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Terry fought the haunt¡¯s fear effect.

    Suddenly, the phantom rushed ahead of the death specter.

    Terry waited with bated breath, and then he channeled mana into the inscribed device. A blast of fire-aspected mana engulfed the phantom. Further in the back, the death specter also caught some damage.

    With a screech, the phantom became visible. It seemed more transparent than during the flicker earlier.

    ¡°Waste it!¡± Terry retrieved a shield and used his gravitational attraction glove to pull back the fire-aspected spear.

    The phantom materialized its claws and attacked Terry. Luckily, Terry managed to pull the shield back before the materialization finished and the attack was blocked.

    A moment later, the attracted fire-aspected spear penetrated the phantom¡¯s body.

    The phantom flickered again and backed off from Terry.

    ¡°Die already!¡± Terry hurled the fire-aspected spear again. Simultaneously, he attempted to use his gravitational attraction glove. This proved a challenge even for Terry¡¯s mana control because the spear was moving fast.

    Fortunately, it worked and Terry had the fire-aspected spear-tip penetrate the phantom two more times.

    Unfortunately, the death specter was attacking now and Terry could not take the chance to try to finish off the retreating phantom.

    Terry caught the fire-aspected spear again.

    Continue with the aspected spears or use another aspected blast? I still have some fire-aspected shards and some light-aspected cores from the shining dropbears¡­

    Terry was torn over what to do when the sight in the distance made his stomach plummet. Another specter and a flying death mage had arrived on the plateau.

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±

    On the bright side, the hellfire is still flashing. So when you and Lizzy are dead, Devon can avenge you!

    ¡°Great,¡± exclaimed Terry sarcastically.

    Terry considered taking Lizzy and stepping as far up into the air as possible¡­

    Failing to defend the plateau¡­

    Terry eyed the phantom¡¯s mana signature and then exchanged weapons to equip the glaive. Its long fiery blade was better suited to attack the specter. Unfortunately, it was also a lot heavier than his short spears, which made dodging the haunts more challenging.

    I wish I already had the imprinted pearls¡­

    An idea entered Terry¡¯s mind. He summoned a tertium slab and transfixed it into the air. He stepped on the slab and placed the glaive on top. Next, Terry threw out several octavum balls.

    He jumped to one of the transfixed balls and used it as a follow-up jumping point. In the air, he retrieved and transfixed another tertium slab. Like this, Terry prepared the area.

    Terry returned to the first slab and picked up the glaive. Next, he leaped from immovable item to immovable item while slashing at the death specter in the center. He infused more mana whenever required and used his imprinted boots whenever he had misjudged a jump.

    Slash by slash, Terry wore down the specter until it went up in a puff of green smoke and disappeared completely.

    One down.

    Terry used the breathing room to reinfuse more mana into the cube, as well as into the warning tertium slab beneath the cube.

    After Terry was done, he scanned the area again. While he was concentrating on his mana sense, he perceived a rumbling from somewhere deep in the Bulwark.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Terry blurted out.

    Terry was close to screaming in frustration. Another death aura creature had entered his senses. The creature looked like a death mage with additional bones as armor.

    The death summoner cast a spell and several skeletons crawled up from the earth on the plateau. Terry knew the undead did not really come out of the earth, but that was what it looked like.

    The only difference between these skeletons and regular skeletal warriors was that these summoned skeletons were maintained by the summoner¡¯s mana. They were his weapons. While a death summoner could raise proper skeletal warriors from dead bodies, it could not create them out of thin air.

    Two more death mages flew up next to the death summoner.

    Terry slightly shook his head. ¡°Up then. No helping¡ª¡±

    He perceived rapid movement from the phantom signature and quickly switched to the mana sublimator.

    You should have loaded that earlier. Nitwit.

    Terry was about to load the inscribed contraption when a purple bolt hit the phantom and the creature evaporated.

    ¡°Where is Lizzy?¡± Ying had teleported next to Terry.

    ¡°Oh, thank mana! Up there in the cube.¡± Terry pointed and had the urge to fall down on his knees. He had to fight the urge because he was still airborne.

    Ying flew towards the cube. He disrupted the imprints and cast a spell to levitate Lizzy. Afterwards, the two of them floated down to the ground.

    Without waiting to arrive on the ground, Ying already cast spell after spell to deal with the spirit poisoning. He shielded Lizzy¡¯s spirit to prevent it from further harm. He raised Lizzy¡¯s spirit resistance to allow her to fight the poison. He strengthened her spirit so that she could overcome it more quickly.

    After Ying had stabilized Lizzy¡¯s spiritual condition, he cast spirit-aspected variants of the three fundamental healing spells. Unfortunately, there was no simple cure for a poisoned spirit.

    It could be contained and treated, but it was difficult to outright cure the condition and the difficulty rose drastically the longer the poison had spread. In most cases, the best hope was for the victim¡¯s spirit to overpower the poison. The spirit-aspected spell variations could only weaken the poison temporarily and thereby assist in the victim¡¯s struggle.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Megumi had arrived next to Ying. Her face was drained of blood and her brow was sweaty.

    ¡°Not out of the water yet,¡± replied Ying, and examined Lizzy¡¯s vital signs one more time. He looked Megumi in the eyes. ¡°But she¡¯ll make it.¡±

    ¡°Thank mana.¡± Megumi collapsed to her knees. ¡°And thank Syn.¡±

    The Captain clenched her teeth and stood back up.

    ¡°Captain, you should rest a moment, too,¡± said Ying with concern. ¡°You have pushed your mana channels beyond their limits.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take it easy then.¡± The Captain did not sit down again. Instead, she walked to Terry. ¡°Thanks for holding the fort together with Devon.¡±

    Terry gulped when he noticed the faintly visible blood vessels on Megumi¡¯s face. Before Terry could think of a reply, the Captain was already in the air to engage the horde.

    When Terry looked after the Captain, he could detect several cyan and yellow auras approaching on red sand from the horizon.

    ¡°The life signature in the Bulwark was a fake.¡± Yancey rose up from liquified earth. ¡°They forged the signature with some kind of construct. I¡¯ve heard of these, but I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡±

    ¡°Someone really put some thought into this trap,¡± murmured Ying.

    ¡°Olivienne and I will take some of the others to go after the few that have breached the Bulwark. The crazy one has done a good job blocking the passage.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh. Did Saul say anything else?¡±

    ¡°If he has regained some sense, you mean?¡± jeered Yancey.

    ¡°I get it, ok?¡± Ying sounded tired. ¡°I understand that it¡¯s impossible for the citizens that have been left to fend for themselves by Tiv to¡­¡± Ying inhaled deeply. ¡°To now enthusiastically risk their lives and afterlives to defend the very same Tiv. I get it.¡±

    Ying sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not here for Tiv. We¡¯re here to help the Captain and to show the promise of Syn.¡± He stared into Yancey¡¯s eye sockets without interrupting the casting of healing spells. ¡°So what did Saul say?¡±

    ¡°He and the main force will attack the horde from the north with the goal of securing a position at the Bulwark and then push back. Saul is mostly worried about the blood abominations. If they¡ª Wastes, there we go already.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mana sense went haywire when it was drowned by blood-aspected mana. He stepped into the air to get a better view of what was happening. From there, he could see a crimson creature growing at a rapid pace. It looked as if it was absorbing hundreds of zombies into its own body.

    *RUMBLE!* The whole Bulwark shook.

    ¡°Second act.¡± Yancey spoke leisurely. ¡°It must be hungry.¡±

    A gargantuan centipede with pincers on its head crawled out from beneath the Bulwark and lunged at the giant blood abomination.

    ¡°Waste it,¡± cursed Ying. ¡°That thing may become even more troublesome than the horde.¡±

    ¡°Another reason to not involve ourselves here,¡± retorted Yancey. ¡°Let the imperial dogs deal with their own prob¡ª Why is my skull getting tingly?!¡±

    Lightning flashed in the heavens, and something dropped out of the sky.

    With a thunderous roar, the lightning turned purple and took the shape of a dragon before it impacted in the middle of the horde. Soon after, the lightning dragon went on a rampage and rained destruction on the horde. Here and there, flames and ice followed in its path¡­

    Terry could make out the silhouette of a person swinging a sword.

    His mana sight showed him a mana signature that could compete with Devon¡¯s for the title of the most abnormal mana signature in existence. It seemed to consist not of a single signature at all but instead of several signatures layered on top of and intermingling with each other.

    Some of the death mages cast a spell that unleashed countless death spears from the heavens.

    A woman appeared out of thin air and erased all spells with one motion of her mage staff.

    In the next second, the woman had teleported in front of Terry. The woman looked like the embodiment of a mage proper. She could have jumped directly out of Calam¡¯s book on the Faithless Saints.

    Terry¡¯s eyes were glued to her staff when trying to identify all the precious materials. He spotted several purple mana crystals.

    The woman glanced over everyone present and stopped at Yancey. ¡°Well, this will require some further explanation.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Amelia. I am called Ying. The cyan and yellow auras are allies. We are here to help. Please don¡¯t target us.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ Fancy that.¡± Amelia narrowed her eyes at Yancey. ¡°He does not look like a summons.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± retorted Yancey drily. ¡°I¡¯m Yancey. My daughter was a fan of yours.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be wasted,¡± exclaimed Amelia with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Some further explanation indeed. Alright, I¡¯ll pass the word.¡±

    ¡°However, first things first.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes moved to Terry. ¡°You¡¯re Terry?¡±

    Her eyes moved to Terry¡¯s hip. ¡°The famous bag is present. I don¡¯t see some of the expected imprints tho¡ª Ah, freshly cloaked, I see.¡±

    Amelia grinned. ¡°Already beginning to integrate into Tiv society, I take it?¡± She looked back towards the battle. ¡°You should really have picked some different sights to visit though.¡±

    Amelia looked back at Terry. ¡°So? Terry or not?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­ Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°You better be. From what Matteo has told me, the Hammer is quite protective of her baby sister. If it turns out that you have toyed with her grief, I would advise you to get eaten before the old lady gets a hold of you.¡±

    Amelia looked up and whispered softly. ¡°Dargo, here.¡±

    A mountain of a man that carried a large double-sided battle axe appeared next to her. Each of the bladed sides was bigger than Terry¡¯s head.

    Amelia pointed at Terry. ¡°He¡¯s the one.¡± Then she disappeared without another word.

    The man nodded at Terry. Afterwards, he turned to observe the battle while watching the area for possible threats to Terry.

    ¡°I should go, too,¡± said Yancey and returned into the earth.

    ¡°Hello? What is going on?¡± Terry was glad that there were more people assisting in the fight, but he was also confused.

    ¡°He can¡¯t hear you,¡± said Ying. ¡°Dargones is a magebane.¡±

    When Terry¡¯s face revealed that he did not understand the implications, Ying elaborated: ¡°Just like in biology, some mana traits come with spandrels, which basically means other conditions that accompany the trait.¡±

    Ying raised his chin at the man. ¡°A magebane is a single-aspected cultivator with the nullification aspect that is sometimes called anti-mana. Magebanes are special existences. A magebane can only hear the voice of their spirit-bond, and the spirit-bond is the only entity that can hear the magebane¡¯s voice. They learn finger runes to communicate with others.¡±

    Ying glanced towards the ongoing battle. ¡°Amelia is capable of long-distance, unanchored dimensional travel. If these two are here, then the lightning before was probably Matteo, which means that¡ª¡±

    *BAM!* A giant bright translucent golden hammer head had appeared in the sky and whacked the gargantuan centipede to the ground. Terry could detect a mixture of what seemed to be the light and metal aspects.

    ¡°There we go.¡± Ying chuckled. ¡°The Divine Hammer has arrived.¡±

    On Ying¡¯s face, relief was replaced with worry. ¡°I hope the Kid can keep an open mind. He is renowned for going after undead and necromancers.¡±

    ***

 049 My Kind of Family

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 23 ¨C

    A haunt floated towards Terry¡­

    Terry was about to dodge when Dargones grabbed the haunt and crushed the ethereal creature in his fist. The casualness of the action left the boy from Arcana dumbstruck.

    As soon as the death specter came closer, Dargones unleashed an aspected discharge.

    In Terry¡¯s mana sight, it looked as if the discharge was swallowing all mana in its path ¨C including the death specter, which faded into nothingness upon contact.

    A mage¡¯s worst nightmare.

    Earlier, Terry had seen a death spear hit Dargones. It had dispersed harmlessly like a puff of smoke.

    Even more shocking was that Terry could see mana being erased everywhere around Dargones, and the radius increased whenever the man burst his mana.

    I wonder what that does to mana-crafted items¡­

    Terry subconsciously grabbed his left forearm with his right hand and took a step back. In the distance, he could see flashes of white appear. A white panther with purple markings stalked the shadows and preyed on shade after shade.

    *BAM!*

    Terry¡¯s eyes wandered towards the sky above the main battlefield again. The battle had already raged for some time, and his aunt seemed to be the chief opponent of the giant centipede. Terry clenched his fists whenever he saw the golden hammer head appear. Part of it was excitement. The rest was anxiety over finally getting an answer to the question he had asked in the letter.

    Please, let them all be okay.

    Terry glanced back at Ying, who continued to cast spell after spell on Lizzy while observing her vital signs. Next to him, Dargones narrowed his eyes towards the black sand on the other side of the Bulwark. He nodded slightly to himself and then lost interest again.

    A flicker caught Terry¡¯s eye.

    Am I seeing things?

    On the black sand, there appeared to be a dancing light. It looked as if a shiny surface reflected the evening sunlight, only to disappear and then reappear in another location.

    What is tha¡ª?

    ¡°Uah!¡± uttered Terry and stumbled backward. While he had been trying to follow the flickering light, a bright light had appeared directly in front of him. The light faded away to reveal a person.

    ¡°Oy, what happened to Ol¡¯ Lizbeth?¡± asked Varnika and then demanded from Ying: ¡°Who are you and what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Spirit poisoning,¡± replied Ying without taking his eyes off Lizzy. ¡°She is over the worst of it. I¡¯m Ying.¡±

    ¡°Varnika.¡± She puckered her lips. ¡°Are there other allied deathfolk I need to look out for? I can¡¯t cast Sanctuary with you around.¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡± Ying informed her about the allies from Syn.

    Varnika grimaced. ¡°That complicates things.¡±

    *BAM!*

    ¡°Oy, who managed to invite the Divine Hammer?! Nice!¡± Varnika moved her eyes away from Lizzy. ¡°Wait, is that the Magebane? Hey, handsome!¡± She walked over.

    Dargones glanced at her and nodded.

    [Hey, handsome!] Varnika had raised her hand and formed mana into runic shapes.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, he could perceive the meaning. It freaked him out until he remembered a particular trait of rune inscriptions in mana crafting.

    An inscribed item suggests its own use. Same principle?

    ¡°Neat,¡± mumbled Terry to himself.

    Without sparing another look for Varnika, Dargones raised his hand. [The situation up here is under control. The fight is down there.]

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grumbled Varnika. ¡°Such a pity.¡±

    Amelia flew up high in the air and rained down fire on the horde while engaging dozens of death mages and constantly erasing their spellwork.

    Varnika disappeared with a bright light and then reappeared a moment later. Terry recognized the spell structure of Blink.

    ¡°Too much turmoil for my style,¡± complained Varnika.

    Varnika raised both of her hands with palms pointing towards the desert of black sand. Next, she emitted rhythmic flashes of light from them. This way, Varnika signaled to any possible approaching Wasteguards.

    ¡°The first mobile combat support units should be here soon,¡± said Varnika. ¡°If they don¡¯t get an early warning about you Synsies, shit things may happen.¡±

    ¡°Have there been any breaches?¡± asked Varnika.

    ¡°Only a few,¡± replied Ying. ¡°Already taken care of.¡±

    ¡°How is Lizbeth¡¯s spirit? Are the spirit-aspected variants still required?¡±

    ¡°You a healer?¡±

    ¡°You a battle mage with a penchant for crowded fights?¡± Varnika raised her eyebrows twice in quick succession.

    ¡°Works for me. By my estimate, roughly a dozen more rounds. Then we can switch.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Otherwise, I would have to take a relaxing nap since you lot have already stolen all my usual work. Not that I¡¯m complaining, mind you. I like when others steal my work.¡±

    ***

    People came flying from all directions. Most of them landed on top of the Bulwark to get an updated briefing from Varnika, who continued Lizzy¡¯s treatment.

    ¡°What was that about different auras?¡± A man in shining armor questioned Varnika.

    ¡°Cyan and yellow are allies.¡±

    ¡°Allies? Undead as allies? Are you kidding me?!¡± He scowled. ¡°Since when does the Deathguard ally with undead?¡±

    ¡°Save it,¡± grunted Varnika. ¡°They were the first to support the Captain. If not for them, then Lizbeth would be dead and the Bulwark overrun.¡±

    ¡°Who says that they weren¡¯t the ones bringing the horde here in the first place?!¡±

    Terry felt anger welling up in himself. ¡°I, for one.¡±

    ¡°And who the Wastes are you?!¡± demanded the man and made a step towards Terry.

    Dargones calmly reached out his axe to block the path to Terry. He signaled with his free hand: [Touch him if you are tired of living.]

    ¡°He is someone that knows more about the situation than you do,¡± said Varnika. ¡°He was here with the Captain.¡±

    ¡°A woman from Thanatos prepared an ambush,¡± said Terry. ¡°The horde was a part of it.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The man wore a sullen expression.

    ¡°Just behave yourself,¡± said Varnika. ¡°You can feel free to address all your complaints to the Captain afterwards. If you can¡¯t play nice, then piss off. I¡¯ll inform Mal that you could not be arsed to do your part. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have something to say on the matter later.¡±

    The man harrumphed one more time but then took off to support in the fight.

    Sounds resembling fireworks could be heard from the direction of Tiv. Terry saw several signal flares. The area had changed since he last took a glance in that direction.

    ¡°Ah good,¡± exclaimed Varnika. ¡°They have secured the perimeter. Then it won¡¯t be long before the next wave of reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the situation already under control?¡± asked Terry.

    *BAM!* *BAM!* A golden hammer struck the gargantuan centipede again and again.

    Finally, the centipede retreated and dug its way back beneath the Bulwark.

    ¡°In the Wastes? Never.¡± Varnika gave a lopsided smile. ¡°Battles as large as this have a tendency to escalate. Causing large mana disturbances in the Wastes is simply asking for trouble.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Devon sense something like that?¡±

    Varnika paused. ¡°Ah, right, the Captain¡¯s peculiar scout should be here, too.¡± She squinted at the battle. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him, though. Only the occasional flash of hellfire.¡±

    ¡°I can sense his location. Should I go and ask?¡±

    ¡°If you can do that without getting yourself killed¡­¡± Varnika smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll first have to persuade your babysitter.¡±

    Terry nodded to himself and then walked to Devon¡¯s signature.

    Dargones stopped Terry. [The fight is still ongoing.]

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Terry reflexively spoke and immediately felt like an idiot.

    He can¡¯t hear you, genius. Remember?

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry pointed at himself and then into the distance.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Dargones¡¯s look remained unchanged.

    I think he already knows that you want to go.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry was reminded of a game in which one person was not allowed to speak and had to get others to guess a word.

    I never liked that game¡­

    Maybe you can get Ying to teach you finger runes later¡­

    Anyway, what will you do now?

    Terry¡¯s expression brightened with an idea, and he retrieved his notebook and pen. He wrote to explain his intentions.

    Dargones chuckled and then signed: [Once it has calmed down some more, we can go.]

    ***

    Terry swung the glaive. The fiery blade cleaved through a low-level skeletal warrior.

    Dargones walked close to him and eliminated any major threats while allowing Terry to deal with some of the weaker enemies.

    Step by step, they approached Devon¡¯s signature.

    There was a group of death knights at the entrance to the Bulwark. Their backs blocked Terry¡¯s line of sight.

    Devon should be right behind them.

    A bright red flame of hellfire blasted through the death knights. Terry¡¯s pupils constricted from the sudden intensity of light.

    Slowly, Terry¡¯s vision returned, and he could see the blurry outline of a person.

    Something is weird¡­

    The outline was waving with an unusually long arm.

    Terry blinked and squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Hey Terry!¡± Devon¡¯s cheerful voice rang out.

    Devon was drenched in dark blood ¨C both dry and fresh. There was little left of the dress¡¯s upper fabric. The battle had been too much for the mending enchantment. Aside from a small strap that clung onto Devon¡¯s right shoulder, Devon was bare-chested. The dress now looked more like a kilt ¨C a pink kilt with bloody daisies on it. If it wasn¡¯t for the narrow cut at the waist, it might have fallen off already.

    Devon grinned broadly and waved his left hand. ¡°Look, it grew back!¡± He was waving with his previous arm in his hand.

    Terry was dumbstruck. He glanced at Dargones, and for once, the man¡¯s expression was not completely tranquil. Instead, there were raised eyebrows with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

    [Quite chipper for someone grabbing onto an amputated arm.]

    ¡°I could hear that without hearing that.¡± Devon tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s also different from the other voices. How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Dargones can¡¯t hear you. We came to ask you if¡ª¡± Terry was interrupted by Megumi¡¯s arrival.

    Megumi stared at Terry.

    ¡°Varnika is keeping watch over Lizzy,¡± said Terry.

    [Greetings, Dargones.]

    [Greetings, Captain. Here to check in with your scout, too?]

    ¡°Captain, look! It grew back!¡± Devon waved again.

    Megumi shook her head but could not help a slight smile. Then, the Captain asked: ¡°Can you sense any approaching trouble?¡±

    ¡°Nah, just the usual crawlers around,¡± replied Devon. ¡°The big one is off in the southeast.¡±

    Megumi heaved a sigh of relief. She walked up to Devon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be angry or proud.¡± Megumi maintained Devon¡¯s gaze.

    Devon blinked and replied flatly: ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind, I personally would have a preference.¡±

    Megumi chuckled and wiped something from her eye.

    A moment later, Megumi was hugging Devon tightly. ¡°I thought I had lost Lizzy and¡­¡± Her voice became quiet. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Megumi sniffled and broke the hug. ¡°I can help you build your cabin for visitors if you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh good,¡± exclaimed Devon. ¡°I would really prefer the roof to not be leaky. Lizzy¡¯s pottery looks awful.¡±

    Speaking of Lizzy, Devon turned his eyes up towards the Bulwark¡¯s plateau. He nodded to himself with a relieved smile.

    ***

    The battle had calmed down and Terry stepped out of the Bulwark together with the others.

    ¡°Hey, Lizzy!¡± shouted Devon happily. ¡°The Captain missed you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, everyone.¡± Lizzy¡¯s shaking voice reached them.

    Two Wasteguards were supporting Lizzy and slowly descended from the sky. A moment later, Varnika blinked into existence, too.

    Megumi became teary-eyed and embraced Lizzy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Sorry for not paying attention and getting hurt, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop it,¡± interrupted the Captain. ¡°We all have things we can improve on. We can take time to reflect later.¡± Megumi distanced herself from Lizzy again. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit weak.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lizzy looked Devon over. ¡°Your¡­ robes don¡¯t look so good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find new ones. Glad you¡¯re better.¡± Devon was staring absentmindedly at the horizon.

    A loud groan reverberated through the area. ¡°And here I had promised my back to not fight anything larger than a colossal ostrich anymore.¡±

    The source of the grumbled complaints was a dwarven woman with greying hair in a tight bun and with straight sideburns.

    Terry was certain that this was his aunt Sigille. The facial similarity to Isille was undeniable.

    Others appeared one after the other.

    ¡°What are we going to do about the other undead?¡± The man from earlier appeared and glared at Saul and the others.

    Sigille eyed him up and down. ¡°From what I recall, they were already defending the Bulwark when you were still lollygagging somewhere else. In case of unexpected infighting, I have a policy of choosing sides by order of arrival.¡±

    The man faltered under Sigille¡¯s stink-eye.

    ¡°Now, where is he¡­¡± Sigille let her gaze wander over the people present.

    Her eyes paused on Varnika. Sigille raised an eyebrow at Varnika¡¯s outfit ¨C or lack of one.

    Next, Sigille¡¯s eyes stopped on Devon and his tattered, flowery dress. She forgot to blink and muttered: ¡°Kids these days.¡±

    Devon looked at Lizzy. ¡°She said ¡®kid.¡¯ That means she¡¯s older than me, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Devon,¡± said another man that had stepped next to Sigille.

    Terry recognized the strange mana signature he had detected earlier. He was shocked by the man¡¯s appearance.

    The man¡¯s blood vessels were clearly visible as dark lines on his face. This was an advanced symptom of severely damaged mana channels. His skin was nearly grey. In humans, this was a clear sign of mana corruption. According to common sense, it was a miracle that this person could still stand.

    Elemental possession¡­ Matteo.

    His eyes look weird, too, but that does not match any mana condition I have ever heard of.

    ¡°I told you about him before,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He¡¯s much older than you, Ma Sigille.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sigille took another glance at Devon and his youthful appearance. She grumbled: ¡°Well, that¡¯s just not fair.¡±

    ¡°Your signature has become even weirder.¡± Devon addressed Matteo and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking!¡± Sigille blurted out. ¡°Before coming close, I was sure that you would be my main opponent. What is up with that mana of yours? It could scare a lich king into weeing her knickers.¡±

    Devon ignored Sigille¡¯s interjection and continued wondering out loud. ¡°Like many signatures in one¡­ and¡­¡±

    Matteo watched Saul and the others. He had his left hand on the hilt of a sheathed dagger at his left hip.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± asked Ying, who was standing next to Saul. He was still worried about Matteo¡¯s reputation. Matteo keeping a hand on his weapon was not very comforting.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just calming down from battle,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The dagger has a heart-seeker inscription. Helps with keeping emotions in check.¡±

    Terry recalled what he knew about the inscription. It was referenced in The Path of a Mage because Kivis ¨C the dagger-wielding companion of the Veilbinder ¨C had made heavy use of it.

    Terry examined Matteo¡¯s eyes again. They were white and milky except for the iris that glowed purple and shimmered through the fog.

    The fog is an effect of the inscription. No idea about the purple iris or the strange glow in it¡­

    The heart-seeker inscription numbed down a person¡¯s senses while highlighting the hearts of living beings. Folk would become blurry light-grey shapes while their hearts became clearly visible in bright colors. All sounds would be muffled except for the heartbeat of others, which became amplified.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Ying doubtfully. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡±

    ¡°My hatred is reserved for a specific necromancer,¡± said Matteo calmly. ¡°Unless you are harboring him, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    Devon stepped forward and pointed at the sheathed katana on Matteo¡¯s back. ¡°That thing is new. It has a signature, too.¡±

    Terry examined the sword in his mana sense and gasped again.

    Aura. A fiendish weapon.

    ¡°A named sword: Soul Fury.¡± Megumi¡¯s eyes were sparkling. ¡°I heard you managed to acquire it back then. Such a nice blade¡­¡± She sighed with a wistful look. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the blade attempting to take over the wielder¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Captain.¡± Matteo respectfully greeted her.

    ¡°Long time no see,¡± said Megumi. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years.¡±

    Devon narrowed his eyes at the sword and muttered: ¡°No possessing the Captain, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Alright, introductions are all fine and dandy, but first things first,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°Where is my alleged nephew?¡±

    Terry nervously raised his hand.

    Why are you doing that? Can¡¯t you talk like a normal person? I guess they should be glad that you are doing more than blinking this time¡­

    [All yours.] Dargones stepped away from Terry and walked to stand next to Amelia.

    Sigille walked close to Terry and scrutinized his face. ¡°Jorgen and Florine are alive and well in Arcana. So are your other companions.¡±

    Terry felt a knot in his heart becoming untied, and a wave of relief washed over his face.

    ¡°I should check your Guardian card or whatever, but that reaction is good enough for me,¡± said Sigille with warm eyes.

    ¡°Also, the fact that, of all possible places, I find you fighting in the middle of an undead horde makes you my kind of family.¡± Sigille grinned and lightly punched Terry¡¯s shoulder.

    Ouch.

    Sigille and normal people had different standards for ¡®lightly.¡¯

    ¡°Hey Matteo, I have found you a little cousin,¡± shouted Sigille. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit late, but let me know if I should set up a playdate or something.¡±

    Matteo exhaled a light snort.

    ¡°Alright, now that I¡¯ve taken care of the important stuff, time for the minor matters,¡± said Sigille and approached Ying and Saul. ¡°What the Wastes is going on? I mean, thanks for being here. That being said, where the Wastes did you come from?¡±

    ¡°Is it possible to discuss this in a smaller group?¡± asked Ying. His eyes wandered to the quarrelsome man from earlier.

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Megumi? Amelia?¡±

    The two nodded at Sigille.

    ¡°Matteo, please keep an eye on things here,¡± said Sigille. ¡°If anyone acts out, feel free to cut something off if necessary. I figure there are enough healers around to not worry.¡±

    Sigille, Megumi, Amelia, and Ying distanced themselves from the others. Afterwards, Ying cast a spell to isolate any sounds and explained about Syn while Megumi corroborated his statements.

    Sigille kept her expression mostly blank while Amelia¡¯s curiosity was plain to see.

    After some time, the group returned to the others.

    ¡°Change of plans,¡± said Sigille to Matteo. ¡°Since we¡¯re already in the Wastes, we might as well take a nice vacation.¡±

    ¡°Fine with me,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But what about your situation?¡±

    ¡°Meh, who cares? With the last dungeon pioneering only a few days ago, the witch does not have any grounds to complain.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but what about the cult mission?¡±

    Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky finger and snickered. ¡°Oh, the witch will definitely complain about that one. Why not let her wait some more? Maybe she¡¯ll develop an ulcer. That thought tickles me a bit.¡±

    ¡°Dargo and I will have to go back,¡± interjected Amelia. ¡°This has already taken longer than expected. We are behind schedule.¡±

    [Thanks, you two,] signed Matteo.

    [Any time,] replied Dargones.

    ¡°Should we come and get you once you¡¯re done?¡± asked Amelia.

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°That would be great!¡± Sigille interrupted Matteo.

    [Please don¡¯t inconvenience yourselves,] signed Matteo.

    Dargones lightly shook his head.

    ¡°Could you pass a message to Dhruv?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I don¡¯t want Little Silly to worry longer than necessary. Just tell him I¡¯m with Terry now. He¡¯ll know to pass the news forward.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I can tell Dhruv.¡± Amelia nodded and then looked at Matteo. ¡°Just signal us once you are ready. We¡¯ll pick you up.¡±

    Afterwards, she and Dargones vanished. Amelia had teleported them away.

    ¡°Why are you always so hesitant to accept their help?¡± rebuked Sigille.

    ¡°Because the two keep trying to repay me for something that I have never even considered a debt to begin with,¡± replied Matteo.

    ¡°So? They probably don¡¯t consider their help to be payment, either.¡± Sigille raised her eyebrows and gestured as if this was obvious.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± grumbled Sigille in a lower voice. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, the party here is over,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I trust the Wasteguard can take care of the rest. I need to borrow Megumi¡¯s group for some sightseeing.¡±

    ***

 050 Vacation in the Wastes

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 23 ¨C

    ¡°Where to?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see my holiday retreat.¡±

    Sigille raised her eyebrows at Ying and played the belly drum. Matteo smiled warmly at the sight of his accepted mother getting itchy feet already.

    ¡°I can¡¯t create a gate for the whole way.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind walking,¡± retorted Sigille with anticipation. ¡°Maybe we can meet a demon on the way. Or two. Or some.¡±

    ¡°No demons,¡± interjected Devon. ¡°We would have to take a detour for those.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille pouted. ¡°That kind of takes the excitement out of it.¡±

    ¡°There are a few in that direction, but that is a long way to go.¡± Devon pointed.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Sigille considered the offer.

    ¡°Priorities, Ma,¡± said Matteo. ¡°You¡¯ll have to meet the witch sooner or later.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s face turned into a grimace and she grumbled: ¡°Later sounds better though.¡± Then, she spoke to Megumi: ¡°I like your scout, can I borrow him sometime?¡±

    Megumi chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful with his directions, Devon may lead you to more trouble than you have bargained for.¡±

    Sigille seemed tempted, but eventually shrugged in resignation. ¡°Thanks anyway, Devon. I appreciate it. Unfortunately, Matteo has a point.¡±

    ¡°We can walk the first part,¡± said Ying and led the way.

    Sigille quickly followed suit and walked next to him.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°I was expecting Aunt Sigille to carry a hammer¡­¡±

    Instead, there was a two-handed axe with a modified grip for thrusts on her back. Some kind of inscription or enchantment had the axe stick to her back while also wrapping a leather-like material over the bladed parts.

    Sigille snickered in front while Matteo shook his head.

    ¡°All as intended,¡± said Sigille mischievously.

    ¡°Divine hammer is an inscription,¡± explained Lizzy. ¡°The inscription is notorious for being difficult to wield, but it does not have to be used with an actual hammer.¡±

    Sigille glanced back at Terry. ¡°By the way, Dhruv told me that there was an open research request that had been submitted by Megumi in your name. I¡¯ll have the copies with me. Remind me to give them to you later.¡±

    Sigille paused when her gaze moved over the group. ¡°Huh, I hadn¡¯t realized until now that our two groups collected the three most abnormal mana signatures of the bunch.¡±

    Three?

    Terry¡¯s eyes quickly darted to Devon and Matteo.

    That¡¯s two.

    Shouldn¡¯t Dargones be counted? Or Amelia? Or were Amelia and Dargones excluded from that for some reason? Or is it that his signature is typical for a magebane?

    Aunt Sigille wouldn¡¯t count herself, would she? Then who?

    Lizzy has quite a large mana pool, but hardly abnormal. The Captain has a rather intense mana signature, but I would not call that abnormal either¡­

    Eventually, Terry¡¯s gaze rested on Ying.

    Is it because of the pronounced spirit aspect, maybe?

    Ying felt the gaze on his neck and glanced back. He chuckled. ¡°I believe she is talking about you, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Huhh?!¡± blurted Terry.

    Megumi and Lizzy laughed.

    ¡°You know, if someone were to tell me you¡¯re Devon¡¯s younger brother, I might believe it,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± exclaimed Devon, and looked at Lizzy. ¡°Can it? You said that Terry is even younger than the Captain. My parents can¡¯t have been alive when Terry was born¡­¡± Devon¡¯s eyes moved from side to side. ¡°Can they?¡±

    Megumi snorted and guffawed.

    ¡°I was speaking more in terms of brothers in spirit,¡± said Lizzy.

    Terry scrunched up his face.

    This doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± uttered Sigille. ¡°They told me you had a rather peculiar upbringing, but it seems that was an understatement.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry looked around and compared himself to the mana signatures of the others.

    ¡°Terry, do you have any idea how old we are?¡± questioned Megumi. ¡°You are not supposed to compare yourself to us.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You¡¯re what? Nineteen?¡±

    ¡°At the Academy¡­¡± Terry started to object.

    ¡°Have you met any Academy students your age recently?¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ve met Academy students before, and your mana signature is way out of the norm.¡±

    ¡°Seriously.¡± Sigille shook her head lightly. ¡°Looking at you, one might suspect that you used to sleep in an unmanaged mana crystal mine. Or that you are permanently glued to a mana container.¡±

    Terry¡¯s expression froze. He subconsciously hid his left hand behind his back. The hand was grabbing a mana container.

    At least you¡¯re not hiding amputated fingers. Weirdo.

    Megumi caught the movement and snickered. ¡°No need to hide that as if it was a reason to be ashamed, Terry. On the contrary, being assiduous should be a source of pride.¡±

    Sigille stopped and examined Terry more closely.

    Terry pressed his lips together with a sheepish look and revealed the content of his left hand.

    A strange glint entered Sigille¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Careful, Cousin Terry,¡± said Matteo. ¡°That look strikes fear into every one of Ma¡¯s disciples.¡±

    ¡°Since when have you become such a blabbermouth?¡± grumbled Sigille. Despite her grumbling, her eyes were smiling. ¡°If you can demonstrate the same attitude with your mana cultivation, then perhaps I can do something with you.¡±

    Sigille tilted her head. ¡°I take it you have been instructed by Little Silly and her cheeky husband, hm¡­¡± She pushed her lower lip to the front and pondered. ¡°They¡¯re a bit soft, but they should know how to lay the proper groundwork.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind was stuck on ¡®Little Silly¡¯ and ¡®cheeky husband¡¯ and it took a moment before he truly grasped what Matteo had hinted at.

    Ma Isille and Pa Bjorln ¨C ¡®a bit soft¡¯? That¡ª

    Terry was jolted out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. It was Matteo¡¯s.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die.¡± Matteo patted Terry¡¯s shoulder once and then continued walking. ¡°Probably.¡±

    ***

    Terry had not felt this happy in a long time. First, of course, there was the fact that he could finally be certain that his whaka were alright. Aside from that, he felt lucky to have another chance to visit Syn City because there had been no one around to cloak his items in the Chara Settlement.

    Still, the Chara Settlement was incredibly helpful in its own way. Poppy¡¯s items had practically saved his life from a phantom not too long ago, and Elvis had been an insightful helper for Terry¡¯s design work.

    Without the two, Terry might not have thought of incorporating coil springs. He definitely would not have known about mana-reactive shape-memory alloys, which were a perfect fit for the coil spring mechanisms. The alloys returned to their initial shape when mana is channeled through them, and Terry did not have to worry about the coil springs becoming permanently overextended.

    Fortunately, a capable blacksmith could be found in both Chara and Syn. Terry had traded and sold some of his own items and in exchange, Terry was now equipped with a fully upgraded armor.

    The base material was still cloud badger leather. All imprinted items had been properly cloaked by the mana crafters in Syn. Besides mana-osmotic materials, Terry had also added a simple shielding based on periodic tiles himself.

    His boot mechanism incorporated an extension coil spring layer in addition to the fixed layer. Terry had added a shin guard with three septimum pearls arranged slightly above his ankle. The pearls were evenly spaced and only left a gap at the back of his leg. They were properly embedded into a fixed septimum layer that also carried the mana-osmotic material layer as well as the shock-absorption mechanism.

    His bracers had received three imprinted septimum pearls similar to those in his boots. They were near the wrist. Besides the three pearls embedded into a fixed layer, there were two more pearls located at the inside of Terry¡¯s forearm. These were connected to extension coil springs to substitute for his roped rings. Last, there was one septimum pearl embedded into the center of the bracer.

    Terry had added imprinted chest and back plates for his upper body. He had struggled with himself if he should wait for his scale armor idea to pan out or not. On the one hand, the plates would provide additional protection. On the other hand, they might impair his mobility. As a compromise, the plates only covered roughly the same area as his ribcage, which did not afford much mobility, anyway.

    The thought that had tipped the scales was the benefit that a transfixed back or chest piece could provide. Besides the obvious defense, it would also provide more leverage when kicking out, as well as new movement options when combined with the other imprints.

    Terry had been trying out his new armor and was walking back from the sparring area.

    ¡°You¡¯re still missing a helmet to finish the set,¡± joked Matteo, who was arriving from the other direction together with Sigille.

    ¡°Helmet is tricky,¡± replied Terry without thinking. ¡°Too dangerous to imprint without a personal mana lock. Shielding or mana-osmotic materials would also negatively affect my mana sense. Even a helmet like Lizzy¡¯s¡­¡±

    While barrier spells are not as risky as an Immovable Object imprint at this location, it would still affect my mana sense¡­ A non-magic metal helmet would incur the risk of a liquify spell and that¡­

    ¡°I think you broke him,¡± said Sigille while looking at the mumbling Terry. ¡°Seriously, Matteo. You have barely had a cousin for a few days and already you broke him. We haven¡¯t even gotten around to the first playdate yet.¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Matteo had no idea how to react.

    ¡°Oy, Terry!¡± Sigille snapped her fingers.

    Terry was jolted out of his thoughts. ¡°Greetings! Sorry, uhh¡­¡± He looked at Matteo. ¡°No helmet, no. Right now, I¡¯m still trying to find a proper sheath for my throwing needles.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Sigille retrieved something from her storage item. ¡°I¡¯m sure I have missed a few celebrations, so try this one and let¡¯s call it even.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Terry before knowing what he had received. It seemed to be some kind of belt.

    ¡°Same sheath inscription as my back strap.¡±

    Ahh! The leather shaping that wrapped the bladed part of her axe!

    ¡°WOW, thank you!¡±

    ¡°See, Matteo? That¡¯s a proper reaction. Remember when I gave you your first gift? That¡¯s how you should have reacted.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that have defeated the point of the dagger?¡± retorted Matteo. ¡°Avoiding emotional outbursts and so forth.¡±

    ¡°Curse your unfilial logic that interferes with my teasing attempts.¡± Sigille played the belly drum and looked around. ¡°Well, you¡¯re better now, so maybe we can do some re-gifting or something.¡±

    ¡°How is the inspection going?¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Nice people ¨C both dead and alive ¨C and shady magic,¡± summarized Sigille drily. ¡°Don¡¯t know what to think yet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the talk of a masked Lightbringer,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Meh, maybe the guy is shy.¡± Sigille played her armored belly again. ¡°Or still has to walk the streets in Tiv. Or he¡¯s plain ugly. Or, well, a shady fella. Don¡¯t know yet. There are all sorts of people...¡±

    Sigille looked around. ¡°As long as Gretchen keeps bribing me with her cookies, I¡¯m willing to consider generous interpretations.¡±

    ¡°Skeletal warriors picking up baking is indeed an agreeable change of pace, yes.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s us. How about your own research?¡± Sigille asked Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know yet.¡± Terry smiled wryly. ¡°The Captain had warned me before but¡­¡±

    ¡°Did not expect the writings to consist mostly of gibberish?¡± Sigille snickered. ¡°Common mistake.¡±

    The copies of the documents from the ancient deathcult seemed to be in some kind of code.

    Either that or the author was insane, which may be the most likely explanation considering we are talking about the infamous looney tower.

    There were only a few terse notes in plain language scribbled between the lines or at some borders.

    ¡°The Captain could not help interpreting anything?¡± asked Matteo.

    Terry rocked his head from side to side and replied: ¡°Somewhat. She recognized some of the symbols and could tell me where else she had seen them.¡±

    ¡°Where is Megumi at the moment?¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°Still staying with Lizzy?¡±

    Terry nodded absentmindedly. ¡°Anyway, now that Devon has returned to Syn, I thought about asking him, but¡­¡± His voice trailed off.

    I don¡¯t like reminding Devon of the tower¡­

    ¡°At some point, someone will have to explain this dungeon fairy thing to me,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Odd does not begin to describe it.¡±

    ¡°Terry, just ask him,¡± said Matteo. ¡°If Devon does not want to speak about it, then don¡¯t, but there is no need for guesswork. It is not your choice to make. ¡±

    Sigille glanced at Matteo in silence.

    Terry shrugged and said: ¡°I¡¯ll do my evening exercises first. I don¡¯t want to ruin their jousting matches or whatever they¡¯re doing at the moment.¡±

    ***

    Terry and Devon were sitting on the ground in Syn¡¯s central park. Terry had transfixed one of his newly restocked light-aspected rods and went over the copied documents with Devon.

    Since there was no order for Terry to detect, he had spread the papers around on the grass.

    ¡°These symbols represented the more important looneys,¡± said Devon calmly. ¡°They each had one of these symbols on their robes.¡±

    Terry had bought a separate notebook for organizing the information. He scribbled whenever Devon pointed something out.

    ¡°That one was in the main ritual room ¨C the one for binding the incarnation¡­ This one was in my room and it¡¯s one of the first things I can remember...¡±

    Devon let his eyes wander over the different sheets of paper.

    ¡°These here were in the ritual room for the mana adjustment¡­ However, this symbol only appeared later¡­ Here!¡±

    Devon picked up one of the papers. ¡°This thing here in the corner. That was on the wall.¡±

    It was a heptagram with small symbols at six of its corners. One corner was empty. There were additional lines connecting two groups ¨C three and four of the corners, respectively.

    In the center, there was a large symbol ¨C the same as in Devon¡¯s room.

    Beneath the heptagram was a row of symbols of which some had been struck through while others had been circled or underlined.

    Terry subconsciously rotated his pen through his fingers.

    ¡°They used that one for the blood aspect.¡± Devon pointed at one of the symbols at the heptagram¡¯s corner. It belonged to the group of three. ¡°Don¡¯t remember the others¡­¡±

    Looks like they were searching for a specific aspect combination¡­

    Terry tapped his pen on the ground. ¡°Do you still remember the¡ª¡±

    The most painful time of your life? Yeah, great thing to ask!

    ¡°Uhm¡­ How did they add aspects exactly?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Devon looked at him as if Terry was a child talking nonsense. ¡°The looneys did not ¡®add¡¯ anything. They took aspects away.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± blurted Terry. ¡°Why would anyone do that?¡±

    Because they¡¯re looneys?

    Devon shrugged unconcernedly. ¡°All I know is that I had unaspected mana once.¡±

    Terry turned pensive.

    Were they talking about which aspect to take away next? Is that when oscillating mana came up?

    Was the order somehow important? Why else would you even discuss that?

    What would there be to discuss?

    ¡°When¡­¡± Terry looked at Devon. ¡°Do you still remember when the oscillating mana came up compared to the affinity adjustment discussion? Had the affinity adjustment been discussed before?¡±

    Devon pushed his bottom lip forward and gazed at the stars above. ¡°The affinity adjustment had come up before. I remember them arguing if it was really necessary to include both the life and the blood aspect. Something about priorities¡­ Redundant overlap, essential foundation, opening new intersections¡­ Amplifying strengths or covering weaknesses¡­¡±

    Devon shrugged. ¡°In the end, they kept both. Something about a bridge between the life and the death aspect. Oscillating mana came up later.¡±

    ¡°Do you still remember other aspects that came up? After the blood debate, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Aside from hellfire and netherfrost?¡± Devon laid back on the grass. ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­ Hard to say if my mind is playing tricks on me with the common ones¡­ The only other one I am absolutely sure about is the void aspect. I remember wondering what that was supposed to be before blacking out¡­¡±

    Void aspect¡­ Lower system again.

    Probably an abyssal aspect, too. I should check with the Captain.

    In Instructor Samuel¡¯s classification chart, void was listed as a minor aspect of the major space aspect. However, he also used it as an example for some classifications being contested. One version had it listed as an intersection aspect between space and death¡­

    Terry made a note and left it at that. He returned his pen, notebook, and glowing rod to his storage items.

    Afterwards, Terry joined Devon in stargazing and retrieved two other items: a mana container and the throwing needle that was his target for aspecting.

    He had started to document his aspecting input by filling up a mana container in parallel. If he used the same amount of mana for the mana container as for the aspecting, Terry would get an idea of how much mana was required to aspect an item with oscillating mana.

    Of course, this assumes that aspecting with oscillating mana is really possible¡­

    Terry frowned. The situation was frustrating. If it works, he will eventually find out. If it does not work, however, he would never know for certain.

    Ah well, at least it helps train mana regeneration and mana control¡­

    Terry puckered his lips.

    Maybe I could even include mana reach training? Aspect the needle from a distance? Same for filling the mana container¡­

    ***

    Terry was hanging in the air over the sparring area. The mid-wrist pearl in both of his bracers had been transfixed. He swung his legs to gather momentum.

    Just like a gymnast¡¯s high bar¡­

    A short moment later, Terry was spinning around the rotation axis in full circles while accelerating more and more.

    Now the switch¡­

    Terry deactivated the imprints at the high point and he flew further up into the air. Next, he activated the mid-ankle pearls in his legs to create a new rotation axis. He gathered momentum with his upper body and used the rotation to change direction before deactivating the imprints.

    On the one hand, the exercise was really fun, and he could move through the air faster than with his boot mechanism.

    On the other hand¡­

    Ugh¡­

    Terry stopped gathering momentum and came to a stop. His stomach had been protesting vehemently against the whole exercise.

    ¡°This will take some getting used to¡­¡± Nevertheless, Terry was grinning. ¡°Fun though.¡±

    ¡°Terry! Come down, please!¡± shouted Sigille.

    Terry could see that aside from Matteo, the Captain and Lizzy were also there. During this stay at Syn, the Captain had insisted for Lizzy to rest and Megumi had spent most of the time together with Lizzy.

    Everyone appearing together was unusual.

    Terry activated one of the spring pearls and allowed himself to fall while being gradually decelerated by the extension coil spring.

    After one more switch, Terry arrived on the ground.

    ¡°Is it time?¡± asked Terry. He understood he would leave soon with his aunt and cousin. They had already spent several weeks in Syn.

    ¡°No rush,¡± said Sigille. ¡°We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning. Megumi¡¯s group will continue staying in Syn.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°We need to have an official chat with Ying and Saul,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Your aunt thought you might be interested in joining,¡± added Megumi.

    Sigille gasped. ¡°Who said I was giving him a choice?¡± She snickered to herself.

    Afterwards, Sigille looked at Terry. ¡°Come. This isn¡¯t Arcana. You need to pay attention to what is going on around you. Sheltered Guardians don¡¯t live too long.¡±

    Without waiting for a response, Sigille walked ahead. Terry followed with the others.

    ***

    ¡°...to sum it up, I don¡¯t like this at all.¡± Sigille maintained eye contact with Ying.

    Saul snorted. ¡°Who says that we¡ª¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± interjected Ying. ¡°I say we care.¡±

    ¡°We are free citizens of Syn,¡± growled Logan. ¡°A Guardian from Tiv has no authority here. Not even the Divine Hammer.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I feel like you¡¯re missing the point here,¡± said Sigille unperturbed. ¡°I don¡¯t care that much about the whole life syphoning as long as it¡¯s voluntary. I believe everyone has the right to do with their lives as they wish.¡±

    Sigille glanced at Matteo. ¡°For example, joining the Guild is bad for your health. Most Guildheads die young. Compared to that, your little life syphoning seems negligible.¡±

    ¡°Then what?! It is voluntary!¡± Logan opened his arms and shook his head. ¡°What do you want?!¡±

    ¡°I have read through Megumi¡¯s report and I think it¡¯s an overall fair assessment. However, I would put the emphasis differently than Megumi. Let¡¯s ignore for a fact the political nightmare that is waiting to happen. Let¡¯s also put aside this Progenitor character. Let¡¯s not think about the Wastes.¡±

    Sigille raised her hands behind her head and clicked her tongue. ¡°Bottom line, the people are accepting a magic that they do not understand. None of you do. This is eerily reminiscent of the channelers.¡±

    Sigille paused for people to contemplate the comparison.

    ¡°Who is to say that you are not channeling the power of a different realm?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, who is to say that the people are not opening their minds in a similar manner? Becoming vulnerable to mind-influence and possession¡­¡±

    For a moment, there was silence.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Tiv officially make friends with cultists?¡± retorted Logan. While his tone was aggressive, his face lost some color at the idea of being possessed.

    ¡°I am not Tiv,¡± said Sigille calmly. ¡°I may have gained a few pounds, but I can¡¯t claim to be comparable to the empire yet. I myself have the same reservations with cultist channelers. I am tolerating them as long as they do not cross the line, but I can assure you that I am no fan.¡±

    ¡°The Heart is not channeling power from a different realm,¡± said Ying with confidence.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t fully understand the ritual?¡± retorted Sigille.

    ¡°True, but I¡­¡± Ying sighed. ¡°I know at least part of its origin.¡±

    Lizzy and Megumi shared a glance.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s eyes remained on Ying.

    ¡°Ying, this won¡¯t¡ª¡± Saul started to speak.

    ¡°No,¡± interrupted Ying. He exhaled sharply. ¡°But we can¡¯t ask for trust without showing some trust in return.¡±

    Ying took a deep breath. ¡°The Progenitor stole parts of it from the Lich Kingdoms. He modified the ritual himself.¡±

    Lizzy¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of the Lich Kingdoms.

    ¡°Stole?¡± Megumi spoke up. ¡°And how do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Because I was present,¡± said Ying with a distant and pained look in his eyes. ¡°I was living in the Lich Kingdoms when one day, the Progenitor approached me. In exchange for gathering information and opening some doors, the Progenitor helped me escape the lich kings¡¯ grasp.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Lizzy started speaking up.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, actually,¡± interjected Sigille.

    Lizzy turned to her with an exasperated look.

    ¡°What?¡± questioned Sigille. ¡°I agree that it¡¯s not the most wholesome source of magic. I am not a fan of the Tiv treaty with the Lich Kingdoms either. However, while the lich kings are despicable scourges on the world¡­¡±

    Sigille moved her hands from the back of her head and showed one finger. ¡°They¡¯re the kind of narcissistic megalomaniacs that would not submit to anyone else and that includes otherrealm creatures and¡­¡±

    She raised a second finger. ¡°They generally aren¡¯t that subtle when it comes to mind magic. In the Lich Kingdoms, they don¡¯t need to hide such effects of their rituals. Knowing them, they would rather make it intentionally obvious to display their authority. They¡¯re the kind of wicked that gets off on dominating others in the open. For the likes of them, hiding it would spoil the pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the magic,¡± started Ying. ¡°But I am absolutely certain that the Progenitor would never betray this realm. I¡¯ve seen him raid deathcults. I¡¯ve heard his thoughts on otherrealm worshippers. I would bet my life that if the realm would come under threat, then the Progenitor would be the first to join the frontline for its defense.¡±

    ¡°You all had enough sense to leave the children out of it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s good. You ought to inform everyone about the potential risk of mind-influence before they make the choice. Ideally, you should also teach everyone the signs.¡±

    Sigille looked into Ying¡¯s eyes. ¡°Aside from that, same deal as for all the other channelers. You¡¯re all adults. You¡¯ll be judged by your actions. Whatever comes out of this will be your responsibility. If you end up losing your minds and do things you wouldn¡¯t normally do, then that will be your sin to carry.¡±

    Sigille exhaled a sharp breath, smiled, and played the belly drum. ¡°Anyway, enough of that. I do hope that you will be able to establish trade relations with Tiv. If you start exporting Gretchen¡¯s cookies, I¡¯ll place the first order.¡±

    ***

 051 Arrival in the Libra Outpost

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 54 ¨C

    Terry was walking through Syn, and he mentally said farewell to the city. Terry still had no idea how he had arrived in that accursed dungeon, but at least some good had come out of it.

    I may have never seen a place like this¡­ Or meet deathfolk like here¡­

    Terry did not know when he would be able to return to Arcana, but even if it took a while, it was unlikely for him to see Syn again.

    While walking, Terry filled up a mana container in his left hand and aspected the throwing needle in his right hand.

    Huh?

    Terry noticed a change in the needle with his mana sense and examined the weapon more closely.

    ¡°The mana¡­¡± Terry raised his eyebrows and excitedly exclaimed: ¡°It has become self-sustaining!¡±

    Terry returned the mana container to his dimensional bag. Then he squinted at the aspected throwing needle.

    What¡¯s the point though? I don¡¯t notice any effect¡­

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry tilted his head and muttered to himself: ¡°Maybe it works just like unaspected mana for aspecting?¡±

    While aspecting with unaspected mana was technically possible, it was mostly pointless and considered a waste of mana. Unaspected mana had no special effect, and the only benefit of the procedure was that it was harder to designate such a mana-crafted item as a spell target.

    If that can be considered a benefit at all ¨C the difficulty applies to my own spellwork, too.

    ¡°Look on the bright side.¡± Terry cheered himself on. ¡°There are way more spells from opponents to block than from me.¡±

    Yay, rang a sarcastic voice in Terry¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ah well, I can at least use it as an emergency mana supply or some¡ª¡± Terry interrupted himself when he noticed Devon¡¯s mana signature approaching.

    You were supposed to stop talking to yourself. Weirdo.

    Terry channeled mana to enter the aspected throwing needle into his storage bracelet¡­

    However, the throwing needle remained where it was. Terry felt a slight pang in his hand.

    Terry looked at the storage bracelet in surprise. He was aware that such entry failures were possible, but that mostly happened when the user was lacking in mana control. It was the first time that Terry had ever experienced this.

    ¡°Hey, Terry!¡± Devon greeted him. ¡°The belly-drum lady asked me to get you.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    I will miss the Captain¡¯s group.

    Terry followed Devon and attempted to enter the throwing needle into the storage bracelet¡­

    Ouch!

    Second failure in a row. Terry switched hands, but the other storage bracelet showed the same failure.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Devon.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°Nothing important.¡±

    I can figure that one out later.

    Terry placed the aspected needle at a free space on the sheath belt and channeled mana into the belt. The leather reshaped itself to create a sheath, and the throwing needle was held in place.

    Afterwards, Terry followed Devon to the others. Amelia had already arrived and was waiting with Sigille and Matteo.

    Terry quickly said a few parting words to the inhabitants of Syn.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say goodbye to Elvis and Poppy for you,¡± said Devon.

    ¡°Take care, Terry,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the dungeon fairy get to you again,¡± said Lizzy.

    ¡°Alright, time to go,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Everyone, come closer together.¡±

    Sigille, Matteo, and Terry went to Amelia.

    Terry became nervous when he remembered his family¡¯s warnings about unanchored dimensional travel. He reminded himself that both Sigille and Matteo trusted Amelia.

    Terry observed the spell structures shaped in front of Amelia¡¯s eyes. A moment later, his sense of balance was thrown off, and the surroundings shifted.

    *Ting*

    The group¡¯s departure was accompanied by the sound of metal falling onto stone¡­

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group reappeared on a path through a forest. The outline of a city was already visible in the distance. A giant tree that was pulsing with nature-aspected mana was towering over the back of the city where the Guardian outpost was located.

    Libra City. That is where Aunt Sigille is stationed.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± said Amelia. ¡°With some walking distance, as you wished. Sorry, but I have to take my leave already.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Amelia,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Thanks, lass,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Better to avoid entrances that draw attention.¡±

    ¡°You can call me if they try to cause trouble for Terry,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Good luck!¡± She vanished.

    ¡°Trouble?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Ah¡­ My legal status, is it?¡±

    ¡°Meh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Welcome to the area around Libra City. The westernmost city in the north of Tiv. Last Guardian outpost before the Wasteborder.¡±

    Terry walked next to Sigille while Matteo walked in the front. Terry¡¯s eyes wandered to the sword on Matteo¡¯s back ¨C  more specifically, to the aura emanating from the sheathed katana. Terry recalled some of the most recent conversations.

    ¡°Aunt Sigille, you talked about the signs of mind-influence before. What exactly are those?¡±

    ¡°Heh, Matteo?¡± Sigille forwarded the question.

    Matteo glanced back. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you did pop quizzes with me.¡±

    ¡°Just making sure that you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about yourself, then the best defense is to know yourself. Understand how you would normally react and reflect on any potential deviations. Imagine yourself as a third character and examine yourself from the outside. Changes in character, inconsistencies, twisted emotions, general muddle-headedness, gaps in memory ¨C  that sort of thing. There are also warding items that react to active mind-affecting spells or abilities.¡±

    ¡°In the case of others, a telltale sign of extensive influence without substitute personality is parrot speech,¡± added Sigille. ¡°That would also be an indicator that victims are beyond the point where they can defend themselves.¡±

    ¡°Parrot speech?¡± prompted Terry. ¡°Substitute personality?¡±

    ¡°Parrot speech is when someone demonstrates no attempt to actually grasp what you are saying or what you are asking,¡± explained Sigille. ¡°Instead, they only latch onto keywords to repeat phrases or statements that are familiar to them. Substitute personality means something to replace the original mind.¡±

    ¡°Charming and similar suggestion spells only influence but do not replace the mind,¡± elaborated Matteo. ¡°Possession has a different mind taking over. Domination is like a temporal possession, but with respect to the original mind, the symptoms afterwards are basically the same as for any other influence.¡±

    Terry repeated the words in his mind to better put them to memory. ¡°Is it safe to use that sword? The Captain said something about it trying to possess the user¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Depends on who is using it,¡± said Matteo. ¡°For me, it can be safer to use it than not to.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow in confusion. ¡°Ma Isille and Pa Bjorln once said that you were¡­¡±

    ¡°Possessed by elementals, yes.¡± Matteo spoke with controlled calmness. ¡°Further possession attempts will encounter difficulties because my mind is a bit crowded to begin with. Courtesy of an old mentor.¡±

    Sigille clenched her fists and cursed under her breath. ¡°Anand, the wasted bastard.¡±

    ¡°There is no cure for elemental possession,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Normally, there isn¡¯t even a window of opportunity to intervene. I was¡­ lucky.¡± Matteo recalled scenes from the past. He glanced at Sigille and murmured to himself. ¡°Luckier than I had any right to be.¡± He fleetingly placed his hand on the heart-seeker dagger.

    ¡°Elementals react to emotions,¡± said Matteo in a louder voice again. ¡°Every emotion is feeding some of the beasts. That¡¯s why the heart-seeker inscription eases the situation somewhat. It starves the beast. Still, although Ma Sigille has gifted me the dagger, she insisted I don¡¯t rely on it all the time.¡±

    ¡°If I had wanted to raise a zombie, I would have adopted one from the Wastes,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Some items can help weaken the elementals in a different way, but all of them have their limits. Soul Fury was a novel approach. Since I have been possessed by multiple elementals at the same time, there are¡­¡± Matteo searched for the right word. ¡°Factions of a sort.

    ¡°There is a kind of balance to it, but entering combat can tip the scales. A high-rank storm elemental is the strongest individual entity inhabiting my mind. It naturally allies with the ice- and lightning-based elementals. Wrath and reckless fury disproportionately feed the fire elementals, determination feeds mostly the earth elementals, and so forth.¡±

    Matteo took a deep breath. ¡°Soul Fury was forged from the bones of a lightning-corrupted dragon whose soul refuses to let go.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened at the word ¡®dragon¡¯ because it had been nearly an era since the last known dragons had disappeared into the Wastes.

    ¡°Adding the lightning-focused dragon soul to the mix re-establishes a stalemate, in which I can stay in control.¡± Matteo¡¯s gaze became distant, and he muttered to himself. ¡°As long as my resistances stay ahead of the problem, anyway.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ***

    The group walked through the city entrance. Terry was worried when looking at the guards, but they simply waved them through after recognizing Sigille and Matteo.

    ¡°Matteo!¡± a man came running at them.

    A slight frown appeared on Sigille¡¯s face.

    ¡°Greetings, Santos,¡± said Matteo calmly. ¡°How is the family?¡±

    ¡°Good good. Thanks for asking.¡± Santos grinned. ¡°Impressed that I already know about your arrival?¡±

    Sigille snorted and mumbled: ¡°What¡¯s there to be impressed about? Paid off one of the guards, I bet.¡±

    ¡°Thinking of continuing on the information broker path?¡± asked Matteo without changing his calm and friendly expression.

    ¡°Oh, you know. I would like to do proper mission work and accept missions from the Guild, but the wife does not want me to move too far from the city.¡±

    ¡°At least there is some sense in the family,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You would probably get yourself killed before dinner and then what? Why don¡¯t you get a normal job instead of wasting your time at the Guild?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, stop nagging me, old hag!¡± groaned Santos. ¡°Anyway, Matteo, I know you are interested in unusual undead activity. The season of the Setting Moon is approaching, which means that you¡¯ll be going out to hunt again, right? Since you¡¯re my first real client, I took the liberty and compiled some useful information.¡±

    Santos handed over some thin paper folders, one by one. ¡°Rumors of death spirits in the southern area. Traces of a deathcult dealing with a demon in the west¡­¡±

    Matteo received the folders without comment and nodded.

    ¡°There have even been some whispers about some strange activity near the Bulwark. There is nothing definite yet, but I have collected whatever I could find.¡± Santos handed the last folder to Matteo. ¡°Interested?¡±

    Terry¡¯s ears perked up.

    Bulwark? Wouldn¡¯t that be¡­

    Matteo nodded. ¡°Thank you, Santos.¡± He retrieved a stack of vals from his storage item and gave it to Santos. ¡°Give my regards to Alejandra and the little ones.¡±

    Santos¡¯s expression visibly brightened after receiving the payment. ¡°Will do. I¡¯ll have to take my leave to stay on top of things.¡± He walked away.

    Sigille shook her head and stared after the departing Santos. ¡°Typical dreamer. Instead of training at the Guardians or wherever, he just¡­ Hmph. No understanding of his own abilities.¡±

    Sigille turned to Matteo. ¡°Why are you paying him for that kind of info? That deathcult sighting is a hoax. I know that you already know about the death spirits as well as all the other things that weren¡¯t complete nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t the Bulwark rumor probably about¡­¡± Terry left the last words unspoken. He did not know what other ears were listening, and he did not want to add fuel to the gossip about Syn and the battle at the Bulwark.

    ¡°There is no way that someone at his level will come up with anything useful you don¡¯t know already,¡± continued Sigille.

    ¡°Santos is alright,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He loves his family and they love him. Unfortunately, he has got it stuck in his head that he needs to earn more to offer his children a better life.¡±

    ¡°Which would be admirable if he went about it the right way,¡± interjected Sigille with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t see how earning himself a premature death will improve the situation of his family.¡±

    ¡°I agree, which is why I prefer him to stick to information gathering. As long as he can draw an income this way, he won¡¯t do anything too stupid or reckless.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re enabling him,¡± complained Sigille. ¡°The man needs to grow up, eventually. You shouldn¡¯t pay so that he can keep entertaining his delusions.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s little money to me, but if it keeps him out of trouble, then it¡¯s a world of difference for his family. Besides¡­¡±

    Matteo put the folders into his storage item. ¡°I am getting something out of it, too.¡±

    ¡°Intel that you already know?¡± Sigille raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Sort of.¡± Matteo smiled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t pay him to receive new information. I pay him to get a glimpse into what kind of information can be considered common knowledge.¡±

    Sigille wore a dissatisfied expression, but nodded. ¡°Yeah, some value in that, I guess. Knowing what information reaches ears like his. Still, there is no way that this alone is worth that much.¡± Her grumbling was less insistent than before.

    They walked towards the Guardian outpost. A man with a bright white sash across his upper body approached them with large strides.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sigille groaned.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± demanded the man.

    Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky. ¡°Greetings, Little Lucas. Could you be more specific?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me!¡±

    ¡°Should I act dumb then?¡± Sigille gasped. ¡°If that is what the ministerial representative desires, I can try¡­¡±

    ¡°You, hmph. As far as I know, your dungeon pioneering had finished a long time ago. Where did you run off to? We had other missions waiting.¡±

    ¡°That is odd. I thought the ministry is not supposed to pre-assign missions.¡± Sigille scratched her nose again. ¡°I thought for sure that Guardians still have a say in the missions they accept. Did we become common soldiers while I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±

    Lucas¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Last I checked the regulations on Guild-Guardian-partnership,¡± interjected Matteo. ¡°The ministry has no say in the work we take up together as long as the Guardian fulfills their quota and I accept the Guardians¡¯ rate of payment. As you can see, we are still working together.¡±

    ¡°Damn Guildheads,¡± spat Lucas. ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with your management, too.¡±

    Then Lucas¡¯s angry eyes moved to Terry. ¡°And who is this person who went through the city entrance without being inspected by the guards?¡±

    ¡°My nephew,¡± replied Sigille as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.

    ¡°Human nephew, huh? Since when do you have a nephew in Tiv?¡± Lucas was smelling an opportunity to exploit.

    ¡°He is just a kind nephew that is paying a visit to his aunt.¡± Sigille maintained Lucas¡¯s gaze calmly.

    ¡°A mana user.¡± Lucas eyed Terry and looked for mana traces on his items. He displayed a thin smile and turned back to Sigille. ¡°I am sure that you have followed the proper immigration procedures?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Sigille nonchalantly.

    Lucas was put off-balance by the simple admission of guilt. He suspiciously continued: ¡°You know that this means¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me stop you right there,¡± interrupted Sigille. ¡°There were no proper immigration procedures, because there was no one around to perform them. Terry did not arrive through the other empires. None of your pencil-pushers were waiting around at the Wasteborder to receive my nephew. You see the problem?¡±

    Lucas sneered. ¡°Are you expecting me to believe that this¡­¡± Lucas refrained from spitting out ¡®kid¡¯ when he noticed Terry¡¯s mana signature.

    Terry¡¯s mannerisms still carried a childish air ¨C the way he stuck close to Sigille and Matteo, the open excitement and curiosity in his eyes, the timid reaction to Lucas¡¯s appearance. However, that impression of childishness clashed hard with Terry¡¯s mana signature.

    Lucas decided to stay on the safe side. ¡°This person has arrived through the Wastes?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°When I met him, he was defending the Bulwark from an undead horde together with the Wasteguard. You can verify that with Mal. There are plenty of witnesses that can vouch for him.¡±

    Lucas was stupefied. If that was a lie, then that would be too easy to demonstrate, but there was no way that the Divine Hammer was that stupid.

    ¡°What about you? What useful thing have you done recently?¡± questioned Sigille. ¡°Pushing pencils and bothering the people that are actually doing useful work doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lucas gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Anyway, there were not that many immigration checkpoints near the Bulwark. Maybe you can talk to your minister and get that sorted out.¡±

    Lucas snarled and said: ¡°That does not absolve you or him from conforming to Tiv¡¯s laws. This¡ª¡±

    ¡°Terry is the accepted son of my baby sister. I have accepted him as my nephew. My whaka.¡± Sigille emphasized the last word and caught Lucas¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I like the idea of having a little cousin,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Whaka Terry is already family.¡±

    Terry was tongue-tied. He had been called cousin or nephew before, but this was the first time that they addressed him as whaka. He could not completely follow what was going on, but he clenched his fists.

    Whaka.

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± growled Lucas.

    Sigille tilted her head. ¡°Well, that depends, doesn¡¯t it? Did it seem threatening to you?¡± She showed a toothy smile.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± scoffed Lucas. ¡°And what are you going to do if the imperial censors have a different view on this?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Sigille did not break eye-contact. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll burn that bridge when we come to it.¡±

    ¡°This is¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is enough, I think.¡± A woman in bright yellow robes was approaching.

    Sigille¡¯s expression turned sour, and she growled under her breath: ¡°Witch¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the woman¡¯s mana signature. It looked odd. While there was a normal unaspected signature, there was also an intense pure light-aspected center that was distinct from the other mana. It seemed slightly different from normal light-aspected mana, too. There was also a trace of an aspect he had not sensed before, even though it appeared somewhat familiar.

    Maybe? Channeler?

    Terry tilted his head.

    Terry was jolted from his thoughts when he heard Matteo inhale deeply. Terry noticed how Matteo straightened his back and how all expressions left his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your mana is not yours to use for your own purposes,¡± spat Lucas at Sigille. ¡°Being allowed to use mana is a privilege. You do not get to eschew the rules just because you¡¯re strong.¡±

    ¡°I can leave if I am not wanted here,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°If anyone has a problem with Terry¡¯s presence, then I can escort him out of the Tiv Empire immediately.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°Perhaps there are others that would like to join an escorted trip to another empire? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Lucas, I am sure that we can make some accommodations for the family relationships of our Guardians,¡± interjected the woman with the odd mana signature.

    ¡°If Guardian management says so.¡± Lucas remained unwilling, but he gave in. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting inside, Willow.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Matteo,¡± said Willow with a bright smile. ¡°Let me thank you for your continuing support. If only all Guild-members would show the same sense of responsibility. Truly commendable.¡±

    Matteo looked at her with calm, measured breaths and with no attempt to make a reply.

    ¡°We¡¯ve finished our missions,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Next season¡ª¡±

    ¡°About one of those missions,¡± interjected Willow. ¡°The group of otherrealm worshippers that were suspected of misconduct.¡±

    Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky again.

    ¡°I remember us talking about the possibility of there being hostages¡­¡± Willow left the words hanging in the air.

    ¡°Yup. I remember bringing that up.¡±

    ¡°I think we had agreed that gathering the information takes priority over rescuing any hypothetical hostages.¡± Willow¡¯s cold eyes rested on Sigille.

    ¡°I remember you advocating for that position.¡± Sigille maintained a deadpan expression.

    ¡°And yet I have been informed that some people that appear to have escaped from a deathcult were escorted to the nearest settlement guard while all the alleged cultists are now dead.¡±

    Sigille nodded with a guilt-free expression. Terry could see the faintest trace of a smile on Matteo¡¯s lips.

    Willow smiled with cold eyes. ¡°May I request an explanation?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Well, Matteo and I were there investigating the cultists and go figure.¡± Sigille displayed insincere shock. ¡°The cultists acted all cult-like. They were planning to offer innocent lives to a being from another realm. When we arrived, they were about to sacrifice a little girl.¡±

    Sigille tapped her temple. ¡°I, of course, remembered the talk with you and that we were not supposed to extract any hostages. You made that point very clear.¡±

    Sigille puckered her lips and rocked her head from side to side. ¡°Therefore, I had to improvise a solution that does not make me hate myself for all eternity. Luckily, we have found a solution that also complied with your request.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Willow raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°We figured that if we kill all the captors, the victims would stop being hostages.¡± Sigille maintained a deadpan expression. ¡°We only escorted the people after they had already stopped being hostages. Technically, this cannot be considered a hostage extraction.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Willow did not show any emotion on her face. ¡°You two took down the entire group before moving the hostages? How exactly did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Carefully,¡± replied Sigille without missing a second.

    ¡°...¡±

    Sigille made no attempt to elaborate.

    ¡°Could you share some more details?¡± prompted Willow.

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Very carefully.¡±

    Willow let her eyes wander over all three of them. ¡°Welcome back. As always, thank you for your service.¡± She smiled a thin smile. ¡°Until later.¡±

    Willow left towards the entrance of the Guardian outpost while the others stayed behind.

    ¡°Two-faced witch,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°As if kind words would make us forget her despicable actions.¡±

    ¡°She sure has climbed up quickly in Guardian management,¡± remarked Matteo with disappointed eyes.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°Yeah, you were right back then. So much for you ever becoming a proper Guardian.¡± Sigille sighed regretfully.

    ¡°Was that woman a channeler?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sigille turned to look at him. ¡°Ah, yes. The witch is a cultist, alright. A follower of the Bright Lady. More and more of those around. They claim the creature they call the Bright Lady is from a heavenly realm, but of course they would claim that.¡±

    Sigille patted Terry on the back. ¡°Anyway, we still need to reserve a slot for you to have a proper visual with Isille. The Little Silly I know will only calm down properly once she has seen you herself.¡±

    Sigille glanced over the area that was mostly devoid of people. ¡°I would introduce my most recent disciples to you, but they¡¯re still out on mission work. They should return with the Setting Moon. That is when I usually focus on instructing while Matteo is doing his own thing.¡±

    ***

 052 Calling Home

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 54 ¨C

    Terry sat down on the earth in the training grounds and frowned while glancing over his notebook.

    I still can¡¯t believe that you have lost the aspected needle.

    It¡¯s your marbles all over again!

    Unbelievable!

    ¡°All over again! Unbelievable!¡± Terry mocked his own thoughts by repeating them in a funny voice. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Taking the recorded count of mana containers as a rough baseline and guesstimating how much mana you had put into the throwing needle before you started counting¡­

    This will take FOREVER all over again!

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡± Terry mumbled to himself. ¡°It¡¯s a nuisance, not a catastrophe.¡±

    On the first evening after Terry had arrived in the Libra Outpost, he had wanted to investigate his aspected throwing needle and what was going on with his storage bracelets.

    Unfortunately, the needle was nowhere to be found.

    It¡¯s possible that you did not activate the sheath belt correctly. Dare I say probable even!

    ¡°Nothing I can do about it now.¡± Terry smiled wryly. ¡°Except vent my frustration.¡±

    Terry stood up.

    The training grounds were nearly deserted. According to his aunt, Tiv had fewer Guardians than Arcana to begin with, and few people volunteered to be stationed in the outpost closest to the Wasteborder.

    The stronger Guardians generally had their hands full with mission work outside the outposts, while the trainees usually preferred to practice in less dangerous areas.

    The aspiring Guardians that picked an outpost like the one in Libra City mostly did so because they were hoping to be instructed by a specific Guardian.

    Sigille had told Terry that the outposts had agreed on a seasonal rotation. The Libra Outpost took the season of the Setting Moon. During this time, Sigille and some other stronger representatives would return to the outpost.

    The representative instructors would not take any regular mission work. They would only respond to emergencies. This way, trainees could get the chance to learn and be instructed at the frontline while being protected by powerful Guardians.

    Aside from the confrontational ministerial representative and the channeler woman from Guardian management, Terry had only interacted with a single local Guardian: Dhruv.

    Sigille had told Terry that there were many good people in Tiv, but that there were only a few whom you could trust with anything. If there was any trouble while Sigille and Matteo were out, then Terry was supposed to go to Dhruv.

    Dhruv was a dwarf with grey, disheveled hair and an intimidating presence similar to Sigille. In contrast to Terry¡¯s aunt, however, Dhruv was very taciturn and had a perpetually haunted look in his eyes. He was one of Sigille¡¯s old companions from before she had gone to the Free Factions Union.

    Dhruv¡¯s presence was one reason why Sigille had chosen to take Matteo to Libra City after her husband had died in the Union. Not only was Dhruv one of her oldest friends and a member of their whanau, Dhruv also understood what it meant to lose your life¡¯s chosen to a violent death.

    Terry had kept repeating Sigille¡¯s muttered words in his head.

    ¡®At least I have a specific person to hunt while poor Dhruv only has the Wastes.¡¯

    Terry had felt the urge to ask what had happened to her husband, but in the end, he could not bring himself to actually do it.

    Terry exhaled sharply and sprinted forward. Near the end of the track, Terry jumped and kicked out while simultaneously imprinting the center pearl in his left bracer.

    Terry flexed his arm to resist the centripetal force and, after rotating left in a half-circle, he rapidly deactivated the imprint and sprinted in the opposite direction.

    This time, Terry dashed up to the middle of the track. Then, he raised both arms and transfixed the mid-wrist pearls.

    Terry swung around the rotational axis and up into the air. He timed the deactivation of the imprints so that he would fly feet-first and back towards where he had come from.

    Terry burst his mana and transfixed the extension layer in his boots with as little mana as possible. He used the transfixed layer for an air jump to change direction again.

    Terry spun around so that his shoulder was pointing towards the ground. He transfixed the center pearls in both of his bracelets. Terry knew this position from bodyweight training exercises. It was called the Human Flag.

    Terry gathered momentum and started swinging around the transfixed rotational axis. Terry gritted his teeth at the straining distribution of his weight.

    Terry exhaled sharply and then switched imprints ¨C from the center pearls to the mid-wrist pearls ¨C which caused him to drop slightly and caused the rotation circle to become wider.

    Next, he deactivated the imprint on the bracer that was closer to the ground and used his legs to rotate around the spherical pearl in various ways.

    Ugh¡­

    Terry slowed down to appease his stomach. He deactivated the imprint and allowed himself to stand on solid ground again.

    I wonder what Aunt Sigille and Matteo are doing¡­

    Terry knew they had several responsibilities to take care of, but he did not know the details. Sigille had told him that requesting a visual with Arcana was always a pain because, by law, they were required to have an imperial censor present.

    Terry turned his head when he noticed a familiar mana signature approaching the training grounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s time Terry,¡± shouted Sigille. ¡°The mandated eavesdropper has finally deigned to grace us with his presence.¡± She snickered. ¡°They always get so grouchy when someone wants them to step a foot near the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°Remember what I told you before?¡± Sigille asked Terry.

    Terry nodded. ¡°No reference to the dungeon, mana use, or magic items. Nothing about the situation in Tiv nor any talk about my upbringing.¡±

    ¡°Good. If you forget that during the visual, then I¡¯ll have to hold your mouth shut.¡± Sigille pushed out her lower lip and played the belly drum. ¡°The censors always look equal parts judgy and offended whenever I do that.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Greetings, Vhida,¡± said Sigille. ¡°How does it look?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Lady Sigille.¡± The elven woman looked up from her fiddling with a large device in the back of the room. ¡°As always, Arcana¡¯s barrier is a troublesome interference.¡±

    ¡°Little Vhida, I told you not to call me lady.¡± Sigille pretended to sulk. ¡°It makes my skin itchy.¡±

    Vhida chuckled. ¡°I could switch back to Instructor Sigille for old time¡¯s sake if that would make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°Much better, but not quite appropriate, since your last instruction was several decades ago.¡± Sigille raised her eyebrows. ¡°Or are you volunteering for more advanced classes?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, I can suddenly feel the pang of age in my bones.¡± Vhida put her hands on her hip and acted with a pained expression. ¡°I really don¡¯t believe I should.¡±

    Vhida pointedly looked away from Sigille, and her eyes wandered to Terry. ¡°That¡¯s your nephew?¡±

    ¡°Nice attempt at deflection.¡± Sigille grinned.

    ¡°Whatever do you mean, Instructor Sigille?¡± Vhida feigned ignorance and smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Vhida,¡± said Terry. ¡°My name is Terry.¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡± Vhida grabbed her heart with yet another pained grimace. ¡°Avenging your aunt?¡±

    Sigille chortled.

    Crap. What did I do?

    ¡°My, he has an honest face, doesn¡¯t he?¡± exclaimed Vhida. ¡°We¡¯re just kidding around. Sigille was one of my first instructors when I was a wee little Guardian. Greetings, Terry.¡±

    Vhida looked back at Sigille. ¡°I see what you meant with the itchy skin.¡±

    ¡°Well done, Terry,¡± praised Sigille. ¡°Here, I have been struggling for many cycles with these informal instructions and you manage to get the lesson across with a single greeting. With that kind of talent, I need to introduce you to a few more people.¡±

    The sound of a man loudly clearing his throat resounded through the air. A human with a sullen expression stepped into the room. ¡°Can we start?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did they send you again?¡± Sigille replied cheerfully. ¡°Ghinn, was it your turn already?¡±

    The man grunted in response. He radiated discontent.

    ¡°One could get the impression that you don¡¯t enjoy being here.¡± Sigille puckered her lips. ¡°Here I thought the censors were always ready to follow where duty may lead them.¡±

    Ghinn¡¯s expression darkened even further. ¡°Is it just me, or did the frequency of your little exchanges with foreign powers increase noticeably this year?¡±

    ¡°You make it sound as if I was organizing an international conference.¡± Sigille furrowed her brow with sulking lips. However, her display of mock-offense was quickly replaced with a snicker. ¡°I just want to chat with my baby sister.¡±

    Ghinn grumbled: ¡°Oh, that makes me feel much better about having to come all the way out here.¡± His voice oozed with sarcasm. ¡°It is so nice to know that my time is valued so highly and invested for such important purposes.¡±

    ¡°Not my fault that an imperial censor has to be involved in this.¡± Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky. ¡°I still remember times when I could talk to my sister in private.¡±

    Sigille grinned challengingly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go complain to the Assembly? I believe they were the ones that changed that. I promise I had nothing to do with it.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ghinn harrumphed and walked to a wall. He leaned on it with crossed arms.

    ¡°Alright, that should do it,¡± exclaimed Vhida.

    Terry¡¯s heart sped up. Sigille stepped next to him to face the mana-crafted device.

    ¡°Just need to wait for the other side to be¡ª Oh, they¡¯re already waiting.¡± Vhida injected mana, and the transparent sheet of glass in front of Terry lit up with light-aspected mana.

    The mana flickered, and an image came into view.

    ¡°¡°¡°TERRY!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Oh, thank mana.¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    Terry felt a lump in his throat. His whole body suddenly seemed lighter. His eyes teared up.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Vhida quietly. ¡°Never seen that many people crammed into that screen before.¡±

    Lori and Jorg squeezed together in the front with Bjorln and Isille right behind and the last row made up of Samuel and Brynn.

    Terry was tongue-tied and let his eyes wander over everyone. They all seemed so tired. Terry felt a pang of guilt without knowing why.

    ¡°I¡¯m sowwy, Terry!¡± Jorg was a sobbing mess. Terry was taken aback by Jorg¡¯s pale skin. It seemed as if the dwarf had spent most of the recent days indoors, which was not at all like Jorg.

    ¡°I thought you were¡­¡± Lori meekly muttered while bawling her eyes out. ¡°I thought I had caus¡ª¡± She inhaled deeply between sobs. ¡°Please forgive¡­¡± Lori timidly lowered her gaze.

    Terry had never seen his siblings like this before.

    ¡°Have I picked up the correct nephew, Little Silly?¡± Sigille asked with warm eyes.

    ¡°Thank you, Big Sm¡ª¡± The teary-eyed Isille stopped herself. ¡°Thank you, Sigille. From all my heart.¡±

    ¡°Little Silly, I have crossed a long distance to pick him up so that you could stop crying, you know.¡± Sigille rebuked, but her eyes were smiling. ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡±

    ¡°You have my gratitude, too, Big Smelly!¡± interjected Bjorln with glistening eyes and a grin.

    ¡°Heh, I see the little slacker is as cheeky as ever.¡± Sigille narrowed her eyes at Bjorln.

    ¡°If my beloved Isille is too overwhelmed with gratitude so that her decency prevents her from returning the proper insult, then I feel it is my duty as her life partner to follow through in her stead.¡± Bjorln smirked. He added in a sincere voice: ¡°Thank you, Sigille.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what happened, Terry?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Jorg, remember what we told you before,¡± reminded Isille before she turned to Terry. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright, Whaka Terry.¡±

    Then, everyone piled up their own similar sentiments.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± asked Terry. ¡°The others too?¡±

    Lori and Jorg nodded.

    ¡°You were the only one missing,¡± said Isille. ¡°You really terrified us.¡±

    Terry experienced a strange mixture of guilt and happiness. Guilty that he had worried them. Happy that they worried ¨C and cared ¨C for him.

    ¡°Siling, Tiana, and Elena asked me to give their regards,¡± said Lori. ¡°Although, Siling added you better have a good explanation or she will let loose one of her stinkers on you.¡±

    ¡°Miguel and Gellath said the same,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Well, not the stinker part. Also¡­ Well, Calam has asked me to tell you that he¡¯s sorry. He is working on his problem and hopes that you can give him another chance when¡­¡±

    Jorg paused and searched the gaze of his ma. ¡°When can Terry¡­?¡± Jorg was not sure how much he was allowed to say.

    Isille looked pleadingly at her elder sister. ¡°Will it be possible for Terry to return to Arcana?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Sigille. But she shook her head right afterwards. ¡°However, I¡¯ll have to escort him myself and it will take time. I wanted to visit anyway, but I still have some things to take care of. I think I have told you about Little Emily before.¡±

    ¡°That elven girl from the dungeon scrapers?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Next cycle, she¡¯ll turn old enough to start training as a Guardian. Matteo and I have promised her and her father that we would escort the girl to the outpost. I also want to make sure that she is allowed to walk her own path without...¡±

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, without the usual interference for someone with her talents. That girl does not belong in the army. She would get eaten in the Guild. That leaves little freedom unless someone shields her from the interference.¡±

    Sigille calmly looked into Isille¡¯s eyes. ¡°Our departure can be arranged after the Setting Moon in the next cycle.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Lori looked crestfallen.

    Jorg clenched his teeth.

    ¡°More than a year¡­¡± Isille muttered.

    ¡°Could we pick him up at the border instead?¡± asked Bjorln when he sensed the change in atmosphere.

    ¡°You could try, but my estimate is that this won¡¯t be any faster.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°Nothing I can do there. In Tiv, you have a different standing than Matteo or I. Heck, by now, even Terry might have more official influence than any of you. Your presence would definitely not help, and it might very well do the opposite.¡±

    Brynn frowned and nodded.

    Sigille coughed lightly. ¡°Also, I thought about instructing Terry for a bit. He has demonstrated a commendable attitude toward diligent self-improvement. I am curious how far he can take it.¡±

    The expressions of Isille and Bjorln froze.

    Bjorln caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Good luck, Whaka Terry. I still remember the times when Big Smelly came to train us and, well¡­¡± He talked with a thousand-yard stare. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, Big Sis, could you¡­¡± Isille searched for words. ¡°Make sure that you return my son, uhm¡­ You know, healthy and sound?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, things get iffy when one whaka pummels another into unconsciousness,¡± quipped Bjorln.

    ¡°Stop exaggerating,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°He¡¯ll do fine.¡± She lightly slapped Terry¡¯s back.

    Ouch.

    The relieved family exchanged more small-talk and general pleasantries. Despite the joyful reunion at a distance, it was a frustrating experience ¨C particularly for Lori, Jorg, and Terry.

    Due to the restrictions on talking about magic and the like, they could not talk about the things that they really wanted to talk about. They could not share the stories of their recent days, nor could they discuss what had happened with Terry.

    ¡°¡­and also, thank you, everyone! If not for¡­¡± Terry sighed at having to search for a way to express himself without violating any of the restrictions. ¡°Your advice, your instructions, your gifts¡­ I would have starved or died a different way. I would have absolutely lost my mind¡­¡±

    About that last one¡­ You sure that did not happen? You and I remember that very differently then.

    Terry thought over his dungeon experience and clenched his fists. He wanted so much to talk it over with his family, but alas, it was verboten.

    Stupid Tiv and its stupid resentment against Arcana and its stupid¡ª

    ¡°Do you understand what happened, Whaka Terry?¡± asked Samuel. ¡°¡®Yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ should be fine, even for this conversation.¡±

    Terry¡¯s stomach felt queasy when looking at Samuel¡¯s face. The burn scars were now paired with intensely dark circles under Samuel¡¯s eyes. He also seemed much thinner than when Terry had last seen him.

    ¡°No,¡± said Terry. ¡°I wish I did.¡±

    Samuel nodded with a grave expression.

    Brynn kissed Samuel softly on the cheek. Samuel leaned his head on Brynn¡¯s shoulder and sighed.

    ¡°Did you keep up your craft?¡± asked Brynn. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Brynn winked. ¡°¡®Yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ is fine, remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Terry rephrased his words until they became innocuous. ¡°I¡¯ve run out of exercises. I am not sure how to progress. I tried¡­ Ugh.¡± Terry grew increasingly annoyed.

    How am I supposed to talk about aspecting, my scale armor idea, or crystal-based shielding¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ll stay in Libra City for a while, right?¡± inquired Brynn. ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    Ghinn, the imperial censor, loudly cleared his throat.

    Brynn grinned mischievously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Whaka Terry.¡±

    ¡°Focus on the things that you can do before figuring out how to do more,¡± added Samuel.

    Terry smiled at the familiar words.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry,¡± added Sigille. ¡°I can think of a few things to fill your time.¡±

    Uh-oh.

    ¡°Good luck, Whaka Terry,¡± repeated Bjorln.

    ***

    In the evening, Terry returned his gymnastic rings back into his storage bracelets.

    He retrieved a mana container and syphoned mana from it until he felt comfortable enough with the available safety buffer in a foreign environment.

    With Aunt Sigille around, there probably isn¡¯t that much danger. Then again, it¡¯s Tiv and¡­ Let¡¯s just go with a reasonable compromise.

    He sat down on the floor and retrieved his notebook and pen. Terry sighed.

    I still can¡¯t believe you have lost the aspected needle. Now you have to start from scratch again before you can try all the¡ª

    Terry flipped to the next page and searched for things to try today. He underlined some of the open entries.

    Terry retrieved a coil spring made from a mana-reactive shape-memory alloy. He extended the coil spring and then cast Immovable Object on it.

    The coil spring was transfixed in the air. Terry started to slowly channel mana into it without guiding the mana to the active spell structure. Terry watched the coil spring closely¡­

    But nothing happened.

    Terry increased his mana throughput and channeled more mana into the coil spring. He repeated this complete cycle again and again until¡­

    The coil spring dropped down. The spell had been disrupted.

    ¡°Hm¡­ A pity, but was to be expected, I guess.¡± Terry mumbled to himself. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be immovable if the alloy could still change form while the spell is active. Immovable even relative to itself. Same as with external force¡­¡±

    Terry scribbled down the results.

    Next, Terry retrieved a light-aspected mana core from one of the shining dropbears. He tilted his head and muttered: ¡°Can¡¯t believe I never tried that before¡­¡±

    Terry attempted to cast Immovable Object on the mana core¡­

    A pang in his casting hand told Terry that he may have been wise to never try that. Terry rubbed his hand.

    ¡°Makes sense, too. The mana prevents the spell from activating. Puh-blblbl¡­¡± Terry absentmindedly squeezed air through his closed lips while thinking. ¡°Maybe I could use that to practice overpowering mana?¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to use mana-crafted items? Closer to the likely real-world application and all¡­

    ¡°But then I would risk damaging the imprints.¡±

    Use aspected items instead?

    ¡°Both are valid options.¡± Terry tapped the pen on the floor.

    Not that you would even come close to the mana intensity for overpowering that kind of mana¡­

    ¡°Not yet, no.¡± Terry made some notes in his notebook. ¡°Need to practice compressing mana some more. I could also practice spellwork shielding similarly¡­¡±

    Afterwards, Terry retrieved one of the imprinted throwing needles to which he had added a simple shielding based on stacked layers of periodic mana tiles.

    Terry transfixed the needle in the air. Then, Terry tried to guide his mana to disrupt the active imprint from the direction of the needle¡¯s tip.

    He was looking for gaps in the shielding. Unless you had access to a proper mana lock, there always had to be at least one gap or the spell imprint could not be activated. Nevertheless, this did not mean that the gap had to be easy to reach and exploit.

    Terry was aware of his own advantages. His mana control was excellent. This meant that he had some wiggle room for using narrow passages that were easy for him to use, while being difficult for others to exploit.

    Terry had started to view the shielding as a mana game against himself. First, he had to create a shielding that he could not pick within a specific timeframe. Then, he would practice picking the shielding until he was able to pick it within the time limit. Repeat.

    Would have been more fun to play with the others though.

    ¡°Ah well¡­¡± Terry sighed. ¡°One more year. One day after the other. One step at a time.¡±

    Terry documented some ideas and results in the notebook for mana crafting.

    Afterwards, Terry retrieved his fire-aspected short spear.

    You¡¯re not really considering doing that, right?

    Terry stared at the fire-aspected tip.

    Remember how much you whined when you disinfected your hands with coldfire in the dungeon? Do you believe normal fire will be more pleasant?

    ¡°You can build up resistance this way.¡±

    Could you not?

    ¡°Miguel has to do similar exercises if he ever wants to be able to burst his mana. Tiana¡¯s brother had to do so too. Same for Devon¡­¡±

    I knew Devon was a bad influence.

    Terry thought about some of the stories from Devon¡¯s tower. In particular, about the resistance training Devon had to suffer through.

    At least do that when you¡¯re out in the training grounds. I¡¯m not sure how Aunt Sigille would react if you burn down her outpost, but I¡¯m not eager to find out, either.

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fair point.¡±

    Perhaps she can also talk some sense into you when she sees it¡­

    Terry returned the spear to the storage bracelet. He shrugged. ¡°Back to aspecting then.¡±

    So you can lose another needle?

    Terry took out a mana container and one of his old throwing needles. He put both on the floor in front of him. He placed his hands in front of the items and channeled mana into them from a short distance.

    Terry changed his seating position and scooched away on the floor in order to increase the distance until it represented a slight challenge. He made a note in his notebook to record the starting distance used today and then guided mana towards the items.

    ¡°At least I can combine it with training mana reach. So it¡¯s not all bad¡­¡±

    Stop downplaying that you have lost the aspected needle!

    ¡°Positive thinking.¡± Terry stuck out his tongue. ¡°The others are alright. I¡¯m in a good mood and you¡¯re not going to bring me down. I can handle a lost needle. I can create another one.¡±

    ***

 053 Traces of Trouble

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 79 ¨C

    Terry took a deep breath and stood back up. He gripped the two practice short spears tightly.

    ¡°If nothing else, I am willing to commend your tenacity,¡± teased Sigille.

    Sigille was holding a simple practice staff about the same length as the axe she normally used. Infuriatingly, Sigille stood completely relaxed, no matter how hard Terry tried.

    Sigille placed the staff on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re actually doing well for your age. I can see Isille¡¯s focus on ambidextrous wielding in you and your patterns are less predictable than most. However¡­¡±

    Sigille examined Terry calmly. ¡°Let me guess, Bjorln and Isille used to split the lessons?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Terry wrinkled his forehead. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You did alright in hand-to-hand combat, but I don¡¯t see you applying that knowledge now.¡±

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°Isille and Bjorln have their specializations and it is good for you to learn from the experts in their respective area. But this isn¡¯t a tournament. You are not graded on form and style adherence.¡±

    Sigille tapped the staff on her shoulder. ¡°You need to bring everything together. More importantly, you have your own abilities that differ from theirs. You need to develop your own style. I saw you spinning around on the tracks. I also saw you practicing with throwing weapons. I know you can cast a spell. I also know that you have some mana-crafted items.¡±

    ¡°No need to hold anything back. I won¡¯t get hurt, I promise. Show me what you got, then I¡¯ll show you what you¡¯re missing.¡± Sigille grinned and then turned serious. ¡°Again. Terry style.¡±

    Terry walked to the side and picked up a few more practice weapons into his storage bracelets.

    Sigille smiled approvingly.

    Terry took a deep breath and charged at his aunt. He feinted with his right, then struck with his left.

    Sigille ignored the feint and moved her head slightly to dodge.

    Terry transfixed the spear in the air after it had been dodged. The spear was angled to block Sigille¡¯s upper body from turning right or moving backwards.

    Terry¡¯s mana-crafting and spellwork practice had significantly increased his spell control for the Immovable Object spell. As a result, the casting time was finally low enough to make the spell itself practical in close combat.

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± muttered Sigille. She lightly slapped her staff at Terry¡¯s open flank.

    Terry dodged by activating the mid-wrist imprints in his bracers and jumping to swing into the air. He summoned another practice spear and wanted to attack.

    Sigille could have disrupted the first transfixed spear, but she wanted to see how Terry¡¯s plan would develop.

    However, before Terry could finish his follow-up, Sigille raised an eyebrow and turned her head to the entrance. Without looking, she casually grabbed Terry¡¯s attacking spear and gave Terry a push with her staff, which caused Terry to spin against his wishes.

    Afterwards, she stepped out of Terry¡¯s range. Her eyes were glued to the entrance. ¡°Wait a moment, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry was taken aback. Then, his mana sense told him the probable reason for Sigille¡¯s expression. He had been too focused on the spar to notice the approaching mana signature before.

    Without a doubt, the signature belonged to Matteo. However, Matteo had already taken his leave for the foreseeable future. Sigille did not intend to take any more missions this season, which meant that Matteo would start his death hunt season early.

    A moment later, Matteo stepped into the training grounds. Sigille shared a glance with him, and her expression turned sour.

    ¡°Trouble,¡± muttered Sigille.

    Matteo examined the people nearby and then walked up to Sigille and Terry.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Sigille.

    Matteo took out a mana-crafted item that was shaped like a card.

    ¡°Crap,¡± cursed Sigille. ¡°That bad?¡±

    Matteo channeled mana into the item, and all the noise in the area disappeared. Terry got goosebumps from the sudden change in atmosphere.

    ¡°Okay, nobody can overhear us. What is it?¡± Sigille repeated her question.

    ¡°I got offered a nominated mission,¡± said Matteo with a grim tone.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem unusual. What¡¯s it about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. It¡¯s under wraps and more details are only shared with those that accept the preliminary conditions. I refused.¡±

    ¡°More unusual. Why?¡±

    ¡°Because then the penalty for interfering with the mission would be even higher, and I suspect that there will be a need to interfere.¡±

    Sigille had a bad premonition.

    Matteo clicked his tongue. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one that got the mission. Sudden Death, Vicious, Apex, the Venom Siblings¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of ranked rookies. What do they want to do? Storm a mid-sized demon fortress?¡± Sigille frowned. ¡°Nasty line-up, too. Cultists, a battle junkie, and people without a conscience. How do you fit in? Wait¡­¡±

    Sigille¡¯s suspicion deepened. ¡°They skipped Amelia and Dargones? What about Jee?¡±

    ¡°I could not get a hold of Jee, but from what I could gather, he must have gotten a separate nominated mission. One that was issued on the same day.¡±

    ¡°The ranked rookies would have their own way to move. Calling in Jee is a bit much for that kind of group. Either they need to transport something large¡­¡±

    ¡°Or a large group,¡± continued Matteo.

    ¡°So, how do you fit in?¡±

    ¡°I figure they did so based on reputation and with no knowledge of our more recent activities.¡± Matteo could see in Sigille¡¯s eyes that she already understood where this was going. ¡°A few unranked Guildheads also received the nominated mission. They¡¯re the sort of folks that I would meet during the Setting Moon.¡±

    Sigille closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Folks with a deep resentment against death and the undead.¡± She opened her eyes again. ¡°Okay, you have me worried, but¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡±

    ¡°I was worried you might say that,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Santos has approached me with some new intel. Apparently, there have been abductions of citizens in the northwestern parts of the Wasted Zone. Rumor has it that the culprits are a bunch of undead taking the citizens away while leaving no witnesses behind.¡±

    Terry clenched his fists. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± said Matteo. ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡±

    ¡°Whoever planted that rumor about undead involvement had to have access to Megumi¡¯s report and then chose to ignore the important parts¡­¡± Sigille scowled. ¡°The Preacher.¡±

    ¡°It does fit his style,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He would also be one of the people with enough pull at the Guild.¡±

    ¡°While we all expected some trouble, my bet was on some intense hatred for necromancy or prejudice towards deathfolk being the driving force...¡± Sigille wrinkled her forehead. ¡°The Preacher ticks none of those boxes. I did not expect him to be the first to make a move.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry muttered with no idea how he could possibly help.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already dispatched a couple of messages to warn the Wasteguard coordinators to prepare for potential fallout at the Wasteborder. I¡¯ve only included the details with those that I trust. If the Captain is already on the move, then Mal will look to inform her.¡±

    ¡°I expect that Megumi is still in Syn,¡± said Sigille. ¡°That spirit poison incident has shaken her deeply. She needs a break.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to check it ourselves,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The Captain has earned some rest. Long overdue. Whoever disturbs that...¡±

    ¡°Has earned a beating,¡± finished Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dhruv. He can find a mission for us to get close and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Already done,¡± interrupted Matteo. ¡°I picked one up at the Guild. The witch has no grounds to stop my partner from joining the mission.¡±

    ¡°Transport?¡±

    ¡°Amelia has prepared some travel scrolls with the coordinates of the mission location and for our holiday resort.¡±

    Sigille nodded. ¡°Good thing we accepted her previous offer so that she could learn the coordinates. What are the two going to do?¡±

    ¡°Amelia is going to throw her weight around with Guild management to get the mission cancelled. Dargones has to take over alone to free her up for that.¡±

    ¡°I want to help,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±

    He asked, knowing that in this, he was as helpful as a third nipple and¡ª

    ¡°Good nephew,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You¡¯ll come with us.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°If they pull stupid crap like this, then I would rather keep you close. Who knows what other stupid ideas they might get when I am not looking.¡±

    The gazes of the three moved to the entrance. Two new mana signatures were approaching.

    ¡°Witch¡­¡± Sigille grumbled with a frown. ¡°Complete coincidence, I am sure.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Matteo dispelled the soundproof barrier. Terry hurriedly returned the practice weapons, and they all walked to exit the training grounds.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    They were intercepted by Willow and another woman that was wearing similar robes but with a less bright color. The woman¡¯s mana signature resembled Willow¡¯s as well.

    ¡°Greetings, Sigille,¡± said Willow. ¡°Matteo.¡± She nodded at him with a bright smile. ¡°Always a pleasure.¡±

    Matteo maintained a blank expression and did not react.

    ¡°No time to chat, we need to move,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Bye.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I thought you were done with missions until the Rising Sun?¡±

    ¡°Things have come up.¡± Sigille kept on walking.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, actually.¡± Willow displayed a thin smile. ¡°I was about to introduce you to your new partner.¡±

    Sigille stopped and turned around. ¡°I already have a Guild-partner.¡± Her eyes were cold.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Willow gave a single nod. ¡°However, new regulations state we should stick to the minimum group size of three people as a safety precaution. Even a commendable Guild-member like Matteo does not count for two people.¡±

    Sigille inhaled slowly and weighed if it was worth the time to argue. Her eyes moved to Terry before she looked back at Willow. ¡°If it¡¯s just that, then that won¡¯t be necessary. We have already formed a group with Terry. That¡¯s three, by my count.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± retorted Willow flatly. ¡°Your group needs a proper healer. Also, I have examined his Guardian record when I added the entries that were confirmed by you and Megumi. I very much doubt that a completed intermediate curriculum with some advanced courses and a tiny bit of practical experience would qualify him to be of help to the Divine Hammer.¡±

    At least she did not use the words ¡®third nipple.¡¯

    Terry tried not to show any reaction.

    Sigille made her decision. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡± She left without another word.

    Matteo and Terry followed in silence.

    The woman behind Willow was taken aback and stood with mouth slightly opened.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be of much help if you linger around here while your group is leaving, Glimmer Cadence,¡± reprimanded Willow.

    ¡°O-of course. I¡¯ll be on my way, Bright Willow.¡± Cadence hurried to catch up with the others.

    ***

    This is sooo awkward¡­

    Terry and the others had left the city. The group included their new companion: Cadence.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Cadence¡¯s eyes were trembling. ¡°Look, uhm¡­ I understand that this was sudden, but I¡¯m really glad that I have the chance to work with you.¡±

    Sigille and Matteo ignored her completely.

    Terry opened his mouth, but then he shut it again.

    ¡°Is this some kind of twisted test?¡± questioned Cadence. ¡°If so, I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°Could you at least tell me what this mission is about?¡± asked Cadence. ¡°I would like to help, but this is hard when¡­¡±

    Sooo awkward¡­

    Terry bit his lips.

    ¡°Perhaps we can walk by a volcano.¡± Sigille said to Matteo. ¡°Dance around on the edge a bit. Perhaps someone slips.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Cadence furrowed her brow in confused anger. ¡°Okay, what is going on?! What could I possibly have done to deserve this kind of treatment?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know about any volcanoes, but there are a few forbidden zones.¡± Matteo replied to Sigille.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I used to admire the Divine Hammer from the stories.¡± Cadence shook her head in disappointment. ¡°And I can¡¯t understand why Bright Willow would always speak so highly of such a Guildhead.¡±

    Sigille and Matteo both stopped at the same time and turned to face Cadence. Both of them raised an eyebrow each.

    ¡°Oh? You finally acknowledge my presence? How generous of you!¡± Cadence was growing increasingly angry.

    Sigille and Matteo did not show any reaction.

    ¡°Well, this is new,¡± said Matteo with a glance at Sigille.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Both of them turned around to walk again.

    ¡°Does the witch really believe her words would carry any meaning to us?¡± Sigille snorted. ¡°As if that would somehow change when using someone else as a proxy.¡±

    ¡°What witch?¡± Cadence¡¯s anger was replaced with frustration again. ¡°What proxy?¡±

    Cadence shook her head, and then her eyes turned to Terry. ¡°Could you maybe tell me what is going on?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry regretted that he had greeted her before. It somehow put him into this awkward position where he was the only one to ever verbally acknowledge her presence. He really did not want to stand on a different side than Sigille and Matteo.

    ¡°Leave my nephew alone,¡± growled Sigille. ¡°You are the proxy for the witch that has put you into our group.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Cadence was trying to decide which part to object to first. ¡°Bright Willow? She is just following the Guardian regulations. I volunteered to join this group because¡­¡± The eyes of Cadence hardened. ¡°Because I had foolishly trusted your reputation! I can see now that I was mistaken, but I still intend to do my job.¡±

    Cadence clenched her teeth. ¡°And I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m my own person and not anyone¡¯s proxy. Bright Willow has not instructed me with anything. She has praised the two of you exceedingly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Definitely new,¡± interjected Matteo drily.

    ¡°Tse.¡± Cadence scoffed. ¡°In contrast to you, Bright Willow does not badmouth people behind their backs.¡±

    Matteo ignored her.

    ¡°Such acts are beneath a follower of the Bright Lady.¡± Cadence grumbled to herself.

    ¡°Okay, that does it.¡± Sigille pointed a finger at Cadence and walked up to her. ¡°Your ¡®Bright¡¯ Willow is nothing but a two-faced witch. No, she does not badmouth people. The witch prefers lying to everyone and always tells them what they want to hear.¡±

    Sigille snorted derisively. ¡°But the witch has no compunctions about acting despicably when no one is around to judge or stop her.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s presence became intense.

    Subconsciously, Cadence gulped and took a step back. ¡°Bright Willow would never¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have no idea of all the things the witch would do.¡± Sigille stepped up to Cadence and stabbed her finger at Cadence¡¯s chest.

    Sigille stared into Cadence¡¯s eyes without blinking. ¡°I brought a child of barely ten to the Guardians. A child that had been betrayed by the only caregiver he had ever known. A child in desperate need of support.¡±

    Terry forgot to breathe. Despite her short stature, Sigille seemed to tower over everyone present.

    ¡°I accepted that child as my own and I wanted my son to grow up with a home to be proud of. I wanted for him to grow up as a proper Guardian.¡±

    Frustration and disappointment flashed through Sigille¡¯s eyes but they were quickly pushed back by a different emotion and Sigille glared with cold fury in her eyes.

    ¡°I had to move out to fulfill the last wishes of my life¡¯s chosen. When I returned several weeks later, I learned that during my absence, the witch had thrown my child into the dormant dungeon beneath the Guardian outpost.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what the witch is saying about us now.¡± Sigille snarled and bared her teeth. ¡°I still remember when she called my child a filthy abomination and told me he had been disposed of.¡±

    ¡°Bright bullshit.¡± Sigille sneered with a clenched fist. ¡°Whatever creature accepts a filthy witch like that as a high-ranking representative is the real abomination.¡±

    ¡°The Bright¡ª¡± Cadence was aghast. ¡°No, that must have been a misunderstanding.¡±

    Matteo rolled his eyes in silence.

    ¡°Bah.¡± Sigille looked at her with disdain and she moved back to walk next to Matteo.

    ¡°I will never understand cultists.¡± Sigille exclaimed to Matteo. ¡°So quick to throw away all sense and turn gullible. I somehow understand the ones that are doing it for a quick power-up.¡±

    Sigille shrugged with extended arms. ¡°That¡¯s just greed paired with terrible decision making. I can understand that. But I will never understand those for whom it almost becomes habitual. Even after they have been tricked by otherrealm creatures, they just go looking for the next entity to delude them.¡±

    ¡°Is that supposed to be me now?¡± Cadence became angry again. ¡°That really makes me trust your stories about others.¡±

    Cadence glared with offended eyes. ¡°The circle of the Bright Lady is not a cult. The worshippers of the Bright Lady are not cultists. We have never threatened the realm. I do not see why we should be associated with the cultists of past eras. I object to this term being applied to us.¡±

    ¡°You can object however you want,¡± replied Sigille flatly. ¡°You can call a pig a dog, but that won¡¯t make it bark.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± scoffed Cadence. She put her tongue against the inside of her cheek and rolled it to the front.

    ¡°Are you or are you not worshipping a being from another realm?¡± questioned Sigille.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Did you or did you not open your mind to the being¡¯s influence?¡±

    ¡°Tse.¡± Cadence rolled her eyes. ¡°The Bright Lady does not interfere with people¡¯s minds.¡±

    Sigille snorted amusedly. ¡°How would you even know?¡±

    ¡°How would you know that you are not under mind influence?¡± retorted Cadence as a challenge. ¡°That¡¯s how.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± sneered Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s odd, because I have taken significant precautions to prevent anyone from fiddling with my mind, whereas you have intentionally opened it for a specific entity.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s assume that detecting influence over an open connection was remotely similar to detecting it with a significant defense in place. Of course, that¡¯s a completely ludicrous assumption, but so be it. Let¡¯s further posit that the time window was remotely comparable ¨C another ludicrous assumption, but what the heck, why not?¡±

    Sigille scoffed. ¡°You have literally no idea what the creature you call the Bright Lady would or wouldn¡¯t do. Perhaps it truly has never influenced your mind before. So what? Does this prove that it would never do so in the future?¡±

    ¡°Wastes, no.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°For all you know, there was simply never a good reason for the creature to covet that which is within your sphere of influence. Your life may simply be too insignificant. It has not been worth the creature¡¯s effort or attention.¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°What is more likely? That an insanely powerful magical being with no emotional connection to this realm whatsoever is coincidentally a pure altruist that expects nothing in return for a share of its power? Or that it is simply biding its time and waiting for a chance that makes it all worth the cost?¡±

    For a time, Cadence paused with creased eyebrows. ¡°The Bright Lady has our adherence to her teachings.¡±

    ¡°Teachings that apparently don¡¯t mean squat,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°If they did, then the witch would have lost her channeled powers a long time ago. I guess the Bright Lady did not really pay attention. I figure the only thing here that would be worth the attention of such a mighty creature is the realm itself. I doubt you or any of your fellow cultists had that within their reach yet.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Cadence frowned. ¡°Not every being is selfish. You don¡¯t know th¡ª¡±

    ¡°And neither do you!¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s the point! I know as much or little about the true nature of the creature you call the Bright Lady as you do. In contrast to you, I have not sold out my home realm in blind faith.¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady has our respect. Why should I assume that she demands more?¡± Cadence glanced at Terry. ¡°Do you talk the same about the magic sovereigns in Arcana? Isn¡¯t it blind faith to trust them to act good, too?¡±

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a good point. Let me think for a bit.¡± Sigille blinked. ¡°Oh wait, my mistake. It¡¯s really not. Terry?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Terry tentatively replied.

    ¡°Did the magic sovereigns ever demand that you worship them?¡±

    Trick question?

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Did they ever demand that you open your mind to their influence?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Cadence clicked her tongue in annoyance.

    ¡°Then I guess the magic sovereigns are a lot less demanding than this Bright Lady thing,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You do not truly know if your relationship with the creature is a blessing or a curse.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine. I admit it.¡± Cadence spoke with no sincerity. ¡°I am a potential bringer of doom and destruction. Any second now, I could become the gate for the vile invaders to spew forth into this innocent realm. I mean¡­¡±

    Cadence¡¯s eyes moved towards Matteo¡¯s back. ¡°I can¡¯t see why you harp on about my potential possession when¡­¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Matteo exhaled with a wry smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t dare to compare yourself to Whaka Matteo!¡± spat Sigille with a sharp edge in her voice. She faced Cadence again.

    ¡°Did you choose to join the cult?! Yes? Were you an adult when you were given the choice?! Also yes?¡± Sigille accompanied her questions with nodding.

    ¡°Did you ever work day and night to reconquer your mind and spirit from the foreign influence?! No? Did you nearly get yourself killed again and again when trying to hold on?! Also No?¡± Sigille was shaking her head with every question.

    Sigille stopped moving her head and stared into Cadence¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then shut your damn mouth-hole!¡±

    Sigille stepped next to Matteo and turned to him again. ¡°You were saying something about forbidden zones before? Let¡¯s keep that in mind as an option.¡± Her mood had turned extremely sour.

    ¡°We¡¯re far enough now,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The scrolls should work from here.¡±

    ¡°Can I at least know what the mission is about?¡± Cadence asked meekly. Disappointment and frustration were still visible on her face, but Sigille¡¯s outbreak had subdued her into abandoning the argument. For now, at least.

    Sigille and Terry both looked at Matteo. They had not gotten to that point before Willow intercepted them. They both knew neither.

    ¡°West-northwest. Settlement with multiple murder victims,¡± said Matteo. ¡°No signs of struggle or magic restraints. Suspected mind mage activity.¡±

    ¡°How pertinent to the topic under discussion,¡± remarked Sigille grumpily. ¡°Let¡¯s go. No time to waste. If the cultist does not want to come, she is free to stay.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Cadence made no attempt to leave their side.

    Matteo ensured that everyone was within the spell¡¯s range and then ripped the transportation scroll in half.

    ***

 054 An Unusual Suspect

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 79 ¨C

    ¡°Gold aspect?¡± asked Terry with wide eyes. ¡°I knew that there were minor aspects for the metal aspect, but I never heard¡ª Ah, right¡­¡±

    Otherrealm worshippers. Emphasis on the other. Strictly speaking, this channeling would not qualify as appearing in this realm either.

    Terry had been unable to stand the awkward silence with Cadence around, and eventually succumbed to his own curiosity about the strange aspects in her mana signature.

    ¡°It is not as sturdy as the major metal aspect and more vulnerable to fire, but it can act as a conductor for the holy aspect.¡± Cadence appreciated that Terry was conversing with her.

    Holy. Speculated to be the intersection between light and life with an emphasis on the light aspect. Extremely effective for healing folk¡­ Well, at least folk that aren¡¯t deathfolk.

    Terry examined Cadence in mana sight again. ¡°Is that why it seems slightly different from the normal light aspect?¡±

    ¡°You can tell?¡± Cadence raised an eyebrow. ¡°The Lady¡¯s light-aspected mana emphasizes the holy aspect.¡±

    While holy light is extremely effective for healing life-based folk, it¡¯s also very much lethal to deathfolk¡­

    Terry bit his lip and clenched his fists.

    What if Cadence¡­ Ugh, no point in worrying now.

    Terry shook his head to throw the thought out of his mind. He watched the backs of Sigille and Matteo walking in front. The sight helped him remain calm.

    ¡°It looks as if there is a different mana pool surrounding the other mana,¡± said Terry with inquisitive eyes.

    ¡°On my own, I would be purely fire-aspected. The influence of the Lady¡¯s mana brings it closer to sun-fire. In addition, the Bright Lady allows me to borrow her mana and her abilities.¡±

    ¡°Abilities?¡± Terry pondered the possible meanings. ¡°So, no normal spellwork is required?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Cadence beamed at him. ¡°Very useful.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s similar to soul spirits,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°What?¡± The bright smile was washed from Cadence¡¯s face and was replaced by a scandalized expression. ¡°No! That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Sigille snickered in front.

    ¡°The Bright Lady is not some mindless creature and¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s inner Academy student raised his head, and he mumbled: ¡°Can soul spirits only be derived from mindless creatures?¡±

    Pity that Siling isn¡¯t here. Perhaps I can ask Ying later.

    ¡°What are you saying?!¡± Cadence could not possibly look any more indignant. ¡°That¡¯s a horrendous thought!¡±

    Sigille turned around and glanced at Terry. ¡°Not one to be muttered in polite company at least¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry repeated his words in his mind to find what was wrong with them..

    ¡°Is that what they teach in Arcana?!¡± Cadence scowled.

    ¡°No?¡± Terry was taken aback by the strong reaction. ¡°I was just wondering because you used that term and¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to defend yourself, Terry. It¡¯s a valid question.¡± Sigille was facing forward again. ¡°Especially in this context.¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady is not like a soul spirit!¡± insisted Cadence.

    ¡°Are you saying that the channeling anchor does not interact with your soul?¡± retorted Sigille without turning around.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Channeling anchor?¡± Terry pointed at Cadence. ¡°Is that the thing on your lower back? Where all the intense mana flows from?¡±

    This time, both Sigille and Matteo gave a brief glance at Terry before returning their gazes to the road ahead.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± remarked Matteo.

    ¡°Good nephew,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I was wondering where she had it.¡±

    ¡°How can you¡­?¡± Cadence stared at Terry with distraught eyes and mouth agape. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. ¡°Terry, it is rude to point out a worshipper¡¯s mark.¡±

    ¡°Huh? How so?¡± Terry asked innocently.

    Sigille snickered.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Cadence thought about how to best express the issue.

    ¡°Some try to pass as normal mana users,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°Afraid of what others might think of their judgement after having sold out their home realm.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± uttered Cadence.

    ¡°It¡¯s also a weak point that comes with a good lesson.¡± Sigille established eye contact with Terry. ¡°Any power easily given is also easily taken. Exceptions to this principle are few and far between. One more reason why it is much better to develop your own power instead of borrowing the power of another creature. Part of the channeler¡¯s curse is to get a distorted sense of self.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry was lost in thought for some time. ¡°I guess soul spirits train your own soul, so they are part of your own power in a way.¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady is not like a soul spirit.¡± Cadence insisted in a disgruntled tone. ¡°She is not some dead creature whose¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± exclaimed Terry in contemplation. He had been searching through his memory for other statements that would be relevant. He remembered something Siling had said. ¡°There are limits to which souls you can collect and strengthen. If your own soul isn¡¯t strong enough, then¡­¡±

    Terry stopped himself when noticing the increasingly sullen expression on Cadence¡¯s face.

    Matteo and Sigille led the way into the settlement.

    ¡°Uhm, sorry?¡± Terry was not sure what exactly had caused Cadence to look like that.

    Sigille¡¯s eyes twitched a bit when she heard Terry¡¯s apology.

    Cadence sighed. ¡°Not your fault, I guess. Arcana isn¡¯t known for teaching consideration towards the faithful.¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°Yeah, they have the bad habit of taking lessons from history.¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have any incentive to intentionally induce amnesia either.¡± Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°Lucky them.¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is the place.¡± Matteo pointed towards a large inn. ¡°There were only a few identifiable connections between the victims. All four were women. All manaless. Two were locals. Two were passing through. All of them had frequented the bar on the ground floor of this inn.¡±

    Cadence swallowed her retorts and decided to focus on the mission. ¡°Not really the time for bar visits yet.¡±

    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t know many wasters,¡± said Sigille flatly. ¡°There is always a reason to drink in the Wasted Zone.¡±

    ¡°Going by the estimated time of death and the witness reports regarding the habits of the victims, the time does not appear to represent a connection,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Should we book rooms in the inn first?¡± suggested Cadence. ¡°Surveillance may take a while, right?¡±

    Sigille shot Cadence an appraising look. ¡°Done missions like this before?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Cadence had to suppress the thought that this was the first non-provocative question she had been asked by Sigille. ¡°One time, we had to stay in the area for more than a month before the culprit appeared again.¡±

    But¡­

    Terry bit his lip.

    ¡°I would prefer to wrap this up more quickly,¡± said Matteo.

    Terry nodded slightly to himself.

    ¡°How?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°This mission hasn¡¯t been up for long,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Time since the first incident is not that long either. One of the traveling victims was related to a wealthy family. That¡¯s how it ended up with the Guild.¡±

    ¡°This sounds different from the missions that Bright Willow had described as your usual picks,¡± remarked Cadence. She mumbled to herself: ¡°Then again, you seem different as well.¡±

    Cadence shook her head. ¡°Anyway, how does that help us wrap this up quickly?¡±

    ¡°Time between incidents?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°Decreasing,¡± replied Matteo.

    Sigille nodded with a stern expression. ¡°Okay, then we have a good chance.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t follow,¡± interjected Terry.

    Cadence contemplated the exchange. ¡°You suspect the culprit has become addicted to the rush?¡±

    ¡°Or less hesitant to follow their urges,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°In any case, the perpetrator is likely to still be in the reckless phase without having calmed down enough to grow cautious.¡±

    ¡°They probably don¡¯t expect Guild interference either,¡± added Matteo. ¡°My hope is that they are out to hunt, to search for prey, or to case the joint.¡±

    Matteo opened the door to the bar. The others followed.

    ¡°Should we get a table?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°Better to block the exit for now,¡± said Sigille while scanning the interior.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this draw attention to us?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Cousin Terry, don¡¯t you think our group would draw attention no matter where we stand or sit?¡± Matteo¡¯s purple eyes looked into Terry¡¯s.

    Terry felt the urge to slap his own forehead when he remembered the appearances and mana signatures among the group.

    ¡°My hunch is that there is not much planning involved,¡± said Matteo. ¡°They won¡¯t care about us until¡­¡± Matteo¡¯s voice trailed off.

    Matteo and Sigille let their eyes wander over the patrons in the bar. Afterwards, they shared a glance.

    Matteo was about to speak when Sigille stopped him.

    ¡°Okay, the two newbies, what do you think?¡± prompted Sigille. ¡°Any guesses?¡±

    Pardon?

    Terry¡¯s mind ground to a halt.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I think that includes you, yes.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really a mind mage¡­¡± Cadence was quicker to regain her wits and to rise to the challenge. ¡°Three mana signatures stand significantly above the rest. The man talking to the woman at the bar on the left. The couple at the second table from the right¡­¡±

    Cadence continued scanning the area. ¡°Mind influence could also be done with other things than spellwork¡­ There is a vampire sitting in the dark corner in the back¡­¡±

    Sigille observed Cadence closely.

    ¡°However, the vampire does not seem to be at the level where they could create thralls¡­¡±

    Sigille¡¯s gaze softened somewhat.

    ¡°Nothing conclusive. Given that the victims were all women, I would go with one of the mana users interacting with any of the women.¡±

    Cadence turned to Matteo. ¡°You said that none of the victims were mana users?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± replied Matteo.

    ¡°Hm¡­ Then I would guess the man at the bar, but there is really not much to go on.¡±

    Terry watched the person that Cadence had pointed out.

    A well-dressed and well-groomed man was in a cheerful conversation with a beautiful woman at the bar. A cat was rubbing against the exposed calf of the woman and purred. The woman giggled and touched the man¡¯s arm while playing with her hair on a finger.

    ¡°Terry? What about your guess?¡± prompted Sigille.

    Terry took a deep breath. Then, he added to what had already been said by Cadence.

    ¡°Seems to be gifted in the shadow aspect. The woman in the back seems to have some kind of magic item in her handbag. It¡¯s cloaked but not perfectly, and the distortion is noticeable¡­¡±

    Three pairs of eyes opened wide at once. While they all remained silent, Sigille¡¯s lips curved into a praising smile.

    ¡°There also seem to be some mana signatures behind the barkeeper¡¯s counter. The shape matches that of bottles¡­¡±

    Sigille, Matteo, and Cadence all examined the barkeeper more closely.

    Terry tilted his head. ¡°It also seems as if the cat is emitting some mana, but the mana traces are weird. They are weak and don¡¯t match the cat¡¯s shape at all. Can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s really from the cat or from the collar or from something else¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Why would anyone just go kill someone else...?¡± He looked at Matteo. ¡°Were they robbed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but some victims barely had anything on them to begin with,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°Not the usual targets for robberies.¡±

    ¡°Poisons?¡±

    ¡°Tested for non-magic poisons and the tests came back negative.¡±

    Terry felt uncomfortable picking any particular person. ¡°Then my guess is one of the bottles. It could have been an accident if a magic substance has become spoiled or not been prepared correctly. Perhaps the victims collapsed out in the street and were already dead when their possessions were taken from them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you both,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°And?¡± asked Cadence. ¡°What about your own opinion? What is your guess for the culprit?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°None.¡±¡±¡± Sigille and Matteo replied in unison.

    ¡°The next victim, however¡­¡± Sigille spoke and shared another glance with Matteo.

    ¡°¡°¡°That one.¡±¡±¡± They both raised their chins at the woman that was conversing with the man that had been Cadence¡¯s suspect.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit thin, though,¡± complained Sigille. ¡°Pinning down the influence properly with an interview might take some time. Maybe we should inform the guards for now and come back later.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I figure the mind influence is still active.¡± He retrieved a locket from his storage item.

    Sigille¡¯s eyes flashed with recognition at the familiar item. ¡°Ah, I guess there was more than one reason to pick the mind mage mission. It¡¯s been a while since you had to wear it. I almost forgot you had it.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°Hey, miss!¡± shouted Matteo. ¡°Is this yours?¡± He threw the locket towards the woman.

    The woman reflexively reached out to catch the item thrown at her.

    *Bam!* ¡°Meeooowww!¡± *Krcch*

    As soon as the woman had caught the locket, the cat was repelled, hurled across several tables and against the wall.

    ¡°Huh,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s a new one. Not quite what I expected. Kitty is an unusual suspect. We definitely need to bag the bad kitty.¡±

    Matteo walked to the bar.

    Sigille whispered to Terry. ¡°Be ready to use your glove. Just in case.¡±

    Afterwards, Sigille spoke in a much louder voice to Matteo: ¡°Now that we have the pet, it should not be hard to locate the owner.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone watch the exit?¡± whispered Cadence to Sigille.

    ¡°Not anymore, no,¡± whispered Sigille. ¡°That would be counterproductive. Also, try to look as sluggish as possible. We want panic to inspire boldness.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± The woman with the locket in her hand seemed as if she had woken up from a nap and looked around in slight disorientation.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked the man next to her with concerned eyes. ¡°What happened¡ª?¡± The man helped the woman steady herself and looked at Matteo. ¡°What have you done to her?!¡±

    Matteo approached calmly.

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± The man became anxious when noticing Matteo¡¯s appearance and mana signature. ¡°P-please d-don¡¯t h-harm¡­¡±

    The man gulped and seemed torn if he should move to shield the woman or not. In the end, he did not.

    ¡°Relax.¡± Matteo collected the locket.

    Then, Matteo let his eyes wander over the patrons again. Sigille had already given the cue for the perpetrator. He wanted to observe the reactions.

    Matteo murmured to himself: ¡°Reckless carelessness meets unexpected disaster, confident opponents, not experienced enough to judge the abilities of others¡­¡±

    Matteo¡¯s eyes narrowed at the reaction of the woman with the cloaked item in her handbag.

    A second later, the woman made a run for the exit.

    Unfortunately for her, she was pulled back into the bar, and then grabbed by two dwarven hands.

    ¡°How nice of you to hand yourself in,¡± said Sigille. She had already extracted the handbag from the woman¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Y-you?¡± The man at the bar exclaimed in astonishment.

    ¡°Oh, now you are noticing me?!¡± spat the apprehended woman with resentful eyes. ¡°I was starting to believe I was invisible with all these floozies around.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Sigille and pushed the woman out of the bar.

    Two settlement guards were approaching them. The ruckus in the bar had attracted their attention.

    ¡°Here, we caught you a prime suspect for murder.¡± Sigille forced the woman to the ground and then restrained the woman¡¯s hands and feet.

    One of the intimidated settlement guards found his voice. ¡°Uhm¡­ We will need some more¡ª¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Matteo handed over some documents and the sack into which they had stuffed the cat.

    Next, Matteo retrieved some kind of sheet that lit up in Terry¡¯s mana sight. Matteo started channeling mana into the sheet, and Terry could recognize runes similar to the finger runes used by Dargones.

    Mana contract sheet. Clear communication. Signed with your own mana signature.

    Terry was curious. He would have liked to try it out once, but he did not understand the runes yet. Also, the sheets were expensive.

    ¡°Wh-what is going on?¡± The pair from the bar walked outside.

    ¡°Let me help,¡± said Cadence and used an ability to clear the victim¡¯s mind and help her recover her strength.

    ¡°ALL YOUR FAULT!¡± screeched the suspect on the ground. She was glaring at the man from the bar.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡± Sigille retrieved a card-shaped item. She channeled mana into it until the apprehended suspect was isolated by a soundproof barrier.

    ¡°Sh-she¡¯s a regular at the inn,¡± said the man with disbelieving eyes. ¡°Just like me. Every Rising Moon.¡±

    ¡°This woman was under mind influence,¡± said Matteo and pointed at the victim. ¡°We¡¯ve used an artifact to identify the source, and it turns out to have been the cat you can find in the sack.¡±

    ¡°A cat?¡± A guard blurted out.

    ¡°More or less,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Something in the cat.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The guard scrunched up his face.

    ¡°Going by the mana signature description of our best mana sensor¡­¡± Matteo glanced at Terry. ¡°Likely the ability of a mana-corrupted cat-borne parasite.¡±

    ¡°With felines, my bet is on corrupted toxoplasma,¡± added Sigille. ¡°Even the non-magic variants can affect and modulate the behavior of mammal hosts after infection. I¡¯ve read that it makes the infected host more attracted to cats.¡±

    ¡°That would be one way to lure a victim into a trap.¡± Sigille glanced at the sack with a creeped out expression. ¡°After learning about toxoplasmosis, I could never look at kitties the same way again. Creepy little fur-balls.¡±

    ¡°It is not clear how she made use of it,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The collar on the cat and the magic item from her handbag ought to be examined more closely.¡±

    Matteo handed over the collar while Sigille handed over the handbag.

    ¡°Selection of manaless might have been unintentional,¡± said Sigille. ¡°A larger mana pool would increase magic resistance and make one less susceptible to mind influence.¡±

    Sigille leaned closer to the guard. ¡°It would make a womanizing mage seem less impressive, too.¡± She pointed with her eyes at the man. ¡°Lower likelihood to take part in a scene that inspires jealousy.¡±

    ¡°I would advise that you also take the statements of these two.¡± Matteo pointed at the man and the victim. ¡°The motive still needs to be investigated further.¡±

    The man started to speak. ¡°I b-believe I can¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good, but not to me,¡± said Matteo. ¡°You can include that in your statement to the guards.¡±

    ¡°Typical Guildhead,¡± grumbled one guard.

    ¡°I¡¯m pressed for time,¡± said Matteo unapologetically. ¡°I trust you are more than capable of handling the rest.¡±

    Cadence creased her eyebrows.

    ¡°More appreciative than the usual Guildheads, at least.¡± The guard sounded surprised. ¡°Yeah, we are. We can handle it.¡±

    ¡°The suspect has pretty much incriminated herself,¡± said Matteo. ¡°However, since mind magic was involved, the suspect herself ought to be examined too. That applies even if she confesses to everything. I will check all statements and examination reports later. Be so kind as to forward them to the Guild.¡±

    ¡°Consider it done.¡±

    Matteo nodded at the sight of more guards arriving. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take our leave for now.¡±

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Sigille turned to Matteo while they were walking out of the settlement again. ¡°I am not sure if Lady Eleanor would react kindly to you hurling her priceless gift at random women.¡±

    Matteo rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I am serious. The young lady aside, if the old caretaker finds out about you treating a precious artifact like this, his blood pressure would certainly rise. If he tries to beat you up and then dislocates a hip, can you live with that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll have to get over it.¡±

    ¡°Why the hurry?¡± interjected Cadence. ¡°Is there something I should know about?¡±

    Matteo and Sigille shared a glance.

    ¡°No, but if you want to work with us, then it¡¯s a chance to prove yourself,¡± said Sigille.

    Sigille stared deeply into Cadence¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think I¡¯ve made my position on cultists or channelers or worshippers or whatever clear. All that being said, I am always inclined to judge people by their actions.¡±

    Cadence held Sigille¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°So far, you seem alright,¡± said Sigille. ¡°However, if you ever cross the line, then I won¡¯t care if it¡¯s because of your own will or because of your past willingness to open your mind to another creature. You should keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± Matteo explained the situation while they left the settlement.

    ***

    ¡°I am still not sure how to feel about this,¡± grumbled Cadence.

    The group had used the travel scrolls with Syn as the target. They were now walking the remaining distance through the Wastes.

    ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t care much about your feelings,¡± said Sigille. ¡°It¡¯s your actions that count. If you don¡¯t want to help, that¡¯s fine. However, if you lay so much as a finger on the innocent¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t know who you take me for, but if the citizens have really chosen to be there, then¡­¡± Cadence seemed to struggle with herself. ¡°You said there were children in that place?¡±

    ¡°Yes, happily united with their families.¡±

    ¡°Did they really send the likes of Vicious?¡± Cadence asked Matteo.

    ¡°Among others, yes.¡± Matteo moved his gaze over the horizon. ¡°Definite preference for those that would not hesitate to go all out.¡±

    ¡°Not a fan of the oily slimeball, are you?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°Questioning his choice in cults?¡±

    Cadence scowled. ¡°Not all beings are worthy of worship.¡±

    ¡°Personally, I would go further and say none are,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I am more concerned about the creeper cultist that is ranked first. I can handle the slimeball if it comes down to it.¡±

    ¡°You? But that would be Guardian-interference with a Guild-mission.¡± Cadence spoke with worry.

    ¡°Meh. If they¡¯re going to kick up a fuss, then so be it.¡± Sigille spoke unconcernedly.

    ¡°But if you kill a Guild-member by accident, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°If I kill one, then it won¡¯t be an accident,¡± interrupted Sigille sternly.

    Sigille sighed deeply and then shrugged. ¡°My ma used to say a dwarf has two duties in life. First, find something worth living for. Second, find something worth dying for.¡±

    Sigille shortly glanced at Matteo and then smiled to herself. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a good life. Protecting some innocent kids sounds worthy to me. I have no need to fear Guild retaliation.¡±

    Matteo lowered his gaze while walking.

    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s smile turned into a smirk. ¡°Most of the Guildheads that remain in Tiv are spineless slugs, anyway. I tend to get along with the exceptions.¡±

    Cadence became pensive.

    ¡°I hope Syn has something to prevent an ambush by the creeper though.¡± Sigille spoke worriedly. ¡°As long as the rules permit it, that person has no line he won¡¯t cross. I hope Amelia gets the mission pulled quickly.¡±

    ¡°I never would have thought that a cultist assassin and personality-lacking stickler for rules would someday rank first on the rookie list.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°That is not a fitting face for the Guild I remember at all.¡±

    Sigille moved her eyes to Matteo. ¡°I¡¯m still rooting for you or Amelia to change that unfortunate circumstance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass the message to Amelia,¡± retorted Matteo drily. ¡°She works well under pressure.¡±

    ¡°How come you immediately abdicate all your own responsibilities in this?¡± Sigille narrowed her eyes at Matteo. ¡°I don¡¯t remember raising you like that.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°The ranking depends on the accepted missions, battle results, and the degree of external support received. That means at least two demerits.¡±

    ¡°The Captain,¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°And Ying.¡±

    Ying and Megumi approached them.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± Megumi searched the faces of the others. ¡°You¡¯re not here to extend your vacation, are you?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± asked Ying. He nervously noted the composition of Cadence¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°Megumi, I take it that your group has not left Syn since our departure?¡± asked Sigille.

    Megumi¡¯s expression darkened with a bad premonition before she shook her head.

    ¡°We should move inside the cloaking first,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Explanations may take time and it would be better to not leave more traces to locate Syn.¡±

    Ying closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Very well. Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Is there a short version?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Someone has issued a nominated mission at the Guild,¡± said Matteo. ¡°We suspect it is to go against Syn.¡±

    Flashes of cold fury moved through Megumi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It gets worse¡­¡±

    ***

 055 Clashing Guildheads

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 79 ¨C

    ¡°I knew it,¡± growled Yancey.

    ¡°We¡¯ll warn the others,¡± said Logan. He and Romana left the group.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ready the magic defenses,¡± said Saul. ¡°If they¡¯ll bare their fangs at Syn, we¡¯ll pull them one by one until they regret it.¡±

    Yancey subconsciously channeled mana into his clenched, skeletal fist. Afterwards, he followed Saul.

    ¡°We should get everyone that¡¯s currently out to return immediately,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± said Olivienne.

    ¡°Thanks for the early warning,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°You should thank Amelia,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Her space magic and scroll crafting made it possible. And if anyone can get the mission canceled at this point, then Amelia.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Ying furrowed his brow. ¡°The likes of Vicious¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°But what really troubles me is Silver-Eyes.¡±

    ¡°Even Jee would require coordinates, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°I did not include any in the report.¡±

    ¡°That may be what the other Guildheads are for,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Jee, then he would teleport in a pattern to do binary searches,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He once told me that he finds that annoying, so I doubt they can pay him enough.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°Anyway, all the rankers have their own ways. It may take a while, but if they keep at it, they will find this place. Then they¡¯ll have the coordinates.¡±

    ¡°How long do you think we have?¡± asked Ying.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Depends a bit on where everyone was when the mission was issued.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the creeper was far away on another mission,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Yes, he would be the first to find this place.¡±

    ¡°With ¡®the creeper¡¯ you mean Sudden Death? Carlos?¡± interjected Cadence. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a pure channeler? I¡¯ve never heard that the worshippers of Pax gain scouting abilities.¡±

    Sigille snorted.

    ¡°He has opened his mind further than anyone else I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± said Matteo. ¡°His channeled abilities are not the problem but the whispers he is receiving through his channeling.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, the otherrealm creature they call Pax already has an understanding of this realm.¡± Sigille scowled.

    ¡°Anyway, not everyone would drop what they¡¯re doing immediately. Sudden Death would never interrupt an ongoing mission unless ordered to do so by the Guild. Others move when they feel like it. If we take skills and motivation into account, then my guess is that the first to find this place will be some of the death hunters.¡±

    Matteo smacked his lips. ¡°Not much longer than it takes to travel directly by air. There are quite a few vampires among the death hunters.¡±

    ¡°The sort that did not choose to become vampires?¡± Ying sighed.

    ¡°The two strongest among the vampires would be Elenec, who was turned against her will when she was a teenager, and Vell, whose daughter was attacked and turned when she was still a toddler. Vell chose to become a vampire himself so that his daughter would not have to go through it alone.¡±

    ¡°That with Vell only happened a few years ago, didn¡¯t it?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°Last I interacted with him, he was still¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Luckily, the two are sensible,¡± said Matteo. ¡°If it¡¯s those two, I think we can talk them down. Unfortunately, that won¡¯t work with everyone. Once the likes of Apex arrive, battle becomes inevitable.¡±

    ¡°That mad lass,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    Ying held his head in both his hands and inhaled deeply. ¡°Alright, I would be grateful if you could write down some information about whom or what we need to be prepared for. Abilities and the like. We have some idea about the rankers, but I¡¯m sure you can supplement that intel.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Will do.¡±¡±¡± Matteo, Sigille, and Megumi all responded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join the defense preparation.¡± Ying stood up when he remembered something. ¡°Ah right, Terry?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°When you left last time, you seem to have dropped a throwing needle. We put it in the room assigned to Devon and you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Terry. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°It was strange though.¡± Ying looked at Terry in puzzlement. ¡°None of us could place the needle into a storage item.¡±

    Sigille raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Once the trouble has been dealt with, I would be curious to understand why.¡±

    That makes two of us.

    Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    ¡°Normally, something like this only happens with active and incompatible spellwork or with fiendish items.¡±

    ¡°I had aspected it with oscillating mana,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°I thought that did not show any success?¡± interjected Megumi.

    ¡°It was the first time that the mana became self-sufficient,¡± said Terry. ¡°Only reached that point shortly before we left.¡±

    ¡°Strange, but I have to take my leave for now,¡± said Ying and went on his way.

    ***

    Terry wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked over the sparring area.

    It had been a few days since they had arrived back in Syn. So far, there had been no signs from the Tiv Guild, but everyone was on edge, nonetheless.

    Terry had initially planned for some experiments with his aspected needle. However, he did not have the mental calmness for theory work, nor did he want to bother Ying at the moment.

    So instead, Terry spent most of his time exercising to take his mind off the situation.

    The aspected needle was left alone on Terry¡¯s sheath belt.

    At least you haven¡¯t lost it again.

    Terry concentrated on his mana sense. He had become accustomed to the cloaking interference during his previous visits and he could sense the signatures from all the mana users in Tiv.

    Megumi was the person with the deepest military experiences and she assisted Logan and the others in readying the defenses. For some reason, Ethel¡¯s signature was sticking close to Megumi again.

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    Ethel had changed since the first time he had met her. Saul had prepared the inscription base metal from the dungeon constructs and he had crafted a black skeletal body for the death specter.

    Ethel could freely possess and move the body. There were even some inscriptions for her to wield mana equipment. Her appearance was not the only thing that had changed. Apparently, Ethel had gotten interested in the Captain and at times, she followed her around like a puppy. A mouthy puppy that always felt wronged and tended to pick fights with everyone else.

    Sigille was walking through the streets and did her own checks for possible vulnerabilities.

    Ying was still wandering around near the Heart ¨C together with Saul. The talk of Silver-Eyes Jee¡¯s involvement had terrified Ying. Matteo had voiced his opinion that Jee would not take an active part, but Ying did not want to rely on this, and defenses were practically meaningless in front of a dimensional mage. No one in Syn could match Silver-Eyes Jee in that aspect.

    Matteo had shared all his knowledge on the nominated Guild-members with Syn. Afterwards, he sat silently and focused on the links in his signaling cube. He had registered links with some of the unranked Guild-members whom he knew from his death hunts.

    Lizzy, Cadence, and Devon were near the shelters for the non-combatants in Syn. Cadence had been silent since their arrival in Syn. Devon, on the other hand, was as lively as ever, and his presence did a lot to distract the children.

    Lizzy was keeping an eye over both Devon and Cadence. No one really knew Cadence, which meant that they did not really trust her. Watching Devon was one part because it was Devon, and another part because now would be the worst time to experience dungeon fairy shenanigans.

    Terry smiled when he noticed an approaching signature.

    ¡°Terry, dear, you should take a rest and eat something,¡± said Gretchen. Her soft elderly voice stood in stark contrast to her intimidating appearance.

    Gretchen and Wilhelm both had evolved to the third rank. Apparently, the knight-class death aura creatures evolved quicker than the mage or specter classes. In exchange, they had fewer ranks available and, after a certain point, they could only grow stronger by training their abilities.

    Wilhelm had evolved into a death reaver. In contrast to a normal death knight, a reaver could absorb more mana and life energy with every hit that connected with the enemy. The color of his mana equipment had changed from blue to a dark red.

    Gretchen, on the other hand, had evolved into a death executioner and was wearing black mana equipment.

    ¡°Take a cookie.¡± Gretchen offered a plate to Terry. ¡°I haven¡¯t poisoned them yet. I think. Imagine me winking.¡± She chortled at her own joke.

    An executioner specialized in inflicting poison and other maledictions with every hit.

    Terry smiled and took a cookie. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Terry¡¯s expression changed again when he sensed that Matteo was moving.

    ***

    Three people were gazing at the sky: Matteo, Devon, and Terry. The others were observing the expressions of the three.

    The rest of Syn¡¯s greeting committee included everyone from Sigille¡¯s group, Megumi¡¯s group, as well as Ying and Logan.

    Further behind them, Gretchen, Wilhelm, Ethel, and others were watching from within Syn¡¯s boundaries.

    ¡°As expected,¡± muttered Matteo. Megumi and Sigille relaxed somewhat.

    Two silhouettes dropped from the sky. A woman dressed completely in black with a rapier at her waist and a one-handed crossbow to match. A man that was wearing dark goggles and whose body seemed to be completely wrapped in bandages.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I hate to tell you that you have picked a bad mission.¡±

    ¡°What the¡­¡± The woman looked around.

    ¡°What is going on, Matteo?¡± asked the man. ¡°Wait, Captain?¡±

    ¡°Vell?¡± Megumi examined the bandaged man.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be good,¡± interjected the woman. ¡°Matteo, care to fill us in?¡±

    ¡°Like I said before, Elenec. The nominated mission is bad. I was not able to get a hold of you before. I have refused the preliminary oath, which is why I don¡¯t know what they told you exactly, but I doubt they told you that the Tiv citizens voluntarily emigrated to a new city and that they are living together with the deathfolk.¡±

    ¡°They chose to form a city with undead?¡± asked Vell with audible skepticism.

    ¡°Deathfolk,¡± stressed Ying.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Mind influence?¡± questioned Elenec.

    ¡°No. Ma and I did the checks,¡± said Matteo. ¡°So did the Captain¡¯s group. You can do so yourselves, but I doubt things will stay quiet around here. You will need to make a decision quickly.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Elenec held a hand to her forehead. ¡°If you all say it¡¯s clear, then¡­ Wasted demon shit. We already saw Apex on our way here.¡±

    Matteo frowned.

    ¡°Damn it. We verified the whispers on the street, but the mission sounded urgent and we¡­¡± Rage washed over Elenec¡¯s face. ¡°Whose arse do I have to kick for this?¡±

    ¡°Our guess is the Preacher,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Unfortunately, that arse hangs a bit too high for a kicking.¡±

    Elenec¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Minister Kipkoi is one of the few Tiv politicians that considers deathfolk on equal standing. Kicking him would make the situation¡ª Argh! Why would he mess around here? Why did we get tangled up in this? I should have¡ª¡±

    ¡°You would have needed access to the Captain¡¯s report for Guardian management to suspect the mission,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I was personally involved. Otherwise, I might have accepted the mission myself.¡±

    ¡°Is the sunlight causing you problems?¡± Megumi asked Vell with concern in her eyes. ¡°I would have thought your mana pool protects you from that.¡±

    Vell shrugged. ¡°Kind of embarrassing, really. My little girl is already able to walk in the sun while I still blister at the slightest ray of sunlight.¡±

    ¡°Nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± said Ying. ¡°The later the turning, the worse the effect of sunlight becomes. We have sun-shields in Syn if you want one.¡±

    Vell had his goggles turned to Ying in silence.

    ¡°Ying is something like the mayor of Syn City,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Do you intend to go against the others?¡± asked Elenec. ¡°Some may be reasonable. Some may back off when faced with your lineup. However¡­¡±

    ¡°Some others are batshit bonkers?¡± suggested Sigille. ¡°We have considered where this would lead, yes.¡±

    Elenec seemed to struggle with herself. Vell, too, was quiet and lowered his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I understand the penalties and I am aware of your situations. It would already help if you don¡¯t follow through with the mission.¡±

    ¡°No favor there,¡± exclaimed Elenec. She looked from Matteo, to Sigille, and eventually to Megumi. ¡°I¡¯m not batshit bonkers yet.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Amelia is trying to get the mission canceled,¡± said Matteo.

    Elenec nodded. ¡°We can at least intercept some of the death hunters before they get drawn into the fight.¡±

    ¡°Do¡­¡± Vell spoke up, but paused again while looking at Ying and Megumi. ¡°What about the children in Syn? How do¡­¡±

    ¡°There are some vampire children, too.¡± Megumi understood his thoughts. ¡°The children grow up together. No differences between lifefolk and deathfolk. They play with each other without stigma.¡±

    Vell lowered his head slightly and took a deep breath.

    ¡°What about the feeding urge?¡± asked Elenec.

    ¡°We have a way to suppress it continuously and non-invasively until the individual has grown enough to control it,¡± said Ying.

    Elenec narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Long story,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Involves rituals and voluntary life siphoning.¡±

    Elenec and Vell shared a glance.

    ¡°If things turn ugly and you need support, send us a signal,¡± said Vell to Matteo. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on it.¡±

    Vell looked at Ying. ¡°I would like to visit this Syn City at some point.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ying wholeheartedly.

    ¡°Is it okay to talk out here?¡± asked Terry. He recalled Matteo¡¯s initial concerns about making it easier to trace Syn¡¯s location.

    Elenec snorted and smiled wryly. ¡°At this point, it won¡¯t make much of a difference. Vell and I could find this place through smell. Some will go by the traces of cloaking. Going by some whispers, others have apparently acquired some copies of Guardian signals.¡±

    ¡°We did not know which signals they were talking about, but I guess we can tell now.¡± Vell looked over at Megumi¡¯s group.

    Megumi¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Bets on the link with management,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The frontline coordinators would not pull crap like this.¡±

    ¡°They will find their way here,¡± said Elenec. ¡°No matter if you stay inside or outside the cloaking. As mentioned, Apex was already sprinting in this direction. Everyone else could simply follow her coattails. Her movement isn¡¯t exactly subtle.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the heads-up,¡± said Matteo.

    Elenec and Vell then soared into the air and distanced themselves from Syn.

    ¡°Seems like Apex will be the first headache,¡± said Sigille. She glanced at Matteo. ¡°The lass will probably try to pull your pigtails again.¡±

    Matteo¡¯s facial expression made it clear that he did not look forward to it. ¡°Stupid Guild ranking.¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± said Sigille. ¡°She seemed already interested in your pigtails when you were still below her in the ranking.¡±

    ¡°Apex is a battle junkie,¡± grumbled Matteo. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t on that stupid ranking, she never would have investigated my combat power. She¡¯ll pull anyone¡¯s pigtails as long as they have a pulse or a mana system that substitutes for it.¡±

    ¡°Dunno. She never wants to spar with me.¡±

    ¡°She never wants to ¡®spar¡¯ with anyone. She always wants to fight for real, and while Apex is a battle junkie, she is not delusional. She is looking for whetstones to sharpen herself. A real fight with you¡­¡± Matteo contemplated the idea. ¡°Maybe you can scare her off.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sigille gasped in fake shock. ¡°But that would be Guardian-interference with a Guild-mission! I can¡¯t do that just for the sake of your pigtails.¡±

    Sigille snickered and grinned. ¡°Seriously, though. You need to learn to handle these types. Most I can do is give some verbal support for my own amusement.¡±

    Matteo grumbled silent complaints.

    ***

    I can see what they meant with the movement not being subtle¡­

    Terry stared at the red dust cloud on the horizon. Someone was kicking up a disturbance in the Red Sand desert that was very hard to miss.

    ¡°Pay attention to their fight, Terry,¡± said Sigille from next to Terry. ¡°That¡¯s something you are unlikely to see in Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Do they have to fight?¡± asked Terry.

    Terry somewhat understood that there were serious consequences with outsiders interfering in Guild business and that this was why Matteo had to be the first line of defense in this encounter.

    However, Terry had trouble coming to terms with the notion that Guild-members would aim to crush Syn City even when everyone present could testify that the mission was bad. That would never fly in Arcana according to what Samuel had told him.

    In Arcana¡¯s Guild, people would risk their membership if they were that negligent in information gathering. They would be personally liable for all resulting consequences.

    Just like you had to be cautious of rookie traps, you also had to be wary of malicious missions. Someone might put up an assassination mission for a target for whom there was no official death warrant. If a Guildhead failed to confirm the warrant, then they would be liable for murder.

    ¡°Haaaahh¡­¡± Matteo sighed deeply.

    ¡°We are outside Tiv¡¯s border. Isn¡¯t this like starting a war?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this overstep the bounds of the Guild?¡±

    ¡°Nice sentiment, but somewhat off,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The Guildheads are different from soldiers, yes. However, that just means that they need to be willing to face the consequences. The specific consequences very much depend on the specific situation. If the interests of the local parties in power are aligned with the mission, then there may not even be any consequences worth mentioning.¡±

    ¡°Haaahhh¡­¡± Sigille sighed this time. ¡°You also said it yourself. We are outside Tiv¡¯s border. The Tiv Guild won¡¯t punish its most valuable members for something like this unless they are forced to. And remember that we are suspecting an imperial minister of being the client. One of the most influential members of the Assembly, in fact. Still young too.¡±

    Sigille glared into the distance. ¡°It used to be that the interests of most Guildheads stood in opposition to acting as mere footsoldiers. Not so much anymore perhaps.¡±

    Matteo walked forward.

    A moment later, a silhouette jumped towards him and threw a punch.

    Matteo tapped his foot on the ground, and a rock wall rose to block the punch. It was pulverized in an instant.

    Matteo moved his feet over the ground and it became covered with a sheet of slippery ice. He took a deep breath and then exhaled a powerful blast of wind to repel the opponent.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± A woman slid back over the ice and smirked. She was wearing simple black combat robes and wore her hair in a tight ponytail. ¡°Will you stand against me?¡±

    ¡°Haaaahhhh¡­¡± Matteo narrowed his eyes tiredly. ¡°This mission is bad, Apex. Amelia is already working to get it cancelled.¡±

    ¡°Who gives a shit? I take that as a yes.¡± Apex smirked. ¡°Finally, you can¡¯t run or hide.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Matteo groaned in annoyance.

    ¡°Appy, lass, I don¡¯t think he ever ran from you,¡± interjected Sigille.

    ¡°It¡¯s Apex, you old hag!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously expect everyone to call you that,¡± teased Sigille. ¡°You¡¯re not even the first in the ranking.¡±

    Matteo shot his accepted mother a reproachful glance because this statement was essentially oil to the fire.

    ¡°I will be,¡± growled Apex.

    ¡°I can consider your name when you beat me in a spar,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Screw spars,¡± jeered Apex. ¡°They mean jack shit.¡±

    ¡°Why hide your real name? Is it embarrassing?¡± teased Sigille. ¡°Should I guess? Mildred? Buttercup? Brutus?¡±

    ¡°OY! SHUT UP, YOU OLD HAG!¡± Apex¡¯s face had already turned a crimson shade.

    ¡°Or what?¡± taunted Sigille. ¡°Appy is going to get maddy? Awww.¡±

    Now, even Ying was sending reproachful glances towards Sigille. He was not looking forward to Appy going ¡®maddy¡¯ in Syn.

    ¡°Sooner or later you will need to grow up, lass.¡± Sigille¡¯s tone of voice became stern. ¡°Or you¡¯ll get yourself killed.¡±

    ¡°Screw off.¡±

    ¡°Make me.¡±

    Apex¡¯s face was closing in on purple. After clenching her teeth, she spoke again. ¡°So now that Matteo can¡¯t run or hide, you are going to shield your little baby?¡±

    Sigille tilted her head and looked at Apex as if she was a tap-dancing terror grizzly. ¡°Matteo is standing right there. Not his fault that you prefer spending your time bickering with me instead of having a proper battle.¡±

    Matteo groaned loudly.

    Sigille¡¯s words were apparently more than Apex could take. She blew a fuse and charged at Matteo.

    ¡°Pay attention,¡± said Sigille to Terry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m seeing,¡± mumbled Terry.

    The mana signature in Apex looked different from what Terry was familiar with. It did not seem abnormal in essence, like Devon¡¯s or Matteo¡¯s. It was more abnormal in form and structure.

    Like the mana cores in the dungeon beings? No, it seems more fluid and there are multiple centers...

    The image of a red and yellow flood dragon appeared behind Apex when she threw her next punch. A weird fire surrounded by yellow lightning attacked Matteo. In the next second, Apex shifted her feet and suddenly vanished.

    ¡°Thunderfire,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Among the most attack-oriented specialties of the mana martialists.¡±

    Of the what?

    Matteo soared into the air while being surrounded by raging winds that were lifting him up. The thunderfire followed him. Matteo clapped his hands and an icy blast field was created with him at the center.

    ¡°No spellwork,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Sigille glanced at Terry and then went back to carefully observing the fight. ¡°There are not many aspect beings in Arcana. Did you learn about demons?¡±

    ¡°Beings possessed by elementals,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°With the elemental in control, yes. The thing that makes demons so dangerous is manifold, but at its core, it¡¯s that they completely integrate the host. That means its intelligence, its memories, its abilities, even some of its vices. An elemental has instinct and mana abilities. An elemental possessing a mana corrupted can additionally use and develop the corrupted¡¯s abilities.¡±

    Matteo raised two fingers of his right hand above his left shoulder and then struck out to the ground below. Blue lightning escaped from his finger-tips and impacted on the earth.

    Apex became visible when she dodged. She stopped her movement technique and spread her arms to the side with fingers outstretched. She curled her fingers and bared her teeth. An image of giant bestial jaws appeared behind her.

    Apex rotated her arms and attacked the earth. Countless thunderfire blasts shot up from below to attack Matteo.

    ¡°A demon with a folk host learns to strategize and to plan long-term to develop its own abilities. With a mage host, a demon can learn proper spellwork and cultivate in addition to developing all of its elemental powers.¡±

    ¡°Then Matteo¡­¡±

    Matteo placed his left palm in front of his chest so that it would point to the sky. He put his right palm on top of his other hand and moved the hand in a circular motion. A fire vortex was created that absorbed the thunderfire.

    ¡°Matteo is in control. He is using the abilities of the elementals,¡± said Sigille. ¡°He was training to become a mage proper before the possession but since then, spellwork had to be given lower priority.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s similar to soul spirits?¡±

    ¡°Similar but very different,¡± replied Sigille with a somber expression.

    ¡°A soul spirit does not develop new abilities,¡± said Ying from the side. ¡°You get what you catch. That¡¯s it. You can raise a soul spirit within its potential, but you can¡¯t train a low rank soul into a high rank one. And while there is the risk of a soul overpowering and damaging your own soul while trying to catch it¡­¡±

    ¡°It does not put up a constant struggle or try to take over control,¡± said Sigille. Then, she muttered to herself: ¡°Matteo has become much better at keeping his calm. Good kid.¡±

    An image of a coiled flood dragon appeared around Apex and she jumped while being surrounded by thunderfire.

    Matteo narrowed his eyes and moved the winds to dodge.

    The fire surrounding Apex changed to form wings as well as claws on her feet.

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Sigille. ¡°The lass has found a way to step forward with her cultivation technique to cover her old weakness. Impressive. Matteo is probably grumbling right now.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Matteo groaned in frustration.

    Apex displayed foot movements similar to her earlier movement technique ¨C only this time, it incorporated her fiery claws and wings.

    Apex vanished and instantly appeared behind Matteo and kicked at him.

    Matteo changed the winds to cushion the impact, but he was still propelled towards the earth.

    ¡°How is she doing that?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°The lass is hiding her history, but it is likely that she¡¯s from one of the martial sects in the Free Factions Union. She is displaying techniques of a mana martialist.¡±

    ¡°Mana martialist?¡±

    ¡°Arcana as a whole is very orthodox in its mana use,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Spellwork, mana cultivation, magic items ¨C those are the broad orthodox paths. There are many others.¡±

    ¡°I thought soul spirits are not part of orthodox spellwork?¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°Are they common in Arcana?¡± interjected Ying.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry scratched his cheek. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Soul spirits are one example of unorthodox mana use,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The categorization is more than just academic. The orthodox paths have in common that they do not create any compatibility issues. You can learn spellwork and mana cultivation at the same time without conflicts. On the contrary, one benefits from the other.¡±

    Apex was pursuing Matteo on the ground. She was at an advantage as long as she kept Matteo out of the air. Matteo had to rely on his elemental abilities because his own body was not fast enough to keep up with her movement and attacks.

    ¡°Unorthodox paths are different. A step on an unorthodox path will block you from following other paths. Every step is one you can¡¯t take back. There are countless mana applications with varying conflicts. Take the lass, for example.¡±

    Matteo summoned a net of lightning, which seemed impossible to evade from Terry¡¯s perspective and yet, somehow, Apex managed to dodge it.

    ¡°Orthodox mana cultivation nourishes your whole body with mana. It is balanced. By contrast, Appy¡¯s martialist cultivation technique focuses on speed and attack. The mana flow in her body has been permanently altered for that purpose to create the martialist structures in her body. That is a step that cannot be taken back without tearing down her whole path and starting from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°What about soul spirits, then?¡±

    ¡°Same story,¡± said Ying. ¡°Soul-channeled spells can have conflicts too. Attempting to use soul purification would be suicide for someone that has developed soul spots.¡±

    ¡°There are many unorthodox paths,¡± continued Sigille. ¡°Mana martialist is a broad categorization term for those that intentionally and permanently alter the balanced flow of mana inside their bodies. They create clusters and structures to guide the mana in a specific manner to power their techniques.¡±

    ¡°What about the weird images?¡± Terry had hesitated asking before, because he was not sure if he had been hallucinating those.

    ¡°A form of resonance with the surrounding mana,¡± explained Sigille. ¡°The lass is on the cusp of a breakthrough, I think. Resonance techniques are like tiny rituals to summon a specter of past magic. Beasts mostly. Sometimes artifacts. The martialist mana structures in her body act as the ritual anchors. The ritual triggers a memory in the realm¡¯s mana, which then plays out as part of the martialist technique.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something like that in Arcana,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°The martial sects are an eccentric bunch,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Are there other mana uses I should know ab¡ª¡±

    ¡°DRAW YOUR DAMN SWORD, YOU BASTARD!¡± Apex screamed at Matteo.

    ¡°Ooohh, Matteo made her mad.¡± Sigille snickered.

    ¡°Why should I?¡± questioned Matteo.

    ¡°YOU!¡± Apex put her hands behind her and then punched out with both arms at the same time. She smashed through Matteo¡¯s ice defenses.

    Matteo exhaled a gust of air to maintain his distance. Apex suddenly appeared behind him and struck out with a knife-hand towards his neck.

    Matteo tapped his foot on the ground and the earth under his feet tilted and then rose, which allowed him to evade the attack.

    Before Matteo got far away, however, Apex formed a fist and a thin line of thunderfire escaped and burned Matteo¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Draw your sword, or I¡¯ll kill you outright!¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t drawn a weapon either,¡± retorted Matteo. ¡°And you treat this as a fight to kill, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Use. Weapons.¡±

    ¡°You can go buy one. I¡¯ll wait.¡± Matteo kept a deadpan expression. ¡°You can take your time. Please.¡±

    ¡°You little shit.¡± Apex charged at him and rained down a barrage of punches and kicks.

    Finally, one of her kicks connected, and Matteo was blown away.

    Apex snarled at Matteo while he was getting back on his feet.

    ¡°Haaahh¡­¡± Matteo frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t use Soul Fury now and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Like hell I do!¡± Apex rushed at Matteo.

    They exchanged blows until Matteo summoned raging winds combined with hail. Apex jumped back but had to shield her eyes to prevent damage.

    Matteo prepared a sheet of ice and then propelled himself with a strong wind from behind. He dashed behind Apex and cut her at her thigh with his heart-seeker dagger.

    Afterwards, Matteo watched her with eyes that were filled with white fog.

    ¡°Finally tired of your misplaced gallantry?¡± Apex displayed a toothy grin. ¡°Draw the sword. Not that shitty thing.¡±

    ¡°Gallantry?¡± Matteo cursed under his breath: ¡°My wasted butt, you¡­¡± He returned the dagger to its sheath and shouted: ¡°What the Wastes is wrong with you?! Not everything revolves around you, you damned mad-woman.¡±

    Matteo was glaring at Apex. ¡°Want me to cut you up? Fine. Stand still for a second and I¡¯ll show you how gallant I really am. But not with Soul Fury. That blade is to kill¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are too weak to kill me!¡±

    ¡°Not the point,¡± retorted Matteo tiredly. ¡°Drawing Soul Fury right now would be akin to me attacking myself. Screw gallantry. This is self-preservation.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Apex scoffed and charged at Matteo.

    ¡°What does he mean?¡± Terry asked Sigille.

    ¡°The sword would destroy the current stale-mate in his mind,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Emotions, remember? Unless he¡¯s overwhelmed with fury or completely determined to kill, the dragon soul might upset the balance. Matteo might kill the lass if he had to, but that is very different from actually feeling the desire to kill her.¡±

    Matteo threw out a barrage of blue lightning bolts.

    ¡°Appy is different from the creeper or the slimeball. The knuckle-brain is obsessed with strength and might tear the city apart in her fight. However, that¡¯s because she is fixated on challenging herself. For that, she needs strong opponents. She would not intentionally involve the weak. Extremely troublesome, but not necessarily deserving death. That¡¯s the type that is still problematic.¡±

    ¡°I could use a spatial spell to send her to a different location,¡± offered Ying.

    ¡°And ruin the practice?¡± retorted Sigille. She snorted and snickered. ¡°Also, that probably won¡¯t work. Appy learned that lesson when she challenged Amelia. The lass is crazy, not stupid. She¡¯ll have an item prepared to counter transfers. At least unanchored transfers. A gate might still work, but I would wait with that for now. No point in showing your cards early.¡±

    Devon, who had been staring absentmindedly at the horizon this whole time, suddenly spun his head towards Syn. He narrowed his eyes and then sprinted towards the city.

    Ying¡¯s nervous gaze followed the crimson back of the running Devon, who was wearing one of the salvaged Thanatos uniforms again.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry and others were surprised by Devon¡¯s actions.

    Before Terry could order his thoughts, he jerked his head back to the fight between Apex and Matteo because he sensed a strange mana signature that he could not pin down.

    A black condensed torrent of liquid rushed at Matteo from the ground.

    Matteo¡¯s expression darkened and his eyes grew cold. He jumped back to dodge while raising an ice wall in his defense. He moved his right hand to the hilt of Soul Fury. However, before he could draw the sword¡­

    ¡°You rotten bastard!¡± Apex tore the ground apart.

    Black viscous liquid retreated from Apex¡¯s violent outburst, and then slowly rose from the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to barge into my fight or I¡¯ll end you!¡± Apex looked more furious than ever before on this day.

    The black liquid that had attacked Matteo had been blocked momentarily by the ice wall, but the wall had rapidly melted away. The grass on the earth that was hit by the repelled, viscous substance was sizzling and rotting.

    ¡°Heeheehee¡­¡±

    Cadence scowled at the rising liquid and summoned a red-golden baton from her storage item.

    ***

 056 The Face of Tivs Guild

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    The viscous liquid transformed into the shape of a man. It looked as if his hair was melting and he was sporting a disgusting grin.

    Cadence glared and gripped her baton tightly.

    ¡°That slimeball cultist is called Vicious at the Guild.¡± Sigille told Terry. ¡°Ranked second among the rookies. His real name is Eric. A channeler of a creature they call the Shapeless Pond. Also a mana cultivator. Whatever you do in Tiv, stay away from him. If you ever encounter him without me or Matteo around, run.¡±

    ¡°Darkwater?¡± Terry had heard about the aspect before. Like many of the darkness-related aspects, it was not purely inflicting damage. Instead, it debilitated the victim by inflicting a wide range of maledictions.

    ¡°Yes, although there is something else in there that has not been classified yet. The slimeball has plotted against one of my disciples before. Avoid any interaction with him as far as possible.¡±

    Apex struck out with her palm and a snake of thunderfire assaulted Eric¡¯s shoulder.

    The man¡¯s shoulder liquified and avoided any contact with the thunderfire.

    ¡°Now, now, Apex, we¡¯re working on the same mission,¡± said Eric. ¡°It¡¯s natural to help each other out.¡±

    Wow, he even sounds slimy.

    Terry grimaced involuntarily.

    ¡°Who needs your help?! Screw off, you shit stain!¡±

    ¡°Careful with that temper.¡± Eric smirked. ¡°It could be construed as obstructing Guild-business.¡±

    Apex appeared behind him and smashed his face with a mana-coated fist as a response.

    On impact, the viscous liquid dropped to the ground. A moment later, Eric¡¯s figure reshaped itself at a different location.

    ¡°See if I care,¡± growled Apex.

    ¡°Heeheehee.¡± Eric giggled. ¡°Maybe you do, maybe you don¡¯t. It sure looks as if you want to interfere and help the Mad Kid.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m helping nobody,¡± growled Apex. ¡°Stay out of my fights or you¡¯ll regret it. Do your mission elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Heeheehee. Works for me.¡± Eric moved his eyes over the others. He frowned when he saw Sigille. His eyelid twitched slightly.

    ¡°I have to agree with Appy,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You seem to resemble shit more and more, Little Eric.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me that, old hag!¡± Apex screamed while throwing a kick at Matteo.

    ¡°Guardians are not supposed to interfere with Guild-missions.¡± Eric spoke coldly. ¡°The Kid has not accepted the mission as far as I know, and you have no business here.¡±

    ¡°Since when do you care about rules, Little Eric?¡± Sigille returned his cold gaze. ¡°You did not care about them when you ambushed your fellow trainees.¡±

    ¡°Slander and libel.¡± Eric spoke with obvious insincerity.

    ¡°Cut the crap.¡± Sigille glared at him. ¡°You always had a rotten personality and now you have found a cult to match it.¡±

    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll kill you, you decrepit¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sing it, bring it.¡± Sigille motioned with her hand and taunted him to come. ¡°If you dare, that is. I used to hope that you would learn your lesson and get your act together, but that time is long gone.¡±

    ¡°I held back when I caught you harming the other students. I held back when we kicked you out of the Guardians.¡± Sigille stared into Eric¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am done holding back. If you force me to move today, then you will experience what that means.¡±

    Eric¡¯s whole body trembled like the surface of a lake when it was hailing. It took a while before he had calmed down.

    ¡°Not today. I am just here for a mission. I don¡¯t need to fight you for that.¡± Eric smirked and muttered under his breath: ¡°And I am not the only one with a mission.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Brutus!¡± ¡°Here, Brutus.¡±

    Two children had snuck out of the shelter because the terrier had suddenly gone missing. It was the same pair of honorable knights that had settled the matter of the princess¡¯s honor with a jousting match.

    ¡°Can you smell him, Millie?¡± asked Chris.

    ¡°I th-think over there.¡± Millie pointed. She felt a bit guilty for sneaking away when Romana and the others were distracted by the noise outside, but it could not be helped. The two children were really worried about the little dog and the adults did not seem inclined to do anything about it.

    The two turned the corner and froze. Brutus was sleeping on the ground. Next to the sleeping dog stood a person.

    ¡°R-Romana?¡± Chris¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­¡±

    Millie felt weird. She could smell nothing from Romana. Not like usual.

    ¡°Come here, children,¡± said the melodic voice of Romana.

    The two hung their heads ¨C worried about being scolded ¨C and walked up to her.

    ¡°Huaaahhmm¡­¡± Chris yawned loudly. ¡°Huh?¡±

    *Plop* Millie had fallen down. The last thing she had seen was the odd smile on Romana¡¯s face.

    A moment later, Chris was sleeping on the ground next to her.

    A tall man whose eyes were completely white stepped away from the dog and strolled to the sleeping children. His steps did not make the faintest noise.

    Devon dashed around the corner. He saw the back of Lizzy that was approaching Millie and Chris. Without hesitation, Devon charged at the figure and struck out his palm.

    A bright red blast of hellfire flung the man away from the children. The man crashed into a building on the side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch any of them,¡± growled Devon.

    The white-eyed man stood back up. His white suit was burned in several places, but the person itself was unusually unharmed for someone that had been struck by hellfire. A cold light radiated from him and his suit mended itself.

    ¡°How quaint,¡± spoke the man. ¡°It is better to finish missions quickly. People are more likely to surrender if you take young hostages. If everyone surrenders, then this mission will be quick. Step aside.¡±

    Romana and two death knights were attracted by the ruckus.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Romana. She only saw Devon with his back to the two sleeping children.

    ¡°Take them away quickly,¡± said Devon. He summoned netherfrost at a location where Romana saw nothing.

    The light above the netherfrost bent in several places, which made Romana¡¯s head hurt, but it was only for a moment.

    Devon struck out his palm towards a different location. The hellfire engulfed the white-eyed man that had been invisible before.

    Romana¡¯s eyes widened. Whoever this person was, he had completely escaped all of Syn¡¯s detection mechanisms.

    The man emitted a bright and somehow cold light, which recovered his body and apparel. He examined Devon and spoke calmly. ¡°You are not supposed to sense me, and abyssal aspects are quite annoying. Why don¡¯t you all lay down for a while?¡±

    Romana was overwhelmed with drowsiness. One of the death knights caught her before she fell.

    ¡°Romana?¡± asked the death knight.

    ¡°Undead are also annoying,¡± said the man before he blinked away.

    Devon slapped his own chest and burned himself with hellfire to have the pain expel the sleepiness. He summoned another sheet of netherfrost where the man had teleported.

    ¡°Take them away!¡± shouted Devon, and then jumped at the white-eyed man.

    ¡°This is getting bothersome. You may be able to sense me somehow, but you are slow.¡± The man blinked away and evaded Devon¡¯s attack.

    A white panther with purple markings raised its head out of the shadows. In another location, Ying¡¯s face contorted with rage.

    ¡°Just surrender to make it quick,¡± said the white-eyed man.

    ¡°DIE!¡± Saul¡¯s inhuman voice reverberated through the area. He had appeared out of thin air and tapped his staff on the ground.

    The white-eyed man was shackled by dark chains and then skewered by several bone spears.

    The man¡¯s eyes started to glow intensely. ¡°My life to serve PAX!¡± Raging lights tore at the chains.

    ¡°Accursed channeler,¡± growled Saul. He had a mental transmission with Ying. ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here.¡±

    While the white-eyed man was escaping from his restraints, Saul opened a dimensional gate underneath the man¡¯s feet.

    The white-eyed man fell through the dimensional gate and disappeared.

    ¡°All lifefolk and vampires must be accompanied by skeletal warriors,¡± said Saul. His voice was amplified and resounded over all of Syn. ¡°Carlos, known as Sudden Death in Tiv¡¯s Guild, has invaded this place.¡±

    Saul moved his staff to close the dimensional gate.

    ¡°Wait for me.¡± Devon jumped through the gate first.

    The cyan light in Saul¡¯s eyes flickered, and he closed the gate.

    ***

    A dimensional gate appeared in the sky, and Carlos fell down on the ground.

    ¡°The creep went after the children,¡± growled Ying and he became surrounded by a purple glow.

    Terry flinched at the frightening mana that was being emitted from Ying.

    ¡°As much as I would like to tear him apart together with you, remember that we are still trying to buy time for Amelia,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Having the mission cancelled is the best-case scenario for Syn. Even if you were to manage to kill the creeper, it would only serve to fan the flames against Syn.¡±

    ¡°He went after children.¡± Ying¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He made a step towards Carlos, who was standing up and recovering his white suit.

    Devon fell out of the dimensional gate. He brought a giant blast of hellfire with him.

    Carlos blinked away.

    The corner of Ying¡¯s lips curled upwards, and he rapidly cast a dimensional gate that had Devon appear right on top of Carlos¡¯s new position.

    *WRAAAMMM!* Hellfire enveloped the area.

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± exclaimed Lizzy.

    ¡°Or, we could do that,¡± said Sigille flatly. ¡°That works, too. Will cause more trouble in the long run, but sure feels better.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that freak a Guardian from Tiv?!¡± demanded Eric. ¡°That means you¡¯ve crossed the line.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that you want to take off the gloves?¡± questioned Sigille with intimidating eyes.

    Eric shuddered under her gaze and ripples moved across his skin.

    Megumi stepped forward and unbuttoned the leather straps that secured her push daggers.

    ¡°My companion can¡¯t be expected to be familiar with every shitty Guildhead,¡± said the Captain.

    ¡°I did not realize there was a Guardian present,¡± said Carlos emotionlessly. His face and chest were severely burned, but he spoke as if he did not feel any pain at all.

    Ying grimaced in dismay at the fact that Carlos was still breathing.

    A cold chill ran down Terry¡¯s spine when he saw the white-eyed man. The expressionless face together with the burns from hellfire was one reason. The odd silence surrounding him was another. The biggest reason, however, was that Carlos was a mana user, but Terry could not sense the slightest trace of mana.

    Devon was charging forward again.

    ¡°Devon!¡± reprimanded Lizzy.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Devon stopped in his tracks. ¡°That one threatened to hurt Chris and Millie! He even went after Brutus!¡± He glared at Carlos and hellfire escaped from his clenched fists.

    ¡°Please come here for now,¡± said Megumi.

    Devon did as requested while giving the stink-eye to Carlos.

    ¡°I apologize for failing to comply with the required protocol, but I had not been informed of potential Guardian presence,¡± said Carlos in a monotone voice. ¡°I am a citizen of Tiv and a member of the Guild. I am here on a mission from the Guild. Guardians are prohibited from interfering in Guild-missions unless explicitly enlisted as partners for the mission.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Could you recite the regulations for me?¡± asked Sigille.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°If required, that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her crap,¡± said Eric. ¡°She is the Kid¡¯s Guardian-partner. She knows the regulations. They¡¯re just stalling for something.¡±

    ¡°A Guardian can¡¯t be expected to accept the words of a random stranger,¡± said Megumi. ¡°At least we will need to check identification.¡±

    Sigille snickered.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Carlos agreed without objections.

    Terry raised an eyebrow at the man¡¯s behavior.

    Sigille whispered to Terry: ¡°Pure channeler from a cult called the Serenity of Pax. The more advanced the channeling with the creature they call Pax, the less ego they preserve.¡±

    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± jeered Eric. ¡°Are you trying to claim that you have never heard of Sudden Death ¨C the person ranked first in the Guild¡¯s rookie ranking? Yeah, right.¡±

    ¡°Of course I have heard of that name,¡± retorted Megumi. ¡°But anyone can claim a name. I¡¯ve never met this person. I¡¯ve never met you either.¡±

    A loud explosion rang out.

    Sigille glanced towards the source. She could see an enormous crater with Apex standing in it and a retreating Matteo.

    ¡°Damn it, Apex! Back off!¡± shouted Matteo.

    Sigille shook her head lightly and returned her attention to Carlos and Eric.

    ¡°You seem to know the decrepit hag.¡± Eric spoke to Megumi and pointed at Sigille. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her? She has met us before.¡±

    ¡°Meh, memory is a funny thing,¡± said Sigille with a smirk. ¡°It gets worse the more decrepit you get.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t recognize me?¡± Eric snarled. ¡°Maybe I can find a few personal possessions that belonged to some common acquaintances to jolt your failing memory.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I remember you as a coward plotting in the dark. Now, are you trying to make me angry again? Where did you suddenly find the courage, Little Eric?¡±

    Ripples rushed over Eric¡¯s fluid skin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can count on the assistance of the other two,¡± said Sigille.

    *BOOM!* Apex was still chasing Matteo around.

    ¡°Protocol requires identification if the Guardian party demands it,¡± said Carlos. ¡°I have a mission. We may have teamed up, but I will not assist in personal squabbles.¡±

    ¡°The decrepit hag can identify us!¡± screamed Eric with trembling eyes.

    ¡°Maybe I could, maybe I couldn¡¯t,¡± said Sigille. ¡°In any case, I am not obligated to. Right?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Carlos¡¯s emotionless response was grating to Eric¡¯s ears.

    Megumi received a Guild card from Carlos. She took her time examining it and only handed it back after several minutes had passed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to verify the mission as well to determine the scope in which you have been authorized to act,¡± said Megumi calmly.

    Sigille nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Here is the mission writ.¡± Carlos handed over a mana contract sheet.

    ¡°The writ is claiming to be directly from Guild management,¡± said Megumi. ¡°No reference to an actual client. That seems unusual and therefore suspicious. I will need to confirm a few things.¡±

    ¡°You little¡ª¡± Eric was fuming and his body¡¯s surface resembled a pot of boiling water.

    ¡°You, I don¡¯t like you.¡± Devon interrupted Eric and glared at him.

    Eric flinched at Devon¡¯s abnormal mana signature.

    Megumi did as many checks as she could get away with. She even created a copy of the mana signature from the writ by sacrificing one of her own mana contract sheets. Eventually, she had to take a different avenue.

    ¡°Are you aware that the mission is being contested?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°That has no relevance for the current validity,¡± retorted Carlos.

    ¡°The mission writ is claiming that the citizens have been abducted. Did you verify this claim?¡±

    ¡°That detail is from the introductory information. The mission goals are not affected by the introductory information.¡± Carlos spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°The primary goal is to return the citizens to Tiv. The secondary goal is to eliminate anyone that stands in the way of the primary goal.¡±

    Megumi frowned because Carlos was right. The writ had been phrased and structured just like that.

    ¡°I have ascertained that it is only the citizens¡¯ choice that keeps them here,¡± continued Carlos. ¡°Therefore, I have taken steps to change that choice in order to achieve the primary goal as quickly as possible. Your companion interfered and complicated things.¡±

    Devon narrowed his eyes at Carlos and then turned to Lizzy: ¡°Did that make sense to you?¡±

    Lizzy glanced at Devon but quickly focused on the Captain again.

    ¡°You say that the mission goals are not affected, but the introductory information makes it clear that the mission was issued under the premise that the citizens have been brought here against their wishes.¡±

    Sigille sighed at Megumi¡¯s attempt to reason with the ego-less creeper. It was evident that this was their first interaction.

    ¡°If that premise is false, then the mission¡ª¡±

    ¡°The mission goals are not affected by the introductory information, which makes the introductory information irrelevant.¡± Carlos interrupted Megumi. ¡°The mission goals make no reference to the citizens¡¯ wishes.¡±

    Carlos wore a thin smile.

    ¡°Your actions could put the citizens at risk,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°The mission goals make no reference to the citizens¡¯ health,¡± retorted Carlos.

    Megumi¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°HAHAha! That¡¯s right!¡± exclaimed Eric gloatingly. ¡°I had not even thought of that.¡±

    ¡°I am allowed to defend people,¡± muttered Devon and glared at Carlos with hellfire escaping from clenched fists.

    Ying teleported next to Devon. ¡°Only use hellfire once you¡¯re close. Then I can help you reach him using unanchored transports. Faster and costs less mana.¡±

    Devon nodded and extinguished the hellfire he was emitting from his palms.

    ¡°Your companion¡¯s behavior can be interpreted as a threat.¡± Carlos spoke to Megumi. ¡°Have you confirmed everything to your satisfaction? If so, then protocol dictates that you Guardians are not to interfere.¡±

    ¡°You are mistaken on one point,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°A Guardian¡¯s first oath is to protect innocent life. Your narrow mission interpretation violates that.¡±

    ¡°Irrelevant,¡± dismissed Carlos. ¡°I am not a Guardian. The regulations outline the expectations for interactions with the Guild.¡±

    The Captain jumped back and unlocked the sheaths of two curved shortswords. Terry had never seen her use those before.

    ¡°Then we have a problem,¡± said the Captain firmly.

    Lizzy transformed her equipment and took her battle stance.

    ¡°It is you that will have problems,¡± said Carlos. ¡°The regulations clearly state the penalties.¡±

    ¡°HAHAha.¡± Eric transformed into a stream of water and headed through the air towards Syn City.

    With a loud bang, Eric¡¯s fluid shape was smashed back by a divine hammer.

    ¡°Little Eric,¡± growled Sigille. Her right bracer was glowing with bright runes.

    Rings of runes became visible on Sigille¡¯s boots. A moment later, she appeared in the air above Eric and dropped several round objects.

    Eric¡¯s pupils contracted and his body liquified to escape through the earth below.

    Sigille pulled back her arm and another set of inscriptions appeared on the bracer. A translucent golden surface blocked Eric¡¯s path of retreat.

    The round objects detonated and spread a powdery substance.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Eric¡¯s body jellified.

    Sigille dropped back to the ground and slowly walked towards Eric. ¡°What do you take me for, Little Eric? Did you believe I was bluffing? Did you believe your borrowed powers are enough to protect you from the consequences of your actions?¡±

    Carlos blinked away.

    Matteo dodged on instinct and a glowing ice spike missed his head by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°OY, SCREW YOU!¡± Apex threw a fiery fist at the nothingness from where the ice spike came. ¡°THIS IS MY FIGHT!¡±

    Apex only hit empty air.

    ¡°He¡¯s over there!¡± Devon pointed.

    ¡°It is common sense to eliminate distracted enemies first,¡± said Carlos, who became visible in the location that Devon had pointed out.

    ¡°Matteo, it appears that you are interfering with a Guild mission,¡± said Carlos. ¡°The regulation¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can stop right there,¡± interrupted Matteo. He moved his hand to the hilt of Soul Fury. ¡°First of all, it is your mission, not mine. I am a free person.¡±

    ¡°You are a member of the Guild,¡± said Carlos. ¡°The rulebook says¡ª¡±

    ¡°The rules you are referring to were unilaterally proclaimed after my membership,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I accept the penalties. The Guild is not my master.¡±

    Matteo stared at Carlos with a resolved look. ¡°My ma has made it clear to me that I am never to yield my mind to anybody. The only master I accept is my own conscience. You and your rulebook can piss off.¡±

    Matteo drew Soul Fury and swung the katana at Carlos. A thunderous grumbling echoed through the air and a purple lightning bolt headed towards Carlos.

    ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± yelled Apex and charged at Matteo.

    ¡°That is enough, Appy!¡± shouted Sigille.

    ¡°Screw you, old hag, I¡ª¡± Before Apex could finish her cursing, she crashed into a translucent golden surface. A divine hammer smashed her right towards the feet of Sigille.

    ¡°I said enough.¡± Sigille looked down at Apex, who was sprawled on the ground in front of her.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Apex channeled mana, but before she could do anything, she was hit by an intense disruption discharge from Sigille¡¯s foot that had appeared on Apex¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I know you have a battle crush on Matteo.¡± Sigille spoke in a stern voice.

    ¡°If by that you mean that I will crush him in battle, then yeah!¡± Apex snarled at Sigille.

    ¡°I know that your aim is the spirit-infused lightning of the dragon soul.¡± Sigille sounded a bit tired. ¡°I could tell you it won¡¯t work, but you wouldn¡¯t believe me, anyway.¡±

    ¡°No shit.¡±

    ¡°Have I ever stopped you from battling before?¡± Sigille still had her foot on Apex¡¯s chest and stared into Apex¡¯s eyes. ¡°What did you call it before? ¡®Shield¡¯ him?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I believe Matteo needs to fight his own battles. I have never stopped you two from fighting before. However, for today, playtime is over and if you don¡¯t back off now, then from now on, I will interfere just out of spite. Whenever you want to challenge him, I will be there to stand in your way.¡±

    ¡°You can ask around.¡± Sigille¡¯s gaze turned intense. ¡°I am good at holding onto grudges.¡±

    As if to underline her statement, choking noises escaped from Eric¡¯s throat. He was writhing in pain further away.

    Apex glared at Sigille but remained silent.

    Sigille withdrew her foot from Apex¡¯s chest and jumped back. She glanced towards the fight with Carlos.

    Matteo had summoned the purple lightning dragon by infusing his own mana into Soul Fury. The dragon soul was guided by Matteo¡¯s spirit and instinctively pursued Carlos.

    Devon pointed at a location and then Ying teleported Devon into the path of the escaping Carlos. Devon smashed a palm of hellfire into the invisible man.

    Carlos blinked away.

    Megumi opened her eyes and slashed with the curved shortsword in her right hand towards the air disturbance she had sensed after the blink. A concentrated blade of air cut into flesh.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be threatened by anyone,¡± growled Apex. Despite her growling, she was still standing close to Sigille.

    ¡°Lass, that was not a threat,¡± retorted Sigille calmly. ¡°I was appealing to your sense. Although, you¡¯ve rarely shown any hint of having any.¡±

    ¡°OY!¡± Apex¡¯s face was turning purple again.

    ¡°The mission is bad and will be cancelled,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Sigille placed a palm on her forehead. ¡°Appy, I don¡¯t know why you are so desperate for power, but I always thought you had a brain between your ears. Make your own deductions. Does this look like a fight where you will be able to get what you want?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°My life for PAX!¡± The intense shout of Carlos reverberated through the area. Afterwards, a blast of bright light appeared, with Carlos at the center. Hundreds of glowing ice spikes were thrown everywhere.

    Sigille raised her hands with palms facing each other. Inscriptions at her wrists were lighting up and translucent golden sheets of mana blocked the ice spikes in several directions.

    ¡°ARGHH!¡± Apex stomped the ground and stormed off towards the desert of red sand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± growled Eric with hate-filled eyes looking at Sigille.

    ¡°You will do no such thing.¡± Cadence had approached the fallen Eric. Her left hand had turned completely golden while her right hand was gripping her baton.

    Cadence pointed the tip of the baton at the jelly that made up Eric¡¯s body. Afterwards, she channeled a mixture of her own mana and the mana from the Bright Lady into the baton.

    Golden flames wandered along the baton.

    ¡°Wh-what? NO!¡± Eric screamed loudly.

    Sigille raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh.¡±

    The golden flames engulfed every part of Eric¡¯s body.

    ¡°There,¡± muttered Cadence. All the golden flames concentrated on a spot on Eric¡¯s left heel.

    Channeling anchor.

    In Terry¡¯s mana sight, the left heel was the source of the foreign mana in Eric¡¯s body.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± Eric glared at Cadence. ¡°The Pond will drown you.¡±

    The area underneath Cadence¡¯s feet glowed and became cold.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Cadence was taken off-guard.

    In the next second, Cadence had been pulled away by Sigille, who was bursting her mana. Half a breath later, glowing icicles rose from the location where Cadence had been standing.

    Carlos slapped a palm on Eric¡¯s back, and a small light roamed around the jellified body. Wherever the light touched, the body turned more liquid again. The light repeatedly moved out of the body and expelled a powdery substance.

    Carlos¡¯s eyes glowed and the world around fell silent.

    ¡°CEASE YOUR ACTIONS!¡± Amelia had appeared in the sky with her mage staff in one hand and a sheet of paper in her other hand. Simultaneous to her shout, she channeled mana into the contract sheet.

    A bright red symbol shone in the sky above Amelia.

    Carlos stopped his channeling and retrieved the mission writ. It was glowing red because of the resonance with Amelia¡¯s contract sheet.

    ¡°The mission has been cancelled,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Any actions taken so far will be scrutinized. No further actions will be sanctioned by the Guild.¡±

    Amelia looked coldly at Carlos. ¡°Anyone that has accepted the mission is to return immediately. Statements are to be given in person.¡±

    Amelia smiled lopsidedly. ¡°Guild management apologizes for any inconvenience.¡±

    ¡°Go to hell!¡± shouted Eric. He had recovered from Sigille¡¯s assault with the help of Carlos. He liquified his body and his right arm transformed into a whirlpool to attack Cadence.

    Before Eric could unleash his attack, however, he was faced with Carlos, who had blinked into his path.

    ¡°We are to return immediately,¡± said Carlos with an expression devoid of emotion.

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Eric was seething with rage. His hatred for Cadence had reached his limits after she had threatened his channeling anchor. In contrast to Sigille, his hatred for Cadence was not dulled by fear.

    ¡°We have teamed up for this mission,¡± said Carlos. ¡°We are to return immediately.¡±

    Sigille snorted and snickered from the side.

    ¡°Fuck that!¡± growled Eric.

    Eric attempted to distance himself from Carlos.

    After another blink, Carlos grabbed Eric by the shoulders and channeled a cold light into Eric¡¯s body that prevented him from liquifying again.

    ¡°We will return immediately,¡± said Carlos. He ripped a transfer scroll that teleported both of them away.

    Amelia flew down to Sigille and Matteo. Matteo had Soul Fury sheathed again and kept his left hand on the heart-seeker dagger.

    ¡°Thanks, lass,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± said Amelia. ¡°There were no other transfer mages at the Guild, so I will have to collect the others that had accepted the mission.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Amelia,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Does this mean Jee hasn¡¯t returned to the Guild yet? What about his nominated mission?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve made no progress on that front,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Apparently, Jee¡¯s mission has been classified with a very high sensitivity. It would take a lot of time to even get access to the exact mission parameters. The grapevine is whispering that it¡¯s only transport, but even if it wasn¡¯t, I could not do anything about it at the moment.¡±

    ¡°And you know Jee¡­¡± Amelia sighed and shook her head dejectedly. ¡°I can¡¯t even locate him. Best I can do right now is pick the order in which I collect the Guildheads.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s already a big help, thank you,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Most important is that the Venom Siblings don¡¯t reach this place. If you could keep Elenec and Vell for last, that would help, too.¡±

    Amelia nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s chat later. I¡¯ll be off.¡± She soared into the sky and then teleported away.

    ***

    Roughly ten minutes after Amelia had departed from the scene, Terry turned his head because he had noticed a mana distortion.

    Ying clenched his fists.

    Sigille and Matteo narrowed their eyes.

    A small dimensional gate appeared at the location of the mana distortion. Through it walked a dwarven man.

    Mage. Multi-aspected, but definitely aspected. Gifted in the space aspect. Not a channeler but¡­

    The man was short ¨C even for a dwarf. However, Terry did not have time to dwell on the man¡¯s height, because it was the man¡¯s eyes that truly caught attention. They looked like round mirrors. No iris, no pupil, just a smooth, silver, reflective surface.

    Why do his eyes look like that?

    Before a second could pass, the dwarf¡¯s hands moved and the dimensional gate expanded to become as wide as a primary travel gate in Arcana.

    Gasps resounded through the area.

    ¡°Well, shit,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°Terry, come here. You need some equipment upgrades.¡±

    ¡°By the Lady, this¡­¡± Cadence was stunned.

    Lizzy¡¯s stomach sank.

    ¡°I knew it.¡± Yancey rose up from liquified earth. The cyan lights in his eye-sockets danced in fury. ¡°Always the same.¡±

    Yancey was about to make a snarky remark to Megumi, but when he saw that the Captain was already preparing her equipment with determined eyes, he hung his skull and then returned to the earth below.

    ¡°That confirms the Preacher as the client,¡± said Matteo with a grim expression. ¡°Seems he wanted to showcase his new Devout Division.¡±

    Ying was silently shaking his head.

    ¡°Are they insane?!¡± roared Logan in despair.

    The silver-eyed dwarf moved his hands and the dimensional gate slipped over a large group of soldiers.

    ¡°That''s several times more channelers than we have people in Syn,¡± said Ying. He continued shaking his head. ¡°Even counting all the manaless, children, and elderly.¡±

    ***

 057 The Devil Inside

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    ¡°You are not wearing any rings or passive items yet, right?¡± asked Sigille.

    Terry nodded while staring at the army in the distance.

    ¡°Matteo!¡± shouted Sigille. ¡°Before you go to Jee, I need a moment.¡±

    Matteo stopped his movements and hurried to Sigille.

    ¡°Here.¡± Sigille handed two silver rings to Terry. ¡°One on each hand.¡±

    ¡°What do they¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Sigille interrupted Terry. ¡°Not much time for explanations, and this is still a growing experience for you. The items I give you might save your life, but I don¡¯t want you to count on it. If something tries to kill you, kill it back. Run or fight if you have to. Act as if your life depended on it because it does. Understood?¡±

    Terry nodded with a grim expression.

    Sigille put a golden ring on her own hand.

    ¡°Help me keep an eye on him.¡± Sigille handed another golden ring to Matteo.

    ¡°This brings back memories.¡± Matteo smiled when he saw the silver ring on Terry¡¯s finger. Matteo had worn one of these rings himself when he was a child. ¡°It¡¯s my first time wearing the instructor ring, though.¡±

    ¡°You know how it works,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Intervene according to your own judgement. That¡¯s all I wanted. Try to get Jee to throw the cultists where they came from.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but I doubt that¡¯s going to work.¡± Matteo left the two again.

    Sigille already had another item in her hand. She was channeling a torrent of mana into a crystal pendant until it glowed brightly.

    ¡°Here, wear this underneath your armor and clothing.¡± Sigille handed the pendant to Terry.

    Saul appeared next to Ying. ¡°Defenses are ready.¡±

    ¡°What about the barrier?¡± asked Megumi.

    ¡°Usable and durable,¡± replied Saul. ¡°However, the mana use will fluctuate depending on the attacks. With the barrier active, there won¡¯t be much energy left for our other defenses. The barrier is also incompatible with our cloaking. We can only have one of them active.¡±

    ¡°The cloaking is essential to avoid attention from the Wastes,¡± said Ying. ¡°Let¡¯s first reduce their numbers with the offensive defenses. Keep the barrier for later.¡±

    Saul nodded and vanished again.

    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Lizzy recognized one face at the head of the army. ¡°That¡¯s Ava. The disciple¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Lady Mahalia¡¯s daughter?¡± asked Megumi. ¡°That complicates things¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, her mother is the disciple of the Mage Supreme. Ava is¡­¡± Lizzy grimaced. ¡°A frustrating person. The only one she really listens to is the Preacher.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow Matteo.¡± Megumi walked forward with her curved shortswords in hand.

    Jee had caught sight of Matteo and teleported in front of him.

    ¡°Matteo?¡± The short dwarf looked up at Matteo¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The paired mission has already been cancelled,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The info was bad. Whoever issued the mission has distorted the truth. The Captain¡¯s report of the investigation described a completely different situation. There were no abductions. The people have voluntarily chosen to come here.¡±

    Jee scowled and turned towards Ava, who was still further away, together with the army of channelers.

    ¡°Any chance you can return them to where they came from?¡± Matteo asked tentatively.

    Jee¡¯s mirror-like eyes were still turned away from Matteo. The short dwarf shook his head.

    ¡°No, mine was just a transport mission.¡± Jee clenched a fist. ¡°But after hearing your words, they can walk home as far as I am concerned. Sorry for the trouble, Matteo. Give my regards to Lady Sigille.¡±

    Jee appeared next to Ava.

    ¡°With that, my mission is over and I will take my leave now,¡± said Jee.

    ¡°What?¡± Ava glared at him. ¡°Transport includes both ways.¡±

    Jee¡¯s silver eyes withstood Ava¡¯s glare calmly. ¡°The mission goal says transport to and while I can admit ambiguity, I have also learned that the information you provided has been misleading.¡±

    ¡°How dare you? We would never¡ª¡±

    ¡°And yet you did, according to sources I trust. I don¡¯t like being led around by the nose. I am not in the mood to interpret ambiguity in your favor after an act of deceit. I¡¯ll take the literal wording instead.¡±

    ¡°Damned Guildhead, listen here¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can either confirm the completion of the mission now and stay here¡­¡± Jee crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Or I will challenge the mission, which would mean that I will throw all of you back to Tiv¡¯s heartland until mediation starts. So, which will it be?¡±

    Ava¡¯s eyes were screaming for blood and she grit her teeth. Eventually, she huffed and summoned a mission writ into which she channeled her mana.

    Ava handed the mission writ with her own confirmation signature back to Jee.

    ¡°Good luck with your next transport request.¡± Jee snorted derisively and then disappeared without a trace. The dimensional gate disappeared with him.

    ¡°Selfish and stupid bastards, every last one of them.¡± Ava cursed with resentment.

    Ava glared towards Syn City and shouted: ¡°On my command. Forward.¡±

    The army started moving with Ava at its head.

    Before the army had gotten close, a condensed blade of air-aspected mana carved a deep crevice into their path.

    ¡°I think you can talk from over there,¡± shouted the Captain. ¡°No need to come any closer.¡±

    ¡°What the Wastes do you think you are doing?!¡± demanded Ava.

    ¡°Her duty,¡± retorted Sigille, who had stepped forward with Megumi.

    Ava snarled. ¡°I thought army protocol demands that you relinquish all your equipment after leaving the active service.¡± She eyed Megumi¡¯s shortswords.

    ¡°I did,¡± replied Megumi flatly. ¡°These are the originals. Family heirlooms.¡±

    ¡°Bah.¡± Ava sneered. ¡°Minister Kipkoi was right. Inheritance of magic items should be outlawed. Mana use is a privilege. Just because one generation has rightfully acquired or created an item does not mean the next generation has also earned a right to its use.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and write a proposal for a new law?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I would appreciate that, especially the going back part.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡± Ava glared at Sigille. ¡°There are Tiv citizens being treated as cattle inside this city of undead!¡±

    ¡°A city of deathlife,¡± stressed Ying.

    ¡°Everyone chose to come here,¡± shouted Logan. ¡°We have not been abducted.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± retorted Ava.

    Logan was dumbstruck by the indifferent reply.

    ¡°So what?¡± Ava glared at Logan. ¡°You are still subjects of Tiv and you will return to the Tiv Empire.¡±

    Logan shook his head. ¡°The Wastes were knocking on our doorstep and we could not take it anymore.¡±

    ¡°And what now?!¡± demanded Ava. ¡°The Wastes will crawl up to the next village. Will you just let them take on the fight that was yours to begin with? What gives you the right to just pack up and abandon your duty to Tiv and your fellow citizens? What gives you the nerve to let everyone else deal with the mess that you did not want to face? Stupid bastards!¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Logan was flabbergasted and shook his head dazedly.

    ¡°You think the Wastes are going to disappear now that you have found a nice place to hide?¡± Ava sneered. ¡°You are increasing the misery of your fellow Tiv citizens.¡±

    ¡°Ava, get a grip!¡± shouted Lizzy angrily. ¡°Most of the villagers were manaless to begin with. They were in no position to fight at the frontline.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak to me so casually, Elizabeth.¡± Ava¡¯s face twisted in disdain. ¡°I am not a child anymore for you to talk to me like that. So what if they¡¯re manaless? They could learn to use mana and accept the responsibilities that come with that.¡±

    ¡°Only to be ordered away from our homes and watch our homes get destroyed from a distance?!¡± Logan¡¯s expression turned cold.

    ¡°Yes!¡± replied Ava with no hesitation whatsoever. ¡°If that is what is required by the Tiv Empire. Even a manaless has a duty to their fellow citizens. Now that you all have abandoned your work, someone else will have to take over. That is hardly fair. You will return.¡±

    ¡°Or what?!¡± Logan glared furiously at Ava.

    ¡°There is no ¡®or¡¯,¡± replied Ava with cold eyes. ¡°Today, this city of undead will fall. Then, you can decide if you want to return to your duties or set up camp in the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°And if you try to make it happen, you should be prepared to lose your shiny new Devout Division.¡± Sigille unsheathed her battle axe.

    Matteo stepped next to Sigille with one hand on Soul Fury and another on the heart-seeker dagger.

    ¡°What she said.¡± The Captain pointed one of her blades at Ava.

    Lizzy and Devon stepped next to Megumi.

    ¡°You are a citizen of Tiv,¡± screeched Ava. ¡°Do you want to rebel against the Tiv Empire?!¡±

    ¡°You are not the Tiv Empire,¡± replied Megumi firmly.

    ¡°You are just a fanatic follower of the Preacher,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°You don¡¯t represent Tiv.¡±

    ¡°If you want to invoke Tiv military authority, then I outrank you,¡± said the Captain.

    ¡°You have no authority over Tiv nobles either,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Your minister can¡¯t order us around. If he had a royal decree or one of the old nobles backing him, I would have to be worried, but he does not, does he? The old nobles are no fans of the Preacher.¡±

    ¡°All in all, you would need an order from the Assembly that orders us to stand down,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Go ahead. It should only take a few seasons to get a hearing.¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, we are all here standing opposed as private citizens in a land outside Tiv jurisdiction,¡± said Megumi. ¡°We choose to protect these innocent folks while you seem determined to harm them. I¡¯ll be damned if I let you do that.¡±

    ¡°Innocent?!¡± Ava snorted contemptuously. ¡°They¡¯re deserters! Traitors to the Tiv Empire! Colluding with vile undead.¡±

    ¡°Take a look at your own soldiers if you want to talk vile,¡± retorted Sigille.

    Terry nodded slightly. Some of the uniformed channelers had extremely twisted appearances and mana signatures.

    Terry knew that channeling otherrealm powers could influence a person¡¯s appearance, and it did not seem like a big deal with the channelers he had met so far, but some of these soldiers looked barely like folk anymore.

    What kind of person would voluntarily choose this?

    ¡°Syn is a city of deathlife, not undead,¡± stressed Ying again.

    ¡°They¡¯re no different from folk,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°They¡¯re nice,¡± said Devon.

    ¡°I can see where this is going,¡± said Sigille with her axe in hand. She retrieved an item from her storage and then used it to amplify her voice.

    Sigille stepped forward and faced the army with composure.

    ¡°I am Sigille. Some people in Tiv call me the Divine Hammer. I am someone that believes in choices. As soldiers, you may have forgotten that you have a choice, so allow me to remind you today.¡±

    Sigille gestured with her axe towards Syn. ¡°Behind us is a city of innocents. Several Guardian investigations have determined that these innocent people have voluntarily chosen this city as their home. You can verify that with Guardian management in Tiv. These people have not been abducted to this place. But now you have marched here to abduct them from this place.¡±

    Sigille stared down the army and continued in a solemn voice: ¡°My fellow Guardians and I have vowed to protect the innocent lives here. Whoever threatens this city can expect no mercy from us. If you step forward today ¨C if you try to abduct these innocent people out of their homes ¨C then you will put your lives against ours. Make your choice.¡±

    While Sigille was speaking, Cadence clenched her golden fist and looked at Sigille with adoring eyes. This was the Divine Hammer she had volunteered to work with.

    Sigille then returned the item to her storage and turned to Terry. ¡°Get inside the range of the barrier.¡±

    Terry nodded in a slight daze. The figure of Sigille¡¯s back during her speech had etched itself into Terry¡¯s mind. It had overlapped with the characters from the legends Terry loved.

    Ava was fuming with rage at having someone address her soldiers over her head. She glared at Sigille. Ava¡¯s eyes wandered to Terry and then to the crest on Terry¡¯s bag.

    That symbol of Arcana caused something to snap inside of Ava. She glared hatefully at everyone present. Her gaze rested on Devon and his tattered crimson uniform. She had paid it little mind before, but now she recognized the uniform of Thanatos.

    ¡°TRAITORS!¡± Ava screeched at the top of her lungs. She shouted to address her army: ¡°Don¡¯t heed the words of these stupid traitors!¡±

    Ava turned to the commanders next to her: ¡°Make sure that they remember their oath to Tiv and to Minister Kipkoi! Deserters deserve their fate.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s all move inside the range of our defenses,¡± said Ying to Sigille and the others. ¡°I truly appreciate your support, but this is still Syn¡¯s fight, above all. They need to learn a lesson and the first course will be held by us. If you feel confident, you can engage them individually afterwards.¡±

    ***

    The blood was already drained from Terry¡¯s face. His stomach rebelled at the grueling sights and the stench of burned flesh. His previous encounter with Thanatos soldiers had been outright peaceful compared to what was unfolding around him.

    The first company of the Devout Division had charged towards Syn City.

    *KAZAP!* Grey lightning sizzled between several towers that surrounded Syn City. All life signatures between the two towers were caught in the line of lightning.

    Some channelers managed to dodge or block the assault, but many fell where they were.

    *VROOM!* A repulsion wave was emitted from a row of pillars behind the towers. The channelers that had passed the towers were propelled right through the sizzling lightning again.

    ¡°Tch,¡± uttered Ava. She created a short-range dimensional gate to bypass the defenses.

    ¡°As if,¡± growled Ying and countered the spatial manipulation with his own space magic.

    The channelers regrouped under the direction of their commanders.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    One group of channelers soared into the sky and carried others with them. They released the transported soldiers behind the towers.

    These soldiers then immediately used abilities to raise the earth, create a thick net of vines, summon metal plates, and further fortifications that would prevent a repulsion from passing through the line of the towers.

    Another group of channelers charged directly at the towers. This group comprised channelers with high resistance to lightning.

    ¡°We have tried to show you Syn¡¯s promise in the past.¡± The cyan flames inside of Saul¡¯s eye sockets flickered furiously. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll show you Syn¡¯s threat.¡±

    Saul tapped his staff on the ground and from the point of contact, a wave of cyan light radiated in all directions.

    Once the light hit the corpses of the soldiers, their bodies ignited in a cyan fire. From the ashes, skeletal warriors of the first rank rose.

    Saul tapped his staff on the ground a second time and the newly risen skeletal warriors were imbued with Saul¡¯s cyan aura to act as his weapons.

    The skeletal warriors charged at the soldiers that were attacking the towers and setting up fortifications.

    ¡°Ying!¡± shouted Saul. ¡°Your turn. I¡¯ll block her gates.¡±

    Ying nodded and stopped his dimensional duel with Ava. He channeled magic through his soul, and translucent purple strings sprung up from his body and stretched into the distance. At the other end, hands formed and grabbed around the locations where the enemy soldiers had died.

    Some hands clenched into fists and the connections to Ying lit up brightly. The hands unclenched and from their palms, death spirits manifested, and the ghosts rushed over the battlefield to attack the soldiers.

    ¡°Good.¡± Saul destroyed another dimensional gate from Ava. ¡°Let them learn that for every soldier they send at us, they will have two coming back at them.¡±

    ¡°Switch again!¡± shouted Ying, and he took over guarding the space.

    Ava glowered.

    ¡°Leader Ava, the longer this takes, the worse our situation becomes,¡± said one commander.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me things I know already,¡± spat Ava. ¡°What about the tunnels?¡±

    ¡°There are high-level death mages roaming underground.¡±

    ¡°And the air-bridge?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    *BAM!* A group of flying channelers were smacked out of the sky by a translucent golden hammer.

    ¡°ARHG!¡± A few channelers managed to dodge but were carved up by wind blades.

    Megumi was glaring menacingly from the sky above Syn City.

    Ava scowled at the city in the distance. ¡°Ready the siege constructs and keep them distracted in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°We can send the teleportation units. Can we count on your assistance for those that do not have their own teleportation abilities?¡±

    Ava checked her own mana. ¡°It cannot be helped, but make sure to select the right soldiers for the job and remind them to disable any items that block unanchored transfers. I don¡¯t want to waste my mana for nothing.¡±

    ***

    ¡°By the Lady, cease your assault!¡± Cadence¡¯s skin had turned completely golden. ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±

    Opposite of Cadence stood a man whose skin was as golden as her own.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a Glimmer.¡± The man scoffed at Cadence. ¡°You do not speak for the Bright Lady. If the circle is to expand its influence, then it will require worldly allies. The Preacher is our best bet.¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady teaches¡­¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady won¡¯t be heard unless people will listen. That is exactly why we joined the Division.¡± The man glared at Cadence. ¡°I won¡¯t be schooled by a mere Glimmer.¡±

    Cadence grimaced. Her eyes glanced at the Divine Hammer, who was darting around the battlefield to crush the strongest enemies she could find. Further behind, a dragon made from purple lightning rampaged.

    ¡°Then you leave me no choice.¡± Bright orange flames surrounded Cadence. Her baton shined brightly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you touch the innocent people here. I won¡¯t let you besmirch the name of the Bright Lady through your actions.¡±

    Meanwhile, Ying grit his teeth in frustration. While the enemy had stopped attempting to set up dimensional gates, they had started using unanchored transfers and teleportation abilities.

    Unanchored transfers could not be interrupted from the outside ¨C at least not from the destination location. While anchored travel resembled a tunnel with two entrances, unanchored travel was like using a slingshot. You had to prevent the slingshot from being loaded in the first place.

    Ying could attempt to use his own unanchored transfers to throw them back out, but it might just be a waste of mana. For those with teleportation abilities, the action would be meaningless, because they could return immediately. To make it worse, Ying¡¯s spellwork could be blocked with items or abilities. In contrast to Ava, Ying did not have the cooperation of the spell target.

    Ying and Saul had debated if they should set up a spatial lock to prevent all spatial manipulations. After much discussion, they had decided against it.

    A spatial lock did not block all teleportation abilities from other aspects. Furthermore, space magic was one of Syn¡¯s fortes. Locking space would shackle their own abilities as well. Most importantly, they wanted to keep an emergency escape route open to evacuate the non-combatants if necessary.

    In the end, they only set up a small spatial lock right around the Heart of Syn.

    ¡°You and your panther should go protect the Heart,¡± said Saul. ¡°It seems they have decided to focus their attacks there. You are our best dimensional mage. Take Gretchen and Wilhelm with you.¡±

    ¡°It might be better to immediately set up dimensional gates around the Heart to isolate it completely from their attacks,¡± muttered Ying.

    *Kwang!* A huge fireball had been thrown at Syn from a large siege construct.

    Saul could see Sigille moving into the sky to block it, and he shared a glance with Ying.

    ¡°LET IT PASS!¡± Saul¡¯s voice echoed through the sky of Syn.

    Afterwards, Saul summoned a dimensional gate in front of the fireball and the fireball reappeared on top of the Devout Division.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Ava summoned her own dimensional gate to correct the fireball¡¯s course.

    Unfortunately for Ava, she was the only dimensional mage on the side of the soldiers while the side of Syn had both Saul and Ying.

    In the end, Ava could only redirect the fireball to an empty area.

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch the Heart,¡± said Ying to Saul. ¡°Send me a mental transmission in case they try something like that again.¡±

    ***

    If you are just going to stand around, then what was the point of coming here?

    Terry raised his head and wiped his mouth. He had been vomiting.

    Make yourself useful or you might as well not exist.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    For once, Terry agreed with his intrusive thoughts. He took three deep breaths and then clenched his fists.

    Actions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I would be of help.¡±

    Spelling out the problem allowed Terry to figure out what to do. Terry threw an octavum needle into the air and then pulled himself up.

    Up in the air, Terry transfixed his boots and concentrated on his mana sense. He quickly located the familiar mana signatures of his allies. Next, he tried to get a picture of the enemies¡¯ movements.

    Most of the enemies were still behind the line of Syn¡¯s defenses. Two groups had split off and were circling Syn to test defenses in other locations.

    Some soldiers were engaged in battle with skeletal warriors and death spirits near the towers. A few stronger enemies were pushed back by Sigille and Matteo.

    An intense battle raged in the sky, with flying channelers on one side and the Captain leading death mages on the other.

    ¡°Assist in the air battle?¡± Terry murmured to himself. He noticed several foreign mana signatures suddenly appearing inside Syn City, and frowned.

    ¡°So many of them¡­¡± Terry bit his lip. ¡°Where should I go?¡±

    They seem to move towards the Heart.

    ¡°Ying and others seem to be there already. I don¡¯t think I would be of much help in a clash like that.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry noticed a difference in behavior among the appearing signatures.

    Some of them continued teleporting to reach their destination more quickly. Others only ran.

    Terry narrowed his eyes and watched them closely. ¡°Ahh! Those must have been brought here through unanchored transfers. They do not have any teleportation abilities.¡±

    Now what?

    ¡°If they don¡¯t have teleportation abilities, then I can throw them back out.¡±

    Terry switched imprints in his boots and air-jumped forward. He relied on his imprinted equipment and roped rings to get close to his first target.

    Terry saw a burly man whose channeled mana signature resembled the nature aspect. Terry activated both the Immovable Object imprint in his bracer and the Gravitational Attraction imprint in his glove.

    The burly soldier was lifted into the air.

    One question. How is the whole ¡®throwing¡¯ thing supposed to work?

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened, and he puffed his cheeks.

    Numbskull.

    The burly soldier realized that Terry was the person responsible for him being airborne.

    For a second, the two made eye contact.

    Then, the soldier¡¯s skin turned to wood. His arm formed a whip and attacked Terry.

    Terry quickly retrieved and transfixed a shield to block the wooden whip.

    The man can¡¯t fly.

    Terry controlled his breathing and summoned a tertium slab.

    ¡°I can do this.¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°Terry style.¡±

    Terry transfixed the slab at a slight angle. He summoned another slab for himself to crouch on. The two slabs shielded him from the soldiers below. Together, they looked like a small ramp, with Terry hidden between them.

    Terry continued to pull the soldier towards himself¡­

    *Ting* *Ting* *Ting* The tertium slabs blocked several wood splinters that the soldier had shot at Terry.

    Terry retrieved two spears and placed them in front of him on the tertium slab. He grabbed one spear and waited with bated breath.

    The soldier impacted on the angled tertium slab.

    Terry rapidly dashed out of his hiding hole and positioned the spear to pin the soldier on the slab. He transfixed the spear and then dashed in the other direction to repeat the procedure with the second spear.

    ¡°What the¡­? HUAHHH!¡± The soldier struggled to stand up on the slab, but he was blocked by the immovable spears. He struggled stubbornly.

    Terry deactivated his glove. Simultaneously, Terry disrupted the imprint in the tertium slab he was standing on and returned the slab to his storage bracelet.

    Terry gathered momentum and activated the center pearls in his bracers to swing around the tertium slab. He deactivated the pearls and rose behind the soldier¡¯s back.

    Careful!

    Terry stopped himself from jumping onto the soldier when he noticed the flow of mana.

    Wooden spikes appeared on the soldier¡¯s back.

    Terry summoned a tertium slab with handles and slowly stepped closer with a primed Immovable Object spell ready to ignite.

    Looks as if the spikes are just for close combat.

    Terry transfixed the tertium slab as close to the spiky back as he could manage. He now had a secure position to attack.

    Terry¡¯s expression turned grim, and he retrieved his glaive. He pushed the fire-aspected glaive through the wooden spikes. The single-edged blade was pointing to the soldier.

    The soldier screamed through grit teeth at the pain from the fire-aspected mana.

    With red eyes, Terry grasped the glaive¡¯s pole near the spiked end with both hands.

    This is going to hurt¡­

    Terry glanced over the battlefield. ¡°The time for mercy is when you are in complete control of the situation.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself.¡±

    Stop quoting others.

    Terry exhaled a shaking breath. ¡°I am allowed to defend people.¡±

    Actions.

    Terry clenched his teeth and pulled. The glaive¡¯s pole acted as a lever on the transfixed tertium slab¡¯s edge.

    A blood-curdling scream resounded over the sky.

    The glaive¡¯s single-edged blade cleaved through the spine of the soldier. The soldier¡¯s body went up in flames shortly after.

    Terry sighed.

    ***

    Devon swatted one soldier away, and the woman vanished in a blast of hellfire.

    ¡°YOU MONSTER!¡± shouted a companion of the incinerated woman. Green snakes charged out of the man¡¯s body and towards Devon.

    Devon tilted his head with a blank expression. ¡°I am allowed to defend myself.¡± He summoned a sheet of netherfrost under the feet of the snake summoner.

    Without pause, Devon was already rushing towards the next soldier.

    Saul kept a close watch over Devon. Whenever Devon ran out of targets in his vicinity, Saul teleported Devon to another location in need of reinforcement.

    Saul noticed a foreign spatial spell targeting Devon. The light in Saul¡¯s eye sockets flickered. ¡°Not on my watch.¡±

    Rapidly, Saul blocked the unanchored transfer.

    In a different location, Ava cursed in fury.

    ¡°Stupid and selfish bastards.¡± Ava grit her teeth.

    ¡°The Hammer, the Captain, and the Fury Kid all own items that block unanchored transfers,¡± said a commander next to her.

    ¡°None of them should have ever been allowed to own such items,¡± spat Ava. ¡°None of them should have ever been allowed to use mana. None of them are worthy of such a privilege. Stupid. All of them.¡±

    Ava¡¯s whole body shook with rage. ¡°Don¡¯t they understand that they are weakening Tiv?! That they are dooming everyone through their selfish actions?! That by weakening Tiv they are hurting themselves in the long run? Stupid!¡±

    ¡°Leader Ava, we are making little progress,¡± said the commander in a grave tone. ¡°While we have them vastly outnumbered, things will get ugly if we don¡¯t quickly take out at least one of their heavy-hitters.¡±

    ¡°Stop telling me things I already know,¡± growled Ava. ¡°That abnormal monster is the only one I can target for unanchored transfers, but that lich is shielding him.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll go there myself,¡± declared Ava. ¡°If I am closer, then the skeleton won¡¯t be able to do anything. Get me some soldiers and we¡¯ll take out the freak.¡±

    A moment later, Ava teleported herself and a group of soldiers next to Devon.

    Devon unhesitatingly charged at the soldier within his reach.

    Ava scoffed with a cold smile. She had already finished her spell and Devon was teleported into the air.

    As long as she limited herself to short transfers and gates that were closer to her than to Saul, Ava would stay in control.

    The soldiers moved around Ava to protect her from interference.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you out for good,¡± growled Ava. She rapidly created two dimensional gates to trap Devon in a spatial loop in which he fell perpetually.

    ¡°Heeeyy!¡± shouted Devon, and fell into the dimensional gate, which brought him back a few meters above the gate. He sped up further and further.

    Saul attempted to extract Devon from the spatial loop, but was blocked by Ava, who sneered at the lich.

    ¡°Sstooppp thaaaat!¡± yelled Devon.

    Ava retrieved a crystal sphere from her storage item and channeled mana into it. A spatial trap was created that was locked with her signature.

    ¡°You stay here and watch the freak,¡± ordered Ava. ¡°I think I know now how to proceed.¡±

    Ava started teleporting around Syn. Whenever she encountered Syn citizens, she flung them out of the city using unanchored transfers.

    In contrast to Sigille or Matteo, the average citizen did not have any protections against space magic.

    Before anyone could reach Ava in time to stop her, she was already done and teleported to the next location.

    When Ava saw the Captain moving to target her or the spatial trap sealing Devon, Ava flung Syn citizens into the sky outside the city limits, thereby forcing flyers like the Captain to change direction if they wanted to rescue them.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Devon growled while falling. He clenched his teeth and his eyes burned with rage.

    Devon empowered his spell and summoned a large sheet of black ice.

    *SPLAT!*

    Many heads turned towards the sound of a body impacting on the ground.

    One of those heads was Terry¡¯s and his stomach plummeted when he saw that the only thing left of Devon was a bloody puddle.

    For a moment, everything seemed silent.

    ¡°What an idiot,¡± sneered one soldier inside the spatial lock.

    ¡°Who in their right mind stops a fall like that?¡± asked another soldier. ¡°Even if there was a slight chance to survive that, the netherfrost would suck what little life is left out of you.¡±

    Megumi stared at the bloody puddle. Her face was full of worry¡­ which turned to terror.

    ¡°I. SAID. STOP. IT.¡± A loud rumbling voice echoed from everywhere at once.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense went haywire. He became dizzy and nauseous. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that he was not the only one. Some of the flying soldiers were even dropping out of the sky because they could not control their mana anymore.

    The entire area became drowned in a terrifying mana and the earth quaked violently.

    The ungrateful blob?

    ¡°What am I thinking?¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°This is¡­¡±

    This is Devon¡¯s mana and yet different. A trace of another aspect¡­

    A bloody figure rose from the puddle on the black ice. The figure grew much taller than Devon used to be.

    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Megumi¡¯s heart sank. She quickly undid one of her leather straps. She retrieved a metal tube. ¡°Please, no.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Lizzy stepped away from the citizen¡¯s shelter and looked towards the source of the terrifying mana signature. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± She started running as fast as she could while retrieving a metal tube from her storage item.

    ¡°Oy,¡± uttered Sigille with wide eyes. For the first time in this battle, her calm was completely shaken. She quickly moved next to Megumi, who had arrived back on the ground and was clenching a metal tube.

    ¡°Is he still with us?¡± asked Sigille worriedly.

    Megumi wore a grave expression and unsealed the metal tube. From inside, she retrieved a scroll.

    ¡°Shit,¡± exclaimed Sigille and stretched her limbs. Afterwards, she tightly gripped her axe and prepared to dash forward. ¡°My poor back.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± mumbled Megumi. ¡°You can do it. You¡¯ve held out for so long. Don¡¯t let all this time be for nothing.¡±

    Lizzy was running and running. She kneed a soldier in the face that was trying to stand in her way without ever stopping. Finally, she could see what was happening outside the city.

    Lizzy¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Please hold on.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to stab you.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Don¡¯t give in now.¡±¡±¡± Even though they stood in different locations, both Megumi and Lizzy were muttering in unison.

    ¡°What is this thing?¡± asked one soldier inside the spatial lock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care,¡± replied a soldier with compound eyes like a fly¡¯s. ¡°Just kill it.¡±

    The soldiers unleashed their strongest abilities¡­ to no effect. All of their abilities were drowned in blood.

    The bloody giant surrounded himself with intense hellfire. The hellfire melted the black ice. The flames erupted and destroyed the dimensional gates.

    The bloody giant fell to the earth and smashed a palm of hellfire down at the soldiers.

    Waves of hellfire continued to erupt from the impact. The giant flames erased the existence of the soldiers. They also broke the spatial trap.

    Sigille¡¯s face stiffened, and involuntarily, a quiet yelp escaped her lips. She frowned at this nearly forgotten sound that was most unwelcome. She tightened her grip on her axe. Inscriptions on her equipment flared up in preparation, and her expression hardened.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Megumi had stopped blinking. Her eyes were glued to the bloody giant, while her hands were ready to rip her scroll at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The rumbling voice echoed through the sky again.

    The bloody giant stepped forward in large strides. Wherever his feet touched, a large sheet of netherfrost was created.

    ¡°Out of curiosity¡­¡± Sigille glanced at Megumi again. ¡°Does he have any weaknesses aside from being vulnerable to dimensional transfers?¡±

    Megumi shook her head without taking her eyes off of the bloody giant. ¡°Devon¡¯s defiance is what keeps the Devonian Lord in check. Master-level mind magic has a chance of being effective before the incarnation is finished, but that would affect Devon, too.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille grumbled to herself. ¡°The scroll?¡±

    ¡°Would buy time at the risk of wiping Devon¡¯s mind. If it does not work, there is no going back. With Devon¡¯s mind gone, it would only be a matter of time until the Devonian Lord incarnates into the vessel.¡±

    Sigille turned her attention back to the bloody giant and grumbled: ¡°My poor, poor back.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    The bloody giant jumped a vast distance and came down near a company of soldiers.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The bloody giant stepped towards the soldiers.

    The soldiers all unleashed their own abilities. None of them showed any sign of slowing down the bloody giant.

    Some soldiers attempted to escape while others prepared their defensive abilities.

    Megumi stared at the bloody giant with quavering breaths.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The earth stopped quaking.

    A giant palm of hellfire later, nearly an entire company of soldiers was gone. The only survivors were those that had chosen to escape.

    ¡°I¡­ am allowed to defend people.¡±

    The bloody giant shrank, and from the blood stepped an angry naked mage.

    Megumi and Lizzy heaved sighs of relief.

    Devon seemed groggy ¨C as if he had just woken up. He shook his head and then ran at the nearest soldier that was threatening Syn and his friends.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Sigille was still in her battle stance and glanced at Megumi. ¡°Is he alright now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Megumi nodded absentmindedly. ¡°Fortunately.¡±

    Lizzy was already running back to the shelter. She encountered the same soldier from before again and kneed him in the back of the head. This time, she had reshaped her armor at the knee to create a spike.

    Devon stopped incinerating soldiers and looked at the horizon in the east. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes.

    ***

 058 Terry Style

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    Ava gulped at what she had just seen. Even after the bloody giant had disappeared, she was still frozen with a primal terror and a cold chill was lingering around her spine.

    When Ava finally jolted out of her daze, she cursed at herself. Ava immediately channeled mana to teleport again.

    However, before Ava could teleport, the space had been sealed.

    Black shackles were binding her. Bone spears assaulted her from all sides.

    A crystal on Ava¡¯s necklace glowed brightly, and a white barrier blocked all attacks.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Ava retrieved an item and then erased the spatial lock.

    While Saul was preparing to renew the spatial lock around Ava, Ava had hurled the item away.

    When the item hit the ground, a temporary dimensional gate opened with the paired item that was still with one of the commanders.

    Immediately after the gate had opened, soldiers started pouring into Syn.

    While Saul was thus occupied, Ava managed to escape.

    ***

    ¡°Crap,¡± cursed Terry and dodged the weird jaw-like projectile that shot at him from below.

    Always the fourth one that is annoying. Just like the Alricks.

    Terry glared at the soldier that he was currently pulling towards himself.

    The woman¡¯s skin had turned completely red, and she had some strange ability to shoot a jaw that seemed to be formed from lava.

    With the first three soldiers, Terry¡¯s approach had worked without a hitch. He picked a target that seemed incapable of teleportation and flight. He pulled them into the air, pinned them between transfixed items and then finished them off.

    The third one had been skilled at long-range attacks, but Terry only had to avoid exposing a direct line of sight. Still workable.

    The fourth one, however, posed a slight problem: The woman was not a pure channeler and capable of a disruption discharge.

    Luckily, the woman had been impatient and disrupted the tertium slabs as soon as she was within range. If she had waited long enough to follow up with an attack on Terry¡­

    No point dwelling on it¡ª Wait, why was she so impatient?

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Terry put his right hand on his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡±

    No comment.

    Terry started stepping further up into the air and dodged the woman¡¯s projectiles whenever he had to.

    When Terry judged the height high enough, he deactivated his glove and let the woman fall to her death.

    That could have been a lot faster.

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Terry grumbled and picked his next target. ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    Terry sensed the signature of one of Syn¡¯s human guards up in the air. ¡°Did he have a flying ability?¡±

    If so, he is excellent at hiding it¡­

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry was about to summon one of his roped rings.

    Not fast enough from here, numbskull! RUN!

    Terry burst his mana and rushed forward. Activating the extension layer with as little mana as possible. Jumping with as much strength as possible. Repeat.

    Terry had trained the sequence until it had become second nature.

    Somewhat.

    Terry mistimed one foot by infusing slightly too much mana into the imprint activation, but he managed to correct the movement by delaying the activation for the second foot accordingly.

    When Terry was close enough, he threw a roped ring into the air with his right hand and activated the Gravitational Attraction glove with his left hand.

    Terry put his arm through the roped ring that was still in his hand and pushed the gymnastic ring up to his shoulder.

    Terry pulled the man towards himself and thereby slowed down the man¡¯s fall while increasing his own speed.

    ¡°Got you!¡± exclaimed Terry and grabbed the man with both hands.

    The man had terror in his eyes and did not respond.

    Terry let himself fall and relied on the roped rings to bring himself and the Guard back to earth.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Wha¡ª Wastes, I thought I was dead for sure.¡± The man was extremely pale. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Happy to help!¡± For the first time since the battle had started, Terry managed a heartfelt smile.

    Battle is still going on. Make yourself useful.

    ¡°Right,¡± muttered Terry to himself.

    ¡°What?¡± asked the guard.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ nothing.¡±

    Weirdo.

    ¡°Actually, what happened? How did you get up there?¡±

    ¡°Beats me.¡± The guard shrugged. ¡°Dimensional mage, I guess.¡±

    Try not to run into that one.

    Terry cleared his throat. ¡°I should go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± The guard sighed. ¡°Stay safe.¡±

    Terry threw an octavum needle and pulled himself up into the air again.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry concentrated on his mana sense. ¡°That one!¡±

    Terry used his roped rings to swing towards his target. A man that was completely covered with colorful fish scales was running through Syn¡¯s central park.

    Terry activated his Gravitational Attraction glove.

    ¡°Hurgh.¡± Terry felt as if he had caught one of his boulders and he immediately had to deactivate the glove.

    The soldier with fish scales stopped running and turned towards Terry. He displayed a derisive sneer.

    Uh-oh.

    A moment later, Terry met the boulder again ¨C only this time, it had come to rest on Terry¡¯s shoulders.

    Terry was forced to deactivate his boot imprints to avoid being crushed against immovable layers. He plunged towards the ground.

    Terry activated the extension pearls in his bracers one by one. Whenever a pearl deactivated and returned to its position at the bracer, Terry activated it again.

    This way, Terry gradually slowed his fall despite the increased pressure on himself. He arrived safely on the ground.

    The boulder had vanished again.

    The soldier was rushing towards Terry.

    ¡°Crap.¡±

    How does this ability work? Increase in gravity? Increase in weight? Pressure manipulation? Some kind of force magic?

    ¡°Screw it.¡± Terry ran away.

    In the time it takes to deal with the rainbow fishie, I could go after several others¡­

    ¡°Hurgh.¡± Terry fell to his knees. The boulder was back.

    I think rainbow fishie has taken a liking to you, you little charmer.

    ¡°Cowards get crushed,¡± snarled the soldier. He had stopped more than a dozen meters away from Terry.

    Terry quickly retrieved a tertium slab with handles and transfixed it in front of himself. Afterwards, he peeked at the soldier from behind the slab.

    Why isn¡¯t he doing anything?

    No long-range attacks?

    Why isn¡¯t he coming closer?

    Terry narrowed his eyes.

    Maybe he¡¯s shy?

    ¡°Not helping.¡± Terry forcefully shook his head. ¡°Focus.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Terry exhaled a breath of air when the feeling of pressure was finally gone.

    Immediately after the pressure had been lifted, the scaled soldier dashed forward until he was only three meters away from Terry.

    Terry continued to hide behind the slab.

    ¡°No escape,¡± said the soldier and clapped his hands.

    Terry could sense a mana distortion.

    Seems somewhat familiar?

    Go at him with the mana sublimator?

    But then what about ethereal assailants I might meet later?

    Take a quick trip into a dungeon to collect more cores?

    ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Terry exclaimed sarcastically.

    Do something!

    Terry summoned a throwing needle. He dashed away from his shielding slab, hurled the needle at the soldier, and dashed back behind the slab.

    ¡°Tak.¡±

    Terry saw the needle colliding with something invisible between himself and the soldier.

    I don¡¯t even see anything in mana sight¡­

    ¡°You can die now,¡± said the soldier and clapped his hands twice in quick succession.

    The air around Terry turned freezing and snow appeared and piled up.

    Terry shivered, but paid close attention to how the snow flew and fell around him.

    Invisible cage? More like a barrier. No gaps¡­ But also no noticeable mana signature. Only a distortion¡­

    Terry backed away from the tertium slab and summoned his fire-aspected spear. He attacked the strange barrier.

    Unfortunately, the strange barrier showed no reaction.

    At least the fire-aspected spear tip can warm you up a bit. Doubt that will work for long, though.

    Terry summoned his war hammer and smashed it into the obstruction¡­ Still no success. It was as if he attacked an immovable wall.

    Strange twist of fate? Karma?

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry could see his own breath.

    ¡°No use, just accept your death quietly.¡± The soldier smirked from outside.

    Terry burst his mana and swung the hammer again.

    However, the barrier did not budge.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Terry stopped bursting his mana and examined the strange barrier more closely.

    The war hammer showed no result, but it was also not damaged. Terry took this to mean that the strange barrier did not inflict damage.

    Terry moved his fingertips over the strange layer that trapped him inside.

    No choice but to put more oomph into it.

    Terry burst his mana while he still had his hand on the strange barrier. The sound of something shattering entered his ears and, unexpectedly, Terry¡¯s hand felt no resistance anymore.

    ¡°What?¡± The soldier was dumbstruck. ¡°How did you¡­?!¡±

    Don¡¯t ask me.

    More importantly, RUN, YOU IDIOT!

    Terry abandoned the tertium slab and dashed away.

    ¡°OH NO, YOU DON¡¯T!¡± shouted the soldier.

    Terry fell to one knee again and gritted his teeth at the feeling of being crushed.

    Force your way through? But that would mean continuous bursting¡­

    Terry shook his head and stopped bursting his mana. He gritted his teeth and withstood the soldier¡¯s ability in his balanced mana consumption state.

    Eventually, the pressure subsided.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    A second later, the soldier clapped his hands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can pull that off again,¡± sneered the soldier. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that a worm like you is a dimensional mage.¡±

    He has a point there.

    Terry stood up and stretched his limbs. He walked back to the tertium slab, which was barely inside the strange barrier. Terry collected the slab back into his storage bracelet.

    If the soldier had no proper long-range attacks, then Terry had no need to hide.

    The soldier clapped his hands twice, and another snowstorm started to rage inside the barrier.

    Terry replayed in his mind what he had done before. The shattering sound stood out in his memory, because just like the mana distortion, it felt oddly familiar. Terry believed he had heard that exact sound before.

    But what is the connection between this trap and Alrik¡¯s secret dungeon?

    Terry walked forward towards the soldier until he reached the invisible resistance. He retrieved his fire-aspected short spear again.

    Terry placed his hand on the strange barrier. He stared at the soldier that stood not far from him. Without losing contact with the barrier, Terry took a stance, ready for sprinting forward.

    What does¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± said Terry. He burst his mana and a familiar shattering sound followed.

    Terry charged at the soldier.

    ¡°What?!¡± The soldier was surprised but reacted on instinct. His forearms glowed in many colors and he blocked Terry¡¯s spear attack.

    Terry darted around the soldier and attacked from behind.

    The soldier turned and as soon as his eyes were pointed back to Terry¡­

    Terry activated the Blinding Flash imprint in his right glove.

    The soldier moved his arms together and a rainbow-colored shield appeared in front of his arms. However, the expected impact did not follow.

    A chill ran down the soldier¡¯s spine, and he quickly turned on instinct.

    Terry attacked him with his cold-fire aspected spear in one hand and a barrier spear in his other hand.

    The soldier readied his glowing forearms to block both spears¡­ which left his chest wide open.

    Terry jumped slightly and transfixed the center pearls on his bracers in front of him. He swung with bent knees, transfixed his back armor, burst his mana, and then kicked the soldier with both legs.

    The soldier was thrown back.

    ¡°ARRHG!¡± The soldier stared at Terry in shock. Then, he looked down at his stomach and saw the fire-aspected spear that had pierced through him.

    Terry had transfixed the fire-aspected spear under the cover of the blinding flash.

    Terry charged forward with his two short spears in hand.

    The soldier moved his forearms to block again, but Terry simply darted around the soldier.

    The soldier gritted his teeth and threw himself forward to avoid having Terry at his back. Unfortunately for the soldier, the fire-aspected spear remained immovable and the soldier¡¯s movement tore his own stomach further apart.

    Terry charged at the wounded soldier.

    The soldier coughed up blood and grabbed Terry¡¯s spears.

    Terry rapidly switched his grip and held the spears near the end of their poles in reverse grip. He pushed them up and a moment later, the poles were placed above the soldier¡¯s wrists. Without pause, Terry transfixed both spears and dashed between them towards the soldier¡¯s chest.

    The soldier saw Terry move a hand to the dagger at Terry¡¯s hip. The soldier wanted to move, but the reflexes that training had ingrained into his body were blocked by immovable spears.

    The last thing the soldier saw was an inscribed dagger rushing towards him.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Terry took deep breaths to calm down again.

    What does bursting oscillating mana have to do with the shattering sound?

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Something, apparently. Seemed to shatter the trap from the rainbow fishie.¡±

    The dungeon?

    ¡°Space was sealed there in some way. Otherwise, the Recall scroll would have worked.¡±

    But didn¡¯t you hear the sound before Gellath tried his scroll?

    ¡°I heard the sound multiple times. Maybe the trap recovered. Or maybe the effect is limited to me? Or maybe¡­ Not the time.¡±

    Right. Don¡¯t take out your notebook. I know you want to.

    Make yourself useful.

    ***

    Terry glared at the annoying soldier that refused to die.

    At first, everything had been going according to plan. However, when Terry tried to pin the woman with his spears against the immovable slab, things went sideways.

    The soldier had an ability that allowed her to liquify parts of her body. She had liquified the parts that were blocked by the spears and escaped Terry¡¯s trap with no trouble.

    The soldier had formed icy claws on her hands and pounced on Terry.

    Terry had quickly backed off and tried to let her drop from up high. Unfortunately, the soldier had yet another annoying ability. Shortly before the impact, the woman had turned completely translucent, like a blue crystal.

    The soldier had taken no damage whatsoever.

    Look for a new target?

    The soldier was glaring back at Terry from below.

    Try asking her if she could pretend that nothing happened.

    The soldier formed a circle with her hands and then a blue beam of light escaped from there to shoot at Terry.

    Terry evaded by switching from his boot imprints to his mid-ankle pearls and letting himself fall backwards.

    Afterwards, Terry somersaulted in the air to get back into a standing position before resuming his staring match with the soldier below.

    ¡°There must be a reason she did not liquify to avoid the gravitational attraction. Some kind of limitation to the ability.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and then used his glove to pull the soldier towards himself.

    The soldier glared at Terry and did not move a muscle while being lifted into the air.

    Terry threw an octavum needle into her path.

    The soldier liquified around the transfixed needle without taking any damage.

    With normal spellwork, it would require a high-level spell to liquify the equipment together with the body. Channelers are such cheats.

    Terry retrieved a barrier spear and deactivated his boots. He and the soldier were now pulled towards each other.

    The soldier equipped her icy claws again.

    Terry deactivated his glove and used his boots to air-jump towards the soldier¡¯s back.

    The soldier rotated in the air with eyes fixed on Terry. Unfortunately for her, she could not stop her movement whenever she wanted.

    Terry rapidly struck with his spear.

    The soldier evaded the attack by liquifying parts of her body.

    The woman fell and Terry moved around her while repeatedly striking at her from all sides.

    Terry pulled her up again and then swung around with his imprinted pearls. Instead of striking out with his spear, Terry lightly touched the metal toe-cap on one of the woman¡¯s boots.

    The soldier¡¯s toe-cap became immovable while the woman continued rotating sideways in the air.

    Terry retrieved a septimum needle into his left hand and moved towards the back of the woman.

    The woman screamed when her ankle sprained. She hurriedly liquified her leg.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Terry and transfixed the septimum needle while continuing to move around the woman.

    The toe-cap did not get liquified¡­

    Before the woman¡¯s leg solidified again, Terry struck out with his spear. He aimed for the woman¡¯s head.

    The woman liquified her head and glared at Terry, who was retrieving his coldfire-aspected spear.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± The soldier screamed when she fell on the transfixed septimum needle. The needle entered her flesh and prevented her from falling further.

    Terry immediately activated the barrier in his spear and lunged at the soldier with both spears in hand.

    To Terry¡¯s chagrin, the woman liquified herself rapidly at whatever location he aimed at.

    Terry activated his Blinding Flash glove.

    The soldier immediately crystallized after losing her eyesight.

    *Tak* Terry¡¯s barrier spear harmlessly collided with the crystallized woman¡¯s chest.

    Seems as if she cannot move in that form.

    Terry darted around the woman and exchanged his barrier spear with the spear that Tiana¡¯s brother had aspected for him with lightning.

    Terry placed the lightning-aspected spear-tip at the woman¡¯s nape and the coldfire-aspected spear into the wound from the needle.

    After transfixing the spears, Terry quickly returned to the woman¡¯s front and retrieved the one-handed war hammer he had received from Damian, the Thanatos soldier.

    Terry grabbed the war hammer with both hands and raised it up. He activated the Enlarge Metal Object imprint, followed by the Immovable Object imprints in his bracers. He sensed for mana fluctuations and glared down at the soldier with bated breath.

    Now!

    Terry deactivated his bracers and smashed the enlarged hammerhead into the soldier¡¯s body that had become vulnerable again.

    Terry could hear his own heartbeat while he watched the life disappear from the soldier¡¯s eyes.

    Dodge!

    Terry deactivated all his immovable equipment and fell to dodge an ice spike that had been thrown at him from behind. During his fall, he returned the one-handed war hammer to his storage bracelet.

    Terry transfixed an extension pearl on his bracer and rotated in the air to view the assailant.

    ¡°Crap.¡±

    The enemy soldier had a pair of icy wings on her back.

    Terry frowned. He had tried hard to avoid getting tangled up with an enemy capable of flight.

    Bolas? But there are many ice-based abilities that could cut the rope¡­

    Close combat? Doesn¡¯t look like she wants to get close. Use the glove?

    While Terry was still trying to order his thoughts, the enemy soldier was hit by a death spear from a pair of death mages that had been chasing her through the sky.

    The woman ignited in a cyan fire while falling. On the ground, a new skeletal warrior emerged and ran to the frontline.

    You need a plan for flying enemies.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± shouted Terry. He did not know if the death mages had heard him.

    Can¡¯t always rely on others to save you.

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Terry grumbled. ¡°Maybe I should stay near the ground for now.¡±

    ***

    I think you picked the wrong opponent.

    ¡°You think?¡± exclaimed Terry sarcastically while bolting through the streets of Syn.

    How can the chubby chonker be so fast?

    Terry had tried to ambush a soldier, only to find out that not all of the soldier¡¯s body was made up of fat. The man wore some kind of tortoise shell underneath his loose clothes and Terry¡¯s spear failed to inflict any real damage.

    *WRAM!* The angry soldier created a shortcut by crashing through the wall of a house.

    Was that my room? I hope not¡­

    The soldier stood in front of Terry. Each of his hands was holding a large club.

    Terry¡¯s instincts told him to run.

    Nope.

    A foreign mana signature appeared behind Terry and cut off his path of retreat.

    Felan?

    ¡°No, just hairy,¡± mumbled Terry to himself.

    A woman stood there with a whip in hand. She was wearing studded leather armor. All exposed skin was covered in long hair.

    Terry glanced up.

    Nopety nope.

    Right above Terry, several death mages were engaging enemy soldiers.

    I hope the equipment from Aunt Sigille is effective.

    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± grumbled Terry.

    Terry examined the mana signatures of the soldiers and their equipment.

    ¡°Let me try something.¡± Terry dashed towards the tortoise soldier. He had to jump left to evade a whip that had struck towards him from behind.

    ¡°Come, little pipsqueak!¡± sneered the enormous man.

    Joke¡¯s on him. I¡¯m pretty tall for a dwarf.

    Terry snorted and burst his mana.

    A giant club swung at Terry from his left. The club collided with an immovable bracer. Terry quickly struck his right palm at the club and transfixed it in the air.

    Next, Terry deactivated his left bracer and ducked beneath the man¡¯s arm to avoid any potential attack from the second club.

    Before the man could realize what was going on with his weapon, Terry touched the vambrace on the man¡¯s right arm and transfixed it in the air.

    The soldier¡¯s skin became flushed and some kind of steam rose from his skin. His eyes turned completely red. Unfortunately for him, even the increase in strength did not allow him to move the immovable items.

    Terry gave a quick glance towards the woman to make sure her path of attack was still blocked by the other soldier.

    Terry jumped and leaned back to transfix his back plate, and then he kicked at the man¡¯s elbow. The arm broke above the joint.

    Terry deactivated his imprint and dashed towards the man¡¯s back. In passing, he touched the soldier¡¯s greaves and transfixed them in place.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned.

    The woman had arrived next to her comrade.

    Terry wanted to summon a spear and attack the man¡¯s head while his movement was limited.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    The man had pulled his head and the remaining arm into his tortoise shell.

    Meanwhile, Terry and the woman were playing catch around the man because Terry always tried to keep the immobilized soldier between himself and the woman until he saw a good opportunity.

    While Terry was circling the soldier, he drew his inscribed dagger and cut at the man¡¯s exposed wrist and thighs.

    Shouldn¡¯t he be dead by now? Why doesn¡¯t he appear dead? You think he¡¯s related to Alrick?

    It¡¯s a nice touch that the increasing pool of blood makes it harder for the woman to keep up.

    Terry narrowed his eyes.

    Is she out of breath? Already?

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Terry realized one of the fundamental differences between a pure channeler and a mana cultivator.

    Yay for balance! Double-yay for mana regeneration training!

    ¡°What is her ability though?¡± Terry did not feel relaxed at all, despite his advantage.

    ¡°Tsk,¡± uttered the woman. She bit the wrist on her hand that was holding the whip and blood flowed onto the weapon. Then the woman flung her whip again.

    As before, Terry ran to dodge. Unexpectedly, the whip suddenly developed a will of its own, and the bladed tip lunged at Terry like a snake.

    Terry moved his head out of major harm¡¯s way, but still received a graze.

    A drop of blood ran down Terry¡¯s cheek and a smirk appeared on the woman¡¯s face. Her hair started moving upward even though there was no wind. Her pupils turned completely black.

    ¡°What?¡± Terry dodged as a shadowy figure attacked him with a dagger.

    The figure¡¯s shape resembled Terry¡¯s. Two more such figures appeared around Terry.

    You started with two. Now you¡¯re at five. Or, well, four-and-a-half to be fair. Still, there is a trend. Good job, Terry!

    Terry wanted to retort that it could be worse and that the shadows only had a dagger.

    Use the mana sublimator? You should really learn to do discharges¡­

    ¡°Focus,¡± spat Terry while dodging the attacks from the shadows.

    Terry felt a mana signature from above and jumped to the side. A fireball smashed into the ground and fire licked Terry¡¯s body.

    I would have expected fireballs to hurt much more. What¡¯s going on?

    Terry felt a mana layer around himself. The source of the barrier was the pendant that Sigille had given him.

    Alright, you still have a fighting chance.

    Terry clenched his fists and stared at the enemy above¡­ A moment later, the sky above him changed.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry looked around to realize that he was in a completely different location. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    In his previous location, Sigille used a light-aspected burst. Her whole body radiated an intense light-aspected mana signature, and she ripped the shadows apart.

    Afterwards, Sigille¡¯s aspected burst ended and the inscriptions on her equipment flared up. She whacked the fireball-throwing soldier out of the sky and cleaved the soldiers apart with her axe.

    The whole process had barely taken three seconds.

    Terry was still trying to get his bearings. He could see Matteo¡¯s lightning to the left of him, which meant that Terry was not completely lost.

    A soldier that had transformed into a horned monster charged at Terry. The soldier had the kind of intense mana signature that Terry had tried to avoid the whole time.

    Before Terry could bolt away, his surroundings had changed again.

    ¡°What?¡± Terry looked around in confusion. He could sense Matteo¡¯s signature to the right as well as¡­

    Matteo is fighting the monstrous soldier¡­

    Terry glanced at the silver rings on his hands. ¡°So that¡¯s what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    A moment later, Terry was back in his original location. He could see some familiar soldiers that had turned into bisected corpses.

    You should get some of Gretchen¡¯s cookies for your aunt.

    Terry nodded to himself.

    Makes your own contributions seem a bit insignificant, doesn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Right. Go make yourself useful. As little use as it might be...

    Behind Terry, the corpses ignited in cyan flames and new skeletal warriors rose to fight for Syn City. Shortly thereafter, purple hands appeared out of nowhere and a group of death spirits joined them.

    Terry turned around when he sensed the flickering mana of the skeletal warriors. He caught a reflection from the ground near one of them.

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± Terry put a hand on his sheath belt. The place where his aspected throwing needle should have been was empty.

    How did you manage to lose it again?

    Terry picked up the aspected throwing needle from the ground and squinted at it.

    ***

    ¡°Captain!¡± shouted Devon, and ran over. He was wearing someone¡¯s cloak wrapped around his waist like a towel. As so often, Devon was completely covered in blood.

    Megumi furrowed her brows and descended to listen to what Devon had to say.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Megumi.

    Devon explained what he had sensed, and Megumi¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets. Cold sweat was gathering on her forehead.

    ¡°Is this because of your earlier¡­¡± The Captain stared at the horizon with clenched teeth and eyes wide open. ¡°Wastes. Thanks, Devon. I¡¯ll inform the others.¡±

    The Captain soared into the sky. First, she flew to Saul.

    Saul received the news in silence and then spoke in a somber tone. ¡°Time to switch to the barrier.¡±

    Afterwards, the Captain flew to Sigille, who was currently cleaning up around Terry.

    ¡°What?¡± Sigille frowned. ¡°Well, shit.¡±

    Sigille puffed her cheeks and then sighed. ¡°Hah, I think my pa had a phrase for situations like this. From his time in the military.¡±

    Megumi stared at the horizon with hollow eyes. ¡°Charlie Foxtrot?¡±

    A corner of Sigille¡¯s lips curled upwards in reminiscence. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the one.¡±

    Megumi nodded. Her eyes were tinged with dread.

    ***

 059 Charlie Foxtrot

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    Devon¡¯s warning and Saul¡¯s command traveled through the defense forces. They slowly pulled back inside the range of the barrier.

    Sigille appeared next to Terry. ¡°You should go to either Ying or Saul. Once the barrier is set, this will become primarily a battle between dimensional mages.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we do anything about that Ava woman?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Dimensional mages are a pain to deal with and an even bigger pain to catch.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°Saul and Ying largely counter her, but they can¡¯t afford to focus entirely on one person.¡±

    ¡°Matteo and I have some items prepared for such cases, but those are onetime use and as long as Ava is countered, it is not worth it yet.¡± Sigille smacked her lips. ¡°Besides, in some way, Ava is helping us without realizing it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°Ava we can deal with somehow, but her mother would be a different matter.¡± Sigille frowned subconsciously. ¡°Worst-case scenario here is that Ava ropes in her mother to assist her with the imperial army.¡±

    Sigille glanced towards a skeletal warrior that was approaching them. ¡°While it is making Ying nervous, I am personally quite happy that Ava is doing her part to destabilize space around here. That rules out the possibility of someone opening another long-distance dimensional gate anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Lady Sigille, Saul has asked if you could help out at the eastern front,¡± said a skeletal warrior.

    Terry had to do a double-take at the voice.

    Sigille nodded and turned to Terry. ¡°Remember, stay close to our dimensional mages.¡± Afterwards, her inscriptions flared up, and she darted away.

    ¡°Logan?¡± asked Terry.

    The skeletal warrior scratched his skull where a cheek used to be. ¡°One cultist exploded after death. No chance for me to get away in time.¡±

    Good thing you haven¡¯t run into one of those. Yet another problem you need to be prepared for.

    Don¡¯t take out your notebook.

    ¡°Ah well,¡± exclaimed Logan. ¡°No helping it. While I can¡¯t swing as hard as before, I¡¯ll catch up to my past self in no time.¡± The cyan flames in his eye sockets flickered determinedly. ¡°With all the deaths in the area, the Light is speeding up our growth.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± muttered Terry with clenched fists.

    ¡°On the bright side, I don¡¯t have to play lifefolk representative for Syn City anymore. Next time, someone strange pops up near the city, I can lay back while one of the skinbags has to deal with it.¡± Logan laughed.

    ***

    Sigille dodged a translucent green palm that came flying at her from the right. Inscriptions on her boots flared up, and she jumped back to evade a rain of blades from a different opponent.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille glared at the two enemy commanders that had made their way inside the range of the barrier. She wanted to kick them out before the barrier was activated.

    ¡°You¡¯re a stubborn bunch,¡± grumbled Sigille and swung her axe. Not far from her, a divine hammer manifested and followed the trajectory of Sigille¡¯s axe.

    ¡°Right back at you, dwarf,¡± said a silver giant whose whole body was covered in blades that could move in spirals to drill into his opponents.

    The silver giant clenched a fist, and the white crystals on his knuckles glowed brightly. He punched at the divine hammer and the mana shattered into pieces.

    Sigille scowled at the repeating phenomenon. These white crystals were embedded at the man¡¯s knuckles, knees, and elbows. They seemed to carry an anti-magic property.

    ¡°No matter how strong you are, you are just one person,¡± said the second commander. ¡°Today will be your end.¡± Both of his emerald eyes contained twin pupils, and he leered at Sigille.

    The emerald-eyed commander smashed his open palms forward in a trained pattern. Translucent green palms were flying forward and enlarged to attack Sigille.

    Sigille activated two inscriptions at once to summon a barrier in front of her and to attack the emerald-eyed commander. She wanted to charge at the man but had to pull back when the silver giant lunged at her with blades rotating around his arms.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille glared at the pair. ¡°Where did the Preacher even find you? Shouldn¡¯t cultists at your level be known already?¡±

    Sigille raised her chin at the emerald-eyed commander. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re a follower of the Bodhi Tree, but you¡­¡± She turned to the silver giant. ¡°I haven¡¯t even heard of a cult that is granting abilities similar to yours.¡±

    ¡°Cult, huh?¡± The emerald-eyed follower of the Bodhi Tree glared at Sigille. ¡°Many like us had to hide our faith because of the bigotry promoted by those like you.¡±

    ¡°I represent the Vigilant and the Virtuous,¡± said the silver giant proudly.

    Sigille rolled her eyes and groaned.

    ¡°Minister Kipkoi was the first to make a credible promise that we could finally profess our faith out in the open without fear of persecution,¡± said the emerald-eyed commander.

    ¡°What you call professing faith, I call selling your soul,¡± retorted Sigille. She looked at the silver giant. ¡°And I don¡¯t see any virtue in assaulting innocent people in their homes.¡±

    ¡°Improving the situation of my fellow faithful is my duty,¡± said the silver giant. ¡°For that, I have given an oath to follow Minister Kipkoi for Tiv. Keeping promises is a virtue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s blasphemy that someone like you is allowed a nickname like the Divine Hammer,¡± snarled the emerald-eyed man.

    ¡°Not like I picked it for myself, you know.¡± Sigille shrugged unconcernedly. ¡°Go complain to the mana crafter that chose the name for my favorite inscription.¡±

    ¡°People speak of you as if you were a legend. It is only fitting that you will be crushed by those following true divinity. Once the likes of you have fallen to us, people will know the true strength of the devout.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to try.¡± Sigille¡¯s lips curved into a grin. ¡°But I think you¡¯re out of time for now.¡±

    Inscriptions lit up on Sigille¡¯s equipment. She charged at the emerald-eyed man and summoned a divine hammer for a second line of attack.

    The silver giant pulled back his fist, and the crystals glowed brightly. He punched at the translucent golden hammer that was assaulting his comrade.

    Before the anti-magic fist could reach the divine hammer, a purple lightning dragon crashed into the silver giant.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± The silver giant howled in pain.

    After the lightning dragon came Matteo with Soul Fury in his right hand. From his left hand, Matteo shot an unending barrage of blue lightning at the silver giant.

    With one opponent blocked, Sigille closed in on the emerald-eyed commander. The man used a defensive technique that propelled several green palms in all directions.

    Sigille did not directly attack him. Instead, Sigille activated another inscription, and a strong repulsion field was generated with her at the center. The enemy commander was flung far away.

    Matteo stomped his foot on the ground and the earth in front of him turned into a wave that carried the silver giant outside the barrier¡¯s range.

    Matteo put his left hand on the hilt of his heart-seeker dagger. ¡°How much time is left?¡±

    ¡°Should be right up,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Your timing was impeccable. Well done.¡±

    ¡°The tall one seemed to have some annoying abilities, but I know that you could have handled them by yourself.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°As long as it¡¯s just those two, yes. A few more like them and I would have to go all out and right now, that¡¯s not a good move. Better to have them preserve some of their strength or they won¡¯t be much use in cleaning up the mess they have caused.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s Devon¡¯s current estimate?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°To quote: ¡®A thousand Captains¡¯,¡± replied Sigille, and grinned. ¡°A peculiar scout. Even ignoring his talent for scaring people shitless.¡± She shook her head slightly. ¡°Abyssal aspects and a vessel that is practically immortal and undying. I wouldn¡¯t blame a lich king for weeing her knickers when Devon creates scenes like today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Matteo became pensive. ¡°First time I¡¯ve seen him come close to losing it in person.¡±

    Finally, Syn¡¯s barrier activated in front of the two.

    The enemy commanders that were rushing back towards them had to come to an abrupt stop to avoid colliding with the barrier.

    ¡°Looks reasonably stable to me,¡± remarked Matteo. ¡°Think the anti-magic ability will pose a threat to the barrier?¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡± Sigille shook her head slightly. ¡°There is a difference in power between personal items and large-scale constructions. That silver guy¡¯s ability is limited in scope. Amelia or Dargones could probably open up a larger hole, but even that would be closed quickly with the next pulse.¡±

    Matteo nodded.

    The two enemy commanders walked up to the barrier and glared at Matteo and Sigille.

    ¡°Thanks for abandoning your defensive towers,¡± said the silver giant. ¡°That will save many innocent lives.¡±

    Sigille snorted.

    ¡°Have you turned into cowards?¡± sneered the emerald-eyed commander.

    Terry had been waiting nearby and lowered himself with a roped ring.

    Shortly afterwards, Saul appeared out of thin air.

    Sigille nodded towards them and then returned her attention back to the enemy commanders behind the barrier.

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°Alright, my groping tree-hugger.¡± She raised her chin at the emerald-eyed commander. ¡°And sparkly villain.¡± She raised her chin at the silver giant.

    The silver giant frowned unhappily at being called a villain.

    Sigille did not care about his displeasure. ¡°Let me give you one piece of friendly advice ¨C from one Tiv citizen to another: Bugger off while you still can.¡±

    ¡°In your dreams, you piece of shit.¡± The emerald-eyed commander displayed a snarl. ¡°Your attitude is reason enough to crush you into a pulp, but today I¡¯ve seen you kill my subordinates, my comrades, my fellow worshippers, and my friends. No matter what, I won¡¯t let you go. This feud has become irreconcilable. We¡¯ll fight until one of us dies!¡±

    ¡°Fine then,¡± retorted Sigille nonchalantly. ¡°We¡¯ll fight until you die. Got it.¡±

    The emerald-eyed commander¡¯s face contorted into a grimace. His eyelid twitched at being so casually dismissed.

    Terry had to suppress a snort at his aunt¡¯s ability to tick people off.

    Matteo grinned and returned Soul Fury back to its sheath.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect the rest of us to avoid killing him so that you can settle this personally?¡± asked Saul.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± replied Sigille casually. ¡°The groping tree-hugger isn¡¯t worth that much attention.¡±

    While a vein pulsated on the forehead of the enemy commander, the group of Syn defenders distanced themselves from the barrier.

    Terry stumbled and his heart skipped a beat when his mana sense finally told him why Syn had activated the barrier. He stared at the horizon.

    That must be tens of thousands of death signatures...

    ¡°Is this?¡± Terry felt like vomiting again, but his stomach was already empty.

    ¡°The big one?¡± Sigille looked at Terry. ¡°Yes. Today will be a long day.¡±

    Megumi descended from the sky with a grave expression. ¡°Arrival is imminent. Best plan would be to create a united front against the horde, but¡­¡±

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°From a military perspective, yeah, but that would presuppose that everyone present was sane and reasonable. We still need to safeguard Syn¡¯s citizens, even after the horde has been dealt with. On that account, I don¡¯t trust the words of the Preacher¡¯s folks for a second.¡±

    ¡°I know, but still¡­¡± Megumi sighed. ¡°As it stands, we have three major objectives to focus on and every single one is critical. Ensure that the barrier holds. Overpower the enemies¡¯ death aura so that corpses can be claimed by Syn. Maintain control of the dimensional space. That last one unfortunately competes with the first two, because it requires attention from Ying and Saul.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± said Sigille. ¡°But it will be annoying. We need to capture Ava, then we can make an attempt for a political safeguard.¡±

    Megumi raised an eyebrow skeptically. ¡°From what Lizzy told me, Ava is not exactly¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we will not negotiate with Ava. Instead, I intend to escalate this over her head. Two heads up actually.¡±

    Realization dawned on Megumi. She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

    ¡°However, for that to work, we need to capture Ava first,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like postponing the call for assistance from the Wasteguard for politics.¡± Megumi¡¯s words sounded like a long sigh.

    ¡°Welcome to the club,¡± said Sigille. She threw a grim glance at the army outside the barrier. ¡°They made a really poor choice.¡±

    ***

    The blood drained from Ava¡¯s face when she spotted the flood of undead approaching. The runners had already started charging at her army.

    Her features contorted in hapless fury and she searched for the mana signatures of the Tiv Guardians.

    It did not take long, because both Sigille¡¯s and Megumi¡¯s groups were waiting together with Ying in the middle of Syn City¡¯s park. Saul had taken over watching the Heart.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± demanded Ava. ¡°Have you called for the assistance of even more undead?!¡±

    Sigille rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Ignorant fool,¡± spat Lizzy.

    ¡°Hold your tongue if you do not know what you are talking about,¡± said Megumi. ¡°Every Wasteguard could have told you that this is a risk of large-scale battles in the Wastes. If you had consulted with any local Wasteguard, they would have told you that this large horde is roaming in the area. Why didn¡¯t you do so before marching your wasted army here?¡±

    ¡°Wasteguard¡­¡± Hope and desperation mixed in Ava¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where is the Wasteguard then? Eradicating such a horde is their duty¡­¡±

    ¡°The Wasteguard is engaging the Wastes at the Wasteborder,¡± replied Megumi. ¡°Not out here. As I have explained to you before, there are tremendous risks in fighting on this side of the Bulwark. No Wasteguard would do so without a very good reason.¡±

    Megumi paused and swallowed the rising anger inside of her. ¡°Me and my fellow Guardians could give them a reason by calling them here, but why should they bear the brunt of the trouble that you have invited?¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°You dare! You have repeatedly sabotaged the Tiv Empire today, but it¡¯s no wonder.¡± Ava¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°I¡¯ve already noticed that you are colluding with Tiv¡¯s enemies.¡±

    Megumi furrowed her brow and tilted her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to pretend otherwise! I¡¯ve seen the monster over there in his crimson uniform!¡± Ava pointed at Devon. ¡°Thanatos! An empire that is at war with Tiv!¡±

    Lizzy slapped her own forehead in disbelief.

    Devon tentatively opened his mouth, but no shattering sound appeared.

    ¡°Devon is my fellow Deathguard, and a valued companion with whom I have worked together for more than a decade,¡± said Megumi with cold eyes. ¡°That is another thing you could have figured out before coming here. Devon was wearing a salvaged uniform from a Thanatos soldier that had tried to ambush us before. Our group has killed that enemy of the Tiv Empire.¡±

    Ava scoffed and then pointed at Terry. ¡°That man is wearing the crest of Arcana. Another enemy of the Tiv Empire!¡±

    ¡°What a load of pus!¡± interjected Lizzy. ¡°We are not at war with Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Terry is my nephew,¡± said Sigille firmly. ¡°During his visit here, he has already earned quite a number of contribution points with the Tiv Guardians. He has supported the fight against the Wastes and thereby protected the Tiv Empire. I don¡¯t think that qualifies as the behavior of an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± spat Ava. ¡°Just great. So now you will follow Arcana¡¯s stupid example?! Hide yourself underneath a barrier and let everyone else deal with the problem of the Wastes?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten that you were the first ones to attack this place?¡± retorted Sigille coldly. ¡°The fact that I am not out there for a pincer attack on your crappy army is already pushing my magnanimous nature.¡±

    Cadence, who was standing behind Sigille, gulped. A direct threat to the disciple¡¯s daughter was too much for Cadence¡¯s own nerves and Sigille had spoken it as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Ava¡¯s blood boiled in rage. ¡°Stupid¡­ Selfish¡­¡± Ava growled through gritted teeth. ¡°Deserters¡­ Traitors¡­¡±

    ¡°Surrender and hand yourself over to our custody,¡± said Sigille. ¡°We will seal your mana. We will contact your mother and have her request a guarantee from the Mage Supreme. Then, we can all join the fight together. Only then.¡±

    Ava nearly choked on her breath when she heard her mother brought up. Her face repeatedly switched colors.

    ¡°You dare demand concessions from Tiv?!¡±

    ¡°I dare a lot of things,¡± replied Sigille nonchalantly. ¡°Not to belittle the Preacher¡¯s hobby project too much, but your Devout Division doesn¡¯t seem all that experienced. I doubt they ever had to fight a horde with high-rank undead before. In that kind of horde, even the runners can pose a significant threat. All of them are properly coordinated by the death whisperers.¡±

    ¡°The Devout Division can put up a fight, but they alone won¡¯t be enough to crush this horde,¡± added Megumi.

    Ava glared and shook her head. She spoke with determined eyes: ¡°Then that is our duty. We will not shrink back from dying for the Tiv Empire. Unlike you, we won¡¯t abandon our duty.¡±

    Lizzy groaned, Megumi sighed, and Sigille clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Now, you can listen to my counter-offer,¡± sneered Ava. ¡°Stop colluding with the undead and join the fight, or I will tear this place apart until you deactivate the barrier. I have shown restraint so that the deserters have a chance to discover some sense and change their minds. If you don¡¯t surrender now ¨C if the deserters won¡¯t move their asses back to Tiv ¨C then everything inside this barrier is a valid target from now on.¡±

    ¡°Is it just me or did you just threaten us with a war crime?¡± retorted Sigille.

    Lizzy glanced towards the location of the shelter.

    Fury ignited in Megumi¡¯s eyes and she cracked her knuckles.

    ¡°Deserters deserve their fate,¡± growled Ava. ¡°Treason is punishable by death.¡±

    ¡°Not just me then,¡± exclaimed Sigille and drew her axe. She scratched her nose with the pinky of her free hand. ¡°Last I checked the actual laws, desertion was limited to those sworn into military service and emigration was not considered treason. But I always forget those unwritten laws that only exist in the heads of insane zealots.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± spat Ava and teleported away.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s play catch the dimensional mage,¡± said Sigille. ¡°A frustrating game, but it has to be played. The quicker the better.¡±

    Matteo and Megumi soared into the sky to look for Ava.

    ¡°I¡¯ll coordinate with Saul,¡± said Ying. ¡°We still need to make sure that she can¡¯t transfer her army inside the barrier.¡±

    Ying turned to Devon. ¡°It would be great if you could help us out with your life sense again.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Devon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to the shelter,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°I feel Ava has lost it. Who knows what she will do in that state?¡±

    ¡°Please take Terry with you,¡± said Sigille before she turned to Terry. ¡°It would be better for you to join the others in the shelter. You¡¯re not equipped to waltz into a battle between raging dimensional mages, but your mana sense could be of use in defending the shelter.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Devon to Saul and then I¡¯ll come by the shelter,¡± said Ying.

    Afterwards, everyone split up for their own tasks, and Terry followed Lizzy.

    ***

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Lizzy asked Terry. ¡°This has become much worse than any mission you should have been a part of.¡±

    You could show her your vomit puddle. The smell is worth a thousand words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Terry. ¡°This all seems so¡­¡±

    ¡°Pointless?¡± suggested Lizzy. ¡°Frustrating? Yeah. Folks don¡¯t need to wait for the Wastes to create hell on earth. Sometimes, I wonder how we kept a semblance of civilization for this long. Seems like we are always at most two steps away from war and total mayhem.¡±

    They turned a corner and Terry saw the shelter for non-combatants.

    In front of the shelter, Ethel and a bunch of death knights were standing guard.

    On the shelter¡¯s roof, Romana and a squad of archers ¨C both dead and alive ¨C were observing the surroundings.

    Above the shelter, Olivienne and two other high-level death mages were flying in the air.

    ¡°You can wait inside until it¡¯s over,¡± said Lizzy.

    Ying appeared in front of them. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll create a spatial lock to cover the inside of the shelter so that the enemy cannot transfer into the place.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry blinked.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Maybe I should stay outside?¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°Hmm, more grit than I gave you credit for,¡± said Lizzy with raised eyebrows.

    Not exactly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should go into the sealed area,¡± said Terry. ¡°I believe my oscillating mana somehow interferes with space magic.¡±

    Ying turned his head to Terry. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Terry quickly explained his experience with the rainbow fishie, as well as his suspicion regarding the throwing needle that had been aspected with oscillating mana.

    Ying opened his palm in front of Terry¡¯s face. ¡°Show me.¡±

    Terry could see a small mana distortion on top of Ying¡¯s palm that resembled what he had sensed with the rainbow fishie, only a lot smaller.

    Terry burst his mana and then poked his finger at the sealed area.

    While Terry heard a quiet shattering sound, Ying¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that before,¡± said Ying.

    Terry drew his lips back in a helpless expression. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait outside. Make myself useful if I can.¡±

    Ying nodded and then created the spatial lock to protect the shelter.

    ¡°Nice of you to keep me company.¡± Lizzy put a hand on Terry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell me if you sense anything.¡±

    Terry knew she was trying to cheer him up, and he appreciated it.

    Terry took a deep breath and looked around. He glanced at Ethel in her skeletal body. ¡°Uhm, will the barrier keep ethereal creatures out?¡±

    ¡°Huh? It should, yes. Ahh..¡± Lizzy realized the reason for the question. ¡°If you are thinking of the incident with Thanatos, that was different. Large-scale mana-crafted barriers are more advanced than simple spellwork. They don¡¯t just carry a mixture of aspects, but also pulse with individual aspects.¡±

    Makes sense. Otherwise, Arcana would have had to deal with ethereal creatures, too.

    High-level spellwork barriers should display similar effects¡­

    Terry nodded to himself.

    ¡°Alright done,¡± said Ying. ¡°I¡¯ll go¡ª¡±

    Ying stopped mid-sentence and focused on the information arriving from his soul spirit. Fury flashed through his eyes and a purple aura emanated from him.

    ¡°Ying?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°That woman is transferring explosives into the barrier.¡±

    *BOOM!* As if to prove Ying¡¯s statement, a loud explosion reverberated through the area.

    ¡°Saul transferred most of them out again, but that woman has started to time her transfers so that they explode right after her transfer, which makes it hard to¡ª¡± Ying stopped and shook his head. ¡°I need to move.¡± He looked at Lizzy and the others. ¡°Stay safe.¡±

    Ying teleported away to join Saul.

    ¡°Crazy bitch,¡± growled Lizzy. ¡°Dimensional mages are such a pain.¡±

    The earth quaked, but this time, it was not because of an explosion but because of the horrifying battle that welled up outside the barrier.

    ¡°Is your mana sense still working?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry realized that the area was slowly being drowned in mana ¨C blood abominations, and who knows what else, were releasing large quantities of mana outside the barrier. ¡°Yeah, I can tune out the noise.¡±

    ¡°A Charlie Foxtrot alright.¡± Lizzy muttered to herself and shook her head.

    ¡°A what?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Apparently, that¡¯s military slang for clusterf¡ª Uhh, for kerfuffle. It¡¯s been years since I heard the Captain use that phrase, but today it feels warranted.¡±

    ¡°Above!¡± shouted Terry when he sensed a mana distortion. Shortly afterwards, several objects fell from the sky.

    ¡°Everyone cuddle up!¡± shouted Lizzy and prepared a metal-aspected barrier.

    Ethel and the death knights ran to Lizzy. Olivienne and the death mages descended onto the roof.

    Lizzy activated her barrier.

    Several small bombs impacted on the barrier and then exploded.

    ¡°That crazy bitch!¡± growled Lizzy. ¡°She transfers dispersal mechanisms so that she only has to transfer in one object while Saul or Ying would have to transfer each bomb individually.¡±

    ¡°There seems to be mana mixed into the explosion,¡± said Terry.

    Lizzy¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Shit.¡± She quickened another casting for a barrier right underneath the first one.

    Not a moment too soon, because an explosion that carried the water- and lightning-aspects destroyed her first barrier.

    Before the second barrier was broken, Olivienne raised an empowered earthen wall to block the explosive force.

    ¡°If she fights like that, then this will be an incredible drain on mana,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°If they don¡¯t catch her quickly, this will make it even harder to deal with the horde afterwards.¡±

    Terry tilted his head. He looked at Olivienne. Her mana signature that was dual-aspected with earth and ice reminded Terry of one of his earliest experiments with the Immovable Object spell.

    ¡°Olivienne, can you raise an ice dome?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Not just condensed ice-aspected mana, but real ice?¡±

    Olivienne flew over the roof¡¯s edge and descended next to Terry. ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Like this?¡± Olivienne guided several thin strips of ice from the ice dome covering the area around the shelter towards Terry, who was sitting cross-legged a few meters away from the dome itself.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Terry. ¡°Now, try to wrap it around these.¡±

    Terry held out his old bracers.

    ¡°What¡¯s the idea here?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Mana-osmotic material,¡± replied Terry. ¡°I¡¯ll place the casting center into the ice between them so that the only exposed direction is towards me. It shouldn¡¯t be so easy to disrupt the spell then.¡±

    Lizzy nodded in approval. ¡°In a close call, I¡¯m still here.¡±

    ¡°Area below the ground is now also covered,¡± said Olivienne.

    After Olivienne had finished her work, Terry activated his empowered Immovable Object spell to turn the ice dome indestructible.

    Terry continuously inserted additional mana with one hand. His other hand was holding onto one of his stockpiled mana containers. Due to the decay of stored mana, it was better to use up the supply earlier and keep his own mana pool full if possible.

    New bombs rained down from the sky and everyone watched their impact with bated breath to see how the ice dome would hold up.

    The earth rumbled from the explosion, but the ice dome stood immovable.

    ¡°Looks like it is working,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°But without your spell, the dome will start melting. So either you or Olivienne will have to use mana and you will need to do that periodically, as opposed to only when attacks are incoming.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Terry. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything else, anyway. It¡¯s fine for me to use mana. Also, transfixing the dome does not cost me more than transfixing my equipment.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡±

    Would be more convenient if I could use ice magic myself though¡­

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of the container?¡± asked Lizzy.

    ¡°Empowering the spell further to extend its duration and use the stored mana before it decays.¡±

    ¡°How long can you keep this up?¡±

    ¡°Longer than this Ava person can keep up her continuous transfers, I think,¡± said Terry.

    You say think. I say hope.

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± said Lizzy. She put a hand on Terry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But don¡¯t push yourself.¡±

    Terry looked up. Through the translucent ice, he could see Ava appearing and disappearing again while being chased by Sigille.

    ***

    ¡°Stupid scum.¡± Ava cursed to herself.

    The battle raging outside did not have any strong soldiers to spare for her to transport inside. Especially not if Syn¡¯s dimensional mages interfered.

    This had given Ava the idea of switching from transferring soldiers to transferring explosives. At first, it seemed to work well. Ava was able to cause large-scale destruction and scatter the attention of the defense force.

    The idea worked even better once Ava had realized that she could transfer a container of objects and then immediately disperse the objects inside after the transfer.

    Unfortunately for Ava, the defenders had not taken long to adapt. They had accepted the damage to the city and only focused on defending a few locations.

    One of these locations was the Heart of Syn that Ava aimed to destroy above all. However, with so many capable defenders gathered and supported by a dimensional mage of their own, Ava did not see an opening.

    Ava had hoped that she could keep the defenders scattered, but that hope had vanished. Now, most folks were gathered in a few locations and the only individuals moving were chasing Ava around.

    ¡°AHHHHHHRG!¡± Ava screamed in frustration.

    Ava glared with fury at the dwarf that was already approaching through the sky. Ava was forced to teleport again.

    No matter where Ava went, she barely had a few seconds to act or catch a breath before someone was already after her.

    Ava noticed that inside the barrier, there were only two smaller areas where the space had been sealed. One was the location of the Heart. The other¡­

    Ava teleported again and recognized an ice dome she had seen before.

    ¡°How is it still standing?¡± Ava wondered out loud. She had definitely bombarded the dome not long ago. Several of the explosives had been prepared to release fire-aspected mana.

    Ava traced the mana flow and then glanced at the blurry shape of Terry, who was visible through the translucent layer of ice.

    ¡°Nephew, huh?¡± Ava narrowed her eyes coldly. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true. If so¡­¡±

    Ava teleported away to not give any hints that the location had drawn her interest. She sensed for the mana signatures of her pursuers and lured them further away from the ice dome.

    Then Ava returned to the ice dome and immediately cast an unanchored transfer on Terry.

    *Ting* Inside the ice dome, Terry¡¯s oscillating needle fell to the ground.

    ¡°What?¡± Terry fell face first on the ground in front of Ava.

    ¡°HAH!¡± Ava was delighted to find that Terry did not seem to carry any items to protect him against unanchored transfers.

    Olivienne and the death mages quickly cast Rock Spear and Death Spear spells to attack Ava.

    Ava opened small dimensional gates to redirect the attacks back towards the attackers and their allies.

    Lizzy rushed to disrupt the active Immovable Object spell on the ice dome and enlarged a metal hammer to break the ice dome apart.

    Terry controlled his breathing and hurried to stand up.

    Run? Funny idea against a dimensional mage.

    Although maybe if I burst? Wait, does she have other spells?

    Thoughts raced through Terry¡¯s mind¡­

    Really? Everyone is trying to catch her, and you are trying to run from her? How about, instead of clinging to your notebook sessions, you try something NOW?!

    Terry sensed a small hole in the ice dome thanks to Lizzy¡¯s hammering. He used his glove to attract the oscillating throwing needle that had been left inside into his hand. With his other hand, he grabbed an octavum needle.

    In a rapid succession, Terry threw the octavum needle at Ava, threw his oscillating needle at her, burst his mana, then he charged at her while summoning a barrier spear.

    Terry thought he could hear someone shouting his name, but he did not stop.

    Ava sneered inwardly. She summoned small dimensional gates to block the thrown weapons.

    An octavum needle entered the dimensional gate and then reappeared close to and directed at Terry. Shortly after the octavum needle left the redirecting gate, it transfixed in the air and posed no threat to him.

    Terry¡¯s oscillating needle met another dimensional gate right in front of Ava¡¯s neck.

    ¡°AHRGH! A pained scream escaped from Ava, and blood entered her throat. She grabbed the side of her neck that was bleeding intensely. Her disbelieving eyes looked to her side.

    ¡°H-how¡­?¡± Ava stammered between bloody gurgles.

    The bloody, oscillating needle laid on the ground next to Ava. It had moved through the dimensional gate as if it did not exist, and it had left a gash on her neck.

    A silver light enveloped Ava and started curing her wound while her face turned livid.

    Ava cast an unanchored transfer spell to throw Terry towards the undead horde¡­

    Terry continued bursting towards her, and Ava felt a slight pang in her hand.

    Terry had arrived and tackled Ava to the ground.

    In front of Ava¡¯s shocked eyes, Terry had let go of the spear and started rapidly touching pieces of her equipment while straddling her below himself.

    ¡°You!¡± Ava wanted to curse at Terry, but then her attention was drawn towards other mana signatures.

    Thoughts continued to race through Terry¡¯s mind.

    If these immovable items aren¡¯t enough, then any more won¡¯t help either.

    Terry retrieved a mana container in his left hand and dumped the mana into the area around Ava.

    A poor cultivator¡¯s attempt to crowd out the free mana with your own naturalized mana? May buy you half a second. You should really learn to do disruption discharges.

    Simultaneously, Terry used his right hand to draw the inscribed dagger in reverse grip and placed it at Ava¡¯s throat.

    Ava ignored Terry to focus on her own spell casting. She could not afford a spell failure this time. She needed to teleport before her real pursuers arrived.

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Ava¡¯s face became ashen when she felt the pang in her hand.

    Ying sealed the space to obstruct any further teleportation attempts.

    Sigille clicked two handcuffs with a long chain between them around Ava¡¯s hands. These cuffs sealed Ava¡¯s mana. Sigille kept a hold of the chain while patting Ava down for items to confiscate.

    By now, most of Terry¡¯s quickened spells on Ava¡¯s equipment had deactivated again.

    ¡°Huh,¡± exclaimed Sigille eventually. She looked appraisingly at Terry. ¡°Well done! I did not expect you to be the one to catch the zealot, much less do it so quickly. I believe I ought to prepare another gift.¡±

    Sigille grinned at Terry, but her grin was quickly replaced with a warm expression and concerned eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright now,¡± said Sigille in a softer voice and patted Terry¡¯s back.

    Terry was still gripping his inscribed dagger tightly. He could still hear the blood rushing in his ears. He could still feel the adrenaline. He stood in a daze and breathed shakingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± repeated Sigille. ¡°You did well. The rest is on us. Take a break.¡±

    ***

 060 Facing the Music

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    ¡°Probably in here,¡± said Sigille. She held a dimensional bag of Ava in her hand.

    ¡°You!¡± Ava glared hatefully at Sigille.

    ¡°Mana-locked,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Would you be so kind¡ª¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± spat Ava.

    ¡°How rude.¡± Sigille pouted and then turned serious again. ¡°Whoever put you in charge must have been out of their mind.¡±

    ¡°Do you even realize that it¡¯s your own army that is paying the price for your twisted priorities?¡± demanded Megumi. ¡°They are getting slaughtered out there while you are throwing your tantrum like a spoiled child.¡±

    ¡°Pff,¡± scoffed Ava. ¡°Coming from a traitor, these words ring hollow.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, Matteo?¡± Sigille threw the dimensional bag to Matteo. ¡°Can you open it?¡±

    Matteo examined the dimensional bag. ¡°Think so.¡±

    Matteo retrieved some tools from his own storage items. ¡°Here, take a sample of her mana signature. That would speed things up.¡± Matteo handed a small disc to Sigille.

    ¡°Hrrm.¡± Sigille grumbled quietly, but did as Matteo asked. ¡°I guess the scoundrel¡¯s teachings can come in handy at times.¡±

    ¡°Wallace will be happy to hear that.¡± Matteo grinned.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him I said that.¡± Sigille handed the disc back to Matteo. ¡°He and the other dungeon scavengers would never let me hear the end of it.¡±

    Matteo chuckled and picked the mana lock. Afterwards, he sunk his consciousness into the dimensional bag and retrieved a small pyramid together with a crystal sphere.

    ¡°That should be it,¡± said Matteo and handed the items to Sigille.

    ¡°Stupid scum,¡± growled Ava on the ground.

    ¡°Ah, thanks for reminding me, dear,¡± said Sigille and retrieved a card-shaped item from her own dimensional storage. Sigille channeled mana into the card and then placed it on Ava¡¯s body to wrap her in a soundproof barrier.

    Afterwards, Sigille placed the small pyramid on the ground. She held the crystal sphere over the pyramid and channeled mana into the pyramid until the sphere hovered above.

    Everyone waited for a few minutes until, finally, a woman¡¯s silhouette appeared above the crystal sphere.

    ¡°Yes? Wait¡­¡± The figure stopped and looked around.

    ¡°¡°¡°Lady Mahalia.¡±¡±¡± Megumi and Lizzy greeted the woman in unison.

    ¡°Captain? Elizabeth? Where is Ava¡ª? Oh.¡± Mahalia saw Ava handcuffed on the ground. Her eyes narrowed and demanded an explanation.

    ¡°I greet the Supreme¡¯s disciple,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°You are¡­ The Divine Hammer?¡± Mahalia recognized Sigille even though they had never spoken to each other before.

    ¡°Correct. I will try to explain things quickly, because we are pressed for time.¡±

    Mahalia glanced at her handcuffed daughter again.

    ¡°Your daughter has been apprehended by us because she led the Preacher¡¯s Devout Division against innocent folks.¡±

    Mahalia moved her eyes inquisitively to Ava¡¯s face. It was evident that Ava wanted to object. Nevertheless, Mahalia remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your daughter has her own version of events and she is free to share it with you later,¡± continued Sigille. ¡°A while ago, there was an investigation into the disappearances of Tiv citizens in the northwest of the Wasted Zone.¡±

    ¡°That investigation was led by the Captain¡¯s group of Guardians¡­¡± Sigille pointed her hand at Megumi. ¡°And it has concluded that the citizens voluntarily emigrated to a city in the Wastes that is not part of the Tiv Empire. Her report has been made available to Guardian management and to the Deathguard branch management. You can examine the report yourself.¡±

    Terry wondered if he had ever heard Sigille refer to Megumi as ¡®the Captain¡¯ before¡­

    ¡°A while later, my Guild-partner and I could verify and confirm the Captain¡¯s findings. These people have chosen to emigrate. They have not been abducted.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°However, someone with access to the report has intentionally chosen to misrepresent it. They have issued a malicious and deceitful mission at the Guild ¨C one that was easily interpreted as a kill-order on the citizens. That is how it would have played out if we had not intervened.¡±

    Mahalia¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Your daughter has used the services of the Guild to transfer the Preacher¡¯s Devout Division into the Wastes in order to abduct the citizens or kill them if necessary.¡±

    Mahalia threw another searching gaze at Ava. She scowled at what she could read in her daughter¡¯s face.

    ¡°We have warned your daughter and her army that we would protect the innocent citizens, and so we did. The pointless casualties so far are bad enough, but the worst offense is that your daughter has ignored all common sense by causing a large-scale battle near the Red Sand desert.¡±

    Mahalia stared at Sigille with a haunting presentiment.

    ¡°The large horde of undead that had been roaming in the area has now been attracted to this location.¡±

    Mahalia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Right now, Syn City has activated a defensive barrier, which is from where we are talking to you.¡±

    Mahalia held Sigille¡¯s gaze again.

    ¡°Your daughter¡¯s army is still outside and, if I may share my honest opinion, the Devout Division is entirely unequipped to deal with this horde. They are getting slaughtered as we speak.¡±

    Mahalia frowned.

    ¡°We would like to help them out in crushing the horde¡­¡± Sigille let her voice trail off and shook her head. ¡°But you must see that this is unacceptable as long as they are still a threat to the innocent folks in Syn City.¡±

    ¡°What about the Wasteguard?¡± Mahalia spoke up for the first time.

    ¡°Currently, all my links with other Guardians are set to have them stay away,¡± replied Sigille calmly.

    Mahalia frowned again and glanced at the Captain. Megumi was nodding to emphasize that Sigille¡¯s statement also applied to her.

    Cadence, who was standing further behind, felt her own knees get weak. She clenched her fists tightly.

    ¡°And the links will stay that way until we have a guarantee to safeguard the innocent folks in Syn City.¡± Sigille held Mahalia¡¯s gaze with resolved eyes. ¡°If this army intends to act as a death-squad to hunt down former Tiv citizens for daring to emigrate to a different country, then I refuse to rescue this army from the horde.¡±

    Silence descended over the area.

    Mahalia closed her eyes.

    ¡°If you are trying to test the coordinates, I need to warn you,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Your daughter has played catch with us and she is not the only dimensional mage present. The space around here has become quite unstable.¡±

    A slight frown appeared on Mahalia¡¯s face, and she nodded with eyes still closed.

    Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky. ¡°While it would be much appreciated if the imperial army felt more responsible for eradicating the dangers of the Wastes, I don¡¯t think it wise to wait for them this time.¡±

    ¡°I can send an avatar to give orders to the army,¡± said Mahalia. ¡°Does that suffice to secure your cooperation?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± replied Sigille instantly.

    Mahalia¡¯s instant scowl caused Cadence to gulp.

    Sigille pointed at Ava on the ground. ¡°Your daughter and her army have ignored my warning. They have ignored the Captain¡¯s warning. They have ignored the warning of a Castellan. They have ignored a high-ranking Guild-rookie.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°Since all of those combined have been ignored, I do not believe your command alone is a sufficient deterrent to your daughter.¡±

    Mahalia sighed.

    ¡°I can sympathize with having a difficult daughter,¡± said Sigille in a softer voice. ¡°But this also means that I know the fear of having to stand in judgement of your own child. The hesitation to personally enforce the law against her. I would not even trust myself there, and I will not put you in such a tough spot.¡±

    Subconsciously, Sigille had lowered her gaze while speaking. She slightly shook her head and then looked back at Mahalia.

    ¡°We will need a guarantee from the Mage Supreme herself,¡± stated Sigille. ¡°If her avatar issues the command and an oath that the citizen¡¯s right to choose their residence will be upheld, then that will suffice.¡±

    Mahalia held her face in her hands and then moved her hands through her hair and glanced at Ava again. She understood it could not be taken for granted that her daughter would remain captive under the protection of the barrier.

    ¡°Hahh¡­ Foolish child,¡± sighed Mahalia. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the Mage Supreme.¡±

    The silhouette disappeared, and everything was silent again. Nobody spoke while the seconds ticked by.

    Five minutes later, the sky above Syn City lit up in bright red. A giant translucent avatar of an old woman appeared.

    Several attacks flew at the avatar, but went right through it.

    ¡°In the name of Tiv¡¯s Mage Supreme, any acts of aggression towards Syn City are to end today. I hereby pronounce that the citizens have a right to choose this city as their home. Any violation will be prosecuted under my authority. For the remainder of this battle, the command of Tiv forces will be handed over to Megumi, most commonly known as the Captain.¡±

    The giant figure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

    ¡°Hmm, good enough,¡± judged Sigille. ¡°Not entirely devoid of loopholes, but the Mage Supreme is not one to point to the letter of the law while violating its spirit.¡±

    Sigille, Matteo, Megumi, and Lizzy already had their signaling devices out to call in support for crushing the horde.

    ¡°Keep the barrier up for now.¡± Megumi spoke to Ying. ¡°I need to get the army organized before we can clear the area and consider switching back to the defensive towers. Most important task for you and Saul is to make sure the corpses are claimed by us. If you could disrupt the death whispers, that would help a lot, too.¡±

    Megumi further ordered her thoughts. ¡°And I understand you might be hesitant to invite the channelers inside the barrier, but it would be great if you could evacuate forces from the battlefield when required.¡±

    ¡°While you create order on our side, we¡¯ll create some chaos in the horde,¡± said Sigille.

    Matteo stepped next to Sigille without hesitation.

    Sigille glanced at Devon. ¡°You seem more suited to create chaos. Want to join us? Defending people and such.¡±

    Devon tentatively looked at Lizzy.

    ¡°Go wild, but stay sane,¡± said Lizzy. She puckered her lips and moved them from side to side. Then, she added: ¡°Or I¡¯ll have to stab you again.¡±

    Devon shook his head, which then transformed into nodding, and he stepped next to Sigille.

    ¡°Come, Terry,¡± said Lizzy. ¡°Our job is still to protect the shelter. Actually, no. That¡¯s my job. Your job is to rest. Same destination anyway.¡±

    ***

    The battle with the horde continued for several days. Terry did as ordered and tried to rest. He did not feel equipped to join this battle, anyway.

    From what Terry had been told, the situation was mostly under control now. While the Devout Division was not very experienced, they came with numbers and abilities. Megumi, Sigille, and Matteo could offer the experience that the army had lacked before switching command.

    Many Wasteguards and death hunters had already been waiting for a signal from Matteo ¨C including Elenec and Vell. They had been the first to join the fight.

    Not long afterwards, Amelia, Dargones, and several Guild-associates of theirs and Matteo arrived together.

    Later, Jee also assisted a mixed group of Guildheads, Guardians, and imperial soldiers. While it was not possible to create a dimensional gate directly at the battle site, Jee could still open a dimensional gate near the Bulwark. This shortened the travel distance significantly.

    Currently, Terry was petting Buttercup while reading through his notebook and thinking about his findings on oscillating mana.

    While Ying was still busy with the battle outside, Terry could not confirm most of his hypotheses on the interaction between oscillating mana and space magic, but there was one point that still kept Terry occupied: Terry did not want to leave his aspected throwing needle behind when they would return to the Libra Outpost.

    Terry looked up from the notebook and took the oscillating needle from his sheath belt. He was about to start talking to himself, but then he realized he wasn¡¯t alone and closed his mouth.

    It somehow resists spatial manipulations¡­ but only sometimes.

    In the dungeon¡­ If the space had been locked down, it would explain the spell failure of the scrolls. I heard a shattering sound¡­ Right, but only after Lori¡¯s scroll had failed¡­ I did not always hear that sound when I burst my mana, but whenever I heard the sound, I was bursting my mana¡­

    The rainbow fishie managed to trap me. I did not hear a shattering sound when I burst my mana¡­ Was it just sealed without being completely locked down to obstruct transfers? I could touch the spatial seal and it felt like an impenetrable barrier¡­ The spatial seal was shattered as soon as I touched it while bursting my mana¡­

    In the past, I could walk through Ying¡¯s gates. Amelia could target me for an unanchored transfer. Amelia¡¯s scrolls worked fine. Aunt Sigille¡¯s ring worked as well¡­ Ava seemed completely taken aback when I tackled her¡­ Did she try to transfer me away? I did burst while charging at her¡­

    Bursts.

    Terry circled the word in his notebook. Then he examined the throwing needle again.

    Apparently, an oscillating item cannot be entered into a storage item anymore¡­ Whenever I was transported with an unanchored transfer, the needle was left behind¡­ It also moved through Ava¡¯s dimensional gate as if it did not exist¡­

    BUT the needle did not obstruct the transport or lead to spell failures.

    Terry tapped his notebook with the aspected needle.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I had no trouble putting the needle into my storage item when I was still in the process of aspecting it. Back then, the oscillating mana did not cause any problems.

    Why?

    Terry took his pen and drew a vertical line. He paused and then added a second parallel line.

    In the left column, Terry wrote a single entry: ¡®me bursting.¡¯

    In the middle column, Terry wrote two entries: ¡®item while aspecting¡¯ and ¡®me in balance.¡¯

    In the right column, Terry wrote a single entry: ¡®aspected item.¡¯

    At least three different behaviors¡­

    Terry had not been sure if the left and right column should be merged together, but since he could not verify that without the assistance of a dimensional mage, he had decided to keep it separate and continue with his own conjectures.

    Terry tried to identify similarities and differences that would explain the grouping. After scribbling for a while, Terry underlined one property that separated the first two columns from the last.

    Mana naturalization. The mana in the self-sustaining needle does not completely belong to me anymore. The mana that I had put in has already decayed and free mana has been attracted since the mana became self-sustaining¡­

    Terry dropped the pen and picked up the aspected needle again.

    Worth a test...

    Terry started reclaiming the mana in the aspected needle without removing the mana from it.

    ***

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over!¡± spat Ava. She glared angrily at Sigille.

    ¡°If the word of the Mage Supreme is worth anything, then it is,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°I don¡¯t believe she would stain her honor to satisfy your petulant feelings.¡±

    ¡°Petulant?! How dare you!¡± Ava was trembling with indignant rage. ¡°We have been doing our duty for the Tiv Empire! You¡­¡±

    Ava shook her head in contempt. ¡°You sided with deserters. You spilled the blood of Tiv soldiers to defend vile undead.¡±

    A dimensional gate opened near them.

    ¡°Finally, I can see the Divine Hammer for what she really is: a treasonous snake,¡± snarled Ava.

    ¡°That is enough, Ava,¡± commanded a voice from the dimensional gate. Mahalia stepped through. ¡°You have shamed our family enough with your actions. I expect you to apologize to the Mage Supreme for the trouble your actions have brought.¡±

    ¡°Apologize?¡± Ava¡¯s expression fell. ¡°For what?! Mother, we have done nothing¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said enough, or did you not hear me?!¡± Mahalia glowered at her daughter coldly. ¡°The Mage Supreme does not like to meddle in politics, but in order to save your life and the lives of your subordinates, I had to ask her to do so. She has given her word and if she wants to stand by it, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Who says she needs to do that? You are here now, we can simply¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that thought,¡± growled Mahalia. ¡°It would violate my mentor¡¯s promise. The Mage Supreme follows the credo of the Valkyrie. If our words mean nothing, then negotiations and treaties are mere shams.¡±

    Mahalia glared and shook her head. ¡°Such a path can only lead to violence and chaos. That¡¯s a path that no empire can survive. The Mage Supreme considers her promises sacred unless you can prove that it was extracted based on deception.¡±

    Mahalia looked at Megumi. ¡°And I don¡¯t believe that it was.¡±

    ¡°Lady Mahalia,¡± greeted Megumi.

    ¡°Captain, it has been a long time. I wish we would have gotten a chance to meet again under different circumstances.¡± Mahalia nodded at Lizzy. ¡°Elizabeth.¡±

    Ava harrumphed.

    Mahalia looked around and examined all the different characters: the citizens of Syn, as well as all the others that had aided the city.

    ¡°I would like to take away my daughter and her subordinates now.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Sigille flatly.

    Ying and Saul nodded at Mahalia to display their agreement as well.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Ava glared at Sigille, Matteo, and Megumi. ¡°Minister Kipkoi is right. Give mana users the slightest concession, and it will plant the seed of treachery: the delusion that their powers are theirs to use for their own selfish purposes.¡±

    ¡°Every zealot has a knack for twisting words to match their twisted reality,¡± retorted Sigille.

    ¡°You have the blood of innocent Tiv citizens on your hands,¡± growled Ava. ¡°There is nothing to twist about that.¡±

    ¡°A soldier pawns their innocence when they accept the chain of command,¡± retorted Sigille calmly. ¡°From then on, their innocence depends on the master they have chosen.¡±

    ¡°Your soldiers followed a command to attack innocent people,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing innocent about deserters, rogue mages, and vile undead!¡± screeched Ava. ¡°You¡¯re all nothing but traitors to the Tiv Empire! You¡ª¡± Ava¡¯s lips continued to move, but no sound escaped from them.

    ¡°That is enough.¡± Mahalia glared at her daughter. ¡°I will not let you tarnish the Captain¡¯s reputation while I am around. You are only showing your own ignorance of her service and sacrifices.¡± She pointed imperiously at the dimensional gate. ¡°Go. Now!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Thank you again, Captain,¡± said Ying. ¡°For standing by your word.¡± He held out his hand to Megumi.

    The Captain accepted the handshake and nodded. ¡°Always. Anyway, if you want to thank anyone, you should thank Sigille and Matteo. If it wasn¡¯t for the early warning and their authority within the Guild and Guardians, this could have become much worse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sell your group short, Captain,¡± said Matteo with a smile. ¡°It packs quite the punch.¡±

    Terry nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± said Sigille while examining Devon, who was staring absentmindedly into the distance.

    Sigille moved her eyes to Megumi. ¡°Forcing a binding concession from the Mage Supreme was a risky move. Without you, it would have been much less likely to succeed. As one of the Nine Blademasters, your service to the Tiv Empire is beyond question and I am sure that Elizabeth being a member of the Castellan family also played a part in smoothing things over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that is something we could not have done alone,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I don¡¯t believe my name would change many minds among the ruling bunch.¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°At this age, my name probably changes about as many minds one way as it would the other. If you want to be popular everywhere, you are not allowed to have any principles. The originalist faction is still pissy that I did not want to join the army.¡±

    ¡°We probably don¡¯t poll too well with the restoration faction either.¡± Matteo smiled wryly.

    ¡°I would certainly hope so,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°Otherwise, I would be worried about having done something wrong.¡±

    Terry chuckled and thought that his two aunts would get along well with each other.

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°I am sure the cultist faction¡ª¡±

    ¡°Devout faction,¡± insisted Cadence with a frown.

    Terry puffed his cheeks and raised his eyebrows to wait for the inevitable argument.

    Sigille raised an eyebrow at Cadence and asked. ¡°Do you believe what we did here was wrong?¡±

    ¡°I fought together with you all, what do you think?¡± retorted Cadence.

    ¡°See?¡± Sigille scratched her nose with her left pinky finger. ¡°Then I can call you devout if you wish, but that is that. Or did you miss precisely whom we were fighting against? Or at whose command they came? That is the cultist faction. A bunch of otherrealm-worshipping channelers that have made a pact with the Preacher. May he get to sit on a pineapple for his service.¡±

    Devon tilted his head at the last statement. He looked at Lizzy. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Cadence¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°It is entirely possible that Minister Kipkoi was simply lacking the required information to make the right call and that his command was simply rooted in a concern for the citizens.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also ¡®possible¡¯ that the Preacher enjoys sitting on pineapples,¡± replied Sigille flippantly. ¡°A bunch of ruthless zealots following an ill-informed and precipitous zealot hardly makes for a more innocuous story in my book.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we really have to go,¡± interrupted Megumi. ¡°I need to send my report from the Chara Settlement.¡±

    ¡°Give the crew and Lady Eleanor my regards,¡± said Matteo.

    Megumi nodded with a smile. ¡°Will do.¡±

    ¡°On behalf of Syn, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone one more time,¡± said Ying.

    ¡°Alright, Devon, Lizzy, let¡¯s go,¡± said Megumi.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come, too,¡± announced the voice of a dark skeleton with a cyan glow.

    ¡°Ethel!¡± exclaimed Gretchen. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I want to travel and I want to become a Deathguard,¡± replied Ethel. ¡°Like the Captain.¡±

    Next to Gretchen, Wilhelm folded his hands to the heavens. ¡°Pray to mana or whatever realms may listen, let them take her.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Megumi was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Ethel, don¡¯t you want to help protect Syn?¡± asked Gretchen.

    ¡°If Syn wants to be accepted, it needs to send out diplomats. There! I can be the first diplomat. That helps, too.¡±

    Terry was tempted to point out the post-hoc justification, but decided to hold his tongue.

    Wilhelm lowered his hands. ¡°If Ethel becomes a diplomat, then I fear long forgotten kingdoms will rise from the ashes just to declare war on Syn.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed Ethel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see how traveling could be difficult?¡± asked Lizzy. ¡°You look more like death than like a Deathguard.¡±

    ¡°You are taking that with you.¡± Ethel pointed at Devon. ¡°That¡¯s way more scary than I.¡±

    Devon squinted at Ethel. ¡°I¡¯m not a ¡®that¡¯, you bag of bones.¡±

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU?! You insensitive scoundrel!¡± The cyan lights in Ethel¡¯s eye sockets flickered. ¡°Has no one ever taught you to respect your elders, you little brat?!¡±

    Devon looked at Lizzy. ¡°I¡¯m older than her, right?¡±

    Lizzy already had her hand on her forehead and nodded at the question. Terry snickered at the exchange.

    Devon looked back at the dark skeleton. ¡°I¡¯m older than you. That means I am your elder. Has no one ever taught you to respect your elders, you bag of bones?¡±

    ¡°You! You! I¡¯ll teach you respect!¡± Ethel unleashed some haunts at Devon.

    ¡°Ethel!¡± shouted Gretchen angrily. ¡°Control yourself!¡±

    Ying and Saul were about to act, but they realized Devon did not so much as flinch when the haunts passed through him. Devon even playfully poked one of the haunts with his finger.

    ¡°Lizzy said I¡¯m allowed to defend myself.¡± Devon created a small area of netherfrost beneath Ethel¡¯s feet.

    The dark skeleton slipped and fell. The netherfrost absorbed Ethel¡¯s mana while leaving her death energy untouched. It was not dangerous for the death specter inside, but Ethel could not move without mana while possessing the skeletal body. Losing mana caused by direct contact had immobilized the spectral knight.

    ¡°YOU¡­ YOU! YOU! STOP THAT!¡± Ethel¡¯s eye-lights flickered dimly. ¡°LET ME UP!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Devon flatly.

    Wilhelm wiped something from his eye socket.

    ¡°SAUL, DO SOMETHING!¡± yelled Ethel.

    ¡°You know what? No,¡± retorted Saul. ¡°Turnabout is fair play.¡±

    ¡°If Devon had not acted himself, we would have acted on behalf of Syn,¡± said Ying. ¡°You can¡¯t go around attacking people.¡± His voice was tinged with indignant anger. ¡°Even if they were not the very people that helped defend Syn City. Even if that would not strengthen prejudice and invite calamity on Syn. You can¡¯t go around attacking people.¡±

    Devon nodded. ¡°The Captain said that not every mistake can be undone.¡±

    ¡°YOU! YOU¡­¡± Ethel switched to a pleading voice: ¡°Gretchen, help me!¡±

    Gretchen lifted her hand, but then she felt the bony fingers of Wilhelm on her shoulders. She thought it over and said hesitatingly: ¡°N-no.¡±

    ¡°SCOUNDRELS! ALL OF YOU! EVEN MY OWN SISTER! UNBELIEVABLE!¡±

    Saul cast a silencing spell.

    ¡°Saul, what materials do I need to keep a slab of netherfrost?¡± asked Wilhelm.

    ¡°Wilhelm!¡± grumbled Gretchen.

    Terry imagined a pout in front of Gretchen¡¯s exposed teeth.

    ¡°Purely hypothetical, of course,¡± said Wilhelm sheepishly.

    ¡°An honorable knight admits her own faults,¡± said Devon to the immobilized Ethel. ¡°I¡¯ll remove the ice when you can do that.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°You should hurry, though. The Captain said we have to leave and I don¡¯t know when I can come back. So if you want to tag along, you better be quick.¡±

    Megumi was taking deep breaths while holding her hands in front of her nose and mouth. She glanced at Lizzy.

    ¡°Poor Captain,¡± said Lizzy with affectionate eyes.

    ***

    Terry stepped next to Matteo so that he would not have to stand between Sigille and Willow.

    ¡°Welcome back from your unapproved mission, Guardian Sigille,¡± said Willow with a thin smile.

    ¡°Bright Willow, I can explain,¡± said Cadence.

    ¡°No need,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°As the Guardian Outpost Chief for Libra City, she should be well aware that we took on the mind mage mission on our trip. She should also know there are about a hundred perpetual missions in the Wastes that require no further approval. She should understand that accompanying my Guild-partner on one of his missions does not need further approval either.¡±

    Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky. ¡°If she chooses to ignore all of that, there is no need to waste your breath.¡±

    Matteo nodded and looked calmly at Willow. Terry, on the other hand, was unsure where to look.

    Cadence was distraught to see her two idols quarreling with each other. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, dear Glimmer Cadence,¡± interrupted Willow. She looked at Matteo. ¡°It is curious to see that you both have developed sympathies for undead and necromancers. I would have never thought that you could put past animosities aside. Unexpected, really.¡±

    Matteo maintained a blank expression.

    Terry clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He felt his own blood boil on behalf of Matteo and Sigille.

    Sigille scowled with cold eyes. ¡°Our sympathies lie with the innocent. My animosities are still just fine, thank you.¡±

    Matteo displayed a light smile.

    ¡°Oh, the glibness is unwarranted,¡± said Willow. ¡°Perhaps you misunderstood my intentions. I was not trying to reprimand you.¡± She smiled at Sigille. ¡°I was trying to commend you.¡±

    Sigille frowned. ¡°Well, now I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It is good to let go of past grievances to see the bigger picture.¡±

    Cadence beamed at her mentor and spiritual leader. ¡°Right, the Bright Lady teaches that resentment is poison for the soul. It is giving more power to those that have wronged you and it only inflicts suffering on yourself.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if anyone has ever kicked the Bright Lady in the shin to see how that policy works out for her,¡± said Sigille and shrugged. ¡°Maybe the playgrounds are different in other realms.¡±

    ¡°Most people grow out of the playground,¡± retorted Willow.

    ¡°Some people only grow more vicious,¡± said Sigille. ¡°If no one bothers to hold on to resentment, then these people will never be stopped.¡±

    ¡°People can change,¡± said Cadence.

    ¡°If they are willing, perhaps, but some people can¡¯t. Even those that can, they rarely do so without giving them a good reason.¡± Sigille¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°And none of that even begins to touch on the question if they deserve a chance to change to begin with. Or what risks you invite when giving them one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± interrupted Willow. ¡°I have been instructed to present you with a summons.¡±

    Sigille shrugged and held out her hand.

    ¡°Not to you,¡± said Willow. She held out a letter to Terry. ¡°To our Arcanian visitor.¡±

    Sigille raised an eyebrow. Matteo narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry received the letter. ¡°Thanks?¡±

    ***

    ¡°And? Who has issued the summons?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°It says Minister Kipkoi,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°What does the Preacher want with Terry?¡± asked Matteo.

    Terry looked anxious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°If they wanted to make a stink about the situation in Syn, then others would be the first to face the music. The Preacher would have pressured the Guild Chief to make trouble for Matteo instead.¡±

    ¡°Minister Kipkoi is a good man,¡± objected Cadence. ¡°He would not stoop to such a level.¡±

    ¡°Then my memory must be very faulty,¡± remarked Matteo dryly.

    Sigille puckered her lips and eyed Cadence. ¡°It is apparent that the Preacher believes himself to be a good man. Even further, he believes himself to be a good man that has to fight evil.¡±

    ¡°Well, he does,¡± exclaimed Cadence. ¡°The Wastes are knocking at the border of his district.¡±

    ¡°If that was his paramount cause, then the Preacher would not have lobbied for the restoration of magic restrictions,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Practically half the capable Guildheads have left for other empires since then. All the new heads are cultists.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Sigille. ¡°The evil that the Preacher is fighting has nothing to do with the Wastes. In his weltanschauung, the Wastes are of secondary importance. The Preacher has proven that he would stoop to a very low level in his fight.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± demanded Cadence.

    ¡°Like handing over power to cultists instead of compromising with mages,¡± replied Sigille dryly. ¡°Appeasing cults to avoid granting liberties to mana using citizens.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t think that the Devout Treaty was anything bad,¡± snapped Cadence.

    Sigille snorted.

    ¡°That bill was bundled together with the restoration of magic restrictions,¡± said Matteo. ¡°No matter what you think about the cult appeasement sections.¡±

    ¡°I would not bet on the Preacher truly believing in the righteousness of your treaty,¡± added Sigille. ¡°More likely than not, it was just a means to an end ¨C a way to fight his evil and reestablish the yoke on the mana users.¡±

    Cadence grumbled quietly.

    ¡°Anyway, the Preacher has pressured the Guild Chief many times in the past,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Anyone that did not follow ministerial instruction would get the treatment. Technically, most of the Guild privileges are still in place, but they¡¯ll try to make you pay if you make use of them.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°You can feel free to ask around at the Guild. You won¡¯t find many that think the Preacher as high-minded as you do.¡±

    ¡°So what does it say?¡± Sigille asked Terry. ¡°Anything about having to come alone?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Terry blinked in confusion.

    ¡°No, is good. Then we can tag along. So what¡¯s the ¡®but¡¯?¡±

    ¡°But it says something about a reception and some kind of gathering.¡± Terry wrinkled his brow. ¡°It talks about music and finger foods.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sigille jerked her head around and held out her hand. ¡°Show me.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s talking about what I think, then I¡¯ll wait outside,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Not my kind of crowd.¡±

    ¡°Not mine either,¡± grumbled Sigille while reading through the letter.

    Eventually, Sigille looked at Terry. ¡°Well, the good news is that this is nothing serious. My best guess is that they have heard about the Academy crest on your bag and that they have not heard about your early graduation yet.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°And the idea of convincing a student of the prestigious Arcana Academy to denounce Arcana and ally with the restoration faction has probably crossed the Preacher¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Will it be a problem if I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Nah, just keep your hands to yourself and try your best not to punch anyone.¡± Sigille shrugged.

    ¡°Okay?¡± Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    Matteo glanced at Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the temptation.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t fill his head with nonsense,¡± rebuked Cadence.

    Sigille looked from one to the other and then back at Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the temptation.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the bad news?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°The Preacher is likely to give you a sermon,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Should I just tell him I was expelled from the Academy?¡±

    ¡°Why spoil the surprise?¡± Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°I would recommend not to.¡±

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°Not unless it comes up. While your perceived status invites unwanted interest, it also acts as a deterrent. It would not be a bad thing to see some time pass this way while things calm down after everything that has happened.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Terry nodded and pondered. ¡°Wait, do I have to buy some formal clothes or something?¡± He frowned.

    Matteo chuckled.

    ¡°Yes, that would be good,¡± said Cadence.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Not unless you want to make friends with the crowd. Your call.¡±

    ¡°Matteo!¡± Santos came running towards them.

    Sigille frowned.

    ¡°Greetings, Santos,¡± said Matteo. ¡°How is the family?¡±

    ¡°Good, thank you.¡± Santos scratched his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have heard already, but I¡¯m sure you know about that large horde roaming near the Bulwark. Apparently, the Preacher has sent out his recently formed Devout Division, and the horde has finally been dealt with! People are wondering if they¡¯ll make the minister an honorary Deathguard¡­¡±

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 2, Undying Defiance ¨C

 Arc 02 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, current Guildhead (Tiv) active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Mage Supreme: human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire

    Damian: human man, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan: Old noble in Tiv

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), leading the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Glimmer), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, Guardian (Tiv) that specializes in mana crafting

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex: human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Sigille, grudge against Matteo

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: human siblings, Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy, Terry¡¯s former mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille

    Matteo (The Mad Kid): human man, possessed by elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    Roy: elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

 061 Lessons to Be Learned

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 3, Unyielding Fury ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 92 ¨C

    Terry sat down on the floor in his spartan room within the Guardian facilities of the Libra Outpost. He placed his legs straight on the floor, with a ninety-degree angle between them. His left leg pointed towards the bed while his right leg pointed towards a wall.

    He took a bite from one of the sandwiches that served as his breakfast and opened his notebook in front of him.

    Afterwards, Terry retrieved two identical contraptions from his storage. Each consisted of a heavy stone block, a rectangular sheet of tertium, and a compression coil spring between them.

    Terry placed one item each in front of his feet so that he could compress the tertium layer against the stone blocks resting against his bed and the wall.

    Terry straightened his legs and compressed the coil springs. Afterwards, Terry tried to cast his Immovable Object spell with his feet as the focal point.

    If his spell was successful, then the septimum layer would become transfixed and Terry would feel the decreasing pressure. When the spell deactivated, Terry would feel the pressure again and he would know how much his intended duration differed from the actual duration.

    Terry had prepared the exercise equipment together with Elvis in the Chara Settlement, but he had not gotten around to using it much. Now that Terry was reasonably satisfied with his off-hand casting and overall casting time, he wanted to increase his options.

    Next, Terry retrieved a ring that Ying had gifted him before their departure from Syn City.

    Terry put on the ring and channeled mana into it. A slightly translucent purple vampire bat appeared in the air with fluttering wings.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry poked the spirit projection from the ring. ¡°Feels kind of squishy.¡±

    Ying had wanted to thank Terry, and since Terry was interested in soul spirits but incapable of the required spellwork, Ying had chosen an item with a similar effect.

    There were two major differences between soul spirits and spirit projections. First, a user could not share a spirit projection¡¯s mana abilities.

    Not that a common vampire bat had any¡­

    Second, the connection with a soul projection was very different.

    Terry instructed the bat to land on his bed, and he opened the connection with the spirit.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned at the unfamiliar sensations that assaulted his mind. Another set of eyes with a different light spectrum. The smell of blood. The echolocation triggered by his own groan.

    Terry hurriedly closed the connection again. ¡°That really doesn¡¯t get any more pleasant, no matter how often I try it.¡±

    Headache-inducing¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s maybe leave that for later.¡±

    When my stomach is empty again.

    ¡°I can at least do some thinking while exercising¡­¡± Terry took another bite from his sandwich and then picked up his pen.

    ¡°Alright, what could have gone better?¡± Terry thought back to his recent experiences.

    A lot?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry bit his lips. ¡°Maybe differently: Which opponents were the worst?¡±

    Terry immediately thought of the phantom and death specters.

    Ethereal creatures.

    ¡°Without the mana sublimator, I¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°No point dwelling on it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right¡­¡± Terry scribbled next to his previous entry. ¡°Vicious and the liquifying soldier pose a similar problem.¡±

    Terry thought about the kind of soldiers he had avoided, as well as the practice spars he had in Syn.

    Flying enemies with long-range abilities.

    Underground enemies with long-range abilities that can be triggered above ground.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry thought again of the Guildheads that had attacked Syn. ¡°The creeper¡­¡±

    Mana-cloaked assassins.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve been getting too reliant on my mana sense.¡± Terry mumbled to himself. ¡°Or, at least, I¡¯ve been trusting it too much.¡±

    But I can¡¯t learn life sense¡­ Eyesight or hearing didn¡¯t seem to work that well either with that Carlos¡­ Sudden Death¡­

    Terry took another bite when someone knocked at the door.

    ¡°Mmfff, yes?¡± Terry hurriedly gulped down his food.

    ¡°Morning.¡± Sigille opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at Terry¡¯s setup and walked over.

    When Sigille saw what Terry was scribbling down, she grinned. ¡°Perfect timing then.¡±

    ¡°No need to get up,¡± said Sigille and sat down and leaned on the wall. ¡°First things first. Here.¡±

    Sigille handed over two items.

    Tiny leather belts? Terry curiously inspected the items.

    ¡°They¡¯re leg straps with the same sheath inscription as your belt,¡± explained Sigille. ¡°I figured that your new aspected needles may require some space.¡±

    Yeah, taking them out of the dimensional storage takes too long¡­

    While Terry was thrilled that he had discovered a way to use storage items for his aspected needles, it was tricky to retrieve the needles from his dimensional storage, because he had to reclaim any decayed mana while the item was still in the separated space of the storage item.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me just yet. I still plan to prepare a proper gift.¡± Sigille smirked.

    Terry was stunned and felt inclined to humbly decline, but before he had found the right words, Sigille was speaking again.

    ¡°You may not realize it, but you helped a lot in Syn.¡± Sigille watched Terry seriously. ¡°Without you, we would have had to play catch for way longer. We would have had to waste much more mana. Many more soldiers of the Devout Division would have died before we joined the battle against the horde. The battle would have become much more difficult as a consequence.¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face skeptically.

    Sigille snorted amusedly at Terry¡¯s expression. ¡°You remind me a bit of Matteo when he was younger.¡± Her expression softened, and she insisted: ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Matteo and I might have been able to shorten the game by sacrificing an item, but those are hard to come by.¡± She shook her head slightly.

    Sigille puffed her cheeks and then sharply exhaled the air. ¡°However, if you feel it¡¯s unwarranted, I have an offer that might interest you.¡± She waited for Terry to catch her gaze. ¡°I intend to prepare a gift.¡±

    ¡°I could pick one right now¡­¡± Sigille paused and Terry thought he had seen that look in her eyes before. ¡°Or I give you a training challenge and if you pass it, then I will prepare something superb.¡±

    Like what? Terry raised an eyebrow and his gaze subconsciously moved upwards.

    ¡°Like an item at the level I would use myself,¡± said Sigille.

    Woah, can she read minds? Terry opened his eyes wide and stared at Sigille.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t read minds,¡± said Sigille amusedly.

    She totally can! Terry¡¯s expression froze.

    ¡°You have a very honest face, Terry,¡± said Sigille and chuckled before her expression fell. ¡°Which is not always a good thing.¡±

    Sigille looked worriedly at Terry. ¡°That reminds me, this place will not stay this empty for long. You need to remember that you are not in Arcana anymore. Be careful.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°You may want to keep some of your cards hidden. In particular, I would suggest that you keep your recently discovered applications of your mana to yourself for now. You may also consider being more reserved regarding your spell limitations. People you trust or work together with are one thing. Everyone else is something else.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Just a suggestion.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°You should be able to weigh the pros and cons. In the end, it¡¯s your life. Your call.¡±

    The strange glint returned to Sigille¡¯s eyes. ¡°So? The challenge?¡±

    ¡°You mean I could even receive an item with the divine hammer inscription?¡± asked Terry. He was already nodding without being fully aware of it.

    ¡°Few people have learned to control and direct the inscription properly.¡± Sigille raised an eyebrow. ¡°But I figure your mana control should at least help you with it.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What¡¯s your interest in this inscription?¡± asked Sigille in a tone like she was already expecting a certain answer.

    Terry glanced at his open notebook.

    Ethereal, liquified, flying¡­

    ¡°From what I saw, it could help me with a number of troublesome opponents¡­¡± Terry¡¯s voice trailed off.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Depends on how you do. If you do well, I may add another challenge. I take that as a yes.¡± Sigille clapped twice. ¡°But before we start, what do you want to learn?¡±

    Huh? Terry was taken aback.

    ¡°I mean I have my own ideas, of course, but I want to hear what you are thinking yourself,¡± elaborated Sigille.

    Terry glanced at his notebook and then replied: ¡°Disruption discharges.¡±

    Sigille grinned and nodded. ¡°Perfect, then we agree on what you should learn first. I would suggest three topics in total. Disruption discharges, burst techniques, and general combat practice.¡±

    The strange glint returned, and a corner of Sigille¡¯s lips rose. ¡°Problem is, you are a bit difficult to place. Your mana foundation is too high to place you against students your own age. Your balanced state has already become abnormal¡ª Don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    She did it again!

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°In Syn, you were facing proper soldiers. While they had little practical experience against undead hordes, they did have training and none of them were in your age group. You have not even finished the common mana cultivator path.¡±

    Sigille took a deep breath. ¡°Which brings me to the next half of the problem. I can¡¯t place you with the older students that would be appropriate for your mana foundation, because then your opponents will have a variety of problematic spells or they will know proper burst techniques. Or both.¡±

    Terry had to acknowledge that she had a point, and he nodded.

    ¡°While I instruct general courses, my own class is targeted to those with external mana control impairments,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ll instruct burst techniques there and you are free to join. However, until you learn proper disruption discharges, it will be difficult to find suitable partners for combat training.¡±

    The glint in Sigille¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°To avoid wasting time, I want that gap to be closed as soon as possible. Official instruction will start with the Setting Moon. That¡¯s your deadline.¡±

    Sigille grinned and waited for a reaction.

    Terry blinked. ¡°A week?¡±

    Sigille shrugged carelessly. ¡°Show me what you can do. I want to see how far you can advance on the topic in a week, yes.¡±

    ***

    Sigille and Terry were standing in a special area of the training grounds. It was a free space with several round melon-sized items placed at fixed locations.

    ¡°These things will absorb most of the emitted mana so that you don¡¯t flood the whole area and cause disturbances,¡± explained Sigille.

    Afterwards, Sigille raised her fist in front of Terry. ¡°While an aspected discharge requires a complex refractor to separate aspects, a disruption discharge only requires a focus.¡±

    In his mana sight, Terry saw a funnel-like mana flow along Sigille¡¯s arm that led to a convex shape at her knuckles.

    Sigille punched her fist towards empty air and a wave of mana escaped, accompanied by a dense net of sizzling mana lines visible in mana sight.

    ¡°There are two aspects to a disruption discharge,¡± said Sigille. ¡°First, you are drowning your opponent in mana that has been naturalized by yourself and that is therefore harder to harvest for others. Second, there are disrupting concentrations of mana traveling along the wave. I refer to them as spell slicers.¡±

    Sigille rocked her head from side to side. ¡°Generally, a mana cultivator does not control those in detail. However, you can practice increasing their intensity and frequency. You need to do that if you want to disrupt spells and imprinted items, because the wave alone won¡¯t be able to accomplish that. What counts there is the mana intensity, the mana velocity, and the sharpness of the slicers.¡±

    ¡°How does the focus work for that?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Well, think about the different aspects: intensity, velocity, sharpness. This translates to compression, propulsion, and shape. You build up enough pressure and then create an opening to have the mana released forward. More pressure, more speed.¡±

    Sigille became pensive. ¡°Real mastery includes control over the dispersal and travel distance. You do not want to create a giant wave just to disrupt a tiny spell structure.¡±

    Sigille raised her fist again. ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate some more. I have about an hour before I am required elsewhere.¡±

    Terry surveyed the mana flow and subconsciously moved his mana accordingly in his own right arm.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with you then¡­¡± After Sigille had demonstrated a disruption discharge for the third time, she turned around¡­ and became stupefied.

    Terry was examining the mana refractor in front of his knuckles and he punched out.

    A mana wave with sparsely placed mana lines of higher intensity was travelling forward from Terry¡¯s fist.

    Huh¡­ Terry blinked perplexedly. Why didn¡¯t I learn this sooner?

    ¡°There are barely any sizzling mana lines though¡­¡± Terry absentmindedly mumbled to himself with an unsatisfied expression. ¡°And it¡¯s somewhat sluggish.¡±

    Sigille shook her head and grumbled quietly: ¡°With my external mana control, it took me over twenty years to create a wasted refractor that was remotely comparable and the kid is actually complaining¡­¡±

    Sigille stopped herself and grinned with anticipatory eyes. She cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I can see that you have made the first step. I¡¯m looking forward to what you can achieve by the deadline.¡±

    Sigille stayed to observe Terry¡¯s initial progress some more and then left with an expression that was a perfect mixture of exasperation and anticipation.

    ***

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Terry inspected his latest disruption discharge.

    For the past day, Terry had mostly repeated his basic disruption exercise with each of his fists. He could not resist and also experimented with changing his focal point from his knuckles to his palms or even to the side of his hands.

    Terry sat down on the ground of the training area and scribbled in his notebook. He had created a list of reference discharges he had seen before: Bjorln, the inscribed earth giant, Lizzy, the lightning-gifted Thanatos soldier, one of the cultist soldiers, and Sigille.

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°While my mana travels further than Aunt Sigille¡¯s, her discharge had a much higher density of intense mana lines¡­¡±

    Which is bad¡­ Those are the parts that can slice up spell structures.

    ¡°Maybe comparable to the cultist soldier¡­¡± Terry tapped his pen on the notebook.

    I did not get a good look at the discharge from the Thanatos soldier, but I could have sworn that the mana travelled faster than mine¡­

    ¡°Pa¡¯s discharge in their sparring match was way wider, but he and Ma also faced several mages¡­¡± Terry puckered his lips. ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, something was different in Pa Bjorln¡¯s discharge¡­ There was a noticeable cluster of sizzling mana lines in the center and the velocity was different at different locations¡­

    Terry looked at his hands. ¡°He used both of his arms at the same time.¡±

    Terry stood up and tried to mimic the actions he remembered from Bjorln. He spread out his arms and created a mana refractor on the knuckles of both of his fists.

    Terry struck out both fists at the same time and emitted two overlapping discharges.

    Terry could see a similar phenomenon to Bjorln¡¯s disruption discharge. The spell slicers were more densely packed in the area in front of him while further out, they were even rarer than in his one-handed discharge.

    Success!

    Regardless, Terry frowned. ¡°This seems a bit like cheating. Aunt Sigille only used a single fist.¡±

    Pa isn¡¯t a cheater!

    ¡°No, but that was combat.¡± Terry mumbled to himself. ¡°The challenge isn¡¯t.¡±

    Aunt Sigille hasn¡¯t even clearly stated what she is expecting from you¡­

    Terry shook his head slightly. ¡°She expects me to do my best. This isn¡¯t it.¡±

    You really want that divine hammer inscription, huh? You don¡¯t even know what results you would need to receive that.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll fail her expectations, but I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t try my best.¡±

    You are already comparable to that cultist soldier. Didn¡¯t Aunt Sigille say that¡¯s already abnormal? They¡¯re all older than you.

    ¡°My external mana control is better.¡± Terry shook his head determinedly. ¡°I should do better.¡±

    How could I make better use of my external mana control in this?

    A pensive look entered Terry¡¯s eyes¡­

    ***

    Sigille stood at the training grounds and observed Terry¡¯s training progress from a distance.

    Terry performed discharge after discharge in a rapid succession. If it wasn¡¯t for the discharged mana, one might mistake it for a martial arts exposition.

    ¡°Where did you pick him up?¡± A tall and muscular human man had stepped next to Sigille.

    ¡°Greetings, Palmer,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You¡¯re back early this cycle.¡±

    ¡°Last demon fortress wrapped up quicker than expected,¡± said Palmer. ¡°The elementals had clashed with some mana corrupted before we arrived. So what¡¯s with him? Does he have a vendetta against mages or something?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Sigille with a smile. ¡°But he did have some memorable encounters with ethereal creatures and long-range casters. That¡¯s my nephew from Arcana. Whaka Terry is Little Silly¡¯s accepted son.¡±

    Sigille stroked her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve given him a challenge. He is supposed to improve his disruption discharges as much as possible until the Setting Moon arrives.¡±

    ¡°I figure he should already pass?¡± Palmer spoke in bewilderment. ¡°Does he know that what he¡¯s doing is, shall we say, unusual?¡±

    Terry threw out punches, palm-strikes, and hand chops one after the other ¨C every one was accompanied by a disruption discharge.

    ¡°Bordering on ridiculous?¡± continued Palmer.

    Sigille chuckled. ¡°Yes and no. I told him something like that before. He may nod, but it doesn¡¯t seem to sink in. During this challenge, I have no intention of pointing that out again.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry had started incorporating side, turning, and hook kicks into his routine.

    Sigille smirked. ¡°Care to take a guess when he started learning disruption discharges?¡±

    Palmer examined Terry with inquisitive eyes. ¡°How old is he?¡±

    ¡°Turned nineteen this season.¡± Sigille spoke while shaking her head.

    Palmer turned to Sigille and searched her face before turning back to Terry. ¡°Well, that makes my first guess unlikely. I could imagine Arcana having some way for prenatal training, but preconceptional training seems like a stretch, even for them.¡±

    A moment of silence passed between them while they observed Terry¡¯s training.

    ¡°The mana absorption spheres must be close to their limit,¡± remarked Palmer.

    Sigille snickered. ¡°Look at the ground around Terry.¡±

    ¡°Are those mana containers?¡± Palmer raised an eyebrow. ¡°He¡¯s recycling his discharged mana into his own containers?¡±

    Sigille snorted amusedly. ¡°Terry is quite zealous when it comes to avoiding having good mana go to waste.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Palmer was flabbergasted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone with that kind of external mana control have the option to learn proper anti-magic spellwork? Why does he focus on discharges?¡±

    ¡°We all have our own circumstances, don¡¯t we?¡± retorted Sigille.

    Sigille followed her own suggestion and keep Terry¡¯s mana type a secret for now. After all, the image of Terry as a promising mage proper from Arcana could act as a deterrent for trouble.

    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Sigille grinned again. ¡°It would have been such a waste for Terry to not learn disruption discharges given what he has already achieved after barely three days.¡±

    Palmer jerked his head around to face Sigille. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Sigille pulled her lips back and raised her eyebrows while shaking her head slightly. ¡°Terry¡¯s mana foundation is more than a little absurd, and I guess this is playing to his strengths.¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± Sigille¡¯s expression froze.

    Palmer quickly turned to Terry again to see an intense discharge that had been expelled from Terry¡¯s palm. The density of spell slicers was a league above what Terry had showed so far.

    ¡°What did he do to achieve that outcome?¡± asked Palmer as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s eyes were still wide open. ¡°I think Terry just layered several focus refractors.¡± She grinned subconsciously. ¡°I could detect a refractor way apart from his palm. Come to think of it, he told me once that he was practicing to increase his reach in mana control.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rare for a mana cultivator to have that kind of external mana control,¡± murmured Palmer. ¡°Now I feel like training some more¡­¡± He glanced at Sigille. ¡°Up for a friendly spar later?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°What¡¯s the score?¡±

    Palmer snorted. ¡°Still embarrassing, but I plan to bring it to an overall tie this season.¡± A challenging glint appeared in his eyes.

    Sigille chuckled. ¡°I wish you luck. It would be nice to have someone take over. I¡¯ll be travelling for a while next cycle.¡±

    ***

 062 Gifts and Rewards

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 97 ¨C

    Terry stood with his eyes closed on the training grounds while being surrounded by his mana containers.

    He did not move a muscle¡­

    Terry opened his eyes and a spherical mana pulse was discharged from his body.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned at the thin mana concentration.

    That¡¯s not much of a discharge¡­

    ¡°How did the wasted earth giant do that?¡± Terry furrowed his brow.

    With inscriptions?

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Terry grumbled to himself.

    Think your normal discharges will be enough to earn the divine hammer inscription?

    Terry shrugged.

    Do you even care anymore? I feel like you¡¯re wasting your time with this. Maybe you should try something else. Or practice the layered focusing some more¡­

    Terry puckered his lips. ¡°I feel like I am missing something. I want this to work.¡±

    Wishful thinking again.

    Terry sat down and retrieved his notebook.

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Terry smacked his lips. ¡°A disruption discharge is not like an aspected discharge. Its primary purpose is not to inflict damage on ethereal creatures or something like that.¡±

    And yet it¡¯s one of the few ways in which I could harm an ethereal creature that depends on mana.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s just me and my limitations. The main purpose of a disruption discharge is to make an opportunity to close in on a spell flinger.¡±

    So?

    ¡°So, depending on the spell being cast, it would be great if I did not have to hit the casting center or the mage. If it¡¯s just a mana-guiding spell¡ª If I could disrupt the mana shortly before it hits me, then I would not have to waste so much mana.¡±

    Terry shook his head. ¡°Aiming for the caster requires a large amount of mana to travel that far in time. Aiming for the casting centers is like playing whack-a-mole. If there are multiple casters, it would get even worse, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Terry sat down. He tapped his pen on the notebook that laid on the ground and sighed in frustration. ¡°Maybe the inscribed earth giant is the wrong role model¡­¡±

    No kidding¡­

    Terry searched his memory for other sources of inspiration and twirled his pen through the fingers of his right hand.

    ¡°When Dargones burst his nullification-aspected mana, mana-based attacks weren¡¯t even able to come close to him.¡±

    Yes, but in contrast to Dargones, you don¡¯t have nullification-aspected mana.

    ¡°Terry.¡± Sigille had arrived behind Terry.

    ¡°Hm¡­ Maybe if¡­¡± Terry murmured absentmindedly to himself.

    ¡°Terry!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry finally noticed Sigille¡¯s presence. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±

    ¡°Time for lunch,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Grab some and then meet me in your room,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Terry packed up his things.

    ***

    Sigille walked into Terry¡¯s room and closed the door behind her. Afterwards, she retrieved a card-shaped item from her storage and channeled mana into it to create a soundproof barrier.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I think I saw a familiar bug flying around,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Open the window. I think you¡¯re the target this time.¡±

    Terry creased his brows perplexedly, but did as instructed.

    A short moment later, a dragonfly that was on the larger side flew into the room and landed on Terry¡¯s table.

    ¡°Guess my senses were right,¡± exclaimed Sigille in self-satisfaction.

    ¡°What?¡± Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°Impressive construct, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sigille grinned. ¡°Whenever I urgently require items that are hard to come by in Tiv, my baby sister helps me out. I figure her friend Brynn is the creator. Channel some mana into it.¡±

    Terry became excited. He placed a finger on top of the dragonfly and guided his mana into the small construct.

    The back of the dragonfly opened and Terry could see a miniature crafter¡¯s pendant without the usual necklace.

    ¡°Normally, they include a letter in the storage,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Should be sealed and linked to your mana signature as well.¡±

    Terry quickly found a sheet of paper that carried the hand-writing of his aunt Brynn.

    ¡®Dear Terry,

    ¡®I hope this little toy reaches you safely. The next time we have a chance to speak, say something about greeting your old classmates and I will know that you have received the package. Otherwise, I would have to send an army of dragonflies towards you and the imperial censors might get curious about the weird plague of insects heading your way.

    ¡®In any case, I ¨C and everyone else ¨C hope that you are well. You should be smart enough to know this, but just in case: do not tell anyone about this construct. Members of our whanau are, of course, an exception, but still. Tiv is a bit peeved with unauthorized imports of magic items, so be careful.

    ¡®Sadly, this also brings me to another warning. While we would wish for a way to chat freely with you, my little construct isn¡¯t it. While you can instruct it to fly back to me by guiding mana into the two lower wings simultaneously, that should only be done in an emergency. Every flight is a risk and this should not be taken lightly.

    ¡®Similarly, sharing too much current information with you could be disastrous if you have a slip of the tongue during our next supervised conversation. Anyway, it would also be frustrating in that you could not send a reply. So, as sad as it may be, for now, it has to suffice that we are all well and waiting for you to return home.

    ¡®We have all prepared a few gifts for you. The storage bracelet is for Sigille, though.¡¯

    Terry paused reading and wiped a happy tear from his eye. He retrieved the storage bracelet and handed it to Sigille.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Sigille and checked the contents. ¡°Perfect.¡± She looked at Terry. ¡°How about you? We want to avoid duplicate gifts after all.¡±

    Terry continued reading.

    ¡®The two wands in the silver box have been mana-crafted by your siblings. They worked hard to finish them in time.¡¯

    ¡°Wait, two? Siblings? Plural?¡± Terry retrieved the silver box and opened it.

    Terry picked up the first wand and examined it in mana sight. ¡°Directional lines¡­ Dual imprint?¡±

    Terry chuckled when he recognized the imprints. ¡°Liquify Earth and Harden Earth ¨C this one was definitely made by Lori.¡±

    Terry picked up the second wand. ¡°Extremely fuzzy¡­ directional lines¡­ and Raise Wall? Huh?¡±

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± asked Sigille.

    Yeah, the world is upside down.

    ¡°No, I was just surprised. Going by the letter, it seems that Jorg has picked up mana-crafting and even chose to learn new spellwork.¡±

    That¡¯s like two signs of the apocalypse.

    ¡°Things have changed already¡­¡± Terry mumbled and felt homesick. He sighed and returned to the letter.

    ¡®Samuel has added a purchased wand for the fundamental healing spells, as well as many scrolls. He also insisted on what amounts to a bookshelf on dungeons, spatial anomalies, and the Tiv Empire. The shelf includes Samuel¡¯s own work, too. Do me a favor and ask him to sign one of them. I want to see his face when you do.¡¯

    Terry snorted and chuckled. ¡°More learning¡­¡±

    ¡®Bjorln has added literal shelves filled with potions and salves. I can tell you the house was smelling horribly at times. Fortunately, he has also added a kitchen full of home-made food and bribed us with some leftovers. There are some chocolate cookies, which I am told your aunt Sigille is quite fond of. You can share if you want.¡¯

    Terry teared up a bit and retrieved some of the cookies. He took one for himself and then offered the rest to Sigille. ¡°From Pa.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I remember those.¡± Sigille received the cookies with sparkly eyes. ¡°They¡¯re delicious.¡± Sigille bit into one and then mumbled while chewing. ¡°The cheeky lad always knew how to charm a stomach.¡±

    Terry returned his attention to the letter.

    ¡®Isille has personally selected two new barrier spears that are similar to her own. These are inscribed and not imprinted. This barrier inscription allows you to strengthen the barrier with additional mana, as well as to control the size of the barrier to some degree. It also allows you to move the barrier forward beyond the range of your spear. Anyway, it¡¯s an inscription, so just sink your consciousness into it. Your mana foundation should be sufficient to use it.¡¯

    Terry was stunned, and he dazedly retrieved the two new short spears.

    ¡°Good stuff,¡± exclaimed Sigille while munching on another cookie.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Terry was overwhelmed with gratitude. He clenched his fists and promised himself to train harder. Afterwards, Terry continued reading the letter.

    ¡®The construct and pendant are two of my gifts. I¡¯ve also filled the pendant to the brim with your preferred mana-crafting materials. Additionally, I have added some instruction books for mana-crafting self-study and a spare set of tools. Aside from that, I also wanted to personally craft some items for you.¡¯

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Terry subconsciously uttered when thinking of items created by his aunt Brynn.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if you already had to go through Tiv¡¯s customs nonsense. Therefore, I chose to stay within the realms of plausible deniability and limited myself to effects similar to those you already used. You can find a pair of inscribed fingerless gloves ¨C properly shielded and cloaked. Their inscriptions are identical. I¡¯ve woven together four inscriptions in each of them.

    ¡®The first is a bidirectional attraction inscription similar to your Gravitational Attraction imprint. The second is an inscription called radiating light. It can achieve an effect similar to your Blinding Flash imprint. The inscription allows you to control the light¡¯s intensity and keep the light on for as long as you channel mana.

    ¡®The last two inscriptions are among my personal specialties. One is an inertia-lock that will bind the gloves to your mana signature as long as you periodically channel some mana into them. The other is a self-mending and error-correcting inscription that will slowly mend material damage and repair any mana deviations from the original inscription.

    ¡®We hope our gifts will help keep you safe until we can meet again. Stay safe, Whaka Terry!¡¯

    Terry sighed deeply and then retrieved his new gloves. He quickly examined them and also showed them to Sigille.

    Afterwards, Terry entered the wands, gloves, spears, the storage pendant, and the dragonfly construct into his dimensional bag. Sifting through all the other items and transferring them to his main storage items would take time. As would practicing with his new equipment.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    For now, however, Terry still had a discharge challenge to focus on¡­

    ***

    ¡°Little Lucas, a moment please,¡± shouted Sigille, and jogged up to the man.

    Lucas turned around with a haggard look. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for a quarrel, old hag.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said Sigille unperturbed. ¡°How is Little Ruslana doing?¡±

    Lucas¡¯s gaze fell and a deep sigh escaped from his lips. ¡°Not good¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°Our last healing attempts have all failed¡­ and¡­ haaahhh¡­¡±

    Lucas shook his head while despair washed over his face. ¡°Her illness will require a grandmaster-level healing spell at least, but there is basically no chance that I can request such a healer to come all the way here. They¡¯re all deployed at the frontline or with the royal family.¡±

    ¡°Even if, by chance, one would come to this area, the waiting list is¡­¡± Tears entered the eyes of Lucas. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Here.¡±

    Sigille handed over a scroll and a potion.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡± Lucas examined the scroll and his eyes opened wide. ¡°I¡­¡± His face contorted into a conflicted expression. ¡°Th-thanks, Instructor, but I... I can¡¯t. This isn¡¯t¡ª The waiting list. Others¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap, lad,¡± reprimanded Sigille sternly. ¡°You know, for someone that used to rank near the top in theory, you can sure act stupid sometimes. Don¡¯t let Dhruv hear that you are considering declining this gift, or he may trap you in a tree until you grow some sense.¡±

    ¡°But I¡­¡± Lucas bit his lip with a conflicted expression. ¡°I can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°While I haven¡¯t been your instructor for long¡­¡± Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky. ¡°Because you dropped out when you encountered your bottleneck¡­¡± Her tone carried a hint of faded disappointment.

    Sigille stared firmly into Lucas¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please trust me on this, lad. Take them and heal Little Ruslana. You can feel guilty for failing to put the empire¡¯s needs over your own afterwards if you want, but at least you will be able to live with yourself.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lucas pressed his lips tightly together.

    Sigille sighed. ¡°People aren¡¯t interchangeable and while those in high positions sometimes have to act as if they were, that is above us.¡±

    Sigille leaned closer to Lucas and caught his gaze. ¡°Down here, the most important thing is that you can look in the mirror without hating yourself. Otherwise, you will break and that won¡¯t help anyone. Consider this gift as luck. You are allowed to accept it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Lucas grimaced as if he was in pain. ¡°But it isn¡¯t right that I can get help just because I am lucky while others¡ª If I had not known you, then¡ª If I use it now and then you might need it later, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop that,¡± rebuked Sigille. ¡°If I trip in the next dungeon and break my neck, then these items wouldn¡¯t save anyone. Stop construing scenarios in which her life competes with others. I am giving these things to you so that you can save Little Ruslana. You are not obligated to give this up, and if you try, I¡¯m going to smack you.¡±

    Lucas silently put the items away.

    ¡°And don¡¯t let me catch you becoming overly respectful or submissive all of a sudden,¡± said Sigille with a stern expression. ¡°This was purely personal. Nothing to do with Guardian management or policy nonsense.¡±

    ***

    Terry exhaled sharply and then picked up two of his mana containers from the ground. He absorbed the stored mana to fill up his own mana pool more quickly.

    These latest discharges aren¡¯t half bad. Think it will suffice? You¡¯re frowning already, aren¡¯t you?

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry grumbled unhappily. ¡°I should be able to do better.¡±

    You¡¯re still hung up on the spherical discharge? I thought you had established that the body¡¯s movement helps to speed up mana and unless you can blow yourself up, there is no body movement to go with a spherical discharge.

    Terry scowled at the air in front of him. Then, he returned the mana containers to the ground.

    ¡°Tomorrow is the last day¡­¡±

    Terry punched with his left. He rapidly followed up with a side-kick to his back, a step forward, and a punch with his right.

    Each of his kicks and punches was accompanied by a disruption discharge that surpassed all Terry had seen except for Bjorln¡¯s.

    Terry created an additional refractor for his following palm strike, and the layered focus refractors led to a discharge densely packed with spell slicers.

    Terry jumped, leaned back, and quickly transfixed his chest armor in a position horizontal to the ground. Then, Terry punched both arms above his head while kicking with both legs in the opposite direction ¨C two dual-discharges were expelled at the same time.

    I believe even Bjorln would be proud of these¡­

    Terry ignored his own complacent thoughts and gathered momentum to rotate in the air and deactivated his chest armor imprint. While still in the air, Terry prepared layered focus refractors in front of the knuckles on both of his hands.

    As soon as Terry¡¯s feet hit the ground, he punched with two fists simultaneously to combine the layered discharges into one¡­

    Terry observed the effect that seemed faster and more intense than any disruption discharge he had ever seen. In spite of that, he frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something¡­¡±

    Give up on the spherical discharge already¡­

    While Terry switched to practicing discharges in rapid succession, Sigille observed his progress from a different location in the training grounds.

    ¡°Instructor Sigille!¡± A short and cheery dwarven girl ran towards Sigille. She was carrying an axe similar to Sigille¡¯s on her back. The axe was nearly as tall as the short girl herself.

    ¡°Little Chipmunk.¡± Sigille grinned.

    ¡°Thena! I told you not to run off!¡± A human woman in impressive robes followed the cheery girl with several other students in tow.

    ¡°Hehe, sorry.¡± Thena smiled sheepishly and scratched her cheek.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you managed to not trip,¡± teased a taller dwarven boy that carried two one-handed axes on his back.

    Thena stuck out her tongue. ¡°Are you worried about me, Clayson?¡±

    Clayson blushed and averted his eyes.

    ¡°¡°¡°Greetings, Instructor.¡±¡±¡± A human woman and an elven man greeted Sigille in unison. While the human girl was carrying a two-handed axe like Sigille¡¯s, the elven boy was carrying two short spears.

    ¡°Looks like everyone arrived in one piece,¡± said Sigille happily. ¡°Greetings, Rachel. I hope my students behaved themselves.¡±

    ¡°Like little troublesome angels,¡± said Rachel, the woman in impressive robes. ¡°Any sign of your disciples yet?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll probably arrive on the last day,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I heard from Palmer that they¡¯ve been busy lately.¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡± exclaimed Thena when she saw Terry¡¯s latest discharge.

    ¡°Who is the new face?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°Discharge instructor?¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°That could be funny, but frankly, I don¡¯t believe Terry is well-equipped to instruct others in that regard. That would be akin to you explaining color to a blind person.¡±

    Rachel raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Whaka Terry is my nephew from Arcana,¡± added Sigille.

    ¡°Isille¡¯s child?¡± asked Rachel.

    Sigille nodded. ¡°I posed a challenge to him ¨C to improve as much as he can in disruption discharges before the Setting Moon. He learned his first disruption discharge a week ago.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª Ouch.¡± Thena jerked around when she heard that and tripped over her own feet. ¡°Stop snickering, Clayson!¡± Her face was flushed.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± asked Rachel.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°While Terry might serve to provide some inspiration, I don¡¯t believe he would be a good fit to instruct those with bad external mana control.¡±

    ¡°Will he participate in combat practice?¡± asked Rachel.

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± replied Sigille.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± exclaimed Rachel pleasedly. ¡°I have a few students that are getting way too comfortable with their current spellwork.¡±

    ¡°What does he train in?¡± asked the axe-wielding woman.

    ¡°His style hasn¡¯t settled yet,¡± replied Sigille while moving her lower lip forward in thought. ¡°He has been instructed by my little sister and her husband ¨C core focus on dual short spears and unarmed combat. The two are well-suited to instruct those topics.¡±

    Sigille weighed her head from side to side. ¡°While he also has a basic foundation in dagger and knife techniques, he seems to lack practice there.¡± She scrunched up her face. ¡°Apparently, they even included dual dagger techniques for some reason I can¡¯t fathom.¡±

    ¡°Dual spears?¡± The elven man piped up.

    ¡°You can try, but I expect it will be more suitable for Terry to train with my personal disciples,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Is he as good with his weapons as he is with his discharges?¡± asked Clayson, who followed Terry¡¯s practice with amazed eyes.

    ¡°Not even close,¡± said Sigille with a snort. ¡°But his ambidextrous wielding is advanced, and he is getting good at changing his rhythm.¡±

    Sigille eyed her students. ¡°You can all try a match, but then you should declare it to exclude mana use.¡± She gestured towards Terry. ¡°As you can see, his mana foundation is more than a bit out of the norm and he can make good use of it in his balanced state.¡±

    For a moment, everyone silently followed Terry¡¯s rapid succession of disruption discharges.

    ¡°I mostly want my disciples to demonstrate to him the edge that comes with knowing proper burst techniques,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You and Terry still have to learn those.¡±

    ¡°What is he doing?¡± asked Thena curiously. ¡°Why did he stop? He¡¯s just standing there.¡±

    Sigille narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°It looks as if he is gathering mana around himself,¡± murmured Rachel. ¡°Now, he¡¯s rotating it around himself¡­ Wait, are those¡­?¡±

    Sigille¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s new¡­¡± muttered Rachel appreciatively.

    Meanwhile, Terry was making deep breaths and concentrated on rotating his mana around himself while placing several focus refractors outside his body. With the funnels placed to receive, compress, and accelerate the rotating mana further with each rotation.

    Terry had given up on his disruption pulse for now because he had not found a way to increase the density and velocity sufficiently in the scope of a single discharge. However, while practicing his layered discharges, he had wondered if he could achieve a similar effect for a spherical or at least a field-like application like Dargones¡¯s bursting.

    The mass of rotating mana that was moving turbulently through his external focus refractors was the solution that Terry had come up with.

    Terry opened his eyes and observed the mana while continuing to speed up the mana by controlling it to increase the pressure through the funnels. He had to periodically pull on his mana in order to keep it close to his body while pushing it through.

    Okay¡­ First drawback, this stuff is obstructing my mana sight. Like looking through glowing, tinted glass¡­

    Terry ignored his intrusive thoughts and focused on getting the hang of the rotation and the timing to supply new mana into the gaps after compression.

    Eventually, Terry could see spell slicers appear sparsely and then more densely packed.

    Terry could not help but smile.

    Don¡¯t get too happy now. You still need to move with this thing or it will also turn into a mana waste.

    ¡°But I can at least reclaim and harvest the mana whenever I need it,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°It¡¯s still close enough to me.¡±

    Much use that will be when someone fires a crossbow at you while you are grinning inside your little mana bubble.

    ¡°Fair point¡­¡± Terry closed his eyes and slowly took a step forward while trying to move the mass of mana with him and adjust the rotation to a new center.

    ***

    Terry was standing on the training grounds while the sun was slowly setting.

    He pulled back his right arm and imagined the three refractors that he wanted to layer on top of each other. He moved his mana and punched forward.

    The mana accumulated in his arm. It got further compressed by the first refractor in front of his knuckles. It traveled fast towards the second refractor, where it got compressed further until it finally hit the third focus refractor and a narrow wave of dense spell slicers rushed rapidly forward.

    Now!

    Terry had picked a point in the distance and as soon as the mana had reached it, Terry clenched his teeth and concentrated on reclaiming as much of the discharged mana as he could manage in a breath¡¯s time.

    Falling tide¡­

    Terry inhaled and pulled his fist back while some of the discharged mana travelled back to him, where he tried to absorb it into his body again.

    Terry held his breath and lunged his left fist while discharging mana and exhaling.

    Rising tide¡­

    Now!

    Terry repeated the exercise that he had come up with the day before after his disruption field had turned out to be way too difficult to move around. While Terry had not completely given up on the disruption field yet, it would require more time than he had in this challenge.

    Only a few hours remaining¡­

    Terry repeated the exercise without stopping. He had discovered that it also helped him improve not only in external mana control, regeneration, and discharges but also in the aspect he had wanted to train the most recently: reach.

    Terry did not notice that his exercise had already drawn several spectators that were observing him from a distance.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding around, huh?¡± muttered Palmer.

    ¡°Not even a little bit,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s his progress after a week.¡±

    ¡°So? What will the boy earn as a reward?¡± asked Rachel.

    Sigille¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°When I told him about the challenge, he asked about the divine hammer inscription.¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡± exclaimed the short dwarven girl standing next to Sigille like a puppy. Thena was looking at Sigille with sparkling eyes: ¡°Can I also earn that?¡±

    Rachel snickered.

    ¡°Little Chipmunk, right now, you could not handle that inscription,¡± said Sigille while smiling warmly at Thena. ¡°It would make for a useless gift. You all still require items that can protect you now. The only reason I am considering it for Terry is that¡­¡±

    Another wave of densely packed spell slicers rolled away from Terry.

    ¡°Well, that,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°Even with that kind of mana control, it still poses a challenge that can only be overcome with time and practice.¡±

    ¡°The targeting of the divine hammer inscription differs greatly from spellwork or simple inscriptions,¡± added Rachel. ¡°Try throwing colored sand into the air to create a picture before the sand reaches the ground. Something like that.¡±

    Rachel glanced at Sigille. ¡°Only suitable for the particularly stubborn types.¡±

    Palmer snorted amusedly.

    ¡°I think you meant tenacious, dedicated, and diligent,¡± retorted Sigille with a wink.

    ¡°Did I?¡± Rachel chuckled. ¡°Anyway, you may want to do something about his performance display before the combat practice. If he keeps this up, the spell flingers will be too intimidated to spar.¡±

    ¡°As long as they feel pressured into improving themselves, that¡¯s fine, too, isn¡¯t it?¡± retorted Sigille.

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Rachel.

    ¡°Terry can¡¯t spar with everyone,¡± said Sigille. ¡°This way is good, too.¡±

    ***

    It was already dark on the training grounds, but Terry¡¯s figure was still throwing discharge after discharge.

    ¡°Terry!¡± shouted Sigille, who had walked up to him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Well done.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry was surprised to see Sigille this soon. ¡°Is it midnight already?¡±

    Sigille slightly shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, but I want you to rest well before tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Sigille handed over two rolls of what seemed to be silvery bandages.

    Terry received the items with a perplexed expression. He examined them in mana sight and could make out densely inscribed runes.

    ¡°Are these¡­?¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°The divine hammer inscriptions, yes,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°The inscription is long. Very long. Even compared to other multi-purpose inscriptions. There are more densely packed versions, but they are even more difficult to wield. Also, they usually come on equipment like mine. Metal armor that would not mesh well with your own imprinted septimum pieces.¡±

    Sigille pointed at one of the silvery rolls. ¡°These have the benefit that you can choose where to wear them. However, if I could make a suggestion, I would recommend wrapping them around your legs before putting on the rest of your armor.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more intuitive to have it wrapped around the arms?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± admitted Sigille. ¡°But as I see it, your most pressing issue is movement. Your boot mechanism is¡­ clever. However, I would also call it problematic. It is awkward to have resistance from the coil springs when jumping. It shows in your movement.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Most importantly, the entire approach has strict limits. Once your jump strength exceeds the limits of the coil springs, the whole idea breaks down. It is a stopgap at best. Among many other uses, the divine hammer inscription can serve you for air movement long term.¡±

    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Sigille smirked at Terry. ¡°If you manage to wield it properly with your legs, I may find another challenge to complete the set.¡±

    Terry nodded excitedly. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Sigille!¡±

    I need to train more¡­

    ***

 063 Shifting Perspectives

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 1 ¨C

    Terry glanced at the mechanical clock on his desk.

    Is it just me or are my nights getting shorter and shorter?

    Terry shrugged unconcernedly and took a bite of his sandwich. It was still early in the morning, but Terry did not feel tired.

    Terry swallowed his food down and checked his equipment. He was wearing his new leg straps and there were three throwing needles at each of his thighs: one octavum, one septimum, one aspected with oscillating mana.

    Terry looked at his left hip, where the space was now free again. ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Next, Terry tentatively channeled a bit of mana through his new inscribed gloves and the inscribed wraps around his calves.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Terry sighed when his mana entered the divine hammer inscription. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Aunt Sigille can use these things and make it look easy¡­¡±

    Terry took his plate from the table and sat down on the floor. He retrieved his exercise equipment for practicing spellwork with his feet.

    After everything had been set up, Terry retrieved one of his notebooks and brainstormed a shopping list while exercising. He did not have many savings in the Tiv currency and he had to stick to a budget until he fulfilled some missions and earn some more vals. Luckily, most of Terry¡¯s immediate priorities had been covered by the generous gifts from his family.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry thought over what he was missing.

    The bolas appeared rather limited in real battle¡­

    ¡°As expected, the rope was a weakness¡­¡± Terry mumbled to himself. ¡°Metal aspect-reinforced wire would be nice¡­ Invisible wire would be great¡­¡± Terry tapped his pen on the notebook. ¡°Not only for the bolas. Maybe¡­¡±

    I¡¯ll probably be sorely disappointed when seeing the Tiv price for such items, though.

    Terry scribbled unperturbed.

    What about the scale armor?

    ¡°On the one hand, I would like to try it at least once, but¡­¡± Terry frowned subconsciously. ¡°On the other hand, I have a path forward now¡­¡±

    Terry thought about the new books stored in his crafter¡¯s pendant. If he invested the proper time, he should at least be able to learn quasi-periodic shielding.

    Terry remembered his Aunt Sigille¡¯s evaluation of the coil spring mechanism in his boots.

    Stopgap at best¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it on the list but further down¡­¡± Terry still felt hesitant to dismiss the idea completely.

    Terry glanced at the clock and then at his left hip.

    Maybe another dagger? Feels somewhat unbalanced now, with only one.

    Terry pondered. A magical dagger would most likely blow up his budget. A well-crafted non-magic dagger should be fine if he provided the materials himself.

    ¡°Something that goes well with the Immovable Object spell¡­¡± Terry clicked his tongue and put off that topic for later.

    What about the formal clothes for the Preacher¡¯s reception?

    Terry frowned. ¡°There was that, yes¡­ but¡­¡± He glanced at his left hip again¡­

    ***

    ¡°Terry!¡± *Knock* ¡°Terry!¡± *Knock* *Knock* ¡°Terry! Are you awake yet?!¡±

    Terry snickered at the overly excited waking attempt. He hurriedly opened the door to discover a small bundle of energy and a tired-looking bundle of morning misery.

    ¡°Morning, Thena. Morning, Clayson.¡±

    ¡°Huam¡­¡± Clayson yawned with half-closed eyes and a head full of bed-hair. ¡°See, Thena? He¡¯s awake already. There was no need to wake me early, either.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Thena narrowed her small eyes at Clayson. ¡°No need at all, huh? I think we tried that experiment before and you only appeared after lunch. That was very rude to Instructor Sigille. I won¡¯t have it!¡±

    Terry could not help but smile at the early morning routine. It was evident that the dwarven girl was very fond of Sigille and idolized the Divine Hammer exceedingly.

    Ever since Sigille¡¯s students had arrived, Thena was always next to Sigille and when that was not an option, she had started sticking close to Terry.

    No matter where the short dwarf went, Clayson would accompany her.

    ¡°Good, good,¡± exclaimed Thena happily. ¡°Then we don¡¯t have to rush to class and will definitely be on time.¡±

    ¡°You meant to say that we could have slept some more and now we have to wait,¡± retorted Clayson grumpily.

    Thena stuck out her tongue and then straightened her back with a solemn expression. ¡°As Terry¡¯s senior sister, I have to make sure that he finds his way to class.¡±

    Thena marched ahead with proud eyes.

    Terry smiled amusedly and followed.

    Clayson walked next to Thena and scratched his belly. ¡°In what way are you his senior sister? We are both younger than Terry and we have joined the Guardians later than Terry. Also, you are way too short to be Terry¡¯s senior sister.¡±

    ¡°Shush,¡± retorted Thena eloquently. ¡°I¡¯ve been Instructor Sigille¡¯s student longer than Terry. And don¡¯t call me short. You¡¯re my junior brother, too, Clayson!¡± Thena smirked.

    ¡°We joined on the same day,¡± retorted Clayson. ¡°You only introduced yourself first because you could not keep the words from falling out of your mouth like always when you¡¯re in front of Instructor Sigille.¡± He glanced at Thena. ¡°And you are short. Senior or not.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Sigille said I may still get a growth spurt!¡± insisted Thena.

    ¡°Huam¡­ Don¡¯t feel bad if you don¡¯t,¡± retorted Clayson while yawning. ¡°Maybe your compact size is why you have so much energy. You¡¯re still energy efficient. If you grow taller, you may become as tired as I am. The compact edition may be a plus. I still need you to wake me up on time.¡±

    Thena pouted, but her eyes displayed an appeased glint.

    ¡°Ah well, I¡¯m a dwarf anyway,¡± said Thena. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be short, right? There must be many dwarves shorter than me¡­¡± Thena looked at Terry hopefully. ¡°How about Arcana? Dwarves must be really short there, right?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry searched his memory. ¡°I have seen an adult dwarf that was about your height.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Thena kept her eyes on Terry while walking.

    ¡°Yeah, but that wasn¡¯t in Arcana. That was Silver-Eyes Jee here in Tiv.¡±

    Thena tripped and landed face-first on the floor. Afterwards, she remained quietly sprawled out without attempting to stand back up.

    ¡°That was an effective combination, Terry,¡± said Clayson and snorted. ¡°A hint of hope to make the finishing blow that much more devastating.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out in bemusement.

    ¡°Jee is Thena¡¯s older brother,¡± explained Clayson.

    ***

    ¡°Welcome back, everyone.¡± Sigille greeted the group standing in front of her.

    ¡°¡°¡°Greetings, Instructor!¡±¡±¡±

    A few among them chose to bow to Sigille. Terry recognized them to be Sigille¡¯s personal disciples as well as Thena, who was determined to become Sigille¡¯s disciple eventually.

    ¡°As usual, we will have our special class for the control-impaired as the first slot in the morning,¡± said Sigille. ¡°General classes will be held afterwards. Personal instruction sessions for my disciples will start in the late afternoon.¡±

    Sigille let her eyes wander over everyone. ¡°If you encounter any particular problems in your cultivation, you can always feel free to seek me out. That is what this season is for. Control-impairments are difficult to overcome and compensate for. There is no shame in asking for help. Remember that.¡±

    ¡°Finally, let me repeat what is worth repeating: Any path worth taking is also worth taking your time for.¡± Sigille¡¯s tone was stern. ¡°It took me decades before I could use disruption discharges.¡±

    Terry lowered his gaze and clenched his fists. He promised himself to never become complacent with his talents.

    ¡°A path does not need to feel forced,¡± continued Sigille. ¡°I¡¯m still not able to do aspected discharges¡­¡± Sigille shrugged with a grin. ¡°But I get by.¡±

    Chuckles welled up at the self-deprecating remarks of the famous Divine Hammer.

    Many of the students became emotional when looking at their instructor. The struggling students took comfort in the fact that Sigille had shared their struggles and they took inspiration from her achievements.

    ¡°I am still trying to learn aspected discharges, mind you,¡± stressed Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ve never stopped.¡± She spoke with emphasis. ¡°Having found a working alternative is not a reason to stop learning. You never know when you will push through and you never know what kind of inspiration you may find along the way.¡±

    ¡°This will be the second cycle in which I can offer the general class on aspected bursts,¡± said Sigille. ¡°That was one such unexpected inspiration. A new tool for a mana cultivator.¡± A corner of her lips rose upwards. ¡°Even for those that have trouble with external mana control.¡±

    ¡°The instructors will evaluate your abilities this week and then combat practice will begin the week after,¡± explained Sigille. ¡°You can sign up for free practice. That means that the instructors will match suitable opponents to each other. You can also issue your own challenges and if both parties agree, you will be allocated a slot for a match. Of course, you can simply attend to learn through observing others.¡±

    ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Sigille.

    Terry raised his hand.

    ¡°Terry?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just ask people to spar? What¡¯s different about combat practice?¡±

    ¡°Anyone?¡± Sigille looked around.

    A tall canan that was among Sigille¡¯s personal disciples raised her hand. Her head resembled a brushwood dog with white and reddish fur.

    ¡°Tara, please,¡± prompted Sigille.

    ¡°In combat practice, we will receive protective items and instructors will observe the match and are ready to intervene, so that we can go all out,¡± explained Tara. ¡°In free matches, instructors may also recommend or enforce restrictions to facilitate the best learning experience and create a proper challenge. Combat practice slots will be scheduled to not conflict with classes of interested parties.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Tara. Any other questions?¡± Sigille waited and when no one else raised their hand, she continued. ¡°Terry and Tara, please take your practice weapons and step onto the free field behind me.¡±

    Tara did so without a moment of hesitation. Terry furrowed his brow and followed shortly afterwards. They had both grabbed two spears. However, while Terry grabbed his usual two short spears, Tara had grabbed two spears that were a size longer and more fitting for her taller stature.

    ¡°I like to start off the Setting Moon with an exhibition that demonstrates why we teach certain things,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I would like you two to have a spar that only relies on consuming mana ¨C balanced or plain bursts. No magic items.¡± She glanced at Terry. ¡°No spellwork.¡± She glanced at Tara. ¡°No aspected bursts.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Instructor.¡± Tara bowed to Sigille and then turned to Terry. ¡°Thank you for accompanying me in my learning.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Uhh, yes.¡± Terry smiled. ¡°Thank you, too.¡±

    ¡°Ready?¡± Sigille paused. ¡°Go.¡±

    Tara dashed forward and struck with her left spear.

    Terry crossed his own short spears, stepped to the right, and used the cross to block and deflect Tara¡¯s attack.

    Afterwards, two things happened at once. Tara struck her right spear below her left arm to aim for Terry¡¯s stomach. Simultaneously, Terry kept his right spear in place, spun his body and changed his left spear to reverse grip and attacked Tara¡¯s back under the cover of his own spear and Tara¡¯s left arm.

    Shortly before Terry¡¯s spear arrived, Terry saw Tara¡¯s mana circulation speed up, and she unexpectedly smashed her left arm forward to completely throw Terry out of balance.

    Terry jumped backwards to create some distance, and Tara did not follow him.

    They both eyed each other warily¡­

    Terry charged forwards and feinted with his left while preparing to burst his mana and hoping for Tara to lead with her left spear again.

    When Tara did as he had anticipated, Terry rapidly burst his mana and smacked her spear away with his right, and tried to follow up with his left.

    However, before Terry could follow up, Terry saw a flash of Tara¡¯s mana bursting, and her next attack spoiled Terry¡¯s plan.

    After several minutes, Sigille stopped their match.

    ¡°What have you learned about yourself and your opponent?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°My patterns are still too easy to see through,¡± said Tara contemplatively. ¡°I need to improve my ambidextrous wielding.¡±

    ¡°Without mana, I would be defeated near instantly,¡± said Terry while moving his eyes over the fur-covered muscles on the canan woman.

    ¡°Terry has the advantage in mana foundation,¡± said Tara. ¡°I can¡¯t keep up in my balanced state.¡±

    ¡°And yet, I never got ahead.¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°I can tell that my mana regeneration is higher, but even now, it seems as if we are at a similar level of exhaustion ¨C as if all my additional mana had gone to waste.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only because your bursts are wasteful,¡± said Tara. ¡°Bursting is most efficient if you use it to disrupt your opponent¡¯s rhythm and make your own less predictable.¡±

    Terry wrinkled his brow curiously.

    ¡°There we go,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°There are two lessons here: First, a good mana foundation can help you overcome a physical disadvantage. Second, proper bursting techniques can help you overcome a disadvantage in mana foundation.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, you two.¡± Sigille approached them and added in a lower voice: ¡°I would recommend you two continue sparring with each other with the same rules. You should be able to push each other further in the right direction.¡±

    ***

    Terry was disappointed when he checked the available classes and courses. In contrast to Arcana, the range of topics offered outside the basics was very limited.

    Terry finally grasped the full implications of Sigille¡¯s earlier explanation of the instruction rotation. If someone wanted to learn something else, they would have to wait for a different season or move to a different outpost.

    To make it worse, some advanced topics came with additional restrictions.

    One example were the mana crafting classes that required more than just contribution points. Students also had to sign several agreements with Tiv that required you to fulfill certain quotas of mana-crafted items to be provided to the Tiv Empire ¨C without compensation.

    Spellwork classes apparently had to be aligned with specific learning and service schedules that had been issued by the ministerial representative. Before being allowed to officially join a class, you had to prove that the Tiv Empire approved of your chosen path and that your service was deemed sufficient to progress further.

    Advanced spellwork classes even required students to enlist as a soldier in Tiv¡¯s military.

    Not like I would have picked these classes anyway, right?

    Terry frowned when remembering the restrictions. He recalled the stories from his aunt Brynn. He remembered Poppy having to hide her mana crafting. He thought of the Captain, who had to enlist in the military and all the pain it had brought her.

    Terry also thought of Lizzy, whose status was special due to her being a descendant of Castellan ¨C one of the companions and important commanders of the Founding King Tivius.

    Apparently, nobles did not have to follow the same restrictions in their mana use. While Lizzy only seriously started training after she had met Megumi, Lizzy had been free to choose whatever path she liked without having to serve in the army or anything like that.

    I still don¡¯t get this nobility thing¡­

    Terry pondered with an absentminded expression.

    ¡°Terry?¡± A short dwarf poked Terry¡¯s thigh. ¡°Terry?¡±

    Clayson, Thena, and Terry had listened in on the introduction class on aspected bursts, even though none of the three intended to actually join the class.

    For Clayson and Thena, the mana manipulation for aspected bursts was still too advanced. For Terry, on the other hand, there seemed to be no point in such an internal refractor, because Terry naturally circulated only a single aspect. Terry did not have to separate aspects from each other, because there was nothing to separate.

    Each one of them was curious for their own reasons. Terry, for his part, wanted to at least familiarize with a technique that others might use against him.

    ¡°Terry?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry jolted from his daze. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±

    ¡°Can you show me your discharge refractor again?¡± Thena asked with sparkly eyes.

    Next to Thena, Clayson also looked at Terry with anticipation.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Terry created a refractor in front of his knuckles.

    Thena¡¯s eyelid twitched while Clayson¡¯s expression froze.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Could you slow it down some¡­ maybe?¡± Thena asked with trembling eyes.

    Right.

    ¡°Oh, my bad,¡± mumbled Terry in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    Terry slowed down the creation of the refractor as much as he could, while Thena and Clayson observed with curious eyes.

    A moment later, Thena stared at her own knuckles and held her breath¡­ before exhaling in frustration.

    ¡°I think I understand the idea, but¡­¡± Thena sighed sadly. ¡°I want to know why it¡¯s not working.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, even Instructor Sigille took a while, right?¡± A hint of frustration also entered Clayson¡¯s eyes, but he quickly regained his normal expression. ¡°We¡¯ll get it eventually.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Thena looked at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m a failure.¡±

    Clayson patted Thena¡¯s drooping shoulder.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± objected Terry sternly. ¡°I am just a bad instructor for you. I can speak from experience. My first spellwork classes were an unmitigated disaster. Most of the instructors just kept repeating what I already knew does not work for myself. I am lucky that some were different.¡±

    Terry patted Thena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And you have Instructor Sigille. Or do you think that the Divine Hammer will fail at instructing you?¡± Terry intentionally goaded Thena by questioning Sigille.

    ¡°No way!¡± Thena objected instantly and displayed an offended pout. ¡°The Divine Hammer never fails!¡±

    Clayson snickered quietly.

    ¡°Oh, look!¡± An unfamiliar voice reached the group from behind. ¡°It¡¯s the midgets from the brain-impaired class!¡±

    Clayson¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Who are you calling a midget, you pus for brains?!¡± Thena glared at the human man that had spoken.

    He was wearing dark green combat robes and seemed to be the same age as Terry.

    ¡°Oh? No disagreement on the brain-impaired part? It¡¯s good that you¡¯re becoming more self-aware.¡± The man jeered with a self-satisfied expression.

    Clayson¡¯s face flushed with anger.

    Terry tilted his head. He quickly glanced at the man and then at Thena and Clayson.

    Before Clayson or Thena could lose their temper, weird noises arrived from Terry, who had stuck out his tongue at the man with a deadpan expression and then blew air to let his lips vibrate loudly.

    Not an argument¡­ Come to think of it, Devon would have gotten along well with Lori and Jorg.

    ¡°What is wrong with¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Blblblb.¡± Terry interrupted the man with another fart mimicry.

    Thena turned with a wrinkled forehead and looked perplexedly at Terry.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Blblblb.¡± Terry held the man¡¯s gaze with a deadpan expression.

    Clayson snorted.

    ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯re brain-impaired, too.¡± The man looked at Terry haughtily.

    ¡°Blblb. Blblb. Blblb.¡±

    ¡°Right, I saw you train with a barrier spear earlier. How about you and I have a match? You can bet the spear.¡±

    Terry raised his eyebrows and wondered if he had misheard.

    ¡°Ha! You haven¡¯t seen Terry¡¯s training earlier this¡ª¡± Thena was stopped by Clayson, who had put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head with a meaningful glance.

    ¡°So? How about it?¡± asked the man tauntingly. ¡°I can bet an item of my own. Or are you scared?¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°What?!¡± The man glared at Terry.

    ¡°Why in the Wastes would I bet my item?¡± Terry¡¯s expression contorted as if he was looking at a crazy person. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. I don¡¯t want to know you. I want nothing from you. Go away.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not to mention that betting magic items is forbidden in so many ways.¡± A new voice belonging to a woman reached them. Terry recognized an instructor that Sigille had introduced as Rachel.

    ¡°Greetings, Instructor,¡± exclaimed the man that had picked a fight. ¡°I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°Save it. I don¡¯t need to hear it. I only came over, because I have business with you two, anyway.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes moved to Terry. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Instructor Sigille and it would be great if we could schedule some matches this week already. How about it, Terry?¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Sigille had already told him that she expected Terry to join combat practice.

    ¡°Splendid!¡± Rachel beamed at Terry. Afterwards, she turned to the man. ¡°You can resolve your differences in the first match, but betting will have to be limited to money or non-magic items. Now, weren¡¯t you supposed to join the second course on earth magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The man bolted away from the group before someone would get the idea of punishing his attempted violation of magic restrictions.

    ¡°Thanks, Terry!¡± Rachel grinned. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your performance.¡±

    ¡°So am I.¡± Sigille had walked up to them. She looked at Terry with exaggerated exasperation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you accept? That would have been a free item.¡±

    Rachel sulkingly stared at Sigille. ¡°You know, I feel somewhat obligated to point out that you are not supposed to say things like that.¡± A moment later, she giggled. ¡°And don¡¯t forget that there is no contract enforcement for illegal activities. We would leave a poor impression on your nephew if he got scammed in the first week.¡±

    ¡°All part of the learning experience,¡± said Sigille with a grin.

    Afterwards, Sigille turned to Terry. ¡°Anyway, the only class I expect you to join is the introduction class for burst techniques. I hope you can get the hang of it quickly, so that we can focus on more practical experience. We still have personal instruction in the late afternoon to adjust the details.¡±

    ¡°I told you that there may be another challenge, right?¡± reminded Sigille with a familiar glint in her eyes. ¡°Here is the first part: There are many opponents I will nominate for you in general combat practice. I will dictate the restrictions that apply for you and in some matches, I will pick a specific winning condition as far as the challenge is concerned.¡±

    ***

    Terry was waiting for his first combat practice match.

    ¡°Did Instructor Sigille really say that?¡± Thena had a sour expression.

    ¡°Yup,¡± replied Terry unconcernedly. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to use my weapons or my gloves. Aunt Sigille also told me to refrain from researching my opponents in advance, or she would have to think of harsher restrictions.¡±

    ¡°And you need to win all three rounds?¡± asked Clayson. ¡°That pest beetle has some troublesome spells though. He has challenged students from our class before and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I hoped you would stomp him, so he finally shuts up.¡± Thena was sulking.

    ¡°Why do you care so much about the pest beetle?¡± asked Terry.

    Thena stared at Terry. ¡°Because he is not only insulting us. He¡¯s insulting Instructor Sigille!¡±

    Terry was reminded of a past conversation within his family.

    ¡°Do you respect the pest beetle in any way?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± replied Thena with an exasperated look.

    ¡°Then why do you care about his opinions? It¡¯s his problem if he¡¯s wrong. Not yours.¡± Terry scratched his cheek. ¡°At least that¡¯s what Pa Bjorln once told me and my siblings.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Thena pouted. ¡°At least try to stomp him a little.¡±

    ¡°A little more would also be fine,¡± added Clayson with a grin. ¡°Come Thena, time for us to go.¡±

    The two dwarves left for the spectator seats.

    Terry took a deep breath and waited for the signal.

    Is it bad that I don¡¯t feel nervous? It¡¯s kind of hard to feel pressured when comparing this match to the dungeon, the Bulwark, or to the battle over Syn City.

    I don¡¯t want Aunt Sigille to think that I am not taking this seriously though¡­

    I¡¯ll just give it my all¡­

    ***

    Instructor Rachel gave the signal for the match to start.

    Terry shortly burst his mana and dashed at the green-robed man. In his mana sight, Terry could see the man dual-casting spells.

    When Terry recognized the spell structures, he could not suppress an amused snort.

    The earth in front of Terry liquified¡­

    Terry used his imprinted boots to continue his dash unimpeded.

    The eyes of the green-robed man widened, and he hurriedly followed up by raising a stone wall in Terry¡¯s path.

    Terry did not slow down. From the corner of his eyes, he could see two casting centers for Rock Spear spells ¨C one to the left and one to the right.

    Terry jumped with a brief burst of mana and continued jumping in the air with his imprinted boots to leap over the stone wall while the two rock spears harmlessly flew by behind him.

    The green-robed man aimed several quickened rock spears at Terry¡­

    Terry continued his dash unfazed, and he disrupted the casting centers before the spells had a chance to materialize.

    The green-robed man had trouble harvesting mana for new spells due to the flood of Terry¡¯s mana that was now surrounding him. He hesitatingly pulled the sword from his hip to slash at Terry.

    Terry received the sword with his immovable left bracer and threw a quick jab into the man¡¯s face.

    Before the man could jerk backwards, Terry grabbed the man¡¯s sword arm near the shoulder with his right hand. Simultaneously, Terry deactivated his immovable bracer and grabbed the man¡¯s wrist with his left hand.

    In one fluid motion, Terry jumped while pulling the man¡¯s wrist down, and the two bodies rotated in the air. Terry threw the green-robed man to the ground and landed with his own weight on top of him.

    While the green-robed man lost his sword, Terry applied a grappling hold that Bjorln used to call a muscle crusher.

    The green-robed man howled in pain until the referee announced the end of the match.

    In the spectator seats, people¡¯s expression ranged from shock and exasperation to gloating and schadenfreude.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± exclaimed Clayson. ¡°I almost feel pity for the pest beetle.¡±

    Even Thena, who had cheered her lungs out when Terry¡¯s fist first connected with the man¡¯s face, paled when she heard the following screams.

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s over already?¡± Thena jolted out of her daze. ¡°That was¡­¡±

    ¡°Barely a few seconds.¡± Clayson continued her thought.

    In a different location, Rachel looked at Sigille. ¡°That was¡­ quick. You may have to add some more restrictions or the other students will be afraid of embarrassing themselves.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Short of forbidding mana use, the outcome would have been the same. You were the one that wanted to scare some sense into the complacent spell flingers. I don¡¯t want Terry to keep facing the likes of that one. Better to make this one memorable.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the second match will last longer?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°Now that they have gauged each other''s abilities.¡±

    ¡°No chance,¡± interjected Palmer from the other side.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Look at them. Terry has completely won the mental battle. I would not be surprised if his opponent failed his spellwork in the following rounds.¡±

    ¡°What did Terry use to block the sword?¡± asked Palmer. ¡°It looked as if he did not receive any impact at all.¡±

    ¡°An imprint that Terry created of a spell called Immovable Object,¡± explained Sigille. ¡°Effect is as the name suggests.¡±

    ¡°Terry can cast that spell?¡± Palmer¡¯s interest had been piqued. ¡°How quickly?¡±

    ¡°Last I saw, barely a second for a regular casting,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°If we pick the restrictions right, Terry would make a good sparring partner for your unarmed combat class.¡±

    ***

 064 Stupidity at the Preachers Reception

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 22 ¨C

    ¡°Are you seriously planning to attend the minister¡¯s reception in full equipment?¡± asked Cadence with an exasperated expression.

    Sigille, Matteo, Cadence, and Terry had relied on a scroll from Amelia to travel near the location for the reception. They were walking along the paved road while Terry¡¯s eyes were dancing over all the tall white buildings in the area.

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± replied Sigille nonchalantly. ¡°I plan to wait outside the reception hall in full equipment.¡±

    Cadence frowned with a pout.

    Matteo chuckled. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take the terrace to keep watch. Since Amelia has been invited too, I figure Dargones will have the hall covered.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on a budget.¡± Terry scratched his cheek while looking at Cadence. ¡°It was formal clothes or new equipment. So¡­¡± Terry puffed his cheeks. ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Cadence sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bad habit, Terry,¡± rebuked Sigille.

    What did I do? Terry searched Sigille¡¯s face and his own memory.

    ¡°If you had to make the choice again, would you pick any differently?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°No?¡± Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°Then, you are not sorry,¡± said Sigille sternly. ¡°Do not apologize unless you truly mean it.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, Terry.¡± Cadence smiled at him.

    Sigille raised an eyebrow at Cadence and then shrugged. ¡°It is fine to have different opinions than others. No need to apologize to begin with.¡±

    ¡°No need, but still appreciated,¡± insisted Cadence.

    ¡°Oh well,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked the credo of the Valkyrie. Our words should mean something. Even in apologies. Opinions again.¡±

    Terry repeated the words in his mind. Afterwards, his eyes moved towards Matteo¡¯s back ¨C more precisely, to the sheath of the fiendish katana.

    ¡°Is it really alright though?¡± asked Terry doubtfully. ¡°To go with weapons on full display?¡±

    ¡°They know that mana users do not need weapons to be armed,¡± said Cadence. ¡°It¡¯s just somewhat in bad taste¡­¡± Cadence glanced at Sigille. ¡°My opinion.¡±

    ¡°I prefer displaying a weapon,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Serves as a reminder to behave and show some manners.¡±

    ¡°Also a good reason to not cloak your own mana,¡± added Matteo.

    Uhh¡­ Right¡­ Terry lowered his gaze in thought.

    Terry had known that there were cloaking techniques for your own mana, just like there were techniques for mana-crafted items. However, he had never really thought about the motivation for choosing not to do so ¨C aside from the additional mana expenditure or having to prepare an item.

    ¡°Depends on the mission, really,¡± added Matteo.

    Sigille nodded. ¡°If you want to avoid the flies, remind them how much trouble you can be. If, on the other hand, you want to catch some flies, then you hide that as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Meeting with officials,¡± said Matteo and tilted his head to one side. ¡°Doing bandit patrol.¡± He tilted his head to the other side. ¡°Guess which is which?¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that¡­¡± Cadence shook her head and chortled. ¡°Maybe I should strap my baton to my thigh after all.¡±

    ¡°That would clash with your pretty dress,¡± joked Sigille. ¡°Would be a shame.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± acknowledged Cadence. ¡°This may be one of these all-or-nothing situations.¡±

    ¡°I figure Amelia will be happy that at least one of us dressed up for the occasion,¡± said Matteo with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that Dargones did not.¡± He snickered.

    ***

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Amelia paused when she saw the group arrive. ¡°And here, I was looking forward to seeing the Divine Hammer in a ball gown and Matteo in a suit. I should have known it would be like this.¡± She tutted in a teasing tone.

    ¡°Gown doesn¡¯t go well with my axe, lass,¡± said Sigille with a grin. ¡°It suits you, though.¡±

    Amelia was wearing a tightly fitting, black and silver dress with her long hair in a braided headband style.

    ¡°Nevertheless, I hope you still have your equipment with you,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You never know.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Amelia with a wink. ¡°Just a flick of the wrist away.¡±

    Amelia looked at Terry. ¡°Our Arcanian visitor could claim that this is the official formal style in Arcana. That should be funny.¡± She nodded towards him. ¡°Greetings, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Greetings,¡± said Terry. Afterwards he mumbled: ¡°Funny for whom though?¡±

    Amelia glanced at Cadence. ¡°Glad I am not the only odd one out. I was beginning to worry.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Amelia,¡± said Cadence. ¡°I have tried my best. They were not receptive to my appeals.¡±

    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± said Amelia with a wry smile.

    ¡°I assume Dargones is also wearing full equipment?¡± asked Matteo with a grin.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Amelia, and grinned as well. ¡°Until now, that made him the odd one out in the hall. Not that he minds that. You can find him on the left.¡±

    ¡°Has the witch arrived yet?¡± asked Sigille.

    Cadence frowned silently at the insult to Bright Willow.

    ¡°Not yet, no,¡± said Amelia. ¡°But I believe I saw Lucas and the other ministerial representatives.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I saw another member of the Lady¡¯s Circle,¡± exclaimed Cadence. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She walked away to greet her other acquaintances.

    ¡°How is the food?¡± asked Sigille with some interest.

    ¡°Bite-sized,¡± replied Amelia.

    Matteo glanced into the hall. ¡°No cookies.¡±

    ¡°Meh.¡± Sigille moved to the wall opposite of the hall entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the terrace,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I also need to talk to someone,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Until later.¡±

    Uhh¡­ Terry looked around awkwardly. What should I do?

    Terry decided to follow Matteo. They went into the hall.

    Many people were gathered in small groups and conversed with each other. In the background, someone was playing a soft tune on a harp.

    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry or thirsty, you can grab something over there,¡± said Matteo and pointed. ¡°Let¡¯s pay a visit to Dargones first.¡±

    In a corner on the opposite site of the entrance, Dargones was leaning against the wall and watched the people mingling inside.

    [Greetings, Dargones,] signed Matteo.

    Dargones smiled and nodded. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Terry raising his right hand to shape mana.

    [Greetings,] Terry signed his finger runes slowly.

    Dargones silently smiled and raised his own hand. [Good day, Terry. I appreciate your efforts. Thank you.]

    [Finger runes are interesting,] signed Terry.

    Dargones smiled. [Useful as long as the other party has mana sight. But be aware that this allows everyone within reach of their mana sight to follow the conversation.]

    Terry nodded.

    [With that in mind,] signed Matteo. [Anything of note here that we should be aware of?]

    Dargones shook his head. [Not yet. What are your plans for this event?]

    [Ma Sigille is going to watch from outside the entrance. Cadence will mingle like a proper guest. I¡¯ll be watching from the terrace.]

    Dargones gave a nod and then looked at Terry. [What about you?]

    [...don¡¯t know yet.]

    [We assume the Preacher wants to have a chat at some point,] signed Matteo. [But aside from that, Terry is free to enjoy the event.]

    Enjoy? How? Terry smiled wryly.

    Dargones silently snickered at Terry¡¯s expression. [Relax. You can just have a look around. No need to force yourself.]

    ***

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Terry examined the available food options. He picked up a cup-like wafer with some kind of white spread and vegetable garnish. He skeptically sniffed at it.

    Some kind of soured cream? Salmon?

    Terry tentatively took a bite.

    Edible.

    ¡°No mistaking it, you must be Terry.¡± A voice rang from behind Terry. ¡°Our guest from Arcana.¡±

    Terry nearly choked on his food when he was unexpectedly called out. He coughed and swallowed hurriedly before turning around to greet whoever was talking to him.

    An elegantly dressed man with short hair and clear eyes smiled at Terry.

    ¡°My name is Kipkoi.¡± The man held out a hand towards Terry. ¡°I have been elected as a minister for the Assembly. I am grateful that you could make it.¡±

    Huh? This is the Preacher?

    Terry dazedly shook Kipkoi¡¯s hand.

    But he¡¯s¡­

    ¡°Anything wrong?¡± asked Kipkoi.

    ¡°I¡­ uhh¡­¡± Terry cleared his throat. ¡°No, uhm. I just somehow assumed that you would be a channeler.¡±

    But his mana does not look like that, as far as I can tell. Unaspected and gifted in the air-aspect.

    ¡°Ohh, is that it?¡± Kipkoi chuckled. ¡°That is the problem with the nicknames that others have bestowed onto me. They call me the Preacher, but while I do take an interest in the integration process for the faithful, I have been trained as a mage proper before straying into politics.¡±

    But¡­ The magic restrictions?

    Kipkoi¡¯s eyes flashed with insight at Terry¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I like to think that one reason for my election is that I practice what I preach,¡± said Kipkoi with an amicable smile. ¡°Voters dislike hypocrites. I have served to earn my magic education. I only expect others to do the same.¡±

    ¡°After all, being allowed to use mana is a privilege that has to be earned.¡± Kipkoi¡¯s words sounded trained and full of confidence. ¡°I guess this notion may seem strange to someone from Arcana. I am curious to hear your views on the matter. What has brought you to our Tiv Empire?¡±

    Terry remembered that Sigille had warned him to avoid talking about the dungeon. She had also told him that the Preacher would be more interested in other things and that this was one way to avoid the topic of how exactly he had entered the Tiv Empire.

    ¡°I am learning from Aunt Sigille,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Ah, the Divine Hammer,¡± exclaimed Kipkoi. ¡°That is quite the teacher you have chosen. I have already heard that you have contributed to defending the Bulwark. You have my thanks.¡±

    Terry had to prevent himself from frowning. Kipkoi¡¯s assessment of Sigille could be taken in different ways, and Terry noticed how the minister avoided reference to Syn.

    Terry was growing wary. Unfortunately, he was not used to controlling his facial expressions.

    ¡°I mean it,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°Your aunt is a great person to learn from. It¡¯s just that¡­ I hope you will take heed to choose carefully what you learn from her.¡±

    Terry failed to prevent his misgivings from showing on his face.

    ¡°I admire my aunt,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°So do I,¡± retorted Kipkoi instantly.

    The retort took Terry by surprise.

    ¡°The Divine Hammer voluntarily chose the Tiv Empire as her residence and she has been a great asset in the fight against the Wastes,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°And a great inspiration for many. It is just that her actions sometimes fail to take account of the bigger picture.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Terry was reminded of Ava and Willow.

    ¡°Lady Sigille uses her power in defense of those weak and innocent,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°She puts her own life at risk to serve others and for that, I admire her. Unfortunately, not everyone has such a commendable attitude.¡±

    Kipkoi stared into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°That is one part of the bigger picture. While your aunt¡¯s actions as an individual are commendable, I am afraid her stance on magic restrictions fails to acknowledge those with less commendable attitudes.¡±

    Kipkoi moved his gaze away from Terry and over the guests. ¡°Unfortunately, her reputation serves to sway others from what is required. Just like the old nobles. They have contributed greatly to the empire, but that does not make their pleading for mage liberties any less concerning. Nor does it make the privileges of the nobility any less hypocritical.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    Kipkoi shook his head slowly. ¡°Laws are meant to be for everyone. We can¡¯t write them with only people like Lady Sigille or the Castellans in mind, and we need even those like them to follow the laws as they have been written or others will perceive it as hypocrisy.¡±

    ¡°It may be unfortunate¡­¡± Kipkoi looked back at Terry. ¡°But that is how it is. The difficulty that lies in the bigger picture.¡±

    Terry held the Preacher¡¯s gaze. He thought of Elvis and Poppy. He thought of his aunt Brynn. He thought of Syn City.

    Is this Preacher serious?

    Terry remembered Logan, who had lost his life and turned into a skeletal warrior.

    What bigger picture?

    Terry remembered the Guildheads, who had even gone after the small children. The anger that Terry had felt back then welled up once more.

    Kill him!

    Terry frowned and slightly shook his head at the intrusive thoughts. He fell back to his dungeon habit of ignoring his impulses.

    KILL HIM! It was all his fault!

    Terry controlled his breathing. He saw that Kipkoi was moving his mouth, but Terry had problems figuring out what the man was saying.

    Terry was taken aback by the visceral rage welling up in his chest.

    KILL!

    Terry furrowed his brow and closed his eyes. He focused on his mana sense.

    KILL HIM!

    KILL¡­ Terry jerked his head to a mana signature in the back of the hall. KILL¡ª What?

    The odd feeling was simmering down. Terry was still angry but¡­

    That wasn¡¯t like me¡­ Resentment, yes. Anger, yes. Not like this. Not here, not now, and not like this¡­

    Terry stared at the direction of the mana signature.

    ¡°Terry?¡± asked Kipkoi. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    Terry blinked. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He tilted his head and kept his eyes fixed towards the direction of the mana signature. ¡°Do you have enemies, Minister Kipkoi?¡±

    Kipkoi raised an eyebrow. ¡°That is a rather abrupt segue to take in a polite conversation. Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry wrinkled his forehead in thought. ¡°I believe someone tried to meddle with my mind. Either to cause problems for me or for you. Or both.¡±

    Kipkoi moved his eyes to follow Terry¡¯s line of sight. He snapped his fingers and pointed some of his aides in the direction.

    ¡°NO!¡± A short moment later, one aide apprehended a young woman that had hidden behind a wall.

    ¡°NO! Please, you do not understand. We have to STOP HIM!¡± The woman screamed.

    Terry looked at the woman perplexedly.

    A channeler?

    ¡°HE¡¯LL DOOM US ALL! HE¡ª¡± The aide had used a spell to silence the culprit.

    ¡°Haaahh¡­¡± Kipkoi sighed tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid securing events against mana users is quite difficult. Thank you, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­¡± Terry¡¯s eyes still followed the captured woman. He could see Sigille observing her while she was taken outside the hall.

    When the woman had been taken outside the hall, Terry looked at Kipkoi. ¡°Why would a channeler try to cause problems for you? I thought¡­¡±

    Kipkoi displayed a sad expression. ¡°Some people can¡¯t help it.¡± He sighed again. ¡°Do you know what the biggest sin in this world is? The main reason for people¡¯s suffering?¡±

    Terry was taken aback by the sudden change in topics. He thought of Ava, who was known to listen to the Preacher. ¡°Selfishness?¡± He made a guess.

    ¡°I wish that was it,¡± said Kipkoi drily. ¡°But no. Selfishness makes a bandit enrich themselves at the cost of another. Selfish actions generate self-advantage while causing damage to others.¡±

    Contempt flashed in Kipkoi¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, what I am talking about is worse than that. The biggest sin in this world is stupidity. Stupid actions cause damage to others while failing to generate an advantage for yourself. Stupid actions are hurting everyone.¡±

    Kipkoi shook his head with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°A faithful that is damaging their reputation and playing into the prejudices of others. A commendable person who is undermining laws that simply obligate everyone to act commendably. A king that sacrifices the population in the Wasted Zone in order to deploy troops to some uninhabited spot in the northeast.¡±

    Kipkoi glanced at the crest on Terry¡¯s bag from the Arcana Academy. ¡°A powerful empire that refuses to join the fight against the Wastes.¡±

    Terry had failed to follow all of Kipkoi¡¯s examples. Terry¡¯s mind had halted at the comment on a commendable person and laws.

    ¡°I do not¡­¡± Terry had interjected before he realized what he was doing. He became self-conscious but finished his thought. ¡°I do not believe everyone sees these laws like that. To be honest, the magic restrictions seem stupid to me.¡±

    Kipkoi smiled and looked at Terry with curiosity. ¡°Oh? How so?¡±

    Terry ordered his thoughts. ¡°My other aunt that lives in Arcana originally came from Tiv.¡±

    The corners of Kipkoi¡¯s mouth lowered slightly, but it was hardly noticeable before Kipkoi composed himself.

    ¡°I think her leaving was a loss for the Tiv Empire.¡± Terry looked at the floor some distance in front of him. ¡°And she only left because they demanded her to specialize in magic she had no interest in.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± questioned Kipkoi.

    ¡°She has unaspected mana and was gifted in the air aspect,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°Sounds familiar,¡± said Kipkoi, and uttered a quick chuckle.

    ¡°They wanted her to become mobile combat support for the Wasteguard ¨C flying and healing.¡±

    ¡°I see nothing wrong with that,¡± commented Kipkoi. ¡°Do you?¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Her interest in magic was solely because of her interest in construct crafting.¡±

    Kipkoi shrugged. ¡°She had bad luck. For those capable of demonstrating a knack for earth magic, construct crafting and infrastructure have been given priority for a while now. However, to not make use of an aspect gift is still a waste.¡±

    ¡°The Tiv Empire is under siege,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°Personal interests have to take a backseat to the needs of the empire as a whole. Sometimes, that means constructs and infrastructure. Othertimes, that means combat roles and healers.¡±

    Terry recalled Isille¡¯s comments about the seemingly harmless Auntie Brynn and the contents of her storage items.

    ¡°In Arcana, my aunt has become an instructor at the Academy and she is one of the most sought after crafters in the Guild.¡± Terry spoke firmly. ¡°She supplies most of the practice golems for the Guardians.¡± He shook his head. ¡°If the Tiv Empire had allowed my aunt to learn what she wanted, she¡­¡±

    Terry searched for the right words. ¡°If the Tiv Empire was looking for combat support, her items and her constructs seem worth more than a single flying healer. I believe it was stupid to try and force her into that role.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Kipkoi and chuckled. ¡°I see where you are coming from, but I have to say you are missing a part of the bigger picture there. You are focusing on the fact that your aunt has developed her own talents to an astonishing degree, but you are missing the main point: Where is your aunt now?¡±

    Trick question?

    Terry tilted his head without responding.

    ¡°She is in Arcana.¡± Kipkoi answered his own question. ¡°What good are those abilities of hers if she fails to use them where it matters? Selfishness drove her to Arcana, but it is stupidity that keeps her there.¡±

    Terry could not suppress a scowl at hearing him insult Brynn.

    ¡°The point of these laws is, above all, to make people understand that their mana is not their own to use,¡± stressed Kipkoi. ¡°Mana use is a privilege. That needs to be understood. All your aunt¡¯s impressive abilities mean absolutely nothing if she only uses them for herself. She could be out here, but she is not. She failed to understand the most important part.¡±

    Terry was growing tired of the conversation and he recalled one of Bjorln¡¯s adages.

    The quickest way to get someone to shut up is to stop disagreeing with them.

    Terry held his piece and remained silent.

    ¡°That point aside,¡± continued Kipkoi. ¡°You have to remember that not everyone is like your aunt. Not everyone will succeed by following their interests. Not everyone has useful interests. Your aunt is an exception. The laws of the empire need to be written with everyone in mind.¡±

    ***

    After the talk with Minister Kipkoi, Terry went out of the hall to join Sigille in the hallway.

    ¡°See? That¡¯s why we warned you to not underestimate the temptation,¡± said Sigille and snorted amusedly. ¡°Like always with the Preacher, there is a grain of sense and more than a grain of nonsense in his declamations.¡±

    ¡°I do wonder about that cultist though,¡± muttered Sigille. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you managed to resist the mind influence. That could have turned into a disaster.¡±

    Sigille looked at Terry appraisingly. ¡°Well done. Most people fail to notice. Of those that do, most fail to resist the first time.¡±

    ¡°You and Matteo have warned me before.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t like me.¡±

    And I¡¯m familiar with intrusive thoughts. Terry did not speak his last point out loud.

    Sigille looked at Terry with praise in her eyes. ¡°You do not seem to realize how rare it is for people to take heed of warnings. Speaking as an instructor, it is exceedingly pleasant to have a student that actually listens.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry looked along the hallway.

    ¡°Uhm?¡± prompted Sigille.

    ¡°Is there a bathroom here?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°First floor on the left.¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Stairs at the end of the hallway.¡± She snickered. ¡°If you get lost, you can use your Guardian card to call for assistance.¡±

    ***

 065 A Glimpse Behind the Curtain

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 22 ¨C

    Terry left the bathroom and entered the hallway on the first floor. He was walking back to the stairs when his mana sense picked up something that made him stop short in his tracks.

    Mana distortion.

    Terry glanced at the ceiling. The sensation came from one of the upper floors.

    ¡°Pay attention to what is going on around you¡­¡± Terry mumbled to himself.

    I know Aunt Sigille has said that sheltered Guardians don¡¯t live too long, but I am pretty sure there is a similar saying about nosy Guardians.

    ¡°Just looking around,¡± murmured Terry, and took the stairs to go up.

    Terry entered the hallway on the third floor. He walked all the way to the other side and examined a door on his left.

    In here¡­ Huh, no keyhole. So much for peeking inside¡­ On the other hand, no keyhole would mean that the door is unlocked unless there is a latch inside¡­

    Terry concentrated on his mana sense.

    The distortion feels like a dimensional gate¡­ Why would there be a gate here? Who could even create one?

    Terry tentatively placed a hand on the door handle.

    I don¡¯t sense any mana signatures inside¡­

    Terry pressed the door handle and opened the door an inch to peek inside. Unfortunately, stacks of cardboard boxes were blocking his vision and the mana distortion was obstructed.

    No one there¡­

    Terry cautiously opened the door and walked into the room. He slowly sneaked past two rows of boxes and peeked around the corner¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide when he spotted the expected dimensional gate. It was tall and wide enough for an adult person to walk through. On the floor next to it was a round item that seemed to act as an anchor for the gate.

    Didn¡¯t that Ava woman use something like that in Syn? Paired item? The range should be limited¡­ Where does it lead?

    Terry walked closer to the gate.

    Did someone want to come here? Or did someone want to go there?

    On the other side of the gate, Terry could see the inside of a room containing many big shelves filled with all sorts of things.

    Still no mana signature¡­

    Terry poked a finger through the gate. Afterwards, he leaned forward and looked around the room on the other side. Finally, Terry stepped through the gate.

    There are a few mana signatures but further away¡­

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    The room was bigger than Terry had expected. The dimensional gate was placed close to one of the walls, which meant that the largest part of the room had not been visible from the other side of the gate.

    There was a door that led to another room. The door was standing open.

    I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this¡­

    Terry wondered if he should turn back.

    ¡°I did not expect to run into a colleague today.¡± A voice rang from behind Terry¡¯s back.

    Terry barely managed to suppress a yelp and flung himself around to face the owner of the voice.

    An elven man with broad shoulders and muscular arms was standing next to one of the shelves and fiddled around with a safe.

    Terry was certain that the man had not been standing there a moment earlier. Then again, Terry did not sense any mana even now.

    Cloaking his own mana? Terry cursed at himself for failing to take this possibility into account before.

    A spell or item to confuse eyesight? Illusions? Camouflage? Invisibility?

    The elven man seemed unconcerned about Terry¡¯s presence.

    ¡°A crimson statue and a small grey book with a chalice on the binding,¡± said the elven man.

    Some kind of riddle? Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Those are what I am here for,¡± continued the elven man. ¡°Unless you get in my way, I don¡¯t care what other things you take. Knock yourself out. The bastard deserves what¡¯s coming to him.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Realization dawned on Terry and he protested: ¡°I¡¯m not a thief. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Someone that¡¯s busy at the moment.¡± The elven man did not look up from the safe. ¡°And you could have fooled me. Appearing uninvited in another¡¯s home seems like a strange habit for someone that is not a thief.¡±

    Terry was wondering what he should do. On the one hand, letting a thief go about his business did not seem very Guardian-like. On the other hand, Terry had no idea what was going on.

    ¡°Now that we have the niceties out of the way, would you mind cloaking your mana?¡± asked the elven man while continuing to fiddle around with the safe. ¡°The guards here are not the most perceptive, but even they would eventually notice a mana signature like yours.¡±

    The elven man frowned and grumbled. ¡°Whoever created this mana lock knew what they were doing. Maybe I should just take my chances and take the whole safe?¡±

    The elven man looked up from the safe for the first time and his eyes rested on Terry, who could now also see a scar under the man¡¯s left eye.

    ¡°Cloaking?¡± prompted the elven man.

    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Can¡¯t?¡± The elven man raised an eyebrow and examined Terry more closely. ¡°That¡¯s rather unusual for a colleague. Why¡ª Wait, are you that brat from Arcana?¡± The man had noticed the bag at Terry¡¯s hip.

    ¡°This complicates things¡­¡± The man¡¯s face contorted as if he had swallowed a fly.

    Terry wondered why exactly, but interpreted that reaction as a good sign.

    ¡°You could just call off whatever you are doing here,¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°Yeah, no.¡± The elven man frowned. ¡°This is important.¡±

    ¡°I could call the guards,¡± said Terry.

    The elven man snorted amusedly. ¡°You really have no idea where you are. Go ahead. Be my guest.¡±

    The elven man glanced at the safe again. ¡°Actually¡­ Perhaps that¡¯s not a bad idea. There must be a trick to this lock.¡±

    The man picked up a vase from a shelf and then hurled it into the next room.

    Terry¡¯s eyes followed the vase dazedly. With a loud noise, the vase broke into pieces.

    For a moment, Terry was dumbfounded. He looked back at where the elven man had been standing, but saw nothing. Terry appeared to be alone in the room.

    Crap. Assassin type again¡­

    A guard came running at the noise and before Terry knew what had happened, he was already faced with the guard drawing his sword. The sword radiated mana.

    That sword moves faster than I would have expected¡­

    ¡°W-wait, I can explain.¡± Terry dodged the incoming sword strike. ¡°Stop!¡± Terry blocked one strike with his bracer and jumped back. ¡°I¡¯m a Guardian, I just¡ª¡±

    While the guard had ignored Terry¡¯s appeals before, his attacks suddenly became even more ferocious.

    Terry frowned and pulled his new sai made from septimum from his left hip. The sai could be used similar to the stiletto dagger that Terry had practiced with in the past.

    The main reason for Terry¡¯s purchase were the two curved side prongs projecting from the handle that made it possible to block and trap an opponent¡¯s weapon.

    Terry cast the Immovable Object spell and caught the guard¡¯s sword between the transfixed sai¡¯s main prong and side prong. Terry followed up with a septimum throwing needle he had pulled from his leg strap. He transfixed the needle in order to completely trap the man¡¯s weapon.

    Terry kicked the guard to separate him from the trapped sword.

    The adrenaline was rushing into Terry¡¯s veins and he retrieved his barrier spear.

    However, before Terry got a chance to use his barrier spear, the guard¡¯s eyes became unexpectedly lifeless, and he fell over.

    A moment later, the elven man became visible once more. He held a bloody dagger in his hand.

    ¡°Neat trick,¡± said the elven man while glancing at the transfixed items. Afterwards, he crouched down and patted the dead guard down for items.

    ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± Terry glared at the elven man. ¡°You killed him.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Yup,¡± retorted the elven man nonchalantly. ¡°Should I have waited until he had killed you? My bad, but that would have caused trouble for me down the line.¡±

    ¡°He only attacked me because of a misunderstanding that you have provoked!¡± Terry protested.

    ¡°You are the one with a misunderstanding.¡± The elven man snorted.

    The elven man pulled off the guard¡¯s boot and removed the sock. He pointed at a tattoo of a black spider on the guard¡¯s heel. ¡°Do you know what this means? Of course, you don¡¯t.¡± He let the boot-less foot fall to the ground again. ¡°Basically, it means that this ¡®guard¡¯ is a piece of shit. Waste of air. Scum, plain and simple. The same goes for his employer.¡±

    The elven man snorted again. ¡°Do you know why I do not mind showing you my face?¡± He pointed at the black spider again. ¡°Because the person whom we are stealing from is not in a position to invite the authorities. If you were to approach him and confess everything, then all it would earn you is a quick death to seal your mouth shut. He may even poison your family just to wrap up loose ends.¡±

    Terry was taken aback.

    ¡°Do you know what I was talking about with the crimson statue?¡± asked the elven man. ¡°According to my sources, this mansion has a blood idol.¡±

    Terry gulped when he heard the object¡¯s name. A blood idol was a nefarious item that could be used to prolong a person¡¯s life. Countless lives had to be sacrificed to create a blood idol.

    Terry recalled his previous talk with the Preacher.

    Exploitation of others ¨C selfish. So much life energy wasted in the process ¨C stupid.

    ¡°In Tiv, the deathcults that are creating blood idols are hunted down as they should be,¡± said the elven man. ¡°In order to draw a clear line and decrease demand, any blood idols that are confiscated are to be destroyed. Even the possession of a blood idol is an immense crime.¡±

    The elven man continued rummaging around in the guard¡¯s pockets. ¡°Problem is that there are always some old fogeys that think these laws do not apply to them. They don¡¯t have as big a mana pool as old Castellan or the Mage Supreme. They don¡¯t have as many available legal supplements as the Founding King and Queen. Still, they cling to life and the closer they get to death¡¯s doorstep, the more they lose their inhibitions.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice oozed with disgust. ¡°Profit from the vile deeds of others? Sure. Break some laws. No biggie. Associate with criminal organizations. Why the Wastes not? Step by step, they move closer to madness until even committing the vile deeds themselves is not out of the question. Rot like this is infectious. It spreads.¡±

    ¡°But that was just a guard,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°He did his job. Maybe he got a family to feed? Maybe he was under a spell?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± spat the elven man. ¡°Do you care for the reason a beast bites? Maybe it is hungry? Maybe it has younglings to feed? Maybe it has rabies?¡± He spoke with a mocking tone before raising his voice: ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t fucking matter?! The critical point is: It bloody bites! When you bare your fangs, then you have entered the world of beasts.¡±

    Terry clenched his teeth when he remembered the soldiers in Syn.

    The elven man looked up for a moment to examine Terry¡¯s expression. ¡°You really are a spoiled brat, aren¡¯t you? You should stay far away from the slums, politics, and society¡¯s underbelly if you are that green behind the ears.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± The elven man used his dagger to cut open an inseam of the guard¡¯s shirt. From the hidden pocket, the elven man pulled a small disk. ¡°This should help.¡±

    The elven man walked back to the safe. ¡°Ahh, that explains it. A regular combination combined with a dual-combination of mana signatures. Now, I just have to pick the missing master signature¡­¡±

    Terry checked his own equipment while pondering what he was supposed to do in the current situation.

    It did not seem as if he was lying¡­ and I really have no idea what is going on, but¡­ damn it.

    After a few minutes, the door from the safe sprang open and Terry could immediately sense a dense mana signature made up mostly of the blood aspect.

    The elven man took a small grey book from the safe and placed it in his own breast pocket.

    Afterwards, he put on some gloves and summoned a container from his storage item. He took a crimson statue shaped like a praying woman from the safe and placed it in the container.

    The elven man put both the container and the gloves into his storage item. ¡°See?¡± He winked at Terry. ¡°The bastard deserves what¡¯s coming to him.¡±

    ¡°Time is getting short!¡± A voice reached them from the dimensional gate.

    Wait, isn¡¯t that?

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    The elven man frowned at the sign of recognition in Terry¡¯s eyes. He shrugged. ¡°Ah well, you should understand by now that these are muddy waters.¡±

    ¡°I suggest we take our leave,¡± said the elven man with a smile. He walked to the dimensional gate.

    Terry turned to see the face of the Preacher staring at him from the other side of the dimensional gate.

    Kipkoi moved his gaze to the elven man. ¡°Did you find what we were looking for?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the elven man, and picked up the paired item from the floor.

    Kipkoi heaved a sigh of relief and his facial expression became much more relaxed. ¡°Perfect, then we can play our cards in a few moments.¡±

    ¡°You coming?¡± The elven man asked Terry. ¡°Or do you want to wait around for more guards?¡±

    ¡°Terry, please.¡± Kipkoi gestured for Terry to step through the dimensional gate. ¡°I will not ask why you are here, and I promise to explain the situation. You should not stay in that person¡¯s house for longer than necessary or you will only invite trouble for yourself. Once this reception is over, I should hold some power over him, but if you stay there, I cannot assure your safety.¡±

    Terry suspiciously eyed the Preacher and the elven man.

    ¡°Did you do anything to him, Clarence?¡± asked Kipkoi.

    ¡°Why?¡± retorted the elven man. ¡°Should I?¡±

    ¡°No, absolutely not,¡± insisted Kipkoi with a scowl.

    ¡°I only used him as a distraction,¡± said Clarence. ¡°I needed to lift a piece from one of the Black Arachnid¡¯s people.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Terry,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°Please, we are under some time pressure here.¡±

    Terry kept his hand on his dagger and walked through the dimensional gate.

    Afterwards, Clarence tore down the dimensional gate by channeling mana into the paired items.

    ¡°Here,¡± said Clarence and he presented the small grey brook that had been in the safe together with the blood idol to Kipkoi.

    ¡°Clarence, please take the blood idol downstairs while I have a chat with our guest,¡± said Kipkoi.

    ¡°Roger that,¡± said Clarence.

    ¡°Wait,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°What are you going to do with that thing?¡±

    Kipkoi tilted his head. ¡°Destroy it, of course. In fact, I want to do it publicly and before the day is over. Ideally, before the reception has ended.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Go ahead, Clarence,¡± said Kipkoi, and Clarence made his way through the stacked boxes to leave.

    ¡°I assume you have questions, but let me try to sum it up quickly,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°That place you visited is a secret residence of one of the old nobles in this city. A noble with a terrible reputation that is well deserved. A noble with a large influence that is decidedly undeserved.¡±

    Kipkoi stared into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°I could have informed the censors and maybe they would have taken care of it before one of his informants tipped him off. However, I am thinking of the bigger picture here.

    ¡°Destroying the blood idol is not only what the law demands, it is also what I aim to do.¡± Kipkoi took a deep breath. ¡°But that is not all. This old noble is present at the reception and, if possible, I want to deal with him immediately. Destroying the blood idol publicly will demonstrate to him that I know and that I have proof. His large influence can then be put to better use. ¡±

    Terry frowned. ¡°Like enforcing magic restrictions?¡±

    Kipkoi snorted in amusement. ¡°You evidently have no idea which old noble I am talking about. His stance on magic restrictions is even harsher than mine. Although, I suspect it is for entirely different reasons. This man narcissistically indulges in the privileges that come with his noble title. Lifting magic restrictions would turn many of these privileges meaningless.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Kipkoi shook his head. ¡°Mostly, I am doing this to secure his influence in reestablishing army patrols in the Wasted Zone. Currently, the man is siding with the Royal Faction to deploy troops to the northeast instead.¡±

    Kipkoi looked back to Terry. ¡°Did you know that I grew up in a slum district in the Wasted Zone? Learning mana use and serving in the army is what allowed me to lift myself up.¡±

    Kipkoi¡¯s look turned almost pleading. ¡°I understand that we do not see eye to eye on all topics, but I hope you can at least sympathize with the innocent people in the Wasted Zone. They do not deserve to suffer the full brunt of the Wastes while the Founding King is playing games no one understands in the northeast.¡±

    ¡°Will you really destroy the blood idol?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°If everything goes right, then in a few minutes,¡± replied Kipkoi. ¡°If it has not been publicly destroyed by tomorrow, I do not mind if you share all you know with everyone you know. However¡­¡±

    Kipkoi paused while sending Terry a meaningful look. ¡°I would ask you to keep this quiet otherwise. It would not help the people in the Wasted Zone to have this old noble be taken to some cushy prison. His support in reestablishing the patrols, however, would be invaluable.¡±

    I hate politics¡­

    Terry frowned and subconsciously shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t lie.¡±

    Kipkoi chuckled. ¡°I am not asking you to lie. Feel free to speak the truth and nothing but the truth. I am merely asking you to carefully weigh what to emphasize about the truth in order to serve the bigger picture.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°For example,¡± started Kipkoi. ¡°You do not know where the blood idol came from. You do not know the identity of whomever possessed it. You do know that I was the one that confiscated it. Those are all perfectly acceptable truths that do not hurt the innocent folks in the Wasted Zone.¡±

    Terry recalled the twisted version of events after the battle in Syn City and how people praised the Devout Division for taking care of the big horde near the Bulwark.

    Is that what Aunt Sigille and Matteo meant with the Preacher¡¯s ¡®style¡¯? Telling truths to convey a lie?

    Terry¡¯s frown deepened.

    ¡°Anyway, I can only appeal to your conscience and sympathy for the innocent wasters that require assistance,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°I will prepare and announce the idol¡¯s planned destruction now. You should join your aunt again.¡±

    ¡°If Lady Sigille has checked your Guardian signal, she may have become worried.¡± Kipkoi smiled charmingly. ¡°I do not like to worry my guests.¡±

    Kipkoi left the room without looking back.

    Terry remained still for some time, with only stacks of boxes and his conscience as company.

    ***

    ¡°Next time, I expect you to signal me before you walk into a dimensional gate.¡± Sigille reprimanded Terry. ¡°Not only for your sake but also for mine. That sounded way more interesting than standing around in a hallway.¡±

    Terry snickered at the reaction from his aunt.

    Both of them were currently watching the destruction of the blood idol. The Preacher had made a public spectacle out of it as entertainment for the guests. The spectacle was accompanied by what can only be described as a sermon.

    ¡°I think I have an idea, which old noble we are talking about,¡± murmured Sigille while moving her eyes over the guests and their reactions.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sigille frowned. ¡°While I dislike the idea of the Preacher gaining even more influence, the Preacher did not misrepresent that person¡¯s positions.¡± She shrugged. ¡°And I also hate meddling in politics. I prefer a hammer from the front to a dagger in my back. So¡­¡±

    Sigille glanced at Terry. ¡°The Black Arachnid, the Preacher, that old noble¡­ Clarence, was it? ¡®Muddy waters¡¯ indeed. Up to you, but I would stay out of it. Let them fight among themselves.¡±

    She clicked her tongue. ¡°If it escalates, then we can still tip off a censor. That would mean that you will be called as a witness and won¡¯t be able to keep your name from the records with whatever trouble that entails. Up to you, but if I were you, I would stay out of it for now.¡±

    Terry shrugged and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not from here, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Also, I would recommend you stick to normal mission work,¡± said Sigille with a grin. ¡°You seem to attract more trouble than the average person when attending social gatherings.¡±

    Terry snorted.

    ¡°While we¡¯re on the subject, the time to fulfill your mission quota will come soon,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Are you sure that you want to focus on hunting aspect beings? There may not be much opportunity to apply that knowledge in Arcana.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. The fact that I would not have the same opportunity in Arcana is exactly why. I have already gained some experience in fighting mana cursed with the ghouls and the hordes, but I never had to face aspect beings before.¡±

    ¡°Very well, it is good to be clear on what you want,¡± said Sigille. ¡°How about finding a group?¡±

    Terry grimaced. ¡°Is it really impossible for me to team up with Tara?¡±

    ¡°Afraid so,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Practically all of my personal disciples suffer from external control impairments. It is generally not advisable to face aspect beings without being capable of discharges. While Tara is capable of aspected bursts, she still needs to work on her resistances before she can rely on them to eradicate aspect beings.¡±

    Terry sighed. Terry had mostly interacted with Thena, Clayson, and Tara at the Libra Outpost. None of them were suitable for Terry to form a group with. Tara¡¯s skill-set did not match Terry¡¯s desired mission type and there was too much of a skills gap between Terry and the two dwarfs.

    ¡°If you are looking to hunt aspect beings, then perhaps you can join up with one of Palmer¡¯s students. They don¡¯t call him Demonpalm for nothing. His students have the most experience against aspect beings. Besides¡­¡± Sigille grinned. ¡°You are scheduled to encounter some of them in combat practice soon, anyway.¡±

    ***

 066 Learning From Others

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 25 ¨C

    Terry finished his post-lunch exercise in his room. He had been trying ¨C and failing ¨C to create a small mana layer in front of his feet by relying on the divine hammer inscription.

    The longer Terry worked with the inscription, the more amazed he was at what Sigille managed to pull out of it.

    Terry sighed. ¡°Practice makes perf¡ª¡± Terry stopped himself when he remembered how Sigille had corrected him in his last instruction session with her and her personal disciples.

    Terry shook his head slightly.

    ¡°Practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.¡± Terry smiled to himself. ¡°Always need to keep an eye out to correct mistakes as early as possible. That will take a while.¡±

    Terry glanced at the clock on his desk and he realized he had to get ready for his next combat practice session.

    ¡°One step at a time.¡± Terry stood up and picked up the new inlays for his equipment. They were made of a thin web of threads that had been reinforced with the metal aspect. Septimum scales had been woven into the inlay at sparse locations.

    Terry figured that even if it was only a stopgap measure, he would rather have the stopgap than nothing. The memory of the inscribed earth giant was still fresh in his mind. While the cloud badger leather provided acceptable protection against slashing or piercing weapons, blunt weapons were a completely different topic.

    When Terry had thought over his dungeon experience, he concluded he had been incredibly lucky that he somehow managed to protect all his bones from the giant¡¯s initial attack.

    ¡°Terry!¡± *Knock* ¡°Terry!¡± *Knock* *Knock* ¡°Terry! Are you ready yet?!¡±

    Terry could not help but chuckle to himself. He opened the door to find a familiar pair of dwarves.

    ¡°See? I told you Terry would not forget!¡± grumbled Clayson. There were still traces of his lunch to be found in his beard, which Terry took as a sign that he had been pressured to finish it quickly.

    ¡°Just taking care of our Junior Brother,¡± said Thena without a shred of remorse. ¡°And you would have been the first to grumble if the match had gotten canceled.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because then Instructor Sigille would think of something else to do,¡± said Clayson. ¡°After her last spontaneous training session, I could not catch my breath for weeks.¡±

    Thena rolled her eyes and then smiled mischievously. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, I may become stronger than you!¡± She continued in a teasing tone: ¡°That would be rather awkward for my self-proclaimed guard, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Clayson snorted. ¡°As long as you¡¯re tripping every five steps, I¡¯m not worried.¡± He ignored Thena¡¯s offended gasp. ¡°And it¡¯s not only self-proclaimed. My family has guarded your house for generations. Normally, the head of the House would be the first priority, but¡­¡±

    Clayson scratched his temple. ¡°I doubt I would be much help in whatever could threaten Jee.¡±

    ¡°Good to know I¡¯m the second choice.¡± Thena pouted.

    ¡°Wh-what? N-no, that¡¯s not what I¡­¡± Clayson stammered.

    ¡°¡­which also makes me the last choice, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sadness crept into Thena¡¯s face, but she quickly chased it away. ¡°Sorry, Clayson. I know you did not mean it like that.¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± interjected Terry, who had finished preparing his equipment. He looked at Thena. ¡°Jee is the head of a house? A house is like dwarven nobility, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Thena shrugged. ¡°A dead house. Only Jee and I are left.¡± She glanced to her side with a bashful smile. ¡°And Clayson.¡±

    Clayson blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not really of your house though¡­¡± His voice was barely audible.

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± insisted Thena firmly.

    ¡°Junior Brother Terry¡­¡± Thena¡¯s face displayed anxiety. ¡°Are you sure that you do not want to know about your opponent¡¯s abilities?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, kind of.¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°At least I can understand why Aunt Sigille told me not to investigate my opponents. I will know more in the second and third match, but the first is supposed to be closer to real combat, where you generally have no idea going in.¡±

    ***

    Terry warily observed the slender woman with auburn hair in a side ponytail.

    Even without purposely investigating her abilities, Terry was certain that this match would be more troublesome than all those before.

    The first hint was that Sigille had imposed no restrictions on his battle.

    The second hint was her separate condition for their ongoing challenge¡­

    ¡®Keep fighting.¡¯ Terry clicked his tongue. I refuse to believe that Aunt Sigille would say that without reason.

    All hints aside, Terry recognized the woman. He had seen her practice with both Instructor Palmer, who was mostly instructing discharges and hand-to-hand combat, as well as with Instructor Rachel, who was focusing on spellwork and group combat.

    Terry noted the woman¡¯s equipment. Simple robes that looked suitable for moving around, but no armor or visible weapon.

    Spellwork then? But what is the connection to Instructor Palmer?

    Terry bit his lips.

    Instructor Rachel gave the signal for the match to start.

    Terry hung back and continued to observe his opponent.

    The woman smiled good-naturedly and strolled forward. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    About what?

    Terry narrowed his eyes, and he gripped his barrier spears tightly.

    In his mana sight, Terry could see the flicker of a dual-casting.

    The next thing Terry sensed was pain like he had never felt before. It felt as if all the nerves in his teeth became exposed to someone tearing at them.

    He could not think.

    He could not move.

    He collapsed on the ground and screamed.

    Before Terry realized what had happened, he blacked out from the pain.

    ***

    Terry came to himself after the first match had been called. He held his mouth and stood back up. He could see the woman wearing an apologetic expression.

    Keep fighting? Crap¡­

    Terry started to appreciate the meaning behind that order. He felt very tempted to call the match off when he remembered the pain from a few moments ago.

    ¡°Curses¡­¡± Terry controlled his breathing. If this was a real battle, then I would be dead.

    How? Wait, Instructor Palmer! Terry groaned.

    Instructor Palmer trained mostly as a mana cultivator. He was multi-aspected but was best known as an expert in the sonic aspect, which he incorporated into his unarmed combat.

    It was one ability that made Palmer well-suited to face demons. Most of the time, the elementals were not completely prepared for the weaknesses that come from the physical bodies they had possessed.

    Sonic aspect! Annoying to deal with. If only humans had ear-lids like they have eyelids¡­

    Terry¡¯s mind raced to recall a spell that would explain what had happened. After a few moments, he thought he had figured it out.

    Resonance. She targeted my teeth. That¡¯s why it felt as if someone was twisting them around. Which would mean¡­

    The signal for the start of the match resounded.

    Terry instantly summoned a tertium slab with handles. He burst his mana and bent the slab in the middle until it was sufficiently curved.

    When Terry¡¯s mana sense picked up activity, Terry protected his head with the curved slab and activated the Immovable Object spell.

    Terry heaved a sigh of relief when no pain arrived. The transfixed slab prevented whatever sonic manipulation his opponent was using.

    Terry had once verified that his immovable cube dampened most sound from the outside, and he surmised that sound didn''t travel through an immovable object. He counted his blessings that this turned out to be correct.

    Terry exhaled sharply.

    His mana sense told him that there were many casting centers in the air around him. His opponent did not target him directly with the Resonance spell. Instead, she created sound waves at different locations and the overlaid result was what targeted him.

    That¡¯s how I missed it the first time.

    Terry frowned. If he tried to disrupt all of those casting centers, even he would run out of mana sooner rather than later.

    Okay, now what?

    Terry retrieved a second slab and transfixed it behind him when he suspected the pattern of casting centers was aiming at him from that direction.

    Just wait like this until everyone grows tired of the match?

    Terry grit his teeth.

    Keep fighting.

    Terry retrieved one of his tertium cubes and hurriedly bent it into shape until only a single side remained open.

    This will look ridiculous¡­

    Terry pulled his newly created tertium box over himself and closed his eyes to focus entirely on his mana sense. He returned his barrier spears to his storage bracelets.

    Then, the tertium box with legs dashed forward.

    Fortunately for Terry, the tertium impeded the sound enough to throw off the woman¡¯s targeting.

    Unfortunately for Terry, the woman knew more than a single spell and from more than a single aspect. While Terry had been focusing on his mana sense and was distracted by the multitude of casting centers, his opponent had placed an earthen wall into which he crashed blindly at full speed.

    Like all earthen walls, it did not require mana to maintain, and after the initial casting, there was no mana for Terry to sense and evade.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned and instinctively transfixed the box as protection while he regained his bearings.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Now what? Take her off guard with the mana sublimator? That would be such a waste of a good mana core, though. In the end, this is still just practice¡­

    A moment later, Terry scowled, because the woman¡¯s mana signature had disappeared entirely.

    Just great.

    Terry heard a slight ruffling sound to his left. He peeked through the perforated edge of the box and saw the woman coming closer.

    Terry retrieved a barrier spear from his storage bracelet and observed the woman.

    When he judged the distance close enough, Terry rapidly threw off the tertium box. He burst his mana and charged at the woman.

    When his spear connected with the wide-eyed woman, Terry felt no resistance whatsoever¡­

    An insanely loud sound attacked Terry and destroyed his sense of balance.

    Before Terry could catch himself, a familiar pain drowned out everything else in his mind.

    Terry clenched his teeth hard and tried to transfix his bracers, but the tormenting pain caused him to fumble.

    A few seconds later, Terry blacked out again.

    ***

    Keep fighting.

    Terry controlled his breathing while dread was welling up in him as he thought of the third match ahead.

    At least it¡¯s the final one¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s not the spirit.¡± Terry muttered with a dark expression. ¡°Keep fighting.¡± He sighed and went over what he knew.

    Sonic. Earth. Either illusion or light. Probably light and then paired with sonic to combine fake images with sound. Mana cloaking¡­ Wasted assassin types again.

    Terry recalled the notes he had made in his notebook when pondering how to deal with those.

    Oh well, why the Wastes not? Careful and cautious has failed two times already. Time to try something else.

    Terry ordered his thoughts for an alternative approach and resolved himself. His stance was set when he heard the signal from Rachel.

    In the blink of an eye, Terry dashed forward with bursting mana. He instantly unleashed an intense disruption discharge at the woman.

    Terry darted from side to side instead of moving directly towards the woman in order to avoid her complex targeting.

    While running, Terry occasionally jumped and hurled item after item in all directions.

    The throwing needles and practice balls made of different metals transfixed themselves into the air to further impede the woman¡¯s sonic targeting.

    Terry was rapidly burning through his mana reserves, and he could feel his mana channels strain under the continuous burst.

    Last fight. Terry grit his teeth. Not going to be long either way.

    Terry could sense the woman¡¯s mana signature shift slightly and he unleashed another disruption discharge.

    The woman¡¯s silhouette vanished, and Terry could neither sense nor see her anywhere.

    Terry jumped and leaned back. He sprawled his limbs out in the air and four disruption discharges flowed in four different directions.

    When Terry landed on his feet, he started emitting low-intensity spherical mana pulses and focused on sensing his naturalized mana while continuing to dart around rapidly.

    At least the vampire bat ring was good for some inspiration¡­

    THERE!

    Terry increased his bursting rate further and charged towards a specific location. There, he could sense his own naturalized mana being obstructed, even though it should not be according to what his sight was telling him.

    Terry recognized a casting center for raising an earth wall and knew that he was on the right track.

    Don¡¯t let her get away!

    Terry hurled out discharge after discharge without stopping his own bursting charge.

    He retrieved his barrier spears and channeled mana into them. These new spears enabled him to move the barrier along the axis of the spear and even further out.

    Terry moved the barriers further away from the spear, and when the barrier was behind the target position, Terry moved the spears to cut off two possible escape directions.

    Something collided with the barrier, and Terry now detected translucent traces of his opponent.

    Terry activated the Immovable Object imprints in his spear attachments and then continued forward with primed spells ready in hand.

    Terry tackled the woman into the barrier. He quickly scanned her equipment and transfixed her belt buckle to prevent her from escaping. He pulled the inscribed dagger and¡­

    Terry stopped his action when he saw the raised hands and terrified eyes of the woman.

    Next, he heard the signal to end the match.

    ¡°I¡¯m r-really so-sorry,¡± stammered the woman and gulped.

    Ahh¡­ Realization dawned on Terry.

    Pure spell flinger then¡­ Unlikely to be a personal disciple of Instructor Palmer¡­

    ***

    No weapons¡­

    Wait, I¡¯ve seen these gauntlet-thingies before on Palmer¡¯s disciples¡­ Caestus?

    Then those are his weapons. Separate mana signatures from the knuckle plate and the piece that is protecting the wrist area. The belt seems to be a magic item as well.

    Terry observed the bald, muscular man that was standing at the other side of the arena.

    His mana pool is unexpectedly small. Is that why they restricted me to not use bursts? But wouldn¡¯t my mana foundation still give me an advantage?

    I¡¯m missing something. There must be a reason why Aunt Sigille¡¯s condition was only to draw or win at least one match.

    The starting signal resounded through the arena.

    Terry and his opponent charged at each other and collided in the central area.

    The bald man redirected Terry¡¯s spear while Terry used a transfixed bracer to block the incoming gauntlet.

    Terry could sense mana movement from the blocked knuckle plate.

    Multiple imprints. Seems to contain a basic shielding with periodic tiles.

    Terry deactivated his bracer and jumped back while preparing to unleash a discharge in case the opponent¡¯s imprint caused a ranged attack.

    Before Terry could gain much distance, he saw mana movement in the wrist protector, and shortly after, he recognized the imprint. He could already feel the familiar tug of Kinetic Pull.

    Terry transfixed the mid-wrist pearl in his bracer and jumped to use the pulling attraction and place a kick into the man¡¯s face without losing an anchor for regaining distance if required.

    The bald man swayed to the side and unleashed a palm strike that was accompanied by a lightning discharge towards Terry¡¯s calf.

    Terry dodged by air-jumping away.

    The man followed Terry and unleashed a barrage of palm strikes. Some strikes were accompanied by close-range elemental spells ¨C lightning, fire, and ice.

    Discharge won¡¯t help much at this distance¡­

    Terry focused on dodging while wondering what the man¡¯s plan was. Terry could see the man¡¯s small mana pool emptying at a noticeable rate.

    Terry narrowed his eyes when he sensed a spell structure forming near the man¡¯s hand.

    Crap, that¡¯s Haste!

    Terry reflexively unleashed a discharge, but the man¡¯s spell control was too fast for Terry¡¯s discharge to reach him in time.

    The man sped up and put pressure on Terry, whose balanced state was suddenly not enough to keep up.

    Damn it! I can¡¯t disrupt a spell structure shielded by his own body and mana flow.

    Terry clenched his teeth. When he realized he could not dodge a kick towards his kidney, Terry rapidly activated the Immovable Object imprint in one of the mana-shielded armor scales hidden underneath the cloud badger leather.

    Terry could see the man¡¯s face contort in pain after his shin collided with an immovable object at full swing. This time, it was Terry¡¯s opponent that took some distance.

    ¡°Wasted CRAP-WEASEL! That hurt!¡± The man jumped twice on his other leg. His expression changed into a grin. ¡°Serves me right. Won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Terry snorted amusedly and got close while his opponent was still somewhat off-balance. He was still wondering how his opponent planned to manage his small mana pool.

    The bald man swung at Terry, but quickly had to interrupt his hammer-arm attack when Terry transfixed the mana-free elbow protector on the man¡¯s arm.

    For a time, the match looked like an odd game of whack-a-mole in which Terry transfixed a piece of equipment and followed-up with an attack while the bald man quickly tried to disrupt the transfixed equipment to dodge or finish his own attack.

    Is it just me or is his grin getting wider and wider?

    Terry could not help but grin as well. The match was fun. Just the right amount of pressure and a combat-style that challenged and engaged his own.

    The bald man could not disrupt a transfixed item in time and instead had to quickly counter with a palm that was accompanied by a fiery discharge.

    Terry clicked his tongue.

    Maybe¡­

    Terry eyed the simple periodic shielding that was plainly visible to his mana sight from up close.

    Terry picked his targets for immobilization to force the man to bring his arms closer to his face¡­

    Terry grabbed the man¡¯s gauntlet with his free hand and guided his own mana to pick the shielding and reach the imprint. Simultaneously, Terry pressed with his spear and elbow to have the man¡¯s palm point towards the man¡¯s face.

    The bald man barely averted his face from the fire in time.

    ¡°Oww!¡± The bald back of the man¡¯s head was burned.

    Terry could see mana flow at the man¡¯s belt, and in the next moment, Terry was repelled by the man.

    Some kind of variant of the Repulsion Field spell. Force-based or arcane, probably.

    The man carefully tapped his burned head while grimacing in pain. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t have hair or I would stink up the whole arena.¡± His expression twisted into a grin again. ¡°Alright, next round.¡±

    Terry could see the smallest flicker of a spell structure that was ignited too fast for Terry to identify¡­

    Terry felt his stomach fall and an indescribable sense of uncomfortableness.

    Wait, his mana pool is filling up¡­ Oy! That¡¯s my mana!

    Terry retreated from the man.

    Drain Mana variant?

    ¡°Thanks for your valuable assistance!¡± The man followed and grinned even wider than before. ¡°Your generous donation has been noted and is much appreciated.¡±

    Terry scowled. Now, I get it.

    ***

    ¡°Good fights.¡± After the three matches, the bald man approached Terry and held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Derek.¡±

    ¡°Terry.¡± Terry shook Derek¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever having such an exhausting battle before.¡±

    Three of them, really.

    Derek snorted. ¡°With a mana pool like yours, I can imagine. You get used to it. I was honestly surprised that you held your own even without mana. Trained on an empty pool before?¡±

    Terry nodded with a haunted look in his eyes. ¡°Yes, and that was exhausting, too.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I wanted to thank you,¡± said Derek.

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°For scaring some sense into Rosheen,¡± explained Derek.

    Terry maintained a blank expression.

    ¡°The teeth-rattler,¡± said Derek with a grin.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Terry finally realized whom Derek was talking about.

    ¡°She is an excellent mage, but a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to physical pain, which also makes her not overly fond of physical exercise and led her to her preferred tactics,¡± explained Derek.

    Derek smiled warmly. ¡°We tend to work together a lot and I have tried to convince her to pick up some mana cultivation besides her spellwork, but failed, because her chosen spells allowed her to get away with it so far.¡±

    ¡°No wonder,¡± interjected Terry with a grim expression. ¡°That sonic spell is an absolute nightmare. If that had been real combat, I would have been dead.¡±

    Derek snorted. ¡°A fitting description, but I¡¯ll have you know that there are similar opinions circling about you as well.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    Derek broke out into laughter. ¡°The spell flingers think you are a nightmare because of your disruption discharges and your abnormal mana foundation. Most cultivators cannot create or aim discharges at that level, nor can they afford to dish them out with such frequency. Combined with your speed, you seem pretty scary to those that are not used to close combat.¡±

    Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°The mana cultivators think you are a nightmare because of that spell of yours that essentially throws your own power right back at you if you are not careful.¡± He snorted and then shrugged. ¡°And, of course, there is your abnormal mana foundation again. Not everyone is used to being that outmatched when it comes to available mana.¡±

    Terry became pensive. He had spent little time with the local Guardians aside from Sigille¡¯s students. He had been busy and had never taken the time. There was also the fact that Terry knew he was going to leave Tiv eventually. As a result, Terry was not aware of his own reputation in the Libra Outpost.

    ¡°I figure after today, your habit of picking your opponent¡¯s imprinted items will inspire some additional dread.¡± Derek smiled wryly. ¡°That really took me off-guard and I appreciate that you refrained from damaging the imprints. Acquiring new magic items is a pain.¡±

    Terry blinked. I did not even think of that¡­

    True, I could probably have caused the imprints to collapse if I had wanted to.

    ¡°I guess I will need to find someone to improve the shielding eventually.¡± Derek grimaced when imagining the costs and hassle that would entail, before he shrugged again. ¡°Fortunately, most with that level of external mana control are primarily spell flingers, and that type avoids engaging in close combat. So it should be fine for now.¡±

    Derek turned his gaze back to Terry. ¡°One win, one loss, one draw ¨C feels kind of inconclusive, don¡¯t you think? How about we continue sparring from now on? That spell of yours helps me hone my reaction time. I figure that is why Instructor Palmer picked you as my opponent.¡±

    Derek broke out in a familiar grin. ¡°And with you as my mana charger, I can train longer. That is a nice bonus.¡±

    Terry snorted. ¡°Not sure how I feel about that bonus, but I¡¯m game for the spars.¡±

    I need to find a way to deal with that Drain Mana spell, anyway.

    Terry paused when he recalled something else. ¡°Uhh, I wanted to take on some missions to eliminate aspect beings.¡±

    ¡°Looking for a group?¡± asked Derek.

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°Suits me fine,¡± said Derek. ¡°Instructor Palmer often accompanies the demon trips, and I try to stay close and not lose the opportunity for personal instruction. However¡­¡±

    Terry watched Derek grimace.

    ¡°Well, you kind of scared away my usual healer,¡± said Derek. ¡°As far as I know, Rosheen intends to skip this mission round to focus on training.¡±

    ¡°Skip?¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°I thought we have to fulfill mission quotas in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we do, but depending on the spell flinger, there are a bunch of other conditions.¡± Derek shrugged. ¡°Anyone capable of healing spells will have to make trips to heal the populace. Anyone capable of earth magic will have to make trips to help with construction work and so forth. Depending on the chosen lectures, the ¡®missions¡¯ and quotas are different as well.¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face in thought. ¡°Didn¡¯t you use Haste in our matches?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, but I never learned any healing spells ¨C life-aspected or otherwise,¡± explained Derek. ¡°I got injured when I was younger, which led to a rather disappointing mana pool development. I had to pick my spells carefully.¡±

    Derek frowned. ¡°There is also the problem of the required healing trips. With my mana pool, those would have taken up practically all of my time. Actually, I doubt I would have been able to fulfill the quota in the beginning.¡±

    ***

 067 Forming a New Group

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 37 ¨C

    Terry was facing off against Tara while Sigille wandered between the paired students.

    ¡°No matter which burst techniques you rely on, the primary purpose is always the same,¡± said Sigille loudly. ¡°It¡¯s all about rhythm. Some people talk about bursting as a final trump card, a finisher, or a desperate measure to escape from a desperate situation.¡±

    Sigille stopped for a moment to observe Terry¡¯s and Tara¡¯s practice match. ¡°While those are all valid, the primary purpose of bursting is all about rhythm. You burst to change up your own rhythm in unexpected ways. You burst to disrupt your opponent¡¯s rhythm when they can least afford it. Used like that, bursting shows its true value.¡±

    Burst techniques¡­

    Terry barely dodged a spear from Tara. He was unable to properly focus on the match.

    After Sigille had explained different burst techniques in one of her previous classes, Terry¡¯s mind had jumped back to his own oscillating mana and the table of different behaviors he had noticed.

    The lecture had made Terry realize that his column for his own mana when bursting needed some further experiments for clarification.

    What is it about bursting? If it was about mana throughput, then I should see the same behavior without bursts after progressing some more in my mana foundation.

    Terry had to burst his mana in order to evade one of Tara¡¯s kicks.

    Then again, if the spatial seal in the dungeon really shattered due to me bursting, then I should have already seen the behavior in Syn, even without bursting.

    Not mana throughput then.

    From the side, Sigille narrowed her eyes at the absentminded Terry.

    Although throughput can mean different things, I guess. More resilient mana channels to better stand the moving mana. Better mana control to achieve higher compression of the mana so as to avoid straining the mana channels.

    But both of those would follow the same argument¡­ That leaves velocity? Moving the mana more rapidly? Or is it about actively taking control and pushing it a certain way? Or¡­?

    Terry frowned. Without a dimensional mage, he had no way to verify any of his hypotheses. The uncertainty was gnawing at his mind.

    Terry barely leaned back in time to avoid another spear thrust from Tara.

    *Thwack!*

    OWWW! Terry felt a sharp pang on his head from behind.

    Tara stopped her movements and snickered.

    Terry turned around to find Sigille glaring at him with an all too familiar staff in her hand.

    Busted.

    Terry could read Sigille¡¯s expression enough to understand the reason for her disgruntled expression. He glanced sheepishly at her while mumbling: ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I told you to not apologize unless you truly mean it,¡± stressed Sigille. ¡°I take this to mean that you will focus from now on. I take that as a promise. Clear?¡±

    ¡°Clear.¡± Terry nodded hurriedly.

    ¡°You can worry about your mission or whatever later,¡± said Sigille. ¡°You ought to make better use of your practice time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor,¡± agreed Terry.

    ¡°Good.¡± Sigille turned her gaze towards Tara. ¡°If he has that absentminded expression again, I allow you to use aspected bursts. Preferably something that hurts.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Instructor,¡± acknowledged Tara with a grin that exposed her sharp canine teeth.

    A slight shiver ran down Terry¡¯s back. They had always kept some restrictions in their spars, and Terry understood perfectly well that this posed more of an advantage for him than for Tara.

    Terry took a deep breath and promised himself to not get distracted anymore.

    Aunt Sigille is right. Focus. One step at a time¡­

    ***

    Terry swung himself up in the air and changed course by using one of his inscribed bidirectional attraction gloves to pull himself towards one of the many transfixed items in the air.

    Next, Terry infused mana into his spear to activate the barrier inscription. He rapidly channeled mana to move the barrier forward along the spear and beyond the spear¡¯s tip. He used the barrier to push himself away from yet another transfixed item.

    Afterwards, Terry used a detached barrier from his second spear to hook himself to a transfixed ball. Then, he used the inscribed glove from the same arm to pull himself towards the opposite direction, which caused him to hover in the air while still having one arm and two legs free for movement.

    Terry returned his barrier spears to his storage bracelets and relied on his two inscribed gloves to swing between his transfixed items before allowing himself to fall to the ground.

    For the past hour, Terry had been experimenting with different ways to use his magic items together. He was pleasantly surprised with the new options that came with having two bidirectional attraction gloves available.

    Terry had already been able to fight in the air somewhat and to rely on his imprinted equipment to attack from above or from unexpected angles. Still, being able to pull himself with no immovable anchor on his own body opened up some additional flexibility.

    Another benefit was that Terry could now pull himself in one direction while using the second glove to collect items whose Immovable Object activation had worn off. This was a benefit that Terry would not underestimate after his experience with the inscribed earth giant.

    Terry was less satisfied with his current applications of the barrier spears, but he figured they might serve to switch up his rhythm or give him an edge in certain situations.

    Terry¡¯s throat was parched, and he retrieved a bottle of mana-imbued ice tea that his family had included in their care package. While drinking, he let his eyes wander over the training grounds.

    Huh? A follower of the Bright Lady?

    Terry thought that someone was looking at him. However, before Terry could react to the person, his attention was already drawn to a familiar ¨C and unwelcome ¨C mana signature that was approaching Terry from a different direction.

    ¡°Another match! This time, you better take it seriously!¡± The dismayed voice of a robed woman wearing a bob cut arrived.

    Terry sighed and turned to his guest. ¡°Greetings, Isabella. I told you before that I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I always take my matches seriously. I did the same for the spars we had afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Isabella glared at Terry. ¡°You still haven¡¯t used any spellwork except for that weird spell. Don¡¯t take us lightly just because you were raised with a magic spoon up your arse. We may not have learned in the fancy Empire of Magic, but spellwork is spellwork ¨C no matter where you learn it.¡±

    Terry held back a retort. He still recalled the advice from his aunt, as well as the conversation during the trip to the Preacher¡¯s reception.

    ¡°You have no idea of how they make us struggle for even the most basic spell,¡± accused Isabella. ¡°You are making a mockery of combat practice. That is an insult to all of us here.¡±

    Terry forced himself to not roll his eyes. ¡°I thought combat practice is supposed to hone yourself, which is why the instructors sometimes apply restrictions.¡±

    Please go away¡­

    ¡°More bullshit!¡± spat Isabella. ¡°You fed me that line before, but I have asked around and there was no restriction that would have limited you to not use any other spellwork.¡±

    Terry suppressed a sigh.

    Terry understood that he might avoid certain forms of trouble if people overestimated his connection to the Academy. He understood that people would be more wary of causing him trouble if they thought him a powerful mage proper.

    However, despite his understanding, Terry hated this. If this had been in Arcana, he would simply shout his aspect impairment from the rooftops and be done with the farce.

    Terry had told Derek, because they wanted to work together and, aside from a raised eyebrow, Derek did not care. He was mostly interested in the Immovable Object spell anyway, and for their planned mission, Terry¡¯s abilities were more than sufficient as long as they found an additional member that was capable of healing spells.

    Things had been fine until Terry had to face Isabella in combat practice. The woman had developed a gross misunderstanding thanks to Terry being more tight-lipped than his past self.

    At this point, Terry was not even sure if Isabella would believe him, even if he explained his aspect impairment to her. Terry was becoming increasingly convinced that Isabella had already created a completely separate version of himself in her head. A version that was too far detached from reality to be shaken by his words.

    Terry felt tempted to explain it anyway, just to be done with it. If she did not want to believe him, then it was beyond his sphere of influence and he could stop caring without constantly wondering if he should or should not share his limitations.

    Maybe I could point her to Instructor Pelliana and have my former mentor vouch for my incompetence?

    Terry smiled wryly.

    ¡°Do you think I am funny?!¡± Isabella¡¯s glare unexpectedly intensified. ¡°Another match and I will show you how funny I really am.¡±

    Terry groaned inwardly and considered his schedule.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°You can posture all you want, Isabella, but as far as I recall, Terry gained the overall victory in the combat practice matches against you.¡± The follower of the Bright Lady that Terry had noticed earlier had walked up to them.

    Terry spotted a plain gold ring on the man¡¯s hand. He recalled Cadence¡¯s explanation that many of the Lady¡¯s Circle wore rings summoned with the Bright Lady¡¯s mana as a sign of faith.

    ¡°No one asked you, Harrison,¡± barked Isabella. ¡°Aren¡¯t you missing a sermon somewhere? Go light some incense and speak in tongues to ingratiate yourself with creatures from another realm. This is a talk between mages. I don¡¯t need a freaking channeler to butt in.¡±

    ¡°Charming as always,¡± said Harrison. ¡°Have you forgotten that I can cast spells on my own? I have chosen the Bright Lady for her wisdom and not for any powers she might grant. If my memory serves right, I beat you in the past without any channeled abilities. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Isabella¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you. This is between me and the Arcanian.¡±

    ¡°Say what you want, but you are only making yourself appear ridiculous,¡± jeered Harrison. ¡°If others win against you without using all of their power, then you should not get angry at them, but at yourself.¡±

    Harrison¡¯s eyes became noticeably colder. ¡°What is the point in demanding them to show more power if they can beat you without doing so?¡±

    Terry felt the urge to explain that this was not what he thought, but it was offset by the hope that maybe, just maybe, it would get Isabella off his back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think.¡± Isabella turned away from Harrison and focused her gaze on Terry. ¡°One more match.¡±

    Alas¡­

    Terry clicked his tongue and decided he would rather get this over with. From his perspective, Isabella was a good mage, but a mage that worked better in a team. He did not understand why she kept challenging him to duels. She was a pure spell flinger, and this represented a significant disadvantage once a mana cultivator came close. Unfortunately for her, Terry had enough mana to spare to close in quickly if he so wished.

    By now, Terry also had enough experience against her to be familiar with her favored patterns and combinations. While Isabella¡¯s spellwork had proved a challenge in their first encounter, their most recent spars were different.

    Familiarity aside, Terry also did not have to refrain from bursting or follow the other restrictions from the combat practice. The only reason that their last spar had not finished quickly was that Terry took his time to test himself against whatever spells Isabella still had available.

    Maybe that Harrison has a point? Perhaps I should pick a different course for the spar this time around. All out from the beginning¡­

    ¡°Fine, but then it¡¯s now or never,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Now!¡± insisted Isabella.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± said Harrison, and stepped aside to give the two the required space.

    Terry took a deep breath and nodded towards Isabella.

    As soon as Isabella nodded as well, Terry burst his mana and charged forth.

    Isabella quickly established a barrier and unleashed several fire and rock spears at Terry.

    Terry waited for a suitable moment and then unleashed a layered disruption discharge with both arms at the same time.

    In one giant wave of mana, the spell splicers broke apart the condensed fire-aspected mana of the Fire Spears and the earth-aspected cores of the Rock Spears.

    While the rock remnants continued their trajectory without the guidance of mana, the spell splicers reached and eventually shattered Isabella¡¯s barrier.

    Terry continued his charge without breaking his stride.

    Isabella canceled her Wind Blast spell that was intended for a combination with the fire spears.

    Her barrier had dammed the incoming wave for a moment and taken out the speed, but she still had to retreat a few steps to avoid having Terry¡¯s mana crowd out her own and impair her mana harvesting.

    Isabella replaced her barrier and narrowed her eyes because of Terry¡¯s behavior, that differed greatly from their previous encounters. She was used to Terry probing for openings and conserving mana.

    Proper spellwork was way more mana-efficient than discharges. It cost her way less mana to erect a barrier than it cost Terry to disrupt it.

    As soon as the new barrier stood, it was already shattered by the arrival of another powerful disruption discharge.

    Terry sensed the expected shaping for Isabella¡¯s favored Shadow Bind spell. Instead of trying to disrupt it, Terry used his boots to air-jump up and forward. If the shadow on the ground could not reach you, then it could not bind you either.

    Isabella felt herself being pulled towards Terry and recognized the effect of his inscribed gloves. She scowled at the speed at which the distance between them was shrinking.

    Isabella unleashed several attack spells in quick succession while also mixing in spells like Raise Icicles that blocked Terry¡¯s path.

    Unfortunately for Isabella, Terry never stopped channeling mana into his gloves. He relied on some of his recently learned burst techniques to narrowly avoid the casting centers of spells that would block his path while mixing in disruption discharges to break the spell structures of spells that might hurt him.

    Terry reached Isabella and before she could react, he had thrown her over his shoulder and up into the air.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Isabella was taken aback by the action.

    A moment later, she was suspended in the air and she realized that Terry had activated the Immovable Object spell on some of her equipment while he had thrown her. ¡°HEY!¡±

    Isabella was about to complain when her gaze met Terry¡¯s.

    Terry was just standing there while staring into her eyes with a spear in his hand.

    Isabella grit her teeth. ¡°DAMN IT! Face me as a mage! Not as a damned cultivator!¡±

    ¡°I have faced you as myself,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°This is how I fight. I think we are done.¡±

    Terry bowed lightly, as he had seen Tara do occasionally during a spar. ¡°Thank you for accompanying me in my learning.¡±

    Terry did not know if such words would worsen her misunderstanding, but he meant them. Including Shadow Bind, Isabella had confronted him with several spells that Terry had never faced before, and he was grateful for the experience.

    Afterwards, Terry walked towards the exit of the training grounds.

    ¡°That was not much of a spar.¡± Harrison walked up to Terry. ¡°You know in the army, they have a saying: ¡®Mercy to your enemy is cruelty towards yourself.¡¯¡±

    Terry paused and looked at Harrison.

    After a moment, he looked back at Isabella, who was disrupting the active spells on her equipment. ¡°Maybe so, but she is not my enemy. She is just acting like a pest beetle for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, well said,¡± approved Harrison. ¡°A retort that would please the Bright Lady. You know, you are not quite like the rumors are saying.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Rumors?¡±

    ¡°An arrogant Arcanian that considers Tiv company beneath him and even shuts himself in his room for meals,¡± said Harrison. ¡°The person who described you to me finished by saying: ¡®bloody rude.¡¯¡±

    Pardon?

    Terry did not know how he should react to such a statement. True, he had taken most of his meals alone in his room, but that was to practice while eating and to ponder over his notebook and not because of some aversion or even contempt.

    How was that ¡®rude¡¯? And I do interact with others¡­ Okay, mostly in Sigille¡¯s personal instruction time or combat practice or when Thena comes knocking, but¡­

    ¡°Haven¡¯t heard about it?¡± Harrison chuckled.

    Terry frowned and shook his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Harrison smirked. ¡°People just like to gossip and if there is not enough drama, then they will create some. You are from Arcana, which marks you as different. It was the same for me when I joined the Guardians. Back then, there weren¡¯t many that openly professed their faith. Bright Willow has done a lot for us here.¡±

    Terry was not sure what to think about that. On the one hand, Terry felt inclined to agree with Harrison¡¯s words. On the other hand, he found it hard to agree with praise for Willow, considering what he himself knew about the woman.

    The rumors bothered Terry somewhat, but he reminded himself that these people did not really know him and that, therefore, their opinion did not necessarily reflect on him. He had gotten along fine with the people that approached him.

    At least, if you excluded two particular encounters. One with the green-robed man that had insulted Thena and Clayson and tried to get Terry to bet his barrier spear. The other with Isabella, who evidently had a version of Terry in mind that was not exactly in line with reality.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± started Harrison. ¡°I was wondering if you would be up for a friendly spar. I am curious to test myself against your abilities.¡±

    ***

    Terry was waiting for Derek at the training grounds.

    Terry¡¯s gaze paused when he saw an elven man with a little toddler on his shoulders. Little children were a rare sight in the outpost, and Terry recognized the elven man as one of Sigille¡¯s students.

    An old elven woman with a weak mana signature joined the group.

    Family visit? Grandmother? Little brother?

    The man should be around my age.

    No parents¡­

    Terry sighed to himself. The prominently absent parents made him remember the orphanage in the Chara Settlement, remember the tragic stories and the lives claimed by the Wastes.

    Briefly, Terry thought back to the time he had left the Academy, wondering what would have happened to him if it wasn¡¯t for his whaka, but he quickly shook his head.

    Even as an abandoned dropout, his life in Arcana would have been peaceful and, in all likelihood, comfortable. While Terry had no sense of perspective during his time in the Greenhouse or the Academy, his Guardian missions had shown him the lives of normal folk in Arcana.

    While Terry had felt lost back then because he had lacked the required knowledge, there were places where he could have gotten support.

    The basic necessities were cheap to come by in Arcana. For the most part, it was the magic luxuries that motivated people to work¡­ or turn to crime.

    Terry once again felt lucky to have been born in Arcana. He was certain that if it wasn¡¯t for the good people in the Chara Settlement, the tragic stories would not have ended with dead parents.

    ¡°Did you ever have children?¡± Derek¡¯s voice jolted Terry from his thoughts.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°I did once.¡± Derek stepped next to Terry. He was also looking at the elven family. ¡°Or nearly did anyway. Never knew how common miscarriages were around here¡­¡±

    Derek shook his head with a sense of loss in his expression. ¡°People never tell you something like that before it happens and after it happens, none of what they say means anything, anyway.¡±

    Derek wrung his hands in thought. ¡°Neither of us could deal with it, and being together just made it worse. Still, even after all these years, I sometimes wonder what if¡­¡± His voice trailed off.

    Terry¡¯s mind stumbled over itself and, involuntarily, the picture of Thena tripping flashed in his mind.

    Terry had thought of Derek as similar to his own age before, which did not match any part of this conversation as far as Terry was concerned. He was reminded of old man Kimutai¡¯s comment on the age of mana users.

    Quite confusing that¡­

    How¡­ What¡­ am I supposed to say here? I¡­

    The silence that followed felt companionable to Derek and increasingly awkward to Terry.

    ¡°Ah well.¡± Derek shrugged while his eyes retained a tinge of sadness. ¡°No point in useless thoughts. Better to keep oneself busy. So what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, right.¡± Terry cleared his throat. ¡°I think I may have found a healer, but I thought to talk to you first, since you know more about the people here.¡±

    Derek nodded, clearly happy about being consulted first. ¡°Who is the candidate?¡±

    ¡°His name is Harrison. He introduced himself to me, and we have sparred a bit since then. Follower of the Bright Lady. Trained as a cultivator to some degree and he is also a mage proper. He¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know him.¡± Derek glanced at Terry with an expression of schadenfreude. ¡°I can only assume your spars were challenging.¡±

    Terry smiled wryly. ¡°That is one way to put it. I haven¡¯t won a single round yet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I remember my own combat practice matches against Harrison.¡± Derek mirrored Terry¡¯s expression. ¡°I thought it more than a little unfair to be outmatched not just in one, but essentially in two mana pools. To make it worse, draining the Lady¡¯s mana is like sucking rubbery goo through a tiny straw.¡±

    Derek curiously looked at Terry. ¡°So what did he use? His gold shrapnels? Golden cage? I don¡¯t think he would try his Camouflage against you.¡±

    ¡°Lots of liquid gold turned solid, lightning, and the occasional gold-coated earth wall,¡± grumbled Terry with tired eyes. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Shrapnels?¡±

    ¡°He has a few air spells and the ability to move summoned gold around,¡± elaborated Derek. ¡°You can imagine the rest.¡± He raised his hands and held his own nape. ¡°He was one reason for me to learn Haste.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, from what I know, Harrison is alright.¡± Derek shrugged. ¡°No nasty rumors. Very sensitive when it comes to the Bright Lady and extremely protective of their circle, but overall, he mostly gets along with everyone. Some bickering with the more vocal supporters of lifting magic restrictions, but it stays limited to bickering. Nothing I would consider a deal breaker.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, then I will ask him next time.¡± Terry was already looking forward to his first aspect being culling.

    ***

 068 Demon Fortress

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 41 ¨C

    ¡°¡®Bloody rude¡¯ huh?¡± Sigille snorted amusedly. She had paid a visit to Terry in his room in order to discuss some of his exercises, and they ended up chatting about the upcoming mission.

    ¡°I agree with the cultist.¡± Sigille yawned. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡±

    ¡°No folk is the same,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Different values. Different upbringings. Different frameworks for interpreting actions.¡±

    ¡°It is inevitable that someone will take some of your words or actions the wrong way.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°Wastes, even if they take them the right way, it is inevitable that someone somewhere will disagree with you or take offense.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± Sigille stared intently at Terry. ¡°Otherwise, you will never get anything done in your life. You do not need to be friends with everyone.¡±

    ¡°Just keep it civil...¡± Sigille furrowed her brow. ¡°If possible¡­¡± She puckered her lips. ¡°Or at least refrain from getting violent¡­¡± She furrowed her brow further. ¡°If possible.¡± She pushed forth her lower lip and shrugged again.

    Sigille smacked her lips. ¡°Which also brings me to your group. Overall, I think you will be fine. Little Derek is a good apple. He had his reckless phase after a tragic experience and paid for it with a permanently crippled mana pool, but since then, he has shown some real grit and determination. Not everyone could become Palmer¡¯s disciple.¡±

    ¡°Harrison¡­¡± Sigille tilted her head from left to right. ¡°Seems alright. He was one of the kids that chose to serve in the army to be allowed to learn their spellwork. He was also one of the first cultist trainees here in the outpost.¡±

    ¡°Now, I do not want to badmouth your chosen companion.¡± Sigille wore a serious expression. ¡°And I want to make it clear that while Harrison seems exceedingly sensitive regarding the Bright Lady, he has shown no problematic behavior as far as I know. Still, there are two things I¡¯ll have to say and then I¡¯ll hold my peace.¡±

    Sigille exhaled a sharp breath of air that came out as a mixture of a sigh and a grunt. ¡°First, well, he is obviously a cultist. As far as cults go, the Circle of the Bright Lady is among the least unpleasant ¨C regarding their official tenets, anyway. However, neither I nor anyone else can verify how much of those tenets are really aligned with their worshipped creature.¡±

    Sigille sighed again and threw up her hands a bit. ¡°I guess it doesn''t really matter. What matters is that he has opened his mind to otherrealm influence. So no matter his actual character, you need to keep an eye out for mind influence and unusual behavior. You never know when his creature of worship might choose to get involved.¡±

    Sigille took a deep breath. ¡°Second¡­ How to put it? Uhm, remember what I said about keeping it civil? When I say keep it civil, I mean you can work together towards common goals even with people you do not like.¡±

    Sigille watched Terry¡¯s expression while talking. ¡°I mean that you may choose not to speak if you have nothing nice to say. Civility includes both words and actions, but in the end, actions are what truly matters. The words you choose to speak out loud should match your actions.¡±

    Sigille grunted in thought. ¡°One reason I think Cadence is alright is that she got in my face when my words upset her. That was honest. Honest hostility I can appreciate. I¡¯ll take that over insincere kindness any day.¡±

    Sigille paused and shook her head. ¡°People like the witch have a different understanding. With people like that, you always need to watch your back, no matter how friendly they may seem. There is a difference between keeping it civil and being two-faced.¡±

    Sigille shrugged and looked at Terry. ¡°Nevermind the witch. Not everyone that has chosen the same cult is the same. I do not know Harrison enough to judge where he falls. You will need to judge for yourself.¡±

    Sigille stood up and played the belly drum. ¡°Now eat up and get some rest.¡± She left Terry¡¯s room without further comment.

    After Sigille had left the room, Terry sat down on the floor and took out his equipment for training to cast with his feet.

    While doing spellwork with his feet as the focal point, Terry retrieved a rubber ball from his storage bracelet and began bouncing it off the floor so that it bounced against the wall and then flew back to him.

    After repeating this three times, Terry tried to catch the ball a different way ¨C with his Immovable Object spell instead of grabbing with his hands.

    Terry had already noticed an improvement in his mana reach from his other exercises, but he continued looking for new exercises to try. For now, Terry was happy to transfix the ball as soon as it made contact with his palm, but he hoped to increase the distance step by step¡­

    ***

    Terry moved his fingers over the throwing needles at his leg straps one last time and then touched the part of his armor that hid the crystal pendant that Sigille had given him. He was checking the mana charge once more.

    ¡°Last-minute changes?¡± asked Harrison curiously. He had seen Terry replace two throwing needles.

    ¡°Can you transfix those?¡± interjected Derek when he recognized that the new needles were aspected. ¡°I heard aspected items are harder to target with spells. Is that why you had them aspected with unaspected mana?¡±

    Terry tried hard to control his facial expression. He had been forced to replace the oscillating needles because the distance to the demon fortress required the use of a teleportation scroll.

    He had not considered that his action of switching the needles immediately on arrival might garner attention.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± admitted Terry. ¡°Not yet. But I still have the others to use with the Immovable Object spell and also some more in my storage.¡±

    Right after the words had left his mouth, Terry cursed himself for mentioning the storage and hoped that they would not wonder why he did not keep the oscillating needles in the dimensional storage as well.

    They did not know that the retrieval required him to retake control of any decayed mana while the item was still in the storage, nor how much time this would take and how much worse it would get the longer he waited.

    Terry had understood why Sigille had advised him against sharing his findings on the interaction between his oscillating mana and space magic. After all, when someone really wanted to trap you, they would usually go with space magic ¨C as long as the option was available to them.

    In contrast to his spell limitation, Terry did not see a reason to share the information with his group, because aspect beings were not known for wielding space magic.

    Only demons with a mage host that carried the proper aspect had a chance to learn space magic to begin with, and their group was unlikely to join the fight against any of those in this mission.

    Terry let his gaze wander over the whole team that had arrived with them. There were nearly fifty Guardians in total. Apparently, missions in Tiv ¨C or at least in this particular corner of Tiv ¨C differed greatly from missions in Arcana.

    Here in the Wasted Zone, the Guardians could not afford to only send trainees into the field and the scope of the threat usually required more people to deal with it.

    ¡°Alright, not much time, so I¡¯ll just repeat the main points,¡± bellowed the voice of Instructor Palmer.

    ¡°We are going to face a small-ish demon fortress.¡± Palmer watched his students closely. ¡°While the size is nothing impressive, this is a mixed faction fortress, which makes things more annoying, so do not take this lightly.

    ¡°Elementals of different factions are normally at war with each other as much as they are with us. It takes a demon whose host has a modicum of intelligence to mediate collaboration with a different faction. This means that each of the present factions has at least one demon to represent them. It means further that these creatures of mana have put aside their hatred for each other to focus on their instinctual loathing of mana users.¡±

    Palmer gestured with his hands to remind everyone that this meant their instinctual loathing of them.

    ¡°To make it short: The demons lead and unite the different elemental factions and the elementals control the spirits. This means that the most experienced Guardians will go after the demons while everyone else will focus on obstructing the elementals and spirits.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Palmer paused to allow the gist of the mission to sink in for everyone.

    ¡°Now, we have plenty of experienced Guardians present and they will try to watch over the rest, but this is still a battle and you cannot count on having your butts pulled from danger.¡± Palmer spoke solemnly.

    ¡°You need to keep two things in mind: First, each aspect being has a mana formation that represents its anchor to the physical realm. If you want to kill the creature, you need to damage the mana formation. Unless you manage that, you could hack away at an earth elemental all day and it wouldn¡¯t do a thing except make you tired.¡±

    Terry recalled the additional information he still remembered from his theoretical introduction in Arcana.

    The parts surrounding the mana formation usually represented the valuable materials that could be collected from aspect beings.

    An earth elemental leaves behind rocks that have been aspected with highly concentrated earth mana or even special crystals. A fire elemental leaves behind some kind of powder with concentrated fire mana. Only higher rank fire elementals would leave behind crystals¡­

    ¡°The second thing to keep in mind¡­¡± The booming voice of Palmer jolted Terry out of his thoughts. ¡°...is that things will become chaotic as soon as the demons of a faction have been eliminated. That will be the moment in which the elemental factions will turn on each other. While that helps our eradication goal, it also means that you all will stand right in the crossfire. Stay sharp and don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡±

    Afterwards, Palmer and some of the other present instructors went around to talk to the individual groups.

    ¡°Alright, Derek, you have the most experience against aspect beings in your group, so I expect you to make that experience count,¡± said Palmer sternly.

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± Derek replied with respect in his voice.

    ¡°I understand you had a few encounters already¡­¡± Palmer looked at Harrison.

    ¡°Yes, Instructor, but only about a handful,¡± replied Harrison. ¡°Most of my deployments were against undead or as support against Thanatos on the southern border.¡±

    ¡°Mhmhh¡­¡± Palmer thought it over. ¡°Your ability to channel the holy aspect will not help you as much against the aspect beings as it does against undead. Nevertheless, you are still one of the more, shall we say, offensively useful healers present. Don¡¯t get in over your head and if you see a way to lend a helping hand to another group, I would appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± Harrison nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°I will do my best to support everyone.¡±

    Last, Palmer looked at Terry. ¡°You haven¡¯t faced aspect beings before, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°I have heard that you have a few aspected items and some item-based means to unleash an aspected attack in an emergency, but your main weapons will still be that spell of yours and disruption discharges. Hm¡­¡± Palmer paused a moment in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I need to point out applications of your spell. I am sure you understand the role it can play as support.¡±

    Palmer grunted and then continued. ¡°Normally, I would point out that trying to damage an elemental with a disruption discharge is like trying to get rid of a stain by throwing buckets of water at it.¡± Palmer tilted his head from side to side. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but not the most efficient of plans.¡± He pulled up one corner of his lips. ¡°From what I could see on the training grounds, you might be able to make it work, but I would suggest that it remains a supplementary or fallback option.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor,¡± acknowledged Terry. ¡°We have planned for other primary lines of attack and I will watch my mana if I have to rely on disruption discharges.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Palmer eyed each of them one last time. ¡°We have told you already where you can help out the most. You know your target location. Good luck and stay sharp.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Come here, my precious packets of mana!¡± Derek shouted gleefully and jumped from one elemental spirit to the next. He absorbed their mana to damage their formation while using the mana to maintain his Haste spell and the effect of his magic boots.

    I¡¯m still glad that he wasn¡¯t allowed to use the boots in our combat practice match¡­

    Terry chuckled while Derek quickly blinked from area to area to go after the translucent plumes of mana that defended themselves with weaker abilities that were comparable to low-level spells.

    My turn¡­

    Terry examined the odd mana structure that held together the gates at which the fortifications of two elemental factions connected¡­

    Taking their abilities into account, their group was deployed to deal primarily with the earth and ice factions. Some other factions were close by, but only in smaller numbers and with weaker ranks.

    Terry had finally understood why people called these things demon fortresses when he saw the castle-like structures towering over the area with connecting barricades between them.

    Behind those walls, the elementals and demons worked to gather more mana to strengthen themselves and expand their territory.

    Their group¡¯s first task was to clear the way into the fortress by opening one of the gates.

    One drawback of allying with another elemental faction was that an earth elemental could not simply move through an ice wall and vice versa. The cross-faction alliance required them to place gates ¨C gates that folks could use as well as long as they bypassed the mana protection.

    Terry concentrated on his mana sense and the flow of his own mana. What he sensed in the gate did not follow the exact same rules as shielding in mana-crafting, but it was close enough to get the gist of it.

    Good, because otherwise, this would have been an embarrassingly short mission¡­

    Terry had been nervous when he was nominated for opening a gate, but they had assured him that if he can pick a shielded magic item, then he should have no problems at one of the outer gates.

    The elementals worked on instinct. They did not have a structured theory for their work, and the younger demons still needed to get used to their newfound intellect and knowledge.

    ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± asked Harrison with a glance back to Terry. He casually threw a small lightning bolt to eradicate an ice spirit that was approaching from a distance.

    ¡°Got it!¡± exclaimed Terry.

    With a rumbling sound, the gates opened, and the three were faced with the elemental welcoming committee that had been obscured from mana sight by the gate.

    It consisted of a large earth elemental as well as two smaller ice elementals and their entourage of ice spirits.

    Terry quickly took in the situation and his mana sense assured him that Derek had already changed course as well.

    Terry placed and transfixed several tertium slabs in front of them so that they would have a secure location to retreat to if required.

    ¡°You prepare the big one and I¡¯ll distract the little ones,¡± said Harrison to Terry.

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± interjected Derek, who had joined the two. ¡°Better to take out the ice elementals as quickly as possible though. Once they are out, the mindless spirits will be less trouble. And you get a glimpse into the chaos that awaits us in the future. Without the elemental of the same faction in control, the ice spirits may even turn on the earth elemental.¡±

    Derek looked at Terry. ¡°Think you can keep the big guy occupied for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Depends on its mana abilities, but¡­¡± Terry nodded. ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°We only need a bit of time,¡± said Harrison. ¡°The ice elementals are lower rank and their bodies are perfect targets for lightning.¡±

    ¡°Alright, no time to waste. Plenty of other elementals to squash today,¡± said Derek. ¡°On three. One¡­ two¡­ THREE!¡±

    Derek used his boots to blink forward while Harrison used his light-aspected spell for the same effect. Derek moved left to avoid the earth elemental, while Harrison moved right.

    How nice it would be to learn that spell¡­

    Terry grumbled inwardly while bursting his mana in a technique that emphasized leg-speed and reaction time. It had a slightly better mana efficiency than a full-out burst.

    Terry charged at the giant earth elemental¡­ and was promptly greeted with a boulder hurled towards him.

    Terry air-jumped above the boulder and was greeted by another that forced him to dodge to the sides.

    Screw you!

    Terry retrieved a set of bolas and used the gap between two incoming projectiles to throw.

    The bolas roped around the elemental¡¯s arm and then transfixed themselves. The earth elemental seemed surprised and irritated at the unexpected resistance when trying to hurl its next rock.

    Terry quickly followed up with a second pair of bolas for the elemental¡¯s other arm and then dashed forward.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense warned him of a mana-charged rock that was flying at him from the sides.

    For a moment, Terry wondered if a disruption discharge would be worth it, but then he dismissed the idea. Too many targets and besides that, a mana ability was instinctual, which meant that it was less of a bother for the elemental to recreate the same effect than it was for a caster to reshape a spell.

    Instead, Terry quickly retrieved two tertium slabs with handles and continued his dash. He transfixed the slabs at the latest possible moment to block the incoming projectiles and half a second later, he was already charging further.

    Terry air-jumped up and retrieved two pairs of roped rings. He threw the rings to the left and then dashed to the right. As soon as the rings had moved past the earth elemental, Terry used his bidirectional attraction gloves to pull the rings back towards himself.

    In this manner, Terry entangled the rock elemental further and then transfixed the rings.

    Terry dodged two rock spears flying at him and closed in on the earth elemental. He scanned the elemental for its mana formation and quickly stepped up the hardened earth surface towards the elemental¡¯s back from where he also had a clear sight towards his companions.

    As a safety measure, he immediately summoned a flattened tertium cube he had folded to cover his back and the neighbouring four directions at an angle.

    Just like old times¡­ Terry snorted. Only better prepared.

    Terry retrieved a giant nail from his storage item and pressed it into the hardened earth. He had bought a set of giant nails in the Chara Settlement. As preparation for this mission, this nail had been coated in gold with the help of Harrison.

    Terry retrieved a U-shaped tertium piece he transfixed to hold the nail in place.

    Afterwards, Terry retrieved his resizable one-handed war hammer and hammered away¡­

    When Terry judged the nail was deep enough, He put away his other equipment. He distanced himself from the earth elemental and shouted: ¡°Ready!¡±

    A moment later, Harrison threw an intense lightning bolt at the elemental. The lightning snaked its way through the air and then to the gold-coated nail.

    *Zap*

    When the first lightning bolt was not sufficient, a second followed, and then a third. The nail guided the energy into the most vulnerable section of the formation¡­

    *RUMBLE*

    The giant earth elemental collapsed into rubble as soon as enough damage to the formation had accumulated.

    ¡°Good work!¡± shouted Derek, who was clinging to the icy body of the last remaining ice elemental and finished it off with a fire-infused palm strike.

    ¡°You prepared the big one faster than I expected,¡± said Harrison. ¡°I thought you had never faced elementals before?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t,¡± replied Terry. ¡°But I once had to face a giant earth construct.¡±

    ***

 069 Demon Advancement

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 41 ¨C

    ¡°Got it!¡± shouted Harrison, and the summoned gold hardened as thin rings around the limbs of the giant ice elemental.

    Terry dashed forward with one shield on each arm.

    *Ting* *Ting*

    Terry was bombarded by thin ice spikes from the horde of ice elementals in his path. He sensed for a gap and then threw his shields forward after casting his spell on the octavum attachment.

    The shields transfixed in the air in front of him to block some of the incoming projectiles. Terry punched rapidly to unleash a few layered disruption discharges into the spirits while running.

    A giant ice spike was thrown by the ice elemental.

    Terry adjusted his course and used his bidirectional attraction inscription to redirect the spike into his transfixed shields.

    From the corner of his eyes, Terry could see Harrison and Derek assaulting the spirits to take their attention away from him.

    Finally, Terry got close to the ice elemental.

    Uh-oh.

    A familiar pattern of moving mana became visible in Terry¡¯s mana sight, and he quickly retrieved a folded tertium cube to transfix.

    A second later, an icy blast erupted from the ice elemental in all directions.

    Terry returned the tertium cube back into his storage item and air-jumped upwards.

    Before long, Terry had reached his first target at the left leg and, with a touch of his hand, the golden ring was transfixed to immobilize the limb.

    After Terry had finished transfixing the elemental¡¯s limbs, he heaved a sigh of relief. The damned ice elemental had sliced apart one of his bolas and he was glad that they had found an alternative way to immobilize the thing.

    Terry took a moment to survey the area in his mana sight and frowned. Harrison was blocked by some lower rank elementals, which also meant that their easiest way to finish off the biggest threat was temporarily unavailable.

    ¡°Plan B,¡± murmured Terry and retrieved his fire-aspected spear. He tested the spear on the creature and frowned again.

    The ice mana of this elemental is too intense for it to penetrate quickly¡­

    ¡°Fine then,¡± grunted Terry. ¡°Plan C or whatever.¡±

    Terry retrieved a tertium slab with a hole in it and transfixed it on the creature¡¯s stomach, where the distance to its mana formation was lowest.

    ¡°Have a taste of dungeon ideas.¡±

    After Terry had set up his levered screw mechanism, he burst his mana to pull at the metal rod, and with rotation after rotation, the metal screw pierced deeper and deeper into the elemental.

    Terry only stopped once in order to throw a layered discharge into a crowd of spirits that had risen behind him.

    Eventually, he saw the screw pierce into the area of the mana formation.

    A moment later, Terry was forced to retrieve his protective cover and block another icy blast.

    Terry squinted at the mana formation.

    Damaged, but not enough yet¡­

    Terry quickly loosened the screw and returned it into his storage bracelet to leave only the transfixed slab with the hole in the middle.

    Terry equipped his fire- and lightning-aspected spears and attacked the vulnerable mana formation by striking into the hole.

    Terry continued his assault until he detected the entire mana formation collapsing.

    Not long afterwards, the giant ice colossus collapsed as well.

    ¡°Back and regroup!¡± shouted Derek.

    Terry raised an eyebrow in surprise but quickly bolted back towards their last fortifications.

    ¡°The big one is down, which is good, but¡­¡± Derek clicked his tongue.

    ¡°The pressure has increased,¡± added Harrison.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it still mostly spirits?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Their spells are annoying in big numbers, sure, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the spells,¡± interjected Derek. ¡°You may not notice it as much with your mana pool size, but they affect the surrounding mana, which brings the risk of mana corruption.¡±

    Derek clicked his tongue. ¡°Not to mention that their presence affects the physical world as well. Don¡¯t let yourself get crowded by them.¡±

    ¡°Unless you want to get yourself burned, frozen, drowned, or buried alive, that is,¡± added Harrison in a joking tone. ¡°No judging if that is what you are into. Just tell me if I should hold off on the healing for a while.¡±

    Derek snorted while Terry rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Anyway, things seem slightly off,¡± said Derek. ¡°The Guardians are attacking three points at once and the strongest fighters are in the center area that is not blocked by any gates. If anything, that is where the elemental reinforcements should normally be expected.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we are moving too quickly?¡± suggested Harrison. ¡°Practically all our fights have wrapped up quicker than anticipated. Same for picking the gates in our path. While it allows the groups after us to move in earlier and control the area, we may be out of sync with the rest of the troops.¡±

    Terry listened while focusing on his mana sense. Something had been bugging him and Derek¡¯s current assessment caused Terry to try again to figure out what exactly it was.

    ¡°It could be that we are gathering a disproportionate share of the attention because the others are moving slower,¡± reiterated Harrison.

    Derek weighed Harrison¡¯s words in his mind. ¡°If the Demonpalm hangs back to let others gain some experience or if he has another mission to take care of in the area, I guess that¡¯s possible. But¡­¡±

    Derek shrugged. ¡°The Instructor Palmer I know is not the type to just hang back and twiddle his thumbs, and he would have informed us if there was another mission.¡±

    ¡°Could also be a result of the location,¡± suggested Harrison. ¡°Maybe our path simply offers more surface area for enemies to pour in here.¡±

    Derek nodded in thought. ¡°I hope it¡¯s just something like that.¡±

    ¡°As opposed to?¡± prompted Harrison.

    Derek looked him in the eye. ¡°The initial intel being way off-base.¡±

    ¡°You mean that this pressure actually pales compared to what might go on in the other paths?¡± asked Harrison grimly.

    Derek nodded. ¡°Can happen, especially if there are intelligent demons involved. A bit of intelligence can go a long way in accelerating the growth of an army. I¡¯ve been part of such unfortunate missions before and I really hope that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Is it bad if¡­¡± Terry squinted and pondered. ¡°If there is a developing mana vortex in our path?¡±

    Both Harrison and Derek turned to Terry.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± asked Derek gravely.

    ¡°No?¡± replied Terry.

    Derek groaned.

    ¡°Well, that would explain it,¡± exclaimed Harrison. He spat on the ground.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°If your sense is accurate, we are running right into a demon''s advancement,¡± said Derek. ¡°Unfortunately for us, your sense seems to be always accurate as far as I can tell.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do?¡± asked Harrison. ¡°Push through and interrupt the ceremony at the risk of being overwhelmed by the masses of defenders? Or hunker down and risk having to face a demon with newly advanced elemental powers?¡±

    Derek contemplated their options. ¡°We still need to open the next two gates. If things go according to plan in the other areas, then that would leave our paths connected again and the other groups can also join up from behind.¡±

    ¡°Do what we are supposed to do and then we can see about the rest.¡± Harrison nodded. ¡°I like that.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So we are doing this?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Judging by the mana movement, that demon would rank up to at least the third rank,¡± said Derek. ¡°Such a rank would normally have been included in the intel, which means it is likely to be a recent development.¡±

    Derek scowled. ¡°Which in turn means that the host is likely to be folk. Might even be a mana user, or, even worse, a mage.¡±

    ¡°Third rank elemental is one thing,¡± started Harrison. ¡°But a demon of advanced intelligence with third rank elemental powers¡ª¡±

    ¡°At least,¡± stressed Derek.

    Harrison nodded. ¡°And with an understanding of spellwork. That could quickly spiral out of control.¡±

    ¡°Elemental power increases are exponential,¡± said Derek. ¡°If that demon finds a chance to escape, then its next fortress will be a nightmare. The stronger forces are still occupied for now and unless we can tie up the demon, the hunt could take ages.¡±

    ¡°Or it might completely vanish from our grasp,¡± said Harrison. ¡°Not a good scenario for the surrounding settlements.¡±

    Terry nodded and resolved himself for the fight.

    ¡°If we can disrupt the advancement, we¡¯ll have a shot,¡± said Derek. ¡°The demon would remain at its current level of power and if we are lucky, the interruption will even injure the creature.¡±

    ¡°The most effective mana disruption I can offer is the holy aspect,¡± said Harrison. ¡°But only combined with fire or lightning. The light aspect on its own does not have enough permanency to disturb the mana flow.¡±

    Harrison frowned. ¡°Unfortunately, the fire spells I can combine with channeled holy mana have little range, and the lightning spells do not cover a large area.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Harrison grunted. ¡°Of course, I could use Blink to close in quickly, but that requires a direct line of sight with no obstacles in the way. It would suck to run in there to have the plan fail because of something like that. I could also set up gold as a conductor, but that would take time and preparation.¡±

    Derek nodded in thought. ¡°I would run into a similar range problem with my Drain Mana spell. I would need to get close enough and it would probably take a while to drain enough mana to interrupt the process. Same Blink problem.¡±

    Derek and Harrison looked at Terry.

    ¡°How much mana can you put into a disruption discharge?¡± asked Derek. ¡°And how quickly in succession? Enough to act as the first hitter?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have your back,¡± added Harrison. ¡°No need to worry about preserving mana.¡±

    Terry stopped moving his regenerated mana into a mana container and mentally counted his supply of filled containers just in case.

    ¡°I think I can act as the first hitter,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Even if that thing has set up a barrier?¡± asked Derek.

    ¡°For destroying a barrier, I can also join with a lightning bolt,¡± said Harrison.

    ¡°Always good to have a backup,¡± retorted Derek.

    Harrison nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Terry. ¡°A barrier requires spell splicers, but that vortex does not look like structured spellwork. Crowding out the mana with my naturalized mana should introduce some problems for whatever they are doing. If the barrier dams up the mana, I can push it forward with the next wave.¡±

    ¡­or re-harvest the falling tide.

    ***

    ¡°Some defenders in the outer circle, but I don¡¯t sense any other mana signatures in the inner circle with the demon,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°To be expected,¡± said Derek. ¡°Other aspect beings would get caught in the advancement ceremony. Losing mana would lead to their own power being diminished and, depending on the aspect, the mana contamination could interfere with the ritual.¡±

    Terry closed his eyes to focus one last time on his mana sense and gather the latest intel they could get before running in.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make out if the host is a mana user. If there is any non-elemental mana, then it pales compared to the possessing elemental.¡± Terry paused in contemplation. ¡°I would have thought the demon had been created from an ice elemental, but¡­¡± Terry¡¯s voice trailed off.

    Derek and Harrison both narrowed their eyes at the ¡®but.¡¯

    ¡°That vortex is definitely not only ice-aspected mana.¡± Terry opened his eyes. ¡°It also contains traces of the major water aspect and a significant amount of the air aspect.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± exclaimed Derek.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Harrison.

    ¡°For one thing, that makes our ¡®at least¡¯ evaluation sound more and more optimistic,¡± explained Derek. ¡°That thing is most likely advancing to an elemental of the less-corporeal path. With the ice aspect, that means the blizzard line as opposed to the glacial line.¡±

    ¡°I thought the less-corporeal lines are easier to defeat,¡± interjected Harrison.

    ¡°Well, yeah, kind of, no,¡± said Derek. ¡°Only when they are not possessing a corporeal host. Less corporeal elementals are easier to defeat only because their mana formation is more exposed and less protected.

    ¡°At low ranks, they¡¯re barely harder to breach than spirits, because they don¡¯t have any protective crystals, nor do they have enough mana control to hold their formation in place against disruptions.¡±

    Derek snorted. ¡°Sneeze at a low rank fire elemental strong enough and boom, you¡¯re done. The catch, however, is that you need to manage that before it turns you into cinders, which brings us to the problem. The less corporeal path is generally accompanied by more offensive abilities.¡±

    Derek groaned. ¡°Ohh, and a mixed-aspect demon could represent multiple factions, which is usually a big nuisance. The more united they all are, the bigger the problem.¡±

    ¡°Does this change anything?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Or just one more reason to interrupt the advancement?¡±

    ¡°An immensely good reason,¡± replied Derek. ¡°But we also need to be ready to retreat at a moment¡¯s notice. Dodging a few ice spikes is one thing, but dodging a wasted blizzard is another. It might throw in hail and sharp ice shrapnels or it might literally suffocate us with snow.¡±

    ¡°Would that be suffocating or drowning?¡± asked Terry, and tilted his head.

    ¡°Way to focus on the important part,¡± said Derek, and snorted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just see what we can do,¡± said Terry with a wry smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first act,¡± said Harrison.

    ¡°Yeah, ready when you are,¡± added Derek.

    Terry stretched and checked his equipment. Then, he slapped his forearms together and dashed towards the entrance¡­

    As soon as Terry had moved into the demon¡¯s area, his mana stirred at the vortex¡¯s disturbance.

    Luckily, his muscle memory kicked in to tighten control on his mana and guide it along the needed path for his burst.

    Several large ice fortifications were obstructing the path in the area. From behind them, several ice and earth spirits were charging forth to throw themselves at Terry.

    Terry sensed for his two companions and then further sped up.

    Don¡¯t let ourselves be tangled up. Get to the demon.

    Terry nimbly dodged the spirits. He could sense their locations when they started their pursuit.

    Good. If they follow me, then the others can make better use of their equipment to keep up.

    Terry dashed past an earth elemental and saw several ice elementals that were swarming in from the sides.

    Terry zig-zagged to dodge the incoming volley of ice spikes. While he could not evade all of them, the cloud badger armor continued to demonstrate its high piercing resistance.

    A giant boulder flew at Terry from behind.

    Terry was about to dodge to the side when he recognized the mana movement that usually resulted in an effect similar to the Raise Icicles spell.

    Terry quickly changed course and jumped to position his soles into the path of the incoming boulder.

    *BAM!*

    The boulder collided with the transfixed boots while Terry switched imprints to jump forward in the air.

    Terry leaped over one of the ice fortifications and cast the Immovable Object spell in passing so that the fortification would block whatever boulders may be hurled at him from behind.

    Terry continued moving forward while sensing for the location of enemies to avoid as well as the progress of his group members.

    He could sense that Derek and Harrison were sticking closer together. Harrison was playing defense with his channeled gold-based abilities, while Derek occasionally eradicated a few spirits. They avoided engaging the elementals, and the two could still keep up.

    Terry made his way through the gaps in the elemental defenses, which was made significantly easier by his ability to move into the air whenever necessary.

    Eventually, he reached the inner circle.

    Terry had to remind himself not to pause while examining the demon at the vortex¡¯s center.

    The host appeared to be an old and very thin man with the grey skin of mana corruption and visible blood vessels that indicated damaged mana channels. The demon was sitting cross-legged and with closed eyes while the mana vortex flooded him with mana.

    Do all demons show the signs of mana corruption and damaged mana channels? Nevermind. Not the time.

    Terry forced his question down for later.

    He was elated to find that there were no barriers around.

    Maybe the host really wasn¡¯t a mana user?

    Terry¡¯s elation was severely dampened when he saw the demon open its eyes to glare at him.

    Focus!

    Actions!

    Terry stopped blinking to focus on the demon while simultaneously gathering mana for a layered dual-discharge.

    He noticed an unfamiliar movement of mana over a large area on the ground. Instinctively, Terry stepped slightly into the air.

    A moment later, the entire area was covered in a slick sheet of ice.

    Terry frowned while continuing his run.

    Not much of a problem for me, but Derek¡¯s and Harrison¡¯s mobility might become impaired. Although Harrison could shape gold spikes for their feet or maybe¡ª They¡¯ll figure it out.

    Focus!

    Winds raged around the demon, and Terry could feel himself being pushed back and facing increased resistance. Fortunately, his boots still allowed him a secure footing to push forward.

    Snow was added to the raging winds, which made it harder and harder for Terry to see.

    Right after the snow had obstructed his vision, he could sense large mana clusters aiming for him.

    Terry dodged one giant ice spike and blocked another with his bracer.

    *KAZAP!* A white lightning bolt crackled past Terry and towards the demon, who barely managed to raise an ice wall to block the attack.

    Thank mana that there were no barriers. Should be much easier this way.

    If the host is manaless, then it¡¯s also likely that the demon does not know of spellwork or mana cultivation techniques.

    Terry darted upwards into the air to better take aim for the area where the vortex fed the demon. He unleashed the most powerful disruption discharge he had ever attempted. The mana flooded forward while carrying a dense net of spell slicers.

    Terry followed a single step behind the first wave while already preparing the next.

    Before the demon knew what hit him, he was already drowned in three successive waves of Terry¡¯s naturalized mana.

    The demon coughed blood and then roared frenziedly.

    A part of the vortex compressed itself and the rotation of mana increased with the compression until a circular blast was emitted, after which the vortex shrunk significantly in size.

    Derek and Harrison joined to pile on with their own attacks, and it did not take long for the vortex to disappear completely.

    Their interruption of the demon¡¯s advancement had been successful.

    Unfortunately, that also meant that there was no reason for the defending aspect beings to stay out of the inner circle anymore.

    Elementals and spirits were pouring into the area to surround Terry¡¯s group, while the three gathered closer together.

    ¡°Good job so far,¡± said Derek. ¡°Now, we need to get out of here.¡±

    ¡°I think they have other plans for us,¡± remarked Harrison wryly. ¡°Maybe we should hunker down instead. Terry and I could whip up some fortifications.¡±

    ¡°To support our retreat, sure.¡± Derek shook his head. ¡°But we need to keep moving. Too many elementals with abilities that have flexible casting centers. Not to mention ethereal spirits and an intelligent demon. Even that immovable gold combo won¡¯t help us if they unleash their abilities inside.¡±

    ¡°But we can make sure that we have a few safe angles and block long-range attacks.¡± Terry pointed out, and Harrison nodded.

    ¡°When the vortex collapsed, the mana signal was quite intense,¡± said Terry. ¡°I¡¯m sure others must have noticed that as well.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that they pick the right path to join up with us,¡± said Derek. ¡°Or that old Demonpalm will make his way here soon. Otherwise, we will get a few, you know, scratches and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Scratches I can heal,¡± retorted Harrison. ¡°Try not to get beheaded and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Good plan,¡± exclaimed Derek. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that one.¡±

    Before long, the air reverberated from a sonic blast, which caused Derek to heave a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I knew Instructor Demonpalm would not be able to hold himself back,¡± said Derek with a smirk.

    It did not take long before the pained howl of a demon resounded in the area.

    Terry only caught a glimpse of blood running from the possessed host¡¯s ears before Palmer continued his sonic assault on the demon.

    ***

    ¡°I heard you had a bit of excitement on your mission,¡± said Sigille while Terry was crawling back up on his feet.

    Terry groaned in pain at his most recent failure to make Sigille take a step from her position.

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Terry groaned again. ¡°Why are you asking about that now?¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°I could try and make up an excuse like ¡®you are supposed to be able to battle with distractions¡¯, but to be honest, I get bored just standing here.¡± She tapped her staff on her shoulder and displayed a taunting grin.

    Terry scowled at the obvious bait.

    ¡°I also thought you might want to stretch a bit after the last one,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Make sure that you do not require healing before we continue.¡±

    Terry did as instructed when he recalled a question he had about his demonic encounter. ¡°Do all demons look as if their mana channels are intensely damaged? Visible blood vessels and everything?¡±

    Sigille nodded. ¡°The elementals need to learn about the limits of the physical realm first. However, do not be fooled by that appearance into thinking they are injured. The elementals have their own ways to protect the mana vessels from becoming too damaged.¡±

    Sigille tapped her staff on her shoulder. ¡°Young demons are often not used to the pain from the damaged mana channels, which means you may find an opportunity to exploit there. Experienced demons, however, often intentionally accept the pain to increase their mana throughput beyond the normal physical limits.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine,¡± said Terry. ¡°No healing required.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Anyway, now that you have settled into a routine for the season, I thought I would throw a wrench in it.¡± Sigille snickered. ¡°You see, you have kind of run through too many combat practice partners too quickly¡­¡±

    Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t noticed that you were the only one that participated in combat practice every day?¡± asked Sigille with an amused grin.

    ¡­now that she mentions it. Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what I appreciate about you, Little Terry,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Most of my other disciples got grumpy after one or two weeks.¡±

    Uhm¡­ Terry decided to hold his tongue.

    ¡°Anyway, there are still a few candidates for matches, which reminds me¡­¡± Sigille raised an eyebrow at Terry. ¡°What is up with you and that Isabella? Apparently, the lass keeps pestering Rachel to set up a rematch.¡±

    Terry groaned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell Matteo about this.¡± Sigille snorted and snickered. ¡°Anyway, repeated matches aside, scheduling becomes a bit more complicated once you exclude that many candidates. Luckily, you have also gotten the gist of burst techniques, so if I shuffle around some activities¡­¡±

    Terry had a bad premonition and his most recent bruises pulsated in dread.

    Sigille displayed a wide grin, accompanied by a sharp glint in her eyes. ¡°I can make time for more personal instruction to fill the gaps.¡±

    Good luck, Whaka Terry. Terry could hear his pa in his mind.

    This is going to be an exhausting season¡­

    Moving forward. One bruise at a time.

    ***

 070 Departure From the Libra Outpost

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 98 ¨C

    The two rubber balls bounced off the wall in Terry¡¯s room. They flew back towards Terry¡¯s outstretched hands¡­

    When the balls were an elbow¡¯s length away, they transfixed in the air.

    Terry smiled at the progress he had made in this exercise during the past weeks before examining the transfixed positions more closely.

    Terry tilted his head. The ball from his left hand had come noticeably closer than the one on the right.

    Off-hand is still slightly more sluggish when extending the reach¡­

    Terry waited for the spell to stop and then pulled the balls towards his hands, using the bidirectional attraction imprints in his gloves.

    Afterwards, Terry threw only the left ball and repeated the exercise with just his off-hand.

    The ball bounced off the wall and transfixed more than an elbow¡¯s length away in the air.

    Terry squinted at the transfixed ball in thought.

    Not a reach problem. Not a casting speed problem. Probably just a muscle memory thing that only becomes apparent when dual casting.

    Terry sighed. ¡°Well, then. Good to know that spells and spears have something in common.¡±

    I need some exercises to get rid of the subconscious bias with dual casting, similar to Ma Isille¡¯s exercises for dual wielding¡­

    Terry pulled the ball back towards him and then made a note in his notebook to document his current reach and reaction times.

    Next to Terry were two mana containers into which he was constantly guiding his excess mana. The reach practice did not require that much mana and Terry would run through his reserves quickly when practicing the more intense burst techniques, when training throughput to increase the resilience of his mana channels, or when sparring with Sigille.

    Although sparring might be a decidedly misleading term. One-sided pummeling, really.

    Terry had celebrated when he had finally made Sigille move. What came afterwards, however, still made him feel sore all over, even though the bruises had long healed.

    After he had forced her to move once, she had never again limited her own movement. She was taking an active role and attacked. Recently, she had even started using a few common magic items to increase the pressure on Terry.

    Sigille had explained to Terry once that his combat practice matches should broaden his experience.

    His spars with her other disciples were to deepen his techniques and correcting flaws.

    The matches with Sigille, by contrast, were for facing an opponent much stronger than himself ¨C a chance to go all out as well as routinizing the drive to push back without flinching.

    Terry put the cap back on his pen and glanced at the clock on the table.

    Most of the other Guardians had already begun to leave the Outpost or prepare their departure. The season was coming to an end, which meant that most students would rotate to another outpost.

    Thena, Clayson, Tara, and Derek had left the day before, together with Instructor Palmer. Harrison had left even earlier with an Instructor that was also a follower of the Bright Lady.

    All in all, this had left a hole in Terry¡¯s daily training schedule since all his usual sparring partners were already gone. However, Sigille had said she would have a new combat practice match prepared for today.

    With whom though? I thought I had already faced all the candidates. Repeated match again?

    There aren¡¯t many Guardians left to begin with¡­

    It¡¯s not Isabella again, is it? Please no. She was supposed to leave together with Instructor Rachel.

    Terry wondered and closed his notebook.

    ***

    ¡°Any restrictions for the match?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Or alternative victory conditions?¡±

    Still not sure how well I am doing in her ongoing challenge¡­

    ¡°No, not today,¡± replied Sigille in a casual tone. ¡°I¡¯ll act as the referee anyway and may shout some instructions when I feel like it.¡±

    Sigille smiled at Terry with a familiar glint in her eyes that caused a tingle in Terry¡¯s spine.

    ¡°You just go into the arena and do your best.¡± Sigille slapped Terry on the back and left.

    Terry ignored the pain from Sigille¡¯s ¡®light¡¯ slap and narrowed his eyes while moving towards the arena.

    When Terry stepped into the arena, he could sense a mana cloak vanish to reveal a mana signature that seemed like many different signatures blending into one.

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of Matteo facing him in the arena. He had not heard that Matteo was back.

    ¡°Begin!¡± Sigille¡¯s voice jolted Terry out of his daze.

    ¡°Crap!¡± Terry burst his mana and barely dodged an incoming blue lightning bolt.

    Terry sprinted to the side with clenched teeth. The attacks arrived too quickly for him to stop his burst.

    Need to get closer!

    Terry changed his course and tried to move in an arc to continue his approach while dodging the incoming attacks.

    ¡°DAMN!¡± Terry had to roll to the side to evade a lightning bolt that was timed perfectly to interrupt his run.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense blared in alarm at the follow-up. Instinctively, Terry summoned a tertium slab and transfixed it barely in time to block the blow.

    Terry used the temporary reprieve to take a deep breath and lower his mana consumption by stopping the burst.

    I need a plan.

    Terry did not know how well Matteo¡¯s general mana sense was developed, but he did know that Matteo¡¯s sense for elemental mana from the core system was spectacular.

    While behind the cover of the tertium slab. Terry retrieved his lightning spear from his storage bracelet.

    Before Terry was ready for his own plan, his attention was drawn to the sky above himself.

    When he realized what was happening, Terry groaned and hurriedly retrieved another tertium slab to transfix above himself.

    Half a second later, a bright lightning bolt rained down from above. Unfortunately for Terry, some of the lightning forked and spread out around the slab.

    Fortunately, these weaker remnant threads only caused a bit of a stinging pain for Terry.

    Terry hurled his lightning-aspected spear to the right and then dashed to the left with bursted mana.

    Please fall for the feint. Please fall for the feint¡­

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the terrain in front of him. Apparently, Matteo had used some mana abilities to reshape the earth and put obstacles in his path while Terry was distracted.

    Terry exhaled a sharp breath and rushed forward, regardless. He used his bidirectional attraction glove to pull the lightning spear back to him.

    Terry recalled his spars with Harrison. When he sensed the incoming lightning again, he summoned a cheap metal spear and rammed it into the earth to use it as a deflecting lightning rod.

    When Terry saw the blue flash, however, his instincts told him to dodge and block despite his prepared lightning rod.

    The blue lightning narrowly bypassed the lightning rod and impacted on Terry¡¯s transfixed tertium slab.

    Right. Matteo¡¯s lightning affinity is special. Even without the spirit-infused purple lightning, he has some ability to guide it without requiring spellwork.

    Terry returned his spear to his storage bracelet. He summoned several throwing needles and placed them onto his sheath belt. With two more throwing needles in hand, he dashed forward.

    When the next lightning reared its head, Terry hurled his throwing needles into the path between himself and Matteo in the hopes that one of them might block the bolt early to allow Terry to get closer.

    Terry¡¯s third transfixed needle caught the lightning bolt by a stroke of luck.

    Terry was running between two high earthen walls as he felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips¡­

    The smile vanished when the earthen walls turned liquid and a vast mass of mud collapsed onto Terry¡¯s head.

    Terry used his imprinted items to lift himself out of the mud while concentrating on his mana sense to not suffer an attack when leaving the cover of the earth.

    To his surprise, Matteo had approached of his own accord, which did not ease Terry¡¯s tension one bit.

    Terry burst his mana and gasped for air as soon as he had made it out of the mud. He hurriedly placed some tertium slabs for protection and jumped back from where he could sense Matteo.

    Ugh¡­ The mud is really a drag on my mobility¡­

    Terry scowled, grit his teeth, and then dashed forward once more¡­ only to be bombarded by a barrage of rock projectiles.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± A rock had hit Terry on the inside of his knee. The rock wasn¡¯t too fast, but it still took Terry off-guard.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    He had been dodging the projectiles from the front by relying on his eyesight while his mana sense had allowed him to dodge projectiles from the back.

    Damn it. He is releasing the mana for some of the propelled rocks from behind! The rocks already have enough momentum and this way, I can¡¯t sense them by their mana.

    Terry grunted and quickly started releasing mana pulses like he had done in his match with Rosheen. While it was not comparable to actually sensing or seeing the mana projectile directly, it was better than being completely blind.

    Matteo soared up into the air and spat a giant wave of fire at Terry.

    The instincts from Terry¡¯s combat practice against fire mages kicked in and he rapidly unleashed a broad disruption discharge.

    While fire could be moved faster than rock, the lack of mass and inertia also had its downsides. In contrast to rocks, fire on its own did not have any momentum to carry it forward without mana.

    Unfortunately for Terry, the fire had obstructed the ice hail that followed.

    Some of the ice melted due to the lingering heat of the fire. While Terry appreciated the falling water washing off some of the mud, the lightning that followed was much less appreciated.

    Crap crap crap.

    Terry cursed inwardly and prepared himself mentally for a world of pain.

    ***

    Terry lay sprawled on the ground from pain and exhaustion. He would rather face a dozen inscribed earth giants than to repeat a match against Matteo.

    While Sigille¡¯s instruction sessions were not exactly pleasant, she had never used her divine hammer inscription and without it, she was mostly using a close combat style that Terry felt somewhat comfortable with.

    Better a one-sided pummeling than to not even get close without a chance to do anything¡­

    Matteo¡¯s barrage of sheer endless mana abilities was the worst kind of match-up as far as Terry saw it. The mana abilities were cast too quickly and without proper spell structures to disrupt preemptively.

    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t mind the surprise,¡± said Matteo, who was approaching with his hand on the hilt of the heartseeker dagger. ¡°Ma asked me to make you sweat.¡±

    Terry only responded with a pained groan.

    ¡°Glad you¡¯re back, my son.¡± Sigille jogged over. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t break your little cousin. If Little Silly finds out, I can¡¯t protect you.¡±

    Matteo raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you that told me to not go too easy on Cousin Terry?¡±

    ¡°That may be, but that does not mean I wouldn¡¯t try to deflect responsibility if Little Silly gets angry.¡± Sigille grinned cheekily. ¡°And if she were to start a fight, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do. I still see the little chipmunk clinging to my armor whenever I see her.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, enough nonsense,¡± exclaimed Sigille.

    *Plop* Sigille let herself fall to sit on the ground.

    ¡°How was the hunt?¡± asked Sigille.

    Matteo shrugged and sat down as well. ¡°So and so. Lots of vile necromancers and cursed creatures have been eradicated. From the perspective of the death hunters, very successful, but¡­¡± Matteo clicked his tongue with a dejected look in his eyes. ¡°Still no proper trace of Anand.¡±

    ¡°Meh, you can¡¯t expect any more,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Any hunt that leaves the world a better place is a good hunt.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Matteo shook his head. ¡°There had been rumors about a necromancer that summoned a ¡®tamed¡¯ elemental from a dimensional gate. I really thought this would lead somewhere, or hoped at least.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Central plains, south of the Shrieking Hollow,¡± replied Matteo, who then shook his head. ¡°But when we searched the location in question, all we found were the remnants of a deathcult that had been destroyed by an unknown party shortly before arrival.¡±

    Terry groaned again while trying to sit up.

    ¡°Need some healing?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°Look at you coddling your little cousin.¡± Sigille snickered and then looked at Terry. ¡°Matteo¡¯s lightning has disturbed your mana flow. You should be able to handle that without external help. Start guiding your mana more consciously near the joints and circle it more slowly around your lungs.¡±

    Terry nodded and did as instructed before he turned to Matteo. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Is Cadence ready for departure?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already talked to her, which reminds me.¡± Sigille turned to Terry. ¡°I have decided that you¡¯ll accompany us as well.¡±

    Terry sat up straight at this announcement.

    ¡°Most of the people I trust have already left the outpost and will be out for the next seasons,¡± explained Sigille.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving you here alone with just Whaka Dhruv,¡± Sigille sighed. ¡°I trust Dhruv would fight tooth and nail to defend you if it comes down to it, but he is not one for retaliation or holding grudges.¡±

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°Unfortunately, this means that some pest beetle might try something when Dhruv isn¡¯t looking. I would rather keep you close to watch over you myself.¡±

    Matteo snorted amusedly. ¡°And?¡±

    Sigille glanced at Matteo and then back at Terry with a grin. ¡°And Dhruv¡¯s style doesn¡¯t really match yours. This way, I can keep an eye on your training progress as well.¡±

    Good luck, Whaka Terry. Terry smiled warily.

    ¡°Wait, what about the mission quotas?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°You are already ahead for at least a season, given the number of missions you took the past few weeks and the number of courses you had signed up for,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll technically be part of some missions. Not all, mind you.¡±

    ¡°We usually pick a few travelling missions that we can do while on our way to the primary mission locations,¡± elaborated Matteo.

    Sigille nodded. ¡°We can pick a few that will work as instruction missions. You¡¯ll get the ring again and then have a chance to participate under supervision. For those that are not suitable, I will either have one of us stay back to spar with you or there will be another trusted person to keep you company.¡±

    ¡°¡®One of us¡¯?¡± asked Matteo. ¡°Does Cadence already know about that idea?¡±

    ¡°No, but I figure she will be a good spar for Terry as well,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Experience to face a more advanced channeler and all.¡±

    ¡°Aside from that,¡± started Sigille with a shrug. ¡°I hope Cadence will see it as a chance to integrate into our group. You or I will stay back sometimes as well, so the other will work with Cadence alone. Hopefully, that will make her feel less like a third wheel.¡±

    Sigille frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. She is still a cultist and way too infatuated with the witch, but I figure we need to find some way to work together. After Cadence¡¯s support in Syn, I believe she at least deserves this much of a chance.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°No complaints from me.¡±

    ¡°Any pressure from the Guild regarding the first proper mission?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°Probably the same as for you,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Bunch of new dungeons in the east. They still give the highest priority to dungeon pioneering pressure-wise, but since the pay from the Guardians as the client does not really match, a lot of the pioneering missions have queued up again.¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°Yeah, I wonder if they are waiting for someone or something.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Seriously, I wonder what the Wastes they would do if I were ever to really retire or if you stopped taking these missions for this pay.¡±

    Sigille grumbled: ¡°Everyone wants the resources from a new dungeon, but no one wants to actually take the risk for the initial dive or be willing to pay so that others might.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve had a look at what other missions with less than favorable conditions have queued up at the Guild,¡± said Matteo.

    Sigille raised her brows. ¡°What¡¯s the trend?¡±

    ¡°Worse than last year again,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°More missions from clients that cannot pay much. The remaining Guildheads also seem to become more and more demanding. The average reward for the piled up missions is higher than last year, while the risk and required time investment seems roughly the same to me.¡±

    ¡°To be expected after so many Guildheads have left the empire.¡± Sigille nodded with a dark expression. ¡°I figure the increase in missions is also due to the pullback of the army.¡±

    She sighed tiredly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll get some input from Dhruv and then we can pick the missions accordingly. We can choose the route so that we reach the scoundrel¡¯s dungeon scavengers in time for Little Emily¡¯s adulthood ceremony.¡±

    Matteo chuckled.

    ¡°Which reminds me, will you really not warn the little angel?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I know it¡¯s a dungeon scavenger thing and I can¡¯t just tell her father what to do, but¡­ You know you¡¯re like an elder brother for Little Emily.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± said Matteo. ¡°And it does teach a valuable lesson.¡±

    ¡°That her father is a scoundrel?¡± guessed Sigille.

    ¡°That you need to be careful about when to let down your guard,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Part of adulthood and such.¡± Matteo shrugged. ¡°At least that is what Wallace told me when I went through it.¡±

    Sigille raised an eyebrow and stared at Matteo in silence.

    ¡°And I actually have prepared something for Emily,¡± said Matteo sheepishly. ¡°Unlike me, she won¡¯t have to deal with it for weeks.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were a big softie.¡± Sigille smiled warmly. ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll do a bit of a tour and then we¡¯ll visit Wallace¡¯s group in time for the ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Actually, there seems to be a pioneering mission not far away from the dormant dungeon that should be their current scavenging ground,¡± interjected Matteo.

    Sigille nodded. ¡°Then perhaps we can even arrive a bit early, leave Terry with Wallace for a bit and after everything is done, we can escort Emily to the outpost and I¡¯ll introduce her and Dhruv.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry only became aware of the sound when it had already escaped him.

    ¡°Hm? Anything on your mind, Terry?¡± prompted Sigille.

    ¡°Just¡­¡± Terry hesitated. ¡°The dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Sigille considered her words. ¡°The dungeon scavengers only comb through dormant dungeons. No need to worry. It is exceedingly rare for a dormant dungeon to become active again and, more importantly, it is easily detectable and generally progresses in stages.¡±

    ¡°What they are doing is more similar to mining mana crystals,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Only without the fees of mining mana crystals. Admittedly, more of a legal grey area. They search for crystals, cores, or other materials that have been left behind when the dungeon turned dormant.¡±

    Matteo rolled his eyes. ¡°Mine a mana crystal or dive into an active dungeon and you have to let Tiv take its cut. Find a mana crystal in a dormant dungeon, however, and¡­ Well, no applicable regulations. You get the idea.¡±

    ¡°Better than the other scavengers at least,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Those that roam the Wasted Zone more often than not are just bandits in disguise.¡±

    ¡°Wallace and his group took me in after they had found me in the dormant dungeon by chance,¡± said Matteo. ¡°It took a few days before Ma caught up with us and I had no desire to go back to the Guardians then. So I joined the dungeon scavengers for a few years.¡±

    ¡°Damn witch,¡± growled Sigille unhappily.

    ¡°They are not exactly combat-oriented, but you could learn a few things from them, Terry,¡± remarked Matteo.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t learn too much from Wallace though,¡± grumbled Sigille with an exaggerated look of horror.

    Matteo snickered and looked at Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Ma Sigille. I think she is just disturbed by the notion that Wallace has become like a father to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is a disturbing thought,¡± said Sigille exasperatedly. ¡°Why did you have to speak that out loud? That elf is just¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s grumblings turned barely audible. ¡°Damn cheeky for someone with the defensive ability of a twig.¡±

    Matteo smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry bit his lower lip. He had truly started to look at Sigille and Matteo as whaka. ¡°What about the dungeon pioneering? What about veil tears?¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Sigille realized it was not the dormant dungeon that Terry had been worried about, and her expression softened. ¡°Look, Terry. I¡¯ve read the works of Samuel and I think there are few that could match his knowledge about dungeons¡­ but his experience is also seen through the lens of trauma.¡±

    Sigille lowered her gaze and took a deep breath. ¡°What happened to Little Olgorn was a tragedy, but while Samuel is absolutely correct in principle, I think he has lost some perspective. I have seen my share of dungeons¡­¡±

    Sigille caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°I have seen my share of veil tears.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°I have seen seven in my life,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Two of them together with Matteo.¡±

    Terry glanced at Matteo, who only nodded at him.

    ¡°The tear that took Little Olgorn¡¯s life was an exceptional anomaly,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Of the tears I¡¯ve encountered, two were already dealt with by the dungeon before I even managed to lay eyes on the hellspawn. In the others, it felt more like an alliance with the dungeon. There was not much coordination, but the dungeon focused entirely on the hellspawn while allowing me to get in a few hits myself.¡±

    ¡°I have encountered stronger hellspawn in the Wastes and what I have seen matches some of Samuel¡¯s descriptions.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°But I have never personally experienced a tear that overpowered a dungeon to the point that the dungeon turned mad.¡±

    Sigille paused in thought. ¡°I am not saying it isn¡¯t possible. I am saying that there is a difference between possible and probable.¡± She sighed. ¡°Survivor¡¯s guilt is horrible and it can distort your perception significantly.¡± For a second, she glanced at Matteo.

    Sigille looked back into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know, I really like one of Samuel¡¯s metaphors for the dungeon: ¡®The Realm¡¯s First Line of Defense.¡¯ Olgorn gave his life defending not only his whaka, but also our entire realm.

    ¡°If the dungeon had lost that encounter and failed to seal the tear, then that would have meant another invasion point for hellspawn to come through. Another dungeon that can¡¯t recover on its own. If the dungeons are defending our realm, if they represent the first line of defense, then shouldn¡¯t we do our part?

    ¡°If that¡¯s where the fight is, then that¡¯s where I intend to be.¡± Sigille nodded to herself while speaking.

    Terry pondered Sigille¡¯s words while Sigille and Matteo continued discussing possible missions for the way.

    ***

 071 Channelers Guidance

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 30 ¨C

    ¡°Did they tell you what their mission is about?¡± asked Terry. Sigille and Matteo were gone for the day.

    ¡°Ahh right,¡± exclaimed Cadence. ¡°You¡¯re not familiar with Tiv geography. We are currently close to a forbidden zone.¡±

    Terry looked around. They were practically standing in a vast area of nothingness. No trees, no greenery, no nothing. The ground was dry earth, cracked in many places.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that term before,¡± muttered Terry before looking back at Cadence. ¡°But what does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°It means an area that is particularly dangerous,¡± explained Cadence.

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°As opposed to the ordinary danger in the Wasted Zone?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes.¡± Cadence replied without hesitation. ¡°The Wastes are mostly characterized by the abnormal mana concentration that leads to the growing number of mana corrupted and aspect beings. This, in turn, leads to a retreat of civilization over time.¡±

    ¡°Which paves the way for hellspawn and undead to multiply?¡± surmised Terry.

    ¡°Something like that.¡± Cadence shrugged. ¡°Anyway, the outer edges of the Wastes, or the Wasted Zone from our perspective, have a higher concentration of abnormal mana than the heartland.¡±

    Cadence raised her index finger. ¡°Forbidden zones are an exception. Usually, there is a story behind them. Some abnormality in a dungeon, hellspawn or demon activity, a ritual site. Something of some kind at some time went horribly wrong and left the area seeped in problematic mana.¡±

    Terry pondered the implications. ¡°So they are checking up on the state of the site?¡±

    ¡°As well as exterminating whatever needs to be exterminated in the area and making sure that no one messes around to make it worse.¡±

    ¡°Does that happen?¡± Terry found it hard to believe that people would be that stupid. ¡°People making it worse?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡± Cadence grimaced. ¡°Deathcults and demons mostly¡­ as well as the occasional necromancer. Making it worse is not always the goal but often a side effect of whatever they are trying to accomplish.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Terry frowned. ¡°Crap. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to establish some permanent watch over the known forbidden zones?¡± Terry recalled the stationed Guardians that watched over the stationary dimensional gates in Arcana.

    ¡°That¡¯s Arcana speaking again,¡± said Cadence with a hint of bitterness. ¡°Unfortunately, Tiv doesn¡¯t have the manpower for that.¡±

    More like Tiv doesn¡¯t have the mana users for that.

    Terry recalled his aunt Brynn, but kept his thoughts unspoken since he had no interest in discussing Tiv politics.

    ¡°Still, I am wondering what exactly has the Tiv army so occupied that they neglect places like this,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°You mean aside from Thanatos and the Wastes?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°Aside from Thanatos, yes.¡± Terry scowled. ¡°From what I have seen in the Wasted Zone, the Tiv army doesn¡¯t do a great job against the Wastes, either. The people in Syn City and the Chara Settlement were all complaining that they had stopped sending army patrols to secure the area.¡±

    ¡°Right, the mysterious deployment in the northeast¡­¡± Cadence shrugged helplessly. ¡°No idea. Minister Kipkoi is trying his best to get the patrols back, but for some reason, the Royal Faction is completely opposed.¡±

    The Preacher, huh?

    Terry furrowed his brow. He was not sure what to think of the minister.

    On the one hand, Terry still blamed the man for what happened in Syn City.

    Terry saw Ava¡¯s actions as absolutely despicable. It was as if she had considered the people the property of the empire. While it was not clear how much the Preacher had ordered himself, Ava¡¯s words contained the same reasoning as the Preacher¡¯s. She even relied on a similar vocabulary.

    The twisted truth that had circulated after the events had further left a sour taste in Terry¡¯s mouth. The fact that Terry had heard the Preacher himself talk about his own interpretation of truth during the matter of the blood idol convinced Terry that this felt as natural to the Preacher as breathing.

    There was also the way that the Preacher had talked about Terry¡¯s aunts, which had definitely rubbed Terry the wrong way, and as far as Terry could see, the minister¡¯s policies for mana users were disastrous for everyone.

    On the other hand, the Preacher seemed to truly care about Tiv and its people.

    The minister followed the same rules that he demanded from other mana users. The man used his power in the Assembly to reestablish patrols. From what Terry had heard, the Preacher worked hard for his district and Tiv as a whole.

    Zealot. Terry recalled the word that Sigille had used before.

    There was also the situation with the channelers ¨C or cultists, as Sigille would call them.

    Terry could understand Sigille¡¯s attitude, but all in all, he felt conflicted about the whole topic, mostly because of his interactions with channelers like Cadence or Harrison.

    Terry wholeheartedly concurred with the concerns about handing over influence to a being from another realm. Frankly, the thought of voluntarily opening his own mind seemed insane to Terry.

    Nevertheless, neither Cadence nor Harrison seemed like bad people. If the Preacher helped people like them come out into the open and use their powers to help others, then that was surely a good thing.

    Except when the risk manifests and a god-like creature comes here to subjugate this realm¡­

    Terry frowned. No fan of the Veilbinder would shrug at that prospect. It had taken a lot to pull down the last group of self-proclaimed gods, to liberate the realm from their yoke, and to open the path for magic self-determination.

    I guess that is why Olgorn never considered the channeler-path in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a healer either¡­

    It also feels weird to have a person in an influential position when that person has opened their mind to foreign influence.

    In the end, Terry could only shrug.

    Not my job to worry about these things. Let the Tiv people worry about Tiv politics. I will go back to Arcana anyway¡­

    ¡°So, up for a spar?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°Sure, give me a moment,¡± said Terry, and checked his equipment.

    ***

    Terry watched Cadence warily while trying to recall scenes of Cadence fighting.

    Too bad I was too busy in Syn City to pay much attention to Cadence¡­

    Terry shrugged and resigned himself to go by what he was sure of.

    Pure fire-aspected on her own. Channeler of the Bright Lady¡¯s mana and abilities.

    AH right, her channeling anchor¡ª No, wait. That would definitely go too far for a spar.

    ¡°Ready?¡± yelled Cadence.

    ¡°Ready!¡± replied Terry, and then dashed forward. While running, he hurled a throwing needle towards Cadence.

    Cadence¡¯s skin turned golden and with a flick of her wrist, a wall of gold was summoned in front of her.

    *Ting* The throwing needle harmlessly fell to the ground.

    Terry could see the gold reshape into a small grid in one place, which revealed the amused eyes of Cadence.

    Terry considered moving up into the sky for another angle of attack for his throwing needles, but quickly dismissed the idea.

    Cadence would simply pull the same trick again¡­

    Reminds me of my first win against Tiana. Stupid karma.

    Wait¡­

    Terry noticed mana movement and instinctively jumped to the side. A moment later, he saw golden chains rise from the ground where he had just been.

    Worse, Terry noticed a similar mana movement in his current position and path.

    Terry narrowed his eyes and relied on his boots to jump high up into the sky. There, Terry channeled mana into his inscribed glove.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Heh,¡± exclaimed Cadence with a smirk. A mass of gold was summoned and reshaped around Cadence¡¯s legs and shoulders before digging into the earth.

    ¡°Hurgh.¡± Terry had to stop his bidirectional imprint when he felt his knees strain under the force.

    Nearly as bad as the rainbow fishie in Syn¡­

    Terry frowned.

    Cadence hasn¡¯t even moved a single step.

    Terry realized that Cadence¡¯s fighting style was noticeably different from most of his usual spars.

    True, Sigille had not moved at all in the beginning either, but she had allowed Terry to get close first.

    True, Matteo had also tormented Terry with long-range attacks, but Matteo did not shy away from getting close himself.

    Harrison, on the other hand, had always moved into close combat of his own accord.

    Cadence fights more like the pure spell-flingers, ahh¡­

    Terry felt as if he had realized something important when he had to dodge a barrage of light-aspected arrows that came flying towards him.

    Terry frowned at the high concentration of mana in the mana projectiles.

    While the light-aspect was among the banes of undead and deathlife, it rarely possessed much damage potential on life-based beings. Unfortunately, an intense mana concentration can change the situation.

    Terry focused on dodging while staying in the air to avoid the golden chains from below.

    Is there no end to her mana? The lack of spell shaping as a warning is also really annoying¡­

    Terry groaned when he realized that contrary to most of his spars against pure spell flingers, his disruption discharges would be of limited use against an opponent that neither had to rely on their own mana nor on regular spellwork.

    Normally, Terry could keep up his discharges long enough to close in on a pure spell flinger. His mana sense allowed him to time his discharges efficiently, but the lack of spellwork made this more difficult.

    Most mages that Terry had faced in combat were at a disadvantage when it came to their mana pool and regeneration. Terry could allow himself to rely on discharges for a while, even though they were vastly inefficient when compared to proper spellwork.

    Cadence, however, was channeling the mana of another being, and Terry doubted he could outlast the Bright Lady.

    To make it worse, the summoned gold would stay in place even without supporting mana. In that aspect, it was like Lori¡¯s earthen walls.

    Cadence¡¯s gold will pose even more problems than earth though¡­

    Terry inwardly sighed at the prospect of having to break through walls of gold.

    I guess I have to be thankful that Harrison cannot control that much of the Bright Lady¡¯s mana. Not that this allowed me to win any of our spars¡­

    Terry tensed when he noticed a glimpse of spellwork. He identified a mana cluster resembling a Fire Spear mixed into the light arrows, and made sure to evade it.

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Terry in surprise. While Terry had avoided the Fire Spear with some room to spare, he felt his mana acting weird.

    ¡°Crap,¡± grumbled Terry.

    She infused the holy aspect that disturbs the flow of mana into her Fire Spear and with an impressive intensity at that.

    Terry groaned and circulated his mana consciously to overcome the mana disturbing effect.

    This will be a pain¡­

    ***

    ¡°I have a question,¡± said Terry, who was stretching after their spar.

    ¡°Shoot,¡± said Cadence.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t move much,¡± said Terry. ¡°Or at all.¡±

    ¡°I think you are supposed to make me,¡± teased Cadence playfully. ¡°And that was not really a question.¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Terry chuckled. ¡°Back in Syn City, I also encountered some channelers that were¡­ how to say¡­¡± Terry smacked his lips. ¡°Less enduring than I expected? Quickly becoming out of breath? Not that you were pressured enough, but...¡±

    ¡°I am concentrating on mana abilities and some spellwork,¡± confirmed Cadence. ¡°Most faithful do actually. Except for late converters.¡±

    ¡°That matches my limited experience,¡± said Terry. ¡°Not many were proper mana cultivators. But why?¡±

    ¡°Did you always want to be a mana cultivator?¡± retorted Cadence.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry blinked. ¡°Not at all, no.¡±

    ¡°Same goes for many others,¡± said Cadence. ¡°Spellwork and, to a lesser extent, mana abilities are more versatile than mana cultivation and many think mana cultivation training even more tiresome than mana foundational training.¡±

    Terry recalled his own younger self and shuddered inwardly.

    ¡°Okay, I get that, but¡­¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°I mean, if I had access to free mana and more or less an infinite supply¡­¡±

    ¡°Not quite, but go on,¡± Cadence chortled amusedly.

    ¡°I would want to get as much use out of it as possible,¡± said Terry. ¡°At least circulate the mana properly so that it helps strengthen your body beyond the passive effects. Maybe you don¡¯t need burst techniques, but surely, increased physical performance, improved senses, recovery from injuries, more stamina, and so forth are worth it?¡±

    Cadence nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, you are missing a few things. First, channeled mana is still separate, and you cannot use it as freely as your own. I can borrow the mana of the Bright Lady, but I could not use it for the purpose you have described.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°How so?¡±

    Cadence shrugged. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t work like that. I can infuse the holy aspect into my fire-aspected spellwork, but I can¡¯t use the Bright Lady¡¯s mana without immediate purpose.¡±

    ¡°Circulating it in my body is not possible.¡± Cadence glanced at the sky. ¡°Honestly, I would say it is for our own protection. The Bright Lady¡¯s mana has to stay separate because otherwise, her circle would have to worry about mana corruption. The same applies to other faiths.¡±

    Terry made a dubious expression. ¡°Doesn¡¯t spellwork or infusion carry the same risks?¡±

    ¡°Not to the same degree, no.¡± Cadence pondered on how to explain it. ¡°The Bright Lady allows me to harvest, shape, prime, and ignite her mana. It does not have to be absorbed by my body for that. I can move her mana or mix it with my own mana outside my body.¡±

    Ignite¡­ Terry recalled one of the Veilbinder¡¯s favorite spells that he had famously relied on when facing magical creatures or curse mages.

    The spell ¨C Mana Conquest ¨C allowed the Veilbinder to ignite the mana of an opponent by infusing the opponent¡¯s mana with his own. Without a proper spell structure to limit the effect, the opponent¡¯s mana would then become unusable or even rampage and inflict damage.

    That spell had always fascinated Terry. Unfortunately, it required multiple aspects and an extremely complicated spell structure, with countless moving parts and additional adjustments depending on the opponent¡¯s mana signature.

    It appears that it¡¯s possible for the Bright Lady to allow someone else to ignite her mana. That would be a second example of a mana user igniting mana without naturalizing all of it before¡­

    Terry was raised from his contemplation when Cadence continued her explanation.

    ¡°There are limits regarding spellwork as well,¡± said Cadence. ¡°Not all aspects and spell structures are compatible with infusion.¡±

    Cadence bit her lip slightly. ¡°It is also much more difficult than simply channeling a complete ability ¨C mana and application. Even that carries risks, though. The channeled mana has to move through your body. That strains your mana channels even if you use your own mana to guide it. The mana pool may be unlimited, but that does not mean you can make unlimited use of it.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh¡­¡± Terry nodded pensively.

    ¡°It also depends on the being whom you have linked yourself to,¡± continued Cadence. ¡°Some abilities will only become usable after your relationship has deepened. Others may require certain conditions. Some gods are said to be quite whimsical in how they are sharing their abilities.¡±

    ¡°¡®Whimsical¡¯?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait, does that mean that not all channelers get access to the same abilities? Even if they channel the same being? Even if they were equally capable of handling it?¡±

    ¡°Not every being is worthy of worship,¡± said Cadence with a wry smile. ¡°The gods¡¯ gifts are up to their discretion. Some will rely on less satisfying criteria than others.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Terry flinched somewhat at the term that rose in his mind. ¡°Stupid? I mean, how are the channelers supposed to share their experience? How can they learn and grow together?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you ask the same of spellwork?¡± challenged Cadence. ¡°Different aspects like different abilities?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Terry crossed his arms and tilted his head. ¡°Not really?¡± He thought back to what he knew of Samuel¡¯s research on spell structures for fire-aspected healing spells. ¡°If one mage discovers a new spell structure, then everyone with access to the used aspects can benefit from that knowledge.¡± He bit his lip. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s not everyone, but a lot anyway.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, but that¡¯s an argument on numbers, not principle,¡± stressed Cadence.

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°But even for those that do not share the aspect, the spell structure can inform further research with other aspects. My uncle is researching new spell structures and, according to him, it¡¯s a big help if there are structures with similar effects to draw inspiration from ¨C even if the aspects are different.¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, it depends on the god,¡± said Cadence. ¡°The Bright Lady is not known to make whimsical distinctions. I can¡¯t speak for other faiths except that I believe people have a right to make their own choice.¡±

    ¡°Which brings me to one more thing.¡± Cadence took a deep breath. ¡°This is more of a cultural aspect.¡±

    ¡°Some among the faithful take offense when being called channelers, because to them, it carries the insinuation that the channeled powers are the reason for their faith.¡± Cadence rubbed her palm while talking. ¡°Channeling an ability is one thing, but siphoning mana to strengthen yourself would be a completely different topic. Even if it was possible, not everyone among the faithful would approve.¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t a self-identified god be happy if their followers grow stronger? Shouldn¡¯t the followers know that? Why share your mana if you are that picky about how it¡¯s used? Unless¡­

    Terry left his contemplations unspoken since they were becoming more and more unflattering towards the self-proclaimed gods and their worshippers. He did not see a reason to pick that fight with Cadence.

    ***

    In the evening, Terry was sitting on a bear¡¯s fur next to his tent.

    In front of Terry were his notebook and pen, his mana crafting tools, and one book that his aunt Brynn had sent him.

    He was surrounded by transfixed throwing needles, for which he had finished a layered mana shielding: an outer layer of quasi-periodic tiling that Terry considered barely adequate and an inner layer of periodic tiling to fill the gaps where Terry had miscalculated.

    Terry looked between his notebook, his tools, and the mana-crafting instructions. Simultaneously, he guided his mana to try to see if he could pick the shielding of the transfixed needles without relying on his hands.

    Terry frowned and fiddled around with the tool for stamping three-dimensional shapes for a crystal-based shielding.

    Wasted Tiv Empire that is devoid of proper mana crafting instructors that are allowed to teach¡­

    ¡°Haaah.¡± Terry exhaled a long sigh and read over the instructions again. ¡°I¡¯m really missing the personal instruction where I could follow the actions and mana movement. This book is¡ª What the Wastes is a ¡®pinch¡¯ of mana supposed to be? Can¡¯t they at least compare that to the normalized values from mana throughput measurements?¡±

    He could hear Sigille snicker amusedly not far away, and he remembered he was not alone at the camp.

    Weirdo.

    Terry sighed in frustration. He mumbled: ¡°I guess I should be happy that I even have the books.¡±

    Even possession of these books is apparently already illegal or something. Stupid Tiv Empire. How has it not collapsed yet? One would think they need as many mana crafters as possible to defend against the Wastes, but noooo~

    Terry paused himself. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m getting derailed here. Focus.¡±

    Still¡­ Nope. No whining. Look at what Poppy managed even without good books or basic instruction.

    Terry read over the instructions in the book again.

    Good book.

    Adequate book.

    Wasted book.

    Terry scowled and clicked his tongue.

    No whining. If Poppy can come up with her own runic system and inscribe items that saved your sorry butt from Phantoms, then you can deal with a simple tool for crystal-based mana shielding.

    Terry retrieved another notebook and made a new entry: ¡®Send some gifts to Poppy, Elvis, and the others in the Chara Settlement.¡¯

    He returned the notebook to his dimensional bag and then returned his focus to his mana crafting.

    ***

 072 Burst Techniques or Bust

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 82 ¨C

    Terry had been traveling with Sigille¡¯s group for nearly a season. Most of the time, he would stay back with one person and then train. Occasionally, he could join a mission while the others held themselves back.

    ¡°So? I hope you have both behaved yourselves.¡± Sigille walked up to Matteo. She and Cadence had returned from their mission.

    ¡°They seem to have left a few blemishes on the environment,¡± remarked Cadence drily. Her eyes wandered over the location they had picked as their camp on the previous day. The grass was burned. The trees were broken. The earth had been reshaped completely.

    Matteo cleared his throat. ¡°I take the blame for that.¡±

    ¡°Not like you could hide that.¡± Sigille chuckled. ¡°The damage does not match Little Terry¡¯s skill set. Although, I suppose you could have tried to blame some random elementals passing by.¡±

    Matteo glanced over the area. ¡°Of different factions? Not sure that story would hold up to scrutiny.¡±

    ¡°Therefore ¡®tried¡¯,¡± said Sigille. ¡°So what¡¯s your cousin up to?¡±

    ¡°Engrossed in his evening routine,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°He is continuing with his mana crafting exercises while scribbling furiously.¡±

    Cadence looked over and searched for Terry¡¯s figure in the evening sunlight.

    ¡°Is he still rambling the whole time?¡± asked Sigille with an amused grin.

    ¡°He has progressed to cursing.¡± Matteo chuckled. ¡°Something about the best ideas not working without an enchantment to enlarge space.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Sigille. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to what he will do once he is back in Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Is he stuck then?¡± asked Cadence.

    Sigille snorted. ¡°I doubt it. When we do our all-out spars, there is definite progress in the shielding of the items he throws at me. It gets harder and harder to overpower the shields to disrupt the imprints.¡±

    ¡°From what he told me, he has also succeeded with the directional lines,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He is now mostly experimenting with chaining imprints.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like reasons to cheer,¡± said Cadence with furrowed brows. ¡°Not to curse.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Let the kid be. I remember how annoying it was for others to keep telling me how proud I should be of my little successes during my early days of cultivation. Even if they had a point, it always tasted bitter. I think it¡¯s fine as long as he does not put himself down, as long as he takes the way forward as a motivation instead.¡±

    ¡°I believe he is also missing the outpost,¡± said Matteo and grinned.

    ¡°You mean the smith, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°Yup,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Apparently, Terry had placed a lot of orders for prototypes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me any details,¡± insisted Sigille. ¡°I would rather keep the suspense until our first all-out spar after we have returned to Libra City.¡±

    ¡°Crafting aside, how was your spar with him?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°He¡¯s making progress,¡± said Matteo. ¡°His instincts are getting sharper. His reflexes are getting better. His overall evasive ability has vastly improved.¡±

    ¡°But?¡± prompted Sigille.

    ¡°But as soon as the battle becomes heated, the burst techniques are getting neglected, and he is back to relying on his high mana regeneration to get by,¡± said Matteo with a serious tone.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not that long since he started learning them, right?¡± remarked Cadence.

    ¡°Beside the point,¡± said Sigille. ¡°With Terry, it¡¯s not that he failed to grasp them and more that he forgets to use them. His problem is that he typically isn¡¯t forced to use them. In most situations, he can get by with his mana foundation. I had hoped that his continued spars with Derek would sort that out.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, it mostly happens when things become more intense,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Sigille became pensive. She eyed Matteo. ¡°Can you increase the pressure to force him? Keep it up until he is forced to fight properly?¡±

    ¡°I can try, but honestly¡­¡± Matteo frowned.

    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Your strength is mana throughput, not endurance.¡±

    ¡°At least not without risking something that I¡¯m not willing to risk for a spar,¡± said Matteo with a hint of bitterness.

    ¡°Mhmh, we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± said Sigille. ¡°What about our side lesson? Has he picked up on it yet?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± said Matteo. ¡°And I keep pelting him with rock projectiles. I believe he is too focused on his detection field, or whatever he calls it. It may be that he has simply stopped thinking about the projectiles since he found a solution. Or perhaps it¡¯s just that he is so used to using his gloves to move around that he has not considered using them for other purposes.¡±

    ¡°Not completely,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°He told me about using the gloves to change the trajectories of items when they took care of the demon fortress. So he is at least somewhat aware. Oh well, we¡¯ll give him a few more days and if he does not figure out that he can use the gloves for a similar means of attack to your rock projectiles, we¡¯ll tip him off.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell him from the beginning?¡± asked Cadence curiously.

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve found that some lessons are remembered better when the student is part of the discovery process instead of just memorizing the pointers you gave them. It may also cause them to look at other things in a different way and to draw unexpected connections. Good ideas may lurk behind the unexpected.¡±

    ***

    ¡°How does it look?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°Your guess was right,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°The colony is still there. And it has grown since we last saw it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you can make a mission perpetual if you want, but if no one is there to accept it, it won¡¯t do you any good.¡± Sigille¡¯s tone became grumbling near the end. ¡°Anyway, while that¡¯s bad news for the region as a whole, it¡¯s good news for us.¡±

    Uh-oh.

    Terry noticed a familiar glint in Sigille¡¯s eyes and felt a bad premonition. His spine tingled when Sigille¡¯s gaze moved onto him.

    ¡°This will be your mission,¡± said Sigille with a wide grin on her face.

    ¡°Just Terry?¡± asked Cadence with a raised eyebrow. ¡°That seems¡­¡±

    ¡°What exactly are we talking about?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Just a little ant infestation.¡± Sigille snickered. ¡°It should prove to be educational.¡± She walked ahead.

    The others followed.

    ¡°Does Sigille teach all her students like that?¡± Cadence asked Matteo. ¡°Trial by fire?¡±

    ¡°Only her personal disciples,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°By now, everyone should know what they are to expect.¡±

    ¡°So you had similar instruction missions when you were young?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Matteo let his voice trail off.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± objected Sigille. ¡°Normal disciples have to be pushed into the fire occasionally. With Matteo, however, I was mostly busy pulling him out of the fires he jumped into of his own accord. Too far in the other direction. Most troublesome student I ever had.¡±

    Matteo puffed his cheeks and averted his eyes. He smiled but did not try to defend himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m still feeling like I have missed a briefing,¡± interjected Terry.

    Matteo chuckled. ¡°You might want to save your breath. This will be a long day for you.¡±

    Uhm¡­

    Terry moved his eyes from one person to the other, hoping for some more intel.

    ¡°Are you familiar with manaleech fireants?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°No?¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°You will be.¡± Sigille snickered.

    I¡¯m really missing Siling right now¡­ Terry felt wistful towards the walking encyclopedia on mana corrupted.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Okay, so I figure that¡¯s a mana corrupted ant?¡± Terry wondered out loud. ¡°Fire-aspected? What¡¯s the ¡®manaleech¡¯ part?¡±

    ¡°Not fire-aspected, no,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°You would realize as much once you see them. They¡¯re mixed aspect corruptions of fire ants. Their acid stings and may carry an additional effect.¡±

    ¡°And the ¡®manaleech¡¯ part?¡± Terry asked again.

    ¡°What does it sound like?¡± Sigille grinned mischievously.

    Like a pain!

    Terry shrugged and resigned himself.

    ***

    A lone mana signature appeared against the backdrop of the large anthill and its bustling activity.

    That must be one of the scouts.

    Terry approached the manaleech fireant from the air to get a better look. His aunt had not given him much intel about the mana corrupted insect.

    The ant was about the size of a large dog. Its carapace had a blue shine to it. Six skinny limbs. A pair of sharp mandibles. At its backside, there was a stinger that sprayed or injected acid.

    ¡°The legs look weak,¡± murmured Terry.

    But unless these things are as stupid as the wiremoss tarantula, I would have to crouch down in order to reach them with a short spear. Or switch to the glaive¡­

    ¡°I could stay in the air and attract them one by one.¡±

    Remember how that worked out in the dungeon? I bet there are more ants here than there were ghouls back then. I doubt Aunt Sigille wants to stay here for several weeks.

    ¡°Boulder?¡± Terry chuckled at the idea before dismissing it. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s what Instructor Sigille had in mind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°Once that thing is dead, its pheromones will attract more of them. This is the best chance to probe¡­¡±

    Test the carapace. Test the mandibles. Experience its strength. Experience the leech effect.

    Terry deactivated his boots and allowed himself to fall in front of the manaleech ant.

    The mana corrupted clicked its mandibles angrily.

    Terry kept his eyes close on the creature to not be blindsided by its stinger. As soon as the creature turned around, he intended to distance himself.

    Terry retrieved one of his scrap spears and thrusted it with deliberate slowness.

    The ant snapped its mandibles around the spear and pulled while Terry carefully observed the damage on the long spear.

    Damn. Tough and sharp.

    Terry frowned at the scratches and nicks on the metal. ¡°Good thing that my barrier spears are of higher quality. Even the glaive should hold up.¡±

    Still, if that¡¯s a scout, then I need to be careful with the soldiers.

    ¡°Strength isn¡¯t that worrisome,¡± murmured Terry while wrestling the spear back from the mana-corrupted ant.

    Wait until there are dozens of them.

    ¡°Stay sharp,¡± murmured Terry. He returned the scrap spear to his storage bracelet and summoned his barrier spears.

    The fire ant whirled around and sprayed acid from its stinger.

    Terry jumped back while channeling mana into one of his spears. Terry could see the acid falling onto the ground and sizzling on the grass.

    Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not that strong. Should not get past the cloud badger leather. But probably not a good idea to inhale that.¡±

    Some of the acid had also fallen on his barrier. To Terry¡¯s surprise, the barrier showed more significant damage than the ground.

    The acid disturbs the mana flow.

    ¡°So that¡¯s its mana ability,¡± murmured Terry. ¡°Still don¡¯t get the leech part¡­¡±

    Annoying though. If they damage the barriers too much, I will need to recreate them from scratch all the time, which will cost more mana¡­

    While Terry was already grumbling in his mind, he noticed mana movement as the ant turned around again.

    A small vortex appeared between the ant¡¯s mandibles. Right after its appearance, Terry could feel some of his mana being siphoned off. It was similar to Derek¡¯s Drain Mana spell.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned in annoyance. He quickly moved to test the ability¡¯s reach. While it seemed to have a smaller reach than Derek¡¯s spell, Terry noticed that the siphoned mana was not linear to the distance. It seemed to grow exponentially the closer he got.

    ¡°Once there are more of them, it will be difficult to avoid that ability,¡± murmured Terry. ¡°Staying in the air would be the only option.¡±

    Not an option unless you want to spend weeks here, remember? You have no idea how many eggs these things lay or how long it takes for them to grow. If you fight like that, then they may come out ahead every day...

    Terry recalled something that Derek had once said about his spar with Harrison.

    ¡®Like sucking rubbery goo through a tiny straw.¡¯ The Bright Lady can obstruct mana draining, which proves that it is possible¡­

    Try to reclaim my mana before it reaches them? Is this what this instruction mission is about?

    Terry furrowed his brow and then shook his head. ¡°No point in guessing. I¡¯ll just try. Focus. Carapace.¡±

    Terry probed the manaleech fireant some more to get an idea of its reaction speed and field of vision.

    Eventually, Terry struck his barrier spear with enough force to pierce the carapace and kill the mana-corrupted ant.

    ***

    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± asked Cadence anxiously. ¡°You can still reconsider and call Matteo back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how Terry has managed it, but my estimation has been off,¡± said Sigille grumpily. ¡°That calls for drastic measures or this whole exercise would become pointless.¡±

    ¡°You mean that even you have underestimated his mana regeneration?¡± asked Cadence in shock.

    ¡°While that¡¯s possible, that would indeed be surprising,¡± said Sigille with a furrowed brow. ¡°I did not get the impression that Terry was holding anything back in our spars. Otherwise, I would have smacked him over the head a few more times.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Anyway, no matter how he is keeping his mana pool that full for so long, it needs to stop. That means throwing some more leeches at him. So far, the colony is treating him as nothing more than a slightly dangerous nuisance.¡±

    *Crackle*

    Cadence and Sigille observed a lightning bolt flung from the sky into the anthill.

    ¡°Now, they will treat him as a real threat,¡± Sigille spoke solemnly while furious ants were pouring out of the anthill. ¡°Once their collective leeching overcomes Terry¡¯s mana regeneration, he will have to make sure that he uses the mana before they can leech it. If he wants to finish this, then he must use his mana efficiently. Burst techniques or bust.¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope he learns the lesson quickly,¡± said Cadence with a wry expression.

    ¡°The kid can¡¯t keep losing his grip under pressure or it will bite him when he can least afford it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°If he can¡¯t internalize that with normal spars, we need to drill it into him like this. Better he learns this under our watch than when no one has his back.¡±

    ¡°Come,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Matteo should reshape the earth to control the ant flow somewhat, but at this level, I would prefer to be closer in case we need to intervene.¡±

    Sigille stopped in her tracks for a moment. ¡°Wastes, the little critters are really livid, aren¡¯t they? Good that we have a capable healer with us.¡± She slapped Cadence on the back and moved ahead.

    Cadence froze for a moment and then shrugged. ¡°Not how I imagined using my abilities, but I take whatever praise I can get.¡± She followed with a smile on her face.

    ***

    Late in the evening, Terry sat on the ground in shabby looking armor. While the cloud badger leather had proven its worth several times over, the armor¡¯s appearance had changed considerably since he was sent on his ant extermination.

    Most of the fur had been bitten off by mandibles or acid. If it wasn¡¯t for a few isolated patches of fur remaining, no one would be able to tell that it had started out as fur armor.

    Terry put his newly created wand down on the ground.

    Okay¡­ What now? The directional lines are working, but I¡¯ve pretty much created enough wands for everyone back in Arcana and then some.

    Terry stared at the wand and scrunched up his face.

    I guess I could try and incorporate that into my own equipment?

    Terry frowned slightly.

    The reach is better than with a pure spell¡­

    Terry¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Stopgap. Nothing more.¡±

    Even a stopgap has a point, no?

    ¡°The reach may be better, but the aiming is worse,¡± complained Terry. ¡°Takes too much brain-space. Takes too long. And there is the risk of missing the target. If I want the liberty to reposition the imprint, I have to stay within my reach.¡±

    But the reach for moving an imprint differs from the reach for the spellwork stages. The Gravitational Attraction imprint was fine. This would be fine, too.

    ¡°Still feels off,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°Does every mage feel like that when using a wand for a spell they can cast themselves? As if they are suddenly walking through sticky mud? Impaired? Fettered?¡±

    A single spell gives me nothing to compare to.

    I seem to recall that mages often carry wands to supplement their spellwork. Did that also refer to spells they can cast themselves?

    Maybe I can ask Cadence later how it feels for her¡­ Assuming that she has tested that before¡­ Has she?

    Terry grumbled quietly. ¡°Empowering and quickening is less flexible as well. I can feed more mana, but I¡¯m limited by the pulse generator as well as by the main imprint.¡±

    Would still be a waste to not make use of what I can do.

    ¡°I would prefer using that for other equipment,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°Not for wands.¡±

    Yeah, but I won¡¯t be able to acquire the services of a capable enchanter in Tiv. As for the next few weeks, I¡¯ll be on the move, so I won¡¯t even have a smith to help me out.

    Terry shrugged with. ¡°I can continue working on my shielding until then.¡± He looked to his left. He pulled the mana container that was lying two arm lengths away from him.

    Full.

    Terry exchanged the container with an empty one. He rolled the mana container a bit further than the last one and then started siphoning his excess mana into it.

    Terry thought about his recent progress in mana shielding. While he was not completely happy with the resilience against disruption, it was at least sufficient to create multiple imprints in the same object and shield them against each other.

    That new ability already bore some fruit: Terry could use multiple imprints to control the direction from which his anchored throwing needles can be triggered. He only needed to position the imprints on the bladed part relative to the imprint on the shell.

    Although, for now, his choices were limited to the front and back.

    Terry was uncertain if he should press the idea further. The fact that he had to pick the direction when throwing instead of reacting to what happened made it seem like yet another stopgap. A longer mana reach for his spellwork would make the idea obsolete, eventually.

    I certainly hope so¡­ Stopgap.

    Hm¡­

    Terry tapped his fingers on his knees in thought.

    ¡°Or maybe I could get someone to spar with me in the evening as well¡­¡± Terry thought about his first spar with Cadence. It had differed from his spars with Harrison.

    On the one hand, Cadence could channel more mana than Harrison. On the other hand, Harrison himself was unaspected, which allowed him access to more versatile spellwork than Cadence, who was purely fire aspected.

    Their styles were different, too. Harrison¡¯s style was very offensive ¨C lightning, weapons shaped from gold and going by Derek¡¯s stories, wind and gold shrapnels. Harrison sometimes used his summoned gold to restrain an opponent, but usually as part of an offensive.

    Cadence, by contrast, nearly always started with a restraining ability cast from a distance. Mostly summoning golden chains with her channeled mana.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry recalled an item he had collected in the bandit hideout after meeting Devon.

    Terry retrieved a long metal chain and let his eyes wander over it. ¡°Or that.¡±

    At least I would not run out of work anytime soon.

    ¡°Chaining the imprints so that each link in the chain gets transfixed after the other might be interesting.¡±

    Having finally decided on a goal, Terry proceeded silently.

    ***

 073 Meet the Dungeon Scavengers

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 24 ¨C

    ¡°So we will visit these dungeon scavengers and then leave Terry with them?¡± asked Cadence.

    Terry perked up his ears.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay a few days before we head out to the newly discovered dungeon,¡± said Sigille. ¡°It¡¯s not that far away. Depending on the dungeon, the whole trip should take three to four weeks at most. We¡¯ll be in time for Little Emily¡¯s adulthood ceremony.¡±

    ¡°What will I do there?¡± asked Terry.

    Matteo glanced at Terry. ¡°Dungeon scavenging probably. Wallace does not let a good pair of hands go to waste. Once he learns that you are family, you¡¯ll most likely get a few lessons as well.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean that this time, all three of us will do this together?¡± asked Cadence. She could not hide a small hint of anticipation in her voice.

    The past few weeks had made Cadence feel much better about her choice to join the group of the Divine Hammer. Still, while their inclusion of Cadence and her missions with either Matteo or Sigille had made Cadence feel like less of an outsider, she was still feeling as if she had disturbed Sigille¡¯s group. She was looking forward to a mission with all three of them working together.

    Sigille nodded.

    ¡°Best if the whole group goes together,¡± said Matteo.

    A smile tugged at Cadence¡¯s lips because of the way Matteo had phrased that.

    ¡°The preliminary measurements have been inconclusive,¡± continued Matteo. ¡°Conflicting estimates from the mana concentration and mana suppression readings.¡±

    ¡°Rarely a good sign,¡± said Sigille and shrugged.

    Terry frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten in your undies?¡± asked Sigille with a look at Terry. ¡°Relax. There is a vast gulf between ¡®not good¡¯ and enough trouble to knock us off-balance. I am supposed to worry about you, not the other way around, Little Terry.¡±

    Matteo chuckled.

    ¡°One good thing about dungeon dives is that the tunnels impose an upper limit on creature¡¯s sizes.¡± Sigille grinned. ¡°Easy on my poor back.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes and could not help but smile. If Sigille had a poor back, she certainly had never shown it as far as Terry could tell.

    ***

    ¡°Hold,¡± said Sigille warily. She stared at the forest patch in front of them.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Cadence blurted out. ¡°Why?¡±

    Sigille looked at Matteo with an annoyed expression. ¡°Do you think the scoundrel is still up to his old pranks?¡±

    Matteo snorted. ¡°Probably. He does not react well to taunts and, well, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°I swear one of these days, I¡¯ll lose my temper.¡±

    ¡°I believe that would be counted as your loss, too.¡± Matteo chuckled.

    ¡°Can anyone cue me in?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°I believe the scoundrel should be Wallace,¡± said Terry. ¡°Not sure about the rest that was said.¡±

    ¡°Just be careful where you are stepping,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Or who might lurk in the bushes.¡±

    ¡°Ma Sigille and Wallace have a kind of competition going on,¡± said Matteo with a restrained grin.

    ¡°Competition my wrinkly bum,¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°Harassment, plain and simple.¡±

    A rabbit hopped through a clearing in front of them and Terry could not suppress a snicker when he saw Sigille giving the rabbit the stink-eye.

    ¡°What kind of ¡®competition¡¯?¡± asked Cadence while warily scanning the forest floor.

    ¡°On what runs out first,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°He out of pranks or I out of patience.¡±

    Matteo laughed heartily. ¡°They got into an argument about mana use.¡±

    ¡°I just pointed out once that if he truly wanted to keep Little Emily safe around here, then he should get a bit stronger himself,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Even if he wants to avoid all the restrictions that come with mana use.¡± Sigille raised her hands in exasperation. ¡°No one asked him to learn spellwork, but a bit of mana cultivation, or at least proper foundational training...¡± She ended her rant with a grunt.

    ¡°Wait, is Wallace manaless?¡± asked Terry with wide eyes.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± replied Matteo amusedly. ¡°More of a specialist.¡±

    ¡°Specializes in annoying innocent old dwarfs,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Most in his group do not want to be tied down by the official restrictions that would be imposed on mana users, which is not to say that they are manaless,¡± said Matteo. ¡°It¡¯s more that they stick within the limits of what might pass as natural mana accumulation to stay beneath the censors¡¯ notice.¡±

    ¡°...so they just let their mana pool stay small-ish?¡± Terry wondered out loud.

    ¡°Kind of,¡± said Matteo. ¡°That and preventing their mana from leaking outside. Similar to one of the mana cloaking techniques.¡±

    Terry nodded. From what he remembered of Brynn¡¯s introduction, mana crafting had three common approaches to cloak an item.

    First, you could utilize paired aspects and use, for example, light-aspected mana to offset the signature of darkness-aspected mana.

    Second, you could use runes that bend mana for a similar effect.

    Last, you could do what Matteo had hinted at. You could prevent mana from leaking outside. Although with crafting, this either meant mana-osmotic material, enchantments, runes, or other specific techniques.

    ¡°So they just control their mana to prevent it from flowing outside?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Isn¡¯t that pretty advanced for someone pretending to not be a mana user?¡±

    ¡°Not to mention that there are plenty of other things that should be learned first,¡± interjected Sigille with a scowl. ¡°Things that actually keep you alive as opposed to merely hidden from the imperial sniffing pets.¡±

    ¡°Cloaking would be useful anyway, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± asked Cadence.

    ¡°Yes, which is why it should be learned.¡± Sigille raised her hands in front of her face and made a gesture as if she was placing a box to one side. ¡°Eventually.¡±

    ¡°Putting it first, though, incurs more than just one problem.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°If you haven¡¯t learned how to properly move the mana through your body before, then flipping the order will make it much harder. Simply preventing mana from leaking outside differs from doing that, while also consuming mana to move and fight yourself.¡±

    ¡°One reason why they all have to rely on ranged weapons,¡± commented Matteo while nodding.

    ¡°I get not wanting to be bound by the stupid magic restrictions.¡± Sigille threw her hands up in the air again. ¡°But have some sense. It¡¯s not always possible to hide from trouble. A mana corrupted does not avoid you just because you have a weak mana signature. That makes you seem like that much more of an easy snack.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± started Matteo. ¡°Since then, Wallace and the others have made it a tradition to prepare a low-mana greeting for Ma Sigille.¡±

    ¡°A lesser dwarf might have already collected a few of their teeth,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°So, this mana cloaking¡­¡± Terry let his voice trail off while stealing glances at Sigille.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± said Sigille. Her tone was calm again. ¡°After the burst techniques feel like second nature. Putting cloaking before burst techniques is not as bad as putting it before regular internal mana control, but it¡¯s still¡­ not good.¡±

    Terry nodded and filed the topic for later. He was disappointed, but he trusted his aunt.

    ¡°If I might suggest a few things,¡± started Matteo. ¡°Spars against the dungeon scavengers could be a useful experience, since their group coordination is excellent. As for specific skills¡­ You could learn the basics of picking mana locks.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I should say something here,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°Corrupting your little cousin, and so forth.¡±

    Matteo snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t think Terry will go picking pockets with that knowledge. I also remember you admitting a few times that it is a useful skill to have.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Sigille lightly slapped her own armored belly a few times. ¡°But if Whaka Terry ever gets picked up by the guards, then you¡¯ll have to pay his bail.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Cadence giggled.

    ¡°Aside from that, Wallace¡¯s group consists mostly of aspect archers,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Wallace can probably show you a few tricks on aspecting.¡±

    There are tricks?

    Terry was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Particularly on how to do it quickly,¡± continued Matteo. ¡°They generally don¡¯t keep many aspected arrowheads around as that would raise questions if a censor ever strolls by. Instead, they mostly aspect their arrowheads during battle with whatever element is required.¡±

    Sigille shook her head exasperatingly. ¡°Enough ability to create a mana refractor and that is how they choose to use it.¡±

    Terry became pensive. His introduction to aspecting had been very brief, and he had thought that this was all there was on the topic. He did not believe that Brynn was intentionally keeping details hidden.

    Makes sense, I guess. In Arcana, barely anyone pursues aspecting for long. Those interested in mana-crafting quickly move onto the more advanced concepts. Those merely looking for some side-income would not care enough to research the details. No one would specialize and make a lifelong study of it.

    Terry thought of Miguel. While Miguel heavily relied on his aspected arrows, he never had to hide the existence of his arrows and could rely on storage items. There was never a need to aspect new arrowheads while already in battle.

    Miguel did not intentionally limit himself to a role as an aspect archer. While his coldfire-aspected mana made it difficult, Miguel trained as a mana cultivator as well. He was also practicing diligently to learn at least a few spells.

    Once again, Terry wondered what his aunt Brynn would make of these aspect archers he was about to meet. With every step, Terry was looking more and more forward to meeting them.

    ***

    In the forest, Terry watched Sigille suddenly dash to the left. A moment later, a net was pulled up where she had walked before.

    Whistling sounds could be heard, which were followed by a groan from Sigille.

    Sigille¡¯s eyes rapidly darted over the forest floor and landed on a suspicious-looking rock near her. She hurriedly distanced herself.

    An arrow hit the target of Sigille¡¯s suspicion¡­

    *Splash* The fake rock popped and water splashed around it.

    Sigille dodged two subsequent water balloon traps when she heard a rustling in one direction and jerked her head around.

    Sigille was giving the stink-eye to the offending rabbit that was getting more and more suspicious with each additional encounter.

    While Sigille was looking at the rabbit, another arrow impacted on a nearby tree.

    Sigille¡¯s eyes darted to the tree to notice a mechanism on the arrow spring that caused steam to be released.

    *WHEEEEEEEE*

    Terry resisted the urge to block his ears against the loud steam whistle in order to follow whatever was going on.

    Sigille jerked her head around and realized that the movement she caught was again from the suspicious rabbit that was now fleeing the scene.

    Half a second later, she was dodging water that rained down from above where more water balloons had been popped by arrows.

    Terry saw Sigille reacting to another incoming arrow that aimed at her from the opposite side of the rabbit.

    Sigille caught the blunt arrow close to her head. She was about to shout something at the hidden pranksters when the caught arrow squirted water on her face.

    Sigille¡¯s eyelid twitched.

    ¡°I believe this should be it,¡± said Matteo with a forced deadpan expression.

    Terry sensed around twenty weaker mana signatures appear around them.

    Sigille rolled her eyes and groaned before drying her face.

    Cadence tried very hard not to giggle at the Divine Hammer being forced into a game of water pranks.

    ¡°Is it just me, or did we get you faster than last time?¡± An elf with short brown hair stepped into view. ¡°You are not getting soft on me, old hag, are you?¡±

    Sigille clicked her tongue without moving her eyes off the elf.

    ¡°What now? Silent treatment?¡± asked the elf. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit old for such things?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking very hard about how I should return your little trick arrow,¡± replied Sigille with a smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°Or where. Perhaps I should probe where you are going soft, you cheeky twig.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, you¡¯re making me blush,¡± retorted the elf. ¡°I told you no pillow talk in front of the children¡­¡±

    Sigille shivered and flicked the arrow away as if it had turned into something icky. To emphasize the point, she shook herself like a wet dog. ¡°Eww¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey Wallace,¡± greeted Matteo.

    ¡°Hey yourself, kid,¡± said Wallace while beaming at him. ¡°Glad to have you back with us. We missed you. You could visit more often, you know. I¡¯m sure the grumpy dwarf can do a few missions on her own.¡±

    ¡°Speaking as the grumpy dwarf,¡± started Sigille. ¡°Just for my sanity¡¯s sake, was that rabbit involved in your scheme?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that would touch on our most sacred secrets,¡± replied Wallace with a deadpan expression. ¡°I can neither confirm nor deny that suspicion.¡±

    ¡°One of these days¡­¡± Sigille grumbled and narrowed her eyes at Wallace.

    ¡°So, who are the guests?¡± asked Wallace.

    ¡°Whaka Terry is my newfound cousin,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wallace glanced at Sigille, who nodded at him. ¡°Greetings, Terry. I¡¯m Wallace.¡±

    ¡°Greetings,¡± returned Terry.

    ¡°Just out of curiosity, is the rest of the family just as grumpy as the old hag?¡± asked Wallace, and jerked his head at Sigille.

    No way in hell am I going to answer that.

    ¡°Blink once for yes,¡± said Wallace with a wide grin.

    Terry suddenly found himself trying very hard not to blink, which had Wallace break out in laughter.

    His laughter stopped when a strong, small hand dragged his shoulder down so that the elf was eye to eye with Sigille.

    ¡°I barely tolerate your cheek towards me,¡± said Sigille with a smile that wasn¡¯t one. ¡°Be very careful about what you insinuate about my baby sister or next time, I¡¯ll take you with me on a mission so that Matteo can visit the others.¡±

    ¡°Why, my lady, I would not dare to speak your little sister¡¯s name in vain.¡± Wallace grinned sheepishly.

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Sigille let him go. ¡°As always, you seem to be most afraid of an honest day¡¯s work.¡±

    ¡°Right, right, okay, so Terry is family, and that leaves¡­¡± Wallace moved his gaze towards Cadence.

    ¡°Our new group member,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°I¡¯m Cadence, pleased to meet you, Wallace.¡± Cadence slightly lowered her head in greeting.

    ¡°Greetings¡­¡± Wallace tilted his head and glanced back towards Sigille, who shrugged.

    Other people arrived and greeted Matteo heartily while they showed somewhat apologetic faces to Sigille.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the camp,¡± said one of them.

    While they were walking, Wallace slowed down to walk next to Sigille in the back.

    ¡°That robe looks awfully like those you described on the witch,¡± whispered Wallace, and a hint of anger flashed through his eyes.

    ¡°Same cult,¡± whispered Sigille. ¡°So far, she seems alright despite hanging on the witch¡¯s words.¡±

    Wallace only grunted in response.

    After walking for some time, Terry could see a campfire. However, his attention was immediately caught by a mana signature from the cave near the camp.

    Dungeon.

    Terry took a deep breath.

    Dormant dungeon, but still a dungeon.

    ¡°MATTEO!¡± A blur of red hair whizzed into the group and clung to Matteo.

    Matteo displayed a wide smile like Terry had never seen on him before.

    ¡°Hi, little one.¡± Matteo patted the hair of the elven girl. ¡°How have you been, Emily?¡±

    Emily pulled back with a slight pout. ¡°I¡¯m not that little anymore, Big Brother. Remember, I¡¯ll have my adulthood ceremony soon.¡± She beamed at him. ¡°Thanks for coming. I¡¯m happy to see you.¡±

    Terry saw Wallace send Matteo a look while putting his finger in front of his lips. Terry remembered the conversation about the adulthood ceremony between Sigille and Matteo.

    ¡°Auntie!¡± shouted Emily, and quickly pulled Sigille into a hug.

    After the greetings, smaller groups formed and Cadence found herself next to Wallace.

    ¡°So¡­ How do you know each other?¡± asked Cadence with a polite smile.

    In contrast to his earlier all-smiles appearance, Wallace suddenly wore a grim expression as he watched Cadence.

    ¡°We have scavenged dormant dungeons for most of our lives,¡± said Wallace in a grave tone that took Cadence aback. ¡°Only once have I found an abandoned child in one. A child with eyes so devoid of hope and life, I will never be able to forget the sight. He was just sitting there, waiting for death.

    ¡°Just a child¡­¡± Wallace gazed into Cadence¡¯s eyes and leaned closer to her. ¡°The old hag is right in that I am not particularly powerful, but if I had caught sight of that Willow or whatever on that day, then I would have found a way to make her pay.¡±

    Cadence froze up.

    Wallace leaned back again and calmed himself by looking over his group of friends before glancing back at Cadence. ¡°From what I hear, you and that woman belong to the same club. Now, I really hope that does not mean that you are alike.¡± He paused and stared at Cadence.

    Before Cadence could muster a response, Wallace continued: ¡°If you are not alike ¨C if you are anything resembling decent folk ¨C then I suggest you better watch your back around that woman.¡±

    A moment later, Wallace was back to his original spot and his cheerful self.

    ***

    ¡°Maybe I should join the Guild instead?¡± suggested Emily. They were all sitting around a campfire. ¡°Follow in Big Brother¡¯s footsteps.¡± She looked at Matteo.

    Wallace¡¯s face turned into a grimace of horror. ¡°That¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Sigille. ¡°That¡¯s not even funny.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Emily was taken aback.

    ¡°The Guild is¡­¡± Matteo looked at the elven girl he considered his little sister. ¡°Not a good place for you.¡± He searched for words. ¡°There is a reason that they say that the Guild is only for crafters, dreamers, and the insane.¡±

    ¡°Which one are you supposed to be?¡± retorted Emily angrily. ¡°I can become strong, too.¡±

    ¡°I have no doubts about that, but the Guild is not a good place to grow,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°And if you really want to follow the druid path, then Dhruv is the best instructor you can find in Tiv.¡±

    Emily was still maintaining eye contact with Matteo.

    ¡°Ma is right,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The Guild isn¡¯t such a nice place. I¡¯m no crafter. I don¡¯t dream much either.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not insane,¡± objected Emily and glared at Matteo with reproachful eyes.

    Sigille chided Matteo with a silent look as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about that,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The dreamers either leave or die early. What remains is insanity. Normal people don¡¯t make it that far. You won¡¯t find a single normal person in the ranking or beyond. Everyone is obsessed in some way or other.¡± He added in a low voice. ¡°I know who and what I am.¡±

    Sigille sighed and lowered her gaze.

    ¡°I get the cultists, but there are normal people in the ranking, too, aren¡¯t there?¡± asked Emily.

    Matteo shook his head. ¡°Even Amelia and Dargones have their circumstances. Their secrets are not mine to divulge, but there is a story to them always sticking together. There is a reason why Amelia has thrown away her title as a noble. There is a reason for Amelia involving herself in Guild management, even though they both hate it.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°Even people like Jee are the same. He doesn¡¯t share much, but his vendetta does not seem any less deep than my own. I know that he voluntarily submitted himself to some kind of ritual for those mirror-like eyes. I¡¯ve investigated once and¡­¡± Matteo shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just say the only way to pass that without going insane is to not be completely sane to begin with.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡± Emily still felt like objecting.

    ¡°No exceptions,¡± insisted Matteo. ¡°I have my own demons to haunt me and I will hunt my former mentor until at least one of us is dead.¡±

    Sigille sighed wearily.

    ¡°The Guild is the right place for me.¡± Matteo stood up and patted Emily¡¯s head. ¡°You deserve better, little one.¡±

    ***

 074 Extended Family

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 31 ¨C

    ¡°Well then, Terry.¡± Wallace spoke gravely. ¡°Your friends and family have abandoned you in a strange forest with us. How are you feeling about that? Nervous? Anxious? Scared?¡±

    Terry, who had been chatting with Emily, raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°None of the above?¡± suggested Terry.

    ¡°Come on, Dad,¡± groaned Emily. ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    ¡°Just checking,¡± said Wallace and grinned. ¡°The old hag said you¡¯re a Guardian. Any dungeon work?¡±

    ¡°More than I would have liked, actually,¡± said Terry wryly. ¡°Pretty much none of it was official though. Only the advanced level introduction with the Guardians. As far as unofficial dives go: one dungeon that had not been cleared by the Guardians and¡­ a longer dive in a dungeon that was slightly different because it was overrun with ghouls.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Wallace. ¡°Mhmh. Your aunt has already cued me in on the details of the latter one.¡±

    Terry widened his eyes in surprise, but said nothing.

    ¡°The old lady may not show it much, but deep down, she is a worry-wart,¡± said Wallace. ¡°She may not admit it, but I¡¯m willing to bet she is more nervous about you going near a dungeon than she is about her own pioneering dive.¡±

    Wallace paused and creased his brows. ¡°Although that may not be saying much. I don¡¯t believe her worrying extends to herself at all.¡±

    ¡°Anywho,¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°In comparison, our scavenging dive should be tame. Dormant dungeons don¡¯t have any interactive parts or sneaky traps and they only house a few mana corrupted ¨C the kind without mana cores.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense when the ambient mana is still present,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°We generally stick to the upper floors where the residual mana is lower, so minor mana corrupted is the most we have to deal with,¡± continued Wallace.

    ¡°Dad?¡± started Emily with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

    ¡°Yes, my darling?¡± replied Wallace happily.

    ¡°How come it¡¯s only ¡®minor corrupted¡¯ in the talk you have with Terry and ¡®dangerous magical creatures¡¯ in the speech you keep giving me?¡± Emily raised her eyebrows and leaned forward.

    Wallace tilted his head and put a finger on his lips. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ Interesting question.¡±

    Wallace leaned towards Terry, and first examined Terry¡¯s left ear and then the right ear.

    ¡°I am pretty sure that Terry is not my daughter,¡± said Wallace pensively. ¡°Not a hundred percent, but pretty sure.¡±

    Emily pouted with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°I told you that you have to go through your adulthood ceremony first, which is right at the doorstep anyway,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Increase your strength for that before worrying about pointless things.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Emily sulkingly, before breaking out in a smile. ¡°Just checking.¡±

    ¡°Terry is also older, and he has already trained as a Guardian,¡± said Wallace. ¡°I mean, have you seen Terry¡¯s mana signature? The kid could probably break me in half.¡±

    Wallace turned to Terry. ¡°Which, by the way, I would appreciate if you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Terry could not help but laugh.

    Wallace turned back to Emily. ¡°Besides, you want to become a druid and Guardian, anyway. Before you know it, dungeon scavenging will be boring.¡± Wallace¡¯s expression froze while speaking. ¡°Which is still as horrifying a thought as the first time I had it.¡±

    ¡°Enough about that. What have you two been up to here?¡± Wallace looked from one to the other.

    ¡°I was wondering why Emily chose to follow the druid path,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°I was secretly trying to get Terry to share some of the cookies that Auntie praised so exceedingly,¡± said Emily.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that.¡± He retrieved some of Bjorln¡¯s home-made cookies.

    ¡°I believe that is part of the ¡®secretly¡¯ deal,¡± said Wallace and winked.

    ¡°I kind of forgot when we started talking about druidry,¡± said Emily with a flush of faint embarrassment. She received a cookie from Terry and beamed. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    As soon as Emily bit into the cookie, her eyes widened in pleasant surprise and then closed with delight.

    ¡°Now, that is a sight that warms a father¡¯s heart,¡± said Wallace. He looked at Terry. ¡°So Emily has told you about her great-grandmother?¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°A grovekeeper from the Elusian Empire.¡±

    ¡°Before they retreated into the elven origin realm,¡± said Wallace while Emily was still savoring the cookie.

    ¡°Grandmother on her mother¡¯s side,¡± pointed Walace out. ¡°I have it on good authority that mine is a noble line of peasants, vagabonds, and cave bear food. High likelihood of mostly being the latter.¡±

    Wallace looked at Emily. ¡°And Emily has decided to break tradition in that noble lineage.¡± He shook his head with an exaggerated expression of disappointment.

    ¡°Would you prefer me to become cave bear food?¡± asked Emily challengingly.

    ¡°Good point,¡± acceded Wallace. ¡°Although your particular choice of path, and therefore outpost, strongly undermines the point. Compared to whatever roams the Wasted Zone, a cave bear might be preferable.¡±

    ¡°Daad,¡± whined Emily.

    ¡°Yes, dear, I know,¡± grumbled Wallace. ¡°Allow an old man his lamentations.¡± Wallace paused and drew back his lips. ¡°And more importantly, make sure to not get eaten, no matter by what creature.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± said Emily. She grinned. ¡°Since you have asked so nicely.¡±

    ¡°I count my blessings that I have been born with a very polite personality,¡± said Wallace drily.

    Emily snorted while Terry shot Wallace a skeptical glance.

    ¡°Matteo told me a bit about you.¡± Terry spoke to Wallace.

    ¡°That little tattletale,¡± gasped Wallace. ¡°I don¡¯t owe anyone you know money, do I?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, no,¡± replied Terry hesitatingly. ¡°He told me you can pick mana locks.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t quote me on that in front of a censor, but yes,¡± said Wallace. ¡°However, I would advise you to go for the aspecting topic first.¡± Wallace winked.

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Matteo¡¯s blabbermouth goes both ways,¡± said Wallace and stuck out his tongue. ¡°He seems fond of his little cousin and has already asked me to instruct you a bit.¡±

    Terry smiled and felt grateful for his family once again.

    ¡°Let me put it this way,¡± said Wallace, and took a moment to ponder the right words. ¡°Only an unaspected mana user can pick a mana lock without additional tools.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow, both because of the phrasing and the implications for learning the skill.

    ¡°And the tools are not that easy to come by out here,¡± said Wallace. ¡°We don¡¯t have any spares at the moment and I would not recommend you try to acquire them. Let¡¯s just say asking the wrong party makes you seem suspicious to folks whose attention you don¡¯t want.¡±

    Terry noticed Emily squinting at him. Together with Wallace beating around the bush, Terry realized something.

    ¡°I have a major aspect-impairment,¡± said Terry to Emily. ¡°Basically a single aspect.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± exclaimed Emily in surprise. ¡°I guess my mana sense is not as good as I thought¡­¡± Her voice turned quiet.

    ¡°You are not the only one that cannot detect that,¡± said Terry and chuckled. ¡°The examiners at Arcana Academy weren¡¯t either, and their mana sense is outstanding.¡±

    Emily¡¯s mouth was agape.

    Before Emily could gather her thoughts, Terry turned to Wallace.

    ¡°You already knew, right?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Like I said,¡± said Wallace. ¡°They¡¯re all a bunch of worry-warts and tattletales. They gave me a rundown of things I should know when taking you out. Thanks for sharing it with Emily. I don¡¯t like keeping secrets from her.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Sigille said you¡¯re both family,¡± said Terry. ¡°I trust her and therefore you.¡±

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    ¡°Aww, shucks.¡± Wallace pretended to be shy and waved his hand. ¡°That grouchy dwarf and her flattering tongue.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve been to THE Arcana Academy?¡± exclaimed Emily, who had rediscovered her own tongue in her mouth.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m the only dropout the Academy ever had,¡± replied Terry drily. ¡°Barely lasted a cycle.¡±

    ¡°Could you show me a few exercises?¡± Emily became excited. ¡°Or spellwork?¡±

    ¡°I dropped out without having learned a single spell,¡± said Terry. ¡°But my problem mostly manifests in the priming stage. Foundational exercises, spellwork theory, and spell structures are something I can help with.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes were practically sparkling.

    Wallace snickered. ¡°Can¡¯t wait for your apprenticeship to start with these?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to start a bit earlier.¡± Emily scratched her cheek. ¡°And perhaps it helps me make a good first impression on Instructor Dhruv.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have ever made a bad first impression on anyone, but sure.¡± Wallace continued snickering. Then he turned to Terry. ¡°I figure you mostly hang around your aunt while in Tiv?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, yes?¡± replied Terry. ¡°Kind of. In the Libra Outpost, deep in the northeast¡¯s Wasted Zone, in the Chara Settlement near the Bulwark, and Syn City in the Wastes.¡± He scrunched up his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t Aunt Sigille and Matteo mention that? Why the question?¡±

    ¡°Nothing too important,¡± said Wallace with an amused snort. ¡°But you should perhaps read up on some of Tiv¡¯s laws.¡±

    Realization dawned on Terry.

    ¡°If you go offering spellwork lessons without authorization, you may find yourself in rather unpleasant accommodations with some disgruntled imperial censors,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Don¡¯t make the mistake of confusing the Wasted Zone with the rest of Tiv. Same goes for your experience when your aunt is around.¡±

    Terry swallowed. ¡°Noted.¡±

    ¡°Good, but also thank you,¡± said Wallace with warm eyes. ¡°I appreciate you helping my little angel. So while we¡¯re on the topic of giving lessons of questionable legality, I¡¯ll be happy to demonstrate how to aspect items like a proper aspect archer.¡±

    Terry beamed at him. ¡°Great!¡±

    ¡°How about a little bet first, though?¡± Wallace wore a predatory grin.

    ¡°Dad, behave yourself,¡± said Emily with narrowed eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think Terry requires your dungeon vultures hazing nonsense.¡±

    Wallace gasped and displayed a hurt expression.

    ¡°What am I missing?¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°They usually bet on who has to take over which chores,¡± said Emily. ¡°Cleaning, cooking, and so forth. Basically, be careful that you don¡¯t have to suddenly turn into the group¡¯s butler because of some bad bets.¡±

    ¡°And here I was just trying to secure some more imported snacks for my beloved daughter.¡± Wallace shook his head in open disappointment. ¡°The betrayal that a poor father has to suffer from his own cherished blood.¡±

    Emily puckered her lips. ¡°So you were going to bet on cookies instead of chores?¡±

    ¡°For my little darling, of course,¡± said Wallace. ¡°I¡¯m a grown man. I don¡¯t need some greenhorn guest to cover my duties.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± uttered Emily with skepticism. ¡°That did not seem to stop you from making these bets in the past though.¡±

    ¡°Only out of principle,¡± insisted Wallace. ¡°To make new members feel more at home and uhh¡­ something like that.¡± He smirked. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t need a greenhorn. I can rely on Borf and his bad luck if I ever feel lazy.¡±

    Emily giggled and turned to Terry. ¡°Your call then. You have been warned.¡±

    Terry observed Wallace with curiosity. ¡°What kind of bet?¡±

    ¡°We were talking about picking mana locks and I¡¯m sure you have some fancy protected storage items made in Arcana,¡± said Wallace. ¡°If I retrieve an item, you owe me something delicious to feed to my famished offspring.¡±

    Emily shook her head at the dramatization.

    An idea entered Terry¡¯s head.

    ¡°And what if you¡¯re unable to retrieve an item?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I could offer a barely edible stew¡­¡± suggested Wallace tentatively. When Terry¡¯s facial expression portrayed being less than tempted. ¡°Or I¡¯ll take over one of your chores.¡± He grinned challengingly.

    Terry suppressed his desire to smirk and agreed.

    First, Terry tested his dimensional bag in open mode against Wallace. He mostly wanted to see how close a pickpocket would have to be and how the mana flow when picking looks like.

    Wallace casually sat next to Terry and worked quietly for half a minute before he managed to retrieve an item, despite the bag¡¯s basic protection.

    Terry took out a bottle of mana-imbued cold tea and some cookies.

    Afterwards, Terry asked to bet double or nothing. This time, he tested his crafter¡¯s pendant with its personalized mana lock.

    While Terry chatted with Emily about spellwork, Wallace busied himself for more than an hour. The hour included lots of cursing from Wallace and repeated exchanges of his tools, but eventually, the dungeon scavenger was rewarded with success.

    Terry took out a bunch of cream biscuits. Again, he asked to bet double or nothing.

    Emily raised an eyebrow and puckered her lips.

    ¡°I appreciate your generosity,¡± said Wallace. ¡°So what will it be this time?¡±

    Terry quickly prepared his storage bracelets and skillfully moved items from his left bracelet to the other without the items manifesting outside. When he was done, he offered his left bracelet to Wallace.

    ¡°You sure?¡± asked Wallace. ¡°This thing does not seem to have any lock as far as I can tell.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a storage item made in Arcana and I want to see you retrieve the item inside,¡± said Terry while trying to maintain a blank expression.

    ¡°You could just gift us the snacks if you don¡¯t want them, but who am I to argue?¡± muttered Wallace.

    Shortly after, Wallace grimaced and looked incredulously at his hand. ¡°What kind of¡­?¡± He raised his eyes to look at the deadpan Terry for a moment. Then he brought out a few more tools.

    After ten minutes, Wallace stopped again and looked up. ¡°I can sense that there are items in there. Throwing needles as far as I can tell.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t identify the slightest protection, but I can¡¯t retrieve the items. Are you trying to play me with a broken storage dimension?¡±

    Terry smiled innocently and held out his hand to receive the bracelet.

    Wallace moved his eyes from Terry to the bracelet and back and then handed the item over.

    Terry channeled his mana to reclaim the mana in the oscillating needle. When he had naturalized the mana sufficiently, he retrieved the needle in front of Wallace.

    Wallace scrunched up his face. ¡°What kind of vile wizardry is this?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some form of karma?¡± Emily snickered. ¡°Nice one, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Want to try again?¡± asked Terry with a barely suppressed grin.

    ¡°Nah,¡± grumbled Wallace before breaking out into a smile. ¡°But I¡¯m curious about what kind of protection this is? I would have thought that the bracelet was the cheapest of the bunch. Also, we need to find another bet. I¡¯m still looking for some snacks here.¡±

    ¡°I was happy to share to begin with,¡± said Terry, and took out more baked goods and some chocolate.

    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± said Wallace and beamed when seeing his daughter reaching out to sample the food. ¡°Although, I would have appreciated it even more if you had led with that.¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I wanted to feel at home, too.¡± He smirked. ¡°And I appreciate you freeing me up to focus on my training.¡±

    ¡°Little rascal.¡± Despite his grumbling, Wallace was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°So, what¡¯s with the bracelet?¡±

    Terry explained, while making a mental note to document this application of oscillating mana in his notebook.

    Maybe oscillating item containers¡­

    ***

    ¡°Over there.¡± Terry pointed absentmindedly.

    ¡°You sure?¡± asked a burly dungeon scavenger with a pickaxe in hand. He squinted at the wall.

    Terry nodded and described the location of the mana cluster in his mana sense. ¡°About half a meter inside.¡±

    ¡°Just give it a shot, Bigsby,¡± said Wallace.

    Bigsby shrugged and swung his pickaxe.

    After a dozen swings, the rest of the dungeon scavengers could sense it as well.

    Bigsby poked his head into the small opening. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s a nice one!¡±

    He hurriedly recovered the fist-sized mana crystal from the wall.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered a woman among the dungeon scavengers. She looked at Terry and then at Wallace. ¡°Can we keep him? Please?¡±

    ¡°You can try, Dee, but don¡¯t come to me for help if old grouchy gets angry at you for making her little disciple stray from the Guardian path,¡± said Wallace.

    ¡°Pity that,¡± grumbled a dwarven man from the scavengers. ¡°Hey kid, if you are ever looking to be adopted, you can feel free to come to me.¡±

    Dee snorted. ¡°What kind of inheritance would you tempt him with, Borf? Your greasy bow or your fuzzy beard?¡±

    Borf tilted his head. ¡°I also have a sizable pin-up collection.¡±

    Dee clicked her tongue. ¡°Shame on me for forgetting that.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°I already had dibs on that when you croak!¡±

    Terry snorted.

    Dee shrugged and looked at Borf. ¡°Well, if it works, I¡¯ll buy you a beer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can trust such promises with the nearest tavern being who knows where,¡± retorted Borf.

    ¡°Huh? When did you become so clever?¡± asked Dee. Then she looked at Wallace. ¡°Where next?¡±

    Wallace jerked his head around to Terry and raised his eyebrows.

    Terry focused on his mana sense and pointed to the next location, where he sensed a dense cluster of mana. ¡°This way.¡±

    ¡°You heard the scout,¡± said Wallace.

    The group of dungeon scavengers moved without another moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Small unaspected mana corrupted around the corner,¡± warned Terry.

    Two of the scavengers readied their bows and then coordinated to take care of it.

    ¡°I was wondering,¡± started Terry and looked at Wallace. ¡°In the dungeons I¡¯ve been in, there were reservoir rooms and other moving parts. Like moving wall constructs that moved according to the dungeon¡¯s will. What happens to all of that when a dungeon goes dormant?¡±

    ¡°Most of the time, everything just opens up,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Either that or a complete collapse of the area.¡±

    ¡°And how do you find the dormant dungeons?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not that hard really.¡± Wallace shortly paused to check that all dungeon scavengers were still in their assigned positions for moving through the tunnels.

    Downside of cloaking your mana, I guess, thought Terry. No overview of everyone¡¯s location without visual confirmation.

    ¡°Even a dormant dungeon still carries a lot of ambient mana,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Only that the dungeon does not control it anymore.¡±

    Terry became aware that he had not noticed any feeling of mana suppression.

    ¡°Add to that the higher number of entrances,¡± continued Wallace.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°Why ¡®higher¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, either the area opens completely or collapses,¡± said Wallace. ¡°All the entrances and exits have, of course, been there before. An active dungeon, however, practically never opens all entrances at once. You need to find one of the intended entrances. Others are probably kept as special exits for dungeon challenges or some such thing.

    ¡°All in all,¡± continued Wallace. ¡°It can be a lot easier to discover a dormant dungeon than an active one. More mana leaking outside. More entrances to pick up on the scent.¡±

    ¡°So, how goes your aspecting?¡± asked Wallace. ¡°Getting in some practice?¡± He glanced at Terry¡¯s hand.

    Terry was holding a throwing needle, and he was indeed applying the technique of the aspect archers. He looked at the throwing needle in his hand. He focused on his mana sight while reciting the basic idea in his head.

    Don¡¯t flood the item uniformly and weakly. Create a concentrated center instead. Have the center help you with holding the mana in place. Mana attracts mana.

    Surround the item and then press the mana inwards. Hold the mana in the center and then add the next wave of mana.

    The threshold for the central part will be reached more quickly and afterwards, it will accelerate the aspecting for the rest of the item.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not reaching the mana intensity I want,¡± said Terry. ¡°But I¡¯ll practice.¡±

    Should be useful for other things as well¡­

    Terry recalled the benefits of wielding a higher mana intensity.

    Compressing spellwork. Faster imprinting. Carving mana lines without tools. Damaging magic items. Overpowering the mana presence in magic items to force a spell¡­

    The more Terry thought about it, the more he liked this new aspecting technique. While he had little opportunity to use his oscillating needles, the technique seemed to be a great exercise for achieving a higher mana intensity¡­

    ***

 075 Dungeon Scavengers Adulthood Ceremony

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 52 ¨C

    Terry could see the sun rise in the distance and happily inhaled the fresh morning air. He distanced himself from the camp in order to not wake up the dungeon scavengers with his morning routine.

    He found himself a beautiful clearing in the nearby forest and sat down cross-legged.

    Terry retrieved his old juggling balls ¨C those that had not been imprinted ¨C and placed them in front of him.

    Terry threw a septimum ball into the air and then pressed his palms together to avoid the reflex of catching the ball with his hands.

    When the ball had dropped to Terry¡¯s shoulder height, it became transfixed in the air.

    Good.

    While Terry still relied on his hands as the focal point for the casting, his reach had increased sufficiently that an outside observer might confuse it for proper hands-free casting.

    Terry monitored the mana in the transfixed septimum ball. His goal was to keep the balls transfixed while catching the next balls at an increased distance. All without moving his hands.

    Terry practiced like this for half an hour.

    Afterwards, he collected all the balls in front of him and took a deep breath.

    Terry closed his eyes and repeated the exercise. In order to track the balls¡¯ location, Terry emitted low-density mana pulses¡­

    Terry frowned when he missed the third ball and heard it impact on the ground. He opened his eyes and used his bidirectional attraction glove to fetch the ball.

    Perhaps I should stop worrying about the mana cost? Should be fine as long as I keep the range small. I can keep the mana sonar for longer distances¡­

    Terry switched to maintaining a spherical layer of his naturalized mana around himself and continued with his exercise for another half hour.

    Next, Terry stood up with one septimum ball in each hand. He hurled each of them in different directions and then used his bidirectional attraction glove to change the trajectory and have the balls move in his direction.

    Terry dodged the incoming balls and used his gloves to keep them moving back and forth with himself in the middle.

    With time, Terry increased the number of balls for the exercise.

    When Terry was satisfied with the number, he closed his eyes and continued training in this manner.

    After half an hour, Terry opened his eyes and used his Immovable Object spell to catch the incoming balls one by one without relying on his hands.

    Alright, divine hammer inscription and then breakfast¡­

    Terry nodded to himself.

    Discharge training after breakfast?

    Terry grumbled to himself. While his spherical discharge field worked, it required some preparation time, and he was still not able to move when it was deployed.

    Not workable¡­

    Terry was still looking for some way to get a spherical discharge or discharge pulse working. He had been trying to apply an idea he got after seeing the effect of the demon¡¯s advancement vortex being disturbed.

    His plan was to create a rotating mana sphere inside his body, compress it rapidly, and then release the pressure all at once while setting up focal refractors at specific locations.

    Unfortunately, Terry had not been able to get it to work yet.

    Focus.

    Terry shook his head forcefully and concentrated on the wrappings with the divine hammer inscription. He lifted his left foot. A small translucent golden sheet of mana appeared underneath his boot, and Terry tried placing his weight on it.

    ¡°Phew,¡± exclaimed Terry when he was standing on the mana layer. He felt like he was walking on eggshells.

    Probably because the layer is about as stable as eggshells¡­

    Terry was trying to create another step underneath his right foot when his mana sense picked up familiar signatures in the distance.

    They¡¯re back!

    As soon as Terry¡¯s concentration was disturbed, the mana layer from the inscription dispersed, and Terry found himself standing on the forest floor again.

    Terry rushed towards the familiar mana signatures.

    ¡°Here!¡± Matteo had noticed Terry¡¯s approach and was hurling a sack the size of a large coconut towards him. ¡°Some souvenirs from the dungeon.¡±

    Sigille smiled warmly at Matteo, while Cadence was amused at Terry¡¯s bemused expression.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry caught the sack. ¡°Thanks? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all safe.¡± He peeked into the sack. ¡°Eh? Mana cores, but these are¡­¡± He glanced at Matteo.

    ¡°Yours,¡± insisted Matteo.

    ¡°¡­expensive,¡± finished Terry.

    ¡°I¡¯m not strapped for funds,¡± retorted Matteo. ¡°And don¡¯t have another use for mana cores aside from selling.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± added Sigille while giving Terry a warm look. ¡°And given your habit of getting lost in undead hordes, clashing with phantoms and the like, I would prefer you have some in stock for your sublimator thingy. The cores are all single aspected.¡±

    ¡°To call it a habit is a bit¡­¡± Terry muttered while holding his nape. He inhaled deeply and then spoke firmly: ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Well, this brings back memories,¡± muttered Matteo as he looked at the cave entrance they were walking towards.

    ¡°Good ones?¡± asked Emily with a beaming smile.

    Matteo chuckled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°So you did this adulthood ceremony, too, when you were younger?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Here?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°Same place, same ceremony. The nearby dungeon has been dormant since forever.¡±

    ¡°It is hard to find good spots,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Although, I need to add that Matteo rushed his ceremony. He was barely fifteen back then.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Emily glared at Wallace. ¡°You told me I need to be seventeen! At least!¡±

    ¡°You really need to work on your angry face,¡± teased Wallace. ¡°No matter how I look at it, I still see my cute little baby girl. Besides, seventeen is the tradition. Matteo was going to leave our dungeon scavengers, and we wanted to do the ceremony before he left.¡±

    Wallace narrowed his eyes at Matteo and shot him a chiding look. ¡°And to be quite frank, Matteo¡¯s actions afterwards have kind of established that it was too early to call him an adult. Joining the Guild and getting suicidal on death hunts is not my idea of adulthood.¡±

    Matteo pointedly averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Not an example to take inspiration from,¡± said Wallace, and looked warmly at his daughter. ¡°Not unless you want to stress me into an early grave. I can barely stomach you moving to the closest outpost to the Wasted Zone.¡±

    ¡°You say stomach, but aren¡¯t you planning to move to Libra City yourself?¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°It does not seem like you are that ready to let the little bird fly out of the nest.¡±

    Wallace pursed his lips and squinted at Sigille. ¡°I¡¯ll never be ready to do that. I¡¯ll have to force myself every step of the way. I¡¯m still hoping that she decides to be a doctor or waitress or something further in the heartland.¡±

    ¡°Daaad.¡± Emily pouted.

    Wallace exaggeratedly grabbed his own heart. ¡°Ouch, not that look. I can¡¯t take it.¡± He stopped his acting. ¡°Relax, sweetie. I said ¡®hope¡¯, not expect. You follow your own heart. I have my own fears.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It is not your responsibility to worry about them. I won¡¯t get into your hair. I just want to be there in case you need me.¡±

    ¡°So what is this ceremony about?¡± asked Cadence from the side.

    Emily perked her ears.

    ¡°Solo hunting a mana corrupted,¡± replied Wallace.

    Emily stared at Wallace with hopeful eyes.

    Wallace snorted amusedly. ¡°No more details, sweetie. An adult can¡¯t always rely on relevant information being spoon-fed to them.¡±

    ¡°While you have a point, you are not exactly giving her much of a chance to collect the required information herself either,¡± interjected Sigille reproachfully.

    Wallace shrugged. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t always get the chance to. Not like adult life follows a proper mission schedule. Shit happens. Better to learn to improvise and adapt.¡±

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    ¡°Fair enough,¡± admitted Sigille. Nevertheless, she looked as if she had more to say on the matter.

    ¡°Still, I never would have thought it was that kind of ceremony,¡± interjected Cadence with raised eyebrows. ¡°You seem too much of a doting father to watch your daughter face a mana corrupted on her own.¡±

    ¡°My doting won¡¯t do her much good if she intends to become a Guardian,¡± grumbled Wallace. ¡°And it¡¯s not like I will have her face a terror grizzly.¡±

    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± said Emily and giggled. ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank him just yet,¡± grumbled Sigille quietly.

    ***

    ¡°Remember that no one is allowed to interfere,¡± said Wallace. ¡°I know that most of us have faced a goo beetle before, but since this is our little baby¡¯s ceremony, it bears repeating.¡±

    Wallace inhaled deeply. ¡°That beetle poses no real threat. It might rough our little baby up. But no matter how much we hate to see her get hurt, this is her ceremony. Don¡¯t ruin it. Don¡¯t interfere.¡±

    Wallace continued in a quieter voice: ¡°No matter how much I might want to.¡±

    The other dungeon scavengers on the platform nodded. Many did so with pained and bitter smiles.

    Meanwhile, Emily, in her studded leather armor, was approaching the mana-corrupted beetle down below. She was wearing a short sword at her hip and carried a round shield and long spear.

    ¡°Goo beetle?¡± Cadence glanced at the others. ¡°Did you warn her about¡ª?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°No, he did not.¡±

    ¡°That would ruin the point,¡± said Wallace. ¡°And take the fun out of the ceremony.¡±

    Cadence looked at Matteo. ¡°So you did not get a warning either?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Matteo casually. ¡°It was¡­ memorable.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine,¡± muttered Cadence. ¡°Did they at least tell you how to get rid of¡ª?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Matteo less casually. ¡°Very memorable.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Wallace with a snicker. ¡°Always be careful about letting down your guard and always watch your back. Good things to remember.¡±

    Terry observed the goo beetle. He once more had to admit that he was missing Siling¡¯s commentary on mana corrupted. He had no idea what the others were alluding to, but he figured he would find out soon enough.

    The mana corrupted creature appeared to be a mixed mana corruption of a rhinoceros beetle. From what Terry could tell, the emphasis was on nature-aspected mana, although it seemed more like a slight skew than an actual emphasis.

    The goo beetle¡¯s height reached up to Emily¡¯s thighs. Fortunately for the elven girl, the beetle was very slow.

    Emily struck first by thrusting her spear forward into the beetle¡¯s side. Her spear slid off the carapace.

    Terry noted with his mana-enhanced eyes that the carapace showed a visible scratch.

    While the carapace was tough enough to deflect the spear, a more forceful strike should go through¡­

    Terry inwardly commended Emily for her cautious probing and footwork. True, the beetle did not seem very fast, but that was no reason to take unnecessary risks or act recklessly¡­ or so he and his siblings had been reminded frequently by Isille during their first hunting trips.

    The goo beetle reared up on its hind legs and made a quick dash forward to ram its horn into the offending elf.

    Emily intentionally presented her shield instead of dodging. Right when the horn was about to make contact, she jumped slightly in order to have the beetle¡¯s force push her back.

    Taking the opportunity to measure the creature¡¯s strength¡­

    Terry smiled. From what he could tell, this was going well for the red-haired girl.

    Emily did a few more probing strikes while also testing the goo beetle¡¯s field of vision.

    Does not look as if that thing has any mana abilities¡­

    Terry wrinkled his forehead and pondered.

    On the one hand, this did not come as a surprise. It was hard to imagine Wallace picking anything but a weak mana corrupted.

    Terry still remembered Isille¡¯s warning regarding magical creatures, and back then, he and his siblings had already trained as Guardians for several years. More importantly, they had acted as a group.

    Wallace did not strike Terry as a person who would throw caution to the wind when it came to his daughter, which made it unsurprising that the goo beetle did not display any active mana abilities.

    On the other hand, there were the conversations from earlier. There must be a catch.

    From the corner of his eye, Terry could see Matteo¡¯s head jerk in another direction, which caused both Terry and Sigille to take their attention away from Emily.

    From what Terry could tell, Matteo had barely blinked since Emily had engaged the mana corrupted. While the same could be said for many other dungeon scavengers, Matteo seemed to be particularly anxious about seeing his little sister in battle.

    Every fiber of Matteo had appeared to be on guard, which did not fit with him suddenly moving his attention elsewhere¡­

    Terry observed a shared glance between Sigille and Matteo. Afterwards, Matteo displayed a slight shrug with narrowed eyes and tapped his nose, which caused a frown on Sigille¡¯s face before she clicked her tongue and moved her eyes quickly over the cavern.

    Shortly afterwards, however, both returned their attention to Emily.

    They seem to be more on edge now, though¡­

    Terry did not know what silent conversation had passed between the two, but he thought that if it was important, they would share eventually. For now, he continued observing Emily¡¯s ceremonial battle.

    Emily had finished her probing and decided to ditch her shield in favor of having two hands available for a stronger spear thrust.

    It took her half a dozen attempts, but eventually, Emily managed to pierce the carapace of the goo beetle.

    The mana-corrupted creature continued struggling for a few minutes, but then it collapsed to the ground.

    That was it?

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    Emily seemed to ask herself the same question, but soon afterwards, a beaming smile appeared on her face and she turned to look at her father and the others.

    Terry heard several people inhale sharply.

    ¡°Wait for it,¡± muttered Wallace.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± groaned Sigille.

    *Flumm*

    The goo beetle popped and a bunch of viscous lime-green goo was propelled from its corpse in all directions. The goo covered the elven girl from head to toe.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± blurted Terry.

    ¡°Alright, now.¡± Wallace was the first to jump down from the platform. ¡°Welcome to adulthood, sweetie. Keep your guard up and always watch your back.¡±

    The others followed Wallace with little delay. However, once the goo¡¯s horrible stench hit them, a few of them backed off again and maintained their distance.

    Emily used her arms to try to wipe the goo from her face. Unfortunately, her arms were also covered in goo, which made this harder than she felt it should be. She groaned and made disgusted retching noises.

    Emily opened and closed her mouth several times without speaking. ¡°Ugh, disgusting. It stinks. So. Bad. Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Matteo handed her a towel from his storage bracelet.

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Emily received the towel to wipe her face. ¡°Wait, you knew this would happen?!¡±

    ¡°Same ceremony for everyone, sweetie.¡± Wallace shrugged. ¡°The goo beetle mainly feeds on pus weasels.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face flushed, and she glared at Wallace. She slowly walked towards him and spread out her arms. ¡°Care for a hug, Dad?¡±

    ¡°If you think that my fatherly love for you is diminished by you reeking like a rotten fish served with spoiled milk¡­¡± started Wallace with a cheerful grin. He opened his arms wide. ¡°Then you are mistaken.¡±

    Emily lowered her arms and grumbled. Afterwards, she shot Matteo a glare. ¡°Big Brother, how could you?!¡±

    Matteo looked at her with sympathy. He retrieved a small container from his storage bracelet and threw it to her.

    Emily caught the container. ¡°This is?¡±

    ¡°Takes care of the stench,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Without that, the smell will cling to you for weeks. You can take my word for it.¡±

    ¡°HEYHEYHEY!¡± shouted Wallace. ¡°What are you doing, kid? Our little baby is going to go out into the world soon. That stench is supposed to be her first layer of defense against womanizing creeps! You can¡¯t just betray us like that!¡±

    Emily mouthed a silent ¡®thank you¡¯ to Matteo.

    ¡°I thought her weirdo father was the first deterrent,¡± interjected Sigille.

    ¡°Fine with me, but that still seems insufficient,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Tell you what, Matteo. Since you have caused her to lose her stench defense, then I want to spread around that you are her big brother. That should serve as a deterrent to heart-breaking scoundrels.¡±

    Sigille rolled her eyes.

    ¡°That might invite worse trouble than a broken heart,¡± said Matteo with a wry expression. ¡°I don¡¯t just have friends in Libra City. I have plenty of people with a grudge against me.¡±

    ¡°Meh, who doesn¡¯t have those,¡± said Sigille with a shrug.

    Sigille glanced at the worried father. ¡°Calm down, Wallace. Even if you don¡¯t intentionally spread it, people will catch on to Little Emily¡¯s connections. Besides Matteo and me, there is also Dhruv, who will take her as his disciple. The druid path is also closely supervised from what I can tell. There are plenty of deterrents for troublemakers.¡±

    Wallace puckered his lips and squinted at Sigille. ¡°I am getting the impression that you and I are talking about different kinds of trouble here.¡±

    Sigille snorted amusedly. ¡°Yes. Yes, we are.¡±

    Wallace pouted exaggeratedly. ¡°Fine.¡± Afterwards, he dropped his joking expression and looked at Emily. ¡°You have a good head on your shoulders. Just¡­ Please promise me to use it. No matter which aspect of your life.¡±

    Emily was momentarily taken aback by her father¡¯s unusually sincere attitude. ¡°Of course.¡± She smiled warmly.

    ¡°Surprisingly, I don¡¯t feel any less anxious, but that is my own problem to deal with.¡± Wallace made a wry expression. ¡°You do you. Just remember that I am there if you need me. No matter what.¡±

    Terry again caught a jerky head movement from Matteo and he saw him stand for a while with closed eyes. Both Terry and Sigille were observing Matteo.

    When Matteo opened his eyes, he immediately searched Sigille¡¯s gaze. Sigille tapped her own nose twice. Matteo nodded.

    ¡°Emily, you should get yourself cleaned up properly outside,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°I assume there will be a feast of some sort?¡± added Sigille. ¡°You can make the preparations. Our group can take care of the remains.¡±

    While Emily quickly assented and some of the dungeon scavengers followed without pause, Wallace moved his eyes from Matteo to Sigille.

    ¡°Of course, thanks for the offer,¡± said Wallace slowly. ¡°Anything we should prepare for you?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°It¡¯s Emily¡¯s day. Focus on her.¡±

    Wallace nodded and egged the other dungeon scavengers on to quickly leave the cavern.

    Cadence remained behind. While she did not catch what was going on, she at least caught Sigille¡¯s phrasing that their group was supposed to stay behind.

    ¡°Terry? A moment here, please,¡± shouted Matteo while he and Sigille approached the dead goo beetle.

    Sigille turned to Matteo. ¡°You sure?¡±

    Matteo pointed at his eyes and then leaned his head towards Terry.

    ¡°Mhmh,¡± agreed Sigille.

    ¡°Are you still wearing your ring?¡± Sigille asked Terry.

    Terry nodded before he realized what the question implied.

    Something is wrong here.

    ¡°Come to think of it, can you tell where they plan to prepare the feast?¡± asked Matteo. ¡°Where are the others now?¡±

    Terry tried hard to not show any of his confusion or nervousness on his face.

    Why would he ask that? They would go to camp, obviously. So it can¡¯t really be about the first question. If something is wrong, then¡­

    What did he say to Wallace before? ¡®Focus on Emily¡¯? If something is wrong, then this could mean that they were concerned about Emily¡¯s safety. The feast is about getting everyone out.

    Ahh¡­

    ¡°Too late to ask,¡± said Terry. ¡°They¡¯re already out. We¡¯ll have to find them later.¡±

    Matteo nodded at the second sentence.

    ¡°Good, then we can talk a bit more freely,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Something stinks here.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Cadence pointedly looked at the gooey remains.

    ¡°Not like that,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°This cavern has changed since I¡¯ve been here the last time,¡± said Matteo. ¡°It feels different. I¡¯m also getting weird impressions from the surrounding stone.¡±

    ¡°I did not notice any difference, but my nose is getting itchy,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I trust my nose.¡±

    ¡°Terry, can you sense any mana deviations?¡± Matteo continued looking around while speaking. ¡°Anything that does not fit an area whose only claim to mana is that it borders on a dormant dungeon?¡±

    Terry finally understood why they had asked him to stay behind and he focused on his mana sight.

    Eventually, Terry noticed a distortion in the ambient mana. As soon as his eyes focused on the direction, the earth rumbled.

    ¡°I really would have preferred if you had not noticed our presence,¡± a hollow voice echoed across the cavern. ¡°That would have been better for all of us.¡±

    ***

 076 Reanimated Hellspawn

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 52 ¨C

    On the opposite side of the cavern, a grey-skinned man with sunken cheeks emerged from a platform.

    Death-emphasized mana¡­

    Terry narrowed his eyes.

    The man was also emitting an aura that reminded Terry of the blood idol he had seen during the Preacher¡¯s reception.

    ¡°Corrupted necromancer,¡± spat Matteo. He raised his hand to the hilt of Soul Fury.

    ¡°Terry, retreat back to Cadence,¡± ordered Sigille.

    Terry quickly did as instructed and retrieved a barrier spear.

    ¡°You would have done well to ignore my presence and count your blessings.¡± The necromancer spoke with a hollow-sounding voice. ¡°I planned to be gone in a few days anyway, but we¡¯re not quite ready yet.¡±

    ¡°If you surrender, I may just trap you for a few days before letting you go.¡± The necromancer smiled amicably.

    Creepy.

    ¡°Not sure who you think we are,¡± said Sigille. ¡°But if you surrender, you get to keep your head on your shoulders until you get an examination trial.¡± She shrugged casually. ¡°Going by your aura, I very much doubt that the trial will show a favorable result for you though. Quite nasty even from here.¡±

    ¡°You are with the Guardians?¡± The necromancer¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Or with the death hunters?¡± He warily observed Cadence¡¯s mana signature that heavily featured the light aspect.

    ¡°Why not both?¡± Sigille smirked. ¡°Seems as if karma is working as it should. Your deeds have caught up with you and your luck has run out. Surrender and submit to trial or we¡¯ll skip ahead to the inevitable result right here and now.¡±

    The necromancer scowled.

    ¡°There is mana movement below him,¡± whispered Terry.

    ¡°They know.¡± Cadence whispered back. ¡°Matteo should be aware of all changes in the surrounding stone structures. They¡¯re probably waiting for others to reveal themselves. That necromancer switched between ¡®I¡¯ and ¡®we¡¯, so there should¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll choose neither,¡± growled the necromancer and the rock below the platform he was standing on split open to reveal a large creature.

    Looks like a gorilla bred with an ant, died, and then came back to life with some additional spiky armor¡­

    Terry shuddered.

    ¡°Behold, my masterpiece!¡± The necromancer shouted gloatingly.

    ¡°Reanimated hellspawn corpse?¡± growled Sigille with narrowed eyes. ¡°Young juggernaut from the looks of it. This ought to be interesting.¡±

    ¡°Probably found somewhere deeper in the dormant dungeon,¡± surmised Matteo.

    A tear?

    Terry¡¯s ears perked up.

    Is that related to the dungeon becoming dormant? Wait, why would a corpse remain? Wouldn¡¯t the dungeon claim the corpse immediately?

    Terry involuntarily wondered before he reminded himself to focus on the situation at hand.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Sigille glanced at Matteo.

    ¡°I doubt this lunatic is capable of drawing out most of the hellspawn¡¯s aspects,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The necromancers whom I¡¯ve seen pull that off successfully were strained with the required control. This lunatic looks as if he is already struggling to deal with his own mana.¡±

    Sigille nodded. ¡°The usual then. At this point, I doubt that there are more. That creep is probably including his icky baby in his manner of speaking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯LL GIVE YOU ONE MORE CHANCE!¡± shouted the necromancer with an arrogant smile. ¡°IF YOU¡ª¡±

    He was interrupted by a blue lightning bolt cracking towards him. The bolt collided with the palm of the undead juggernaut that had raised its arm to block the attack on its master.

    The juggernaut clicked its mandibles angrily.

    The necromancer stopped his hubris, came to his senses, and prepared barriers for defense.

    Matteo and Sigille were already dashing forward.

    Matteo reshaped the earth to create steps for Sigille while simultaneously throwing elemental attacks at the necromancer.

    Sigille used the improvised stairs to leap to the juggernaut¡¯s eye level.

    The inscriptions on Sigille¡¯s axe flared up with an intense light and a glowing golden hammer that seemed almost tangible appeared to the juggernaut¡¯s right.

    The divine hammer smacked the juggernaut against the head, and the creature fell to one knee.

    Inscriptions lit up on Sigille¡¯s boots and translucent golden sheets of mana appeared to provide her footing in the air.

    Sigille dashed forward with a burst of mana and before the juggernaut had recovered from the initial hit, Sigille slashed upwards with her axe that aimed for the juggernaut¡¯s neck.

    Unfortunately, the juggernaut raised one of its giant forearms in time to block and the axe merely left a deep, blood-less gash on the hellspawn¡¯s carapace.

    Sigille positioned herself between the necromancer and the juggernaut. She nodded to herself. Matteo¡¯s estimate appeared to have been correct. The corpse did not show any signs of active mana abilities. Only some of the innate passives.

    Dark tendrils emerged from the gash on the hellspawn¡¯s forearm and the wound sealed itself.

    Sigille channeled mana into her equipment and went back on the attack to separate the juggernaut from its master.

    While Sigille pushed against the hellspawn from its front, a bright golden flame spear charged at the creature¡¯s side ¨C courtesy of Cadence.

    The hellspawn hissed and a vile stench erupted when the holy fire ravaged the necrotic flesh.

    Panic flashed through the necromancer¡¯s eyes as he saw Matteo slashing a katana at his first barrier while being surrounded by purple lightning. The necromancer¡¯s barriers shattered one after the other without offering much resistance to the fiendish blade.

    Fortunately for the necromancer, he realized his predicament quickly and immediately used a Shadow Step spell to escape.

    Unfortunately for the necromancer, he was greeted by a flame created from Matteo¡¯s elemental mana as soon as he stepped out of the shadows.

    The necromancer¡¯s eyes were trembling from fear and he gave silent commands to the juggernaut while preparing a volley of Death Spear spells to push Matteo back.

    The juggernaut suddenly retreated from Sigille and charged at Cadence as his master had instructed.

    Sigille stopped herself from reflexively pursuing the creature and instead trusted Cadence and Terry to hold it off while she and Matteo got rid of the necromancer. If the necromancer fell, so would his reanimated creature.

    Cadence finished a quickened casting of a holy-infused Circle of Flames spell. The flames bit into the hellspawn¡¯s flesh despite its fast movement speed.

    Terry had finished his spell preparation and hurled his brightfire-aspected spear at the creature¡¯s torso.

    *KRCHK* The transfixed spear was hit by its target. While the juggernaut continued pushing forward despite having an immovable spear stuck in its body, the spear slowed the creature down.

    Terry prepared a bolas, but held off on throwing it.

    Cadence finished her empowered summoning of golden chains that bound the hellspawn creature. Afterwards, she infused the chains with the holy element.

    Wherever the corpse touched the holy chains, its flesh started to sizzle and burn.

    Terry eyed the creature warily when he noticed the dozen mana signatures behind him. He did not have to turn around to know who had arrived.

    *Thwish* *Thwish* *Thwish*

    Arrows with arrowheads that were burning, brightly glowing, or radiating intense cold were hitting the juggernaut one after the other.

    *BAM*

    A translucent golden hammer rammed the necromancer into a giant earth spike that had been shaped by Matteo. The necromancer had been pushed with such force that he was nearly ripped in half from the wound stretched by the earth spike.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    When the necromancer¡¯s eyes glazed over, the reanimated hellspawn collapsed to the ground.

    ***

    ¡°Why the Wastes did you come back in?¡± complained Sigille.

    ¡°What the Wastes was that?¡± retorted Wallace and ignored Sigille¡¯s complaints. ¡°And was that always here? Gives me the creeps!¡±

    ¡°That one was a necromancer that looked about ready to completely lose his mind to corruption,¡± said Matteo. ¡°The big one was the reanimated corpse of a hellspawn.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Wallace looked repulsed. ¡°That thing was just lurking here?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, did you think we could not handle it?¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°And that you lot might?¡±

    ¡°Last time I was here, I did not sense that thing,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But today, it was probably there from the beginning, yes.¡±

    Wallace glowered at the corpses.

    ¡°I thought we had it planned out that you would stay outside to watch over Little Emily and your vultures,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Wallace in a heartfelt manner. He let his eyes wander over Matteo, Sigille, Cadence, and Terry. ¡°Seriously.¡± Wallace¡¯s eyes became distant. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been here, if that thing had come out during the ceremony¡­¡±

    ¡°I think the necromancer wanted to stay hidden,¡± said Matteo. ¡°He probably would not have made an appearance if we had not been here to force his hand.¡±

    ¡°Bows are not exactly the best equipment for a cave,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    ¡°Still,¡± muttered Wallace while looking pensively at Matteo.

    ¡°If you had gotten yourself injured, then poor Emily would have her whole day ruined,¡± grumbled Sigille.

    Wallace silently turned to Sigille and grinned. ¡°Give it a rest already, old lady. No one likes a Nagging Nana.¡±

    ¡°You know, come to think of it, I have some healing items,¡± said Sigille, who was decidedly unamused. ¡°I think we can make a few injuries and get you patched up before showing you to Little Emily.¡±

    ¡°Kinky,¡± said Wallace with a deadpan expression. ¡°I¡¯ll take a raincheck.¡±

    Sigille shuddered exaggeratedly.

    ¡°While I appreciate your concern for our health, I wanted to see what was lurking in the shadows for myself,¡± said Wallace. ¡°And the others and I thought it felt weird to let Little Matteo fight without at least trying to lend a hand. Old habits, I know.¡±

    Matteo smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°Nice sentiment, but I think it¡¯s been a while since ¡®Little¡¯ Matteo has left your weight class,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Meh, to some of us, he¡¯ll always be the gloomy bean-sprout whom we had to pull back from fights that need not be fought,¡± interjected a human dungeon scavenger that looked to be in her fifties.

    ¡°I mostly remember the first time he took over cooking duty,¡± said Bigsby, who looked to be of comparable age. ¡°My tastebuds are still having traumatic nightmares.¡±

    Matteo rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Right,¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°I sometimes suspected he was secretly training to become a poisoner.¡±

    ¡°The kid somehow made the food taste saltier than pure salt,¡± added Borf. ¡°I can understand the suspicion.¡±

    ¡°For me, it was the stew that tipped me off,¡± said Dee. ¡°I mean, how on earth can you mess up stew? Sure, it takes some ability to make a good stew, but I never realized that it was possible to make a stew inedible.¡±

    ¡°Truly eye-opening,¡± exclaimed Wallace, and grinned. ¡°We¡¯ve learned so much from him.¡±

    ¡°Right back at you lot,¡± said Matteo with a heartfelt smile.

    After some more banter, Wallace turned to Sigille. ¡°Do we need to do anything with the corpses?¡±

    ¡°You? No,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°Matteo and I will send a message so that the Guardians and death hunters are aware of the incident.¡±

    ¡°Given that the necromancer managed to reanimate a hellspawn, I expect that they¡¯ll send someone over,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Hm, do you need to wait for them here?¡± asked Dee from the dungeon scavengers.

    ¡°Probably,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°Then some good has come out of it,¡± said another dwarven dungeon scavenger. ¡°Some more time with everyone together. I really hate to see the little bird leave the nest.¡±

    ¡°No love for me, huh?¡± exclaimed Wallace in insincere sadness. ¡°Everyone just misses the little baby. No one misses the caring father.¡±

    The dwarven dungeon scavenger snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you ever being adorable and cute, Wallace.¡±

    ¡°Nor as polite,¡± added another dungeon scavenger.

    ¡°Nor as pleasant,¡± added yet another.

    ¡°Come to think of it, she cooks better, too,¡± added a third.

    ¡°Bunch of ingrates,¡± exclaimed Wallace in insincere exasperation. ¡°Decades of self-sacrifice in leading this group of barely competent savages and this is the thanks I get. You are lucky that I agree with every one of your assessments and that every praise for my little angel is music to my ears.¡±

    ¡°That kind of takes the fun out of it,¡± grumbled the dwarven dungeon scavenger. ¡°Spoilsport.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± said Wallace. ¡°My nose just reminded me how much this place stinks. The mixture of rotten corpse and goo beetle goo is surprisingly not all that pleasant.¡±

    ¡°Could be worse,¡± muttered Terry absentmindedly. He recalled the dungeon of ghouls, as well as Poppy¡¯s ¡®fragrance¡¯ inscription.

    Wallace stared at Terry with exaggerated pity. ¡°You poor soul. What happened to you to be desensitized to such a degree?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± uttered Terry eloquently.

    ¡°And can it be bottled up and used for entirely benign purposes?¡± continued Wallace, whose face had broken out into a grin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going already,¡± interjected one of the dungeon scavengers.

    While the group left the cavern, Sigille walked up next to Wallace. She sent him a scolding look. ¡°Seriously, show some sense. I appreciate how much you care about Matteo, but have some self-awareness. It won¡¯t do anyone any good if you get yourself hurt.¡±

    Wallace glanced down at the dwarf at his side. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You better,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°Leaving Little Emily aside, whom I would hate to see grieving over your weirdo bum, Matteo has already lost enough. He does not need you getting yourself hurt on his account to add to his unwarranted feelings of guilt.¡±

    ¡°Thanks again,¡± said Wallace sincerely.

    Sigille raised an eyebrow and was taken aback. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with you suddenly acting all serious. Almost like a grown-up person. Where is the confrontational weirdo version?¡±

    Wallace glanced at her with a deadpan expression. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯m not into roleplaying in a goo-corpse scented environment. Raincheck?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± growled Sigille with revulsion clear on her face.

    ***

    A translucent grey pigeon flew down and circled Matteo, who was sitting with the others at camp.

    ¡°Just once,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Just once, I would like to see the Guardians react quicker than the Guild. Just once would be nice.¡±

    Matteo shot her an amused look and then raised his hand to receive the bird. Afterwards, he retrieved a small orb and a piece of spell paper from the bird¡¯s feet.

    Matteo channeled some of his mana into the spell paper, which reacted to his mana signature and revealed the message for his eyes.

    ¡°I take it that the hellspawn corpse makes them a bit jumpy?¡± inquired Sigille.

    ¡°Seems like it,¡± muttered Matteo while moving his eyes over the message. ¡°And I can fully understand them.¡±

    Matteo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°We don¡¯t have that many records on reanimated hellspawn, but from the numbers we have, the incidents seem to be increasing. While the numbers are too small to infer any robust trends, it is not too far-fetched that someone may have opened the floodgates, shared some specific insight into how to increase the chances of success.¡±

    ¡°Necromancers aren¡¯t usually the community-oriented type though,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Not that inclined to share their insights with others.¡±

    Matteo glanced at Sigille with a distant glint in his eyes. ¡°We both know that there are exceptions.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s expression fell, and she became pensive, with a grim glint in her eyes. ¡°Do you suspect Anand might have his fingers in this? I¡¯ve never heard of him messing with hellspawn before.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± replied Matteo absentmindedly before looking up from the message. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe there is anything he would not touch. Every source of power is on the table and it¡¯s not like this would be a big deviation from his study of necromancy. Different corpses, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Matteo shrugged. ¡°Besides, my former mentor keeps his powers hidden and varied. Back at the elemental tower, no one had any idea that he was a necromancer or a dimensional mage or...¡± Matteo¡¯s voice trailed off while he subconsciously glared at the empty air.

    Concern flashed through Sigille¡¯s eyes while she looked at Matteo. The same was true for many of the dungeon scavengers sitting nearby.

    ¡°As powerful as Anand may be, we should not raise specters of him everywhere,¡± stressed Sigille. ¡°There are plenty of other bastards wandering the earth. We¡¯ll find him. Sooner or later, we¡¯ll find him.¡±

    Matteo nodded. ¡°No matter what.¡± He stood up. ¡°Guild management wants to have a little chat in private.¡± He waved the little orb.

    ¡°Dramatic bunch, aren¡¯t they?¡± quipped Sigille.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remind them that I will tell my Guardian-partner everything anyway,¡± said Matteo. ¡°That should sour their mood.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, my son,¡± said Sigille and grinned.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯ll have a pair of death hunters arrive two days from now at the latest,¡± said the translucent woman.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Together with my Guardian-partner.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± said the woman. ¡°That is all. Farewell.¡±

    ¡°Bye,¡± said Matteo and collected the orb into his storage item.

    Matteo stood for a moment in silent contemplation when he felt the air behind him shift abnormally. He reeled around and jumped to the side on instinct.

    A long spearhead pierced into the ground where Matteo had been standing, and a small explosion followed.

    Matteo saw the frenzied eyes of a dwarven woman with short hazelnut-colored hair through the haze of smoke and falling earth.

    The woman was holding two long spears that were longer than her own body. She lunged at Matteo. She thrust the spears forward and grabbed them way back on the pole, which was a testament to the dwarf¡¯s iron grip and arm strength.

    Matteo turned his waist and moved his legs while a slick sheet of ice was created on the forest floor. He exhaled a powerful gust of air and distanced himself from the assailant.

    Inscriptions on the dwarf¡¯s boots lit up. A small whirlwind appeared underneath her feet and allowed the woman to propel herself forward in the air. She bypassed the ice and violently slammed the front of her spear onto the ground.

    The following explosion burst the ice apart.

    Without pause, the dwarven woman pursued Matteo. In between thrusts, she rotated her torso to either change the line of attack or to switch from piercing thrusts to wide and powerful slashes.

    Matteo narrowed his eyes at the intensity of the attack. The hatred in the woman¡¯s eyes made it seem personal, but he did not recognize her at all, nor did he spot any identifying markers of associations that might serve as an explanation.

    Matteo dodged the woman¡¯s vicious attacks while wondering if she was associated with the necromancer and, if so, why she would single him out.

    The speed of the fight was so intense that even after a dozen exchanges, only a few seconds had passed.

    At some point, Matteo went on the attack with the goal of incapacitating the assailant and gathering information afterwards. His eyes glowed a bright purple, and he stepped into the woman¡¯s next attack while dodging her first thrust. He unleashed a numbing lightning discharge.

    The dwarf noticed the mana movement and rapidly slapped both spears down. She paired the powerful explosion with her boots to have herself propelled backwards.

    From the corner of her eyes, she saw the rising earth wall in her path of retreat. The dwarf somersaulted in the air and, with an impressive display of leg strength, jumped back to go on the attack.

    ¡°Emaldine, STOP!¡± roared Sigille, who was dashing towards the battle location.

    For a second, both the dwarven woman and Matteo were staring at Sigille. Emaldine with unbridled rage.

    Matteo with a mixture of realization and resignation. He let go of his combat stance and stood up straight with his head lowered. He grabbed his heartseeker dagger tightly. His other hand was clenched into a fist and shaking.

    ¡°Never,¡± spat Emaldine. ¡°That thing has killed Pa!¡± She pointed with one spear at Matteo and immediately went back to attack her target.

    Matteo watched the attacking Emaldine as if he was an outside observer. He did not make the slightest attempt to dodge and just smiled bitterly. When the spear tip was mere inches away from his head, he closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

    ***

 077 Haunting Demons

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 56 ¨C

    Silence fell on the forest.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop, then I will have to make you stop, Whaka Emaldine,¡± barked Sigille, who was now standing between Emaldine and Matteo. Sigille¡¯s armor was glowing with inscriptions and she was grabbing the spear that had aimed for Matteo¡¯s head.

    Emaldine tried to wrestle the spear back with all her might. When she failed, she let go of the spear and jumped back. She glowered at Sigille.

    ¡°You would fight your own child to protect that?¡± Emaldine pointed at Matteo. She looked about ready to pounce again.

    ¡°I would fight to protect both of my children,¡± retorted Sigille firmly. She threw the spear away to her side. ¡°Protect one child from the other and protect the other child from herself.¡±

    Sigille took a deep breath. ¡°You will always be my daughter, Whaka Emaldine. Whatever you believe you know, Whaka Matteo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Accepted son?!¡± Emaldine stared at Sigille with incredulous eyes. ¡°HE KILLED PA!¡±

    ¡°Look at him,¡± exclaimed Sigille and moved her chin towards Matteo.

    Matteo was still standing as before. His left hand was on the heartseeker dagger. His right hand was shaking in a clenched fist. His gaze was lowered to the ground.

    ¡°The moment he realized who you were, he stopped fighting back.¡± Sigille turned to Matteo and stabbed her finger at his chest. ¡°And we will have a long talk about that, Whaka Matteo. I don¡¯t care who attacks you. I expect you to defend yourself.¡±

    ¡°If you still don¡¯t care enough about your own life, then at least respect my wish.¡± Sigille shook her head with clenched teeth. ¡°I do not want to be forced to bury my own child.¡±

    Sigille turned back to Emaldine. ¡°Look at him. You have no idea how he¡ª After your father, after my life¡¯s chosen had been killed, I charged into what was left of the tower. In all my life, I had never felt that livid. When I fought my way through the elementals, I was ready to crush the monster, to exact vengeance for my husband.¡±

    Sigille shook her head with glistening eyes. ¡°I was looking for a monstrous demon, but all I found was a betrayed child whimpering in horror at what his memories showed him.¡± She stared at Emaldine with pleading eyes. ¡°The thing that massacred the people in the Union, the thing that killed your pa, that wasn¡¯t him. That was something done to him.¡±

    Emaldine scoffed but averted her eyes.

    ¡°If you are looking for vengeance, then you are looking in the wrong place,¡± stressed Sigille. ¡°The person you should be looking for is a man that had worked as an instructor in the elemental tower: Anand. That is the name of the murderer.¡±

    Sigille sighed and grit her teeth. ¡°Unfortunately, that man is extremely good at hiding and running away.¡±

    Emaldine raised her head and glared at Sigille again. She opened her mouth, but she said nothing, even though her eyes clearly showed her unwillingness to let it go.

    ¡°Please,¡± said Sigille with a trembling voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want my child to be killed. I also don¡¯t want my child to have innocent blood on her hands.¡±

    Emaldine grimaced before looking at Sigille with defiance. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always say that most scavengers are bandits in disguise? I¡¯ve been scavenging the Wastes for more than a decade. I thought you already imagined my hands to be bloody.¡±

    Sigille shot her daughter a look as if she was a fool before her expression turned solemn. ¡°If I had believed that, then I would have spat into a bucket and hunted you down myself.¡±

    Emaldine scowled at the all-to-familiar look from her mother. Her scowl intensified with the reference to the svipa tradition for cutting off ties with whaka. Even more so at the implied superiority that her mother assumed when talking about hunting her down.

    ¡°I always believed that your heart is in the right place,¡± said Sigille warmly.

    The soft tone in Sigille¡¯s voice took Emaldine aback. They had not spoken for more than a decade and Emaldine mostly remembered their later quarrels. She had all but forgotten that her mother could utter such affectionate sounds.

    ¡°It is only your sense that I sometimes question,¡± continued Sigille.

    Emaldine frowned. That was more like it.

    ¡°I told you that even if you do not jump into the river yourself, if you walk by the river long enough, then your feet will get wet eventually,¡± said Sigille. There was a trace of inquisitiveness on her face.

    ¡°...¡± Emaldine averted her eyes and grit her teeth.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Whaka Emaldine?¡± asked Sigille impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s been more than a decade. Why now? After all this time?¡±

    ¡°I only found out about pa¡¯s death after more than a year!¡± exclaimed Emaldine with an accusatory tone. ¡°And through a wasted message left at a settlement, I barely visit.¡±

    Sigille refrained from frowning and answered calmly: ¡°It was not my choice, child, that you disappeared without leaving a way to contact you. That scavenger brood of yours travelled all across the Wasteborder, which is not a place to get accurate information on a single dwarf that does not want to be found.¡±

    Sigille sighed and tried hard to keep the accusing tone out of her voice. ¡°You have made it clear that you did not wish to talk to me and you severed all links by which I could have easily made out your location.¡±

    Sigille shook her head with a hapless expression. ¡°The world does not stop when you need it. I was pressed for time. I used what little I could make to fulfill the last wishes of your father and even then, there was already damage done while I was gone.¡±

    Emily approached silently and took the shaking fist of Matteo into her hands.

    Sigille glanced at Emily and the others. Wallace, Terry, and Cadence were standing out in the open. Sigille understood that the rest of the scavengers were probably dispersed in a wider area, aspected arrows nocked and aimed ¨C aimed at her daughter.

    Sigille sighed wearily. She looked at Emily. ¡°Lead him away, dear. He will need some time to calm down.¡±

    Emily nodded and left with Matteo towards Wallace¡¯s direction.

    Emaldine did not even glance at them as they left.

    Sigille inhaled deeply and moved her eyes back towards her daughter. ¡°Why now? Even a message delayed for a year does not explain all this time.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Emaldine stared at the forest floor and clenched her fist.

    ¡°What happened, Whaka Emaldine?¡± asked Sigille with the tone of a concerned mother.

    When only silence followed, Sigille sighed again. ¡°I do not doubt that you would stubbornly make your way all across the empire and through a wasted war-zone just so you could hear hearsay from strangers when you could have heard the real story by talking to me.¡± She could not hide all her bitterness from her tone.

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°But I do not believe those so-called friends of yours would join you on the trip or wait around while you are gone. What happened?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Emaldine bit her lip.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Sigille. Her lips were trembling slightly.

    ¡°Fine! You were right, okay?¡± spat Emaldine with tears in her eyes. ¡°We had a long streak of unsuccessful scavenging trips. Suddenly, there was this new pair with good leads. Very successful at finding scavenging sites.¡±

    Emaldine grimaced. ¡°Too successful¡­¡± She grit her teeth. ¡°Sites were too fresh. Blood was barely dry but without traces of bodies.¡±

    Sigille watched her daughter calmly, without interrupting.

    ¡°It stank to the heavens.¡± Emaldine glared at the ground. ¡°I told the others and¡­¡± She bit her lips. ¡°They did not seem to care.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s when I left.¡± She swallowed the frustration in her throat and stared challengingly at Sigille. ¡°You were right. Are you happy now?!¡±

    Sigille watched her daughter with sad eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Emaldine scoffed and glared at the ground.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°But not because I was right,¡± continued Sigille. ¡°I would have gladly been mistaken. I am happy to finally see my beloved daughter again.¡± She smiled bitterly and with glistening eyes. ¡°And to see you in one piece and with your heart in the right place.¡± She shook her head helplessly.

    Emaldine wiped her eyes. The discrepancy between her expectations and reality had her distraught and dumbstruck.

    ¡°I¡­ just want to know if I can help you in any way,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything,¡± said Emaldine weakly. She took a few breaths to regain her composure. ¡°Where can I find this Anand?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°¡­will take some time to explain. Let¡¯s go to camp.¡±

    Emaldine only grunted in response.

    ¡°Well, that is swell,¡± interjected Wallace angrily. ¡°But I remember you saying how cute and adorable Little Emaldine was supposed to be. She must have outgrown that while you weren¡¯t looking.¡±

    Emaldine stared at the elven man with his barely existent mana signature. ¡°Hello there, scrawny elf. Are you suicidal?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m Wallace,¡± retorted Wallace. ¡°And I prefer daring, which reminds me¡­¡± The joking smile vanished from his face. ¡°It was quite daring of you to attack Matteo in these parts.¡±

    Emaldine scoffed, but then she noticed over twenty mana signatures in her mana sight. Shortly afterwards, she noticed the aspected arrows pointed at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you could have your little stubbornness-impeded heart-to-heart¡­¡± Wallace was glaring at Emaldine. ¡°But I want you to understand that the only reason you are still living life with the expected number of bodily orifices is that we recognized the name from the old hag¡¯s shout.¡±

    Wallace¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡°I don¡¯t care about who, why, or what. Threaten the kid again and you¡¯ll get some new holes you didn¡¯t plan for.¡±

    ¡°Bring it, scrawny elf,¡± taunted Emaldine with defiant eyes.

    ¡°I can see the family resemblance,¡± remarked Wallace drily.

    ¡°Did you seriously just threaten my daughter right in front of me?¡± asked Sigille with incredulity.

    ¡°Someone had to,¡± retorted Wallace exasperatingly. ¡°You were coddling the little monster!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± spat Emaldine.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t! See?¡± Wallace pointed at Emaldine. ¡°Now, she is interrupting the adults. Where does it end? You have to draw clear lines. Establish boundaries.¡±

    Terry could see a vein pulsing on Emaldine¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you for parenting advice,¡± said Sigille with a tired expression.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Wallace grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Have you seen my little angel? She¡¯s delightful.¡±

    ¡°That she is, and I still can¡¯t believe that she is related to you in any way,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°I suggest you do not antagonize my daughter until you outgrow the defensive ability of a twig, scrawny elf.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, did I get a new nickname?¡± Wallace exclaimed gleefully. ¡°Or are you just trying to score some points with your daughter, old pal?¡± He clicked his tongue and looked disappointed. ¡°I know that parents are biased when it comes to their children, but frankly, I find the nickname a bit lacking in originality.¡±

    ¡°Meh, if it fits, it fits,¡± said Sigille flatly.

    ¡°Just make sure that the little missy understands to keep her boom boom toys away from Matteo,¡± said Wallace. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to run to mommy when it comes down to it.¡±

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to face her ¡®mommy¡¯?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°I see we understand each other,¡± said Wallace with a sheepish grin. ¡°In my defense though, have you seen her mommy? That¡¯s one grouchy shrew, I tell ya. Could scare the bollocks off a terror grizzly.¡±

    Sigille groaned.

    ¡°How has no one squashed your little pinhead yet?¡± exclaimed Emaldine with exasperation.

    Wallace turned to her with an offended expression before tilting his head from side to side. ¡°More original, I guess. I never had someone insult the size of my head before. I¡¯m almost tempted to get self-conscious in appreciation.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?!¡± demanded Emaldine. She was glaring at Sigille. ¡°I want to know where Anand can be expected to be.¡±

    ¡°I understood you the first time,¡± said Sigille calmly. ¡°But first of all, we do not have any clear trails to follow and, more importantly, you are not equipped to go after Anand.¡±

    Emaldine scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Whaka Emaldine,¡± insisted Sigille. ¡°From everything we have learned about Anand since that incident, he would pose a serious challenge, even for me.¡±

    Sigille¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°A talented, dedicated, and experienced mage proper. Gifted in death and several core elemental aspects. At least a grand master in necromancy. Worst of all, a dimensional mage.¡±

    Frustration flashed over Sigille¡¯s face. ¡°To make it even worse, Anand seems to have allies, spies, and projects everywhere. Not to mention, access to the summoning from necromancy and his dominated elementals.¡±

    Sigille looked at her daughter. ¡°For you to go alone after Anand is suicidal. That is assuming that Anand would even stay around to face you. He is a dimensional mage more capable than the Supreme¡¯s disciple. I don¡¯t know how Anand compares to Silver-Eyes Jee or the Mage Supreme herself, but it is a fact that Anand can create long-distance dimensional gates.

    ¡°If you want to go after Anand alone, then you would seek your own death,¡± stressed Sigille. ¡°And unless you can prevent his space magic, you would get absolutely nothing for your troubles.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that that person is spending every Setting Moon hunting for traces of Anand?¡± Emaldine scowled.

    ¡°Yes, Matteo does that,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°And while I¡¯m also not completely happy about that, Matteo is different from you.¡±

    Emaldine glared at her mother in defiance.

    ¡°That came out¡­¡± Sigille sighed tiredly and moved her hands over her own hair. ¡°Matteo does not go alone, or at least not usually. There are other death hunters that join him.¡±

    Sigille sighed again and shook her head. ¡°And even though his guilt-ridden mind may never realize it properly, Matteo has people that would walk through the Wastes and back for him. Friends that can stand at his level. Friends that watch over him and are ready to stand with him.¡±

    Emaldine stared at the ground and clenched her teeth.

    ¡°And while you may not like to hear it, Matteo is stronger than you,¡± finished Sigille.

    Emaldine raised her eyes with all of her previous defiance returned. ¡°Oh really? He did not show that earlier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he was still gauging you,¡± retorted Sigille. ¡°Trying to decide how much force was warranted.¡±

    Emaldine rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen him push his elemental abilities to their limits and you haven¡¯t seen him draw Soul Fury,¡± said Sigille. ¡°His elemental powers react to his emotions. If Matteo ever stands face to face with Anand, well¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s gaze became distant. ¡°I do not worry about Matteo¡¯s strength on that day. I worry about his state of mind.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± scoffed Emaldine. ¡°You have no idea how strong I am.¡±

    Sigille examined her daughter calmly. ¡°You are my daughter, Whaka Emaldine.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°You have inherited many of my strengths, but also many of my weaknesses. I know the limitations that my blood has cursed you with better than anyone.¡±

    Emaldine was taken aback by the guilt and self-reproach in her mother¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I remember my abilities from when I was your age,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I remember how much effort it took to get there. Persistent training every day. Choosing work that pushes you further.¡±

    Emaldine averted her eyes.

    ¡°Most importantly, I am very aware of the items required to make up for my¡ª our limitations,¡± said Sigille. ¡°They do not come cheap.¡±

    Sigille let her voice hang in the air for a moment. ¡°Unless you are keeping your main equipment hidden in a storage item, I can confidently say that you are not a match for Matteo, much less for Anand. The Guild pays better than scavenging in the Wastes and that adds up over the years.¡±

    ¡°I can tell you whatever you want to know,¡± said Sigille.

    Emaldine raised an eyebrow with obvious skepticism.

    ¡°If you promise to not go after Anand without my blessing, which would require you to have strong and trustworthy friends as well as the required abilities and equipment,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Alternatively, you just have to beat me in a duel.¡±

    Emaldine growled to herself.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± said Sigille with a warm look and a bitter smile. ¡°Take some time to rest. Get to know your brother¡ª¡±

    ¡°Forget that,¡± snapped Emaldine. ¡°That¡­ person is not my brother. Even if everything you have told me is true, then it was still¡­ He still had a part in pa¡¯s death.¡± She grit her teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not my brother.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Sigille sighed tiredly. ¡°You are old enough to manage your own whanau.¡± She stared into Emaldine¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I won¡¯t have you lash out against Matteo. If you need to vent, do it somewhere else. Matteo has been through enough.¡±

    Emaldine snorted.

    ¡°Whaka Emaldine, look at me,¡± demanded Sigille. ¡°Imagine following the orders of the only parent figure you have ever known and the next time you become aware of yourself, your head is filled with the most horrifying memories.¡±

    Sigille stared intently at her daughter. ¡°Memories of you slaughtering everyone around you. The two children that were your closest friends. Most of your instructors. The protectors of the tower. Most of the nearby manaless. Men, women, children. Ending with the tower master that sacrificed his life to stop your rampage.¡±

    Emaldine averted her eyes and looked at the floor.

    ¡°Imagine not being conscious through any of it, only to wake up and remember everything from the perspective of the monster that killed them all.¡± Sigille clenched her fists.

    Sigille sighed. ¡°You left your scavenging group when you suspected that innocents might have come to harm. I am proud of you, but please imagine what it would feel like to wake up in Matteo¡¯s place. He never had a real choice in what happened.¡±

    Emaldine frowned, but said nothing.

    Sigille sighed again. ¡°At least greet your cousin.¡±

    That statement caused Emaldine to look up with creased brows. ¡°Cousin?¡±

    ¡°Little Silly¡¯s child,¡± explained Sigille.

    ¡°Florine? Or Jorgen?¡± Emaldine¡¯s eyes opened with anticipation. ¡°I barely remember the little chipmunks.¡±

    ¡°Understandable, they were still toddlers back then,¡± muttered Sigille in reminiscence. ¡°But no, not them. Whaka Terry is Isille¡¯s accepted son. The young man that stood together with the cultist and the scrawny elf when you arrived.¡±

    ¡°The one that seemed young but had a freakishly intense mana signature?¡± asked Emaldine.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°And he really is young.¡±

    ¡°Makes it even more freakish,¡± mumbled Emaldine.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also taken him as my disciple while he¡¯s here in Tiv,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°The freak has my sympathies,¡± murmured Emaldine.

    Sigille snorted. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t heard a single complaint from him yet. On the contrary, Little Terry keeps exceeding my expectations for how far he can be pushed. To be honest, the kid seems to push himself the hardest.¡±

    Sigille chuckled. ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s just him completely lacking perspective for what expectations towards himself are reasonable. The kid manages some impressive feats while looking unsatisfied.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Terry and a canan named Tara are currently my most promising disciples. What they lack in spellwork, they make up for in grit and hard work.¡±

    Sigille shot her daughter a challenging look. ¡°You could try a spar¡­ If you have kept up with your training, that is.¡±

    Emaldine snorted without comment.

    ***

 078 Return to the Libra Outpost

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 57 ¨C

    ¡°Hey there, old gal!¡± exclaimed Wallace cheerfully through the night. He walked up to Sigille, who was sitting alone on a tree stump.

    ¡°Wallace, what do you want?¡± asked Sigille weakly.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Wallace pulled back his lips and hesitated.

    ¡°Speak if you will, fart if you must,¡± grumbled Sigille wearily. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, Wallace. You know better than to think me delicate.¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°I was just wondering if you¡¯re okay? Can¡¯t be easy meeting your estranged daughter like that.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Could have gone worse.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± blurted Wallace. ¡°Is nearly stabbing family members a tradition or something?¡±

    Sigille shot him an unamused look.

    ¡°Just saying,¡± mumbled Wallace. ¡°While I¡¯m glad the stabbing idea was discarded, I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m kind of missing a few things that ought to be said between parent and child at such a reunion.¡±

    Sigille only grunted as a reply.

    ¡°Even for an emotionally stunted reunion, your talk seemed awfully short,¡± said Wallace.

    ¡°What do you want, Wallace?¡± demanded Sigille impatiently.

    ¡°I actually wanted to commend you,¡± said Wallace.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sigille had not expected that answer.

    ¡°¡®I am happy to finally see my beloved daughter again.¡¯¡± repeated Wallace. ¡°That was good. I only want to suggest that you add on that.¡±

    Wallace looked at his old friend with sympathy and sat down on the grass next to Sigille. ¡°All these things you have told me about your beloved chipmunk¡­ Maybe you should tell some of that to her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sigille smiled bitterly and shrugged. ¡°I just feel like she hates me and I¡­¡±

    Wallace raised his hand and patted Sigille¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know, for someone that regularly stares down giant monsters without flinching, you sound surprisingly afraid.¡±

    Sigille remained silent.

    ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to understand the situation between you two,¡± started Wallace. ¡°But I will say one thing: Sometimes speaking your feelings is not about any reaction it inspires. At least you will have said your piece and she will know it. You will have done what you can.¡±

    Sigille sighed again. ¡°Maybe later.¡±

    ¡°Later, huh?¡± Wallace leaned forward to be face to face with Sigille. ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t let her leave again before then.¡±

    Sigille grumbled, but nodded. ¡°You can be a pain in the bum, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I seem to recall a few isolated remarks on that account, yes,¡± said Wallace, and chuckled. ¡°Seriously, though. You¡¯ve already lost so much time with her. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine the pain I would feel if Emily was gone for that long, with no word or sign of life.¡±

    Sigille only stared at the night-covered forest floor.

    ¡°Speaking of children, when do you intend to lecture Matteo?¡± asked Wallace. ¡°I would like to add a few admonishments of my own to that little talk.¡±

    Sigille gave a quick nod.

    ***

    Awkward¡­

    Terry looked around the camp and scratched his cheek. He had just returned from his morning training to find the others eating breakfast, but in contrast to the usual cheery meals, things seemed very different this time.

    Emaldine was quietly eating while occasionally scowling at Matteo or Sigille.

    Matteo ate in silence with a gloomy expression. Emily was quietly eating next to him.

    Sigille looked more haggard than Terry had ever seen her before.

    Most of the dungeon scavengers were glaring daggers at Emaldine, for which Emaldine returned the occasional glare of her own.

    ¡°Huuuaaahhhmmm¡­¡± Wallace stretched and yawned loudly. He scratched his belly. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we just all bright rays of sunshine today? Maybe we should set up a few official matches so that everyone can get it out of their system. You know, something quick and honorable, like rock paper scissors or something.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least shut up in the morning?¡± barked Emaldine.

    ¡°Lovely,¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°And thanks for asking, but no. Although, I have to admit I am not trying very hard, but what can you do?¡±

    Wallace washed his bowl in the fresh water collected by their water catcher.

    ¡°Besides, little miss grumpy pants.¡± Wallace shot Emaldine a pointed look. ¡°Some of us have been awake for quite a while.¡±

    Sigille glanced at Wallace and snorted.

    ¡°Not me personally, mind you,¡± continued Wallace with a grin. ¡°But I believe Terry has already been out and about since dawn. I don¡¯t understand what our new favorite mana scout has against sleep, but who am I to judge?¡±

    ¡°Nothing really,¡± said Terry. ¡°Just woke up and figured I could use the time.¡±

    ¡°Practiced aspecting again?¡± asked Wallace.

    ¡°Probably not.¡± Sigille snickered. ¡°Since he¡¯s doing that right now.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wallace blurted out. ¡°From what I can see, he¡¯s eating.¡± Wallace squinted at Terry. ¡°What are you hiding, suspect Terry?¡±

    Terry put his spoon in the bowl and lifted a throwing needle from his left leg strap. ¡°I think I have the technique mostly down and it reduces the time to aspect an item significantly.¡±

    Terry was examining the throwing needle. ¡°From what I can tell, it is also suitable as an exercise in compressing mana. I thought I could combine it with training for hands-free casting. I¡¯m trying to do it without my hands as a focal point.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± exclaimed Wallace with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, Terry,¡± praised Emily cheerfully.

    ¡°Do me a favor, Terry,¡± said Wallace. ¡°And don¡¯t say such outrageous things so casually in the morning. You are making the rest of us look bad.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Snickering rolled over the dungeon scavengers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± said Emily with a giggle.

    ¡°That aspecting technique usually takes a while to master,¡± interjected Matteo. ¡°And doing it with uncommon focal points is a whole other topic.¡±

    Emily beamed when Matteo spoke his first proper sentence this morning.

    ¡°Poor Terry,¡± exclaimed Wallace solemnly, while shaking his head. ¡°If only you had not been cursed with such abnormal mana control, then you could have followed the noble path of dungeon scavenging, but as it is, I am afraid the Guardians will never allow you to leave their clutches.¡± Wallace raised a palm and pointed with a finger at the palm, or rather at Sigille behind it. The palm was shielding the finger from Sigille¡¯s gaze, albeit badly.

    Wallace maintained eye contact with Terry. ¡°Blink once if¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± interrupted Terry. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be a Guardian. Thank you, though.¡±

    Wallace¡¯s expression froze while Sigille smiled approvingly.

    ¡°Well done, Terry.¡± Emily giggled. ¡°You have found Dad¡¯s weakness.¡±

    Emily¡¯s voice caused Wallace to regain his wits.

    ¡°Terry, you can¡¯t just thank me with such an honest tone when I am speaking.¡± Wallace shook his head in exasperation. ¡°It throws me off.¡±

    The dungeon scavengers snickered again.

    ¡°So? What did you practice this early in the morning?¡± asked Sigille.

    Terry looked up while explaining his exercises without realizing that most of the dungeon scavengers were staring at him with mouth agape.

    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you did not listen before?¡± Wallace wondered out loud. ¡°Maybe we should write you a list of all the things that sounded ridiculous in there?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you act like a normal boy your age?¡± asked Wallace. ¡°Like catching squirrels, peeing from trees, playing with dolls¡­¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Just ignore him,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°If you feed the scrawny elf with attention at the wrong moments, the conversation will never get anywhere sensible.¡±

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    Wallace gasped in a dramatic display of taking offense. ¡°Why do you have to go there, old hag? Here we were having a perfectly polite conversation about stealing dolls and peeing on squirrels and you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you really training with the divine hammer inscription?¡± Emaldine was looking between Terry and Sigille.

    Wallace was dramatically giving the stink-eye to Emaldine for the interruption, but shortly after, he grinned and sat down next to Emily and Matteo.

    As soon as Emaldine raised her voice, things became more quiet at the camp. Many dungeon scavengers remembered her presence, and that they were still pissed at her for attacking Matteo.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± replied Terry. ¡°But so far, I can only manage a single sheet underneath my feet and it¡¯s rather brittle. If I lose my concentration, it cannot carry my weight, much less provide a jumping point.¡±

    People were staring again while Sigille chuckled quietly.

    ¡°Okay, I give up,¡± exclaimed Wallace. ¡°Someone else has to take over being exasperated. I need a break.¡±

    ¡°Terry, you do realize that the divine hammer inscription is considered impractical by most people, right?¡± asked Cadence. ¡°For all its potential, you can count the users on one hand. The fact that you can already create anything with substance is impressive. Take some pride in that.¡±

    Emaldine stared at Sigille. ¡°Why would you have him practice that hellish inscription with his legs? Isn¡¯t that like trying to run before you can walk?¡±

    ¡°Normally, yes,¡± admitted Sigille. ¡°But for Terry¡¯s purposes, it works out better like this.

    ¡°While the offensive uses of the inscription are a benefit, the first goal is the utility it provides. Terry¡¯s paths of attack are also slightly different from most people, thanks to the way he uses his spell and imprints.¡±

    Sigille was rubbing the palm of her left hand with her right thumb. ¡°There is also the fact that he is already wearing inscribed gloves that cover the entire length of his forearms. This way, he can train the divine hammer inscription without having to change equipment or being forced to deal with mana interference on top.¡±

    Sigille nodded towards Terry. ¡°I also expect that he¡¯ll be able to draw some insights for his hands-free casting and mana reach training.¡±

    Terry had never heard Sigille lay it out so completely, but he hurriedly nodded in acknowledgement.

    ¡°You know, Terry, if you want to practice transfixing objects that come flying at you, we may be able to help you,¡± said Wallace with a taunting grin. ¡°We could chase you around the forest.¡± He tilted his head towards Sigille. ¡°Like we do for the old lady when she comes visiting.¡±

    ¡°Only with less water and more smoke and arrows.¡± Wallace grinned menacingly. ¡°If you are not careful, you might turn into a pincushion and¡ª¡±

    ¡°That sounds great,¡± exclaimed Terry excitedly.

    Wallace¡¯s mouth snapped shut mid-sentence. He creased his brows. ¡°You are a strange young man, Little Terry.¡± He turned to Sigille.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± said Sigille and snorted amusedly. ¡°You made the offer, even if you did it only to scare or tease him. You walked into it. Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I did.¡± Wallace grimaced. ¡°But what kind of person hears ¡®pincushion¡¯ and goes ¡®whee, let¡¯s do it¡¯?¡± He was shaking his head.

    ¡°I was wondering, Wallace,¡± started Dee. ¡°Who is this ¡®we¡¯ you talked about? I don¡¯t remember any of us volunteering to see who gets tired first ¨C us or the boy that barely needs sleep.¡±

    ¡°A fair point,¡± exclaimed Bigsby. ¡°Although, I guess I might be persuaded to protect the honor of your word, Wallace¡­¡±

    Sigille snickered.

    ¡°¡­if you were to take over cleaning duty until you leave with Little Emily,¡± finished the dwarf.

    ¡°Mhmh,¡± agreed Dee. ¡°And cooking duty, of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± agreed Bigsby with an enthusiastic nod.

    ¡°I think my bow could also use some maintenance.¡± Borf spoke up. ¡°Especially if you expect me to put it to such intense and unexpected use.¡±

    ¡°Blood beasts!¡± exclaimed Wallace exasperatingly. ¡°Scoundrels!¡±

    Emily giggled.

    Wallace sniffled and wiped something imaginary from his eye. ¡°I¡¯m proud of all of you.¡± His face returned to a deadpan expression. ¡°Fine then. On a completely unrelated note, if you find some spittle in your next stew, I want it to be known that it¡¯s just a sign of my affection.¡± He winked at them.

    ¡°Meh, we¡¯ve eaten worse,¡± said Bigsby. He pointedly tilted his head towards Matteo.

    Matteo rolled his eyes and shook his head.

    ¡°Yeah, as long as you don¡¯t slobber over my bow, we¡¯ll have a deal,¡± said Borf.

    ¡°Can¡¯t make any promises,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Who knows what sudden urges I may develop. Besides, I am trying to be more careful with my words. Not too long ago, I got myself into an unexpected pickle when some strange young man took me up on an offer I had carelessly made.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Ask me again when that memorable lesson has faded.¡±

    ¡°So in an hour or two?¡± asked Borf with a wide grin.

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± replied Wallace with a deadpan expression.

    ***

    The transportation scroll¡¯s effect activated and everyone arrived on a familiar road that led directly to Libra City.

    Terry immediately channeled mana to retrieve his oscillating throwing needles from his storage bracelets.

    Emaldine slowed her steps to walk quietly at the back of everyone.

    ¡°That druid¡¯s oak has become even larger,¡± exclaimed Wallace when he spotted the giant tree towering above the Libra Outpost. ¡°Impressive.¡±

    Wallace smiled at Emily. ¡°Although, given its stationary nature, I hope you will pick a more peaceful location to settle down than right at the frontier of the Wasted Zone.¡±

    Emily gulped when she realized she was now right at the Wasted Zone.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the frontier when Dhruv planted and raised the tree seed,¡± interjected Sigille. ¡°And in my frank opinion, Dhruv and his oak are the main reason that this can still be considered the frontier. If it wasn¡¯t for Dhruv, then the outpost and with it, the city would have fallen years ago.¡±

    ¡°If you were trying to make me feel more at ease with sending my precious daughter to this place, then I want you to know that you are failing miserably,¡± grumbled Wallace.

    ¡°Take some solace from the fact that the place is full of Guardians,¡± interjected Cadence.

    ¡°What about the Guild?¡± asked Terry. ¡°I mean, they have a presence in the city, too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the Guild will not set up shop in danger zones,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Unless someone pays them for it, which Tiv generally doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°The Tiv Empire won¡¯t shell out vals just to maintain a Guild presence,¡± said Sigille. ¡°They begrudgingly pay the Guildheads for specific missions. Limited time. Specific goals. No perpetual guarding of a city.¡±

    ¡°The Guild may issue an emergency mission when it comes down to it, but the nature of Guild work makes it a matter of luck,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Even if there was someone willing to take the mission, there is no guarantee that they are nearby or reachable. That is one reason why people like Amelia or Jee have more sway in the Guild than other members.¡±

    ¡°Because of their transportation magic?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± affirmed Matteo.

    ¡°I can see the appeal,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Thank that friend of yours for me. I imagine that scroll would normally go for a fortune.¡±

    ¡°A fortune and then some,¡± interjected Cadence with a wry smile.

    ¡°You can thank Amelia yourself when you meet her,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I want to introduce Emily to her and Dargones, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Emily piped up in excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll get to meet the Magebane?¡±

    Wallace squinted at his daughter. ¡°I am going to pretend that I did not notice your suspicious focus on one of the two.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± said Emily while beaming. ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡±

    Cadence and Sigille chuckled.

    ¡°No need,¡± said Wallace. He leaned to Matteo and whispered: ¡°This Dargones, can you take him? Or would I need to help?¡±

    Matteo rolled his eyes. ¡°You do realize that Amelia and Dargones are spirit-bonded? Imagine it like picking your life¡¯s chosen ¨C only with a magic ritual to accompany the marriage.¡±

    ¡°Just checking,¡± said Wallace, and leaned back.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Ying speak of the spirit bond before,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Who was Ying again?¡± interjected Wallace.

    ¡°Vampire mayor from Syn City,¡± replied Sigille.

    ¡°Ahh, that one,¡± mumbled Wallace.

    ¡°The spirit bond is an impressive feat of magic,¡± said Matteo. ¡°And a great commitment. No matter where the two are, they can always hear each other¡¯s voice and they can step to each other¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Sounds romantic,¡± exclaimed Emily dreamily.

    ¡°Takes a lot of trust,¡± said Sigille.

    ¡°No kidding,¡± said Cadence. ¡°I find it hard to imagine what it is like to never utter a single word without an audience.¡±

    Sigille noisily cleared her throat and pointedly looked at Cadence.

    Terry could not prevent himself from snickering. His aunt¡¯s objection, which aimed at the channeler relationship, was not one bit less obvious just because it was left unspoken.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Cadence stopped herself. ¡°Fair enough. Point taken. However, I would still argue my relationship with the Bright Lady differs from sharing everything with your life¡¯s chosen in a similar manner.¡±

    ¡°I, for one, hope there is an age requirement for that magic,¡± grumbled Wallace. ¡°Preferably in the triple digits.¡±

    Sigille snorted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know about age as a separate factor,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But this particular ritual requires one party to be skilled enough in space magic to cast unanchored transfers and it requires the other party to be a magebane with a sufficiently large mana pool.¡±

    Wallace leaned to Sigille. ¡°Druids don¡¯t learn space magic, do they?¡±

    Sigille only spared a short glance for Wallace. ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°Meanie.¡± Wallace pouted.

    ¡°Instead of worrying about nonsense, you may want to worry about where you¡¯ll stay,¡± said Sigille. She glanced fleetingly at Emaldine, who was still walking quietly at the back. ¡°If you want, we can find some room at the outpost. One or two more rooms should not be a problem.¡±

    ¡°As much as I¡¯m tempted¡­¡± Wallace grimaced and heaved a long sigh. ¡°I have to decline. I have no real business there, and I don¡¯t want to smother Emily with my presence. I¡¯ll find a place in the city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come visit, I promise,¡± interjected Emily instantly.

    ¡°Thanks, my angel,¡± said Wallace. ¡°But don¡¯t force yourself. I¡¯ll just sit in my room all lonely and forgotten and¡ª¡±

    Sigille cleared her throat.

    ¡°Nevermind the last part,¡± said Wallace hurriedly. ¡°You focus on your training. In this place, I¡¯ll feel most comfortable if you¡¯re as strong as you can be. If you can make time, that¡¯s appreciated, but don¡¯t force yourself. Just know that I am here if you need me.¡±

    Wallace turned from Emily back to Sigille. ¡°I still know a few people in Libra City. I¡¯ll find a place to crash.¡± He grinned. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll just sneak into your room and you can sleep on the couch.¡±

    ¡°You do know I¡¯m armed, right?¡± asked Sigille.

    ¡°Kinky,¡± exclaimed Wallace, and puckered his lips.

    Sigille groaned in response, which caused Cadence to snicker mischievously. Cadence was very much enjoying Wallace¡¯s presence around Sigille.

    The city guards nodded at Sigille and Matteo. The group arrived safely in Libra City.

    Emily excitedly pointed and asked questions, which Matteo, Sigille, and sometimes Wallace answered to the best of their knowledge.

    ¡°City tour or outpost first?¡± asked Wallace.

    ¡°First the room,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°And the outpost. Other tours can be done in the following days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a detour and join up with you later,¡± said Terry. ¡°While I¡¯m in the city, I wanted to visit the smith and place some new orders.¡±

    ¡°That reminds me,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The metal-aspect reinforced wire you wanted should have been delivered, too.¡±

    Terry grinned broadly.

    They had barely passed the city entrance when a loud siren was echoing through the sky.

    ¡°Does that mean what I think it does?¡± asked Wallace, and stepped closer to Emily.

    ¡°The city is under attack,¡± said Sigille, and narrowed her eyes at some flares in the sky. ¡°Demon army, that¡¯s annoying. From the side of the outpost, that¡¯s¡­¡± She visibly relaxed. ¡°Not much to worry then.¡±

    ¡°I find it difficult to share the sentiment,¡± grumbled Wallace. He looked at Emily and sighed. ¡°These next years will feel painfully long.¡±

    ¡°No need to panic,¡± said Sigille. ¡°They picked the worst spot to attack.¡±

    The earth quaked, and giant roots became visible in the distance.

    ¡°See,¡± said Sigille and pointed. ¡°Dhruv¡¯s got this.¡±

    Bright flashes of light became visible in the sky.

    ¡°From the looks of it, Vhida¡¯s defense system is going active as well,¡± said Cadence.

    ¡°Still, it won¡¯t hurt to lend a hand,¡± muttered Sigille. She glanced at Matteo. ¡°You stay close to Little Emily. You, Cadence, and Terry can watch over the district here.¡±

    Sigille channeled mana into her equipment when someone unexpectedly stepped next to her. When Sigille turned her head with a raised eyebrow, she saw Emaldine stretching.

    Before Sigille knew what to say, Emaldine was already dashing towards the outpost.

    Sigille swallowed her words and chased after her daughter.

    ***

 079 No Way

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 70 ¨C

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Emily looked around. ¡°Is it really okay for you to keep accompanying us here?¡± She looked at Matteo. ¡°Aren¡¯t you needed there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Matteo. ¡°If Ma says it¡¯s fine, then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°The number of elementals is dwindling fast,¡± said Terry, who was squinting in the distance. ¡°And they¡¯re not reaching the city.¡±

    Emily watched the giant druid tree in awe. Its branches and roots were squirming around the whole outpost.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Terry whistled. ¡°I did not know that Dhruv can cast spells with the tree¡¯s branches and roots as the focal point. That¡¯s like having countless more limbs to cast from. Neat.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Cadence frowned. ¡°The outpost will be fine, but I think I¡¯ll go check up with the city guards in case they need a healer. It¡¯s possible that the guards were rushing to respond without knowing what they were getting into.¡± She looked at Matteo and Terry. ¡°You two should be enough here, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Cadence nodded and then ran towards the guardhouse in the neighboring district.

    ¡°I would like to get a better view of what¡¯s going on,¡± said Terry. ¡°Is that fine?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll stay with Emily,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Good to have you with us,¡± said Wallace. He grumbled: ¡°Already, I don¡¯t like this place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay close, only further up,¡± said Terry. He channeled mana into his boots and stepped up into the air.

    When Terry stood much higher than all the surrounding buildings, he looked around. His mana sense told him where the aspect beings were located, but part of the view was blocked by the giant druid tree.

    ¡°If I¡¯m sensing that right, most of the demons have already died,¡± murmured Terry.

    As if to emphasize the point, a root as thick as several humans whipped on the ground and smashed a demon with a mana-corrupted beast host into a pulp.

    Terry observed the branches and vines lowering themselves from the tree¡¯s crown. Even at this distance, Terry could recognize the spell structures for nature-aspected variants of the fundamental healing spells.

    ¡°Wait, Cure Poison?¡± Terry squinted his eyes.

    Were there poison elementals? That would be bad¡­

    From what Terry had learned, aspect beings with the poison or darkness aspects were among the most troublesome, especially in an urban environment with manaless citizens.

    Not exclusive to aspect beings¡­

    Terry recalled some of the talks between Matteo and Sigille. They had warned him several times to be wary of certain people. First among those were Vicious and the Venom Siblings from the Guild.

    Terry had already met the former in Syn City and he could vouch that Eric deserved his terrible reputation. Terry had later learned about some stories involving the darkwater-focused channeler.

    In Syn, the man had been kept in check by Sigille and the others, but in past situations, people had not been so lucky. Apparently, the name ¡®Vicious¡¯ originated from Eric¡¯s large-scale attacks with the debilitating darkwater aspect. Attacks that cared nothing about collateral damage among the bystanders or even his supposed allies.

    The Venom Siblings comprised two sisters and their brother ¨C all of them pure poison aspected. One mage and two mana cultivators. Their reputation for being ruthless rivaled that of Vicious. Sigille had called them glorified mercenaries that had no conscience whatsoever.

    I can see why Aunt Sigille said that the outpost would have fallen long ago if it wasn¡¯t for Dhruv¡­

    Terry clenched his fists. Looking at the powerful magic of the druid that was holding back a demon army practically on his own, Terry was reminded of the limitations of his own magic.

    I hate that I can¡¯t cast any healing spells¡­ At least I got that wand from Uncle Samuel. Scrolls and potions, too. Still¡­

    I wonder if I could ever hold back that many monsters? I can hold my own in a one-on-one fight, but against that many at once?

    The ant colony was bad enough, but fortunately, their range was limited and I could use the tertium slabs to control how many I had to face at once¡­ But this?

    ¡°I need to improve the reach for my spell,¡± murmured Terry absentmindedly.

    A bright translucent hammer appeared in the sky and smashed the ground beneath.

    Or just get as strong as the Divine Hammer and squish them all in the blink of an eye¡­

    Terry snorted and smiled wryly.

    An unfamiliar mana movement caused Terry to look towards the core area of the outpost.

    Lightning bolts were hurled from several inscribed surfaces and assaulted the attacking aspect beings in the vicinity.

    ¡°If only I could take some mana crafting lessons from Vhida,¡± muttered Terry with a sigh.

    Stupid Tiv Empire and its stupid restrictions¡­

    ***

    Sigille glanced over the demon corpses at Emaldine. ¡°You could stay in¡ª¡±

    ¡°I still know the city,¡± interrupted Emaldine. ¡°And I have some savings. I¡¯ll find a place.¡±

    Sigille suppressed a sigh and nodded. ¡°Thanks for helping out.¡±

    Emaldine gave a nod. ¡°You Guardians probably have further cleanup to do. I¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°I may come around for a spar later.¡± Her expression hardened. ¡°I still have questions about Anand.¡±

    Sigille smiled faintly and watched her daughter¡¯s back while Emaldine left.

    ¡°Was that who I think it was?¡± Dhruv was lowered from the sky by glowing vines.

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Sigille nodded.

    ¡°Are you alright, Whaka Sigille?¡± Dhruv looked at her concernedly.

    ¡°Heh,¡± Sigille exclaimed drily. ¡°Look at you, Whaka Dhruv. The city was besieged by demons and you are worrying about playing family counselor.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t help it.¡± Dhruv shrugged. ¡°This city is a lot harder to like than old friends. And if the daughter takes after her mother, I would rather face a demon any day.¡±

    Sigille snorted.

    ¡°What happened? Did she¡­?¡± Dhruv left the words unsaid, but his gaze was unmistakably directed towards Matteo¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°She tried to kill him,¡± said Sigille wearily. ¡°And that idiot son of mine nearly allowed her to succeed. Stopped defending himself as soon as he heard her name.¡± She grumbled: ¡°What am I going to do with him?¡±

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Dhruv¡¯s eyes were soft. ¡°Standing in the middle and all?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Sigille¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound convincing to Dhruv at all. ¡°Emaldine has accepted a truce for now. I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you explain the situation with Anand?¡± asked Dhruv.

    ¡°The gist of it,¡± said Sigille. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to go running after Anand alone. It¡¯s bad enough with Matteo during the Setting Moon, but he, at least, has comrades among the death hunters and Guildheads. Anand has already taken my life¡¯s chosen from me. I won¡¯t let him take my daughter, too.¡±

    ¡°If she is anything like you, then your lack of information sharing won¡¯t stop her for long,¡± remarked Dhruv.

    ¡°I know,¡± said Sigille and sighed once more. ¡°She does not have many contacts in this place. Not as far as I know, anyway. Emaldine is not a Guardian anymore either, so¡­¡±

    Sigille took a deep breath. ¡°I have some time to think of something. If it comes down to it, I just need to put everything into the hunt myself and make sure I kill the bastard before any of my children can get themselves killed.¡±

    ¡°You know it isn¡¯t that easy,¡± said Dhruv worriedly. ¡°If it was, you would have killed him long ago.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I really hate dimensional mages gone rogue,¡± grumbled Sigille while shaking her head. ¡°Anyway, I just have to make sure I get to Anand first.¡± Her eyes hardened. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°Please make sure that even in your rush, you will not face him alone.¡± Dhruv spoke with deep concern. ¡°That is a tough opponent, even for you.¡±

    The earth quaked slightly and both of them looked towards the large dome that housed Guardian management.

    ¡°Seems that an earth elemental tried to sneak into the outpost,¡± muttered Dhruv. ¡°Bad idea.¡±

    ¡°Vhida¡¯s inscription system has really become something to behold.¡± Sigille said with pride in her voice. ¡°The little elf is all grown up.¡±

    ¡°Thanks in large part to you.¡± Dhruv pointed out.

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    ¡°Huh?¡± Sigille furrowed her brow. ¡°I barely did anything. Vhida did not take many of my classes, and I certainly was not in a position to teach her rune inscriptions.¡±

    ¡°No, but if it wasn¡¯t for you, she would have never had the leeway to proceed with her advanced studies,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°The censors would have breathed down her neck and demanded her time to be spent mass-producing what she already knew instead.¡±

    Dhruv snickered. ¡°I still remember the face of the old codger in his censor uniform when you claimed her as your disciple.¡±

    Sigille could not suppress a grin. ¡°That was really a tough sell ¨C considering that Vhida was not big on mana cultivation.¡± She scratched her nose with her pinky and snickered. ¡°Who said I can¡¯t take a disciple in cookie tasting?¡±

    Sigille sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, they adjusted the regulations shortly after.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Always have to find new loopholes to keep the empire going.¡± She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Sigille glanced at Dhruv. ¡°Ready for your first proper disciple?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Dhruv with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how you talked me into that. I was certain I would be excused from learning new tricks at my age.¡±

    ¡°I can be persuasive if I want.¡± Sigille smirked. ¡°Relax, the girl will grow quickly on you, I promise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her father that might test your patience.¡± Sigille scowled and grumbled quietly.

    ***

    Terry was eagerly waiting for the smith to return from the back room, where she had stored his latest order.

    ¡°¡­and here is the last part of your order,¡± said the woman in a leather apron. She placed a box on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ve put them together already.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± exclaimed Terry, and checked the contents. ¡°I thought that was not included in the price?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said the woman. ¡°It was a pleasant change of pace. A welcome deviation from the usual drudgery. More interesting than what I¡¯m usually getting. The fact that you are providing all the materials also means that I can focus on the part of the job that is fun for me.¡±

    The woman grumbled: ¡°Sometimes, I feel more like an administrator than a crafter. Procuring materials, organizing shipments, making contracts¡­ Blegh.

    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t I see you up above the city during the attack?¡± asked the smith. ¡°That calls for a protector¡¯s discount, anyway.¡± She winked.

    ¡°Ehh, I didn''t really do anything though.¡± Terry held his hand on his nape and smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°But you would have if it was required, right?¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t argue with me. Just take it and make sure to visit me again if you think of something new.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Terry beamed at her. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    He picked up one of the ball-shaped objects from the box.

    ¡°Outer layer octavum, same for the core,¡± explained the smith. ¡°In between is that mana-osmotic alloy you gave me. Enough space to secure a rope or wire.¡±

    Terry pressed on one spot, and a part of the ball was raised.

    ¡°Rotate right to set the timer,¡± said the woman. ¡°Be careful to not place strain on it when it¡¯s out. The mechanism inside is protected, but in that position, it¡¯s a different matter.¡±

    Terry nodded. Elvis had warned him about that as well when they were discussing the idea.

    Terry rotated the switch to the right and then pressed it inside the ball.

    ¡°The pieces inside are interlinked. The core can¡¯t be reached without going through at least one layer of the mana-osmotic alloy,¡± said the smith, who was resting her head on her palm with her elbow on the counter.

    Terry pressed the same spot again and was satisfied when it did not raise up again. That was only supposed to work again after the timer had run out.

    I can¡¯t wait to test the new bolas and throwing needles. Maybe I can already use them in my next spar with Aunt Sigille¡­

    Terry grinned.

    ¡°The mechanism in the throwing needles was a lot easier to make, since it did not require rotation,¡± said the smith. ¡°If you want to order more of the bolas weights, it will require more time.¡±

    Terry glanced at one of the prototype needles that incorporated mana-osmotic material. At the back of the needle, there was a flat area that could be pressed inside with several markers for the duration. Pressing it deeper would cause the mechanism to lock for longer.

    Better for a quick throw. The bolas will need preparation, anyway.

    Terry became pensive. While his mana shielding had improved, Terry had also realized a fundamental limitation of his spell and imprint usage once more.

    Shielding throwing weapons was way more problematic than shielding armor pieces or other weapons. With armor pieces, Terry¡¯s own body served as a protection against disruption from one side.

    That resulted in a natural side for orienting the mana-osmotic layer. Protecting the side pointing away from the body while keeping an opening on the side towards his body so that Terry could channel mana to activate the imprint or cast his spell on the object.

    With a regular weapon, the location where you grab onto it was protected by the hands of the mana user. A throwing weapon, on the other hand, always had an opening exposed. Any location for Terry to channel his mana towards the object could also be exploited by his opponent.

    While Terry could rely on his outstanding mana control and make sure that the opening was sufficient for him while being difficult to exploit for others, he was still looking for a better solution.

    If only I could create personalized mana locks¡­

    Terry sighed inwardly.

    The mechanism with the mana-osmotic material was one idea that seemed workable in the short-term. The mechanical timer made sure that the imprint was protected completely. While there remained small gaps in the interlinked material, Terry could focus his mana-shielding on these places.

    Stopgap.

    Terry smiled wryly.

    While Terry¡¯s mana-shielding had improved significantly, Sigille still made quick work of it whenever she felt like it. None of his items without mana-osmotic protection had been safe from Sigille¡¯s disruption discharges.

    Terry wondered what his aunt Brynn would think of his new prototypes.

    ¡®The only limits in mana shielding are your own ability, creativity, and perseverance.¡¯

    As long as I keep up my studies, I believe she would not mind me relying some more on the mana-osmotic materials. Maybe I can make some more time during lunch breaks?

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Terry handed over the payment.

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± the woman accepted the payment with a smile.

    Afterwards, Terry took out one of his notebooks.

    ¡°Oh?¡± exclaimed the smith. ¡°Already another one?¡± She looked over the sketch. ¡°Throwing weapons again? You haven¡¯t even tested the others yet.¡±

    ¡°This one is a separate idea,¡± said Terry. ¡°Using mana-reactive shape-memory alloys to simplify the mechanism.¡±

    The smith raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you have the materials?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± replied Terry without looking up from the notebook.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± exclaimed the woman, and proceeded to discuss Terry¡¯s sketch with him to get the order right.

    ***

    Terry summoned the barrier from his spear to block Sigille¡¯s dreaded staff that was rushing towards him.

    Keep the barrier small but dense¡­ Deflect the attack without forcing her to change her trajectory.

    Terry thrusted his spear forward while channeling mana into the inscription to guide the barrier towards the spear¡¯s tip.

    As soon as Sigille pulled back the deflected staff for another angle of attack, Terry channeled mana into his gloves.

    His glove radiated a light of blinding intensity.

    Terry kept the radiating light inscription active while concentrating on his mana sense to quickly reorient himself.

    His plan for this spar included some leveling of the playing field by taking advantage of his mana sense that was more sensitive than Sigille¡¯s. It should take him less time to get his bearings than it would take Sigille.

    In theory, discounting all her experience and quicker reflexes¡­

    Terry shook his head at the retort of his own intrusive thoughts.

    Focus.

    Terry sensed Sigille on the same course as before. While he could not sense her staff because it did not contain any mana, he could still make out that Sigille continued charging at him.

    Terry retrieved the bolas that were arranged between two connected sticks to hold them all at the same angle. Terry had rotated the timer before and did not need to check it again.

    He rapidly cast the Immovable Object spell at the Octavum cores and then pressed the sticks together, which caused the mechanisms in the weights to all lock at the same time.

    Terry pulled the bolas out of their fixation and then hurled them towards Sigille under the cover of the blinding light from his gloves.

    Heh¡­

    Terry was unsurprised when Sigille dodged the incoming projectile despite her impaired vision. He was not completely sure how she was managing it, but he had expected no less.

    Probably got a whiff of the metal-aspect that reinforces the wire. A drawback that I need to keep in mind. Trade-off for the higher resistance against cuts and raw strength¡­

    Then again, Aunt Sigille would have dodged that, regardless. By ear or smell or instincts or whatever¡­

    Fortunately for Terry¡¯s plan, Sigille evaded the projectile in her usual manner, which meant that she moved as little as possible.

    While the bolas were still close, Terry spread his arms and used the bidirectional attraction inscription to pull on the bolas and have them entangle Sigille despite her earlier evasive maneuver.

    All or nothing!

    Terry burst as much mana as he could muster and rushed forward to charge at Sigille while using a burst technique that emphasized speed above all else.

    Sigille¡¯s eyes showed a hint of praise when she felt the bolas entangle herself. Terry was getting better at incorporating his gloves.

    While she could have dodged them by using more of her mana, she felt it was not the right time to up the ante. Not when a small success had been earned.

    Sigille furrowed her brow. She was wondering what Terry¡¯s plan was. The bolas were an old trick and while his mana-shielding had improved, she had made it a point to remind him not to rely on it too much by demonstrating her disruption discharges.

    The bolas transfixed and Sigille waited a moment in order to have Terry close the distance, so that she could test his reflexes when he had to switch from offense back to defense. He had been retreating from her for most of the spar and this was one way to have him come to her instead.

    Shortly before Terry arrived, Sigille unleashed a disruption discharge¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sigille uttered a sound of surprise when the bolas¡¯s weights failed to become movable again.

    Sigille hurriedly unleashed a more intense disruption discharge before she realized what Terry had done.

    For a moment, she pondered if she should rip the aspect-reinforced wire apart to press the spar, but then again, it had been an unexpected hassle to acquire the wire and Sigille was feeling good about the day.

    Sigille decided to suffer her first loss and watched the approaching spear calmly. She still made Terry work for it.

    Sigille used the transfixed bolas in order to lift herself up and she kicked the spear away a few times. She did this mostly to slow down Terry¡¯s spear, so that he could stop it himself when he realized his win.

    As the instructor, it was her duty to ensure that both of them stayed safe and she did not feel like being skewered and traumatizing her nephew while at it.

    ¡°No way,¡± exclaimed Terry involuntarily when he saw the bladed end of his spear placed on Sigille¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Well done,¡± said Sigille with a grin. ¡°But this will only work once. I would also suggest that you keep this kind of equipment as a rare supplement for tough situations. It would not work as well if everyone knew about it.¡±

    Terry blinked dazedly.

    ¡°So, how long will I have to stay like this?¡± asked Sigille, and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m feeling put on display here.¡±

    Terry realized that they had a small audience. Emaldine, Wallace and Emily were all watching. There was also a man in a traditional martial arts uniform that Terry had not seen before.

    ¡°Only a few seconds more,¡± said Terry. He scratched his cheek. ¡°Why did you let me win this time?¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°Because I thought you earned it. Your style has become less predictable and more integrated. Even the burst techniques have been well-ingrained into you.¡±

    ¡°You managed to create a good opening with these.¡± The bolas that had become movable again were held out by Sigille. ¡°And you followed through properly.¡± She smiled with pride at her disciple. ¡°Keep it up.¡±

    ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡± The man in the martial arts uniform had approached them. ¡°Greetings, Lady Sigille.¡±

    Sigille nodded at the man. ¡°Vicente. Long time no see. Usually, we don¡¯t manage to catch each other in the rotation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard you are back early,¡± said Vicente. He turned to Terry. ¡°And you are?¡±

    ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Terry.¡±

    ¡°My nephew,¡± added Sigille. ¡°You got business with me? Or with him?¡±

    ¡°With him, actually,¡± said Vicente.

    Terry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

    ¡°I was wondering what kind of spell you used there¡­¡± While Vicente spoke with Terry, Sigille went to Emaldine and the others.

    ***

 080 Frustration and Anticipation

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 3 ¨C

    ¡°Ready for another round?¡± Vicente, in his traditional martial arts uniform, was looking expectantly at Terry.

    Terry felt competitiveness and tiredness compete inside himself.

    Vicente was a mana martialist. Apparently, Vicente rotated his outpost residence on a different schedule, which is why they had not met in the previous cycle.

    Soon after Terry¡¯s arrival at the Libra Outpost in this year, however, Terry had caught the man¡¯s attention while Terry was practicing with Sigille. Vicente took an interest in Terry¡¯s quick spellwork with the Immovable Object spell.

    Vicente had asked for an unarmed spar and since then, they sparred every day with each other.

    Terry found himself ill-matched against the mana martialist. Terry¡¯s disruption discharges were completely useless, for one. Even though Terry had an advantage in mana foundation, he could barely keep up while pushing his burst techniques to their limits.

    If it was not for the Immovable Object spell, Terry would not even be able to put up a proper fight. His quickened casting allowed Terry to transfix his equipment to block whenever he could not dodge in time.

    That ability was exactly why Vicente wanted to spar with Terry. It forced Vicente to react just as quickly as Terry cast his spell. Otherwise, Vicente would risk suffering the force of his own attack.

    Terry had not won a single time, even though Vicente had never once used a mana resonance technique. This ongoing situation caused Terry¡¯s expression to shift between resolve and frustration.

    At least I am getting better¡­ I think.

    Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    Not sure¡­ If I am, then so is he. No getting ahead for me.

    Terry smiled wryly. ¡°Sure. About time I win for once.¡±

    ¡°Not if I can help it,¡± retorted Vicente, and smirked.

    ***

    ¡°Greetings, Whaka Sigille,¡± said Dhruv and stepped next to Sigille, who was watching Terry¡¯s spar from some distance away.

    ¡°Whaka Dhruv.¡± Sigille smiled warmly. ¡°How are the preparations with Little Emily?¡±

    ¡°Going well,¡± replied Dhruv. ¡°Not long before we can set her up on her druid path.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± prompted Sigille with a teasing smile.

    ¡°And what?¡± wondered Dhruv with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°How are you feeling about your first proper disciple?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°Did I promise too much?¡±

    Dhruv sighed. ¡°No. The girl is diligent, talented, and¡­ cheerful. That last part worries me somewhat.¡±

    Sigille burst out laughing and slapped Dhruv on his back. ¡°Are you afraid that she may accidentally lift your spirits, Whaka Dhruv? Does she get in the way of your endless moping?¡±

    Dhruv¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°You again¡­¡± He shook his head and smiled weakly. ¡°The opposite actually. I hope that my own moods don¡¯t rub off on her. I¡¯m still not sure if this whole disciple thing is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Well, you do know there is a way to avoid that,¡± said Sigille with a sideways glance towards Dhruv. ¡°Can¡¯t bring your disciple down if you lift yourself up.¡± She looked at him warmly. ¡°I get it. If anyone does, I do. We four were a group. I feel your pain, just like I¡¯m sure you feel mine.¡±

    Dhruv only grunted in response.

    ¡°Looking back¡­¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°If it was not for my accepted son, I may have lost myself back then. Not only Whaka Matteo, all of my disciples helped me take my mind off what I had lost.¡±

    ¡°Seeing them grow into their own¡­¡± Sigille smiled in reminiscence. ¡°It helps to see something positive for once.¡±

    Sigille placed a hand on Dhruv¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t be the only family you have forever.¡± Sigille snorted. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m not that great. And I¡¯m out too much, anyway. I get that you want to protect this outpost, but you should get out some, too.¡±

    Dhruv raised an eyebrow. ¡°It sounds as if you were setting this up for my sake instead of the girl¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I can have more than one motive,¡± said Sigille and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I consider Emily to be family. I can still see the little thing smiling with her missing teeth showing. Always toddling behind Matteo with curious eyes. If it was not for that little angel, Matteo would have¡­¡±

    Sigille sighed and frowned. ¡°Developed even more suicidal tendencies, probably. Having something to protect is important in pushing through. Find something worth living for. I have found my accepted son. Matteo has found his little sister.¡±

    Sigille looked at Dhruv. ¡°I want to do whatever I can to help her. Just like I want you to find something to protect besides a building and a tree. Someone worthy of your protection.¡±

    For a while, Sigille and Dhruv observed Terry¡¯s spar in silence.

    ¡°Speaking of family, I saw Emaldine again,¡± said Dhruv. He glanced at Sigille. ¡°It seems that she plans to stay for a while. Have you two¡­?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken much,¡± said Sigille and lowered her gaze. ¡°We spar sometimes. We speak about training¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m worried that if I push too much, she will leave again. I¡¯m happy that she¡¯s here. I know she is alive and healthy. I can see her. That¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dhruv returned his gaze back to the spar. ¡°That nephew of yours spends nearly all his time training in some way or another. What exactly is haunting him?¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± exclaimed Sigille, and pulled back the corners of her lips. ¡°Only his own expectations. Or aspirations. Or ideals. Whatever you want to call it.¡±

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°I worried at the beginning, but he actually seems more at ease when he is working on something. He pushes himself, but he does not force himself. At least from what I can tell.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Dhruv with narrowed eyes. ¡°Then, why does he look so frustrated?¡±

    Sigille snorted amusedly. ¡°Because he has not won yet. Despite Vicente giving him a sizable handicap.¡±

    Dhruv turned to her with incredulous eyes. ¡°Does he realize that he is fighting a specialist more than twice his age?¡±

    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t intend to tell him.¡± Sigille chuckled. ¡°You can try informing him, but I don¡¯t believe Terry¡¯s expression would change either way. He is wearing that same unsatisfied face in the all-out spars with me. Fortunately, his frustration appears to act as motivation.¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s not the demotivating kind.¡±

    Sigille observed the spar calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Terry take breaks when he is facing a wall. Only, Terry¡¯s way of dealing with it seems to involve scribbling in his notebook, practicing the fundamentals, and reading through the Path of a Mage.¡±

    ¡°Taking inspiration from the Human Paragon?¡± commented Dhruv. ¡°That¡¯s quite the path to follow¡­¡±

    ***

    Early in the morning, Terry was sitting cross-legged on the grounds in the training area. His arms were outstretched with his palms facing down.

    He lowered his arms to bring his palms towards the tips of the three spears that were placed in front of him.

    Terry had talked long about this exercise with his aunt Sigille. Just like Terry had expected, Sigille had raised objections at first.

    Terry¡¯s magic resistance was already higher than average thanks to his large mana pool.

    The principles of general magic resistance were straight forward. Your own mana pool offered the most basic defense. With a large mana pool, a mana-based attack might feel like a drop in a bucket. Depending on what the drop was made of, it would still show effects, but most basic spells or aspected discharges had their limitations.

    A large mana pool also sped up recovery and helped with healing your injuries. Even more so, when you knew how to guide that mana actively.

    Few people chose what Terry had asked for. Most only resigned themselves if their aspect impairments would otherwise prevent them from bursting.

    Despite everything, Terry had persisted in his wish.

    In the end, Sigille had acquiesced with the reasoning that even a slight effect can present a danger if it threw you off-balance. A real battle rarely ended after a single attack, after all. There was value in increasing resistances beyond your mana pool¡¯s passive effects.

    Sigille had insisted that Terry should not proceed without her supervision. Under Sigille¡¯s observant gaze, Terry circulated his mana according to her instructions while mentally preparing for the pain to come.

    Inhale¡­ Hold.

    Terry first moved his hands towards the fire-aspected spear. He clenched his teeth against the pain.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Exhale¡­ Pause.

    Terry retracted his hands. Afterwards, he moved on to the coldfire-aspected spear before finally reaching the lightning-aspected spear.

    After finishing one round, Terry closed his eyes and focused on his mana movement.

    ¡°Stop for a moment, Terry.¡± Sigille spoke to Terry.

    Terry opened his eyes and threw her an inquisitive glance.

    ¡°The censor has arrived,¡± said Sigille. She pointed with her chin towards the other side of the training grounds. ¡°It appears that Ghinn has drawn the short stick again.¡±

    Terry recognized the man that had been present during his first call to Arcana.

    They had called his family in Arcana a second time shortly before they had left the Libra Outpost, but at that time, a different censor had been present.

    Sigille had requested another call right after they had returned to Libra City.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sigille squinted her eyes. ¡°It looks as if he is going to talk to Dhruv first. Ghinn will probably be even more testy afterwards.¡±

    ¡°I almost feel bad for the guy, but that¡¯s the career he chose.¡± Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky finger.

    ¡°Dhruv?¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Is it about Emily?¡±

    Terry saw another familiar face: The ministerial representative Lucas that frequently hung around Guardian management and even more frequently quarreled with Sigille

    ¡°Most likely,¡± replied Sigille. ¡°They are very nosy when it comes to invoking disciple privileges. Now that this area has become part of the Preacher¡¯s district, it will only become worse. Dhruv has never accepted a personal disciple before. This should allow him some liberties, but it may also make them more suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Strictly speaking, there should not be any problem, but considering Emily¡¯s talents, they won¡¯t let this go without applying pressure.¡± Sigille snorted derisively. ¡°They¡¯re lucky that Whaka Dhruv doesn¡¯t have much of a temper.¡±

    Terry pondered her words while watching Lucas talk with Ghinn.

    ¡°What would normally happen with Emily?¡± asked Terry. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Dhruv taking her in?¡±

    ¡°You have spent some time with the dungeon scavengers. What do you think of Emily¡¯s mana signature?¡± Sigille did not take her gaze away from the censor.

    ¡°Talented,¡± said Terry. It was the first word that came to his mind. ¡°If I had seen her in the Greenhouse, she would have fit right in.¡±

    Terry thought it over further. ¡°Unaspected. If she was younger and not stuck in Tiv, she could have applied to Arcana Academy. From how she was shaping mana, even with little instruction, she might have made the cut. Her earth aspect is strongly pronounced. The only comparable aspect gift I have ever sensed was with Ying¡¯s spirit aspect.¡±

    ¡°And there lies the biggest problem,¡± said Sigille. ¡°The current mood in the Assembly is still set by the Preacher and his allied factions.¡± Her expression turned sour. ¡°If you desire to use mana, then in their eyes, you are not your own person anymore.¡±

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°In their eyes, the original sin is to accumulate mana and use it for your own purposes. Learning mana use or making a living from mana means that you have to take orders from them.

    ¡°You want to learn?¡± Sigille glowered. ¡°Then you have to pay with your liberty. Join the army. Craft for the army. Provide your services for free to the empire. Spend most of your time on missions set by the empire. No, you do not get to deny any tasks.

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed Sigille. ¡°In the end, there are only two paths. Either you submit to becoming a soldier or you have to spend so much of your time on menial tasks that there won¡¯t be much time left for learning, anyway.

    ¡°Submit or stagnate, pick your poison.¡± Sigille grumbled. ¡°Or do what most of the empire is doing: Give up on mana until the Wastes come knocking.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°So this disciple arrangement¡­?¡±

    ¡°The mentor takes on most of the disciple¡¯s obligations, so that they can focus on learning,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Dhruv will shoulder most of the tasks that would otherwise fall to Emily.¡±

    ¡°That does not sound like a bad deal for the Tiv Empire¡­¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°Why are they so up in arms about it?¡±

    ¡°Because ¡®they¡¯ are not the Tiv Empire,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Yes, the Tiv Empire definitely does not lose out in this. Normally, people on Dhruv¡¯s level have a strong enough position to reject unreasonable requests. However, if we take on a disciple, then we have to be somewhat more accommodating.

    ¡°One reason that I still have to deal with the witch.¡± Sigille scowled. ¡°I refrain from making life as hard for her as I could and she refrains from making life difficult for my disciples.¡±

    Sigille emitted a low growl. ¡°Unfortunately, our unpleasant arrangement does not stop her from being a tremendous pest beetle whenever she feels safe doing so.¡±

    Terry subconsciously shook his head with a sigh.

    ¡°Anyway, the people that object to the disciple arrangement are doing so out of zealous principle,¡± said Sigille. ¡°They want mana users to stay in their place and get used to it.¡± Her voice was full of scorn. ¡°If the mentor can shoulder the obligations, then the disciple may get the mistaken idea of being their own person as opposed to a servant of the empire.¡±

    Terry recalled the words of Minister Kipkoi during the reception.

    ¡®Mana use is a privilege.¡¯ Mana is not your own to use, huh? The ¡®most important lesson¡¯.

    Terry scoffed inwardly and stopped thinking back to his talk with the Preacher. Remembering the man¡¯s comments about Terry¡¯s aunts only served to make Terry angry.

    ¡°My disciples rarely have Little Emily¡¯s problem,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Most of them have heavy external control impairments, often with further aspect impairments on top.

    ¡°Emily¡¯s talents will invite more pushback than I am usually getting.¡± For a moment, Sigille was silent and scratched her nose with her pinky while wearing a defiant look. ¡°The most troublesome part is not necessarily Emily¡¯s overall talent, but her aspect gift.

    ¡°While the druid path incorporates the earth aspect somewhat, it mostly revolves around the nature aspect.¡± Sigille shook her head with a sour expression. ¡°They will try to frame this as Emily wasting her gift and use that to justify forcing Emily on a different path.¡±

    ¡°What path would that be?¡± wondered Terry.

    ¡°Currently?¡± Sigille contemplated the question. ¡°Probably join the army and focus on setting up fortifications. If they can pressure her into mana crafting as well, then perhaps mass-producing combat constructs.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyebrow twitched.

    Prohibit those that want to do it and force those that do not want to do it? Stupid?

    Terry recalled the time he brought up the topic of Brynn¡¯s aspect gift with her.

    Wasting talents. Pursuing your interests.

    Forcing talents. Ignoring interests.

    Terry subconsciously lowered his gaze in thought. He thought of his aunt Brynn. He recalled Samuel¡¯s reprimanding words on talent and their talk about the Veilbinder. He thought of himself when he entered the Academy¡­

    If anything, you do not get to Auntie¡¯s position with just talent. Even without an aspect gift in the related aspects, Auntie managed to become what she is.

    Talent alone does not cut it. Talent can spoil you. Talent can be a curse.

    Terry looked at Sigille.

    Perseverance and grit.

    ¡®It is not about where you end up or which road you take, but about always moving forward.¡¯

    Terry clenched his fists and reaffirmed for himself the kind of person he wanted to become.

    ¡°I hope they¡¯ll get this sorted out in the morning,¡± muttered Sigille.

    Sigille turned to Terry. ¡°You should tell Vicente that your spar today has to be postponed. We¡¯ll probably have the call right after lunch.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh¡­¡± Terry became pensive. A question was visible on his face.

    ¡°Out with it,¡± said Sigille with a chuckle. ¡°If I can help with it.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering about Vicente,¡± said Terry. ¡°About mana martialists, or rather about the unorthodox mana uses in general.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I think I see.¡± Sigille smiled with sympathy. ¡°I guess most people with impairments will end up wondering at some point or other. I sure did.¡±

    ¡°Sure, the unorthodox paths offer options as well.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°But such a step is difficult to take back.

    ¡°Right now, your mana cultivation is balanced and you can choose a particular burst technique depending on the circumstances.¡± Sigille stared into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°You can cast your spell. You can emit disruption discharges. You can do your other external mana control tricks.¡±

    Sigille raised her brows. ¡°Tell me, if you were unaspected and if you could choose either to never do spellwork or to never rely on magic items, which would it be?¡±

    ¡°Keep the spellwork,¡± replied Terry without hesitation. ¡°Magic items are nice, but they have to be prepared beforehand. They can be damaged. There are material limitations. They are¡­ I don¡¯t know, less versatile? Less flexible? With spellwork, the only limit is your memory and ability.¡±

    Terry spoke as if this was a question in the Academy, with no trace of bitterness at his own spell limitation.

    ¡°Right, I would choose the same,¡± said Sigille firmly. ¡°I dismissed the unorthodox mana uses for the same reason. Less versatile.¡±

    ¡°Of course, if I had ever seen a path that mixes well with my own and does not pose any problematic limitations, it might have been different.¡± Sigille shrugged.

    ¡°In your case, I would advise additional caution,¡± said Sigille with a serious expression. ¡°Your mana type seems to be exceedingly rare, which means that you might not even know what you would lose.¡±

    Terry raised his brows.

    ¡°In the Union, there is one path that relies on something akin to inscriptions on your body,¡± said Sigille. ¡°That can be made compatible with some spellwork as long as the inscription matches the aspect as well as some other requirements.¡±

    Sigille observed the censor again. ¡°For something like fire, you can find plenty of information about potential clashes and so forth.¡±

    Sigille turned back to Terry. ¡°With your oscillating mana, however, even the more common unorthodox paths would be a blind leap of faith.¡±

    Sigille observed Terry¡¯s expression curiously. ¡°You might lose everything. Your mana cultivation. Your spell¡­¡±

    Wastes no! Not gonna happen!

    Terry frowned and scoffed inwardly.

    You¡¯ll have to claw my Immovable Object spell from my cold dead hands. I¡¯ll find my own path¡­

    Sigille smiled at Terry¡¯s expression and then returned her attention to the censor.

    ***

    ¡°Go grab some food. I¡¯ll send for you when we can have the call,¡± said Sigille.

    Terry sighed.

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Sigille. ¡°Not happy to talk with your family?¡± Her tone was teasing and not remotely serious.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± Terry shook his head vigorously. ¡°It¡¯s just that these calls where I can¡¯t speak freely are incredibly frustrating.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that they are,¡± grumbled Sigille. ¡°Anyway, today we¡¯ll mostly call to show that everything is fine. Soon, we¡¯ll have you back with your family in Arcana. There, you will be able to truly exchange stories. Cheer up!¡±

    Terry smiled and then went to his room.

    While eating from his prepared plate and sitting at his desk, Terry read over his recent notes.

    Terry was surrounded by a field of his own naturalized mana.

    Several throwing needles were strewn over the table. Every minute or two, Terry took one up and threw it slowly above his bed.

    Then Terry tried to transfix the needle at a specific angle without looking. An exercise intended to train both his casting reach, his bidirectional attraction fine-control, and sensing through his detection sphere.

    Whenever a needle fell down to his bed, Terry recollected it with his bidirectional attraction glove and then placed it back on the table.

    Additionally, Terry was using the aspecting technique that Wallace had shown him to aspect some more of his old throwing needles with oscillating mana.

    Time passed while Terry was engrossed in his meal, his notes, and his training.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Huh?

    Terry absentmindedly glanced at the clock while picking up and throwing another needle.

    Oh? Already?

    Terry stood up and went to the door.

    ¡°Instructor Sigille has asked me to inform you that the call room can be used now,¡± said a Guardian whose face Terry vaguely recognized.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Terry, while the messenger had already turned to leave.

    Terry closed the door again and cleaned up his desk.

    When he turned to the bed, he saw a single transfixed throwing needle¡­ Only this throwing needle was not transfixed where Terry expected it to be. It was lower than it should be.

    Did I mess up the timing? The activation delay for that one shouldn¡¯t be that high¡­

    Terry tilted his head.

    Most of the difficulty in this exercise was actually getting the angle right. His casting speed and reach were usually sufficient to get the height right.

    This needle was the odd one out.

    ¡°Not the time,¡± mumbled Terry, and continued cleaning up.

    He quickly made a note in one of his notebooks. Ever since the incident with his first oscillating needle getting left behind by the transportation scroll, Terry had made it a habit to document any potential oddity.

    Afterwards, Terry left with a sigh.

    I can¡¯t wait to be back in Arcana and meet everyone in person again¡­

    ***

 081 The Spirit of the Valkyrie

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 10 ¨C

    ¡°Really?¡± Sigille laughed heartily.

    Terry and Sigille were chatting in good spirits. Their call to Arcana had gone without a hitch and the plans for Terry¡¯s return trip were all going well.

    ¡°Yes, I kind of picked the first companion for my group over a book,¡± replied Terry. He involuntarily smiled when seeing Sigille laugh like this.

    While Terry had seen his aunt laugh and joke around before, the past few days seemed different. More light-hearted perhaps.

    During his last stay in Libra City, Sigille had mostly talked to Terry to instruct him or to help him with any problems or worries he might have. It was very rare for them to just chat, but it somehow had become a habit in the past few days.

    Terry could not explain it, but he believed it had something to do with the fact that Emaldine was around. Even though Emaldine and Sigille mostly tended to quarrel or spontaneously spar, Emaldine¡¯s presence seemed to influence Sigille¡¯s mood significantly.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you read that often,¡± said Sigille. ¡°More scribbling than reading.¡±

    Terry suddenly felt a pang of guilt at all the unread books his uncle Samuel had sent him.

    ¡°Was it that book about the Veilbinder I saw a few times?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I recall that Little Olgorn was obsessed with that story as well.¡±

    ¡°Kind of, but not really,¡± replied Terry. ¡°I was interested in the book that Calam was reading because it included the Veilbinder, but it was not just about him.¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face and searched his memory. ¡°The title was ¡®Legends Beyond Their Eras: The Veilbinder, The Faithless Saints, The Valkyrie of Hope.¡¯ I knew about the Veilbinder and consequently also about most of the Faithless Saints, but I was not familiar with the Valkyrie.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Sigille¡¯s expression changed, as if she was recalling fond memories. She spoke with nostalgia: ¡°I was always a fan of the Valkyrie¡¯s story. Most dwarves idolize Saint Dalia as the first dwarven mage, or perhaps the Veilbinder as the Human Paragon, but for me, it was always Hope the Valkyrie.¡±

    Sigille smiled. ¡°She might have been an elf and practically a pure spell flinger, but her story always resonated with me the most. I guess it also helped that the memory of her is the freshest. I may have been very young, but I still remember a time when the Valkyrie was alive.¡±

    ¡°You were alive during the Era of Upheaval?¡± asked Terry incredulously.

    Terry understood that aside from Devon as an abnormal exception, his aunt Sigille was the oldest person he knew. However, being old enough to experience the previous era stretched Terry¡¯s imagination.

    ¡°No, and thanks,¡± replied Sigille, and chuckled. ¡°I take that shocked face as a compliment. Although, I also did not miss the era by that much. By the current calendar, I was born around a dozen cycles into the Era of the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± uttered Terry.

    ¡°The current calendar marks the retreat of the Lich Kingdoms as the end of the Era of Upheaval,¡± muttered Sigille. ¡°About half a dozen years before the official treaty between the Lich Kingdoms and the newly established Tiv Empire, which was itself half a dozen years before the creation of Arcana¡¯s barrier.¡±

    Sigille shrugged. ¡°The Wastes had already been noticed for a while, but it was only after that moment that the Wastes were seen as the defining struggle of the times.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± muttered Terry.

    Sigille nodded in thought. ¡°Arcana¡¯s split from the Ancestral Empire. The complete collapse of what was left of the Ancestral Empire. The rise of the Lich Kingdoms and their expansionary war. Thanatos establishing himself and his clan among the war tribes in the south. Tivius and the Valkyrie leading the resistance in the ancestral lands. The alliance against the Lich Kingdoms¡­¡±

    Sigille snorted. ¡°Things would have been different if the Valkyrie had not died shortly after the retreat. In contrast to Tivius, the Valkyrie stood by her word.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Sigille raised an eyebrow. ¡°When does the Valkyrie¡¯s story end in that book you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°The last major battle where the alliance crushed the Lich Kingdom¡¯s army in the south,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± exclaimed Sigille in amused exasperation. ¡°Then you are missing the part that forever characterized the Tiv Empire, which is also among my favorite stories of the Valkyrie.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Terry sat up and leaned forward subconsciously.

    ¡°Not long after that battle, Tivius, the Founding King, called his trusted generals and close allies for a meeting,¡± said Sigille. ¡°Aside from the Valkyrie, there were also some other well-known names from Tiv: the Founding Queen, the Mage Supreme, as well as old Castellan. Thanatos himself was also present, as were several representatives from the Free Factions Union.

    ¡°Some Arcanian soldiers were present as well, but mostly those with personal grudges against the Lich Kingdoms. Arcana did not have an official representative since they mostly fought on their own terms to protect the regions within their sight.¡±

    ¡°I always find it hard to believe that Thanatos was allied with Tiv back then,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Same for Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Well, the alliance with Arcana was loose,¡± said Sigille. ¡°It was more that Arcana joined the battle of its own accord and everyone was more than willing to have them at their side.¡±

    ¡°As for Thanatos¡­¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that the Valkyrie was the deciding factor for many of the factions present. Even if people there hated and distrusted each other, they all trusted the Valkyrie¡¯s word.¡±

    ¡°If the Valkyrie gave an oath, then they knew she would stand against anyone to defend it, no matter how powerful and no matter her personal relations.¡± Sigille spoke with admiration. ¡°No one in the alliance was willing to stab the other in the back to then fight their hated enemies and a furious Valkyrie.

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Sigille. ¡°Which also brings us to the story of the treaty and back to the meeting. One person chose to ignore that the Valkyrie had sworn to destroy the lich kings for what they had done.

    ¡°The Founding King himself presented his gathered allies with a necromancer envoy from the Lich Kingdoms.¡± Sigille shook her head. ¡°Tivius professed his desire to accept their peace offering.

    ¡°Some say he was averse to seeing the bloodshed continue, or that he was just being ¡®pragmatic.¡¯¡± Sigille scratched her nose with her pinky finger. ¡°Others say he simply wanted to use the opportunity to firmly establish his Tiv Empire or that he was being an idiot to trust the Lich Kingdoms.

    ¡°I say the lich kings knew exactly what they were doing.¡± Sigille scoffed. ¡°They were playing Tivius like a fiddle. While Tivius probably expected the derision of Thanatos, he failed to anticipate that the diplomatic envoy would be cut down right there in the hall.¡±

    Sigille smiled at Terry¡¯s widened eyes. ¡°The Valkyrie was standing by her oath, even if it meant going against her long-time friend.¡±

    ¡°Needless to say, the aspiring king was not amused at this public display of defiance.¡± Sigille raised her arms behind her head. ¡°He had given his word that the envoy would be safe and just like that, he was made a liar.¡±

    Sigille scoffed again. ¡°Although, many in the hall already saw him as a liar for receiving the envoy in the first place. After all, Tivius, too, had given an oath to crush the lich kings, avenge their victims, and liberate the occupied lands.

    ¡°The lines between the representatives hardened.¡± Sigille lowered her arms again and subconsciously played the belly drum on her armor. ¡°The allies had split before the Founding King knew what had happened and to his surprise, those with him were the smaller faction by a longshot.

    ¡°The Valkyrie never strove for a position of leadership, except through leading by example. While she was named a commander, it was Tivius that decided on strategy. Tivius had been hailed as an ingenious military leader and he got results.¡± Sigille snorted. ¡°Unfortunately, he failed to realize that results were not enough to bring everyone together.

    ¡°Many only chose to fight because they took courage and inspiration from the Valkyrie and her ideals.¡± Sigille was rubbing the palm of her left hand with her right thumb. ¡°They fought for something, not just against the invaders. That¡¯s an important distinction, especially when you are on the weaker side of the conflict.¡±

    Sigille clicked her tongue. ¡°Even with those that were normally opposed to the Valkyrie, the alliance had only been held together by her credo. Her words meant something.

    ¡°Thanatos himself is said to have sided with the Valkyrie even though they practically disagreed at every turn.¡± Sigille chuckled in amusement. ¡°He is quoted as saying that it would be foolish to side against the Valkyrie because of her two most annoying habits.

    ¡°She always chooses the path that she believes is right, no matter how difficult it may be. And no matter how difficult it may be, she somehow manages to push through.¡± Sigille exclaimed with a face full of admiration: ¡°That¡¯s my kind of hero.¡±

    Terry smiled to himself. The way his powerful aunt talked of the Valkyrie was similar to how Terry himself thought of the Veilbinder. A path to take inspiration from. He felt connected to her on this account.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Sigille shook her head slightly. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder what this empire could have been if the Valkyrie had been around for longer.¡±

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not many details.¡± Sigille shrugged. ¡°Only that she supposedly fell in battle against an unexpected horde from the Wastes.

    ¡°Most accounts have her fighting a reaper, which really would have been a terrible opponent for a pure force mage, no matter how powerful.¡± Sigille shook her head sadly. ¡°Others claim the Valkyrie chose to depart to fight monsters instead of risking a civil war with Tivius. Of course, there are also those that claim that the Lich Kingdoms had a hand in it.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Do you really have to go already?¡± asked Emily with a pout.

    Matteo smiled and patted Emily¡¯s head.

    ¡°Yeah, do you?¡± asked Wallace and mimicked Emily¡¯s pout. ¡°The big brother threat will be much less effective if you are out on death hunts somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Daad,¡± grumbled Emily.

    ¡°You know, you could stay and spar some more with Terry,¡± interjected Sigille, and focused on Matteo.

    Terry involuntarily grimaced when he recalled a number of bruises, cuts, and burns. He nodded despite his painful memories. ¡°That would be helpful. I learned a lot.¡±

    ¡°Why are the death hunters gathering this early, anyway?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°Or will you join other folks this time?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is the situation with the growing number of reanimated hellspawn, but¡­¡± Matteo raised a hand and held his own nape. ¡°Actually, it was me that asked them to gather early.¡±

    ¡°Mean Brother!¡± Emily sent Matteo a reproachful look.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a bit cruel,¡± said Wallace. He pointed with his thumb at Sigille. ¡°I know that the old hag can be a handful, but we could hide you from her. You don¡¯t have to flee the scene.¡±

    Sigille ignored the comment. ¡°I assume there is a reason?¡±

    ¡°Elenec picked up fresh rumors of a necromancer that is also using elementals,¡± said Matteo. ¡°In the east.¡±

    Emily¡¯s reproachful expression was washed from her face. The same happened to Wallace¡¯s joking manner. Only worry remained.

    ¡°How far east?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°Be careful that you don¡¯t accidentally walk into whatever the Tiv army is doing in the northeast.¡±

    Matteo smiled warmly. ¡°The trail shouldn¡¯t lead that far north.¡± He shrugged with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°If it even leads anywhere at all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t raise specters before you are sure,¡± said Sigille pensively. ¡°Even if the rumor is accurate and even if it was indeed Anand, there is no guarantee that he¡¯s still there.¡±

    Sigille bit her lips. ¡°Do you have a way to contact Amelia or Jee if it comes down to it? Following the trail of a dimensional mage would prove a problem, no matter how fresh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it covered,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Even if we find nothing, the fact that there have been several such rumors¡­¡±

    ¡°Plan for the worst, but don¡¯t allow that bastard more space in your head than that,¡± said Sigille. ¡°And be careful, Whaka Matteo.¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± said Matteo with a sheepish look.

    ¡°¡°¡°Yeah, right.¡±¡±¡± Sigille and Wallace grumbled in unison. They glanced at each other.

    ¡°Jinx!¡± exclaimed Wallace merrily and pointed at Sigille.

    Sigille groaned.

    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Matteo turned to Emily. ¡°You have your own stuff to focus on, Miss Soon-to-Be-Druid.¡±

    ¡°Probably not that soon.¡± Emily giggled. ¡°But the next time we meet, I¡¯ll have my own tree seed.¡±

    Wallace sniffled exaggeratedly. ¡°They grow up so fast.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes.

    ¡°When is Dhruv taking you on your initiation?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± replied Emily with a wide smile. Anticipation radiated from the red-haired elf.

    ¡°I wish you luck,¡± said Matteo with a warm smile. ¡°And I¡¯m looking forward to seeing your progress until the Rising Sun, but I¡¯ll have to take my leave now. Farewell everyone, I¡¯ll be off then.¡±

    Terry and the others waved goodbye and then returned to their own plans for the day. Sigille went with Terry for training, while Wallace helped Emily prepare for her druid initiation.

    ***

    Two days later, Terry and Sigille were walking to a different training area.

    ¡°What has Emaldine been up to the past few days?¡± asked Terry. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her around here.¡±

    ¡°From what I can gather, she is looking for work in the city,¡± said Sigille. ¡°She has lost her scavenging group and since she has not fulfilled her mission quotas, her registration with the Guardians expired a long time ago. She needs to find some way to pay for lodging.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry realized he was not exactly paying for lodging, either.

    Sigille chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re on my bill.¡± Her expression fell. ¡°I would be happy to place Emaldine there too, but¡­¡± Sigille¡¯s voice trailed off, and she just shrugged.

    Sigille shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m already happy that she chose to stay in the city.¡± She smiled wistfully. ¡°Maybe we can¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nevermind.¡±

    Sigille looked at Terry. ¡°You have made some progress with the divine hammer inscription. Perhaps this is a good time to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lady Sigille,¡± arrived the voice of a man that was walking fast towards the two.

    Terry recognized the man as a channeler from the Bright Lady that often served as a messenger for management.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Sigille narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Bright Willow has something to discuss with you,¡± said the messenger.

    ¡°Uh-huh, then why are you here and not her?¡± asked Sigille while squinting at the man. She scratched her nose with her pinky.

    ¡°Bright Willow is waiting in the reception hall of the management facilities,¡± said the messenger.

    Terry moved his eyes to look at the large dome that housed Guardian management.

    ¡°Can this wait?¡± asked Sigille. ¡°I¡¯m instructing my nephew.¡±

    ¡°Bright Willow is specifically waiting for you now,¡± said the messenger.

    Sigille sighed in resignation. ¡°Fine.¡± She turned to Terry. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. With Dhruv out on Emily¡¯s initiation, I have the unfortunate honor to be the most senior Guardian present. Let¡¯s see what the witch wants. If I can keep it short, we can continue as we planned.¡±

    Terry nodded and followed his aunt to the management facilities and, once in the dome, to the large reception hall.

    Inside the reception hall, Terry saw Willow together with a man whom Terry did not recognize.

    Manaless? Or exceptionally good cloaking?

    Terry wondered silently while examining the young-looking man in plain traveling robes.

    Sigille stepped into the hall and for a moment, she just stood transfixed while staring at the man.

    ¡°Lady Sigille, I am glad you could make the time,¡± said Willow with a thin smile. ¡°I have a guest and I would like for all of us to come to an understanding on certain matters.¡±

    Sigille glanced at Willow without saying anything.

    Afterwards, Sigille turned to Terry. ¡°This¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°¡­will take a while, Whaka Terry.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes at the strained tone in his aunt¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Please go ahead to the training grounds,¡± continued Sigille. ¡°I suggest you do some proper technique training with your main equipment. Oh, and if you meet Whaka Dhruv, tell him to come here immediately.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry inwardly shrugged and did as his aunt had asked.

    When Terry had left, Sigille silently closed the door behind him. Before she turned around, she had already retrieved and activated an item from her dimensional storage.

    The onetime use item flashed brightly with a silver light before it vanished and left the space sealed and with all dimensional manipulations blocked.

    Sigille cracked her neck and glowered at Willow. ¡°I¡¯ll ask this once. Do you have any idea who that man next to you is?¡±

    ¡°I do, but please, Lady Sigille,¡± said Willow in a condescending tone. ¡°Let¡¯s all be civil. Anand is¡ª¡±

    ¡°The monster that tortured my son, murdered my husband, and caused a massacre in the Land of the Four Towers,¡± growled Sigille. ¡°A wanted criminal in the Free Factions Union whose crimes have undoubtedly also extended into other regions.¡±

    Anand smiled as if their conversation did not concern him.

    ¡°Whatever happened in the past¡ª¡± started Willow.

    ¡°Save it,¡± growled Sigille. ¡°That monster¡ª¡±

    ¡°Did what was necessary,¡± interrupted Anand firmly. His cold eyes did not match his youthful appearance. ¡°I will always do what¡¯s necessary to protect this realm.¡±

    ¡°I have seen what lies ahead and the Wastes are only the beginning.¡± Anand defiantly stared at Sigille. ¡°If this realm is to survive, then it needs to evolve.¡±

    ¡°Necessary?¡± spat Sigille. She rolled her shoulders while fixing her eyes on Anand. ¡°Is that what you call tormenting an innocent child that was supposed to be under your protection? Having him possessed by elementals? Causing the destruction of an entire city? ¡®Necessary¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Anand without hesitation or concern. ¡°Necessary. Matteo had the highest mental and spirit resistances I have ever seen in mortal folk. By far. Even as a child. If anyone has a chance of inverting the demonic relationship with elementals, then him. Yes, necessary.¡±

    Subconsciously, Sigille channeled mana into her equipment. Her fists were clenched tightly.

    ¡°Lady Sigille, please¡ª¡± started Willow.

    ¡°Which also brings me to the next point,¡± interrupted Anand with his eyes on Sigille. ¡°The elemental tower master has interrupted Matteo¡¯s evolution. Then you came along to cripple him further.¡±

    ¡°Heartseeker inscription?¡± Anand sneered. ¡°Mind-protecting artifacts? Fiendish weapons? Holding his hand through trouble and danger? You are his crutch. You are preventing him from evolving on his own.¡±

    ¡°You need to stop.¡± Anand glared at Sigille. ¡°Matteo must push through and conquer it. For the sake of everyone in this realm.¡±

    ¡°Lady Sigille, you need to see the bigger picture,¡± interjected Willow. ¡°Matteo has grown into a commendable man and, as he is now, he will surely understand the need for sacrifice. Even if we can¡¯t all agree on a path forward, Anand is a dimensional mage and a much needed ally in our¡ª¡±

    ¡°You would think that in Tiv, of all places, people would know not to invite envoys with tainted offers.¡± Sigille stared at Willow with indignation and incredulity. ¡°I¡¯ve always been fond of the Valkyrie¡¯s story. I wish that others had learned from it.¡±

    Anand snorted.

    Willow sighed and activated a signal from below her desk. ¡°I, too, am familiar with the Valkyrie¡¯s story and I have drawn my own lessons from it.¡±

    Dozens of armed people poured into the room and positioned themselves between Sigille and the other two. Some of them Sigille recognized as Guardians. Most of them radiated the mana of the Bright Lady. Others were evidently channelers from other denominations.

    Simultaneously, Willow activated parts of the outpost¡¯s defense mechanism. Huge metal walls were lowered to block all entrances. Inscriptions lit up along the room ¨C both defensive and offensive.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have my guests harmed under my watch,¡± said Willow coldly. ¡°Be reasonable. We can all¡ª¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Sigille, and pulled the axe from her back. ¡°You can do whatever you want. As for me, my choice is made.¡±

    ¡°I will not allow you to mess with my son any further.¡± Sigille stared intently at Anand. ¡°There are only two paths here. Either I will put you down for good or I will proudly join my husband, knowing I did my best.¡±

    Sigille moved her eyes over the group of people between herself and Anand. ¡°For those of you who may not know me. I am Sigille. Some people here call me the Divine Hammer. I am someone that believes in choices¡­¡±

    ***

 082 Of Principles and Faith Questioned

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 15 ¨C

    Terry was nearly at the training grounds when the earth started to quake so hard that some of the surrounding pillars cracked.

    Before he was fully aware of what was going on, Terry was already rushing back towards the large dome that housed Guardian management.

    Initially, Terry was not sure why he was rushing back towards the place, but the closer he got, the more certain he was that the dome was the source of the quakes.

    Others had arrived even before him.

    ¡°What the Wastes is going on?¡± asked an older Guardian instructor.

    ¡°The defenses have been activated,¡± said another. ¡°The entrance has been sealed.¡±

    ¡°Why?! What is happening?¡±

    The second Guardian was channeling mana into an inscription. ¡°Can¡¯t tell for sure, only that management has invoked protocol to defend the place.¡±

    Terry felt a lump in his throat and panic started to well up.

    ¡°What could possibly get past everyone else to arrive directly in the dome?¡±

    ¡°Get this door open,¡± yelled Terry, without being aware of it.

    ¡°What? Who are you? Do you know what¡¯s going in there?¡±

    ¡°Willow had asked to see Aunt Sigille inside,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°There was another mage with Willow and I could sense some other signatures in the back room. My aunt told me to go train and if I see Dhruv, I should tell him to come immediately.¡±

    ¡°Willow?¡± The two older Guardians glanced at each other. The face of one of them twisted in fury while the other paled.

    ¡°Get Vhida here! NOW!¡± shouted the first Guardian. ¡°I want this door open!¡±

    ¡°Where is Dhruv?!¡± the second shouted at a group of younger Guardians that had arrived as well. ¡°FIND HIM! NOW!¡±

    The first Guardian threw a punch at the reinforced door. ¡°DAMN IT!¡± He frantically looked around. ¡°Is there anyone else here that can attempt an inscription override?¡±

    The quakes became more and more intense. Each rumbling shook Terry to his core.

    ¡°I hate this mana-forsaken outpost!¡± cursed the first Guardian. ¡°I swear if this is one of the witch¡¯s stunts, I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± rebuked the other Guardian. ¡°We don¡¯t know if Willow is at fault. Perhaps something has attacked the two.¡±

    ¡°Or the Hammer has flown off the handle again,¡± interjected a third Guardian with a sneer. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time, would it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you how I will fly off the handle if you keep flapping your mouth without saying anything that gets this door open,¡± growled the first Guardian. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Sigille pick a fight that was not justified.¡±

    The other party sneered, but kept his mouth shut.

    ***

    ¡°How long since this has started?¡± asked Vhida, who was frantically channeling mana into the defense inscription to open the door to the dome.

    ¡°More than an hour,¡± replied the Guardian with clenched fists. ¡°The quakes stopped maybe ten minutes ago.¡±

    Vhida gulped and finally managed to open the door.

    Everyone fell silent at the carnage that they could see inside. Dozens of people were lying dead on the floor. A pair of surviving followers of the Bright Lady were doing their best to heal some other survivors.

    Willow stood golden and bloodied on the opposite side of the room. Anand, whom Terry had last seen standing next to her, was nowhere to be found.

    Two large steps away from Willow, Sigille¡¯s body was lying on the floor.

    Terry could not sense a mana signature and felt his own heart freeze.

    ¡°HEALERS!¡± shouted one of the older Guardians.

    ¡°T-too late,¡± stammered another with unbelieving eyes.

    ¡°Dhruv is back!¡± an out-of-breath Guardian came running and stopped still in his tracks when he saw the sight inside the dome.

    ¡°What¡­ What happened here?!¡± demanded Vhida. Her eyes were glued to the wounds on Sigille¡¯s body. Wounds that had undeniably been inflicted by the outpost¡¯s defense system. By the defense system that Vhida herself had set up. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like screaming.

    An older Guardian was already next to Sigille¡¯s body. ¡°Healer¡­ No! DAMN IT!¡±

    ¡°Sigille¡­ attacked¡­ us¡­¡± huffed Willow. Golden liquid spread from her elbow. The lower parts of the arm were missing.

    ¡°¡°¡°BULLSHIT!¡±¡±¡± reverberated the voices of several Guardians. Some were gripping the hilts of their weapons.

    ¡°There¡­ is¡­ a recording,¡± said Willow. The golden liquid was slowly shaping into the limb that had been missing.

    In a daze, Vhida walked towards another inscription panel.

    ¡°Auntie!¡± echoed the quivering cry of Emily when she arrived together with Dhruv. She turned to her mentor. ¡°Can she¡­?¡±

    Dhruv shook his head. He did not blink, and tears were already streaming down his eyes.

    ¡°Dhruv, we could use some help here!¡± shouted one of the channelers that was healing the survivors. ¡°There are injured Guardians, and some of them are beyond our abilities.¡±

    Dhruv ignored him and continued staring at Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°ANAND?!¡± shrieked Vhida. ¡°You¡­¡± She stepped away from the inscription panel and turned towards Willow. ¡°You brought Anand here?!¡± She screamed and charged at Willow.

    A number of Willow¡¯s allies had quickly positioned themselves in front of her.

    The older Guardian next to Sigille¡¯s corpse caught Vhida and prevented her from rushing into the group. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Let me at her! I¡¯ll¡­¡± Vhida took deep breaths and glared at Willow with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You knew this would happen!

    ¡°That is why the recording was running from the beginning!¡± spat Vhida. ¡°That is why you had so many people stationed here! You bloody knew!¡±

    ¡°I hoped¡­ it would not¡­¡± Willow was still trying to regain her breath. ¡°But¡­ I feared it might¡­ I hoped that Sigille¡­ could see the bigger picture¡­ but I had to take precautions¡­ in case she did not.¡±

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked one guardian.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before¡­¡± Willow was slowly getting back her stride. ¡°Sigille has attacked me and one of my guests.¡±

    ¡°The bloody ¡®guest¡¯ was Anand! YOU WASTED BITCH!¡± spat Vhida in fury and disgust. ¡°That mass-murdering monster has killed Sigille¡¯s husband!¡±

    ¡°Anand?!¡± Dhruv¡¯s rumbling voice caused everyone else to hold their breath. ¡°Of all people, you brought Anand into this place? You had Sigille meet the murderer of her husband?! Without warning? Without so much as consulting with me?!¡±

    ¡°Even if you are the most senior Guardian present¡­¡± Willow held Dhruv¡¯s gaze. ¡°You are not part of management.¡± Her tone was dismissive.

    ¡°Well, I am!¡± arrived the shout of Lucas. No one had taken notice of his arrival. ¡°At least I am supposed to act as the ministerial representative to supervise Guardian management.¡± Lucas shook his head in disbelief. He stared at the carnage in front of him. His eyes repeatedly drifted back to Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°I did what I thought necessary,¡± insisted Willow. ¡°We need Anand. Both for his abilities and for his intel. He is a valuable asset in the fight against the Wastes, against the deathcults¡­¡± She fixed her eyes on Lucas. ¡°And against the stupidity that keeps us all from pushing back as required. I hoped that¡ª¡±

    ¡°You cannot possibly be stupid enough to trust that man,¡± interrupted Dhruv.

    ¡°Seems that you cannot trust Guardian management either,¡± spat Vhida. She glared at Willow with disdain. ¡°If the Bright Lady had any sense of justice, she would use her soul connection to kill you in your sleep.¡±

    Vhida¡¯s outburst seemed to incense many of the channelers present, and this was not limited to the followers of the Bright Lady.

    ¡°Spare us your blasphemy!¡± barked one of the channeler Guardians. ¡°It was the Hammer that drew her weapon on her fellow Guardians. A despicable murderer that is who she is. She ought to¡ª¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Hold your tongue before someone cuts it out!¡± growled another Guardian.

    ¡°Why?¡± shouted another. ¡°Look around you! All these Guardians are dead because of her!¡±

    ¡°Piss off!¡± Yet another was glaring at Willow. ¡°They are all dead because of that wasted woman over there!¡± He pointed at her. ¡°They¡¯re all her lackeys.¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± roared Dhruv. Magical roots lifted Sigille¡¯s corpse up gingerly. The roots moved her body to Dhruv. ¡°I will hold the wake for my departed whaka.¡±

    ¡°What? For the murderer¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said enough!¡± barked Dhruv, and his aura rose.

    ¡°Then what about her victims?!¡± demanded one of the channelers.

    Dhruv looked at the channeler. ¡°Do what you want. I¡¯ll have no part of it.¡±

    ¡°They fought to protect the Guardians,¡± said Willow. ¡°They deserve honor treatment.¡±

    ¡°They fought against the only true Guardian present,¡± snapped a woman from the crowd. ¡°And they ganged up to murder her.¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous! What kind of example does this set for the younger Guardians?!¡± interjected a channeler. ¡°They only¡ª¡±

    ¡°Screw you! I¡¯m one of those younger Guardians. The example I see here is that cultist management is a scourge on the Guardians!¡±

    ¡°Damn right! The reason I joined the Guardians has been murdered by management and her henchmen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±

    Roots loudly smashed into the walls, which silenced everyone.

    Sigille¡¯s corpse was now lifted in front of Dhruv.

    ¡°I always feared I would be the last of us,¡± muttered Dhruv. ¡°Tell the others to wait for me, Whaka Sigille.¡± He closed the eyes of his old friend and then left.

    Vhida and the older Guardian with her followed.

    ¡°I know that Dhruv has sworn to protect this place,¡± said the older Guardian. ¡°But I¡¯m finding it harder and harder to find something worthy of protection here. It gets worse with every cycle that passes.¡±

    Vhida just stared silently at the roots that were carrying Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Terry? Are you alright?¡±

    Terry could vaguely recognize the shape of Emily¡¯s face in front of him. Tears were streaming down her face. His own vision was blurry.

    I should not have left her. Maybe if I¡­ This can¡¯t be happening...

    He felt himself pulled into a hug.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s mind felt like mush. He could not think straight, and all he could do was follow Dhruv to a large room. Terry did not not dare to enter.

    Terry dazedly watched Dhruv cast several spells to clear out all the furniture and prepare the room.

    Eventually, the room was empty, with nothing but a small raised platform carved from beautiful wood and overgrown with grass and field flowers that softly radiated nature-aspected mana.

    At the center of the platform, there laid Sigille¡¯s corpse. She was still in her broken armor and while Dhruv had washed away the blood and covered the most egregious wounds, the marks of battle remained clearly visible.

    While Terry could not bear to look at the wounds, he thought it was right for Sigille to be in her armor even now. At least, the Sigille he would remember had always been wearing it.

    ¡°There, my friend,¡± mumbled Dhruv. ¡°I wish I could do more, but nothing I can do would ever bring you back¡­¡± He walked to a wall, sat down, and closed his eyes. Tears continued rolling down his cheeks.

    Terry barely noticed others pouring into the room to take their own spots along the walls.

    He did not know how long he had been standing there when he heard someone approaching in a run.

    ¡°Emily!¡± shouted Wallace, and his daughter quickly darted into his arms.

    ¡°Auntie is¡­¡± Emily¡¯s words were stuck in her throat.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Wallace patted Emily¡¯s back and looked at Sigille¡¯s corpse. ¡°I came back as fast as I could. The others will come, too.¡± He sighed. ¡°Maybe I should take you back? If even she wasn¡¯t safe here, then...¡±

    Emily pulled back from Wallace and shook her head hesitatingly.

    ¡°No harm will come to your daughter while I am alive,¡± said Dhruv with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Pardon me if I remain doubtful of such assurances at the moment,¡± retorted Wallace with a glance to Sigille and a glare to Dhruv.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Dhruv took a deep breath. ¡°She was never one that needed much protection.¡±

    Dhruv sighed wearily. ¡°Protecting this place was the last request of my life¡¯s chosen and I¡¯ve done this to the best of my abilities for many years. Even during times in which I wanted nothing more than to leave.

    ¡°Now, Whaka Sigille has made her last request, and it is to teach Little Emily.¡± Dhruv stared at Sigille with empty eyes. ¡°Until I have taught Emily everything I know, and until she has raised her own tree seed, I will never lose sight of her. Whatever tries to harm her will have to go through me.¡± Dhruv held Wallace¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Have her kids been informed already?¡± asked Wallace while hugging Emily again. ¡°We should¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± Amelia gasped and walked into the room. ¡°How could¡­?¡±

    Dargones followed Amelia with a grim look and clenched jaw.

    ¡°I somehow always thought that she would live forever,¡± muttered Wallace sadly.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± Amelia¡¯s look turned cold and rested on Dhruv. ¡°The rest that I¡¯ve heard. Did the witch instigate this by bringing that piece of shit Anand here?¡±

    Wallace quickly looked at Dhruv as well.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Dhruv. ¡°Willow had her closest and strongest followers from the Guardians and the Lady¡¯s Circle stand between Sigille and Anand.¡±

    ¡°That was not all that she did,¡± spat Vhida from one side. ¡°The bitch used the defense system against Instructor Sigille. My wasted defense system.¡± She glared at the empty air in front of her with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°We need to tell her children,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Emaldine only went to the city, but Matteo could already be who knows where.¡±

    ¡°I can find Matteo,¡± said Amelia immediately. ¡°But I don¡¯t have a way to know of the location of Sigille¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°If she is still in the city, we will find her,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°It is getting late, but we will reach her at the latest tomorrow.¡±

    ***

    Cadence froze in the doorway as soon as she saw Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    After several breathless seconds that felt like an eternity, Cadence turned around and ran to knock at the door of Willow¡¯s office.

    ¡°Glimmer Cadence.¡± Willow raised an eyebrow. ¡°Greetings. If you are here to share some of the Lady¡¯s mana to speed up my healing, then I appreciate the thought, but others of our circle have already been here and I am fine.¡±

    Cadence stared incredulously while Willow simply turned her back on Cadence and returned to her desk to continue with some paperwork.

    ¡°Did you really bring Anand here?¡± Cadence¡¯s question was almost a whisper. ¡°The man that had Matteo possessed by elementals? The man that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± interrupted Willow without looking up. ¡°A mage with the ability to set up long-range dimensional gates is invaluable to our work. The same can be said about a mage with extensive knowledge of undead and elementals.¡±

    Cadence opened and closed her mouth several times without speaking. ¡°But that man has caused so much suffering already.¡±

    Willow tutted and raised her gaze to look at Cadence. ¡°Glimmer Cadence, even a bad man can do good.

    ¡°I do not care about that man¡¯s past.¡± Willow spoke as if lecturing a child. ¡°I care about the present and the future. I care about what he can do for us. I care about all the lives that could be saved from now on by putting his abilities to good use.

    ¡°There is a reason that the Bright Lady teaches that resentment is poison for the soul.¡± Willow smiled condescendingly.

    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Cadence stared at Willow, who returned the gaze calmly. ¡°Why did you have him meet Sigille? Surely, this terrible outcome could have been avoided.¡±

    Willow¡¯s eyes narrowed at the question. ¡°I can¡¯t hide our guest and ally forever. I did not force Sigille to act like she did. She chose to attack her fellow Guardians out of a petty desire for revenge. I am not responsible for Sigille¡¯s actions, Glimmer Cadence.¡±

    Cadence involuntarily flinched at the pointed reference to her rank in the Bright Lady¡¯s Circle.

    ¡°And speaking of terrible outcomes, I now have to somehow make sure that everything keeps going,¡± spat Willow.

    ¡°A new instructor for her classes, someone else to cover the dungeon pioneering in the coming seasons, not to mention all the classes and missions that were planned for her victims.¡± Willow emphasized the last word.

    ¡°And I need to increase the defenses to prevent this stupidity from getting worse.¡± Willow scoffed. ¡°So if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll have work to do.¡±

    Cadence nearly spoke up a few times, but eventually, she turned around and closed the door behind herself.

    ***

    Terry couldn¡¯t sleep and left his room in the middle of the night.

    Word had been sent out to Matteo and Emaldine.

    Terry did not know how to face them. He did not even know what to think.

    He noted that he could not remember the last time he had left his room without wearing his equipment.

    Terry¡¯s thoughts halted at the commotion he heard from the communication room. He saw a glimpse of the machine that he had used to call his family in Arcana.

    Ma Isille¡­ She doesn¡¯t even know yet¡­ Oh mana¡­

    Terry¡¯s stomach plummeted further while looking at the sight of the construct that now seemed broken.

    There were pieces of a broken wine bottle and traces of its content everywhere. Going by the traces, there had been little wine left inside when the bottle was hurled against the machinery.

    ¡°Damn it all¡­¡± From the other side of the room, a wailing voice that was followed by sobbing could be heard.

    Terry recognized the voice of Vhida, but he walked by. He did not know what he could possibly say to comfort anyone at this time.

    Tears were running down his face and before he knew it, Terry was walking towards the room with Sigille¡¯s preserved body.

    He stared at her unmoving face.

    His mind was blank.

    He walked towards a wall and sat down to lean against it. He buried his face in his knees and cried.

    At some point, Terry noticed footsteps and a mana signature.

    Dhruv.

    Terry did not look up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± said the dwarf. ¡°Just coming to drink with old friends.¡±

    Dhruv sat down on the floor and summoned four shot glasses, which he then filled with whisky. He raised one of the filled glasses to Sigille¡¯s body, drank it in one shot, and immediately refilled the same glass again.

    ¡°You want a drink?¡± asked Dhruv.

    Terry raised his head and shook it.

    For a while, Terry watched Dhruv drink in silence.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left her,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°Not your fault, boy,¡± said Dhruv firmly. ¡°Dozens of experienced Guardians, advanced channelers, coordinated with healers, the outpost¡¯s defense system, not to mention Anand, who is already a terrifying opponent on his own.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t left, then you would be lying here with her,¡± stressed Dhruv. ¡°Whaka Sigille told you to go because she understood that.¡±

    Still¡­ Terry grimaced in thought. Whaka.

    ¡°If anything, it is me that should not have left,¡± said Dhruv and poured himself another whisky.

    ¡°Unexpectedly, I was kind of looking forward to having a disciple after all this time.¡± Dhruv stared at the glass in his hand. ¡°I should have at least waited with the druid initiation until more of the others arrived. Wasted hindsight.¡±

    Terry felt like objecting and reminding Dhruv that it was not his fault either, but he did not find the voice to speak his thoughts.

    They spent the rest of the night in silence.

    ***

 083 The Legacy of a Legend

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 16 ¨C

    ¡°Did you even sleep?¡± asked Wallace as he was entering the room of Sigille¡¯s wake.

    Terry glanced up from his seated position at the wall and shrugged. He hugged his legs and rested his chin on his knees.

    ¡°Look, kid, you need to sleep and eat,¡± said Wallace with concern. ¡°And find something to do aside from looking at the corpse of the woman, who would be the first to tell you to do something, anything else. If you want, I can show you a few tricks again.¡±

    Terry just lowered his gaze and shrugged.

    ¡°Come on, perhaps we¡ª¡± Wallace interrupted himself and turned around to see Emaldine barging into the room.

    Emaldine stared silently and incredulously at Sigille¡¯s corpse that was resting on the field of grass and flowers.

    The sound of more approaching steps followed shortly after.

    ¡°Did you reach him?¡± asked Wallace.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Amelia took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know who told him, but it was obvious that Matteo had already learned of her death. When I found him, he had already split up from the other death hunters and was walking here¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, where is the kid?¡± asked Wallace hoarsely. ¡°You could have brought him here with you, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Amelia grimaced, and Dargones could read the topic on her face without hearing Wallace¡¯s question.

    ¡°He¡­¡± Amelia sighed. ¡°Matteo did not speak or listen. He just kept walking while grabbing his heartseeker dagger. Honestly, the fog in his eyes was so dense I¡¯m not even sure he heard what I was saying¡­¡± She bit her lower lip in frustration.

    Dargones¡¯s lips moved without uttering a sound that could be heard by anyone other than Amelia.

    ¡°¡­yeah. That, too,¡± muttered Amelia.

    Wallace shot her an inquisitive glance.

    ¡°Matteo¡¯s aura was intense,¡± elaborated Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s scaring the Wastes out of the creatures in his path. On the bright side, there should be nothing willing to pick a fight with him. Elenec and some other friends from the death hunters will keep an eye on him, regardless. But¡­¡±

    Amelia took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what will happen once he arrives here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill that cultist bitch,¡± growled Emaldine and she reached for the spears on her back.

    Terry raised his head to stare at Emaldine. He clenched his fists in front of his knees.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Wallace hurriedly moved to block Emaldine¡¯s path.

    ¡°Move,¡± growled Emaldine with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Or I¡¯ll go through you.¡±

    Dargones silently spoke to Amelia, but she only shook her head.

    ¡°Do it then, stubby arms,¡± retorted Wallace and spread out his own limbs to block the exit. ¡°I doubt you have so little of your mother in you that you would bloody your hands with the blood of a friend.¡±

    His unfazed attitude to her threat caused Emaldine to pause. Wallace was obviously weaker than her.

    ¡°WHY?¡± roared Emaldine. ¡°Why would you want to protect that bitch?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest desire to protect that stupid woman,¡± replied Wallace calmly. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be able to face your mother if I were to just let you go stomp to your own death. Your mother would not want you to get yourself killed on her account.¡±

    Emaldine grimaced and snorted. Her face contorted into a snarl, and she shook her head before staring defiantly back at Wallace. ¡°I¡¯ve been a disappointment all her life. Why should her death be any different?¡± She spat the words and lowered her head. ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck off and get over yourself!¡± Wallace snapped. ¡°Do you have any idea how often the old lady spoke of you? How many of her stories I had to listen to? How¡ª¡± He stopped himself and pointed towards Sigille¡¯s corpse. ¡°Go look underneath her heart plate and see for yourself! See her most precious belongings!¡±

    Emaldine was taken aback by the weak elf¡¯s outburst. Before she knew why, she did as Wallace had told her.

    She flinched when her fingers reached the cold body of Sigille.

    While Sigille¡¯s armor was broken in many places, the protective plate in front of Sigille¡¯s heart was completely intact.

    Emaldine moved the plate to find a hidden dimensional storage pocket that was only suitable for a few smaller items. There was an old picture that had been created with light-aspected magic a long time ago.

    Emaldine saw her toddler self held in the arms of her two parents, who were both kissing one of her cheeks. She choked on her own breath.

    ¡°When Sigille came to find Matteo, she stayed with us at camp for a few weeks,¡± said Wallace. ¡°Emily was about the age that you are in that picture. While the old lady and I had little in common, we both loved bragging about our daughters. The first few nights, she barely shut up about you. Every little step from Emily seemed to remind her of another story.¡±

    Wallace raised his chin at the picture in Emaldine¡¯s hands. ¡°Sigille told me she liked to keep her most precious memories there. She said that it reminded her to protect her own heart.

    ¡°That storage is locked to her mana signature, but I can already tell you what¡¯s inside.¡± Wallace took a deep breath. ¡°Nothing but a bunch of pictures, letters, and trinkets with stories behind them. Whittled figurines, which you apparently gifted her when you were younger. Some ancient practice spears. A plush bunny that looked as if it had been dragged through the Wastes and back. A few¡ª¡±

    Emaldine collapsed to her knees and started sobbing into her crossed arms on Sigille¡¯s body. ¡°Ma¡­¡±

    ¡°Take some time to grieve first,¡± said Wallace. ¡°For the rest¡­¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°At least wait for the kid.¡±

    Terry thought about Matteo¡¯s coming arrival in the outpost. He stopped hugging his knees.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait as well,¡± declared Amelia solemnly.

    Wallace raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to take on missions for the Guild?¡±

    Dargones moved into the room and sat down at the wall opposite the entrance.

    ¡°Sure, but right now, we couldn''t care less.¡± Amelia shrugged with resolved eyes. ¡°And I¡¯ll imagine there will be a lot of missions abandoned and ignored in the coming days.¡± She walked next to Dargones.

    Terry, on the other hand, stood up and left to put on his equipment.

    ***

    Terry interrupted his exercise when he heard familiar voices. He exhaled shakily and ran towards the room of Sigille¡¯s wake.

    There, he found the source of the wail. Thena was sobbing uncontrollably while a pale-faced Clayson tried to comfort her.

    Behind them, Rachel stared at Sigille¡¯s corpse with disbelieving eyes.

    ¡°Noooo,¡± wailed Thena in a heart-wrenching voice.

    Terry felt his stomach plummet at seeing the short dwarf, that was usually so cheerful, so heartbroken. He caught the expression of Emaldine, who was scowling and watching the new arrivals with judging eyes.

    Rachel took a deep breath and glanced at Dhruv. ¡°I would like to see the recording. The full recording. Not whatever management is trying to pass around.¡±

    ¡°Talk to Vhida for the complete version,¡± said Dhruv.

    ¡°Did Willow really invite Anand here?¡± asked Rachel in a low voice.

    Dhruv nodded.

    Rachel clenched her fists. ¡°If only I did not have to¡­¡± She grit her teeth and left the room.

    Tara and some other disciples of Sigille entered the hall. They all froze when they saw Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    Tara was the first to recover. She emitted a low growl. Then she walked forward and kowtowed three times in front of Sigille¡¯s corpse. ¡°Thank you for all your teachings, Instructor. My eternal gratitude towards the kind teacher that took in this useless one.¡±

    Afterwards, Tara kept kneeling in front of Sigille¡¯s body with closed eyes.

    The other disciples performed their own goodbyes and acts of gratitude.

    ¡°This is it?!¡± barked Emaldine. ¡°Her own disciples just whine and accept this shit?¡± Emaldine¡¯s eyes were filled with contempt and indignation. ¡°What a disgrace.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Tara kept her eyes closed without showing any reaction.

    Before any of the other disciples could respond, Wallace intervened. ¡°Could you give it a rest, please?¡±

    Emaldine harrumphed and glared at everyone.

    ***

    Terry was exercising in the training grounds. He was practicing spear choreographies created to incorporate burst techniques.

    His eyes wandered over the mass of people that had trickled into the outpost in less than two days. Matteo had not arrived yet, but many other people had. In fact, Terry had never seen so many people in the Libra Outpost before.

    Most of them, Terry had never seen at all, but many people had approached him with condolences after they had learned that Sigille had considered him her nephew.

    The most astonishing thing, however, was not that so many people came so quickly, but how barely anyone seemed to leave again.

    Terry¡¯s gaze moved over a large hole in one wall at the training grounds. The damage had been caused by Instructor Palmer after he had learned about what had happened. The man had stood speechless with shaking fists until he could not take it anymore.

    Others had only stared in shock.

    Terry noticed someone approaching and his expression darkened as he recognized one guardian that had spoken ill of Sigille when they were trying to open the door.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The channeler addressed another Guardian.

    ¡°Being bothered by a pest beetle, evidently,¡± retorted the Guardian. The woman was wearing a heavy set of armor and a large hammer on her back.

    ¡°Hilarious,¡± sneered the channeler. ¡°You know what I mean. You were supposed to be in the forest to take care of the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Well, I am here, so I guess you need to find someone else for that,¡± retorted the woman with cold eyes.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just do that.¡±

    ¡°Evidently, I can.¡± The woman did not blink. ¡°I will not leave this outpost. If you want that mission to be taken care of, then why don¡¯t you send one of the witch¡¯s bunch?¡± Her eyes moved across the area. ¡°From what I can see, there are still plenty to pick from.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª¡±

    The woman walked away without another word or so much as a glance.

    Terry clenched his fists, nodded, and returned his focus to his training.

    ***

    ¡°What are your plans?¡± asked Rachel.

    The tall elven man in black leather armor shook his head. ¡°You know the old hag could be a pain in the ass and I never really got along with her¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡± Rachel searched the man¡¯s expression.

    ¡°But.¡± The man clicked his tongue. ¡°When I got in over my head, it was her that saved my sorry arse from certain death. She even picked a fight with management over it.¡±

    Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°I figure at least a quarter of the older Guardians have a similar story. I find it hard to believe that everyone will just disperse and forget about it.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The man sighed deeply. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be placed in the middle of this and I can¡¯t trust my temper either.¡± He frowned. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take an unannounced vacation with my personal disciples.¡± The man growled. ¡°I will hate myself for that later. I just know it.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the club,¡± said Rachel with a bitter expression. ¡°I figured that¡¯s what you would say. You should talk to Dhruv. He may find a suitable cover mission to get some distance from here. That would at least save you the disciplinary inquiry from management.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Terry!¡± Harrison jogged over to where Terry was training.

    Terry gave a nod as a greeting.

    ¡°I heard what happened,¡± said Harrison. ¡°My condolences. I know she was still your aunt, and that you looked up to her.¡±

    Terry returned his spears to his storage bracelets and retrieved a bottle of mana-imbued ice tea to drink. It also provided an excuse for not speaking much.

    Harrison looked into the distance. ¡°Guess it just shows that reality never lives up to the legends. To think that the Divine Hammer would just snap and murder innocent Guardians. Truly a story of a hero turned villain, I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± spat Terry with furious eyes. ¡°The one that murdered a Guardian was that witch Willow. She set this up. The others, too, are dead because they trusted her.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Terry.¡± Harrison stared at him with stunned eyes. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Bright Willow, then even more would have died. I get that she was your aunt, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea who that ¡®guest¡¯ of Willow was?¡± forced Terry through grit teeth.

    Harrison hesitated. ¡°¡­yes. I have heard, but none of that changes that he was a guest of the Guardians and that your aunt had no right to murder¡ª¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the recording. My aunt gave everyone a choice. They chose to stand with Willow and the murderer she had invited.¡±

    Terry turned around to leave.

    ¡°That does not mean they deserved to die,¡± protested Harrison with indignation. ¡°I knew some of them. They were good people.¡± Harrison followed Terry and grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Just like Willow.¡± He pulled on Terry¡¯s arm. ¡°You misunderstand her if¡ª¡±

    *Clash* The tea bottle dropped and broke on the ground.

    Right after the tea bottle, Harrison dropped to the ground as well, reeling from the punch that Terry had thrown in his face.

    Terry and Harrison both stared at each other in a daze.

    Harrison¡¯s face contorted in rage, and he jumped back up to unleash his own fist.

    Before Harrison got very far, however, a man in a traditional martial arts uniform caught Harrison¡¯s arm and then hurled Harrison across an astonishing distance.

    For a brief moment, the image of a giant golden monkey with a lion¡¯s mane resonated in the mana around Vicente.

    Afterwards, Vicente nodded at Terry without speaking a word.

    Several people came running to demand explanations.

    ¡°What the Wastes are you doing?!¡±

    Vicente just stared coldly at them without a word.

    ¡°You will accompany us to management for disciplinary action.¡±

    Other people came running and stood on the side of Vicente.

    Terry looked at his own clenched fists and then at the gathered crowds. It was not the first of such confrontations. Several smaller fights had broken out over the past two days.

    The size of the opposing crowds grew from incident to incident as more and more people made up their minds.

    Vicente continued staring silently, without moving an inch.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t come willingly, we¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave.¡± Palmer stepped forward to face them and growled: ¡°You¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Now!¡± Palmer¡¯s aura rose with his mana flaring up.

    In the end, the management-loyal group backed off under the pressure of Palmer and the others.

    Palmer nodded at Terry and left to continue his own training.

    Terry saw that Derek had followed Palmer the whole time, and they, too, nodded at each other.

    Terry recognized another face from the gathered crowd on his side.

    ¡°Uhm, I-I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± Isabella looked extremely uncomfortable. ¡°I¡­ Your aunt, you know, she stood up for mages and all mana users. Without her around, things will get worse and worse around here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± mumbled Terry.

    When Isabella was about to leave, Terry spoke up without looking at her: ¡°You know, I can honestly only cast a single spell. It¡¯s not obvious from the outside, but I am aspect-impaired.¡±

    Isabella stopped in her tracks and turned back to Terry. ¡°Seriously? But Arcana Academy¡­¡±

    Terry glanced at her. ¡°It¡¯s really not obvious. It only became apparent when we started on spellwork. Then I was thrown out. My whaka took me in, trained me as a cultivator, and helped me look for a spell I can cast. It took me nearly four years of checking new spells every day until I found my spell. My only spell.¡±

    Isabella stood with mouth agape for nearly a minute. ¡°Well, now I feel like a pus weasel. Look, I only hoped to see some new spells and then I thought that¡ª Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡± asked Isabella. ¡°Many people would have looked at you differently.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes moved to look toward Sigille¡¯s room. ¡°My aunt thought that a reputation as a powerful mage from Arcana might help protect me from trouble¡­¡±

    Isabella narrowed her eyes. ¡°So why tell me now?¡±

    Terry shrugged and went back to his spear routine. He could not tell if the training made him less or more angry, but he was certain that he needed it.

    ***

    ¡°Willow has gone too far!¡± Lucas barely kept his voice at polite a level. ¡°We have argued a lot, but the old lady deserved better than this.¡±

    Kipkoi sighed. ¡°I know, but we cannot afford to lose the support of the faithful. Not now. Not when we are this close to finally moving forward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that this issue can just be ignored,¡± stressed Lucas. ¡°Willow is already unable to keep mission work going. Wastes, this is even spilling over to other outposts. They are getting abandoned while more and more people are gathering at the Libra Outpost.¡±

    ¡°Willow has increased the number for outpost guard assignments, but she cannot get them filled.¡± Lucas raised his hands in exasperation. ¡°The outpost is basically filled to the brim with Guardians, and she can¡¯t find enough Guardians to fill her guard positions.¡±

    ¡°Willow had to reach out to the Guild instead.¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°Even there, she got rebuffed to a surprising degree. Willow has now requested aid from other worshippers beyond her Circle of the Bright Lady to make up the numbers.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Kipkoi wondered out loud. ¡°Perhaps we could also use this to further our case for tighter magic restrictions. The only reason this has the danger of spiraling out of control is flawed people getting emotional and forgetting the duty that comes with their mana.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡ª¡± Lucas could not suppress a scowl. ¡°Minister, if I were you, I would not dare to make that point in public. If you try to pin this entirely on the Divine Hammer and her supporters, that would pour oil into the fire. Countless people have been helped by her over the years.¡±

    Lucas paused and lowered his gaze for a second. When he raised his head again, his eyes were glistening. ¡°Lady Sigille never shied away from a confrontation, no matter if it was for herself or for others. Even for those she disagreed with. She stood up when others didn¡¯t, be it in front of dangerous creatures or in front of management. She cared.

    ¡°All these people whom she has helped, they are just as flawed and emotional.¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes turned red. He very much included himself in that statement.

    ¡°You are probably right,¡± admitted Kipkoi contemplatively. ¡°It is also true that Willow¡¯s much praised ally, that can create long-distance dimensional gates and achieve what Ava couldn¡¯t, has turned out to be a wanted criminal from another empire. We can emphasize that aspect for a similar effect.¡±

    Kipkoi nodded to himself. ¡°A case that even the Guardians are still getting too much independence and that there should be more ministerial oversight and control in the Guardians and the Guild. However, that is a point to be pressed later.¡± He caught Lucas¡¯s gaze. ¡°Not now, when everything still depends on the support of Willow and her allies.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure we have a choice.¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°People are on the edge. Her daughter, Palmer, her former and current disciples¡­ All it takes is a single person that does not stop and does not listen anymore and¡­¡±

    Lucas clenched his fists. ¡°And there is simply no way that the Fury Kid will let this go.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± exclaimed Kipkoi, which caused Lucas to become dumbstruck.

    ¡°As long as their battle is limited to the outpost and does not spill over into the city, that will work,¡± said Kipkoi. ¡°Let them deal with Willow. We only need a few more days before we can finally move forward. A few more days to put the stupidity of the era behind us.¡±

    ***

 084 The Spark to Light a Fire

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    Terry stared at the approaching Matteo with an odd feeling in his stomach.

    Matteo walked slowly but steadily along the gravel road. His eyes were drowned in a milky white fog and only a hint of his glowing, purple iris was visible. He was grabbing the dagger at his left hip so tightly that the skin of his fingers seemed completely different from the rest of his body.

    ¡°Matteo!¡± Emily ran over to the fog-eyed man.

    Matteo evaded the elven girl by stepping to the left. He did not pause. He did not slow down.

    ¡°Matteo, I¡­¡± Cadence walked forward hesitatingly and with shame in her eyes.

    Matteo dodged to the right. He did not stop.

    ¡°Listen, kid¡­¡± Wallace attempted to approach Matteo, but he was evaded with a single, silent step.

    Terry did not walk towards Matteo. Instead, he quietly followed Matteo as soon as his whaka passed by him.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Wallace sighed deeply and then turned to follow them into the room for Sigille¡¯s wake.

    As on the day before, many people were gathered in the room and countless eyes followed Matteo as he walked towards Sigille¡¯s cold body.

    Tara had been kneeling with closed eyes in one corner of the room with her spears in front of her. Now she opened her eyes.

    Amelia and Dargones were observing Matteo solemnly.

    Emaldine was leaning against the wall with crossed arms and a scowl.

    Most of Sigille¡¯s students were still sitting on the floor with gloomy eyes.

    Matteo trembled during his last steps before he arrived in front of Sigille¡¯s corpse. He knelt down on both knees and took slow, measured breaths. He inhaled deeply¡­

    ¡­and let go of his heart-seeker dagger. The white fog vanished from Matteo¡¯s eyes and the eyes quickly turned blood-shot with tears when he saw the face of his deceased mother while exhaling the air from his lungs.

    The tears froze on Matteo¡¯s grey face. His exhaled breath was visible as a white haze. A layer of white frost appeared on Matteo¡¯s skin.

    Matteo stared at the bruised face of his accepted mother for a handful of breaths. The signs of violence on her corpse stood in stark contrast with the lush grass and beautiful field flowers that served as her peaceful resting place.

    Matteo removed the heart-seeker dagger together with its sheath from his hip. He breathed shakingly while placing the sheathed dagger into Sigille¡¯s cold hands.

    Matteo stopped blinking and inhaled deeply. He undid the strap for Soul Fury. He took the scabbard with both hands and he placed the sheathed katana on top of Sigille¡¯s body.

    Matteo breathed deeper and deeper while staring at Sigille¡¯s cold face¡­

    Each breath a cold fog¡­

    ¡°For everything¡­¡± Matteo grit his teeth. ¡°Nama.¡±

    Booming thunder echoed through the sky as Matteo pulled Soul Fury from its sheath. He stood up and turned towards the outposts¡¯ management facilities. Lightning sizzled through his eyes and he stepped forward while leaving the katana¡¯s sheath with Sigille¡¯s body.

    Before Matteo had fully unsheathed Soul Fury, Amelia already flicked her wrist and her mage staff appeared in her hand. Next to her, Dargones drew the enormous axe from his back.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± a hostile-looking channeler from the Bright Lady stepped into Matteo¡¯s path with a greatsword in his hands.

    Matteo walked forward, unfazed. One hand was tightly gripping the katana, whose blade was pointing down to the floor. A cold rage radiated from every fiber of his being.

    ¡°Finally, someone with some backbone!¡± growled Emaldine loudly. She equipped her two explosive spears that seemed way too long for her body. She hurriedly followed behind Matteo, Amelia, and Dargones.

    All around, Sigille¡¯s former students and comrades grimaced with clenched jaws.

    ¡°That¡¯s far enough,¡± said the gold-skinned man that was channeling the power of the Bright Lady. ¡°You¡¯re not getting to our bright.¡±

    When Matteo refused to stop, the channeler charged forward with his greatsword raised high for a slash.

    Before the channeler could even reach Matteo, the large canan Tara had already pierced the channeler¡¯s body from the side with one of her long spears.

    One of the hired Guildheads tried to ambush Tara from the shadows¡­

    Emaldine was dashing forward with glowing inscriptions on her boots. She jumped over Tara¡¯s back and smashed the explosive tip of her spear into the attacking Guildhead.

    With a loud boom, the Guildhead¡¯s shoulder was blown to pieces.

    Emaldine landed back on the ground and looked at Tara appraisingly. ¡°Welcome to the family.¡±

    Tara grunted in response while eying the next enemies walking into their path. She and Emaldine continued forward together to help clear the path towards Guardian management.

    ¡°My my my,¡± exclaimed one of the hired Guildheads. The woman punched into their direction and a gigantic wave of poison-aspected mana rolled towards them.

    Dargones jumped forward and used his own nullification discharge to cancel the poison.

    ¡°I think we can entertain you for a bit,¡± said Amelia, while a terrifying aura rose around her. ¡°Or actually, screw that! Why not take the chance to do some more good and eradicate the Venom Siblings once and for all?¡±

    Amelia swung her staff and the poison-aspected woman with her two siblings were bombarded by spell after spell while Dargones charged unhesitatingly through the spells to add his own assault on top.

    ¡°Activate the defenses!¡± shouted one of the management-loyal Guardians.

    In a different location, Vhida snarled with loathing eyes and channeled mana into the defense system that had been mostly created by her. After several breaths, the system had been sabotaged and permanently deactivated.

    After destroying the culmination of her own life¡¯s work, Vhida grabbed her bottle of wine and left the area.

    ¡°Dhruv?! Dhruv! Why aren¡¯t you out there doing anything?¡± An older Guardian with the signature of the Bright Lady ran towards the dwarf with his haunted look. ¡°I thought you made it your mission to protect this outpost?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have promised my life¡¯s chosen that I would protect this outpost.¡± Dhruv turned to the man with cold eyes while thick vines rose from the earth to wrap around the Guardian that had spoken. ¡°As far as I am concerned, however, the spirit of this outpost already lies dead over there in the room.

    ¡°If I had been there during the assault on Sigille, I would have ripped Willow apart myself.¡± Suppressed fury flashed through Dhruv¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, however, I can¡¯t do anything to save my old friend. She is gone and I can¡¯t bring her back. You are right that I hate to see this outpost torn down, but I would never stand against her children in this.¡±

    Dhruv stared without blinking. ¡°You are lucky that I am betting on her children to succeed. If I see the lives of Whaka Sigille¡¯s children seriously threatened, I may finally forget myself.¡±

    Dhruv left the trapped Guardian and walked towards Sigille¡¯s resting place while retrieving a bottle of whisky from his storage item.

    ¡°Get me out of here,¡± shouted the trapped channeler. ¡°Stop the Mad Kid!¡±

    Another Guardian was looking at the follower of the Bright Lady with a deadpan expression. ¡°I would like to, but see¡­¡± He picked up something from the floor. ¡°I have to watch this rock.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Very important rock,¡± insisted the Guardian, and left to follow Dhruv.

    A younger Guardian looked at his mentor. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to do something?¡±

    The older woman, whom he had addressed, acted confused. ¡°I think I have something in my eye. I can¡¯t see anything.¡± She looked at her disciple and spoke sternly: ¡°Neither can you.¡±

    In the room of Sigille¡¯s wake, an elven man that had been a student of Sigille was sitting on the floor with a pained expression. He threw away the short spears in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m pathetic¡­¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    A human woman sat down next to him and put her arm around him. ¡°I can¡¯t do it either¡­ and you still have your little brother to think of.¡±

    Terry moved his eyes away from the pair and he glanced one more time at Sigille. For a moment, Sigille¡¯s face was overlapping with Isille¡¯s in Terry¡¯s mind. The simmering fury inside of him welled up even further.

    Terry glanced at Matteo¡¯s back and then he summoned his own barrier spears.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Wallace.

    Terry did not turn around to face him. Instead, he burst his mana. ¡°To my whaka.¡± He dashed forward with speed that took most of the observers by surprise. He rammed his barrier spear into the head of a management-loyal Guardian that had joined the attack on Tara and Emaldine.

    ¡°Hrm.¡± Thena, the short dwarven girl, stood up and nodded to herself with resolved eyes. She pulled the axe, that was way too big for her, from her back.

    Before Thena had made a single step, a wooden bow smacked her lightly on the head from behind.

    ¡°Ouch.¡± Thena dropped her axe in surprise and held her head while turning around to glare at Wallace, who was the offending party.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, missy. You stay put.¡± Wallace spoke firmly. He moved his eyes over to Clayson, whose hands had stopped mid-draw.

    Clayson nervously lowered his hands, that were about to grab his axes after he had seen Thena stand up.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Next to Wallace, Emily was trembling with tears. ¡°Matteo¡­ Big Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, but I promised your mother that I would keep you safe,¡± said Wallace. He glanced at Thena, who was looking confused. ¡°Not yours, but you will stay put as well. You¡¯re Jee¡¯s sister, right? I¡¯m pretty sure he would ask the same of me. This is not a stage you can walk on lightly.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Dhruv arrived in the room with a weary expression. ¡°You stay put.¡± He sat down on the floor and summoned four shot glasses, which he then filled with whisky.

    Dhruv raised one of the filled glasses to Sigille¡¯s body, drank it in one shot, and immediately refilled it again. The ground and walls shook from the nearby battle. Magic roots sprouted from the floor to reinforce the structures.

    Thena pouted anxiously. ¡°What about Junior Brother Terry?¡±

    ¡°If I could stop him, I would, but I can¡¯t, so that is that,¡± retorted Wallace.

    Emily was looking at Wallace pleadingly.

    ¡°Look¡­¡± Wallace sighed. ¡°If Matteo¡¯s life is seriously threatened, I can try to throw what little ability I have around.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t see any of us making much of a difference in a fight that has the likes of Amelia and Matteo cornered.¡±

    Wallace raised a hand to his forehead and sighed again. ¡°But no matter how this ends, there will be an aftermath and I absolutely do not want you to be involved in that.¡±

    Emily hugged her father while crying.

    Cadence walked into the room with hollow eyes. She tottered over and sat down next to Dhruv. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t do anything. I don¡¯t know where I should stand¡­¡± She buried her face in her hands.

    Dhruv silently retrieved another glass from his storage item, filled it with whisky, and placed it next to Cadence.

    ¡°Do you drink?¡± asked Dhruv.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Cadence. Despite her answer, she took the glass and downed the contents. She grimaced in disgust.

    ¡°Is this the room for the weak, bound, and self-loathing?¡± Rachel smiled bitterly. ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll fit right in.¡± She led a group of students, as well as several full-fledged Guardians and even a few instructors into the room. All of them were wearing gloomy expressions.

    ¡°Have you seen Vhida?¡± asked Dhruv.

    Rachel nodded. ¡°Left the outpost. I don¡¯t think she will come back. Like¡­ ever.¡±

    Dhruv sighed wearily.

    In the training grounds, fights broke out one after the other.

    ¡°Heeheehee.¡± Eric giggled happily at the sight of so many of his hated opponents provoking the wrath of so many parties.

    Further away, he could see Matteo approaching while cutting down anyone that was trying to block his way.

    Eric glanced at Apex, who was standing on his left, and at Carlos, who was standing on his right. ¡°Heeheehee.¡±

    Apex scowled and observed everyone with clenched fists.

    ¡°Heeheehee, finally the Kid will die.¡± Eric could not be more pleased with the situation. ¡°Just like the decrepit hag.¡±

    Apex¡¯s expression hardened as she glanced at Eric.

    ¡°Old hag¡­¡± Apex¡¯s eyes then wandered to the direction where Sigille¡¯s body was located.

    Apex¡¯s gaze moved on to examine her own palm. A small snake of thunderfire was coiling around her arm. Her thunderfire had undergone a change recently. It was now an azure flame surrounded by faintly golden lightning. Apex had progressed in her martialist cultivation after she had stopped chasing the spirit-infused lightning and had instead focused on her central flame.

    Before Eric knew what had hit him, a fist of intense thunderfire had smashed a hole in his chest.

    ¡°Wh¡­ Hurgh¡­¡± Dark blood oozed out of the wound while Eric was trying to recover with his channeled abilities. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?! You have accepted the guard mission!¡±

    Apex moved her head from side to side and cracked her knuckles. ¡°The old hag deserved better than this.¡±

    ¡°If you obstruct a Guild-mission you have accepted before, the Guild will put a bounty on you,¡± said Carlos emotionlessly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said Eric. ¡°In this situation, Guardian management will, too. As will the Tiv Empire. If the Kid actually manages to get to Willow, then the Circle of the Bright Lady won¡¯t let this go either. She is a Bright in their ranks! Piss off if you don¡¯t want to help, but if you obstruct us, there will be nowhere for you to hide!¡±

    Apex bared her teeth in a vicious grin. ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me with a good time, you little shitstain!¡± She lunged out and the image of a flood dragon appeared behind her.

    Carlos teleported behind Apex, but before he could unleash his sneak attack, he was hit by a sonic blast, followed by a vibrating fist that was accompanied by a sonic boom.

    Without uttering a word, Palmer continued his assault on the Guild¡¯s first-ranked rookie. Palmer¡¯s sonic sonar covered the entire area and no matter where Carlos teleported while hiding his presence, Palmer was there to greet him.

    In a different location, Terry was faced with a person he had once thought of as a friend.

    The gold-skinned man was glaring at Terry.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing?!¡± demanded Harrison. ¡°Are you seriously trying to continue the slaughter your aunt started?¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes became cold, and he readied his barrier spears. ¡°This has been Willow¡¯s doing, and she deserves what¡¯s coming to her. She chose this. Everyone that stands with her made the same choice.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare blame this on Bright Willow!¡± A switch seemed to flip in Harrison and his face contorted. ¡°This is it! You threaten our Bright? Fine then! No more mercy! We¡¯ll fight until one of us is dead!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± A corner of Terry¡¯s lips rose in a bitter smile. ¡°We¡¯ll fight until you die.¡±

    ¡°Big words for someone that has never won a single spar,¡± sneered Harrison. He summoned gold to create himself a large saber and channeled lightning through it.

    From the corner of his eye, Terry could see Apex rampaging some distance away.

    Spars mean jack shit.

    Terry burst his mana to close the distance to Harrison.

    First objective: Lock him into close combat.

    Terry recognized the spell structure of Burning Hands in Harrison¡¯s left palm. He angled his right spear and channeled mana to block the attack.

    Harrison¡¯s gold saber slashed downward with all the force that Harrison could muster.

    Terry thrusted his left spear towards Harrison¡¯s throat and ignored the looming lightning saber that threatened to behead him.

    Harrison¡¯s Burning Hands spell and Terry¡¯s barrier activated simultaneously.

    Before Harrison¡¯s saber could connect with Terry¡¯s neck, Terry¡¯s own spell activated.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± screamed Harrison when his violent slash broke his own finger against the golden ring that symbolized his faith as a follower of the Bright Lady. The ring had been transfixed by Terry with the Immovable Object spell..

    Harrison¡¯s saber dropped to the ground.

    Terry did not hesitate. He pushed his spear into Harrison¡¯s throat and the man¡¯s scream turned into a gargle.

    Harrison was momentarily caught off-guard and his eyes widened in fear.

    Terry prepared a second strike when he caught mana movement from behind him and felt himself being pulled back by a Kinetic Pull from some Guildhead.

    Terry rapidly transfixed his equipment and used his immovable items to push himself forward. Simultaneously, he transfixed one of his spears to use the free hand and hurl a throwing needle into the pulling force.

    While Terry successfully forced the Guildhead to interrupt his Kinetic Pull spell, Terry himself also had to abandon his attack on Harrison.

    Two more channelers of the Bright Lady had appeared. One was supporting Harrison, who was already busy channeling healing light from the Bright Lady. The other stood to hold off Terry. He was wearing a full set of plate armor and held a one-handed sword.

    Terry could sense the beginning of an Ice Spike spell from the Guildhead and he dodged without turning around to see.

    In front of Terry, more Guardians from Willow¡¯s faction had gathered. Terry picked up his second spear again and charged forward.

    During his charge, Terry noticed a few more familiar signatures approaching. He hoped that they, at least, would stand on his side instead of Willow¡¯s.

    The Guildhead let out a gut-wrenching scream and then blacked out from the pain inflicted by his unseen assailant.

    ¡°As haunting as always,¡± muttered Derek. ¡°Try to stay hidden and don¡¯t get too far away.¡± Even if he could not see Rosheen, he was counting on her.

    Derek then used his Kinetic Pull imprint on another channeler that was making her way to Terry.

    ¡°No need to interfere there,¡± said Derek coldly. ¡°I can play with you.¡±

    Further ahead, Terry summoned the barriers of his two spears and burst his mana to push them forward and separate the arms of his current opponent. Simultaneously, Terry stepped forward with his right foot.

    The channeler attempted to step back, but discovered that his left foot did not budge an inch. A part of the man¡¯s sabaton had been transfixed by Terry, who had relied on his own foot to cast the Immovable Object spell.

    Terry changed the angle of his spears and pressed into his opponent.

    The channeler fell. The weight of his whole armor and person broke his ankle that could not move with him.

    Terry walked forward while circulating mana through his feet. He transfixed more of the armor pieces while using a spear to lift the visor of the downed channeler.

    ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± a woman screamed and hurled herself at Terry from the side.

    Terry recognized a familiar spell structure and trusted his instincts. Instead of dodging the new attacker, he struck his spear to finish the downed opponent before he could use the healing abilities of the Bright Lady.

    To the attacking woman¡¯s horror, she found herself paralyzed by a Shadow Bind spell. Instead of striking Terry down with her sword, she was greeted by a spear without being able to block or dodge.

    With a powerful thrust, Terry¡¯s spear tunneled through her hardened gold skin and into her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± growled a livid Harrison. He was covered in his own blood, but his wounds had already closed again. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all.¡±

    Don¡¯t sing it, bring it.

    Terry growled and charged forward.

    ***

 085 Bring It

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    Terry arrived in front of Harrison, whose torso was covered with his own dried blood. Two other channelers were standing at Harrison¡¯s side.

    Terry struck out with his left spear towards Harrison.

    The livid-faced Harrison jumped backwards and cast Wall of Flames. A fiery wall was raised between Terry and his group.

    Terry felt the approaching heat and quickly summoned the barriers of his spears. He jumped up and then seemingly kicked against the air to change direction and slash at one of the other channelers.

    Terry¡¯s slash was blocked by a long golden lance that had been thrown by Harrison.

    Another channeler tried to interfere but was confronted by a growling Tara, who was enveloped by a strong life-aspected aura on her whole body. The snarling canan with her aspected burst forced the channeler out of the way.

    ¡°Move to a different location.¡± Harrison ordered the weaker channeler. ¡°I won¡¯t be careless again. I got this place. He won¡¯t get past me.¡±

    The channeler was happy to comply. He made a wide circle around Emaldine, who was spinning and slamming her explosive spears into any of Willow¡¯s allies within her reach.

    Harrison glared and growled: ¡°Just you and¡ª¡±

    Terry interrupted Harrison with a throwing needle before collecting his transfixed barrier spear from the air and dashing forward.

    Harrison felt the blood rush to his head and forcibly restrained himself from acting out in anger. He harrumphed and then prepared one of his killing routines he had learned in the army.

    Harrison made sure that Terry¡¯s eyes were wide open. Then, a blinding light was emitted from Harrison.

    Unfortunately for Terry, this was not regular spellwork, but a channeled ability, which made it harder for Terry to react in time and avoid the effect completely.

    Terry did not pause to curse himself, as he might have done in the past. Instead, his sparring instincts kicked in and he did three things at once.

    First, Terry closed one of his eyes while forcing one of them to stay open despite the blinding strain. The opened eye hurt, but Terry was used to worse pain than that. Once the blinding effect was over, Terry would open the other eye again.

    Second, Terry pulsed his mana in a burst technique to amplify the recovery in his eyes.

    His opened eye would allow him to at least see rough blurry shapes when objects were close.

    His closed eye would be usable as soon as the blinding light stopped. While a full recovery was not instant, his eyes would recover quickly once the blinding light ceased, causing further damage.

    Last, Terry unleashed a mana pulse and began surrounding himself with a shallow field of his own naturalized mana.

    All the while, Terry was focusing on his mana sense. He was familiar with Harrison¡¯s mana signature, and Harrison did not have an ability to cloak his own mana.

    Together with the pain, a grim thought popped into Terry¡¯s head. He channeled mana into his gloves and prepared to transfix his equipment.

    This isn¡¯t just about you and me, is it?

    Terry felt a disturbance in his mana pulse and was certain that Harrison had made a move that was familiar to Terry.

    A golden lance was moving towards Terry under the cover of the blinding light. The lance was not continuously moved with mana and therefore did not appear in Terry¡¯s normal mana sense.

    Instead of dodging, Terry made a grim expression and guided a torrent of mana into his bidirectional attraction inscription.

    The channeler that had been trying to avoid Emaldine¡¯s rampage was suddenly pulled back into a world of light.

    While Terry could not follow the entire battle in the area without his eyesight, it was easy enough to pick out some of Willow¡¯s allies through mana sense alone. All the followers of the Bright Lady that had entered the training grounds were on Willow¡¯s side. With Terry¡¯s mana sense, they were easy to spot.

    The golden lance changed direction while Harrison roared in rage and indignation.

    Terry threw his own throwing needle that did not contain any trace of mana.

    ¡°HRGH!¡± Unfortunately for the weaker channeler, he had been blinded as well. In contrast to Terry, he did not have any means to detect the incoming projectile.

    Blood was gushing out of the wound on the channeler¡¯s nape.

    ¡°YOU!¡± Harrison stopped his blinding light ability and lunged at Terry while hurling a lightning bolt.

    Terry smiled mirthlessly and countered the lightning with a pointed disruption discharge.

    While a low-surface target like a lightning bolt was nearly impossible to be completely disrupted with spell slicers, the wave of foreign mana weakened the attack significantly and blocked the bolt from moving further.

    The bleeding man was grabbing the wound on his nape and used a channeled ability to heal himself.

    Terry ignored the itchy feeling of his recovering eyes. Instead of opening his good eye, he began radiating his own intense light by relying on the inscriptions in his glove.

    Terry exchanged his barrier spear with a cheap spear that did not radiate any mana.

    Before Harrison could arrive with his Blink spell, Terry had already thrust the spear and the weaker channeler had stopped breathing.

    Every one of you chose to stand with Willow and Anand.

    Terry grit his teeth and pulled the spear out of the corpse.

    Every one of you is a threat to my whaka.

    The air was reeking of blood. It made Terry nauseated.

    No time to be squeamish. Not unless you are willing to lose another whaka. Make yourself useful.

    Terry swallowed the sour taste in his mouth and recalled the words that the Captain had once said to him.

    ¡®Sometimes the choice does not include an option that makes you feel good.¡¯

    Terry resolved himself.

    They made their choice. I made mine. They stand with Willow and, therefore, with Anand. I stand with my whaka.

    Terry stopped his radiating light and opened his recovered eye. He glared at Harrison.

    Actions.

    For a few bated breaths, they circled around each other while keeping their eyes glued to their opponent.

    Terry noted every possible target for the Immovable Object spell, as well as every opening in Harrison¡¯s armor.

    Harrison¡¯s head was filled with nothing but hatred, contempt, and indignation. Hatred for all the people that dared to threaten a Bright of his circle. Contempt for everyone that chose to speak up and stand up for the Divine Hammer, whom he considered a loathsome murderer. Indignation at being unable to protect his fellow faithful against a person he had considered much weaker than himself.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense picked up a huge disturbance above them, but he did not dare to take his eyes away from Harrison.

    Poison-aspected?

    Terry frowned and grit his teeth.

    Nothing I could do about it. Focus.

    Terry rushed towards Harrison, whose attention was temporarily drawn to the dangerous mana movement.

    In his run, Terry could feel the poison-aspected spell structure being erased. He heaved a silent sigh of relief while closing in on Harrison. He thanked Amelia in his thoughts and then forced himself to focus.

    Crap!

    Terry cursed when he recognized an unwelcome spell structure.

    Harrison had placed a hand on his chest. The spell structure was thereby shielded by his own body.

    Snakes of lightning erupted from Harrison¡¯s body and forced Terry to keep his distance.

    The smell of ozone mixed with that of blood.

    Terry clicked his tongue. While Harrison rarely shied away from close combat, he had the advantage in long range. To make it worse, Harrison also had an annoying number of spells and abilities to keep his distance.

    If Harrison had regained his composure, this battle would become a lot more difficult.

    Time to switch it¡ª Crap.

    Terry hurriedly air-jumped up when he saw Harrison hurl long golden javelins with a rounded end towards him.

    The javelins themselves were not much of a problem, but they were part of a familiar pattern Terry did not look forward to.

    Harrison finished his dual casting. First, he threw out his Lightning Bolt towards the first golden rod. Afterwards, he took control of the bolt¡¯s movement by finishing the Guide Lightning spell.

    Under Harrison¡¯s guidance, the lightning bolt jumped from rod to rod so that Terry could not predict from where the bolt would hit him.

    Terry decided not to wait around and instead used his bidirectional attraction inscription to pull the golden rods out of the earth. They were much less of a hassle when they laid flat on the ground.

    Harrison hurled more golden rods into the air and kept them floating with a channeled ability.

    Terry scowled. He rapidly summoned several tertium slabs and transfixed them in the air.

    When it came to dodging lightning, Terry¡¯s reflexes had improved tremendously under the tutelage of Matteo. However, he had also learned to not solely rely on his reflexes if he could help it.

    If Terry could not predict the attack¡¯s direction, he could at least create some blind spots that were out of reach and, therefore, safe.

    From an outside perspective, the following minutes seemed like an odd game of positioning. Harrison attempted to take Terry off-guard by moving his golden rods into place and guiding his lightning while Terry placed his own immovable items to prevent that scenario.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    In the past, Terry had often become impatient in this game of attrition, because he had been worried about using his own mana, while his opponent had access to an unlimited pool of channeled mana.

    ¡®Not quite.¡¯

    Cadence¡¯s words on the limitations of channeled mana rang in Terry¡¯s head. However unwilling Terry was to waste time, he did not feel pressured to the same degree anymore. He maintained his balanced state while searching for an opening.

    Now!

    Terry channeled mana into his gloves and used the radiating light inscription to first create a blinding flash and afterwards create a strobe light effect that made it harder for others to accurately take aim at him.

    Next, Terry dashed forward through the air.

    Terry stopped at a location protected by a tertium slab and hurled several throwing needles at Harrison.

    Harrison roared and guided his lightning bolts to attack from several directions at once.

    Terry exhaled sharply and rushed forward. The hairs on his arms stood up from the incoming electric charge.

    Terry stopped blinking. In the last possible moment, when he was sure that Harrison would not be able to redirect the lightning further, Terry somersaulted in the air and guided mana into his equipment.

    He used his air-jump to propel himself downwards behind the cover of another tertium slab.

    Terry grit his teeth when one of the lightning bolts hit him through the gap between the slabs.

    Fortunately for Terry, the lightning bolt was weakened by his own mana field and the cloud badger leather that was the base for his armor.

    Thanks for the resistance training! I¡¯ll make sure to pay you back.

    Terry grimly circulated his mana like Sigille had instructed him to do. The memory of Sigille helping him sped up the blood pumping through his veins.

    Terry had transfixed all four of his coil spring pearls during his charge downwards. Now, the combined force of the coil springs propelled him back into his original path.

    Terry air-jumped to pick up additional speed.

    Terry sensed Harrison dodge some of the throwing needles while ignoring those that had transfixed before him.

    Many things had happened in quick succession, but only a few seconds had passed since Terry had started his dash¡­

    Terry used his bidirectional attraction inscriptions to slightly pull on the throwing needles that Harrison had dodged. This way, Terry angled the needles so that they pointed towards Harrison before the activation delay passed and they transfixed.

    Terry used a burst technique that focused on speed, but he shifted it from leg to leg in order to make his movement less predictable.

    Terry was silently counting the time since he had thrown the needles, and his attention was on the mana in the transfixed needles, as well as on Harrison¡¯s own prepared attack.

    Right before Harrison was igniting his next lightning barrage, Terry unleashed an intense layered disruption discharge.

    The disruption discharge hit the transfixed needles in front of Harrison. When the backside imprint on the bladed part was disrupted, the compressed coil spring activated, and the anchored needles were propelled towards Harrison.

    Next, the discharge¡¯s spell slicers cut apart Harrison¡¯s spell structures.

    Right afterwards, the disruption discharge hit the needles that Terry had angled behind Harrison. As soon as the first imprint in the anchored needles was disrupted, the coil springs propelled the bladed parts towards Harrison.

    Terry adjusted his trajectory to have Harrison between himself and some throwing needles that were lying on the ground from his earlier attacks. Then, he used the bidirectional attraction gloves to increase the number of projectiles attacking Harrison, as well as to add force to those already on the way.

    Harrison growled and dodged the incoming projectiles while trying to get away from the wave of Terry¡¯s mana and its mana suppression effect that made it difficult for Harrison to harvest mana.

    While Harrison¡¯s eyes were occupied with spotting the projectiles, he felt Terry approaching with his mana sense.

    Harrison decided to focus on getting some distance above all else. He dropped the idea of dodging all projectiles and instead received some attacks intentionally while backing away from Terry¡¯s mana.

    Harrison clenched his teeth when one needle pierced through a weak spot in his armor. Fortunately for Harrison, he could still channel his mana abilities somewhat and immediately began healing himself.

    Terry refused to let Harrison get away. If Harrison was free to finish a Blink casting, Terry would be right back where he had started.

    With determined eyes, Terry followed up with another disruption discharge while mentally keeping track of his mana pool and the available mana containers in his storage items.

    Terry cursed inwardly when he saw that Harrison managed to invoke his ability to summon gold. This would pose a significant obstacle for both Terry¡¯s throwing needles and his disruption discharges.

    Don¡¯t blink away! So close!

    Terry accelerated while pulling on his previously discharged mana to recycle what he could.

    Harrison felt like cursing, too. His mana sense clearly showed Terry hoovering up his discharged mana before it decayed further.

    While Harrison¡¯s own mana pool was still fine for now, it had already decreased considerably since the fight had started.

    If this continued, Harrison could only rely on his channeled abilities, and without sufficient mana of his own to guide the channeled mana, he would soon feel the strain on his mana channels.

    Harrison felt his earlier wound close up. The reemerging anger from having received yet another injury added to his growing impatience and pushed his resolve over the edge. Instead of using the brief respite to cast Blink, he cast an empowered Raging Winds spell and rapidly summoned small and sharp pieces of gold.

    So that¡¯s what Derek had been talking about¡­

    Terry suppressed a gulp, and he dismissed falling back to an alternative plan. He hurriedly exchanged his equipment and charged forward with two spiked shields to protect himself from the raging storm of golden shrapnel that was moving towards him.

    Terry felt a moment of hesitation right before charging in, but he pushed it down with the memory of Sigille¡¯s back as she was staring down the Devout Division.

    Actions.

    *Ting* *Ting* *Ting*

    Terry felt himself pulled by the winds and assaulted by countless shards of gold. He protected his head with the shields and stayed the course by relying on his imprinted equipment.

    Harrison grinned viciously and channeled an ability to adjust the course of a few of the gold projectiles while preparing another spell.

    Terry subconsciously growled in a low tone when he sensed unusual mana fluctuations inside the turbulent mana movement of the active Raging Winds spell. Terry had enough experience with the spell to be very familiar with it and his exquisite mana sense detected the deviations immediately.

    Unfortunately for Terry, there were just too many golden projectiles to begin with. He used the shields to protect his head, but his lower body remained exposed unless he wanted to curl up into a ball.

    Terry clenched his teeth when one of the gold shards cut through the cloud badger leather that protected his thigh. While the cloud badger leather was resistant to piercing and cuts, the armor had reached its limits.

    Terry temporarily transfixed the shields and summoned a tertium slab to transfix as well.

    *Ting* *Ting* *Ting*

    The slab was heavily damaged before Terry could transfix it and prevent further damage.

    The only upside for Terry was that blocking a single direction sufficed to offer him some respite. Terry took a deep breath and used a quick burst technique to aid in the recovery of his wounded leg.

    Terry sensed another familiar spell structure from Harrison and repositioned the shields to provide more cover.

    *KAZAP*

    Lightning jumped from one golden shard to the next until it impacted on Terry¡¯s transfixed shield.

    *KAZAP*

    Terry clicked his tongue and wondered if he should wait for Harrison to continue wasting his mana.

    He might just blink away if he notices that the lightning does not work¡­

    Terry used a gap between Harrison¡¯s spells to grab his shields and dash forward. He controlled his breathing. He estimated the remaining distance. He observed every little detail in Harrison¡¯s mana movement.

    *KAZAP*

    Terry had transfixed one shield just in time, but some of the electric charge jumped past the shield to hit Terry¡¯s septimum plate at his chest.

    Terry felt as if his innards were boiling for a moment. He ignored the pain and lunged forward through the air while the shields protected him from the shrapnel.

    Terry transfixed the center pearls on his bracelets. He swung his legs forward and unleashed a double discharge from his feet.

    Next, Terry transfixed the mid-ankle pearls and disrupted those on his wrists. He swung himself into his normal running position and then disrupted the pearls.

    Terry hurled his two shields forward and to the side. He quickly retrieved several mana-osmotic throwing needles. He activated the imprints, pressed the timer mechanism, and threw them.

    Harrison eyed the throwing needles warily. Terry¡¯s previous projectile combination was far from lethal, but the fact that Terry fought differently from their spars caused Harrison to feel uneasy.

    Harrison suppressed the hesitation and searched for another path of attack now that his raging winds had been disturbed by Terry¡¯s disruption discharge.

    Harrison channeled a mana ability and golden shards were aiming for Terry¡¯s head before Terry reached the protection of his shields again.

    Terry blocked one gold shard with his bracer while using the bidirectional attraction gloves to pull the shields back to himself and using the radiating light imprint to create another strobe light effect.

    Harrison frowned and decided to retreat temporarily. His eyes opened wide when he noticed that on top of the mana suppression, he could not find a clear line of sight for his Blink spell.

    The throwing needles from before were placed densely enough to obstruct Harrison¡¯s movement spell. The only direction left was up, and Harrison knew Terry felt more comfortable in the sky than he himself.

    Harrison sneered inwardly and unleashed his own disruption discharge towards the needles. This would help crowd out Terry¡¯s naturalized mana and thereby ease Harrison¡¯s spellwork trouble.

    Additionally, the disruption discharge would clear the path by breaking the active spell in the transfixed needles. While Harrison was not as confident in his disruption discharges as Terry was, a few disrupted needles would already be sufficient¡­

    Unfortunately for Harrison, reality showed that none of the transfixed needles were disrupted.

    With no other path left, Harrison hurriedly finished a short-distance Blink spell upwards with the plan to immediately teleport down afterwards.

    Harrison was already cursing himself for having wasted mana on Terry¡¯s toys.

    As soon as Terry sensed the mana movement at the destination of Harrison¡¯s Blink spell, he hurled a bolas towards it.

    Before Harrison had regained his bearings, he felt himself entrapped by Terry¡¯s transfixed bolas.

    Harrison instinctively prepared to disrupt the imprints with a discharge and a holy-infused mana ability, but when he recalled the previous throwing needles, he hesitated and wondered if this was another trap to waste his mana.

    A moment of hesitation was enough for Terry to arrive in front of Harrison, who hurriedly summoned a thin protective layer of gold while continuing to channel a mana ability to prevent the gold from falling down due to gravity.

    Terry rammed shield-first into the golden protection with all the force he could muster.

    ¡°Hurgh.¡± The shield¡¯s spike pierced through the thin layer of gold and hit Harrison into the chest.

    Terry frenziedly transfixed the shield into place and then triggered the mechanism that released the shield¡¯s spike.

    When the spike pierced even deeper into Harrison¡¯s chest, Harrison¡¯s eyes bulged from the pain while his mouth filled further with blood.

    Without pause, Terry air-jumped towards Harrison¡¯s back.

    Harrison channeled his healing ability. He summoned a sharp blade of gold and attempted to cut the bolas that restricted him, but he discovered it was not a simple rope like Terry had always used in their spars.

    Harrison quickly changed his plan and instead shot out several sharp pieces of gold towards the approaching Terry. He also scanned the area for gold pieces to pull from the other direction.

    There!

    Terry was certain that he had found the right spot. He retrieved his barrier spears and immediately channeled mana to summon a barrier and block the projectiles from the front.

    Terry felt his mana field disturbed by incoming projectiles that did not appear in his mana sense. Evading or blocking would mean abandoning his current attack¡­

    Terry refused to back down now and instead began shaping his spell structures without releasing the grip of his spear.

    Several things happened at once¡­

    Two of the incoming gold projectiles were transfixed in the air behind Terry¡¯s head by the Immovable Object spell.

    One gold shard still managed to hit Terry¡¯s back right below his protective septimum plate.

    Terry thrust his spears into two openings in Harrison¡¯s armor.

    Terry ignored the pain while slashing through the armor¡¯s leather straps. He angled the spears with their activated barriers so that Harrison¡¯s arms were blocked and then air-jumped closer while drawing his inscribed dagger with his left hand.

    Terry stabbed the dagger into Harrison¡¯s left side, which was exposed after cutting the straps that had held his armor in place.

    Terry transfixed the attachment on the dagger¡¯s hilt and then channeled mana into the dagger¡¯s keen inscription.

    Harrison spat blood and noted with dread that his channeled healing ability had stopped. Terror took hold of him when he realized that Terry had stabbed right into the location of his channeling anchor.

    The mana blade had damaged Harrison¡¯s connection to the Bright Lady.

    ¡°N-no, Te-Terry,¡± stammered Harrison.

    Terry¡¯s face was grim. He did not allow himself to hesitate and lose the momentum, because he was not sure under what conditions the channeled healing abilities might become usable again.

    Terry clenched his teeth. He used his free right hand to draw the three-pronged sai from his left hip. He held his breath and rammed the pointed weapon into Harrison¡¯s vitals.

    ¡®Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself.¡¯

    Terry had heard the words from multiple people before. Now that he saw the light fade from Harrison¡¯s eyes, Terry¡¯s mind echoed them in the way that Harrison had once spoken.

    Terry exhaled slowly.

    Another voice rang in Terry¡¯s mind: ¡®I believe in choices.¡¯

    Terry tasted the iron flavor of blood in his mouth from the earlier impact on his back. He circulated additional mana to aid the recovery and took a deep breath.

    Not done yet. Far from it¡­

    ***

 086 Elemental Fury

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    Terry was controlling his breathing while focusing on his mana sense and collecting his equipment with the help of his bidirectional attraction inscriptions.

    From what Terry could tell, their own side had not suffered many casualties yet. Terry narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

    While Willow seems to have called on everyone among her circle to protect herself, this is completely unbalanced. While there are many of them, there do not seem to be that many experts on Willow¡¯s side.

    Even Harrison¡¯s strength was already above average among them¡­

    Terry jolted around and unleashed a disruption discharge that destroyed a spell structure that had appeared in Derek¡¯s blind spot.

    Terry searched for the source and then scowled.

    Guildhead. If only their average Guildhead was as weak as the others on Willow¡¯s side.

    A person stepped out of the shadows and stared at Terry. However, before the blurry figure could do anything more, Terry noticed a woman in heavy armor charging over with a large hammer.

    Terry looked around for opportunities to help out while getting an overview of everyone¡¯s locations.

    Terry frowned when he recognized some familiar mana signatures ¨C not familiar on an individual level, but rather the typical signatures of cults he had encountered when they had faced the Devout Division.

    Looks like Willow requested help from outside her own circle. Some stronger channelers among these cultists. Still, if it¡¯s like this, Matteo will reach the dome, eventually.

    Terry subconsciously started moving in the same direction when his gaze was drawn to several followers of the Bright Lady that used their healing abilities to support the Guildheads on Willow¡¯s side.

    Right, while they have fewer experts, they do have more healers. They can draw this out further¡­ More casualties on their side, but their injured are taken care of all the time.

    Our side has to try and preserve their strength.

    Terry moved closer towards Matteo while opportunistically attacking or blocking for others on his way.

    ***

    Eric roared and sent a darkwater blade towards Apex before liquifying his body and disappearing into the earth of the training grounds.

    Apex punched out with both fists as the image of a flood dragon straightening itself resonated in the surrounding mana.

    Azure flames shot forwards in an intensity that made them appear solid. The flames evaporated the darkwater blade to leave only a few scattered drops behind.

    The corroding liquid sizzled when it made contact with the ground. Pockets of earth fused together while other spots turned moldy or into dust.

    Apex snarled and dodged a stream of darkwater that shot up from below her.

    When Apex looked back, she saw an intense purple lightning snake its way through the air and into the ground.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Eric¡¯s scream reverberated from the earth below.

    ¡°Oy!¡± Irritation welled up in Apex¡¯s chest when she recognized the spirit-infused lightning of Matteo. She smacked her lips and glanced at the room of Sigille¡¯s wake.

    Apex growled in a barely audible voice. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll make an exception for the old hag.¡±

    Apex clapped her hands together and then slammed them onto the ground. The silhouette of a flood dragon rapidly chasing its own tail flashed and her own lightning rampaged in the earth to pull out the darkwater creature hiding below.

    A deep gurgling sound echoed as the liquified body of Eric bubbled up and then shot into the sky, where he regained his human shape.

    *KAZAP* Purple lightning assaulted Eric the moment he appeared in the sky.

    Eric¡¯s skin looked like an ocean in a storm as waves crashed into each other. He glared at Matteo and swallowed a mouthful of blood.

    Apex felt Matteo stepping closer and turned towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, this is an ex¡ª¡± Apex swallowed her words when she noticed the cold haze that was emanating from Matteo¡¯s eyes.

    Apex felt the involuntary urge to run away, but she suppressed the instinct immediately. Her heart had skipped a beat. She wondered if Matteo was even conscious enough to understand her words.

    Apex harrumphed and added her own attack on Eric while keeping a wary eye on Matteo.

    ***

    Inside the dome that housed Guardian management, Willow was wearing a grave expression while examining an inscription panel on the wall.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± cursed Willow with a pale face. ¡°Curse Vhida and whatever she has done to the defense system. Nothing is reacting.¡±

    Panic flashed through her eyes, but she composed herself before turning around. ¡°Have the circle send the rest.¡±

    An old man that was also a follower of the Bright Lady stood in one corner of the room and his expression sank. ¡°Bright Willow, didn¡¯t you say before that the other younglings would be too weak to step into this conflict? From what I can see, this battle is even more gruesome than anticipated. If anything, we have already allowed too many faithful to come here despite their lack of power.¡±

    ¡°I know what I said, Luminous Anem,¡± hissed Willow coldly. ¡°But as you have noticed, things have changed. I, too, am hesitant to see those of our circle come to harm, but without the outpost¡¯s defense system, I fear that there is little choice.

    ¡°Or do you suggest we ignore the lives already lost and have their sacrifice be for nothing?¡± demanded Willow in a self-righteous tone. ¡°While I would obviously be willing to sacrifice my own life to end this, I for one am not willing to turn the sacrifice of our circle into a farce!¡±

    Willow¡¯s eyes flashed between coldness and rage. ¡°Where is Glimmer Cadence?¡±

    ¡°In the room of Lady Sigille¡¯s wake, where the non-combatants have gathered alongside Dhruv,¡± said Anem.

    ¡°What does she think she is doing?¡± growled Willow with clenched fists. ¡°Does she think she can stay out of this?! Does she think she can withhold her power from our side? Does she think our circle bestowed the Glimmer title for her charming personality?!¡±

    Willow straightened her back and muttered in a barely audible voice. ¡°Does she dare to think of herself above me? Above a Bright?!¡±

    Willow regained her composure somewhat. ¡°Dhruv, the wretch, seems to have abandoned the outpost as well. So much for his oh so honorable oath.¡± She spat through grit teeth. ¡°He¡¯ll pay after this.

    ¡°Have someone go to Dhruv and voice management¡¯s displeasure,¡± ordered Willow. ¡°I heard he recently took in a personal disciple. I wonder if he can bear the consequences of his choices.¡±

    Anem was opening his mouth, but before he could reply, Willow continued.

    ¡°Same for Glimmer Cadence,¡± growled Willow. ¡°Have her understand that, as a Bright, I can¡¯t ignore her refusal to step up. No matter how much it would pain me, I can¡¯t ignore her abandoning her fellow faithful.¡±

    ¡°Is this truly wise, Bright Willow?¡± asked Anem hesitatingly. ¡°What if the pressure only leads to them siding against us?¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do, then?¡± Willow shot back without thinking. ¡°Should I just walk to the abomination and stretch out my neck so that it can take my head?!¡±

    Willow paused and calmed herself before speaking further. ¡°Of course, I would be willing to lay down my life. However, the goals of our circle require Anand¡¯s abilities. Anand is essential to further the cause of the faithful.¡±

    Willow let her eyes rest on Anem. ¡°Matteo won¡¯t be satisfied with my head. He will continue to pursue Anand, thereby sabotaging everything we have worked for. We still need Anand¡¯s assistance. Not much longer, but right now, a dimensional mage of his caliber remains indispensable.¡±

    ¡°Where is Anand then?¡± a tall man clad in silver arrived from the backroom. Blades were visible on his whole body and white crystals were placed on his knuckles, knees, and elbows.

    ¡°While the Vigilant and the Virtuous appreciate Anand¡¯s support, I do not feel like waiting in a backroom when a fight is to be fought outside. I¡¯m not the only one voicing these thoughts back there.¡±

    ¡°A fair point in my opinion,¡± said Anem. ¡°It does not seem wise to keep our strongest combatants waiting here when¡ª¡±

    A mana distortion appeared in the room, and a dimensional gate followed. A young-looking man in plain traveling robes stepped through. He seemed as if he did not have a care in the world.

    ¡°Anand, you are late,¡± growled Willow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember agreeing on a time,¡± retorted Anand. ¡°I arrived exactly when I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°Things have changed,¡± spat Willow. ¡°There are way more people on Matteo¡¯s side than we expected. Worst of all, we can¡¯t use the outpost¡¯s defense system. We have prepared everything for the trap, but if it continues like this, then we would lose too many of ours and I think you should¡ª¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Let me stop you right there.¡± Anand interrupted with a tone that could cut metal. ¡°We are merely cooperating because some of my interests are temporarily aligned with yours. That is all.

    ¡°At the end of the day, you bunch are still otherrealm worshippers,¡± spat Anand. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to shed tears over some dead cultists. If you want to give orders, then talk to someone else.¡±

    Anand shrugged off the glares from the channelers in the room without a care. ¡°I will intervene as much as is required to reach our shared goals.¡± He smiled coldly. ¡°Beyond that, I consider every dead cultist an improvement of the realm¡¯s affairs.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we stop this right here and we all move out?¡± proposed the silver-clad man. ¡°If you despise us so much, surely you do not need us here.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Anand shrugged indifferently.

    Anand looked at Willow. ¡°But remember that Matteo needs to reach this place. You and I are the bait, which means you have to stay here. We need to separate him from his allies to increase the pressure.

    ¡°The current Matteo is no pushover and my attention will be on Matteo¡¯s condition first and foremost.¡± Anand grinned. ¡°I may not be in a position to protect your life like when we took down the Divine Hammer.¡±

    Willow glanced at the others in the room and then looked back at Anand. ¡°You make it sound as if we ambushed her even though it was Sigille that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save that for someone else,¡± interjected Anand with an amused expression. ¡°I really don¡¯t care either way. My impression of realm traitors could not be any lower to begin with. There is no need for pretense when you are talking to me.

    ¡°So?¡± Anand smirked. ¡°Go ahead. Send as many of your fellow cultists out of the backroom as you feel comfortable with.¡±

    Willow took a few breaths and then addressed the silver-clad man. ¡°Stay. Everyone should stay. We can¡¯t risk Anand getting injured heavily or even killed. We still need a dimensional mage with his abilities.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Anand spoke amusedly. ¡°It would be rather awkward if your little project would have to be abandoned near the finish line due to a lack of transport. Or if someone incompetent takes over, and you get discovered before you¡¯re done.¡±

    Anand closed his eyes for a moment and then spoke: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have a grasp on the situation. I¡¯ll tell you what to do and you can instruct your own accordingly.¡±

    ***

    Eric spat out a mouthful of blood. He glared at Matteo in front of him and Apex on his left. Then, he glanced towards his back where the dome was located.

    While there were still a lot of people from Willow¡¯s faction standing guard behind Eric, the strongest were all occupied. If Matteo made it past Eric, then it would not take long for him to reach the dome.

    ¡°This was not how it¡¯s supposed to be,¡± grumbled Eric. ¡°Damn that Palmer slapping Carlos around. Apex that fickle knuckle-brain.¡± Eric grit his teeth. ¡°Useless Venom Siblings. Useless everybody. Bunch of muppets.¡±

    Eric glared at Apex with a vicious glint in his eyes and growled in a low voice. ¡°You want to play? I¡¯ll play.¡± He moved his eyes towards Matteo. ¡°You¡¯re not getting past me. I¡¯ll make sure to lay your corpse next to the decrepit hag.¡±

    Eric grinned viciously as his lower body transformed into a whirlwind of darkwater that circled wider and wider. Droplets of darkwater were hurled everywhere.

    Apex performed a movement technique to evade the debilitating water droplets. Azure wings of fire appeared on her back and she soared into the sky.

    Matteo¡¯s body erupted with countless snakes of lightning that circled around his body. He lunged forward and slashed at Eric from a distance.

    Purple lightning followed the trajectory of Soul Fury and travelled towards the vicious channeler of the Shapeless Pond.

    Vicious slapped his palms together, and the darkwater rippled from his shoulders forward along his arms until two giant waves crashed into each other right where his palms met.

    Screams resounded from everywhere.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± yelled a woman from the circle of the Bright Lady. She channeled her healing abilities and stared at Vicious while the skin was melting from her face.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you hired to protect Bright Willow?¡± demanded a man next to her. One of his fingers was rotting away.¡±

    Vicious sneered. ¡°I am, am I not? You¡¯re not Bright Willow, are you? If you¡¯re too weak to protect yourself, that¡¯s not my problem.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m even cleaning up some of their muppets.¡± Eric grinned viciously and gestured towards several writhing Guardians from Matteo¡¯s side. They had also suffered under the darkwater.

    Eric sneered. ¡°Channel your lady¡¯s underpants or something and stop whining at me.¡± Then Vicious returned his full attention to Matteo and Apex.

    The three clashed again and again. Because of the viciousness of the fight, people from both sides kept their distance.

    After several minutes of exchanges, Eric roared in frustration. He had gone all out, but even so, he was at a disadvantage against the two. While he managed to avoid a fatal injury, his wounds and exhaustion had piled up.

    Eric had harbored some hope that Matteo would get distracted by protecting the bystanders and make himself vulnerable. However, the Mad Kid was acting differently than Eric was used to. Apex, unfortunately, had never worried about collateral damage to begin with, so his plan had failed.

    ¡°It would be fine if it was just one,¡± grumbled Eric to himself. He glanced back towards the dome again. Vicious sneered inwardly. ¡°Let the muppets face him from the front. I¡¯ll wait for an opportunity to smash his back.¡±

    Eric tentatively moved sideways. He suppressed a grin when he saw Apex focusing on him while Matteo was moving forward towards the dome.

    Eric clicked his tongue when he realized that the large area was actually devoid of people and that Matteo could move forward unimpeded. ¡°Perhaps I should have held back a little. Such scared little muppets.¡±

    Apex glanced at Matteo¡¯s back and raised a corner of her lips upwards. Afterwards, she looked at Eric. ¡°Now, where were we, little shitstain?¡±

    Eric sneered and transformed an arm into a whirlwind of darkwater. The two continued clashing while Eric stole glances at Matteo whenever he could.

    ***

    Terry was following Matteo¡¯s signature when he suddenly encountered an area that was practically empty. He had a clear line of sight towards Matteo, who was facing several people right in front of the dome that housed Guardian management.

    Terry sensed strong mana fluctuations further left and realized that Apex was fighting against Vicious.

    Alright, make a wide circle around these two while heading straight for Matteo.

    Terry exhaled sharply and dashed forward.

    While Terry was running, he was taken aback by what he saw and sensed.

    What are they doing? Why are only these few blocking Matteo while the others are standing back?

    Terry narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

    Mana movement from his back allowed Terry to relax somewhat, because from what his mana sense told him, allied Guardians were already running towards the dome, just like Terry himself.

    Terry glanced at the fight between Apex and Vicious. He recalled Vicious¡¯s attempt to make his way into Syn City. Back then, it had been Sigille with her divine hammer inscription that had blocked the liquid pillar of darkwater.

    Terry checked his prepared equipment in the storage bracelet and paid close attention to Vicious¡¯s mana movement.

    Suddenly, Eric transformed into a stream of black viscous liquid and charged rapidly through the air towards Matteo¡¯s back.

    Terry burst his mana as much as his mana channels allowed. He retrieved the prepared mana sublimator that had a large light-aspected monster core secured inside.

    The monster core was one of the cores that Matteo had gifted Terry after their dungeon pioneering mission. This core was more than twice the size of the shining dropbear cores, of which Terry still carried a few from his own dungeon experience.

    Terry dismissed the idea of transfixing the imprinted handle attachment because of his current velocity. Instead, Terry jumped and then channeled mana into the mana sublimator¡¯s inscription.

    *FOOOM* A giant blast of light-aspected mana accompanied by an explosive force intercepted Eric¡¯s liquified body in the sky.

    Terry was blown back by the intense recoil. He quickly transfixed the imprinted pearls that were connected to extension coil springs on his forearms to cushion the force before impacting on the ground and rolling on the ground.

    Eric had been taken completely off-guard. He fell from the sky and was bloody all over. Small bubbles sizzled wherever the denser parts of the light-aspected discharge had hit him. He was glaring at Terry.

    ¡°OY!¡± Apex had appeared in front of Terry and was glaring at him, too. ¡°You bastard, don¡¯t you dare¡ª Do I know you?¡± She squinted at him.

    Terry involuntarily gulped when confronted with two ranked rookies glaring at him before he mustered the resolve to speak: ¡°Syn City.¡±

    Apex raised her head in understanding. ¡°You were with Matteo and the old hag¡­¡± She growled. ¡°Fine, today is an exception. Don¡¯t you dare barge into my fights ever again.¡±

    Apex turned towards Eric and cracked her knuckles. ¡°How dare you take your eyes away when fighting against me? If I don¡¯t make you squeal like a pig today, I¡¯ll eat my teeth.¡±

    Terry heaved a sigh of relief and then jolted his head around with a horrified expression.

    That mana distortion¡­ Spatial barrier. But different from the rainbow fishie¡¯s abilities¡­ Spatial lock, too?

    Terry saw the people from Willow¡¯s faction that had been waiting around before now all pouring into the area again. They were blocking the entrance to the dome.

    Matteo was already inside. Trapped inside a spatial seal.

    Terry clenched his teeth while looking at all the people in front of him.

    Actions.

    Terry charged forward.

    ***

    Matteo stepped through the entrance of the dome¡¯s large reception hall. Purple lightning flickered through his irises while a cold haze was emanating from his eyes.

    ¡°Matteo, what have you done?¡± exclaimed Willow reproachfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but look at all the carnage you have left behind! I thought you were better than this! Didn¡¯t you train to not be like this anymore? Isn¡¯t this just a repetition of your past mistakes? How could you?¡±

    Dozens of channelers walked out of the backroom and stood between Willow and Matteo.

    ¡°Now, if you let me help you, we can get this sorted out,¡± said Willow with a thin smile. ¡°You do not need to continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.¡±

    Anand stepped next to Willow with a carefree expression.

    A purple snake of lightning travelled from Matteo¡¯s leg towards his head as his eyes were fixed on Anand.

    ¡°Nor do you need to continue the mistakes of Sigille,¡± continued Willow. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡ª¡±

    A giant dragon of purple lightning charged at Willow before she could finish her speech.

    Matteo¡¯s mana lit up like a lone torch in a dark night. His mana throughput was pushed beyond his limits. He roared and violently slashed Soul Fury through the nearest channeler.

    In the sky above the outpost, far above the giant druid tree, the clouds turned dark while lightning began rumbling rhythmically with every slash of Matteo¡¯s blade.

    ¡°Get him under control!¡± Willow yelled at Anand.

    ¡°No, he needs to be pushed further,¡± said Anand. ¡°But I can¡­¡± He attempted to infiltrate Matteo¡¯s mind. A lightning jaw opened before his mind¡¯s eye and he cancelled the attempt. ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Anand chuckled.

    ¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Willow. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Anand raised a corner of his lips. ¡°It appears that aside from his exceptional mental and spirit resistance, and aside from the chaotic elemental situation, there is now a dragon soul claiming Matteo¡¯s mind as its territory. I¡¯m afraid control is no longer an option. It¡¯s gaining more power with every passing moment.¡±

    Willow¡¯s expression fell. ¡°You mean?¡±

    ¡°The only way is to push him further,¡± said Anand. ¡°Either he evolves or we¡¯ll have a veritable demon on our hands. A demon of unprecedented power.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Willow scowled. ¡°This is not what you told me before.¡±

    ¡°I told you that the fiendish blade could become a problem,¡± retorted Anand. ¡°Like all of that woman¡¯s meddling. The full extent has only become apparent now. Matteo should have already been much further entangled with the elementals. Sink or swim. Instead, there is now a dead lizard disturbing the water.¡±

    Anand raised his hands to the side and shrugged.

    Willow grimaced and channeled the Bright Lady¡¯s abilities. Her skin turned golden. She looked down at the rampaging battle in front of her. At the purple lightning dragon. At Matteo. When her gaze met the furious eyes of Matteo, she involuntarily shivered and stopped breathing.

    Matteo¡¯s elemental mana seemed almost tangible, just like the fury emanating from his eyes. Aside from the purple lightning sizzling through the irises and the cold haze rising from within, tongues of fire were beginning to circle Matteo.

    ***

 087 Greetings From Arcana

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    The earth was quaking and thunder rumbled in the sky, which was covered in dark clouds.

    Terry¡¯s head swiveled around as he tried to grasp the situation.

    The mana distortion at the dome¡¯s entrance was shifting repeatedly. While Terry was not sure exactly what kind of phenomenon this was, he understood it to be a result of space magic.

    Maybe¡­

    Terry grit his teeth and tightly grasped the barrier spears in his hands.

    There are too many channelers between me and the entrance.

    Terry subconsciously looked towards Amelia, who was flying in the sky while battling several channelers and one of the Venom Siblings. Terry bit his lower lip.

    Wait, why doesn¡¯t she teleport anymore to dodge?

    Terry narrowed his eyes and then burst his mana.

    A larger spatial seal activated together with the barrier at the entrance?

    A shattering sound rang in Terry¡¯s ears, which confirmed Terry¡¯s suspicion.

    Inside the dome, Anand raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the training grounds in mild surprise. He quickly confirmed that only the outer seal had been broken while the inner spatial seals inside the dome and inside the reception hall were still unperturbed.

    Anand shrugged and continued observing Matteo¡¯s condition.

    Occasionally, Anand added his own attacks on top of those from the channelers that were facing Matteo. In contrast to the channeler¡¯s magic, Anand relied on proper spellwork and carefully chose his aspects to influence Matteo¡¯s elemental mana.

    Outside the dome, Terry was relieved to see Amelia teleporting again. She immediately used the chance to incinerate two of the channelers.

    Shortly afterwards, Terry sensed her mana signature reappearing near the dome¡¯s entrance.

    Amelia tapped her staff on the ground and a powerful barrier appeared around her while she analyzed the phenomenon at the entrance.

    ¡°Not good,¡± murmured Amelia. She heard a voice in her mind. ¡°No, Dargo, I¡¯m afraid this is more than just a spatial barrier. There is something resembling a dimensional gate in front of it. Well-anchored, too. The anchors are protected inside the dome.¡±

    Amelia shook her head. ¡°Unless we take care of that first, your nullification mana won¡¯t even reach the barrier.¡±

    ¡°It appears to constantly shift and reconstruct itself as well. If we don¡¯t take it down in one go, then¡­¡± Amelia grimaced. ¡°Waste it. I knew Anand was a capable dimensional mage, but I did not expect him to rival Jee. I can try to erase the spellwork, but I¡¯ll need time for that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Amelia as she listened to Dargones. ¡°Damn these Venom bastards! They¡¯re now targeting the wounded in the back?¡± She gnashed her teeth.

    *CRASH* The sound of her barrier shattering took Amelia by surprise. She instinctively teleported a short distance away.

    A giant silver fist with white crystals on the knuckles swished through her previous location.

    ¡°The Vigilant and the Virtuous protect this place,¡± spoke the giant, silver-clad woman as blades rotated along her arms and legs. ¡°You may leave now.¡±

    Amelia clicked her tongue and unleashed a barrage of fireballs before teleporting away.

    Terry observed all this from a distance before he rejoined the charge of Guardians that were assaulting the channelers lingering in front of the dome¡¯s entrance.

    ***

    Terry was slapped out of the air by a green translucent palm. He barely transfixed one of his imprinted spring pearls to slow down his fall before he impacted on the ground.

    Terry spat out the blood in his mouth and immediately stood up with his barrier spears still in hand.

    Damn long-range attacks¡­ They have grown wary of close-combat because of my spell¡­ Burst techniques are less helpful in this¡­

    Terry moved his eyes between the woman with wings made of ice that was his original opponent and the man with twin-pupils that had just ambushed him.

    I could handle that ice channeler, but these floating palms of the Bodhi Tree are a problem. Way too fast¡­

    Terry took solace in the fact that not far from him, a few of the older Guardians had broken further through.

    Even if I can¡¯t beat them, the more I can engage here, the better¡­

    Terry clenched his teeth and inhaled deeply.

    The winged woman forcefully beat her wings, and a volley of sharp icicles fell down towards Terry.

    Terry jumped away from the attack¡¯s center and fleetingly channeled mana into the barrier inscription to block without wasting mana.

    His mana detection field was disturbed from yet another direction, and Terry rapidly positioned his second barrier spear.

    A sharp piece of gold impacted on the spear¡¯s barrier. Terry spotted the nearest mana signature matching a follower of the Bright Lady.

    Good for me. The more, the better¡­ Right?

    Terry sharply exhaled. He channeled mana into his radiating light inscriptions to create a strobe light effect while concentrating on his mana sense.

    Several translucent green palms came flying towards Terry.

    Terry returned one barrier spear to his storage bracelet and air-jumped above the initial barrage while throwing several octavum needles that transfixed shortly after.

    Two bladed gold pieces that had been flying towards Terry were caught by his Immovable Object spell and also remained transfixed in the air.

    Terry dashed towards the twin-pupiled man.

    The man sneered and sent more palms forward while the two other channelers repositioned themselves.

    Terry rapidly transfixed a septimum shield in front of himself while somersaulting under the cover behind it. Upside-down, Terry transfixed his boots and channeled a torrent of mana into his bidirectional attraction inscriptions.

    The winged woman was pulled towards the transfixed throwing needles. While she was temporarily caught off-guard and the strobe light effect made it difficult to make out the transfixed needles, she instinctively became wary.

    Bladed gold pieces were flying at Terry and he struck out with his barrier spear, activated the Immovable Object imprint in the attachment, and then grabbed on tightly to resist the bidirectional attraction force while channeling mana to strengthen the barrier.

    The winged woman frantically beat her wings and unleashed another volley of icicles.

    Terry suddenly disrupted all his transfixed equipment and allowed himself to be carried into the air. His upward movement allowed him to dodge the golden blades, and he used his barrier spear to protect himself from the icicles.

    The sudden change in force caused the woman to flutter involuntarily.

    Terry air-jumped upwards, which further interfered with the woman¡¯s flying rhythm.

    Terry retrieved his second barrier spear and summoned a small but intense barrier, which he moved forward and beyond the spear¡¯s tip.

    Terry somersaulted again. He transfixed his boots and relied on his inscribed gloves to interfere with the woman¡¯s beating of her wings. He used one of his spears to block incoming palms while relying on his hands-free casting to block the few gold pieces coming from the other direction.

    Terry¡¯s hands-free casting was much more reliable when he could see the incoming projectiles instead of relying on the delayed feedback from his mana detection field. Therefore, Terry maintained visual contact with the channeler of the Bright Lady while keeping his mana sense locked on the winged woman.

    Terry continued pulling the winged woman while subtly moving his second spear with the detached barrier¡­

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    As soon as Terry knew the woman to be between himself and the detached barrier, he burst his mana and air-jumped down towards the ground.

    The woman, who had already been fluttering uncontrollably, frantically tried to steady herself when on top of the gloves¡¯s attraction force, she was suddenly smacked by a small barrier exactly where one of her wings was attached to her back.

    Before the woman could recover herself, she was pulled onto a throwing needle and screamed in pain.

    Terry stopped his inscriptions as soon as he knew he had succeeded. However, before he could reorient himself on the ground, another translucent green palm appeared in front of him.

    Terry failed to activate his barrier spear in time and instead ducked his head behind his bracers and transfixed them in place.

    Crap!

    Terry realized his mistake as soon as he felt his lower body slammed backwards and his elbows got twisted. He hurriedly disrupted his own imprint and was thrown backwards.

    In his flight, Terry realized that there were golden projectiles coming from behind. Unfortunately for Terry, transfixing the projectiles was not an option when he was currently flying in their direction.

    Terry clenched his teeth when a spiked ball of gold hit him in the stomach below his septimum plate.

    He suppressed the desire to scream and transfixed his extension pearl. He air-jumped once and the extended coil spring allowed him to rotate upward and out of the way of other projectiles.

    Crap!

    Translucent green palms were flying right into his new trajectory.

    Terry growled and used his free hand to unleash a disruption discharge in order to disrupt his transfixed coil spring pearl and to weaken the floating palm of mana. Fortunately, the pearls connected to the extension coil spring did not have a mana-osmotic protection where they faced Terry.

    Crap crap crap!

    A spherical mass of fire-aspected mana was flung at Terry from yet another direction. The protective pendant that Sigille had gifted him activated. A personal shield appeared and blocked most of the intense mana attack.

    Before Terry could recover, a translucent green palm slammed into him and, for a moment, he only saw black.

    Terry rolled on the ground while spitting blood. When he had finally come to a stop, he coughed up another mouthful of blood and staggered back onto his feet while swaying back and forth.

    Choices.

    Terry stared at the opponents in front of him and used his bidirectional attraction gloves to collect his barrier spears from the ground.

    I could really use some more mana right now¡­

    Terry wished he had used his mana containers more sparingly. The day really dragged on with opponent after opponent, and many of them not much weaker than Terry. He stopped himself from lingering on regrets.

    Focus.

    He weakly put one foot in front of the other with barrier spears in hand.

    Actions.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Terry.¡± Amelia appeared next to him. ¡°Take a break. Losing another whaka is not in Matteo¡¯s interest either.¡±

    ¡°I can¡­¡± Terry desperately wanted to do more.

    ¡°No.¡± Amelia transferred Terry to the back, where she brought those that were too injured to fight.

    Afterwards, Amelia hurled a blast of chain lightning at the channelers and then flew up into the sky to engage the Venom Siblings again.

    Amelia quickly scanned the area to check if there were any injured from Matteo¡¯s side whom she should evacuate. Her mana sense and teleportation abilities made her the best suited for the task.

    However, Amelia always had to keep an eye on the Venom Siblings. If they could not tie the Venom Siblings down, then massive casualties would follow.

    Amelia clicked her tongue and decided to first engage the Venom Siblings before doing another sweep of evacuations.

    ***

    Terry found himself in the middle of what looked like an improvised infirmary. He recognized several of the wounded and some of the few healers running around. All of them had stood on Matteo¡¯s side.

    Terry grimaced when he spotted Derek, whose leg was twisted at an unnatural angle and who was being treated by a healer. Rosheen was standing next to Derek and held his hand while Derek clenched his teeth through the pain.

    Terry also spotted Isabella. Fortunately, she did not seem to have suffered any major wounds, but had simply run out of mana and was only suffering from exhaustion and the unfamiliar feeling of weakness that came with an empty mana pool.

    ¡°Any fatal injuries?¡± asked a voice.

    Terry dazedly turned to the purple-robed man. The man wore a stern expression, but his eyes showed concern. Terry shook his head weakly.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. We are short-staffed here and running out of mana to keep up with the patients.¡± The man quickly moved on to the next potential patient.

    Terry felt like tearing out his hair that had become sticky from dried blood.

    I¡¯m too weak¡­ If I had at least had some healing spells, I¡ª

    Terry paused when he remembered something. As if he was in a trance, he retrieved a wand from his dimensional bag. He stared at it before shaking his head with an almost maniacal expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡± Terry subconsciously began moving items from his dimensional bag to his storage bracelets. ¡°Such an idiot¡­¡±

    Terry laid one hand on his crafter¡¯s pendant and began summoning the contents.

    ¡°I was so focused on Whaka Sigille¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°On Whaka Matteo. I almost forgot that I had more whaka than that.¡±

    A large shelf appeared in the middle of the infirmary. Terry grabbed several potions, pills, and salves and distributed them among his storage bracelets.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± The purple-robed man looked back, and his jaw met the ground. ¡°Wait, are those¡­?¡±

    Terry gulped down different potions one after the other.

    Health. Mana. Blood Replenishment. Soothing Mind.

    He swallowed three pills.

    Invigoration. Rubber Skin. Regeneration.

    Terry began shimmering. Steam rose from his skin. He smashed some other bottles on the floor. A vapor emerged from below, which Terry inhaled without hesitation.

    Mana Channel Strengthening. Mana Flow Smoothening.

    Terry gripped a scroll while locking onto the mana signatures in the infirmary. He grit his teeth against the headache of managing so many targets and pushed through until everyone was covered.

    ¡°Even if my whaka aren¡¯t present, they¡¯re still with me.¡± Terry ripped the scroll in half as a high-level healing spell enveloped all the people that Terry had marked. ¡°With us.¡±

    Today, I¡¯ll use all the gifts my whaka sent me. Now or never. Today, I¡¯ll use all I have¡­

    Under the stunned eyes of everyone present, Terry rushed towards the battlefield once more.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The purple-robed man regained his composure and broke out into a wide smile. ¡°It appears we have a rich young master on our side.¡± He turned to those around him. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand around like bumbling fools! Distribute the potions! Clean up the remaining scratches! Make yourself useful or do you want our young benefactor to handle everything? Move your asses!¡±

    In a matter of seconds, the infirmary was bustling with activity.

    Meanwhile, at the back of the battlefield, a glowing Terry was gripping another scroll. He ripped the scroll in half and another high-level healing spell bolstered the forces siding with Matteo.

    Those that had been pushed back were suddenly invigorated and crashed into their opponents once more. Some that had suffered an injury could use the unexpected opportunity to kill their opponents outright.

    Terry air-jumped over the battlefield and retrieved another scroll. This scroll was the only one that came with an additional warning by Samuel.

    Terry locked onto the enemies¡¯ mana signatures. When Terry ripped the scroll in half, lightning roared and slammed into every one of the mana signatures that Terry had marked.

    ¡°Greetings from Arcana.¡± Terry growled as he rushed past the shocked enemies.

    The other Guardians used the chance to eliminate those of Willow¡¯s faction before they could recover.

    ¡°Stay close to him!¡± shouted a man in green scale armor. ¡°If we don¡¯t have to worry about healing, we can push through!¡±

    Another Guardian wrinkled his forehead. ¡°Right, but do we have any idea how many of these scrolls he has? Scrolls at that level cost a fortune and then some. I mean¡ª¡± He held his tongue as soon as he saw Terry rip another scroll to heal the next line of allies.

    The Guardian with a wrinkled forehead blinked. ¡°Nevermind.¡± He drew his swords and rushed after Terry with eager eyes. ¡°Worth a shot.¡±

    Further in the front, Terry was assaulted from all sides. The channelers and Guildheads from Willow¡¯s faction had noticed that they had lost the comparative advantage that the healing abilities of the Bright Lady offered. They had identified Terry as the cause and intended to get rid of him.

    Terry dodged what he could without swaying from his path towards the dome¡¯s entrance. He grit his teeth when a blade formed of shadow cut through his cloud badger leather and tore a painful gash into his side.

    Terry used a burst technique to quickly get some distance.

    Not about me¡­

    Terry exhaled sharply through his teeth.

    All of us together¡­

    Terry ignored the newest assailant, just like he ignored the pain and itching from the wound that was already closing thanks to the stacked effects of the consumables and the last healing spell from the scrolls.

    Terry suppressed his desire to engage the opponents that wounded him. He suppressed the instinct to dodge non-lethal projectiles when it would mean losing his speed and momentum.

    As soon as Terry managed to lock onto a larger number of allied Guardians, he ripped the next scroll apart.

    The constant cycling of mana beyond his limits caused Terry¡¯s breathing to become erratic.

    The successive guidance of high-level spell mana towards many targets gave him a tremendous headache.

    A translucent palm slammed into Terry from behind.

    Terry spat out a mixture of bile and blood. He clenched his teeth against the pain. He fixed his dislocated shoulder while continuing to run.

    I wonder if this is what Devon always feels like¡­ Terry smiled mirthlessly. ¡°Exhausting.¡±

    Get used to it.

    Terry ripped another scroll.

    While Terry continued moving forward and healing the allies in his path, the allied Guardians behind him started to steamroll their opponents.

    The reinforcements from the infirmary joined the healed Guardians from the furthest back and crashed into the next battle line.

    With every successive line broken, their momentum increased.

    Not only did they gather more and more numbers, with the reassurance of regular healing spells, the experts were now also free to focus on offense and accept a few injuries in exchange for pressing on.

    ¡°Damn you,¡± cursed a woman with poison-aspected mana. She channeled mana into her boots to step into the air.

    Before she could unleash her poison-aspected discharge, an intense wind blade slammed into her back. Several lightning bolts followed, and the woman fell to the ground.

    Amelia appeared right on top of her with a mana blade extended from the tip of her staff. She pierced the mana blade into the woman¡¯s skull.

    Not far away, a man and a woman howled in rage.

    ¡°One sibling down, two more to go.¡± Amelia spoke with cold eyes. She soared into the air and spoke for Dargones¡¯s ears. ¡°Terry has created an opportunity. If you can keep them busy, I can try to analyze the spatial barrier again.¡± She teleported away.

    ***

 088 What Is Necessary

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    In front of the dome¡¯s entrance, the people on Willow¡¯s side were cursing with pale faces.

    ¡°At this rate, our defensive lines will collapse, and then we¡¯ll be completely outnumbered here,¡± said one of the Guildheads. ¡°Let us take out the rich brat before they get any further, we¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°If we move any more forces away from the entrance, then the Spellcrusher and Magebane might swoop in from behind,¡± objected another Guildhead. She turned to a channeler of the Bright Lady. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the area was supposed to be sealed against spatial transfers? Why is the Spellcrusher still jumping around freely, then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± barked the channeler with frustration in her eyes.

    ¡°This job stinks,¡± grumbled another Guildhead.

    ¡°She¡¯s back!¡± shouted a silver-clad woman.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes moved towards the place where Amelia had appeared. They instantly began assaulting and charging towards her.

    Amelia clicked her tongue and unleashed her own spells before taking her distance with several short-range teleportations.

    ¡°Forget the brat,¡± growled an older Guildhead. ¡°As long as that spatial barrier protecting the entrance stands, we¡¯ll be fine. That barrier is beyond the capabilities of these Guardians. Heck, it¡¯s even beyond mine. I¡¯d wager that the Spellcrusher and the Magebane are the only people present that have a chance of breaking through.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± the woman among the Guildheads shrugged. ¡°Block the Spellcrusher and the Magebane. What could be simpler?¡± She groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t know about you, but if all these Guardians eventually make it to this location, I¡¯m out of here, regardless.¡± She looked at the channeler of the Bright Lady. ¡°If you trust your spatial barrier that much, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? Or will this be as trustworthy as your spatial seal?¡±

    The channeler furrowed her brows. ¡°I guess so. Focus on chasing the Spellcrusher and Magebane away. Everyone else is secondary.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± After a nod from the older Guildhead, several of their group retrieved a number of items from their storage bracelets. ¡°Let¡¯s tie down some ranked rookies.¡±

    The older Guildhead turned to the stronger channelers that were still lingering around the entrance. ¡°If you want this done, then you need to lend a hand.¡±

    The channelers nodded with begrudging expressions.

    ¡°Also, these items are single-use and expensive.¡± The Guildhead pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ll be sending you a separate bill for that. Given that you were the ones that failed to seal the space here yourselves, that should be fair, right?¡±

    The channeler from the Bright Lady scowled but nodded again.

    ¡°Splendid,¡± said the Guildhead and smashed a ball onto the ground. ¡°That seals the area around the entrance. This should limit the Spellcrusher¡¯s movements sufficiently for us to react in time when she plans something. From here on, we just need to tie her down further.¡±

    Not long afterwards, Amelia was besieged by space sealing items and ganged up on by the Guildheads and channelers.

    ¡°No, Dargo, it¡¯s still fine.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°I¡¯ll make them pay for it. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She glanced worriedly at the spatial barrier. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much time this will take.¡±

    Amelia shook her head and channeled mana into one of the purple mana crystals on her staff. ¡°I¡¯ll make them pay for it.¡± Countless fire spears appeared in the sky and charged down towards her opponents.

    Further to the right, Terry was advancing speedily. The enemy experts in front were all focusing on Amelia, while the reinvigorated Guardians behind him were keeping his back free from pursuers.

    Terry was feeling both more powerful and more exhausted than ever before.

    Only two channelers were still standing in his path.

    Terry burst his mana and stared at the entrance. He heard a shattering sound but took no notice of it.

    The two channelers realized that Terry was accelerating instead of slowing down. They glanced at each other. From what they could tell, Terry was unaware of the spatial barrier and intent on smashing his head against a wall.

    Their eyes were full of ridicule as they stepped to the sides while unleashing a quick succession of attacks.

    Terry evaded what he could without losing momentum. Since the attacks were half-hearted, he had little trouble accepting a few injuries as long as he was under the effects of his potions, pills, and scrolls.

    The two channelers were sneering while Terry stared at the entrance with hardened resolve¡­

    Here goes something!

    Terry burst through the entrance while hearing a succession of shattering sounds.

    Another breath later, Terry was storming into the reception hall. As soon as he sensed Matteo¡¯s mana signature, he ripped another healing scroll.

    Willow was staring with mouth agape while Anand examined Terry inquisitively.

    Outside, the two channelers were stunned with horrified expressions.

    Further away, Amelia was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Fancy that. Full of pleasant surprises. Dargo, come here and free me up. Then I¡¯ll take us to Matteo immediately.¡±

    ***

    Terry inwardly heaved a sigh of relief when he felt the scroll¡¯s effect activate on Matteo and himself.

    Outwardly, Terry was panting heavily. A glowing layer of mana was enveloping him, and the color was shifting constantly from all the stacked effects. The cloud badger leather had been pierced and slashed apart in many places. Dried blood clung to Terry from head to toe.

    Terry looked over the mass of channelers that were engaging Matteo in combat. Each and everyone emitted a terrifying mana signature. Many of their gazes were now resting on Terry.

    Terry¡¯s mind went blank while his instincts were telling him to run. Instead, he retrieved his two barrier spears and controlled his breathing.

    Further in the back, Anand frowned.

    ¡°How?¡± muttered Willow. She unleashed a group-healing ability to support the channelers on her side. Afterwards, she turned to Anand. ¡°What about the spatial lock?¡±

    ¡°Broken,¡± replied Anand in a dull voice. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°You better,¡± snapped Willow. ¡°If the Spellcrusher and the Magebane get here, the situation will go out of control.¡±

    ¡°How did he do it?¡± Anand muttered to himself while looking at Terry. He ignored Willow¡¯s outburst.

    At the entrance, a man that was wearing leather armor, including a full-helmet and neck-protector, was the first to lunge at Terry. The man¡¯s mana signature matched a channeler of the Bodhi Tree.

    Terry tensed his right arm and subtly channeled mana into his barrier spear while making a large gesture with his left spear.

    Now!

    Terry summoned a small but intense barrier in front of his right spear that caused the twin-pupiled man to trip.

    While the man was off-balance, Terry rotated leftwards on his heel while casting a ranged Immovable Object spell.

    While the man¡¯s attention was drawn to his immovable armor buckle, Terry suddenly burst to finish his rotation faster than appeared possible before. He slashed with his left spear at the man¡¯s neck that was still stretched forward from his run.

    The spear¡¯s blade slashed through the leather neck protector and blood spurted out of the wound.

    A moment later, Terry was assaulted from another direction.

    Damn it!

    Terry already sensed the first assailant being enveloped by a healing ability from a channeler of the Bright Lady.

    Why didn¡¯t I prepare the mana sublimator before charging in here?!

    Terry was scowling at his own lack of foresight.

    ¡°This armor ain¡¯t cheap,¡± growled the healed enemy. ¡°Where did a brat like you get a spear like this?¡± He charged at Terry.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Further back, Anand was frowning again.

    ¡°Something is causing the space to be extremely unstable,¡± said Anand. He tilted his head and glanced at Terry. ¡°In a very peculiar manner.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®peculiar¡¯?!¡± demanded Willow.

    ¡°As if there are times when it is pricked by countless tiny needles,¡± said Anand. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of something like this. Neither in spellwork nor in any natural phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°And? What is that supposed to mean?¡± Willow showed an exasperated expression. ¡°This is serious! What¡ª?¡±

    ¡°This turns any attempt to lock down the space into a futile effort,¡± interjected Anand. ¡°Spatial seals are a waste of mana like this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not talking about someone pounding on metal, where the metal can bend.¡± Anand carefully sensed the space in the area with closed eyes. ¡°If you want an analogy from the physical realm, this kind of space magic is more like a diamond. Hard but brittle.¡±

    Anand opened his eyes again and then glanced at Willow with indifference. ¡°Effects from space magic generally have no way of absorbing energy, not even a little. We¡¯re talking about a binary situation. A single prick is enough to break a spatial seal.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense!¡± objected Willow. Suspicion flickered in her eyes. ¡°If it was that easy to break spatial seals and barriers, wouldn¡¯t¡ª Are you trying to sabotage our¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± scoffed Anand. ¡°It is far from ¡®easy¡¯. It requires an extraordinary amount of power to destabilize a spatial seal. Unless you can spare such power, you have to probe for the best location and then find the proper counter structure from space magic or a corresponding anti-magic.¡±

    ¡°In space magic, there is an asymmetric relationship between attack and defense.¡± Anand glowered over the battlefield. ¡°It is much easier to set up a trap or a barrier than it is to break it. Otherwise, how could I suffer the indignity of having my own teleportation limited by the magic item of that meddling woman? I had some respect for the Divine Hammer, but I certainly did volunteer for such an experience.¡±

    ¡°But at this rate¡ª¡± objected Willow.

    ¡°Too late,¡± interrupted Anand. ¡°Isolating Matteo is no longer an option.¡± He secretly began preparing some well-cloaked spellwork.

    Willow moved her eyes to follow Anand¡¯s gaze and then scowled.

    Amelia had appeared in the air above Terry and bombarded the surrounding channelers with an astonishing number of Fire Spears and Wind Blades that combined with each other and created a small inferno inside the dome.

    A moment later, Dargones also appeared in the room and hurled himself into the fray.

    While Matteo¡¯s side still remained vastly outnumbered inside the dome and reception hall, the other side was beginning to feel the increasing pressure.

    ***

    My insides don¡¯t feel right.

    Terry coughed up another mouth full of blood.

    That high temperature can¡¯t be good.

    Terry suppressed the urge to hold his own stomach. He crossed his spears in front of him and blocked the incoming sword strike of his opponent.

    Terry transfixed the center pearls in his bracers and then kicked his opponent with both legs.

    Ugh¡­ Like kicking a boulder.

    Terry wearily observed the enemies in front of him. He panted while taking account of himself.

    The potions were still showing their various effects. He still had a few scrolls, but right now, he could not justify using any, even if he had the time.

    Not injured enough, not enough allies¡­

    Terry sighed and hurriedly downed another mana potion.

    Even with his exceptional mana foundation, even with all the buffs, and even with Terry efficiently using all available mana by relying on burst techniques to control and break the battle¡¯s rhythm, Terry was already feeling the intense drain on his mana again.

    Even with the external help of consumables, Terry could barely stand against those he had to face in the reception hall. He was constantly reaching the bottom of his mana pool.

    A golden lightning bolt shot at Terry while his attention was on the mana potion.

    Terry hurriedly collected his mana for a discharge ¨C and he was already bemoaning the large mana expenditure required ¨C when he sensed the lightning bolt being erased in mid-air.

    Thanks, Amelia¡­

    Suddenly, a shape jumped out of the floor next to Terry. A glowing red hand grabbed Terry¡¯s left arm.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Terry howled in pain as the lava-like hand burned him to the bone.

    Terry reflexively channeled mana into his bracer while stabbing forward with the spear in his other hand.

    Unfortunately for Terry, the metal on his bracer had already melted, and the imprint had collapsed.

    His opponent did not try to dodge the spear, nor did it appear to do any damage when the spear entered the glowing hot figure.

    Terry gritted his teeth and pulled back his spear in order not to have it damaged for nothing.

    Terry detected the face of a woman inside the red glow. The woman opened her mouth wide and inhaled.

    Not good!

    Terry transfixed his foot in front of him and tried to use the foothold to pull his arm and himself away from the woman.

    Cut off my arm? I still have some high-level healing scrolls¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes hardened, but before he could follow through with his self-mutilating idea, a wave of mana enveloped both Terry and his opponent.

    Before Terry could blink, he saw a regular woman staring at him. The red glow had disappeared. Same for whatever attack she had been preparing.

    Nullification mana. Thanks, Dargones¡­

    Terry used the chance and stabbed his spear forward with his undamaged arm.

    Unfortunately, the woman managed to react at the last moment, which caused Terry¡¯s attack to miss her head.

    While blood was gushing out of her shoulder, Terry did not follow up on the attack. Instead, he created some distance between them.

    There it is. The Bright Lady is a wasted pain.

    Terry scowled as soon as he sensed the woman being healed. He considered using another scroll when he sensed that some more Guardians had made it inside the dome.

    This lifted Terry¡¯s mood considerably and eased his worries.

    Without further reservations, Terry locked onto all allies except Dargones ¨C nullification mana had its downsides ¨C and guided mana into another healing scroll.

    Most scrolls could be activated even without mana by disturbing the mana inside the scroll. However, Terry¡¯s left arm had not been usable for ripping the scroll, which is why he had to invest a bit of his own mana for the activation.

    Afterwards, Terry gritted his teeth and extracted the melted bracer from his left arm.

    Crap. The bracer is one thing, but even the inscribed glove has been damaged.

    Terry hoped that the self-mending and error-correcting inscriptions could get the damage fixed eventually, but he did not believe that it would be quick enough for the current battle.

    If I had some time¡ª Maybe this way.

    Terry summoned a tertium cube, hid inside, and transfixed it. Then, he hurriedly exchanged his broken bracer and glove with some of his old equipment.

    Wait, while I¡¯m at it¡­

    Terry was paying close attention to the surrounding mana movement while retrieving the mana sublimator. He made up his mind about which mana core to use and loaded the sublimator with it.

    ***

    ¡°Do something!¡± Willow yelled at Anand. ¡°Don¡¯t you see we are losing more and more ground?¡±

    Anand watched her coldly and then returned his gaze to the battlefield. ¡°I can see that you and your fellow realm traitors are failing to put up much of a fight, yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Willow glared at him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you helping, then? Aside from the spatial barrier and spatial seal, you have done nothing. And a big help those turned out to be.¡± She sneered. ¡°You fought with us against the Divine Hammer. Why are you so passive now?!¡±

    Anand slightly curled his lips. ¡°In contrast to when we offed that meddling woman, my aim is not to get rid of Matteo. Even killing the Hammer was merely a means to an end, nothing personal. In fact, I consider her death a tremendous loss for the realm. I did not want to kill her, but it was necessary for Matteo. I definitely don¡¯t want him dead. I want him to evolve.

    ¡°That¡­¡± Anand glanced at the battlefield where Matteo and the purple lightning dragon were rampaging through the strongest among the present channelers. ¡°That requires pressure. He needs to be overwhelmed with his elemental mana. He needs to drown in it. Then¡­

    Anand stared at Matteo¡¯s mana signature. ¡°With this environment, the elementals inside Matteo¡¯s mind will become more and more agitated. He needs to push through it.¡±

    ¡°Then add to that pressure, waste it!¡± Willow pointed at the battlefield. ¡°Kill his friends! Kill that new cousin of his! Injure him! Help our side! Do something! How do you expect the pressure to rise when¡ª What are you doing?¡±

    The dome was trembling. A moment later, the upper floors and the roof were gone. Dark clouds were visible in the sky above.

    Thunder was rumbling every time that Matteo slashed with Soul Fury.

    ¡°Something,¡± replied Anand with a smile on his lips.

    ¡°WHY?!¡± yelled Willow. ¡°The dome was our fortification¡ª¡±

    ¡°And it stopped being useful,¡± retorted Anand. ¡°You can¡¯t use the defense system. The entrance has been breached. Besides, we would have required a clear path to the sky sooner or later. It is necessary.¡±

    ¡°Still, that¡ª¡± Willow was about to object when she noticed another spatial shift. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡±

    Dimensional gates appeared in several places. Hordes of spirits and elementals were pouring through them.

    ¡°What is necessary,¡± replied Anand coldly.

    The aspect beings immediately attacked everyone. They did not distinguish between Willow¡¯s or Matteo¡¯s side. The different elemental factions even started attacking each other since there was no demon around to keep them in line.

    The battlefield became chaotic at once. Elemental attacks were flying in all directions.

    Anand looked towards the clouds in the sky and examined their movement. A smile found its way onto his lips again.

    The smile was washed away when Willow grabbed his arm and shouted at him. ¡°WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!¡±

    Anand looked at her coldly and pointed with his chin at the battlefield. ¡°This is pressure. If your friends had been less useless, this might not have been necessary, but it is now.¡± He glanced at his hand on his arm. ¡°Remove your hand.¡±

    ¡°They are attacking our side!¡± Willow did not let go. She pointed with her free hand. ¡°They are attacking my followers!¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± retorted Anand. ¡°I have not summoned them myself. I don¡¯t dominate their minds. Ergo, I don¡¯t control them. They are acting according to their instincts. To them, all mana users are the enemy. Our sides don¡¯t matter to the aspect beings.¡± He glared at Willow. ¡°Remove your hand.¡±

    Willow did not let go. Her mouth opened repeatedly without saying anything.

    ¡°Right now, your fellow realm traitors are merely collateral damage,¡± said Anand with a contemptuous sneer. ¡°Unless you want to see what happens when I am really aiming for their lives, you will remove your hand.¡±

    Willow let go.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Anand¡¯s disdainful voice sent a shiver down Willow¡¯s spine.

    ¡°We¡¯ve set the stage. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡± Anand glanced at Willow. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to join and help your followers?¡±

    Willow looked at the chaotic battlefield and paled.

    ¡°From what I understand, you have a pretty high rank in your cult. Surely that is somewhat related to combat ability.¡± Anand spoke with pointed amusement. ¡°Or is it that you have opened your mind further to that otherrealm creature with little to show for it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Willow glanced at Anand. ¡°As a Bright, it is still my foremost responsibility to keep the big picture in mind. We still require your services and cannot afford to have you injured or killed. I will remain close to you.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Anand chuckled. ¡°Without you here, I would really be troubled to protect myself.¡± He rolled his eyes while the spatial barrier he had created around himself and Willow was blocking all the attacks that came their way.

    ***

 089 Demonic Evolution

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    The earth was quaking underneath Matteo. As he moved his hand through the air, the floor broke apart and a stone hand slapped a channeler across the room.

    The wind surrounding Matteo pushed him out of the path of another channeler. Before the channeler had passed him, Matteo stomped into her face.

    Making use of his backwards momentum, Matteo slashed with the fiendish blade in his right hand at yet another enemy.

    Purple lightning was projected from Soul Fury and assaulted all enemies in its path before being blocked by a wall of gold.

    Behind the gold, Anem was frantically trying to keep up with his healing duties.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Anem grit his teeth and retreated. He interrupted his channeling from the Bright Lady.

    A moment later, an intense flame breath from Matteo was melting the gold and another slash from Soul Fury followed.

    Further to the side, the purple lightning dragon was electrocuting a silver-clad giant, whose rotating blades came to a sudden stop when all life had left her.

    Matteo suddenly stopped in his tracks. His vision had started to flicker in front of him. It was involuntarily shifting between different elemental senses. He subconsciously moved his left hand to his temple and looked for the cause.

    That was when Matteo noticed the hordes of aspect beings that were invading the area.

    Matteo growled and hurled blue chain lightning at the channelers in his path. He viciously slashed at every opponent in sight and made another attempt to break through to the location of Anand and Willow.

    Behind him, a glacial elemental was clashing with another silver-clad channeler. The channeler¡¯s blades hacked into the mass of ice while the elemental exhaled a freezing breath.

    A moment later, a ball of lava was hurled at both of them from another elemental.

    Long-range attacks were crossing over the whole area with folks fighting aspect beings, channelers fighting Guardians, elementals of different factions fighting each other¡­

    Among the chaos, barely anyone noticed that the elementals closest to Matteo were beginning to act differently. Instead of lashing out against other elemental factions, these elementals began attacking the spirits of their own aspects. They feasted on them wherever they found them and their own elemental mana grew more powerful as a result. All the while, they were moving closer and closer to Matteo.

    From the back, Anand smiled thinly.

    A moment later, Anand frowned. He moved his gaze over to the dimensional gate that had just collapsed. He caught the mana signature of Amelia, who was already moving to the next gate.

    ¡°The deaths of such young talents would be an unfortunate loss for this realm¡­¡± Anand muttered. ¡°¡­but I can¡¯t allow you to stand in the way of this.¡± He flicked his wrist and a death siphon appeared that transformed the nearby loss of life into mana for him to use.

    ***

    In front of Amelia, a giant grey skull manifested to swallow her. Her expression became grim, and she rapidly channeled mana into one of the purple mana crystals on her staff while simultaneously casting several spells.

    A spherical bubble of anti-magic surrounded her and erased the death-aspected attack.

    In the next instant, Amelia had already teleported to a new location where she was unleashing several magic disrupting bubbles that then floated towards strategic locations in the air.

    Without waiting around, Amelia was teleporting to the next location.

    In the back, Anand clicked his tongue. ¡°How annoying.¡±

    Anand whirled his head around to see that the purple lightning dragon was near to his spatial barrier. He observed the effects of the lightning strands on his barrier and clicked his tongue again.

    ¡°Remember our lesson on extraordinary power and spatial barriers?¡± Anand glanced at Willow and then nodded towards the purple lightning dragon. ¡°That thing won¡¯t hit any less than the Divine Hammer.¡±

    ¡°Stay here if you want,¡± said Anand casually. ¡°I need to take a walk. They are getting in the way.¡±

    Anand first reestablished the dimensional gate that had been closed by Amelia. Then, he himself teleported into the middle of the battlefield.

    Close to Anand¡¯s new location, Terry was fighting almost in a trance. He barely had any room left to think and just fought on by trained reflex and instinct.

    Terry nearly jerked his head around when he noticed the mana distortion without apparent cause. Fortunately, he had suppressed that particular instinct or he would have been hit by a golden throwing knife.

    Terry glanced towards the location when his own fight allowed him to. He caught a glimpse of Anand before the man teleported away again.

    If I did not know who he is and what he is capable of, I would still believe that man to be manaless. So much for my rumored ¡®outstanding¡¯ mana sense.

    Terry scoffed inwardly.

    Not enough. I need to improve.

    Terry shook his head forcefully.

    Focus.

    Even without the ability to precisely track Anand¡¯s location with his mana sense, Terry could get an idea of what was going on.

    Anand was probably the one that opened these gates. These aspect beings near exclusively carry the aspects from the core system. Amelia and Dargones are destroying the gates again.

    Terry spotted Dargones, who was bursting his mana and wreaking havoc among the aspect beings nearby. His mana presence alone was lethal to the ethereal spirits, while his giant axe and strength dealt with the more corporeal elementals.

    The mountain of a man charged straight towards one dimensional gate. Dargones punched out a wave of nullification mana that erased the mana that anchored the dimensional gate in the air.

    The gate collapsed.

    Much to Anand¡¯s annoyance. He clicked his tongue and muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate yourself, Magebane.¡±

    Anand flicked his wrist and giant bones emerged from the floor and formed a cage that captured Dargones inside.

    ¡°Nullification does not affect the physical realm, does it?¡± Anand returned his attention to his ongoing magic confrontation with Amelia while side-stepping the occasional attack from the surrounding battlefield.

    A volley of Death Spears flew towards Amelia while a spatial lock snapped shut around her and obstructed her teleportation.

    Amelia scoffed, and a corner of her lips rose. Instead of attempting to erase the death spears, she prepared her own attack. A moment before Anand¡¯s magic arrived, she whispered. ¡°Dargo, here.¡±

    Instantly, Dargones appeared in front of Amelia. All the death spears dispersed into nothingness after coming into contact with him.

    Amelia flew up from behind Dargones, and her own volley of Fire Spears flew towards Anand.

    ¡°Right,¡± mumbled Anand in annoyance. ¡°The spirit bond ritual. Can¡¯t trap them that easily.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Do I really need to kill them?¡± He tilted his head while casually blocking the fire spears with a water barrier. He shrugged and reestablished another dimensional gate.

    Anand glanced over at Matteo and was satisfied to see him locked in battle with dozens of high-rank elementals and with a few of Willow¡¯s channelers trapped in there as well.

    The different elemental factions had put aside their hatred for each other to focus entirely on vanquishing Matteo.

    ¡°As I thought,¡± murmured Anand. ¡°They instinctively perceive Matteo as an incomparable threat.¡±

    Anand glanced back towards Amelia and Dargones, who were moving towards Matteo while also targeting dimensional gates on the way. ¡°Buying some more time should be enough. No need to rob our realm of talents unnecessarily when¡ª¡± Anand jerked his head around.

    Another dimensional gate collapsed underneath his gaze.

    Anand narrowed his eyes at the figure darting around close to the gate. The traces of a disruption discharge were still visible in Anand¡¯s mana sight. The discharged mana was pulled back towards the figure.

    ¡°You again?¡± Anand¡¯s cold gaze was resting on Terry. ¡°How did a mere disruption discharge¡­?¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s one disturbance too many in my book,¡± growled Anand. ¡°Losing some talents may be a pity, but if you insist on meddling, then you stand in the way of what is necessary. The realm outweighs you all.¡±

    For the first time this day, Anand did not care to cloak his own mana signature as he prepared his spellwork.

    In the vicinity, people instantly grimaced at the overwhelming aura of death.

    Anem, who had been standing practically next to Anand, felt cold sweat gather on his brow. In his dazed state, he did not move a muscle.

    ¡°You¡¯re in the way,¡± growled Anand and back-handed the stunned channeler of the Bright Lady.

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    Anem¡¯s face contorted in a horrifying scream, but no sound escaped from his lips even as his flesh dried up and a large chunk of life was drained from him.

    Further away, both Matteo and the purple lightning dragon reacted to Anand¡¯s released mana. They were roaring furiously in unison.

    The dark clouds above began swirling as mana was pulled towards the battlefield¡­

    ***

    The purple lightning dragon grew yet another size.

    It swung its tail and evaporated an ice elemental. It spread its large wings and slapped aside two earth elementals. It roared and an intense lightning discharge enveloped everything in its path.

    It pushed down its claws and jumped forward. Every obstacle it touched was electrocuted. Several elementals had their mana formations broken and evaporated instantly.

    Meanwhile, in a different location, Matteo¡¯s eyes were glowing brightly as he raised his head. He saw Amelia and Dargones locked in an intense battle with Anand. He saw Anand firing a death-aspected spell at Terry.

    Matteo uttered an inhuman growl, and a stormy whirlwind erupted around him. With a blast of lightning, he flung himself into the sky.

    The wind elementals that stood in his path were broken apart in a second.

    One unlucky channeler that was caught in the horde of elementals on Matteo¡¯s tail did not survive the experience.

    Matteo fired lightning bolt after lightning bolt at Anand while raising the earth between Anand and Terry.

    Unfortunately, elementals kept being drawn to Matteo and obstructed him every inch of the way.

    While Terry had already dodged or disrupted the previous attacks from Anand, Matteo was already livid beyond measure and his every breath was leaking fire.

    For a moment, the surrounding fire elementals halted their assault on Matteo.

    The purple lightning dragon roared and slapped its tail on the floor. Lightning was sizzling all the way to Matteo, despite the distance between them.

    The fire elementals resumed their attack and Matteo¡¯s breath had returned to normal.

    Not far from them, Anand was clicking his tongue in annoyance. In the current crossfire, even he did not feel completely at ease anymore. ¡°That accursed dragon soul.¡±

    A purple lightning bolt found its way next to Anand and abruptly changed its trajectory. It landed right on Anand¡¯s face.

    ¡°Truly a nuisance,¡± exclaimed Anand with half of his face blasted off. He turned towards Matteo while his face was reconstructing itself. ¡°Come, then.¡±

    Matteo stomped his foot on the ground and the floor broke apart as the earth rose from beneath. The ground moved to push away the elementals and opponents between himself and Anand.

    For one breath, all Matteo could see was Anand.

    Involuntarily, images were flashing in his mind. His days in the orphanage. The day Anand brought him to the Elemental Tower. His happy childhood days studying magic with his two fellow disciples. The scenes of them dying at his own hands. Sigille when she found him after he had regained consciousness. Sigille¡¯s corpse¡­

    Then Matteo¡¯s thoughts ground to a halt. He roared like a beast and charged at Anand. The elemental phenomena around Matteo intensified.

    ¡°Good,¡± approved Anand. He cast several barriers and counter-attacked with elemental spells.

    The elementals changed their targets and the different factions clashed with each other once more.

    Matteo instinctively gripped Soul Fury tight and slashed the barriers apart.

    The purple lightning dragon roared and lightning rained down from the dark clouds in the sky.

    The dragon grew in size once more.

    ¡°NO!¡± yelled Anand.

    Matteo stopped his assault on Anand and instead slashed at the nearest elementals.

    Anand cursed when he noticed the change in Matteo¡¯s aura. ¡°That mind was not yours to take, lizard.¡±

    The purple dragon was rampaging just as wildly as Matteo.

    Anand glanced up at the dark clouds. They had formed a large vortex that was continuing to swirl with increasing speed. ¡°There¡¯s still a chance.¡± He looked at Matteo. ¡°Sink or swim, Matteo. I¡¯d hate for you to disappoint me.¡±

    Anand flicked his wrist, and several elementals in the vicinity died instantly. He flung their mana towards the vortex in the sky.

    Closer to the entrance, Terry was confronted with a terrifying scene as a giant purple dragon formed from lightning was charging in his direction.

    He could not even muster a scream as he hurriedly hid inside a tertium cube and transfixed it.

    Please hold, please hold, please hold.

    Terry only heard a deep rumbling sound.

    What represented a breathtaking moment of suspense for Terry inside the cube was a startling sight for everyone outside.

    The lightning dragon had suddenly changed direction and snapped its jaws towards Matteo.

    Matteo roared back. Tongues of fire were circling him.

    Purple lightning formed between the dragon soul and Matteo. Then, the two travelled across the lightning in an instant and confronted each other in the middle.

    The dragon soul lashed out against Matteo, while Matteo responded with a breath of fire and his own spirit-infused lightning that was channeled through Soul Fury.

    They clashed again and again while the vortex in the sky sped up further and further.

    Inside the tertium cube, Terry finally mustered the resolve to peek outside again. He returned the tertium cube to his storage bracelet and observed the battle between Matteo and the dragon soul.

    Then, Terry¡¯s mana sense caused him to look up.

    Isn¡¯t that¡­ Like in the demon fortress?

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry narrowed his eyes and gulped. ¡°Matteo isn¡¯t a demon, is he?¡± He became increasingly anxious.

    Suddenly, the mana vortex in the sky compressed and smashed down to the ground ¨C right into the location of Matteo.

    Waves of elemental mana rolled away from Matteo as he and the dragon soul halted their attacks and remained staring at each other.

    A low growl reverberated in the surroundings as people watched with bated breath.

    The moments ticked by until, unexpectedly, the purple lightning dragon shrank in size and even changed its shape.

    Eventually, a purple silhouette of lightning in the shape of a human remained.

    Matteo raised his left hand¡­ The lightning silhouette did the same.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± exclaimed Anand with glee. ¡°Not how it was planned, but well done indeed.¡±

    Another pulse of elemental mana wafted from Matteo, and afterwards, all the floating elemental mana on the battlefield formed another vortex around Matteo.

    All the elementals in the vicinity halted in their tracks.

    Anand laughed loudly and summoned a dimensional gate. ¡°Let¡¯s see who is possessing whom in this realm from now on.¡± Anand snapped his fingers. All of his other dimensional gates, as well as the spatial barrier in front of Willow, disappeared.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Anand smirked and stepped through the dimensional gate, which immediately closed behind him.

    ***

    ¡°NO!¡± Willow screamed. ¡°ANAND!¡± The self-satisfied grin on the man¡¯s face as he had walked through his dimensional gate had terror welling up inside of her. ¡°ANAND!¡±

    *Crackle!*

    Willow was blasted out of her thoughts by a purple lightning bolt that hit her from the side. She fell to the floor and looked back with dread.

    Matteo was walking towards her while being surrounded by a vortex of elemental mana. Only his silhouette, his glowing eyes, and the purple lightning of Soul Fury showed his presence in the vortex.

    More and more of the surrounding elementals took on the shape of Matteo. They immediately turned around to attack the channelers that were defending Willow.

    ¡°Everyone to me!¡± yelled Willow. She rambled quietly in anguish. ¡°Protect me. This can¡¯t be it. Help me, Bright Lady. I don¡¯t want to die like this.¡±

    More and more elementals were summoned from Matteo¡¯s mind as well. Human-shaped elementals of all kinds sprang from the vortex. All of them were rampaging forward towards Willow.

    Some of Willow¡¯s allies were still trying to reach her, but none of them got close.

    With Anand fleeing the scene, they had lost their strongest mage. They currently could not deal with the growing number of elementals that were supporting Matteo, much less with all the folks that allied with Matteo.

    Dargones pulled out his axe from the skull of a mana cultivator from Willow¡¯s faction. Dargones spoke without a sound.

    In a different location, Amelia was turning several channelers to ashes. She spoke anxiously. ¡°I hope so, but I honestly can¡¯t tell¡­¡± She glanced at Matteo with worry before focusing back on the enemies in front of her.

    Amelia timed her own spell to match the attack of Palmer. Right before Palmer¡¯s fist arrived, the protective mana layer that had shielded Carlos was erased.

    ¡°MY¡­ Hurgh. LIFE¡­ Grgl. FOR¡­ PAX!!!¡± Carlos¡¯s mouth was filled with his own blood, but he continued his channeling and fought unflinchingly.

    Close to them, Terry stared at Matteo¡¯s back and then turned around to block a channeler from Willow¡¯s faction to keep that back clear.

    ¡°No no no no,¡± whimpered Willow. ¡°I can¡¯t go like this.¡± She channeled more mana from the Bright Lady and surrounded herself with layer after layer of gold. ¡°I deserve so much more.¡±

    Human-shaped creatures of magma and fire of varying colors melted the golden shell in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°N¡ª¡± Willow¡¯s scream got caught in her throat when the lightning-coated katana slashed her from shoulder to hip.

    Instinctively, Willow channeled the healing abilities of the Bright Lady. Unfortunately for her, the blade was assaulting her again and again until the spirit-infused lightning finally touched Willow¡¯s channeling anchor.

    Willow gasped when she felt her channeled abilities disrupted. The last thing she saw was the purple glow of unblinking eyes.

    Willow¡¯s corpse emitted a bright warm light and fell to ashes¡­

    All of a sudden, everything turned quiet. All the human-shaped elementals stopped in their tracks.

    ¡°The mission is a failure,¡± said Carlos emotionlessly. ¡°Time to report.¡± He teleported away.

    Wailing and weeping could be heard from among the channelers of the Bright Lady, but before long, they all turned to flee.

    No one chose to pursue them.

    Dargones teleported to Amelia¡¯s side.

    ¡°One of the three siblings escaped despite heavy injuries,¡± said Amelia begrudgingly. ¡°Their spell flinger.¡±

    Dargones spoke without a sound.

    ¡°Yes, we can finish her later,¡± agreed Amelia. Her eyes resting on Matteo. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this is it for today.¡±

    Terry and the others watched Matteo with bated breath¡­

    The mana vortex around Matteo disappeared and the human-shaped elementals gathered around him.

    Terry gulped and walked forward, only to be stopped by Amelia, who raised her hand next to her shoulder.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± said Amelia with narrowed eyes.

    The elemental mana in the area decreased slowly.

    A human-shaped storm elemental stepped in front of Matteo. Then it leaned in and they touched their foreheads.

    Shortly after, the elemental had vanished without a trace.

    Amelia heaved a sigh of relief and displayed a wide smile. ¡°Thank mana¡­¡±

    One by one, the elementals approached Matteo and vanished into his mind, the mind of the person who was possessing them.

    A new kind of demon in which the host is in charge. The first of its kind.

    Terry felt awed and yet conflicted at the same time. On the one hand, he was glad beyond belief that Matteo remained in control and that Terry had not lost another whaka. On the other hand, it irked Terry that this seemed to be exactly what Anand had aimed for.

    Terry gnashed his teeth.

    If only I had been stronger¡­ or smarter¡­ or¡­ If I had been better, I may have been able to catch Anand like I caught Ava back in Syn City.

    Terry clenched his fists.

    Next time.

    Next time, I¡¯ll be better.

    Matteo was still collecting his subordinated elementals when he raised a hand and formed finger runes. [I¡¯m alright.]

    Terry felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Amelia.

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re not done until there is nothing we can do,¡± said Amelia. ¡°If you still have some of your potions and scrolls, I can sense several injured parties that would appreciate the support.¡±

    Right. We don¡¯t have that many healers, and even Amelia does not have enough mana left to heal everyone.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Terry. He ignored his throbbing headache and the queasy feeling in his stomach. All the potions and excessive scroll usage did a number on him, but he intended to push through. He looked around to search for a place to make himself useful.

    ¡°Do you still have some of the high-level scrolls?¡± asked Amelia. ¡°I can make sure that we get the worst cases close together.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ¡°I really need to visit Arcana at some point,¡± said Amelia. ¡°I think I would enjoy shopping there.¡± She teleported away to gather those with lethal injuries.

    Terry moved as well, while Dargones stayed back and watched over Matteo.

    ***

 090 Calamity

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    A pale-faced Terry opened his eyes. He noted that he was lying in the infirmary again, but had no recollection of how he got here. He was about to push himself up when a hand forced him down again.

    ¡°Stay down and rest.¡± Cadence looked at him with worried eyes. ¡°You collapsed. You need to recover. The fight is already over. Those that supported Bright¡ª The survivors of those that supported that woman have all fled.¡±

    Terry¡¯s expression froze for a moment. He did not know how to interact with Cadence right now. They had pretty much decimated the members of her circle today.

    Terry felt Cadence channeling a healing ability to support his recovery.

    ¡°That kind of reliance on potions is not healthy.¡± Cadence¡¯s expression switched repeatedly between concern and reprimand. ¡°Same for such an excessive use of scrolls beyond your limit.¡±

    Cadence bit her lip. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not showing worse symptoms. Dhruv will check you out later. His druidry has some spells that are better suited to deal with these aftereffects.¡±

    Terry lowered his gaze and was unsure what to say. When he looked at Cadence again, he noted Cadence appeared similarly conflicted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Terry.¡± Cadence¡¯s voice was quivering. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened to Lady Sigille. I am, but I couldn¡¯t join in that fight. I¡¯ve lost so many friends today. I can¡¯t¡­¡± She took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Instructor.¡± Another voice from a nearby location interrupted their silence.

    A wounded disciple was speaking to her personal mentor.

    ¡°I know that you did not want us to join this battle. I know that there will be an aftermath, but Instructor Sigille, what she did for me back then¡­ I just couldn¡¯t¡­¡± The student hung her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°If you had to make the choice again, would you pick any differently?¡± asked the older Guardian warmly.

    Terry and Cadence involuntarily smiled at the familiar question. One smile was sad, the other bitter.

    The student made no reply.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine.¡± The older Guardian placed a hand on the student¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We all have to live with the choices we¡¯ve made.¡± He sighed wearily. ¡°You with yours and I with mine.¡± He patted her shoulder once and then removed his hand.

    It took a moment before the older Guardian spoke again. ¡°I will watch over the others here. You need to leave this place.¡± He was looking appraisingly at his student. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, I believe the old lady would have been proud of you. Both for stepping up and for stepping away with your life preserved.¡±

    Cadence exhaled a trembling breath and then turned to Terry. ¡°I need to visit a few other patients. Stay safe, Terry.¡±

    Terry glanced at Cadence and nodded. ¡°You too. Thanks¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± asked Palmer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll accompany Terry to Arcana,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°I intended to do that, anyway. We¡¯ll just do it earlier than expected.¡±

    Emily grimaced sadly. Her happiness at Matteo coming out unharmed had now been washed away. Next to her, Wallace put his arm around Emily and rubbed her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come with,¡± said Emaldine, which caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What?!¡± demanded Emaldine. She stared at Matteo challengingly. ¡°Ma Sigille apparently thought you needed some supervision. Clearly, she had a point, given that you were practically ready to storm a Guardian outpost on your own.¡±

    Wallace raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but he was silenced by a glare from Emaldine.

    ¡°Ma Sigille also promised to bring Whaka Terry back to Aunt Isille,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°Now that she can¡¯t, it¡¯s my duty as well.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mouth stood slightly agape at hearing himself addressed as whaka by her.

    ¡°Besides, I can tell what you are going to do afterwards,¡± said Emaldine while staring at Matteo. ¡°If you¡¯re going after Anand, then I¡¯ll be there as well¡­ Whaka Matteo.¡±

    If Terry was surprised, then Matteo was outright dumbstruck, and it took a moment before he could respond.

    ¡°¡­alright,¡± muttered Matteo. ¡°Whaka Emaldine.¡±

    ¡°The communications room here is busted though,¡± said Palmer. ¡°Do you need help to coordinate your departure?¡±

    ¡°I can help with that,¡± said Amelia. Next to her, Dargones nodded.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Palmer. ¡°What are you two going to do? Leave as well?¡±

    ¡°No, we still have unfinished business in Tiv,¡± said Amelia with a hard expression.

    [Tell me, if I can help in any way,] signed Matteo while saying the same.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay in touch,¡± said Amelia, and winked.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Palmer. ¡°This whole incident will have a lot of repercussions. The circle, Guardian management, Guild management, the empire itself. They¡¯ll all send out their own forces.¡±

    ¡°They can try,¡± scoffed Amelia. ¡°Our business is in the Wasted Zone. I¡¯m sure the wasters would appreciate them sending a few more forces there. Besides, whom are they going to send? I want to see the mage hunter that volunteers to go after Dargo and me.¡±

    Dargones chuckled soundlessly.

    ¡°Even if they could have their pick among the mage hunters, I doubt they¡¯ll manage to recruit a dimensional mage capable of keeping up with you,¡± said Matteo. ¡°No way that Jee is going to accept that mission and I doubt the Mage Supreme or her disciple can make the time.¡±

    ¡°The downsides of driving out all the capable mages.¡± Amelia snorted. ¡°More upside for us.¡±

    Dargones noticed Matteo glancing over to Emily and Wallace with worry.

    [We can keep an eye on your friends here,] signed Dargones with a warm smile. [We¡¯ll also contact your friends among the death hunters to do the same.]

    [Thanks,] signed Matteo before mustering the resolve to continue with both finger runes and his own voice. [Whaka Dargones, Whaka Amelia.]

    Dargones and Amelia both nodded solemnly.

    ¡°No need to point out the obvious,¡± said Amelia with a wink. ¡°Anytime. Our pleasure.¡±

    [By the way, have you seen Apex?] asked Matteo with both his voice and finger runes. [She acted somewhat differently today than usual.]

    ¡°Last I saw Apex, she was ripping the slimeball¡¯s arm off,¡± replied Amelia. ¡°Looked like she was going to beat him to death with it.¡±

    [I caught a glimpse of the slimeball fleeing the battlefield,] signed Dargones. [Apex was chasing after him.]

    Matteo nodded with a pensive expression.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Rachel had walked into their group and asked Palmer.

    ¡°I sure as shit ain¡¯t going to hang around this empire any longer,¡± growled Palmer. ¡°Aside from that, I¡¯m not sure yet. Some people will go out west.¡±

    Terry could see Palmer glancing towards a group that included Isabella.

    ¡°The conclave?¡± asked Rachel and frowned.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know either,¡± said Palmer. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Magic Liberation Front has supposedly established a conclave way out in the Wasted Zone, but¡­¡± He scowled. ¡°The Front has some nasty people among their ranks and most of them avert their eyes from the nastiness if it suits their purpose.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Syn City could take people in?¡± suggested Terry worriedly. He was already planning to talk to Isabella and at least repeat Palmer¡¯s concerns.

    Terry still remembered the horror story about the death of Megumi¡¯s family, which had died at the hands of the Magic Liberation Front. He would hate to see Isabella come to harm after having joined the battle to get justice for his aunt together.

    ¡°They might,¡± said Matteo. ¡°However, that would definitely invite trouble for Syn. The Guardian and Guild retaliation may stop at the border, but Tiv and the cultists certainly won¡¯t if it comes down to it.¡±

    ¡°If cultists are your worry, then the Free Factions Union is out as well,¡± said Palmer. ¡°Too chaotic and difficult to even get a foothold. They¡¯re constantly at odds with each other, internal conflicts, and power struggles everywhere.¡±

    ¡°The cultists don¡¯t have any trouble flying under the radar in the chaos,¡± said Palmer. ¡°Add to that the conflict with Thanatos and the increased aggression from the Lich Kingdoms¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s out.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take my disciples and go to Thanatos,¡± said Palmer pensively.

    Terry could see Rosheen talking to Derek in a group of Palmer¡¯s disciples. Terry subconsciously broke out into a grin when he saw the two appearing shy while holding each other¡¯s hands. It appeared that Rosheen would accompany Derek, even though she was not one of Palmer¡¯s disciples.

    Perhaps Derek will give family life another try. That would be nice.

    ¡°Well, that does not bode well for Tiv¡¯s forces,¡± remarked Rachel wryly.

    Palmer shrugged. ¡°I have no desire to join the army and get pulled into that sort of conflict. Thanatos is the best choice. Since they are already at war with Tiv, they shouldn¡¯t have a problem with us.¡±

    Palmer nodded slightly to himself. ¡°Besides, they respect strength above all, which suits me just fine. I can continue to fight the Wastes there. They do not bow to cults, and any cult would be wary of entering Thanatos borders.¡±

    ¡°Can I join you?¡± asked Tara, who had been standing quietly to the side.

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Palmer. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to have one of Sigille¡¯s disciples.¡±

    ¡°You could also come to Arcana,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°I think Ma Isille would be happy to cross spears with you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I think I¡¯ll return to the canan realm,¡± said Tara with a smile that displayed sharp teeth. ¡°I had left there desperate and abandoned. Instructor Sigille has shown me a new path. A path that others could benefit from as well. I think it¡¯s time that I bring the knowledge of aspected bursts and proper burst techniques back home.¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°We should group up with the others then,¡± said Palmer.

    ¡°If you know which route you want to take, I can give you a lift or provide some scrolls,¡± said Amelia.

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Palmer. Afterwards, Palmer and Tara left the group.

    ¡°I wonder how long this outpost will be left standing.¡± The voice of Dhruv arrived. Thena and Clayson were walking with him.

    Rachel smiled bitterly at Dhruv¡¯s remark.

    ¡°So many gone, so many leaving.¡± Dhruv shook his head. ¡°Only a matter of time before this city will turn into an abandoned settlement.¡± He looked up to see Emily and Wallace. ¡°Not yet, however.¡±

    ¡°There have been some recent regulations about handing down magic items,¡± said Dhruv, and retrieved three bundles. ¡°About which I couldn¡¯t care less, like I¡¯ve made clear before.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, here, I think she would have wanted you three to have these,¡± said Dhruv.

    Terry, Emaldine, and Thena each received one of the bundles.

    Terry was the first to realize what was inside. He smiled and exhaled sharply. He promised himself to work hard.

    Emaldine was second, and she immediately objected. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t have the mana control for this.¡±

    ¡°Neither did your ma,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her struggle with it for decades. She persisted. She succeeded. You don¡¯t have to use it, though. Take it as a memento, if nothing else.¡± Dhruv smiled lopsidedly. ¡°I believe in many ways it works better than a picture. A picture can¡¯t capture the sheer grit that was the Divine Hammer.¡±

    Emaldine quietly nodded. Subconsciously, she raised her hand to her own heart while thinking of the picture that was beneath her armor.

    Thena clasped the silvery rolls with tears streaming from her eyes.

    ¡°Take care, Emily.¡± Matteo patted the head of the elf he thought of as his little sister. ¡°Stay safe, grow strong.¡±

    Emily was nodding quietly and wiped her tears away.

    ¡°You as well, kid,¡± said Wallace to Matteo. ¡°Try to tone down the number of suicidal activities. Pretty please?¡±

    Wallace moved his gaze to Terry. ¡°And make sure the other one does not take too much after you in that regard.¡±

    Terry cleared his throat and averted his gaze slightly.

    Wallace looked back at Matteo. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m not sure if Emaldine can fill the role of a moderating influence. So, please. Just¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Just stay safe, okay?

    ***

    Terry, Matteo, and Emaldine had said their farewells and Amelia had brought them further southeast ¨C far enough to stay ahead of whatever investigation would follow in Libra City.

    Fortunately for them, Emaldine had travelled the route to the Free Factions Union not that long ago, which gave them a good idea of how to best go about it.

    Terry whirled around when he noticed a mana distortion. Matteo and Emaldine quickly checked their equipment and warily observed the location.

    A dimensional gate opened in front of them.

    Matteo relaxed when he saw the silver-eyed dwarf step through it.

    Emaldine glanced at Matteo. ¡°Is that who I think it is?¡±

    Matteo nodded. ¡°Jee, come to say goodbye?¡±

    ¡°Among other things,¡± said Jee solemnly.

    Terry raised his eyebrows when he noticed two familiar mana signatures.

    Thena and Clayson stepped through the dimensional gate before Jee flicked his hand and the gate vanished.

    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Clayson grinned. ¡°Kind of cheapens all the teary goodbyes.¡± He scratched the back of his head.

    Thena flushed slightly and stood shyly between Clayson and her elder brother.

    ¡°You had us worried for a second,¡± said Matteo wearily. ¡°For a moment, I wondered if it¡¯s possible that someone is already on our tails.¡±

    ¡°Not likely to happen,¡± said Jee. ¡°I only heard about what happened a short while ago. My condolences, Matteo.¡± He inhaled deeply and shook his head. ¡°Tiv did not deserve the old lady. I wish I could say that if I had known earlier that I would have stood with you, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Jee glanced at his little sister. ¡°I have a proposal.¡±

    Matteo raised his eyebrows and waited.

    ¡°You want to go to Arcana, right?¡± asked Jee.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°Terry is from Arcana and someone needs to tell Ma Sigille¡¯s remaining family what happened.¡±

    Terry¡¯s stomach twisted when he remembered that Isille did not know yet.

    Jee nodded and glanced at Terry. ¡°Could you take two more people? Get them settled in Arcana?¡±

    Terry opened his mouth and only then realized whom they were talking about. ¡°Thena and Clayson?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jee. ¡°While I can¡¯t leave Tiv yet, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe in Libra City anymore. Frankly, I¡¯m not sure any of the frontier outposts can be considered safe with so many Guardians and Guildheads dead, gone, or pissed beyond belief.¡±

    ¡°Dhruv is still there,¡± reminded Matteo.

    ¡°Dhruv is too kind,¡± said Jee dismissively. ¡°Or too tired. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t care. Anyway, these two are not like the elven girl you left there. They¡¯re not Dhruv¡¯s disciples. He won¡¯t watch over them all the time. I don¡¯t trust Dhruv to act as a deterrent, nor can I count on him to stay by their side.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve met Emily?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°No, but Amelia mentioned her,¡± said Jee. ¡°I can try to keep an eye on her and her father as well, but first, I need to know that Thena and Clayson are safe.¡±

    ¡°Some guard I am¡­¡± muttered Clayson dejectedly.

    ¡°Clayson, hold your tongue,¡± reprimanded Jee. ¡°Your family died to protect us. I will not see the last of your line perish as well. We are all that is left. I appreciate you guarding Thena, but you are my responsibility, too. I owe you more than I could ever repay. I¡¯ll take care of our revenge. You two take care of growing up.¡±

    Thena playfully punched Clayson on the shoulder.

    Jee looked back at Terry. ¡°Will Thena and Clayson be able to stay in Arcana?¡±

    Terry nodded. He was not too familiar with Arcana¡¯s immigration procedures, but he knew that his aunt Brynn was. He was confident that the rest of his family would help, too.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Jee. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make sure you get there as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°You mean?¡± exclaimed Matteo when he caught on to what Jee was doing.

    A dimensional gate appeared in front of them. On the other side, Terry could see the familiar blue glow of Arcana¡¯s barrier.

    ¡°Holy mana,¡± exclaimed Emaldine in an impressed tone.

    ¡°I always suspected that you are capable of that,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But I also thought it would break one of your rules. This has the danger of inviting trouble your way, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It does, and that¡¯s why I have never done that before,¡± said Jee. ¡°As long as Thena and Clayson are safe, I¡¯ll manage.¡±

    ¡°Must be nice being in the Guild,¡± muttered Emaldine drily. ¡°A poor scavenger has to walk the whole way.¡±

    ¡°Hurry it up,¡± said Jee. ¡°I would rather not keep such a gate open longer than needed.¡±

    ¡°Brother.¡± The short Thena clang to Jee.

    ¡°Go, I¡¯ll visit,¡± said Jee. ¡°I promise.¡±

    Terry and the others stepped through the gate, and Jee immediately closed it behind them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be impressed, pleased, or intimidated,¡± said Emaldine. She looked at Thena. ¡°Your brother is quite something.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re all the way in the Z-zone, though,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°No idea where the closest dimensional gate is supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± scoffed Emaldine. ¡°We¡¯re in Arcana. Safest place in the realm. Walk in the park.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Matteo squinted at the horizon.

    Shortly afterwards, Terry, too, noticed a mana signature.

    Terry glanced at Matteo and wondered if Matteo¡¯s demonic evolution had improved his mana sense. Then, he realized that there were several lightning-aspected mana signatures and Matteo had always been particularly sensitive to that aspect.

    ¡°Halt!¡± A soldier in Arcana¡¯s uniform appeared with a lightning-aspected teleportation spell. Shortly after, more soldiers arrived.

    Emaldine scowled and fought the urge to reach for her weapons.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Matteo and raised his hands up over his head.

    ¡°We are here to escort a citizen from Arcana back to his home.¡± Matteo pointed with his head at Terry. ¡°To apply for residency for two fugitives from Tiv.¡± He indicated Thena and Clayson. ¡°And for a family visit to inform an Arcanian Guardian about a death in the family.¡±

    The soldier listened to the words, but mostly kept his eyes on Terry.

    ¡°Uhm, I have a Guardian card to identify myself,¡± said Terry. ¡°From the outpost in Arcana City.¡±

    ¡°Terry?¡± A new voice arrived. ¡°Is that you?¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Emaldine involuntarily exclaimed when she saw the giant of a man. Next to her, Thena also stood slack-jawed while looking up and she subconsciously stepped closer to Clayson.

    ¡°Chadwick?¡± Terry recognized Tiana¡¯s brother.

    ¡°Do you know this person?¡± asked the first soldier.

    ¡°Yes, a companion of my little sister,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°He disappeared without a trace after a dungeon dive. His family got a message from Tiv months later.¡±

    ¡°Then he really is a citizen of Arcana?¡± asked the other soldier.

    ¡°More than that,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°Terry even visited Arcana Academy.¡±

    The attitude of the other soldiers relaxed.

    ¡°I dropped out early though,¡± admitted Terry sheepishly.

    This caused a snort and chuckle from the soldiers.

    ¡°I still need to check your Guardian card,¡± said the first soldier. ¡°If the rest of you carry identification, I would like to see them as well.¡±

    Thena and Clayson handed over their Guardian cards. Matteo handed over his Guild card.

    ¡°I only have an expired Guardian card from Tiv,¡± said Emaldine with trepidation. ¡°I haven¡¯t done any missions in a long time.¡±

    The soldier appraised her and then moved his eyes over the rest of the group. ¡°That will be fine.¡±

    After checking their cards, the soldier addressed them again. ¡°How did you arrive here?¡±

    ¡°A friend is a capable dimensional mage,¡± said Matteo.

    The soldiers glanced at each other. Terry could read a trace of worry in Chadwick¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Must be quite capable if they can create a gate through the barrier,¡± said the first soldier. ¡°Not many of those around. Especially in Tiv.¡±

    It could have been unanchored travel, though. How did they know there was a gate?

    Terry wondered if something was amiss.

    ¡°Commander, may I?¡± asked Chadwick.

    ¡°No need to look so worried, soldier,¡± said the commander. ¡°This seems different from the other cases.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out involuntarily.

    ¡°You see, we have detected several barrier breaches recently,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°Actually, since a while ago, but it was always subtle. The incidents were detected from both the west and the southeast.¡±

    ¡°Tiv and the Union,¡± added the commander. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. Our squad has been stationed to watch the Z-zone and make sure that we are fast to respond. We came here when we spotted a dimensional gate. Now, here we are. Here you are.¡±

    ¡°My friend is an unlikely candidate for the other incidents,¡± said Matteo.

    ¡°Brother has never breached the barrier before,¡± said Thena. ¡°He only did it this time so that Clayson and I could come here. Please don¡¯t cause any trouble for him.¡± The short dwarf looked pleadingly at the soldiers.

    ¡°Little sister?¡± asked Chadwick. ¡°Commander?¡±

    ¡°Take it easy,¡± said the commander.

    ¡°Jee is my older brother,¡± said Thena.

    ¡°Silver-Eyes Jee, then?¡± asked the commander.

    Matteo nodded.

    ¡°Enough for me,¡± said the commander. ¡°We¡¯ve already ruled out Silver-Eyes before. The fact that you were casually walking here marks this incident as different as well. Your identities suffice for now. Where are you headed?¡±

    ¡°Arcana City,¡± replied Terry. ¡°That¡¯s where I live.¡±

    ¡°Tiana will be happy to see you again,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°She is probably itching for a spar to see your progress and prove her own.¡±

    ¡°You know the way?¡± asked the commander.

    ¡°Not really,¡± said Terry with some embarrassment.

    ¡°You have around three hours at manaless walking speed in that direction,¡± said the commander. ¡°If you have any mana sense, you should notice the tertiary gate.¡±

    ¡°Commander?¡± another soldier spoke up while looking at a blinking device.

    ¡°Another one?¡± exclaimed the commander with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Subtle, but we¡¯ve picked it up,¡± came the reply.

    ¡°No time to dawdle, we need to figure out what is going on,¡± said the commander.

    ¡°See ya,¡± shouted Chadwick. He and the other soldiers turned into lightning and were gone with a flash.

    ***

    Terry and the others finally spotted the city with its tertiary gate in the distance.

    Inwardly, Terry heaved a sigh of relief. He was looking forward to traveling by proper dimensional gates again. Once they reached a primary gate, the rest of the trip would be quick.

    He could not wait to see the rest of his family again.

    A small pang of guilt sprang up inside of him when he recalled that Isille was not aware of her sister¡¯s death yet. Terry was not sure how his ma would react to his story. Sure, everyone had insisted that it was not his fault and that Sigille herself had told him to leave, but doubt and guilt remained.

    Whaka¡­ Terry bit his lip.

    *CRASH* A thundering noise louder than anything Terry had ever heard reverberated through the area.

    Terry and the others reflexively held their ears. Terry even closed his eyes.

    Terry felt the mana in the area shift.

    When Terry opened his eyes again, he was horrified at what he saw. The sky was not supposed to look like that. This was how the sky in Tiv had looked. This was not the sky of Arcana.

    For a moment, Terry wondered if they had been transferred again, but then his gaze fell towards the city in the distance.

    A tertiary dimensional gate.

    Arcana.

    ¡°Wastes,¡± exclaimed Emaldine in shock. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°We better hurry,¡± said Matteo. ¡°This is a disaster that will not wait for anyone. We need to reach Arcana City before they¡ª Wastes, can they even disable the dimensional gates in time? If not, then¡­¡± Matteo¡¯s eyes widened with a terrible realization. ¡°This will be a bloodbath.¡±

    Terry was still staring at the sky. A clear, unobstructed sky.

    Arcana¡¯s barrier had shattered.

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 3, Unyielding Fury ¨C

 Arc 03 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Rachel: human woman, Guardian instructor (Tiv) focusing on spellwork

    Palmer (The Demonpalm): human man, former Guardian instructor (Tiv), mana cultivator, specializes in the sonic aspect, known for hunting demons, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving to Thanatos

    Tara: canan woman, former Guardian (Tiv), direct disciple of Sigille, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving back to her native realm

    Thena: dwarven woman, sister of Jee, student and aspiring disciple of Sigille, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment

    Clayson: dwarven man, bodyguard and friend of Thena, mana cultivator

    Clarence: elven man, Kipkoi¡¯s childhood friend and helper, thief and assassin

    Derek: human man, direct disciple of Palmer, permanently crippled mana pool, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion in Tiv, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Rosheen: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing a sonic-aspected spell and remaining hidden, Guardian companion of Derek, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Isabella: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing the Shadow Bind spell, former Guardian (Tiv), wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, considered moving to a conclave of the Magic Liberation Front

    Harrison: deceased, human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (unranked), second Guardian companion of Terry in Tiv, killed by Terry during the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Wallace: elven man, dungeon scavenger, aspect archer, expert in hiding his mana and picking magical locks, like a father to Matteo, father of Emily

    Emily: elven woman, like a little sister to Matteo, daughter of Wallace, aspiring druid, disciple of Dhruv

    Bigsby: human man, dungeon scavenger

    Dee: human woman, dungeon scavenger

    Borf: dwarven man, dungeon scavenger

    Anand: human man, necromancer, dimensional mage, expert in elementals, former mentor of Matteo, willfully caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals and triggered a calamity in the lands of the Four Towers in the Free Factions Union that also led to the death of Sigille¡¯s husband, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death

    Anem: human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous)

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy, Terry¡¯s former mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): deceased, dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille, former Guardian (Tiv), former scavenger, accepted sister of Matteo, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Matteo (Elemental Fury): human man, possessing elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, accepted brother of Emaldine, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion and for dealing the deathblow to Bright Willow

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    Roy: elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, former Guildhead (Tiv) that was active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), former Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Mage Supreme: human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, killed by Megumi at the Bulwark

    Damian: human man, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan: Old noble in Tiv

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: deceased, human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), lead the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death, killed by Matteo

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Glimmer), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, former Guardian (Tiv), specializes in mana crafting, former direct disciple of Sigille (honorary)

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex: human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Matteo, grudge against Apex

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: three human siblings, two deceased (male and female mana cultivator), one survivor (female mage), Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

 091 One Persons Hope is Anothers Dread

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 4, Savage Hope ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 20 ¨C

    Kipkoi approached the Assembly¡¯s Hall with his head held up high and a proud smile on his lips.

    ¡°Minister!¡± One of his aides excitedly walked up to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the meeting. What is it?¡± asked Kipkoi.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The assistant cleared his throat. ¡°I was just wondering if you want us to inform that new country in the northwest about the change with Arcana? Our district is the one closest to Syn City.¡±

    Kipkoi took a deep breath before answering. ¡°Do I want you to share intel with Tiv¡¯s strategic enemies?¡± He shook his head mockingly. ¡°No, I do not. Thanks for asking.¡±

    The assistant shrunk visibly under the Minister¡¯s reprimanding tone.

    Kipkoi looked up from the man and then he spotted the face of Ava, who was beaming at him proudly. The sight lifted his mood again.

    Raised voices and angry shouting reverberated from the Assembly¡¯s Hall. Both Ava and Kipkoi looked at the closed entrance door with some confusion.

    ¡°They¡¯ve been at it since morning already,¡± said the minister¡¯s assistant.

    ¡°At what?¡± asked Kipkoi and returned his eyes to his assistant. ¡°Today is a day for celebration. What is there to shout about?¡±

    The assistant furrowed his brow, and his mouth opened without a sound. Only after some time did he muster a response. ¡°It is better if you go in.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Kipkoi narrowed his eyes and walked up to meet Ava.

    ¡°How is the atmosphere in Tiv Palace?¡± asked Kipkoi.

    ¡°Strange,¡± replied Ava. ¡°My mother and the Mage Supreme are in closed discussion with the royal family. From what I can tell, they seem very distraught for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Kipkoi frowned. They both entered the Assembly Hall together.

    ¡°I have waited years for the vote today and I won¡¯t have this motion simply be ignored for current affairs!¡± shouted a younger woman from the restoration faction. ¡°The vote was scheduled for today!¡±

    ¡°We need to figure out what happened!¡± shouted an old man from the noble faction. ¡°Screw any motions. None of that matters anymore!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Hear hear!¡±¡±¡± Shouts resounded from nearly all the older ministers independent of their faction.

    ¡°Why?!¡± demanded a younger man from the noble faction. ¡°I get that Arcana suffered a tragedy, but why is that any of our business?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Hear hear!¡±¡±¡± Several younger ministers from the originalist and restoration factions made their voices heard.

    ¡°Arcana never helped us against the Wastes. Why should we help them look for the culprit in their problems?!¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± shouted a younger man from the restoration faction. ¡°If anything, this is a blessing for us! Finally, Arcana is forced to do their part, as they damn well should.¡±

    ¡°As is their duty!¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges!¡±

    ¡°Mana use is a privilege!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Hear hear!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Finally, they can¡¯t shirk their duty any longer!¡±

    ¡°This is cause for celebration!¡±

    Kipkoi and Ava smiled at each other without joining in the commotion.

    ¡°FOOLISH!¡± roared an ancient-looking man from the royal faction and all other chatter stopped.

    ¡°Hall Master?¡± The minister from the restoration faction was flabbergasted. ¡°It is not your¡ª¡±

    ¡°IT IS NOW!¡± interrupted the hall master. ¡°I hereby invoke the Third.¡±

    ¡°The Third? You can¡¯t overrule the Assembly¡¯s schedule on your own. The Third is for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Existential emergencies and martial law,¡± interrupted the hall master. ¡°Like now.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Agreed!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Damn right!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°What are you aiming at?!¡± ¡°But I waited years to vote on this motion!¡±

    ¡°SILENCE!¡± roared the hall master. ¡°You young ones should listen and listen carefully. Someone is responsible for what happened with Arcana¡¯s barrier. The magic sovereigns and the Council are likely to prioritize protecting their citizens over finding those responsible. They can be expected to look into it eventually, but they are not the problem we need to worry about now.¡±

    Kipkoi moved his gaze over the different factions and for the first time, he recognized dread and outright terror in the eyes of many ¨C all of these ministers were advanced in age. He spotted old Castellan, who was nodding along with the gravest expression Kipkoi had ever seen on his aged face.

    ¡°Not everyone in Arcana is as high-minded as the Arcana government.¡± The hall master spoke hoarsely. ¡°Most of you are too young to remember an enraged Arcana. You are too young to remember that there is more to fear in Arcana than its government and its standing army.¡± The hall master inhaled deeply before speaking firmly: ¡°You have never seen the wrath of Arcana¡¯s citizens. Some of the old monsters can rival the Council members in power and they show none of the Council¡¯s noble restraint.¡±

    Kipkoi and Ava glanced at each other with creased brows and uneasy expressions.

    ¡°Surely, they can¡¯t be that stupid,¡± muttered Ava. ¡°That''s irrational. We all need to unite against the Wastes!¡±

    ¡°We must figure out who is responsible before everything else,¡± insisted the hall master loudly. ¡°We must, so that we can prove that it had nothing to do with Tiv.¡± His expression darkened. ¡°And if there was anyone from Tiv involved, then we can only hope that it is enough to hand them over as soon as possible.¡±

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group approached the dimensional gate, and they were greeted by several nervous-looking Guardians.

    ¡°Might I know who you are?¡± A burly-looking dwarf whose face was covered in scars seemed to be their spokesperson. His eyes wandered over the whole group, but they kept shifting back to Matteo and, less frequently, to Terry.

    Matteo replied with the same explanation he had given the Arcanian soldiers they had met immediately after crossing into Arcana¡¯s territory.

    The burly dwarf checked their identification. ¡°You picked an unfortunate time.¡±

    ¡°Any news?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°Are the dimensional gates still open?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Can they even be closed?¡± asked Emaldine, who was examining the dimensional gate while biting her lip.

    The burly dwarf handed back the identification cards. His gaze rested on Emaldine. ¡°You look somewhat familiar. Have you been to these parts before?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Emaldine shook her head. ¡°You may¡ª You may have met my ma before.¡± She lowered her head and spoke softly. ¡°Sigille.¡±

    The eyes of the gate guards opened wide. However, before any of them could speak, the burly dwarf raised his hand to stop them. He had noticed the tone and the pained expressions on the faces of Thena, Terry, and the others. It was enough for the dwarf to connect the dots to their earlier mention of a death in the family.

    ¡°I have met the Divine Hammer before, yes,¡± said the burly dwarf. ¡°Back when I traveled outside the barrier. In fact, I would not be here today if it wasn¡¯t for her.¡± He looked at Emaldine. ¡°My condolences.¡± He spoke with a sincere and heartfelt tone. ¡°It seems it is the season for tragedies.¡±

    The dwarf took a deep breath. ¡°To answer your questions: The gates can be closed, but that is beyond our capabilities. Someone with proper authorization and ability from the Council or army needs to come out here if they want to close the gate. If you take the direct route to Arcana, you should not encounter any obstructed gate.¡±

    He looked at Terry. ¡°This area borders on Tiv, and unless Tiv tries anything, there is no reason to close these gates. Some of the Union¡¯s factions in the southeast might try something, but the real problem is the north. Without the barrier, they are facing the Wastes.¡±

    He looked at Matteo. ¡°The only news we received is that everyone is mobilizing. A large part of the Council has immediately departed for the north. The rest are preparing everything for the full mobilization of the army. Guildheads have been hired. The Guardians have called in the reserves. The reaction is quick, but there is a lot of area to cover.¡±

    ¡°Any word of the magic sovereigns?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± replied the burly dwarf. ¡°But we barely ever hear about what they are doing, anyway. Does not mean that they are not doing anything.¡±

    Afterwards, Terry¡¯s group departed for the next hop towards Arcana City.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group traveled for a week before they reached a primary dimensional gate. Even that time-span was only made possible by the fact that they were all mana users and could get by with little sleep.

    From other Guardians on the way, they had learned that two magic sovereigns had hurried to the north and northeast to assist in the battle against the incoming creatures of the Wastes. Another was rumored to be investigating the possibility of repairing the barrier.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    They had also learned that despite everyone¡¯s quick reactions, tens of thousands had already lost their lives. Most of the deaths were among the manaless that had lived near the barrier. The stationed Guardians had done their best to evacuate them and to prevent the arriving monsters from reaching the dimensional gates, but in some locations, the numbers and power of invading monsters were overwhelming.

    Fortunately, the determined self-sacrifice of the stationed Guardians and the quick overall reaction time prevented the creatures from the Wastes from reaching a primary gate until now. Otherwise, the number of casualties would have been an order of magnitude higher.

    Nevertheless, all these lost lives weighed heavily on everyone they met. With gloomy spirits, they spent the days traveling from primary gate to primary gate.

    A few weeks earlier, Terry had believed he would jump for joy at the first location he recognized in Arcana, but things were different now. When they arrived in Cannington, Terry merely glanced at the noticeboard where his group had once learned of the bloody frogmouth and icicle echidnas.

    Terry felt completely numb even when they entered Arcana City. He barely acknowledged the figures of the city guards.

    Huh, that guard kind of resembles Nassim. A lot actually¡­ A man in the armor of the city guard was walking side by side with a manaless woman that was carrying a child. Light-aspected, too. But weaker than¡­ Can¡¯t be¡­ Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°Where to?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry turned around. Oh right, I¡¯m the only one from here.

    Suddenly, Terry sensed two weaker mana signatures dashing towards him from his back. Instinctively, Terry dodged. He saw two short figures stumble and tumble across the ground.

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s cold, Terry,¡± exclaimed a deep voice from the direction of the city.

    Huh? Terry looked towards the voice and saw a dwarf with a bushy brown beard and his hair held back in a ponytail. The dwarf stood next to an elven woman with dark hair.

    Coldfire? Terry blinked. Miguel?

    Before Terry could digest his thoughts, the two earlier mana signatures were dashing towards him again. This time, Terry did not dodge.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± *Sniffle*

    For the first time in what felt like ages, Terry smiled from the bottom of his heart. He hugged his two siblings tightly.

    From a corner of Terry¡¯s mind, an incredulous voice spoke out. Have their mana signatures always been like this? Terry did not remember their mana signatures like this. Lori¡¯s aspect-limitation seemed way clearer than he remembered. Jorg¡¯s mana even seemed to faintly fizzle out at his skin, which might be the manifestation of his external mana control difficulties.

    Terry blinked. While surprising in their own ways, these points were not what confused Terry the most. Weren¡¯t their mana signatures stronger? More intense? Did anything happen?

    Terry confusedly looked up from Lori and Jorg. He looked at Miguel. Same thing with Miguel. I thought their mana signatures were stronger¡­

    Terry moved his gaze to the last person. Such a clear and strongly pronounced spirit aspect. Was the aspect-gift always this obvious? Overall unaspected, but not as intense as I¡­

    Terry blinked and finally internalized that he was looking at Siling. Terry blinked again to realize that Siling was staring at him with mouth agape and her complete face contorted in shock.

    ¡°SHENANIGANS!¡± Siling pointed at Terry. Her expression melted into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back with us¡­¡± She pointed again. ¡°But SHENANIGANS!¡±

    ¡°What have they been feeding you in Tiv?¡± Miguel shook his head with a snicker.

    ¡°Mana babies?¡± Siling gestured wildly with exasperation. Her gaze moved over the others in Terry¡¯s group and stopped at Matteo. ¡°And who is¡­?¡± Her eyes moved back to Terry before muttering: ¡°Double shenanigans.¡±

    ¡°The chipmunks are all grown up,¡± exclaimed Emaldine nostalgically from the side. She was watching Lori and Jorg with wistful eyes.

    Lori looked up. ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°What? Already forgotten your cousin, Little Florine?¡± Emaldine grinned. ¡°Do I need to throw you into the air again?

    ¡°Cousin Aldi?¡± Jorg stared at her.

    ¡°¡®Aldi¡¯?¡± Matteo raised an eyebrow.

    Emaldine coughed and shook her head intently. ¡°No. No, you did not hear that.¡±

    ¡°Are these your¡­?¡± asked Lori while looking at Thena and Clayson.

    Emaldine choked on her breath and coughed loudly once again.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re my friends and fellow Guardians from Tiv,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°Thena and Clayson were students of Aunt Sigille.¡±

    ¡°Is Aunt Sigille¡­?¡± Lori noticed the shift in expressions and her voice trailed off.

    ¡°Ma Sigille is dead,¡± said Matteo. ¡°It is a long story. Thena and Clayson are seeking refuge in Arcana. I would like to get them settled as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Ma and Pa are out, but Auntie Brynn should be able to help,¡± said Lori. She noticed Terry¡¯s disappointed expression when he heard his parents were not in the city. ¡°Most of the stronger Guardians have moved out because of the barrier. The Academy mages have been tasked with keeping a protective eye on the capital.¡±

    ¡°Calam and Gellath are currently in one of their habitualization sessions,¡± said Miguel. ¡°They were quite miffed with your timing. They would have liked to welcome you as well, but they¡¯ll come by later.¡±

    ¡°Elena also said to greet you,¡± said Lori. ¡°She is currently taking care of her sick father.¡±

    That leaves¡­ Terry¡¯s eyes moved to Siling.

    ¡°Tiana was out on a longer instruction mission from the team leader course when the barrier shattered,¡± said Siling worriedly. ¡°Her card is still signaling that everything is fine, but we haven¡¯t heard from her yet¡­¡± She bit her lip.

    Wastes¡­ Terry clenched his fists.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Siling sounded as if she was trying to convince herself too. ¡°You know Tiana. She is probably pummeling some poor mana-corrupted creature as we speak.¡±

    ¡°How did you even know I arrived?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Your signal,¡± replied Jorg.

    But¡­

    ¡°When the barrier shattered, we thought that maybe your signal would be picked up again,¡± elaborated Lori. ¡°At first, we did not get a reaction and figured it may be because of the card¡¯s signal strength.¡±

    ¡°We kept checking the cube and eventually the signal was there,¡± said Jorg. ¡°The signal got stronger and at some point, the Guardian card also finally picked it up.¡±

    ¡°Come,¡± said Lori. ¡°We¡¯ll contact Aunt Brynn, and everyone can make themselves comfortable at our home until we find a proper residence.¡±

    Lori approached Thena and Clayson. ¡°I¡¯m Lori¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check in with the local Guild first,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I¡¯ll catch your signal and come knocking at your door afterwards.¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly happened?¡± Siling walked up to Terry. ¡°Stinker treatment is still pending, depending on your answer. You really terrified us there.¡±

    ¡°From the looks of his armor¡­¡± Miguel eyed Terry from top to bottom. ¡°I¡¯d say something chewed on him. Thoroughly masticated.¡±

    In the back, Jorg wiped his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

    Lori moved her eyes away from Thena and Clayson. She examined the signs of battle on Terry¡¯s armor again. She bit her lip and clenched her fists.

    Terry paused and looked over at everyone. ¡°I really missed you all.¡±

    ***

    ¡°General Eli!¡± a woman in a crimson uniform was approaching the command tent.

    A man in a similar crimson uniform was sitting at a table and looking over a map. While his pair of brown eyes were glued to the map, his third eye, that carried a crimson iris and was located on his forehead, focused on the woman. ¡°Speak, soldier.¡±

    ¡°Our informants have successfully captured a few of the involved parties,¡± said the woman. ¡°Unfortunately, a lot of the cultists and sect members have committed suicide the moment they were caught. We could still confirm a tentative list of those responsible.¡± She handed over a stack of papers.

    Eli motioned for an officer at his side to receive the documents.

    ¡°Has the involved dimensional mage been identified yet?¡± asked Eli.

    ¡°Not yet, General,¡± replied the soldier.

    Eli nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°You can leave now, soldier¡±

    ¡°What is with that list?¡± asked the officer. Her brow furrowed deeply.

    For the first time, Eli looked up from the map with all of his eyes. ¡°What is it, Yana?¡±

    ¡°Aside from our initial guess, there are at least a dozen different cults with confirmed involvement,¡± replied Yana. She handed the documents to Eli.

    Eli looked over the list and then snorted derisively. ¡°¡®The Vigilant and the Virtuous¡¯? Give me a break. The whacko realm traitors are getting really full of themselves.¡±

    ¡°Two confirmed factions from the Union with a third suspected,¡± muttered Eli. ¡°The Soaring Mountain Sect makes sense. They probably feel pressured by the Lich Kingdoms and hope that if Arcana properly mobilizes once more, the Lich Kingdoms will reign themselves in.¡±

    Eli scoffed in derision. ¡°The Sky River Sect is probably more concerned about our march. They have lost their allies in the Union and the barrier stands in their way of retreat. Not much of a surprise so far.¡±

    ¡°The involved parties from Tiv are higher up than we expected.¡± Eli shrugged. ¡°But what can you expect when their minds are rotting away under their own distortions of history? It appears that their men of words have finally bred a fanatic to take action. They may not even realize the stupidity of their actions yet. Suicidal, but not surprising.¡±

    Eli turned towards Yana. ¡°So what exactly has raised your eyebrow?¡±

    ¡°The cults,¡± replied Yana.

    Eli looked over the list again. ¡°The Vigilant and the Virtuous, The Bright Lady, The Bodhi Tree, The Shapeless Pond¡­¡±

    ¡°See?¡± prompted Yana. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Bright Lady supposed to be among the ¡®benevolent¡¯ cults? By contrast, some of the others are considered borderline deathcults, even if law-abiding on the surface. As far as I know, those of the Bright Lady hate those of the Shapeless Pond with a passion. Or was that just exaggerated?¡±

    Eli nodded in understanding and then shook his head at the question. ¡°No, I think that¡¯s accurate. However, I don¡¯t see that as much of a surprise either. No matter how much the cults may loathe each other, deep down, they will always hate the faithless more.

    ¡°Sure, the folks from another cult may have picked another benefactor, but at least they, too, see nothing wrong in betraying the realm for personal benefit.¡± Eli spoke with intense contempt.

    ¡°Bah!¡± exclaimed Eli. ¡°That weakness masked as piety is a pillar of their identity. That goes for all cults. The faithless, however, question that pillar. The more powerful the faithless, the more likely they are to inspire feelings of shame in the cultists.¡±

    ¡°Arcana is the symbol of the faithless, and that is why they have been targeted?¡± asked Yana with creased brows. ¡°What about Thanatos?¡±

    ¡°What about us?¡± retorted Eli. ¡°We are a faithless empire, true. But we are not the Empire of Magic, nor are we the spiritual successor of the Faithless Saints. Besides¡­¡± Eli clicked his tongue. ¡°I suspect there is more than one motivation at work. Look at those involved from Tiv. The cults may simply be trading for political benefits in the Tiv Empire.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more beneficial for them to have Arcana stay out of the Wastes?¡± asked Yana. ¡°After all, that is how they regained power until now, is it not? To fill in the numbers that Tiv is lacking because of their lack of proper mana users.¡±

    ¡°Fair¡­¡± Eli muttered in thought. ¡°Their room for steering their path depends on whom they are working with though. The fanatic may not have left them a choice. Or perhaps there were some individual ambitions involved.¡± Eli shrugged. ¡°Or perhaps there was yet another motivation I can¡¯t see. Maybe some of the cults were simply looking for a way to infiltrate Arcana¡¯s borders. Getting rid of the barrier is an obvious, albeit difficult, first step.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± asked Yana. ¡°Does not make much sense for Thanatos to fight for a location at a barrier after said barrier has been destroyed.¡±

    ¡°A border with Arcana is still the safest border one can wish for,¡± said Eli. ¡°I doubt the Bloody Hall will change course. While I believe that sufficient strength makes such safety meaningless, I can appreciate the strategic position. Therefore, I have no objections to that course either.

    ¡°A pity though,¡± mumbled Eli. ¡°Damian¡¯s squad has sent excellent geographic intel on Tiv¡¯s northwest regions, but with the current situation, I doubt we will get a chance to use it.

    ¡°I am surprised that Tiv has given us such a wonderful opportunity, but who am I to decline such a generous gift.¡± Eli grinned fiercely. ¡°And even though the overall course has not changed, they still need to pay for spoiling Thanatos¡¯s plans.¡±

    ¡°What are your orders?¡± asked Yana.

    ¡°Have all our troops pull out of Tiv¡¯s north,¡± said Eli. ¡°Have them repositioned at the current line in the south. You can also reallocate a third of our death whisperers there to reinforce our own Wasteborder.

    ¡°Take our intel on the cults and Tiv involvement,¡± said Eli. ¡°Do not include the Union¡¯s sects for now. Bundle everything up with sufficient detail so that others can verify it on their own. Wrap a bow around it and make sure it reaches the Guild in Arcana. From what I remember, there should be plenty of interested parties.¡± Eli smirked. ¡°If Tiv is so intent on committing suicide by Arcana, let¡¯s hope they¡¯ll get their wish fulfilled as soon as possible.¡±

    ***

 092 Retrospection

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 34 ¨C

    Not long after Terry and the others had arrived at their home, more people appeared at the door, and Terry felt himself being pulled into the hugs of Samuel and Brynn.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t stay long,¡± said Brynn. ¡°We still have classes, and the Academy is short-staffed due to everything that is going on.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk more later,¡± said Samuel with a warm smile.

    ¡°Right,¡± exclaimed Brynn. ¡°And I¡¯ll prepare the residence requests for your friends.¡± She nodded towards Thena and Clayson. ¡°But for now, we¡¯ll have to go back.¡±

    ¡°Nice people,¡± said Emaldine approvingly.

    Shortly afterwards, Matteo arrived with a dark expression.

    ¡°How are things?¡± asked Emaldine.

    ¡°Bad,¡± replied Matteo. ¡°The situation in the north is worse than we heard on the way.¡±

    ¡°The gates?¡± interjected Terry.

    Matteo shook his head. ¡°Fortunately, no primary gate has been breached yet, but there are simply too many fires to put out at once.¡±

    ¡°I should also make myself useful,¡± muttered Emaldine pensively.

    ¡°Planning to register?¡± asked Matteo. ¡°Guild or Guardian?¡±

    Emaldine bit her lip. ¡°As long as we are talking about Arcana, I¡¯m happy to become a Guardian again. Uhh¡­¡± She looked at Matteo. ¡°How about you come with me to the Guardians?¡±

    Matteo raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Guild-partner and all¡­¡± Emaldine cleared her throat and then spoke with a louder voice: ¡°You still require supervision, little brother.¡±

    Matteo smiled lightly, and the two departed. On their way out, they nearly bumped into two new arrivals.

    ¡°Terry!¡± Gellath shouted excitedly and he, too, pulled Terry into a hug.

    Behind Gellath, Calam was entering with an awkward hesitation.

    ¡°Greetings, Terry, uhm¡­¡± Calam fidgeted with his hands and looked at the floor. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re back and, uhm, I¡¯m so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thanks, friend.¡± Terry emphasized the last word, which caused Calam to relax and straighten his back.

    ¡°I mean it.¡± Calam met Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened. You were right. I did have a problem. I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°That he does,¡± interjected Gellath. ¡°I can attest to that.¡± He presented a fist to Calam. ¡°Freeze buddies.¡±

    On the side, Miguel snickered and grinned at Gellath¡¯s behavior.

    Calam smiled and fist-bumped Gellath.

    ¡°How is Alrik?¡± Gellath looked towards Jorg.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you are checking up on the pest beetle,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Or has he owned up to his shitty behavior by now?¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± snorted Lori. ¡°No, he has not. Last time I spoke to him, he was still making excuses.¡±

    ¡°No surprise there,¡± remarked Siling drily.

    ¡°I also have no intention of being friends with Alrik,¡± started Jorg. ¡°But I can sympathize with someone whose family member has gone missing.¡± He glanced at Terry and then shook his head. ¡°Alrik may be a pest beetle, but even he does not deserve that.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Miguel.

    Even Lori¡¯s expression softened somewhat, but she refused to speak up for Alrik.

    ¡°What happened?¡± inquired Terry.

    Jorg shrugged. ¡°No one really knows. His mother simply disappeared around the time the barrier broke.¡± He turned to Gellath. ¡°Alrik seems completely beside himself. He can get around fine, but seems nearly incoherent. He can¡¯t even hold a proper conversation at the moment. His father has stopped working to take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Poor father.¡± Gellath sighed. ¡°First his wife disappeared and then his son had a breakdown.¡± He pulled back his lips and then looked back at Terry. ¡°Good thing you¡¯re back! Now we have at least some positive news.¡±

    Gellath looked over the others. ¡°Who are our new friends?¡± He walked up to Clayson and Thena. ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Gellath. I¡¯m the resident damsel in distress and the person to call when you have scraped your knees.¡±

    Miguel snorted. ¡°The fairytales always made the damsel sound less beard-y. I feel shortchanged by reality.¡± At this, Gellath gasped with insincere offense.

    Clayson and Thena stood up to greet Gellath and introduce themselves. Despite being younger, Clayson was already slightly taller than Gellath.

    When Thena stood up, Gellath¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened and then a solemn look washed over his face. Jorg and Miguel guffawed at Gellath¡¯s change in expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Thena with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± insisted Gellath. ¡°The brains of those two are very odd. I¡¯m afraid even my magic can¡¯t heal them. Anyway, first the real questions.¡± Gellath looked at Terry. ¡°What the Wastes happened to you?!¡±

    ¡°Good question!¡± interjected Siling. She had been lazing on the couch and now leaned forward.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± asked Clayson in puzzlement.

    ¡°Yeah, did you sneak off or something?¡± Thena made a dubious expression and looked at Terry. ¡°All the way to the Wasted Zone?¡±

    ¡°Even Thena was not that crazy,¡± muttered Clayson.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Thena pouted. ¡°What do you mean? ¡®Even¡¯ Thena?¡±

    Clayson calmly looked at her. ¡°That I remember you sneaking off to follow Instructor Sigille at times, even when you were not supposed to.¡±

    Thena continued to pout but averted her eyes from Clayson.

    Gellath loudly cleared his throat. ¡°Real question.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and then told his experiences after they had lost contact with each other.

    At first, when Terry talked about his time in the dungeon, there were many gasps, gulps, and horrified questions. Thena and Clayson, in particular, were shocked to learn about how Terry had arrived in the Tiv Empire.

    Later, when Terry talked about Devon¡¯s group, his first visit to Syn City and the Chara Settlement, the questions were mostly of a curious and fascinated nature. Devon¡¯s abilities, the Heart of Syn, and Poppy¡¯s inventions were the most popular topics.

    As soon as Terry talked about the Thanatos ambush and the time he protected Lizzy at the Bulwark, everyone became quiet. Only when he came to the part where the Divine Hammer arrived did everyone join in with comments again.

    When Terry talked about the battle in Syn City, his friends were first outraged and then became increasingly somber during the parts when Terry had confronted soldiers of the Devout Division.

    There was another moment of shock when Terry explained what he had discovered about his oscillating mana and how it interacted with space magic.

    Terry talked about his training and missions at the Libra Outpost. About his time traveling with Sigille¡¯s group. About the dungeon scavengers¡­

    When he reached the moment of Sigille¡¯s death and how she had died, everyone was silent with grave expressions. Thena was already crying quietly, but she and Clayson were paying close attention to Terry¡¯s description of the battle that followed.

    Terry had spoken with a lowered gaze. ¡°¡­and then I got tackled by my siblings.¡± He finally looked up and managed a heartfelt smile.

    Lori and Jorg were clenching their fists. Calam was completely pale. Siling and Gellath were staring with mouths agape.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Miguel dazedly. ¡°Holy Wastes, that¡¯s uhm¡­ So¡­ Undead hordes, an entire army of cultists, demon fortresses, and a civil war for good measure¡­¡± He glanced from side to side. ¡°Anyone else feel glad that their year was boring in comparison?¡±

    Gellath exhaled a sharp breath. ¡°Sorry for your loss.¡± He moved his eyes over Terry, Thena, and Clayson.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what to tell Ma Isille,¡± muttered Terry guiltily. ¡°I should not have left back then.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± insisted Siling. ¡°Your aunt made the call, and she understood the situation better than you. You also said that your mana interferes with space magic. So if she wanted to lock that necromancer down, then your presence would have been a problem.¡±

    ¡°The only ones to blame are the necromancer and the cultists,¡± said Jorg with a grim expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they let the cultists back into power in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°What kind of Guardian invites a mass-murdering necromancer into their ranks?¡± Calam interjected in disbelief.

    ¡°Appalling,¡± growled Miguel with indignant eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, they should have arrested that Anand at first sight,¡± grumbled Gellath with a shaking head.

    ¡°I can''t believe they really thought everyone would just make peace,¡± said Lori doubtfully. ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad they didn¡¯t make peace,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Otherwise, I would have to request that the Guardians there change their name to something else. Like ¡®Unprincipled Hypocrites.¡¯¡±

    Terry smiled weakly, but his thoughts remained gloomy.

    ¡°At least you helped in the fight against the witch,¡± mumbled Thena with a glance at Terry. ¡°I did not even do that¡­¡± She pouted and leaned her head against Clayson, who was sitting next to her.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Terry¡¯s head whirled around to Thena and Clayson. ¡°No. That was not a fight for you. There is no need to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°Why don¡¯t you write these words down and then read them to yourself as well?¡±

    ¡°If you had not retreated like Sigille had told you, then you would not have been able to help in the fight afterwards.¡± Lori spoke firmly to Terry. ¡°Who knows what would have happened then?¡±

    Lori looked at Thena. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Aunt Sigille would tell you the same. It was the right decision for you to stay out of it. There were others to take care of that fight. For you, it was not the right time. Some fights are best left for the elder generation. Being brave does not mean being foolhardy.¡±

    ¡°Terry, does this mean there is now a bounty on your head in Tiv?¡± Miguel asked the question that had just entered his head.

    ¡°Probably,¡± replied Terry wryly. ¡°Same for everyone that joined the fight.¡±

    ¡°Phew,¡± whistled Siling. ¡°Working on your bad boy charm there?¡± She quipped.

    ¡°It was not my intention to be bad,¡± muttered Terry pensively.

    Siling¡¯s expression cramped at the downcast reply and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

    Terry shook his head. ¡°They made their choice. I made mine.¡±

    The atmosphere became somber once more.

    ¡°How¡­¡± Calam spoke up. ¡°How was it to be faced with¡­ To confront¡­¡±

    Terry looked up and shook his head again. ¡°Not like the stories. Not like the bandits, either.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°With the soldiers in Syn, it seemed¡­¡± Terry bit his lip. ¡°¡­pointless. A pointless waste of life. Everyone could have fought together against the Wastes, but instead, someone gave such a pointless order and the soldiers chose to follow it.

    ¡°In the Libra Outpost, it was¡­¡± Terry grimaced. ¡°¡­bitter. I knew some of the folks that stood on Willow¡¯s side. One of them had even been a part of my group for mission work. They were not bad people.¡± Terry shook his head with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°They only stood on the wrong side because they stood with the wrong person. Because they trusted the wrong person.

    ¡°I know the Veilbinder was forced to kill former comrades as well, but¡­¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°It seems so much clearer when reading about it and very different when looking people in the eyes.¡± Terry nodded to himself. ¡°I¡¯m thankful that Ma Isille had picked the bounty hunting class for us. I don¡¯t know how everything would have gone if I had not been forced to face folk before.¡±

    Silence descended on the group once more.

    ¡°Okay then¡­¡± Siling piped up. She waved at Terry with a sheepish smile. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, so just checking: You do realize that I¡¯m just kidding and talking nonsense, right? Because this last nonsense of mine has taken a wrong turn.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± exclaimed Gellath. ¡°How about some happier topics?¡±

    Terry smiled and turned to Siling. ¡°Any new soul spirits I should greet?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Siling playfully tilted her head and tapped her finger on her lips. ¡°No, not until our first spar.¡± She grinned teasingly. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I managed to draw against Tiana a few times.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m personally curious about that aspecting technique you mentioned, Terry,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Once you¡¯re all settled in, how about we meet up on the training grounds?¡± He glanced at Thena and Clayson. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll even win a close-combat spar against one of our new friends.¡±

    Gellath snorted. ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± agreed Miguel with a nod. ¡°But it¡¯s worth a try.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m watching you.¡± Gellath pointed with his index and middle finger at his eyes and then at Miguel. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching your spars very intently. No dirty tricks, you hear me? I won¡¯t let you bully our new little sister.¡± Gellath shook his fist threateningly. ¡°Any hair-pulling or sand-throwing and I¡¯ll give you a good wallop, you rascal.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Jorg snickered.

    ¡°Already bestowed the ¡®little sister¡¯ status?¡± Miguel chuckled. ¡°Finally, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes indeed,¡± replied Gellath. ¡°I may have only met her a short while ago, but I¡¯ll protect Friend Thena with my life.¡± He spoke with a solemn duty in his tone.

    Thena looked towards Gellath with a dubious expression and Clayson, who was next to her, became wary.

    ¡°Finally found a dwarf that is shorter than you?¡± teased Jorg in a transparent attempt to ease Clayson¡¯s and Thena¡¯s tension.

    Thena pouted, while Clayson suppressed a snicker.

    ¡°Yes, finally! About time, too,¡± exclaimed Gellath happily. ¡°She is precious.¡± He beamed at Thena and presented a fist to Thena. ¡°Vertically-challenged buddies.¡± He repeatedly pointed with his eyes and his head towards his presented fist¡­

    ¡­until Thena eventually gave in and fist-bumped with Gellath.

    ¡°See?¡± Gellath turned to Miguel. ¡°That is a sacred bond deeper than blood.¡± Gellath made a long face and spoke with a nasal voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, this dwarf will have to beat you up. Even if I have to heal you afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Miguel clicked his tongue. ¡°If you were trying to intimidate me, then that was a pathetically poor attempt.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± exclaimed Gellath. ¡°But I know your weakness!¡±

    ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Miguel¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± He groaned. ¡°Not in front of the young ones. They¡¯re innocent. They don¡¯t deserve this.¡±

    Calam rolled his eyes while Terry was already snickering.

    ¡°Here we go.¡± Siling raised a hand to her chin and waited.

    Clayson and Thena looked around in confusion.

    Gellath cleared his throat. ¡°Riddle me this. I have a bed but do not sleep. I have a mouth but do not eat. What am I?¡±

    ¡°Huh, I haven¡¯t heard that one before,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Do we need to guess?¡± Thena whispered to Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him!¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Okay, what are you?¡± asked Calam with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± complained Miguel.

    Gellath first made a solemn expression and turned to Calam. He replied in a grumpy tone: ¡°Tired and hungry.¡± He shook his head and raised his shoulders as if this should have been obvious.

    Miguel groaned loudly. Lori rolled her eyes. Thena looked confused and Clayson started snickering uncontrollably.

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± said Siling with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Thena confusedly looked at the snickering Clayson. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny. That wasn¡¯t even a riddle. What¡ª Pfft.¡± Looking at Clayson eventually caused Thena to laugh as well.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Miguel shook his head while looking at the laughing Clayson. ¡°Another one.¡±

    Gellath was beaming. ¡°It seems Friend Clayson is precious too. A worthy audience.¡±

    ***

    Terry looked around the small bureau that was next to their living room. He sat down on a chair and reminisced about the day when he had finally discovered the Immovable Object spell in this very room.

    Not long after, Samuel entered together with another man.

    ¡°Greetings, Instructor.¡± Terry reflexively greeted the man next to Samuel.

    ¡°Just Ser is fine, boy. I¡¯m not your instructor anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ser took an interest in your disappearance and I also asked him to weigh in with his opinion,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Both on your dungeon experience and on what you have learned about your mana type.¡±

    Afterwards, Terry talked again about his experience in the dungeon and his observations on oscillating mana.

    Ser was mostly listening silently while Samuel repeatedly asked clarification questions or prompted Terry to elaborate on certain points.

    Ser only spoke up when Terry mentioned the interaction between his mana and space magic. He cast several spells and had Terry demonstrate the different effects.

    ¡°Do you still have the writings of this ancient deathcult with you?¡± asked Samuel.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry retrieved both the copies from the Guardians, as well as his own notes from his dimensional bag.

    Samuel glanced over the papers. His eyes paused on the heptagram symbol that Terry had once discussed with Devon. Afterwards, Samuel handed the papers to Ser. ¡°I¡¯ll check with the librarian if they can find some more information about this cult or this cypher.¡±

    ¡°If the annotated aspects are correct, then it was definitely a deathcult,¡± muttered Ser with a scowl. ¡°Incorporating both the death and blood aspects as a ritual¡¯s core requires sentient sacrifice.¡±

    Terry observed the two curiously. Inwardly, he was eager to hear their opinions, but he did not want to interrupt their thoughts.

    ¡°It would be nice to get some more background information to confirm our theories,¡± said Samuel, and then looked at Terry. ¡°But I think we can already draw a few conclusions, at least for the easier question.¡±

    Which is¡­? Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Your mana type.¡± Samuel smiled. ¡°The relation to the space aspect is evident. But it¡¯s definitely not the space aspect itself.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore¡­¡± Samuel pointed at the documents in Ser¡¯s hand. ¡°There are not many aspects known to relate to space, but one of them appears in your notes.¡±

    ¡°The void aspect?¡± Terry thought out loud.

    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Samuel.

    ¡°However, your mana is definitely not void-aspected,¡± interjected Ser with a glance at Terry. He handed the documents back to Samuel.

    ¡°Which brings us to this¡­¡± Samuel pointed towards the heptagram symbol from the deathcult that had raised Devon.

    ¡°While we don¡¯t have a complete description, I¡¯m willing to make a guess based on aspect theory.¡± Samuel pointed at the symbols. ¡°Life, blood, death. A triangle of major aspects. Blood in the center as the bridge between life and death. That triangle could explain the abnormal regeneration you described.¡±

    ¡°And the blood giant,¡± added Ser. ¡°But that would require one hell of a ritual. Possible in theory, but more complex than anything I have ever seen before.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the Academy¡¯s expert on rituals.¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°If you say it¡¯s possible¡­¡± He traced the triangle with his fingers.

    ¡°Of the remaining four, two are between life and death.¡± Samuel tapped the two symbols. ¡°I would interpret those as falling outside the triangle, which would best fit the abyssal aspects: hellfire and netherfrost. Each one is overbearing on its own, but they balance each other.¡±

    ¡°Balanced in theory, they may be,¡± interjected Ser. ¡°But whoever goes through that ritual would have to suffer through them, nonetheless. That¡¯s lethal and even if it wasn¡¯t, it would still be horrifying torture.¡±

    Samuel nodded pensively. ¡°Perhaps there is even more to picking these particular aspects beyond their obvious power.¡± He rubbed his temples. ¡°The martial sects teach something of a meta-relation for some aspects that has never really been verified in spellwork so far.¡±

    ¡°Life, fire, yang.¡± Samuel pointed to the locations of the life and hellfire aspects. ¡°Death, ice, yin¡­¡± His voice trailed off.

    Ser furrowed his brow. ¡°That goes beyond my expertise, but it¡¯s not impossible to introduce a second layer of relations in a ritual. If it accentuates the death and life aspects and is organized correctly, then it would amplify the blood aspect¡¯s effect. It might turn less lethal, but it would do nothing to alleviate the tormenting pain.¡±

    ¡°That leaves these two spots.¡± Samuel pointed. ¡°One between blood and life, one between blood and death. Both shielded from the abyssal aspects.

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Samuel sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t know exactly how the bridge of blood works without knowing the exact ritual, but as a first conjecture¡­¡± Samuel pointed towards the symbol between blood and death. ¡°Void, if we assume void as the intersection aspect between space and death.¡±

    ¡°An intersection with space could shield the blood aspect and stabilize the center of the bridge,¡± affirmed Ser. ¡°But set up like that, such a ritual would take forever and you would need an incredibly powerful catalyst to finish it.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°Only a hypothesis for now. We¡¯ll have to see how its predictions align with reality.¡±

    ¡°And if you still have the meta-relation in mind, then the void aspect should go to the other side ¨C between blood and life,¡± said Ser. ¡°That way, the death relation crosses life. Life between netherfrost and void ¨C both assumed to relate to death in your theory. Balancing instead of amplifying. Everything crosses and leads to the blood aspect that is compatible with both sides.¡±

    Samuel nodded and then pointed at the last remaining symbol. ¡°The other side should have to be symmetrical for it to work. That means the intersection between space and life.¡±

    Samuel looked at Terry. ¡°Currently, no such aspect is known to us.¡±

    Terry almost heard a clicking sound in his head when things fell into place. ¡°You mean that oscillating mana could be that intersection aspect?¡±

    ¡°Could be,¡± affirmed Samuel.

    ¡°That explains why they would talk about it,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°I was wondering why they could possibly have an interest in oscillating mana¡­¡±

    Samuel snorted amusedly.

    ¡°Are you kidding, boy?¡± exclaimed Ser loudly.

    Terry¡¯s expression froze.

    ¡°From what you have told us about the interaction with space magic, I am even tempted to lock you up in my lab for further study,¡± said Ser.

    Terry gulped, because Ser¡¯s tone appeared entirely serious.

    ¡°At least until we have discovered a way to detect oscillating mana more easily.¡± Ser grunted.

    Samuel explained for Terry¡¯s benefit: ¡°That would be the prerequisite for researching possible mixed aspect spell structures.¡± He looked up in thought. ¡°Same for the mana cultivator perspective. Hard to know if your structural design or aspect refractor is working correctly if you can¡¯t easily distinguish the type of mana you are emitting.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, the applications are obvious,¡± said Ser.

    ¡°From what you have told me about your friend Devon, oscillating mana would counter his biggest remaining weakness,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Spatial transfers.¡±

    ¡°The realm should feel glad that the ritual was interrupted,¡± said Ser gravely.

    Samuel held his hands behind his head. ¡°Oscillating mana as the intersection between life and space. It¡¯s a theory. We¡¯ll see. If it is true, then there should be a few parallels to the void aspect.¡±

    ¡°It passes the sniff test at least,¡± said Ser.

    Terry raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°He means that there are some parallels already in the observed behavior and that the behavior could be explained using that theory,¡± elaborated Samuel. ¡°So it is not complete horseshit. Doesn¡¯t stink.¡±

    ¡°Like how?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°How familiar are you with void spells?¡± asked Ser.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± replied Terry immediately. ¡°I only remember some theory on the aspect itself, but nothing beyond the classification.¡±

    ¡°For starters, void spells appear like a subset of space magic,¡± said Ser. ¡°They allow teleportation. With the inconvenient difference that you will arrive naked.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°Void-based teleportation can only be cast on beings on the life-spectrum,¡± said Samuel.

    ¡°Initially, at least,¡± said Ser. ¡°The lowest level Void Step spell can only be cast on yourself. With enough mana control and a link in chained spellwork, you can extend that range to another being that will be anchored to the caster.

    ¡°With sufficient mana intensity and shielding techniques, the spell¡¯s effects can even be extended to include the spell target¡¯s equipment,¡± continued Ser.

    ¡°If you are willing to sacrifice an insane amount of mana as well as some life energy, that is,¡± added Samuel, and Ser nodded.

    Terry tilted his head with mouth slightly agape.

    Samuel looked at the stunned Terry. ¡°The first parallel is actually a systematic one. There is only a single recorded pure spell of the void aspect: Void Step. However, that name is a bit of a misnomer. We will get to that.¡±

    ¡°While there is not much information on void-aspected spellwork, there are some records among the martial sects in the Free Factions Union,¡± said Samuel. ¡°They have encountered mana martialists that rely on the void aspect. Their information led mages to be certain that it is, in fact, a separate aspect of its own.¡±

    ¡°The system classification is a bit shaky.¡± Samuel shrugged lightly and tapped his fingers on the desk. ¡°The Void Step spell was first observed in a lower realm. Most of the subsequent encounters were on beings from lower realms as well. However, the records from the martial sects point more towards the outer realms as the origin.¡±

    Samuel raised his gaze from his desk and looked at Terry directly. ¡°You probably noticed another parallel in the spell¡¯s target. Living beings, for one. Non-living objects for the other.¡±

    Samuel weighed his head from side to side. ¡°A second parallel could be interpreted into the space interaction.¡±

    ¡°There are no known records of a pure void-aspected mana cultivator, though,¡± reminded Ser. ¡°Hard to make a direct comparison for the bursting behavior.¡±

    ¡°True, but with what we have, I would posit that it would allow such a person to move through space,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Like making a single step and moving three.¡±

    ¡°It would match what we know of how the void aspect functions,¡± muttered Ser pensively.

    ¡°How?¡± Terry cleared his throat. ¡°How does it function?¡±

    ¡°With space magic, you manipulate space directly,¡± explained Ser. ¡°You connect two different locations. With void magic, you phase yourself onto a different plane you control and then you move that plane. The mechanism is different.¡±

    ¡°This also makes the void aspect a popular research target,¡± added Samuel. ¡°Going beyond a pure spell, it can be combined with the space aspect. They can amplify each other¡¯s effects to cross vast distances more efficiently. There are also further combinations with other aspects.

    ¡°Considering the mechanism, Void Step is something of a misnomer in spell names,¡± said Samuel. ¡°The caster does not really have to move. They can use the spell for teleportation, or to move through solid objects, or to defend against attacks. Aside from the movement distortion, phasing makes the caster appear ethereal and practically untouchable.

    ¡°Which gives us a working theory for oscillating mana,¡± said Samuel excitedly. ¡°If the void aspect shifts a being to a non-colliding plane, then a parallel could be a shift to a colliding plane.¡±

    Samuel made a few notes for himself. ¡°In that framework, the reason that the object appears unbreakable is that no force from the original plane actually reaches the object in its new plane. The reason that it appears immovable is that you would have to shift the entire plane in order to move the object.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fit perfectly, so there must be something missing, but I believe that can give us a few ideas to look into.¡± Samuel dropped his pen again and turned to Ser. ¡°It would be great if you could help us narrow down the details for the interactions with space magic.¡±

    ¡°If it can be done quickly or after things have calmed down in Arcana, sure.¡± Ser nodded. ¡°I¡¯m curious as well.¡±

    ¡°Which brings us to the more difficult topic.¡± Samuel clicked his tongue and turned to Terry. ¡°The nature of your disappearance. Unfortunately, we have too little information to ascertain the precise reason, but I have a few theories¡­¡± Samuel nodded to himself. ¡°And all of them have one thing in common. I believe you were transferred by the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ser spoke up incredulously. ¡°I agree it is a strange phenomenon, but that does not mean we need to come up with such scenarios. Don¡¯t tell me you believe in this dungeon fairy nonsense?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± denied Samuel firmly. ¡°Fairies are weak aspect beings. I don¡¯t believe they have anything to do with Terry¡¯s abduction, nor do I believe that they have anything to do with the frequent disappearances of that Devon.

    ¡°I am talking about the dungeon itself,¡± stressed Samuel.

    Ser frowned but remained silent.

    ¡°The proximity to dungeons in both the source and target location stands out,¡± said Samuel. ¡°I can also not think of any reason why a regular mage would target Terry.

    ¡°To me, the dungeon appears to be the least strange candidate,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°Dungeons are capable of space magic.¡±

    Samuel raised one finger. ¡°Encountering a spatial lock in a dungeon may not be common, but it¡¯s also not rare.¡±

    Samuel raised a second finger. ¡°We also know that a dungeon core is capable of teleporting freely in its controlled area.¡±

    Samuel raised a third finger. ¡°While it has never been observed directly, it is a popular theory that dungeons sometimes rely on transfers to set up dungeon rooms. Adjusting their terrain to move creatures into place works, but that appears too slow to explain some encounter sequences that have been observed.¡±

    ¡°But all the way to the western edge of Tiv?¡± questioned Ser. ¡°And leaving no trace in the manipulated space? Impossible!¡±

    ¡°Impossible?¡± retorted Samuel in deep thought. ¡°Like one plus one equals three? Or just incredibly improbable¡­¡± He raised his brows. ¡°¡­and, if true, incredibly interesting?¡±

    Ser became pensive.

    ¡°But why?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Why would a dungeon ¨C or anyone really ¨C send me to Tiv?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve said: too little information to be sure.¡± Samuel made a helpless expression. ¡°There could be many reasons, and I am not convinced that the reason for your abduction is the same as for your friend Devon¡¯s incidents.¡±

    Samuel subconsciously traced the burn scars on his face with his fingertips. ¡°It could be that the source dungeon perceived you as a threat.¡± He shook his head slightly. ¡°Given the interaction between your mana type and spatial seals, that could be a possibility, but there was no perceivable urgency that would reasonably justify such an intervention.¡±

    Samuel frowned and continued shaking his head. ¡°We detected no traces of a veil tear or anything that could explain the dungeon taking such measures. Drastic, immediate, and most importantly, after you had already left the dungeon itself.¡±

    Samuel shrugged. ¡°Bottom line, either the source dungeon wanted you gone or the target dungeon needed you there.¡± He crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Considering the transfer distance, I am leaning more towards the latter.

    ¡°It could be that the target dungeon needed someone to eliminate the undead and could not deal with them itself.¡± Samuel furrowed his brow. ¡°It could be that the target dungeon encountered a mana balance problem and required an outside mana source to reestablish balance.¡± He wrinkled his brow further. ¡°Maybe there was something special about you? Something that was required in the target dungeon.¡±

    Samuel bit his lips. After a moment of silence, he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Or maybe a dimensional mage played a prank,¡± reminded Ser.

    ¡°A dimensional mage at the level of a magic sovereign playing prankster?¡± retorted Samuel.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± admitted Ser begrudgingly.

    ¡°Anyway, hard to say with the current information,¡± said Samuel and sighed. He looked at Terry. ¡°I assume you did not kidnap a living dungeon creature?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± replied Terry. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think so,¡± muttered Samuel. ¡°If you still have the remnants of the inscribed earth giant¡¯s core, I would like to do some tests on it. It would also help if you can write down all the details you remember. If you want, you can check the report that was created based on the statements of the others to jog your memory.¡±

    Terry nodded.

    ***

 093 Shenanigans

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 36 ¨C

    Terry awoke in the middle of the night when he sensed mana movement nearby.

    Again?

    Terry opened his eyes and peered through the darkness of his room towards the door.

    Thena, Clayson, and Emaldine had moved to a nearby place that had been organized by Brynn. Matteo had moved into some Guild quarters. Lori, Jorg, and Terry were the only people present.

    Okay, I¡¯m not just imagining things.

    Terry quickly stood up and opened his door.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Lori was staring at Terry in surprise.

    Shortly after Lori¡¯s exclamation, tumbling noises could be heard from Jorg¡¯s room and then Jorg tore open his own door and dashed to Lori with a terrified face, only to stop short in his tracks as soon as he spotted Terry.

    ¡°Okay, what is going on here?¡± asked Terry. ¡°I¡¯ve sensed your mana signatures in front of my door several times in the past nights. At first, I thought I was imagining things and did not want to wake the others, but now that they have their own residence¡­¡±

    Lori and Jorg wrung their hands.

    ¡°We¡­¡± Lori bit her lip.

    ¡°We just wanted to check that you¡¯re still there,¡± muttered Jorg. ¡°There is a dungeon near the outpost and we worried¡­ worried that¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s expression melted from confusion into affection. He leaned down and hugged his siblings. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened back then, but I have no intention of disappearing again.¡±

    Terry pretended not to hear the suppressed sniffles in the dark.

    ¡°Besides, I made it back, didn¡¯t I?¡± Terry tried to sound cheerful. ¡°Even if I ever get whisked away again, I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve found a way home.¡±

    Like a dog. Terry involuntarily thought back to Lizzy¡¯s comment about Devon. He felt the arms of his siblings tighten some more around his belly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you the day before,¡± said Terry. ¡°I should have told you.¡±

    On that day, Terry had woken up early again and left for the training grounds to practice. He had thought little about it until he got tackled by the two puffy-eyed wrecks that were his siblings.

    Lori and Jorg had woken up and immediately panicked when Terry was not in his room. They were half on their way to mobilize their whaka and the Guardians before Lori remembered to check the signal of the Guardian card.

    ¡°You need to sleep,¡± said Terry softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we want to pick up our spars again? Then you need to rest properly. I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    ***

    Terry, Lori, and Jorg were sitting in Brynn¡¯s crafting room. Terry was mentally going through his plans for the day while Lori and Jorg were whispering to each other. Eventually, Lori and Jorg both turned to Terry.

    ¡°You mentioned that you wanted to go shopping later today?¡± asked Lori. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    Her tone is a bit weird. Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°New armor¡­¡± Terry muttered in thought. The old one has been through enough.

    ¡°Spare parts and some orders for new prototypes¡­¡± Terry smiled subconsciously. Enchantment!

    ¡°I need to find a helmet¡­¡± Terry frowned slightly. Perhaps one like Lizzy¡¯s barrier visor? The upsides of going without are not worth having to protect my head when being pelted by projectiles. Dodging individual attacks is fine, but a raging storm of shrapnel or icicles is. Not. Worth. It.

    Brynn quietly entered the room and nodded towards them. She raised a finger for them to wait a minute. Afterwards, she collected a few items and handed them to her assistant.

    ¡°If I can afford it, I would like a magic item that allows shaping metal.¡± Terry puffed his cheeks. Not only useful for battle restraints. That would be awesome for prototyping.

    ¡°Oh, and a scent mask!¡± Terry nodded determinedly to himself. Or a dozen! Never again without a scent mask!

    ¡°So, no weapons?¡± asked Jorg.

    Also a weird tone¡­ Terry tilted his head. ¡°No, the inscribed barrier spears are perfect for me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you can use them,¡± muttered Lori. ¡°They suck a lot of mana.¡±

    ¡°Downside of dense inscriptions,¡± interjected Brynn. ¡°One reason why many with weaker mana regeneration prefer imprinted items. The primer charge and primer recovery over time are a big plus from that perspective.¡±

    ¡°More fragile though,¡± murmured Terry. ¡°And easier to disrupt.¡±

    With a smile on her lips, Brynn observed Lori and Jorg, who were stealing glances at Terry. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just come out with it? I¡¯m sure Terry will be more than happy that you thought of him.¡±

    ¡°B-but we¡­¡± Lori stammered and her voice became very quiet. ¡°¡­we haven¡¯t completely paid it off yet.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Terry looked at his two siblings.

    Jorg playfully punched Lori¡¯s shoulder and nodded in encouragement. With the support of her brother, Lori retrieved an item from her storage and both of them presented it to Terry. ¡°For you. We¡¯re really sorry about what happened.¡±

    Terry looked at the item. It was one of the inscribed daggers from the dungeon.

    ¡°Now, you can use dual dagger techniques with the keen inscription,¡± muttered Lori faintly.

    Terry was at a loss for words.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Terry smiled. ¡°Thanks¡­ B-but you shouldn¡¯t have. This is too valuable. Besides, couldn¡¯t you use the dagger yourselves?¡±

    Lori and Jorg both retrieved a pair of inscribed daggers themselves.

    ¡°Jorg bought the one from Gellath,¡± said Lori. ¡°I bought the one Elena wanted to sell.¡±

    ¡°Gellath wanted to refuse payment at first, but I wouldn¡¯t have it,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Sis and I both worked together to purchase the one from Siling.¡±

    ¡°Siling was kind enough to defer payment,¡± said Lori embarrassedly. ¡°Even after selling the five-point inscription rings, we would have come up short.¡±

    ¡°But with our mission work and selling some crafted items, we¡¯ll finish paying for it soon,¡± said Jorg cheerfully.

    ¡°We can all practice together again,¡± muttered Lori with a hint of nervousness. ¡°If you want to¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry nodded hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it¡­ But can I at least pay for¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°No.¡±¡±¡± Lori and Jorg protested.

    While Lori and Jorg¡¯s faces were turned to Terry, Terry saw a trace of mana flash at Brynn¡¯s fingers and recognized finger runes.

    [Terry, even if it makes you feel awkward,] signed Brynn. [It would make them feel better if you just accept it.]

    Terry nodded lightly. After replaying their words in his head, Terry turned to Jorg. ¡°Wait, you sold the five-point inscription rings?¡±

    Jorg¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Yes, those rings are primarily for dungeon divers, after all. I¡¯m not looking to enter a dungeon again anytime soon. Ma and Pa were right.¡±

    Terry looked at his brother with mixed feelings.

    Being more cautious is good, but¡­

    Terry recalled how excited Jorg used to be about dungeon work and could not help but feel a sense of loss.

    He thought of Sigille¡¯s words on the dungeon as the first line of defense. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we do our part?¡¯

    He remembered Sigille¡¯s words about Samuel¡¯s view on dungeons. ¡®Seen through the lens of trauma.¡¯

    Terry glanced at Jorg and Lori. He wanted to say something, but was not sure how to put his feelings into words.

    ¡°Before you go shopping, you should get your finances clear,¡± said Brynn.

    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t have any mana coins anymore,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°More importantly, no one else does either.¡± Brynn pointed out.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry blinked. Right, the barrier is gone. The mana coins would all dissipate¡­

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice on your trip here?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°We moved as quickly as possible, camped sometimes, and only stayed at an inn twice. Matteo was doing the talking, and the inn did not charge anything due to the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Arcana¡¯s primary currency has evaporated,¡± said Brynn. ¡°Fortunately, the Council has moved quickly to prevent a complete economic collapse. The Council guarantees all basic necessities. Furthermore, they have declared that they will back the contribution point system at the Guardians, as well as the account balances at the Guild.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ideal situation, but the Council has done well,¡± said Brynn. ¡°And if you have contribution points, then now may be the best time ever to go shopping.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Us crafters have our pride,¡± said Brynn, and winked. ¡°Most crafters don¡¯t have the combat power to assist directly, but that does not mean they¡¯ll just sit idly by in a time of crisis for Arcana. The forges are running non-stop and most crafters are giving sizable discounts.¡±

    Terry nodded. He still had a lot of unspent contribution points from his mission work in Tiv. However, he was not sure if they would be accepted directly in Arcana¡¯s Guardian branch.

    Or how my bounty in Tiv will affect me here¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide. He had not thought of that before.

    ¡°If you need anything, you can also tell me,¡± said Brynn. ¡°That goes for all of you and your friends. At times like these, it is best for all of you to be properly equipped.¡±

    *Clap* Brynn clapped loudly. ¡°Anyway, crafting is what we are here for.¡±

    Brynn looked at Terry. ¡°I know what the other two are up to, but what about you? What is your current focus? Any troubles? Any works you can show me?¡±

    Terry smiled and retrieved several works to show his shielding, his chained imprints, and his designs.

    ¡°I¡¯m having some trouble with the tools for crystal-based shielding,¡± admitted Terry.

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Brynn nodded while appraising Terry¡¯s items. ¡°I can demonstrate them for you.¡± She smiled at Terry¡¯s works. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and I was wondering about cloaking,¡± said Terry.

    That took Brynn¡¯s attention, and she put down the metal chain that Terry had covered with chained imprints.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Aspect inversion and enchantments won¡¯t work for you,¡± said Brynn. ¡°So aside from mana-absorbent materials, that mostly leaves rune inscriptions and¡ª¡±

    ¡°My bad, I actually meant cloaking my own mana,¡± interjected Terry, while holding his nape with a sheepish look. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not a crafting topic.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that makes more sense.¡± Brynn grinned. ¡°It¡¯s better to ask an orientation instructor at the Guardians. The rough principles are the same, but there is the whole internal mana control angle that is not among my specialties.¡±

    ¡°Right, I also remember that you wanted to show something to me?¡± prompted Brynn.

    Terry nodded and demonstrated the aspecting technique of the aspect archers.

    ¡°Oh, so it was that.¡± Brynn nodded with a smile. ¡°That is actually known here as well. I rarely teach it, because the increased speed comes at a price. The non-uniform aspect concentration puts a strain on the material. Depending on the aspect, there is a serious risk of permanent damage.¡±

    Brynn shrugged. ¡°I figure it is fine for items that are mostly intended to be throwaway or single-use, but for golems, constructs, or anything that involves high-end materials or durability requirements, this technique is a no-go.¡± She smiled. ¡°Still, they have found an interesting niche application with their archery.¡±

    ¡°How about the contraption that saved your life from the phantom?¡± prompted Brynn.

    Terry nodded and retrieved the mana sublimator that Poppy had created.

    Brynn received the item and began analyzing the inscribed runes. ¡°Hmm¡­ This weaving here is odd.¡± Brynn narrowed her eyes. ¡°That place could be linked better¡­ This needs some more intensification¡­ Over here it¡¯s quite redundant¡ª Oh! Fascinating. I haven¡¯t seen such a rune before. What does it do¡­?¡± Brynn pondered in silence and then exclaimed: ¡°Marvelous!¡±

    Brynn looked at Terry. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t meet your friend. You said that she came up with all of that by herself?¡± Brynn raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    Brynn looked at Terry warmly. ¡°But more importantly, I¡¯m grateful.¡± She retrieved a small disk and gently began the process of sampling the mana signature that had inscribed the runes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to make sure that your friend will receive an expression of thanks.¡± Brynn grinned. ¡°I¡¯m also very curious what she may come up with when receiving some proper tools and resources.

    ¡°Only I wonder if I should include some books and comments on her work as well, or if she prefers continuing with her own line of thoughts¡­¡± Brynn puckered her lips and tilted her head. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll get a new pen pal.¡±

    *Creak* The door to Brynn¡¯s crafting room opened and a tired-looking Samuel walked in.

    ¡°Can I hide here for a while?¡± asked Samuel tiredly. ¡°I need a break from Pelliana.¡±

    Terry suppressed a snort.

    Brynn snickered. ¡°Careful. Who knows what she¡¯ll decide when you aren¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Being in charge of monitoring the city is getting to her head,¡± grumbled Samuel.

    ¡°Who would have thought, right?¡± quipped Brynn with mock surprise.

    ¡°At least she is taking her additional healing duties seriously,¡± said Samuel. He put a hand to his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll give her that.¡± Samuel gave a long sigh that caused Brynn to raise her eyebrows.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Brynn. ¡°Something is on your mind.¡±

    Samuel¡¯s expression became pensive. ¡°We still haven¡¯t heard anything new about the magic sovereigns. It is getting suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Does not mean that they are not doing anything,¡± reminded Brynn.

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Samuel frowned. ¡°Magic obliges. The Council has stepped up in full and they have done so visibly and quickly, which makes a lot of sense to me. Their prominent and decisive actions have given some much needed direction, reassurance, and even inspiration to the citizenry.¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges,¡± repeated Samuel with a grave expression. ¡°I doubt that the magic sovereigns are idle. They have always been solemn and strict in following their duties.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t shake the worry that something else is going on.¡± Samuel cupped his face in his hands and took a deep breath. ¡°Anything that has the magic sovereigns occupied would have to be even worse than what is going on out in the open and that¡¯s¡­¡± Samuel let his voice trail off and shook his head. ¡°I just hope the lich kings and whoever else might be watching don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±

    ***

    Terry flipped topsy-turvy and used a burst technique to unexpectedly speed up further. He used the blunt part of his spear to pull the legs from under Lori. He burst his mana again to quickly follow up with his other spear and stopped not far away from Lori¡¯s head.

    ¡°Shenanigans!¡± shouted Jorg from the air.

    He was hanging roughly two meters above the earth. Terry had transfixed several pieces of Jorg¡¯s armor. Most importantly, Terry had transfixed Jorg¡¯s elbow protectors, which prevented him from moving his hands to direct mana. Terry chose equipment pieces that were unfamiliar for Jorg to move his mana towards. Together with Jorg¡¯s restrained hands, this immobilized the dwarf completely.

    ¡°D-double shenanigans,¡± muttered Lori before she broke out in a grin. ¡°We yield. Good spar!¡±

    Terry drew back his spear and held out his hand to Lori.

    On the sidelines, Gellath was frozen mid-bite with a dumbstruck expression. He had been eating from a bowl of potato chips and observed the match together with Thena, Clayson, Miguel, and Siling.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Miguel rubbed his eyes. ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Siling and blinked. She had been experimenting with Terry¡¯s spirit projection ring, that contained the vampire bat spirit, but now her attention was on the combat area as well.

    ¡°What?¡± Thena asked innocently. She looked around. ¡°Aren¡¯t they both Terry¡¯s age?¡±

    ¡°Not much of a surprise then, is it?¡± asked Clayson unperturbed.

    All the spectators turned to the two with baffled expressions.

    ¡°What?¡± Miguel blurted out. ¡°If it had been Gellath and me hitting the ground that quickly, that would be one thing. But that¡¯s Jorg. And Lori. L-o-r-i! Have you met Lori?¡±

    Gellath slowly continued his potato chip and swallowed. ¡°Miguel has a point. I¡¯ve never seen Lori hit the deck so quickly. Like. Ever. Not even alone against multiple opponents.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Miguel was exasperated. ¡°And this was together with Jorg. I mean, Jorg has focused more on crafting and spellwork recently, but he still ranks among the top when it comes to combat¡­¡±

    Thena furrowed her brow. ¡°But they¡¯re still Terry¡¯s age.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember Terry ever sparring with someone his age,¡± muttered Clayson retrospectively. ¡°The closest one would be the pest beetle and Isabella, but even they¡¯re a few years older.¡±

    ¡°Did Terry use to spar with people his own age here?¡± asked Thena bemusedly. ¡°Instructor Sigille always had him face older Guardians in combat practice.¡±

    Gellath stopped the hand that was bringing another potato chip to his mouth. ¡°Did his aunt not like Terry or something? That sounds rough, almost cruel¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of Instructor Sigille!¡± Thena spoke in a louder voice than usual, and she pouted. ¡°She wasn¡¯t cruel¡­¡±

    Gellath blinked with a blank expression and paused for a breath. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t. She was the Divine Hammer, after all. I would never seriously speak ill of the Divine Hammer. I¡¯m sure she had her reasons.¡± He held out the bowl to Thena. ¡°Chip?¡±

    Thena seemed embarrassed at her earlier outburst and pinched a potato chip. She appeared glad to have an excuse not to talk for a moment.

    ¡°Alright, looks like this elf has to step up after all,¡± said Siling haughtily. She acted as if she was rolling up her sleeves ¨C only that her armor did not really have sleeves. ¡°Lori, Jorg, let me lend a hand in pummeling him.¡± She continued in a teasing tone. ¡°He obviously needs the practice¡±

    Siling threw the spirit projection ring to Miguel, who shuddered when catching the ring. Miguel had also tested the ring earlier. The additional senses and flying ability sounded tempting. However, actually experiencing the shared senses had quickly eradicated all of his interest. The stomach-churning nausea and head-splitting headache had convinced Miguel that a magic item for flight was preferable. He was amazed that Terry continued practicing with the ring.

    In the combat area, Siling summoned her wiremoss tarantula soul spirit.

    ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡± Terry grinned. ¡°Long time no see.¡± He moved his gaze to Siling. ¡°Are you relying on Pricklybum? Not going to use a new soul spirit?¡±

    ¡°No comment,¡± said Siling. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to have a duel first?¡± asked Lori. ¡°Or three against one from the get-go?¡±

    Siling crossed her arms and tilted her head. ¡°I guess we could try a duel first. All in good fun anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be rooting for you, Siling,¡± said Jorg with a mischievous look to Terry.

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°What?¡± challenged Jorg. ¡°You left me hanging, bro. Literally.¡±

    Terry chuckled. ¡°Alright then.¡± He and Siling took their positions.

    Siling was smirking when the match started, and in the next moment, she had disappeared from sight.

    Huh? This isn¡¯t just camouflage or invisibility¡­ Terry was surprised. He was unable to sense Siling¡¯s mana signature. He did not see any earth disturbances on the ground, either. Nothing that would indicate someone standing or walking on it.

    Inwardly, Terry shrugged and began emitting low-intensity mana pulses. He dodged several rock spears that were flying his way and he stepped into the air when he sensed the Raise Icicles spell from below.

    Terry was surprised a second time when he sensed the Haste spell being cast on the wiremoss tarantula, but decided to ignore it due to the discovery from his mana pulses.

    There! Terry burst his mana and dashed towards her.

    ¡°Ehh?¡± Siling¡¯s surprised voice resounded over the area.

    ¡°W-wait a moment.¡± Siling hurriedly cast a barrier.

    Terry unleashed another disruption discharge before the barrier could completely manifest and he arrived in front of Siling with his spear pointed towards her chest.

    A floating Siling became visible. She scrunched up her face and hissed: ¡°Shenanigans!¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t spellwork, was it?¡± asked Terry. ¡°So you do have a new soul spirit. What is it?¡±

    Siling put a finger on her lips. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Terry suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. ¡°Huh?¡± He turned around.

    *Squitt* Terry was blasted with ink.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Siling giggled and floated away. ¡°Say hello to Peekaboo.¡±

    In front of Terry, a cuttlefish-like creature appeared and waved a tentacle. It was larger than a cloud badger. It had white skin with purple markings and the skin appeared slightly translucent.

    Now that the creature did not hide its presence anymore, Terry could detect multiple aspects.

    Most prominently: light, air, lightning.

    ¡°A fight isn¡¯t over till it¡¯s over, Terry.¡± Siling teased him while wagging her finger. ¡°Always watch your back.¡± She giggled again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a jumpscare cuttle,¡± said Siling in a more serious tone. ¡°Comes with vanishing and floating abilities.¡± Siling raised her fist to the heavens and solemnly declared: ¡°Never will I be luggage again!¡±

    Terry looked back to Prickybum and then to Siling. ¡°You can summon two soul spirits at once now?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Siling beamed happily. ¡°Peekaboo has a stronger lightning discharge ability than a cloud badger. I¡¯m actually thinking of retiring Sniffles. My soul is ready, but I still need to pick a more combat-oriented replacement. A heavy hitter if I can find one.¡±

    Terry grinned until he looked down at the ink clinging to himself. He heard the spectators snickering. A memory from the dungeon scavenger¡¯s adulthood ceremony flashed through Terry¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Thanks for the introduction,¡± said Terry. He opened his arms wide and looked at Siling. ¡°Care for a hug, old friend?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Siling blinked and examined Terry¡¯s ink-stained face and armor. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Terry gave a smile that did not reach his eyes while channeling mana into his bidirectional attraction gloves.

    Siling, who had been floating in the air, was pulled towards Terry. ¡°Wait, wait, let¡¯s talk about this. I¡¯m shy. This is inappropriate. I¡¯m not that kind of elf.¡± She made swimming motions in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Tiana. Noo~¡±

    ¡°This is considered a spar?¡± asked Clayson from the sidelines with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Technically, this round is already over,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Siling knows that as well. She was just goofing around.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Terry play around like this in Tiv,¡± said Thena with creased brows. ¡°He was basically always training.¡±

    ¡°The two have known each other for a while,¡± said Lori. ¡°Siling and Calam were Terry¡¯s first companions.¡±

    ¡°Aside from us,¡± interjected Jorg.

    Lori nodded. ¡°Aside from Jorg and me, Siling and Tiana have been working together with Terry the longest.¡±

    ¡°Alright, revenge!¡± shouted Siling, who was now smeared with ink as well. ¡°Let¡¯s gang up on him!¡±

    Lori and Jorg walked towards the field.

    ¡°Gellath, Miguel, are you in, too?¡± asked Siling.

    Gellath paused and examined the potato chip in his hand. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. Jorg and I have also signed up to help out as healers at the clinic later, so I¡¯ll need to save some mana. If you need even more goons to beat down Mister Shenanigans, then you can wait for Calam and his jump spells. He should be here soon.¡±

    Miguel looked at Siling. ¡°Fine, but only if I can hitch a ride with one of your soul spirits.¡±

    ¡°The Princess is at your service,¡± said Siling and grinned.

    They all moved to surround Terry. When everyone was ready, the match started and Miguel fired his first arrow at Terry, who was charging towards Siling. The arrow transfixed in the air without ever reaching Terry or causing him to move a muscle to deviate from his charge.

    Miguel blinked with mouth agape. ¡°Okay Terry, what the shit?¡± He shouted exasperatedly and quickly nocked another arrow¡­

    ***

    Terry was walking through the Guardian¡¯s crafting stalls. To Terry¡¯s relief, his contribution points from Tiv were valid in Arcana as well.

    When Terry had inquired about his situation, he had also learned that Matteo and Emaldine had already given statements about what had happened in Tiv. Their statements had already been corroborated by local Guardian management, who had done their own investigations.

    They had ruled that management in the Libra Outpost had been wrong to harbor a criminal with Anand¡¯s history and that, therefore, the actions of Sigille had been justified. While they could not completely condone what happened afterwards, they declared the actions of those on Matteo¡¯s side justifiable as well. In their reasoning, the parties had acted under the belief that Willow was an accomplice of Anand, and that belief appeared entirely justified. As such, Anand¡¯s crimes applied to Willow as well, and it was wrong for any Guardian to stand in the way of taking these criminals down.

    Consequently, Guardian management of Arcana City had decided to ignore the bounty within their jurisdiction. They had published their own missives to contest the bounty, to censure the actions of management in the Libra Outpost, and to declare the related bounty void within Arcana territory.

    Terry strolled through the area and looked for items that could be of use to him when a sign caught his attention: ¡®Urgent need of mana cores! Especially: arcane, light, life, nature. All core sizes.¡¯

    Sounds like they would be used for healing-related items, thought Terry.

    He remembered the stash of mana cores that Sigille and Matteo had given him. He approached the desk and took out the cores that fit the description.

    A Guardian walked over immediately. The woman showed visible relief when she saw the cores. ¡°Oh thank you, we are really running low at the moment. With everyone rushing to the outer zones to repel the Wastes, dungeon work is getting neglected.¡±

    The woman examined the cores. ¡°Perfect! They appear in outstanding condition.¡± She looked at Terry. ¡°If you¡¯ll hand me your Guardian card, I can immediately add the contribution points.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry bit his lips. ¡°I was not the one that collected these cores. They¡¯ve been gifted to me, so uhm, accepting contribution points does not feel right.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± rebuked the woman. ¡°No matter where you got them, they were yours, and you offered them to the Guardians.¡± She gestured for his card. ¡°If you want to help, then use the reward to equip yourself and find some more cores. We really need them. That arcane aspect is simply too rare to be used as a catalyst in practically everything.¡±

    Terry absentmindedly handed his Guardian card over. His eyes were glued to the sign.

    Arcane, light, nature.

    Purplemist lynx, shining dropbear and flash geckos, shrub raccoon and seed mice.

    Terry clenched his fists.

    Sigille¡¯s voice echoed in Terry¡¯s mind: ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we do our part?¡¯

    ***

 094 Something I Can Do

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 40 ¨C

    Terry stepped out of the special training room and saw the sun rise in the distance. He had been exercising inside the transparent box for nearly an hour. The room had assaulted him with fire blasts, icicles, and all sorts of magical attacks and terrain changes.

    Terry glanced back and reminisced about the first time he had seen this room. Back then, Isille and Bjorln had given them a primer on mana cultivation and introduced them to the Guardian training facilities in Arcana City.

    When he thought of his parents, Terry felt a tinge of homesickness. While he was technically home already, he had not been able to see Isille and Bjorln yet. He sighed and shook his head to clear his mind.

    Terry let his gaze wander over the training grounds and smiled faintly at the other people scuttling about. No matter which time Terry chose for his training, he was never alone here. There were always at least a few other Guardians training and practicing to improve themselves.

    Terry went over to a free training area and sat down first. He mentally went over the guidance which the Guardian instructor had given him.

    First stage of cloaking¡­

    Terry closed his eyes and concentrated on his mana sense. A large part of his mana circulation had become second nature, which was great for speedy reactions, but in order to cloak himself, he needed to carefully pay attention again. Terry slowed his moving mana and then took tight control of it, to not let a single trace of it leak outside his body.

    Basics done. I still need to get used to it before I can combine it with my normal mana circulation speed.

    ¡°Not to mention burst techniques,¡± muttered Terry, while keeping his eyes closed. ¡°Still, perspective.¡±

    I reached the basic level much quicker than the Instructor anticipated.

    Nevertheless, Terry frowned. He took a deep breath.

    Second stage of cloaking¡­

    Terry carefully sensed the ambient mana in the environment and tried to mimic the mana concentration by leaking a controlled amount of mana.

    The ambient mana here is unaspected. It is fortunate that my oscillating mana can¡¯t easily be distinguished from unaspected mana.

    ¡°Sadly, in aspect-emphasized environments, I¡¯ll never be able to apply the second stage,¡± muttered Terry with disappointment. ¡°Not without a magic item, at least.¡±

    Terry frowned again. He recollected the channeler that had destroyed some of his equipment with extreme heat. His bracer and armor had been beyond salvaging. If he had worn his old glove imprinted with the Gravitational Attraction spell, then it would have been permanently damaged as well. Even though the woven self-mending inscriptions from Brynn had saved his new inscribed glove, it had taken several days for it to recover to be usable once more.

    Downsides of relying on items¡­

    Terry continued his breathing and cloaking exercise while mentally going over his new equipment orders. Most of them should be ready for him in the afternoon.

    Terry opened his eyes in order to increase the difficulty for his cloaking. The additional sensory input from his eyes always made it harder to concentrate on his mana sense. Just like louder environments.

    When thinking about his new equipment, Terry smiled. He remembered how his Aunt Brynn had first suggested mana crafting to Terry. The suggestion was made to overcome his casting speed limitation.

    Stopgap.

    Terry smiled because his casting speed had increased tremendously since then. Many of his imprinted equipment pieces had become obsolete. He could cast the spell on his equipment whenever he needed it. He had graduated from his first stopgap.

    More room for shielding. Less mana interference with my other magic items¡­

    Terry thought of the possibility of using the new freedom to wrap the divine hammer inscription around his arms as well, but immediately dismissed the idea.

    Focus. Not before I can manage a proper weight-bearing surface with the inscription on my legs.

    Afterwards, Terry sensed his two new anklets. They were among the cheapest storage items Terry could find ¨C based on a comparably simple enchantment that would expire before two years. His requirements were low, since these ankle bracelets were supposed to be filled with mostly worthless junk. Pebbles and various pieces of wood or metal.

    Terry had purchased the anklets with some of the contribution points he had earned in Tiv. He had felt awkward because so many contribution points had come from missions when he had traveled with Sigille, Matteo, and Cadence. Missions, in which Terry had not contributed enough in his own opinion.

    He had thought of using the anklets to already start practicing air movement like he would have to use once the divine hammer inscription afforded steady footing. He could use the junk from the storage bracelets and his Immovable Object spell to create jumping surfaces as well.

    Also helps with practicing casting through my feet¡­

    The fact that he used the contribution points to prepare for the divine hammer inscription made Terry feel better about spending the points from his instruction missions.

    Terry wondered how his new armor would feel. His mana compression had improved, which meant he could afford smaller pearls for movement and smaller protective scales for the webbing inlay. Him not having to imprint the items first also made it more viable to use more of each for his new armor.

    Afterwards, Terry retrieved a few documents from his dimensional storage. The documents included all the information on Alrik¡¯s formerly secret dungeon that had been gathered by the Guardians up to now, including all after mission reports.

    The purplemist lynx appears plenty of times below the floor from back then¡­

    Terry bit his lip while reading the information on the sheets of paper.

    ***

    Terry sat cross-legged on the training grounds. He was snacking on a sandwich he had brought to serve as his breakfast. At the same time, Terry compressed the rotating mass of mana inside of himself further and further. At various locations inside and outside his body, he shaped several new experimental refractors he wanted to try out.

    Terry swallowed the food in his mouth and released the pressure on the rotating mana sphere. The sphere rapidly expanded while rotating and hitting the positioned mana refractors.

    Terry whirled his head around when he sensed a single spiral of dense mana lines emerge from a location at his back. He held his breath and examined the path that led to this spiral in his mana sight.

    Afterwards, Terry moved the dungeon information in front of him away and scribbled into one of his notebooks. He sketched the refractor shapes and locations that he had tested and documented the estimated mana velocity and compression. He marked the path that had led to a nearly workable spell slicer.

    Not that far off¡­

    Terry rubbed his chin and allowed himself a moment to dream of a proper disruption pulse.

    He stopped when he sensed a familiar mana signature approach from the distance. He narrowed his eyes because the mana signature disappeared a moment later. Terry snickered and began emitting low-intensity mana pulses. Eventually, he spoke without turning around: ¡°Morning, Siling. You¡¯re up early.¡±

    A dark-haired, elven woman became visible and showed a disappointed expression. ¡°Morning.¡± Siling crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re no fun. How did you catch me? You can¡¯t have been sitting here pulsating the surroundings the whole morning? Did someone snitch when I wanted to arrive?¡±

    ¡°It might have worked if you had used the ability earlier,¡± said Terry amusedly. ¡°I sensed you when you arrived through the northern district gate.¡±

    Siling scrunched up her face and then glanced at the direction she came from. ¡°You can¡¯t see it, but I want you to know I¡¯m looking exasperated. That¡¯s like¡­¡± She exhaled sharply. ¡°I believe I¡¯m getting a headache.

    ¡°Alright, so much for my fun surprises,¡± exclaimed Siling dejectedly. ¡°I can¡¯t really walk through the gate all invisible. The guards would become slightly suspicious of what I need to be invisible for.¡±

    ¡°You could walk the whole distance instead of going by gate,¡± proposed Terry.

    ¡°Yeah no.¡± Siling shook her head exaggeratedly and walked around to face Terry.

    Some things never change, thought Terry, and chuckled.

    ¡°What got you up so early?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Well, I was feeling pretty good about my recent progress.¡± Siling tapped her lips with her finger. ¡°Until someone appeared and was all Tiana-on-steroids, outright refusing to lose a spar like any sensible person. This ratio of battle demons to sensible elves is making me feel a teeny bit nervous.¡±

    Terry raised his eyebrows in a skeptical expression.

    ¡°Therefore, I thought I could forgo some beauty sleep to train some more,¡± said Siling. She leaned forward with anticipating eyes.

    ¡°Your later combinations were getting better and better,¡± said Terry while scribbling some more in his notebook.

    Siling leaned back and shook her head with a pout. ¡°You were supposed to say that, as beautiful as I am, I don¡¯t need any more beauty sleep, though. Tut tut tut. It seems the instructions on important matters have been lacking in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted and looked up, which caused Siling to giggle.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not the only one skipping their beauty sleep,¡± said Siling. ¡°The others, too, wanted to arrive earlier today.¡±

    Siling yawned and changed topics. ¡°I¡¯m looking for new spellwork again. Any opinions to offer?¡±

    Terry thought over the spells Siling already knew, as well as the spells he had encountered so far. ¡°Depends¡­¡±

    When he didn¡¯t continue his thought for nearly a minute, Siling leaned forward and raised her eyebrows. ¡°On what?¡±

    ¡°How far you want to go with the aerial route,¡± replied Terry when jolted from his thoughts. ¡°Among other things.¡±

    ¡°The aerial spar with Calam, Peekaboo, and you were fun, but I¡¯m not sure yet¡­¡± Siling tilted her head. ¡°I mostly accepted the floating as a package deal with the vanishing ability. Although it is quite useful to stay out of trouble with most opponents.¡±

    ¡°One of the most annoying spells I encountered was Shadow Bind,¡± said Terry. ¡°But that would have limited applicability against opponents in the air, similar to your rock spears. Its purpose also overlaps with your Entangling Roots. While its individual effect is more useful, it does not really synergize with Liquify Earth.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°The standard for aerial combat would be Wind Blade, which is also useful down on the ground¡­¡± Terry, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, tapped his knees with his fingertips. ¡°Perhaps Metal Hammer? That could be used both to knock enemies to the ground and to smash them into liquified earth.¡±

    ¡°Another would be Drain Mana, but that would require you to get relatively close,¡± continued Terry in thought. ¡°While it may be complemented by the vanishing ability, that is still a risk. It would be a useful combination with Share Mana though.¡±

    ¡°If you are going the aerial route¡­¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Perhaps some large-scale attack spells. Higher level Fireball or Ice Barrage. Those are more effective from the air.¡±

    ¡°Among those I have encountered, the most annoying spell by far was an amazing application of the Resonance spell from the sonic aspect.¡± Terry grimaced involuntarily at the memory.

    ¡°Aside from space magic at least,¡± continued Terry with a slight scowl. He pushed the image of Anand and Ava out of his mind, and looked at Siling in thought. ¡°Haste and your Resummon Soul spell worked great together.¡± Terry remembered the paired instruction rings from Sigille. ¡°Is there an inverse spell that lets you move towards a summoned soul spirit?¡± He explained the ring¡¯s function to Siling and how it had saved him in Syn City. ¡°Together with your current spells, that would open up a whole new level of mobility.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there should be something like that,¡± said Siling pensively. ¡°But it goes beyond soul spirit manipulation and includes the space aspect.¡± She frowned slightly. ¡°Haste was already a headache. I need to check what the supposed level for that spell is.¡±

    While thinking, Siling moved her eyes over the documents next to Terry¡¯s notebook. Afterwards, she shot Terry an inquisitive glance. ¡°Some light reading for the morning?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry hesitated, but decided that of everyone, Siling would probably be the best candidate to share his intentions with first. ¡°You mentioned you are thinking about retiring Sniffles, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Siling raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Would you be able to capture the purplemist lynx¡¯s soul?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Is your own soul strong enough by now?¡±

    Siling blinked, and her expression was blank for several breaths. ¡°Yes, I think so. It would fit well, but¡­¡± She fingered through the documents. ¡°This dungeon again? I thought we had all grown wary of dungeon work? Especially of this particular dungeon.¡±

    Siling lifted her gaze to glance at Terry and then returned her attention back to the documents. ¡°The purplemist lynx and its mana abilities are sure tempting, but I would not want to drag people along just for a new soul spirit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± said Terry. He explained about the mana core shortage.

    Siling listened quietly.

    ***

    ¡°¡°¡°No!¡±¡±¡± Both Jorg and Lori exclaimed with ashen faces.

    Miguel observed Terry and puffed his cheeks.

    Gellath had paled slightly. He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms in thought.

    Calam was fidgeting with his hands.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t like back then,¡± said Terry. ¡°The dungeon has been explored and assessed. I have read through the available information and recent reports. I intend to accept it as proper dungeon work. No secrets. Proper preparation.¡±

    ¡°But what if the scrolls fail again?¡± asked Lori in a trembling voice.

    ¡°The scrolls most likely failed because of a spatial seal set up by the dungeon,¡± explained Terry. ¡°I have experimented together with Uncle Samuel and Instructor Ser from the Academy. None of their spatial seals could endure a burst with oscillating mana.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°And there are now stationed Guardians waiting directly outside. I don¡¯t intend to clear it, I just want to collect some cores.¡± He glanced at Siling. ¡°And perhaps collect a rare soul spirit while at it.¡±

    Siling suppressed the instinct to flinch when the reproachful gazes of Jorg and Lori hit her. She clenched her fists and forcefully maintained a calm expression.

    ¡°If you need money, I can¡ª¡± started Jorg.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money,¡± insisted Terry.

    ¡°But why does it have to be this dungeon?¡± asked Lori. ¡°You don¡¯t burst mana when you sleep. What if¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of sleeping next to that dungeon,¡± said Terry calmly. ¡°But I also believe nothing would happen if I did. I don¡¯t understand completely what happened, but I have slept next to plenty of dungeons since then. Even here, I¡¯m close to a dungeon. Even here¡ª¡± Terry stopped himself when he saw the color drain further from the face of his siblings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened or why.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t control what happens, only how I react to it. Yes, my disappearance was weird, but I came back. Even if something happens, I¡¯ll come back. Yes, there is a risk, but I don¡¯t want this risk to control my life. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    Terry ordered his thoughts. ¡°The Guardians are desperate for mana cores. Particularly for cores of the arcane aspect. A pure arcane aspect is rare, but that dungeon definitely spawns the purplemist lynx.¡±

    Miguel nodded slightly.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jorg exhaled a quivering breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money, it¡¯s about¡­¡± Terry heard the voice of Sigille in his mind. ¡°Doing my part.¡± He thought of the Veilbinder¡¯s story. ¡°It¡¯s about doing what I can.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Brynn said the crafters have their pride, and that everyone is doing what they can to help Arcana through this crisis,¡± said Terry. ¡°Dungeon work is currently neglected, because so many of the stronger Guardians are busy dealing with the broken barrier.¡±

    Terry took another deep breath. ¡°I can¡¯t craft anything too useful. I don¡¯t think I can make much of a difference at the border.¡± He glanced at Jorg and Gellath. ¡°I can¡¯t help out at the clinic either.¡±

    ¡°This?¡± Terry clenched his fists. ¡°This is something I can do.¡±

    ¡°I already know the upper floors in this dungeon,¡± said Terry. ¡°I have additional information from the Guardians. With oscillating mana and its effect on spatial locks, I am taking less of a risk than anyone else would.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Unca Samuel!¡± Lori burst out.

    ¡°I already did,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°He wasn¡¯t happy.¡±

    Not one bit. Terry flinched inwardly when remembering that talk.

    ¡°But he understood my reasoning,¡± finished Terry. ¡°He lectured me on all sorts of safeguards I ought to prepare, but he won¡¯t stop me. With all those safeguards, the profit will be much lower than an average dungeon dive, but I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s not about the money.¡±

    Lori and Jorg glanced at each other. Their gazes flashed between worry, unwillingness, and determination. For a moment, it looked as if they wanted to tie Terry up and drag him away, but in the end, they just walked to his side.

    ¡°When will we go?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere without us,¡± stressed Jorg.

    ¡°Good point,¡± said Siling and pointed at Jorg. ¡°What he said.¡±

    ¡°I figure we can get to the purplemist lynx floors,¡± said Miguel. ¡°While we are missing a few people, we should all have improved a bit. And we know what we are getting into this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come, too.¡± Gellath said weakly.

    Jorg and Miguel looked at him with concern.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± added Jorg. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that,¡± protested Gellath. ¡°Besides, in therapy, they also said that it helps to confront the root of your issues. Sooner or later, I would have visited this dungeon again, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Calam nervously stepped next to Gellath. ¡°I missed out on the first round, so I still owe a dungeon dive and¡­¡± He held out a fist towards Gellath. ¡°Freeze buddies, right?¡±

    ¡°Damn straight.¡± Gellath grinned and fist-bumped with Calam. ¡°Prepare. Habitualize. Watch and thaw.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry opened his mouth but failed to say anything. His eyes moved over everyone.

    ¡°You did not seriously believe that we would let you go in there alone?¡± asked Siling and snorted. ¡°I would say you already had enough alone time in dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if you are worried about us, then you should worry about yourself first,¡± grumbled Jorg. ¡°Don¡¯t do it if it¡¯s too risky.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re your whaka,¡± mumbled Lori faintly. ¡°...it goes both ways.¡±

    ¡°I got the first two.¡± Miguel spoke to Gellath. ¡°Habitualizing the reflex of casting that new spell whenever you freeze and then the prepared items as a second line of defense. But what is ¡®watch and thaw¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Keeping an eye on the situation with its relation to your freeze buddy,¡± said Calam. ¡°Means we are not completely free to engage the situation, because we need to keep a part of our focus there.¡±

    ¡°But together, we¡¯ll be like, uhh¡­¡± Gellath glanced around.

    ¡°Half a Lori?¡± suggested Miguel.

    Lori narrowed her eyes while Jorg rolled his.

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± Gellath grinned. ¡°Pretty useful, right?¡±

    ¡°Could kick my bum at least.¡± Miguel snickered before returning to a deadpan expression. ¡°But that¡¯s not saying much.¡±

    Gellath snorted.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the thaw part?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Well, if I freeze, Calam is supposed to figuratively whack me over the head to unfreeze or thaw me,¡± said Gellath. ¡°Same the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told us about this part before?¡± asked Miguel with narrowed eyes. From the side, Jorg was also leaning closer.

    Gellath glanced from Miguel to Jorg and puckered his lips. ¡°Because with you two nitwits, the whacking would probably be less figurative and way more literal than I would like it to be.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± exclaimed Jorg with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll prepare some blunt, weighted arrows,¡± added Miguel with a snicker. ¡°Perhaps some cold water or electric shock modifications.¡±

    Gellath turned to Calam with insincere exasperation. ¡°See what I have to put up with?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go visit Elena.¡± Lori began walking off before turning around again. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later.¡±

    ***

    Late in the evening, Terry was sitting on a desk in his room while practicing his mana cloaking.

    He read over the dungeon reports one more time. He mentally went over the checklist of safeguards. Aside from several sets of Mark-and-Recall scrolls, Terry had purchased several emergency signal options.

    One could be paired with a device the stationed Guardians on dungeon duty had prepared. The device was limited in application, but better than the Guardian card signal system when crossing dungeon borders. Its reach was a lot shorter and it could only be used once per day, but it could breach the dungeon¡¯s signal interference and communicate the floor and position from which the signal had been sent.

    Another device could emit a strong flare signal that would rush up the dungeon until it reached the entrance room where the stationed Guardians could see it. It was powered by an unaspected mana crystal and would consume a large fraction of the crystal¡¯s mana with a single activation. Most dungeon divers avoided its use. Applications like Terry¡¯s mana sublimator were extremely unpopular because they were basically burning money.

    Last, Terry had sold some more of the mana cores that had been gifted by Sigille and Matteo in order to purchase several additional scrolls. Most were for sending a signal of one kind or another. Two were to create a powerful barrier while help was on the way.

    Terry checked his new equipment piece by piece. After confirming everything to his satisfaction, Terry leaned back in his chair and thought over the reactions from his friends.

    Not long after Terry had breached the topic, Lori had come back with Elena. To Terry¡¯s surprise, even Elena had declared that she would join. Terry furrowed his brow. He recalled how Elena had repeatedly mentioned that she can ask a friend of her family to watch and help her sick father for a day, but not longer.

    Elena¡¯s tone was slightly odd at those times¡­ Maybe Lori has put her up to it? I really have no intention of staying longer around that dungeon than necessary though. I did not want to worry her that much¡­

    Terry bit his lips. He moved his eyes over the notebooks that were scrambled over the table. He thought over his talk with Samuel and Ser. About Samuel¡¯s theory on the nature of oscillating mana.

    Intersection of life and space¡­ Something is still missing.

    Terry thought over the behavior when bursting with oscillating mana and the patterns he had identified before.

    Explains the Immovable Object effect.

    Perhaps explains the mana moving on its own? Is the ¡®space¡¯ alive? That seems like a stretch. Does it just move randomly, or is there an underlying reason for how it moves?

    Why does a burst break apart spatial locks? What about the spell¡¯s limitations? Or the influence of mana naturalization? What about¡­?

    Terry took a deep breath and absentmindedly flipped through his notebooks while contemplating potential explanations. He subconsciously stopped at an entry he had created in Tiv.

    The throwing needle that transfixed later than expected¡­

    Terry read over what he had been doing at the time.

    Practicing the aspecting technique and an exercise to position throwing needles at a specific angle before they transfix.

    Terry blinked and tapped his pen on his notebook.

    It was the last needle I threw. Coincidence?

    Terry narrowed his eyes.

    Anything special?

    ¡°I lost my concentration when I heard the knock at the door,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°I turned to the side and¡­¡± Terry paused and closed his eyes. He pictured his desk back in Tiv.

    ¡°Aspecting with my left hand,¡± murmured Terry. ¡°I practiced it together with my mana reach, so the needle was on the desk.¡± He roughly positioned his left hand over the desk.

    ¡°I picked up throwing needles with my right hand for the positioning exercise¡­¡± Terry positioned his right hand over the desk.

    ¡°Then came the knock¡­¡± Terry imagined the sound he heard. Terry felt the reflex to turn towards the noise at the door, and he opened his eyes. He looked towards his left and his upper body turned with his gaze. He noticed the positioning of his hands.

    ¡°Could it be?¡± Terry¡¯s eyes were fixated on his right hand. Turning towards the imagined door caused his hand¡¯s position to move as well. His right hand was now close to the imaginary throwing needle that was intended for the aspecting practice.

    Terry let his hands fall on the desk. He picked up his pen and began writing.

    ***

 095 The Difference a Year Can Make

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 45 ¨C

    Terry was waiting at the spot where they wanted to meet up before leaving Arcana City.

    ¡°You should have seen their faces when Terry appeared,¡± said Miguel with a snicker. ¡°They looked as if their brains were hurting worse than from the fire in training.¡± Miguel glanced at Terry. ¡°And when he signed up for the other available aspect resistance courses, you could almost see their brains melting.¡±

    While Miguel was telling his story, Lori¡¯s eyes were fixated on Terry. Next to Lori, Jorg smiled, but his expression seemed forced.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame them,¡± muttered Gellath with a horrified glance towards Terry.

    ¡°It does sound unpleasant, doesn¡¯t it?¡± quipped Siling.

    Calam held his own nape with his right hand. He was looking at the floor in thought.

    ¡°Nevertheless, I appreciate the additional company,¡± said Miguel lightheartedly. ¡°Misery loves company or some such thing.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s that base material of your armor?¡± Miguel asked Terry. ¡°It looks strangely glossy. And the color is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Reminiscent of a turd?¡± suggested Gellath helpfully. ¡°A polished turd.¡±

    Siling snorted and suppressed a snicker.

    Terry ignored the jab. ¡°Volcanic mycelium. A type of mushroom leather. Since it can be grown, it is cheaper than comparable alternatives and the armor-smith even gave a special discount to test the new material. It is tougher than cloud badger hide and it comes with a strong resistance to heat and fire.¡±

    The armor had been crafted according to Terry¡¯s specifications. His bracers, shin-protectors, boot-mechanism, and chest plate were still there. The septimum pieces were now all covered by one layer of heat-resistant mushroom leather, in addition to the mana-osmotic material.

    Shielded septimum scales were woven into the inner fabric of the armor to fulfill the same purpose as Terry¡¯s previous inlay, with sparse scales woven into it.

    Several shielded rotation pearls were placed along the metal armor pieces. This time, the pearls were several sizes smaller and even the chest plate included a few.

    Last, Terry was now wearing a visorless helmet from the same base material and with several shielded septimum scales. The helmet carried an inscription to summon an unaspected barrier to both form a visor and create additional protection along the rest of the helmet.

    Terry raised his eyebrows at some approaching figures. Emaldine was walking towards them with Thena following at her heel and Clayson slightly behind.

    ¡°Still here?¡± asked Emaldine.

    Thena was standing next to Emaldine and occasionally stole starry-eyed glances at her. Meanwhile, Clayson was yawning and scratching his belly.

    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for Elena,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be here soon,¡± added Terry. ¡°How was the assessment?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Emaldine. ¡°Almost done. Soon, I can officially join Matteo as his Guardian partner.¡±

    ¡°It was amazing,¡± interjected Thena with a giddy squeak. ¡°They had to rotate in new combat examiners. Thrice!¡±

    Terry saw Emaldine squirming uncomfortably under the starry-eyed gaze from Thena.

    ¡°It was entertaining to watch,¡± added Clayson, and yawned again.

    ¡°They asked me if I want to sign up as an instructor for burst techniques and my dual spear style,¡± muttered Emaldine. She glanced at Thena, who was blinking innocently with unrestrained admiration. ¡°Ahem.¡± She turned back to Terry.

    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t really see myself as an instructor,¡± said Emaldine. She tried to ignore the pout on Thena¡¯s face and the way she now hung her head. ¡°I still need to catch up on dungeon work experience if Matteo insists on dungeon pioneering missions.¡±

    ¡°Where is your cousin?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Currently out on a Guild mission further in the north,¡± replied Terry.

    ¡°Should be done soon unless something unexpected happens,¡± added Emaldine. She moved her eyes back to Terry. ¡°How was your own assessment?¡±

    ¡°Sufficient for this particular dungeon,¡± replied Terry. ¡°As long as we stay in the upper half.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± Emaldine nodded slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve basically fulfilled the advanced curriculum given your experiences in Tiv. Your burst techniques and discharges should even qualify beyond that.¡±

    This time, it was Terry that winced slightly. He recalled the words from the Guardian examiners after his assessment: ¡®If you want, you could have a bright future in bounty hunting and escort missions.¡¯

    On the one hand, Terry had been happy to have his sensing and combat ability praised. On the other hand, the latter praise was specifically narrowed to anti-personnel combat ability. Terry had to admit that his combat experience was getting more and more skewed towards facing folk as opponents. He was not sure how to feel about that.

    To change the topic, Terry looked at Thena, who was still sneaking glances at Emaldine, and Clayson next to her. ¡°How about you two? Have you found your courses and instructors?¡±

    ¡°I mostly practice my family¡¯s axe style,¡± said Clayson while patting his two one-handed axes. ¡°There are a few courses I am interested in, though.¡± He glanced at Thena. ¡°I¡¯ll make the decision once I know Thena¡¯s schedule.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Thena was lightly kicking some dirt on the ground.

    ¡°What about you¡­?¡± Terry paused when he realized that Thena¡¯s action was not of bashfulness but more a result of gloominess. Therefore, he added: ¡°Senior Sister Thena?¡±

    Among the group, many people smiled warmly at the unusual title for the short, young dwarf. Terry had explained it once before, but they still thought it funny. They also understood that it was intended to cheer her up.

    Thena lifted her head with some newfound dignity. ¡°There are several instructors for the dwarven two-handed axe. They seem to make less use of the modified grip for thrusts, though.¡±

    Thena shrugged. She remembered her time being instructed by Sigille, who had always made it a point to incorporate thrusts. Her voice became weaker: ¡°...don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Pa Bjorln originally learned the two-handed axe in the same style as Aunt Sigille.¡± Jorg pointed out. ¡°Once he¡¯s back, we can ask him to instruct you as well.¡±

    Thena nodded faintly.

    Emaldine bit her lip. She repeatedly averted her eyes, only to have them find their way back to Thena. Eventually, Emaldine sighed. ¡°You know, back when I had not settled on spears, I also picked up a few axe instructions from Ma. If you want, I could¡ª¡±

    Thena¡¯s head whirled around and she nearly tripped over her own feet. The stars had reappeared in her eyes.

    Emaldine was taken aback by the intense reaction, and it took a moment for her to finish her words. ¡°I could instruct you in what I still remember.¡±

    ¡°There she is!¡± exclaimed Lori and waved at Elena, who was walking over.

    ¡°New armor?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Looks shiny.¡±

    Elena grinned in her silvery ring mail. ¡°I actually bought it a while ago but haven''t gotten a chance to use it yet. I don¡¯t break my equipment so often anymore, which does wonders for my purse. I guess we are both taking out our new outfits. Uhh¡­¡± Elena creased her brows.

    ¡°No need for turd jokes,¡± said Gellath. ¡°We already got them covered.¡±

    Elena snorted. ¡°Good. I knew I could rely on you.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes and shrugged.

    ¡°How is your pa?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°Fine for now,¡± replied Elena. She glanced at Lori and then at Terry. ¡°A day should be fine.¡±

    Terry made sure that his expression reflected his acknowledgement of the pointed emphasis. Just like all the previous times¡­

    ¡°The healers are keeping him stable,¡± said Elena. ¡°So that the doctors can perform the treatment.¡±

    ¡°Only treatment? Is there no cure?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Elena. ¡°It is not just an infection or wound. The doctors can only cut out the problematic cell growths. If his body stops producing such growths, then he will be cured. Otherwise, the only real option is for him to start mana cultivation so that his own mana can assist his immune system.¡±

    ¡°My grandma had the same illness at some point,¡± interjected Calam. ¡°Her advanced age made it difficult to begin cultivating her mana, but afterwards, she got better. Here¡¯s hoping your father can push through as well.¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± muttered Elena before smiling warmly at Calam. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Alright kids, I wish you a good dive,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°Stay safe and don¡¯t take unnecessary risks.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow at Emaldine.

    ¡°What?¡± hissed Emaldine, and she narrowed her eyes at Terry¡¯s skeptical expression.

    Terry¡¯s eyebrow lowered itself submissively.

    ¡°Time to go,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Or all the good dungeon creatures will be taken.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Junior Brother Terry!¡± said Thena while waving happily.

    ¡°Yeah, take care, Junior Brother Terry,¡± repeated Clayson with a teasing tone that caused Thena to squint at him with a pout.

    Afterwards, Terry and the others moved through the dimensional gate to exit Arcana City.

    ***

    Next to Terry, Jorg suddenly vanished and reappeared at a distance.

    ¡°These are so awesome,¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°Thank you, brother!¡±

    Terry was happy that Jorg liked the Blink imprinted boot inlays he had gifted him. Initially, Terry had wanted to purchase them for himself, but when thinking about gifts for his siblings, he had remembered how Jorg had worried about not being able to reach Gellath back in the dungeon.

    Jorg¡¯s biggest problem in their spars was that Terry only needed a single opportunity to permanently take him out of the fight with the Immovable Object spell. The additional mobility from the imprint should help Jorg bridge the ability gap somewhat.

    Terry suppressed his grin and warned: ¡°Even though I got lucky by finding some well-crafted imprints with better-than-average primer-recovery, you should make sure that they are fully charged when we hit the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Jorg grinned.

    ¡°Where did you get them?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°I was considering something like that as well. Together with the Immovable Object imprints, it could make for an intermediate solution before I can afford a proper flying artifact.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± gasped Siling. ¡°Is my Peekaboo not good enough for you?! And here the poor thing thought you had a special relationship!¡±

    ¡°If you are agreeable to always accompany me on hunts, then I can reconsider, of course,¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°Grumpy would be a pleasant addition as well. At least Grumpy does not complain about how I taste afterwards.¡±

    Siling giggled.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    ¡°Peekaboo has taste buds in its tentacles,¡± said Siling. ¡°It is not fond of Miguel¡¯s aftertaste.¡±

    ¡°Can you really blame the poor thing?¡± quipped Jorg sympathetically.

    Gellath somberly shook his head. ¡°I bow my head in front of Peekaboo¡¯s tremendous sacrifice for the team.¡±

    ¡°ANYWAY,¡± interjected Miguel. ¡°Where did you get them?¡±

    ¡°New shop next to the sweets peddler,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°And that explains how Terry found it.¡± Siling snickered.

    Calam grinned at the familiar banter.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you had to gift the inlays to Jorg and the mask to Lori.¡± Miguel shook his head in insincere exasperation. ¡°I feel like the world would have been a better place the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± complained Jorg.

    Gellath snorted amusedly.

    Lori was wearing a pair of enchanted darkvision goggles that were currently on her forehead instead of in front of her eyes. She wore a neckcloth that she had put over her mouth to test its enchantment effect. Both items had been gifted to her by Terry.

    ¡°The mask allows Lori to breathe even under the earth,¡± said Terry. ¡°Jorg does not know the Liquify Earth or Shape Earth spells. Together with Lori¡¯s other spells, this makes for an excellent combination. At least, I still don¡¯t have a good counter to a mage hiding underneath the earth while relying on ranged attacks.¡± Terry thought back to the death mage Yancey¡¯s fighting style in Syn City.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not your brotherly instincts acting up?¡± joked Miguel. ¡°Are you by chance trying to hide your sister¡¯s pretty face from the world?¡±

    Lori stiffened and hastily moved the goggles over her eyes. Together with the mask, a large part of her face was now hidden.

    Elena watched the remaining traces of skin on Lori¡¯s face blush and leaned in to whisper something to her.

    ¡°What?¡± retorted Terry eloquently. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Same question here.¡± Jorg snuck a glance at Miguel. ¡°As long as her face does not attract another Alrik, my brotherly instincts are telling me to root for my sister.¡±

    While they talked some more nonsense, Terry focused on the throwing needles in his hands.

    From his recent experiments, Terry discovered that there was a relation between the presence of his own naturalized mana inside an object and the activation delay when casting the Immovable Object spell afterwards.

    It did not seem simply to depend on the amount of mana. He had noticed a difference in delay between a uniformly charged object and one that was being charged with the aspecting technique from the aspect archers. Terry was not sure yet what to make of that finding. One benefit was that he could gain the ability to more precisely control the activation time and extend or reduce the delay beyond the material¡¯s inherent properties.

    In theory. In reality, that would require me to create the required charge with naturalized mana, and doing that takes some time. But if I manage to increase my mana intensity further¡­

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Terry stopped his train of thoughts and considered further implications of his finding.

    At the very least, it proves that the presence of oscillating mana can affect the spell¡¯s effect and¡­

    Terry furrowed his brow. He had involuntarily thought of the table in his notebook and the burst behavior. He had always wondered why the burst behavior did not manifest without bursting after he had progressed in his mana cultivation.

    Balance.

    The word sprung up in Terry¡¯s mind. He subconsciously slowed his steps, which caused Calam to bump into him.

    ¡°Uhh, sorry,¡± exclaimed Calam.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault,¡± said Terry apologetically. ¡°I got lost in thought.¡±

    Terry¡¯s gaze fell on Siling¡¯s hands. ¡°Huh?¡± He sensed mana movement from her hands.

    ¡°What? Surprised?¡± asked Siling. ¡°I have my own worry stones now.¡± She revealed the mana containers in her hands.

    Calam snorted.

    ¡°Actually, you should reimburse me for them.¡± Siling looked at Terry. ¡°After all, you were the one that made us worry.¡±

    Terry squinted at her while trying to figure out if she was serious or not. Terry¡¯s expression caused both Calam and Siling to guffaw.

    ***

    Terry was carrying Gellath on his back while running over the plains towards the dungeon. He sensed the mana signatures of his companions to estimate their current mana pool levels.

    Siling was riding her wiremoss tarantula soul spirit Pricklybum and occasionally cast Haste on her soul spirit.

    ¡°This is humiliating.¡± Miguel had his arms crossed while he was floating in the air in Peekaboo¡¯s embrace. The floating cuttlefish was latching onto Pricklybum with one tentacle and grabbing Miguel with the others.

    ¡°I feel like a children¡¯s balloon.¡± Miguel¡¯s grumbling caused Siling to snicker.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re complaining about,¡± said Gellath from Terry¡¯s back. ¡°Onwards, my noble steed!¡± He raised his arm next to Terry¡¯s head and pointed forward.

    After they had passed the last tertiary gate on their route, they had decided to rush the remaining distance and later use time during the check-in with the stationed Guardians and perhaps the easier upper floors to regenerate their mana and stamina.

    Lori and Jorg could keep up the speed despite their short legs, but the same did not apply to Gellath and Miguel.

    ¡°You better not get used to this,¡± said Elena between controlled breaths. She had changed her path to run next to Terry and Gellath. ¡°You better make sure that you can exit the dungeon on your own two legs.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma''am,¡± acknowledged Gellath. ¡°But until then¡­ Wheeee!¡±

    Lori and Jorg, who were running next to them, snorted amusedly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, then I¡¯ll ask Calam to be your mount next time,¡± said Terry jokingly.

    Gellath glanced up towards Calam, who was periodically using force-spells applied to himself that made it seem as if he was jumping long distances on air.

    Gellath¡¯s stomach turned just by imagining being subjected to the frequent acceleration, deceleration, and change in height. Not to mention the occasional somersaults and direction shifts that Calam added for his own practice.

    Gellath¡¯s mouth hung open while subconsciously shaking his head. He started coughing. ¡°Blergh. I swallowed a bug.¡±

    They proceeded like this until they were close to the dungeon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check in with the stationed Guardians,¡± said Terry, and put Gellath down. Siling and Jorg joined Terry while the others took a breather and rehydrated.

    Terry nearly stumbled when he recognized one of the mana signatures among the Guardians. ¡°Instructor Verecund?¡±

    ¡°Greetings. You¡¯re earlier than I expected,¡± said Verecund.

    ¡°Did you know we were coming?¡± asked Siling with curved brows.

    ¡°Are you here at Uncle Samuel¡¯s request?¡± asked Jorg. ¡°If so, I am grateful.¡±

    ¡°No need for that,¡± said Verecund. ¡°Samuel contacted me, yes, but it was merely a change in schedule for me. I would have come here in the next two weeks, anyway.¡±

    ¡°For any particular reason?¡± inquired Terry concernedly. ¡°Anything going on with this dungeon that is not in the recent reports?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Verecund. ¡°But this dungeon requires regular measurements, since it has been classified as a target of interest. It crosses several surveillance criteria that mark it as such. Spatial manipulation. Irregular rooms.¡±

    Terry glanced at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. The Guardians had practically constructed the entrance room themselves so that the reservoir mechanism could activate.

    ¡°Active dungeon interference,¡± continued Verecund. ¡°The dungeon challenges and special encounters appear to be more than a level beyond the floors that they appear on.¡±

    Verecund looked over the three. ¡°For example, that inscribed earth giant you described normally only appears over two dozen floors later.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t go that deep,¡± said Terry. ¡°We are mostly interested in the purplemist lynx.¡±

    Verecund looked at Siling. ¡°I got curious when I heard about your soul spirits from Samuel, so I checked with Guardian records.¡±

    Siling perked her ears.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many records on capturing soul spirits in dungeons¡­¡± Verecund made an expression as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°But the few that exist suggest that many dungeon creature souls are slightly, and I quote, ¡®purer¡¯ than their counterparts outside the dungeon.

    ¡°This has piqued my curiosity,¡± continued Verecund. ¡°My guess would be that this is limited to creatures that have been born in the dungeon or those that have been directly constituted from a core. The creatures that have developed outside the dungeon and only assimilated after the fact should not be that different.

    ¡°Be that as it may, I¡¯m only telling you that for two reasons.¡± Verecund intently looked at Siling. ¡°I am not familiar with this type of spirit magic. I can¡¯t evaluate if ¡®purer¡¯ means problematic. So be careful.¡±

    Siling nodded. ¡°If I understand it right, then ¡®purer¡¯ should actually be helpful to me. That would make integrating the soul spirit into a soul spot easier and it would also cut down the number of souls I require for the spirit¡¯s complete strengthening. Still, I¡¯ll watch myself. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll watch you, too,¡± added Terry.

    ¡°Good,¡± approved Verecund. ¡°The second reason is just a request from someone that has spent too much time among scholars. It would be great if you could include your soul spirit experience in the after mission report. Just because we don¡¯t have many records now, does not mean it has to be like that forever. The more records we have, the better.¡±

    Siling grinned and nodded, clearly happy at the non-judgemental interest from Verecund.

    After they had all rested, Terry paired his signaling device with the Guardian station and verified that everything was working. They each set up three Mark-and-Recall and recall scrolls and proceeded into the dungeon.

    ***

    Siling and Calam both unleashed a Kinetic Push and the wall of shield legger constructs was blown apart.

    Lori finished her dual-casting of Propel Rock and the rocks in her hands shot forward. The rock projectiles blasted the head off of the inscribed earth warrior without damaging its core.

    ¡°Nicely done,¡± praised Jorg. He hurled a weighted sphere towards the location that Terry had pointed out earlier.

    The sphere landed right at the suspected location of the vacuum cannon construct. The sphere was weighted on one side, which caused it to position itself with that area at the bottom. Shortly after, the imprints activated and four earthen walls were raised and covered all directions.

    The vacuum cannon unleashed its attack against the earthen walls. The rebounding force blasted itself apart while the earthen walls collapsed around it.

    Elena was dashing forward to engage the last earth warrior.

    Miguel was wearing an enchanted scope in front of one of his eyes. He took aim at the heat signature that was walking on top of a wall.

    Terry furrowed his brow when he noticed that Miguel did not immediately shoot the shining dropbear that was approaching the position on top of Gellath.

    Meanwhile, Gellath was gleefully bashing a bunch of grievance toads into mush.

    Terry prepared himself to channel mana into his gloves to pull Gellath aside. However, when he recalled Miguel¡¯s previous action, he also refrained from acting immediately.

    The shining dropbear jumped from the wall. During the mana-corrupted creature¡¯s descent, Calam and Gellath both noticed the light-aspected mana signature.

    Calam prepared a spell to push Gellath out of harm¡¯s way, but before Calam had finished his spellwork, Gellath already unleashed an Icy Blast. A spherical layer of ice-aspected mana rushed away from Gellath and pushed the shining dropbear away while freezing it.

    Gellath immediately distanced himself and prepared his combat stance. A thin layer of snow from the icy blast clung to him.

    Miguel nodded approvingly and finally unleashed his coldfire-aspected arrow to finish off the shining dropbear.

    ¡°Clear!¡± shouted Siling. ¡°No more life signatures!¡±

    Terry watched Elena deal with the last earth warrior construct.

    Her fighting style is becoming similar to Tiana''s. Different weapons, depending on the situation. She hasn¡¯t attempted a burst even once. Terry smiled with praise.

    Elena nimbly evaded the incoming attack and then she yanked the mana core right out of the earthen warrior.

    ¡°Clear!¡± shouted Terry. ¡°That was the last mana signature on this floor.¡±

    ¡°Are you still testing us?¡± asked Calam while moving his eyes from Terry to Miguel. He felt something on his shoulder. He turned around and saw nothing.

    ¡°Boo!¡± shouted Siling and Peekaboo appeared right in front of Calam, baring its beak with spread tentacles.

    Calam flinched and reflexively released a Repulsion Force that pushed the floating duo made up of Peekaboo and Siling away.

    Calam squinted at Siling with a scrunched-up face.

    ¡°Perhaps I am,¡± said Siling with narrowed eyes. She began smiling. ¡°So far, you are passing.¡±

    Calam sighed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair after I uhh¡­ Back then¡­¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s already behind us, silly,¡± said Siling. ¡°But it¡¯s still better to make sure while we¡¯re up here.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°I feel better knowing that the dungeon¡¯s mana suppression isn¡¯t interfering with your habitualized spells.¡±

    ¡°Also, it¡¯s undeniably entertaining to see Gellath turn into a snowball,¡± said Miguel dryly.

    ¡°The dungeon creatures on this floor differ slightly from the last time we were here,¡± said Jorg with worry in his voice.

    A snowball hit Miguel on the head. Miguel turned around to Gellath, who reacted by averting his eyes and whistling badly.

    ¡°It matches the dungeon reports,¡± said Terry. ¡°The specific creature combinations are changing, but the types remain the same. Let¡¯s collect the cores and inscription material. We are a lot faster than expected. Next up is the labyrinth.¡±

    ¡°We can use my five-point inscription ring,¡± said Miguel. ¡°How are we going to deal with the sleepmoth thingies?¡±

    ¡°Attacus sleepmoth,¡± interjected Siling.

    ¡°How are we going to deal with the attacus thingies?¡± asked Miguel.

    Siling rolled her eyes and smirked.

    ¡°We can just ignore them again, can¡¯t we?¡± remarked Elena. ¡°Dealing with these things would take time and dream-aspected cores aren¡¯t a high priority, right?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± admitted Terry. ¡°But I think we may be able to finish them quickly.¡± He looked at Calam. ¡°A fire-aspected weapon and a good Kinetic Pull should do the trick.¡±

    Calam grinned with anticipation.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lori threw the core of the inscribed earth warrior to Jorg.

    ¡°Much better condition than last time,¡± appraised Jorg. He turned to Elena. ¡°Yours as well.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Miguel with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°Huh,¡± uttered Gellath with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°This was not uhh¡­¡± Calam tilted his head. ¡°I expected this to be more difficult after what you told me of your last encounter.¡±

    Siling and Calam had led with a series of empowered Kinetic Push spells. Afterwards, Lori and Jorg had quickly raised several earthen walls, and the gaps were closed with Terry¡¯s transfixed tertium slabs.

    Miguel had already killed several shrub racoons before they even hit the ground from the initial Kinetic Push. His new composite bow allowed for more rapid reloads and added more punch behind each arrow.

    Jorg had learned a variant of the Barrier spell that did not move with him and instead could be freely positioned within a certain range.

    Siling¡¯s wiremoss tarantula and jumpscare cuttlefish had made quick work of any creatures crawling on the walls or ceiling. Calam, Siling, and Terry had helped out in the air as well.

    Lori had first eradicated any swamp boas lurking beneath the earth. Afterwards, she had haunted the remaining creatures from her own liquified earth pocket below the floor.

    Even the purplemist lynx had seemed like much less of a threat. They had been careful to trap the creature and then to separate it from the rest to keep it for last. They had continued to be cautious and had first injured it from safe positions until several people had engaged it at once.

    The time for clearing the entire room in a controlled manner was unexpectedly short.

    ¡°Don¡¯t relax yet,¡± reminded Elena. ¡°Siling is still vulnerable. We need to watch her.¡±

    In front of them, Siling was performing the magic to capture the soul of the deceased purplemist lynx.

    Lori, who was covered in mud from head to toe, stepped next to Elena. ¡°Right. Stay sharp. Even if we can¡¯t sense any more creatures.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can still sense one creature¡­¡± Miguel stared at the jumpscare cuttlefish soul spirit. Peekaboo was happily munching on the last skybark spider it had plucked from the walls. After a few more bites, the dungeon creature vanished and a monster core dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Miguel grimaced at the memory of Peekaboo stuffing itself with spiders.

    On the other side, Terry was silently observing Siling¡¯s progress without ever taking his mana sight from her. Eventually, he recognized a familiar mana flow pattern, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

    A breath later, Siling stood up and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°WOOHOO! The kitty is mine!¡± The tension vanished in an instant.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± asked Elena.

    ¡°Better, actually.¡± Siling almost danced spontaneously. ¡°I think the purplemist lynx soul is already corporeal.¡±

    ¡°Hm? I thought that is not how this works,¡± interjected Lori.

    ¡°I know, right?¡± This time, Siling actually performed a short happy dance. ¡°This might be the soul purity that Instructor Verecund talked about. The soul¡¯s strength was the same as outside, I think. The capture was challenging and right on the edge of what I should be able to do, but the benefit of the capture here was several times what I would earn from a mana corrupted outside.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not related to the soul¡¯s strength?¡± asked Terry in the same tone he would use for his pondering conversations with himself.

    Siling tilted her head. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t be sure-sure because I¡¯ve never caught a soul of comparable strength outside a dungeon, but the record on soul captures never mention the possibility of it being corporeal immediately. Also, my¡ª I¡¯m not the first soul spirit user in my family.¡±

    ¡°What does this mean for the strengthening?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°If every dungeon soul is like this, then it should become fully strengthened with ten or so,¡± said Siling excitedly. ¡°Unless there is another difference between dungeon captures and outside captures.¡±

    Siling began testing her new mana abilities. She prepared an arcane shield around herself. She summoned two arcane bolts that flew around her protectively and could be directed however she wished. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Siling glanced at the people around her. ¡°I should probably wait to test the repulsion field.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if it¡¯s only ten, then¡­¡± Terry crossed his arms.

    ¡°Going by the dungeon reports, three or four floors, right?¡± interjected Jorg. ¡°After this floor, the purplemist lynx appears more frequently and rarely alone.¡±

    Lori moved her darkvision goggles to the top of her head and looked at Terry.

    ¡°We¡¯re still good in time, aren¡¯t we?¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± muttered Elena. Even she was beginning to feel less hesitant about this dungeon dive. Compared to their last experience, this was going really smoothly.

    ¡°No need to rush on my account,¡± said Siling. ¡°In here, I would probably stick with Pricklybum and Peekaboo, anyway. They may be weaker, but their ability to reach the ceiling and walls makes up for it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not on your account,¡± said Terry. ¡°Every arcane-aspected core helps. Let¡¯s see how far we can go without taking unnecessary risks. We can decide based on what we sense in the floors ahead.¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    ¡°How are you going to call the purplemist lynx soul spirit?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Siling put a finger on her lips.

    ¡°Murder mittens?¡± suggested Miguel.

    ¡°Whiskers?¡± suggested Lori.

    ¡°Boots?¡± suggested Jorg.

    ¡°Mutton chops?¡± suggested Elena.

    ¡°Peeve,¡± suggested Gellath.

    Miguel narrowed his eyes at Gellath.

    Siling looked at Gellath and exclaimed: ¡°Ohh, I get it. I always wanted a pet Peeve.¡± She maintained a deadpan expression and Gellath nodded approvingly.

    Elena snickered while Miguel groaned.

    Miguel glanced at Gellath. ¡°Your disease is spreading.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone is as uncultured as you, my friend.¡± Gellath smirked.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if this is already my pet Peeve,¡± said Siling. ¡°Murdermittens or Muttonchops?¡± She looked at Terry and Calam.

    ¡°Murdermittens,¡± said Calam.

    ¡°Muttonchops,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°You¡¯re as helpful as ever,¡± grumbled Siling.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get into Elena¡¯s good graces, so I would encourage you to go with Muttonchops,¡± said Miguel with a grin.

    Elena rolled her eyes, but she involuntarily smiled.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did I miss?¡±

    ¡°Long-term plans, Terry,¡± said Miguel with a grin.

    Lori snorted amusedly. ¡°Miguel has heard about the spellwork that Elena is practicing.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Muttonchops it is,¡± declared Siling.

    ***

    ¡°This has been a pleasant dungeon dive so far,¡± said Elena with some surprise.

    ¡°Closer to what I originally thought dungeon work would be like,¡± said Gellath.

    Jorg imperceptibly nodded.

    ¡°Shall we go to the next floor?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°I already got diminishing returns from the last two purplemist lynx souls,¡± said Siling. ¡°But the task of gathering cores remains.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that late yet,¡± said Miguel.

    Lori frowned slightly.

    Terry looked at everyone. He sensed their mana levels and searched for traces of fatigue. In the end, he shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. We can go deeper next time, but I think for our first proper dungeon work, this is more than enough.¡±

    Terry glanced at Lori and Jorg and thought: Hopefully, they will calm down after everything is over and see that last time was abnormal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure that our cores reach the Guardians as soon as possible.¡± Terry waited for any further comment and was glad that no one disagreed.

    ¡°Alright, everyone got their Recall scrolls ready?¡± asked Terry.

    Everyone prepared their scrolls. Terry did not sense any mana distortion, but he still chose to shortly burst his mana. To his relief, he did not hear any shattering sound.

    ¡°Okay, then rip the scrolls,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Wait, why should we go first?¡± objected Lori.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one with oscillating mana,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°As long as I am here, I can break any spatial locks. If the space is sealed after I¡¯m out, then that would be a problem for the person staying behind.¡±

    Lori¡¯s expression darkened, but she did not object again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll burst my mana while you are using your scrolls,¡± said Terry. ¡°Afterwards, I will use my own.¡±

    Terry thought back to his experiments with Ser and Samuel. Any transfer would fail to activate with him as the target if he burst mana. A group transfer would still work, but Terry would be excluded from its effects.

    The companions ripped their Recall scrolls until only Terry was left. For a moment, Terry half expected something to happen¡­ but this time, there were no bell sounds, no monsters creeping out of the shadows, nor any other anomalies. Terry performed another short mana burst. After his mana had settled down again, he ripped his own scroll.

    Shortly after, Terry found himself in the dungeon entrance room, and two short people were already hugging him. ¡°See? No problem.¡± He patted Lori and Jorg on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ***

 096 Nominated Emergency Mission

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 45 ¨C

    ¡°Just put everything in here,¡± said Terry. He held open a bag and placed all the mana cores he had picked up inside. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Guardians to divide the contribution points equally among all our accounts.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you were the one that paid for the scrolls,¡± objected Elena.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I would like to keep the inscription base materials from the inscribed constructs,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°That does not seem as if it would cover the scrolls,¡± objected Siling.

    ¡°Yeah, Auntie told me that these materials are worth something, but not that valuable,¡± said Lori. ¡°Auntie said that there are plenty of aspiring crafters preparing and selling them to finance their rune studies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡± Terry started.

    ¡°You also shelled out the contribution points for the other safeguards that your uncle recommended,¡± interrupted Miguel.

    ¡°Yeah, but I was the one that wanted to do the dungeon work to begin with,¡± said Terry. ¡°I chose this.¡±

    ¡°And we all decided to join,¡± said Jorg. ¡°We chose this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡± Terry frowned.

    ¡°Yeah, but nooo,¡± interrupted Siling.

    ¡°I still have the other safeguards,¡± said Terry. ¡°They¡¯re still with me. They haven¡¯t been used up.¡±

    ¡°The scrolls though,¡± reminded Elena.

    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡± Terry frowned again.

    ¡°¡°¡°Yeah, but no.¡±¡±¡± Gellath, Siling, and Lori exclaimed in unison.

    ¡°The scrolls were on discount anyway,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°¡°¡°Yeah, but no.¡±¡±¡± The whole group chorused and chuckled afterwards.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°I could keep a few of the fire-aspected cores, I guess. The Guardians have not specifically asked for those¡­ But¡­¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Yeah, but no.¡±¡±¡±

    Under everyone¡¯s observant eyes, Terry picked a few fire-aspected monster cores for himself. Afterwards, he took the filled bag and led the way to the Guardian reception.

    ¡°What was this about long-term plans?¡± Terry looked from Miguel to Elena. ¡°And spellwork?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, how is your practice going?¡± Siling asked Elena.

    Terry sneakily retrieved a few water- and metal-aspected mana cores from his storage item and added them to those in the bag for sale. These had been gifted to him by Matteo and Sigille in the past.

    ¡°So and so,¡± replied Elena. ¡°Now that I am spending more time at home instead of on the training grounds, I see more progress than in the past.¡±

    ¡°Focus helps,¡± muttered Jorg.

    ¡°And? When can we go hunting?¡± asked Miguel with a grin.

    ¡°That might take a while,¡± replied Elena and giggled. ¡°Even longer until I could compete with Grumpy.¡±

    ¡°How is your current success rate for the first iteration of the Detect Life spell?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Only one out of ten casts succeeds,¡± said Elena. ¡°But it¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s already good considering how much trouble you had with your mana control,¡± praised Siling.

    Elena smiled. ¡°The spell actually works a lot better than the other blood-aspected spells I¡¯ve tried to learn before. I feel like the blood-aspected attack spells somehow rile up my own mana and make it harder to concentrate.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a known phenomenon with certain spell structures and aspects,¡± remarked Terry. ¡°Supposedly, there¡¯s also one where the spell¡¯s nature clashes with the caster¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so deep inside, our Elena is a big softie?¡± interjected Jorg in a teasing tone.

    Elena rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Elena and I can pummel you a bit in the next spar to see how soft your insides can get,¡± suggested Lori.

    Jorg shook his head exaggeratedly, which caused Elena to snort.

    ¡°Perhaps you can talk to a butcher first,¡± said Gellath. ¡°There are some special hammers for that sort of meat preparation.¡±

    ¡°Oy, whose friend are you?¡± Jorg gasped.

    ¡°Yours,¡± said Gellath. ¡°Plural. Which frees me up to take the side that is more entertaining.¡±

    ¡°How far is the reach of that version of the Detect Life spell?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Only one or two arm-lengths,¡± replied Elena.

    ¡°Your arms or my arms?¡± interjected Gellath with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°My arms.¡± Elena chuckled.

    ¡°Neat,¡± muttered Miguel.

    ¡°That¡¯s already good, isn¡¯t it?¡± remarked Lori.

    ¡°I think so too,¡± said Terry. ¡°That already gives you a chance to defend against an opponent that is otherwise invisible.¡±

    ¡°I find it very hard to pick a replacement for Grumpy because I am way too used to the convenience of life sense,¡± said Siling. ¡°At some point, it would be nice to capture a stronger flying soul though.¡±

    Miguel gasped with pointed exasperation.

    Siling snickered and then turned to Elena. ¡°Perhaps we can establish some shared custody duties for the insatiable hunter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hand the cores over,¡± said Terry, and he sped up for the last few steps. He registered their names and then presented the bag with its contents for the Guardians to assess.

    While the first Guardian was examining the cores and preparing the reward registration, another person approached from behind. The woman looked over the registered names and then turned to Terry.

    ¡°You are Terry?¡± asked the woman.

    ¡°Uhh, yes.¡± Terry searched his memory for someone matching the tall woman with short blond hair and three dark scars on her cheek.

    ¡°I am Tamar, from Arcana City¡¯s Guardian management.¡± The woman introduced herself. ¡°I have a nominated mission for you and I hope you can accept it immediately. It is urgent.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mouth stood slightly agape at the unexpected request. Lori and Jorg had immediately stepped forward to stand with Terry. The others were only half a step behind.

    ¡°We have received an emergency signal from some of our Guardians that were returning from a longer instruction course,¡± explained Tamar. ¡°With the barrier gone, the mana has changed, so we have more to worry about than simply what is spilling into our borders from the Wastes.¡±

    Terry tried his best to follow the train of thought. ¡°Aspect beings?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± confirmed Tamar. ¡°A group appears to have spawned right in the path between two-dimensional gates. The mana measurements from the area indicate elementals, but it¡¯s not to a point that we can justify pulling back Guardians from the frontline. The need there is still more pressing.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°What types of elementals?¡±

    ¡°Only aspects from the core system,¡± replied Tamar. ¡°We have an expert from the Guild whom we can contact, but they are currently dealing with a much larger demon army. We need someone to buy time. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have many local Guardians that are experienced in fighting aspect beings.

    ¡°In fact, among the Guardians still inside the city, yours is currently the only name with recorded practical experience.¡± Tamar searched Terry¡¯s expression. ¡°I can find other Guardians to accompany you but I need someone there that knows his way around elementals. I need you to move there as quickly as possible. As soon as your team has gathered, we can provide you with a group transfer scroll that gets you into the area.¡±

    Terry subconsciously nodded.

    ¡°What kind of instruction course was it?¡± Siling asked with an ashen face.

    ¡°Are you a group?¡± asked Tamar.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Siling.

    ¡°If Terry goes, then we go too,¡± stressed Lori.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Tamar scanned the registered names and checked their course and mission record. ¡°The quicker the team is set, the better.¡± Tamar looked at Siling. ¡°It was a team leader course.¡±

    Siling exhaled a sharp breath.

    ¡°Wait, Tiana?¡± exclaimed Elena. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to depart immediately,¡± said Terry decisively.

    Everyone except Elena stepped forward as well and Elena¡¯s face contorted in a conflicted grimace.

    ¡°You need to care for your dad,¡± said Lori warmly. ¡°Thank you for joining us in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Elementals are problematic opponents for your skill-set,¡± interjected Tamar, and Terry nodded.

    Elena bit her lip and then shook her head. ¡°I still have time.¡± She looked at Tamar. ¡°Can you send someone to my home to make sure my dad is okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Tamar. ¡°If you are sure that you want to go, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have some magic weapons that we can borrow?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Aspected with fire and lightning. Enchantments would be better.¡± He glanced at Elena. ¡°Imprints that can be easily ignited with little mana control are fine. Inscriptions only if they do not require too much mana to activate.¡± He glanced at Miguel. ¡°Aspected arrows would help a lot, too.¡± Terry glanced at the bag. ¡°And we might need a few of the cores back. The water-aspected ones, please.¡±

    ¡°Hand them back, but don¡¯t subtract them from the total for the reward.¡± Tamar said to the employee that was appraising the cores. Afterwards, she gestured at Terry and the others. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone show you the weapons we can supply. We¡¯ll also provide you with healing items.¡±

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group appeared in a deserted area near the grassy plains of Thundervalley.

    ¡°Should I send out Grumpy?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry. ¡°We need to go that way.¡± He pointed. ¡°I can sense elemental mana. Also¡­¡± Terry checked his own Guardian card. ¡°Since Tiana is in the group, we can also track them with our cards.¡±

    Terry first made sure that his link with Matteo was set to signal his cousin for help.

    Next, he looked at Siling. ¡°Be very careful with summoning soul spirits. If there are air elementals, then a bloody frogmouth would not be safe in the sky. If you use the wiremoss tarantula, then only as a mount and keep it away from¡ª you know all that.¡±

    Terry stopped his unnecessary warnings when remembering whom he was talking to. ¡°I would go with the purplemist lynx since that has the best offensive and defensive setup to deal with the elementals. The jumpscare cuttlefish could be an option against water elementals but probably fits better to evacuate people or keep someone airborne.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, but not faster than a jog,¡± said Terry. He glanced at Siling. ¡°Slow enough for your floating ability and the cuttlefish to keep up.¡± He looked at everyone. ¡°Do not exhaust your stamina or mana. We need to arrive ready for combat, even if that means arriving slightly later.¡±

    Terry looked at Gellath. ¡°Your equipment is heavier than Miguel¡¯s. You¡¯re with me again.¡± This time, Gellath did not crack any jokes when climbing onto Terry¡¯s back.

    Siling summoned her purplemist lynx soul and her jumpscare cuttlefish soul. The latter immediately wrapped itself around Miguel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Terry and jogged forward. ¡°Mana sight on my hand.¡±

    [We should be able to handle the corporeal types without too many problems,] signed Terry with finger runes. He did not want to disrupt his breathing. [We can obstruct those. Even a rock elemental would be fine. The bigger trouble comes with the ethereal lines. Keep your distance from anything that does not look completely solid.]

    [Physical attacks on their own are nearly useless, unless you can disrupt the central mana formation in one go,] continued Terry. [It is much more efficient to disrupt the formation with mana. If there is an opposite mana aspect, then all the better.]

    [But keep in mind that the elemental¡¯s mana may overpower whatever attack you throw at it. If you are dealing with a water elemental, then lightning works better than fire, even though water is paired against fire. Unless your fire aspect literally contains more mana than the elemental, the water aspect will evaporate the fire before it can reach the formation. Lightning works better.]

    [Lightning against water. Earth against lightning. Fire or lightning against ice. Poison or fire ¨C including coldfire ¨C against nature. Water or ice against fire, but that requires a blast of sufficient intensity. Don¡¯t count on aspected arrows to reach the formation. If these aspects don¡¯t work, then earth is the fallback. Let me deal with the fire elementals or we can try to bury them under earth. Nature, air, or ice against earth elementals. Brute force against the more sturdy variants.]

    Terry glanced at Lori to his side. [No going underground if any earth elementals are present. There are some variants of earth elementals called mud elementals that would be problematic down there. Some earth elementals can move the earth forcefully and you might get crushed.]

    ¡°What is¡ª?¡± Siling exclaimed and gasped.

    There was a corpse on the ground in front of them. Half of the dead woman¡¯s face was burned off.

    ¡°This confirms the presence of fire elementals,¡± said Terry gravely. He let Gellath to the ground and examined the corpse. ¡°She¡¯s wearing armor. Could be one of the Guardians. Perhaps they tried to send a messenger? Or she was just an unfortunate passerby.¡±

    ¡°Hurgh!¡± Gellath puked on the ground.

    Terry looked up and saw the distraught faces among his companions.

    When did I grow numb to sights and stench like this?

    ¡°We need to move,¡± stressed Terry.

    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Jorg stammered. ¡°Is it okay to just leave her here?¡±

    ¡°If this was the Wasted Zone, then we would need to burn her corpse,¡± said Terry. The shocked expression on Jorg¡¯s face told Terry that this was not what Jorg had meant. ¡°Uhm, we can¡¯t afford to bury her. We have no way to take the body with us. We could search her for her Guardian card, but that would also mean that her body can¡¯t be located with her signal afterwards.¡±

    ¡°And we don¡¯t have the time,¡± stressed Lori. Her expression was dark and her eyes were glued to the face of the deceased woman.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Elena shakily. ¡°I want to find Tiana.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Terry nodded. He took Gellath on his back and ignored the bad breath that was exhaled near his face. They proceeded on their run towards the elementals. The sky was getting darker, and they soon saw traces of battle flash in the distance.

    ¡°There seem to be multiple groups.¡± Siling was skipping with her active floating ability to increase her speed and catch up with Terry.

    ¡°Mhmh¡­¡± Terry frowned. He had sensed the same, and it worried him.

    The fact that worried him even more was that he did not sense Tiana¡¯s mana signature. He tried to persuade himself that it was just another case of him mistakenly remembering their mana signatures relative to his own. Or because of the change in perception that came with his improved mana sense.

    [Four major factions,] signed Terry. [The biggest are fire and earth. Water and ice seem to be nearly eradicated. Lightning seems to hang in the background.]

    Which is very troubling¡­

    Terry scowled at the possible implications of lightning elementals staying out of the factions¡¯ conflict.

    Terry slowed down. ¡°Lori, raise some fortifications. If any of the elementals get close, try to bury them. Gellath, you¡¯ll stay behind the fortifications as a healer.

    ¡°Elena, Jorg, you focus on evacuating the Guardians and get them behind our fortifications. Do not engage the elementals in combat. If required, you can perform first aid, Jorg, but conserve your mana. Your priority is to get them to Gellath.

    ¡°Lori, you can receive the evacuated people from Elena and Jorg half-way, but don¡¯t get too close to the battle. Your first priority is maintaining the fortifications. We don¡¯t know how long we need to hold out. Only engage the enemies to lure them away again.

    ¡°Miguel, use the rope arrow attachments I gave you to block or tie up any corporeal elementals. Against rock elementals, the nets that have not been reinforced should work too. Do not get close. Keep them away from our fortifications. Especially the earth elementals.

    ¡°Calam, your job is to assist Elena, Jorg, and Miguel. Your jump spells are great for quick mobility but too rough for evacuating the wounded. Even better, though, your Kinetic Push is perfect to clear the area from elementals. If anything is in the way or getting too close to the fortifications, push them back.

    ¡°Siling, I need you to do several things. Please ensure that Elena and Jorg are always under Haste. You and the purplemist lynx can also act as a first offensive line against the ethereal elementals. If there are any grievous wounds that require quicker or additional healing support, we will be counting on you, too.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and looked over everyone¡¯s expressions to see if there were any questions or objections. Everyone was nodding with grim and determined eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to whittle down the fire elementals and draw them further away from any survivors if possible,¡± said Terry. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see if I can bait the earth elementals to go after the lightning faction.¡±

    Otherwise, the lightning faction will become an enormous problem¡­

    ***

    Terry rushed forward and channeled mana into the mana sublimator that was aimed at the fire elemental.

    An intense blast of water-aspected mana hit the elemental and infiltrated the protective crystal layer around its central mana formation. The crystal dropped to the ground.

    Terry was already dashing to the next elemental while reloading the mana sublimator. He examined the elemental¡¯s central formation in his mana sight.

    This one does not seem to have a crystal yet¡­

    Terry unleashed a layered disruption discharge and took a breather to focus on his mana sense and get an overview of the situation. So far, their plan had worked, and they had nearly gotten everyone back behind their fortifications. Despite their success, Terry was scowling. They had not found Tiana yet.

    The remaining fire elementals are entangled with the earth elementals and don¡¯t pay attention to our location¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll scout the next group,¡± shouted Terry while signing the same for those paying attention in mana sight.

    Terry clenched his fists. This scouting meant getting closer to the lightning elementals. He dashed forward until he spotted several bodies on the ground. They were still emitting weak mana signatures.

    Terry hurriedly ripped a healing scroll in half. He uncorked a prepared potion to deal with any potential mana corruption and brought it to the lips of the first woman before moving to the next person.

    ¡°T-Tiana¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyes were wide open, and she exhaled weakly. ¡°Save her¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s stomach plummeted.

    Another man was pulling himself up to his knees. ¡°Thanks for the healing. We can hold out. Tiana is still back there. She tried to draw them away. The lightning elementals¡­ Please¡­¡±

    Terry retrieved some more healing items and a Mass Banish Fatigue scroll. He ripped the scroll in half and placed the other healing items on the ground. ¡°Take care of each other.¡± He pointed towards his companions. ¡°We have set up fortifications back there. Stick to the left side and move in an arc to avoid the remaining elementals. Do not pick any fights. Hurry there and hunker down together with our team.¡±

    Terry clenched his teeth, exchanged the monster core in the mana sublimator and then darted towards the group of lightning elementals.

    ***

    Terry was assaulted by lightning abilities as soon as he approached the group. He dodged frantically while transfixing a few tertium slabs for some much needed protection.

    He did not see any other corpses but his mana sense was filled with lightning-aspected signatures.

    Wait.

    Terry focused on the mana signatures at the center of the lightning elementals.

    ¡°NO!¡± Terry¡¯s mind went ablaze, and he charged forward.

    The lightning-aspected mana signature in the center contained traces of another mana signature ¨C as if two mana signatures were mingled into one. The weaker mana signature was unaspected.

    Terry grit his teeth when a lightning bolt hit him straight in the back. He circulated his mana the way that Sigille had instructed him after his spar with Matteo to prevent his own mana from being disturbed. Afterwards, he used a burst technique to accelerate in an unpredictable manner.

    Several lightning elementals blocked Terry¡¯s path and unleashed spherical lightning blasts.

    Terry air-jumped into the sky and then dropped down right at the center of the elementals. His eyes became bloodshot when he saw the unconscious figure of Tiana.

    Demon¡­

    Terry forcefully shook his head.

    Focus.

    He transfixed the mana sublimator and circulated mana into the inscription. An intense blast of air-aspected mana killed the lightning elementals closest to him.

    ¡°I refuse to believe that you would surrender your mind that easily.¡± Terry used a healing scroll and pressed a pill into her mouth to counter her mana corruption.

    Terry clenched his teeth and then rolled Tiana¡¯s body onto his shoulders. Her left arm and left leg were now around his neck. He burst his mana and bolted away, with Tiana in tow.

    They said that Tiana attempted to draw the lightning elementals away¡­

    Terry ran toward the side opposite to the one he had pointed out to the survivors earlier. He hoped that he could draw some of the other factions into the fight to deal with the lightning elementals.

    Unfortunately, the lightning elementals were faster than him. Terry transfixed two pearls near his chest and leaned back while holding Tiana firmly. He used his feet to unleash a double discharge towards the lightning elementals and their attacks. He quickly reoriented himself and stepped into the air in order to get more room to maneuver and dodge.

    Fortunately, not all the lightning elementals were capable of following him into the sky. While Terry was running upwards, he retrieved a rope from his storage bracelet and tied Tiana to himself. After his hands were free again, Terry reloaded and fired the mana sublimator. He allowed the recoil to move himself further up into the sky.

    ¡°Hrgh!¡± Terry was flooded with lightning from Tiana¡¯s body. He bit his tongue to maintain consciousness and hurriedly circulated his mana the way that Sigille had shown him for his resistance training.

    ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Terry cursed inwardly. Perhaps stepping into the air was not the best idea. One shock away from going splat.

    Terry shook his head forcefully.

    Focus.

    He reloaded the mana sublimator but placed it back into his storage bracelet. Terry ran to the location he had picked earlier. A position that had the other elemental factions between their fortifications and himself.

    Lightning struck. ¡°Ahrg!¡± Terry¡¯s eyes bulged, and he felt as if his insides were boiling. ¡°Crap¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed Terry when he saw that there was no way for him to get back to the ground without running into even more lightning elementals. The lightning faction was following his every step. Those that could not fly were always right below him.

    ¡°T-Terry?¡± Tiana¡¯s weak and dazed voice came from Terry¡¯s right side. ¡°Y-you¡­ The others¡­¡±

    ¡°I already healed the ones you were with,¡± said Terry. ¡°You successfully bought them time.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Tiana sounded as if she was only half-awake. ¡°No wait, I can feel¡ª¡± She sounded terrified. ¡°I got possessed. Terry, if you¡¯re real, you need to run! Let me down!¡±

    ¡°Screw that,¡± spat Terry. He involuntarily recalled Sigille¡¯s last words to him.

    ¡°We have a way to take care of it,¡± said Terry while running. Please hurry, Whaka Matteo.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± muttered Tiana. ¡°I know there is no cure for possession¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like lying, remember?¡± retorted Terry firmly.

    Wishful thinking, on the other hand¡­ I really hope Matteo can suppress the possession¡­

    ¡°T-Terry, please let me down,¡± pleaded Tiana. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt y¡ª AARGHH!¡±

    An intense lightning discharge assaulted Terry from Tiana¡¯s body. Terry instinctively circulated his mana the way that Sigille had instructed him. Only this time, he also burst his mana in addition. After the shock abated, Terry spat a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry coughed. ¡°Barely even tickles¡­¡±

    So much for lying¡­

    Terry realized that Tiana was unconscious again and continued to run silently. Over the next few minutes, he got shocked repeatedly ¨C both from Tiana and from the lightning elementals. Finally, he managed to draw the lightning elementals towards the other factions, and a chaotic fight broke out immediately.

    Terry kept his distance while using every one of his suitable mana cores to decrease the number of flying lightning elementals. He did not dare to use too many discharges while Tiana was electrocuting him every few breaths.

    He downed a health potion and slowly circled towards the location of their fortifications. Instead of entering the fortifications, Terry kept some distance. He placed a foldable tertium cube on the ground and placed Tiana on top of it. He folded the sides so that the only open location was towards him. He worriedly watched the lightning mana that had invaded her mana signature.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Elena had run over.

    Jorg was right behind her with another dark-haired woman whom Terry recognized as the first survivor that had spoken about Tiana.

    ¡°Is that¡ª?¡± Elena paled.

    ¡°How is she?¡± asked the dark-haired woman with a frantic voice.

    ¡°Does she need healing?¡± asked Jorg. His face was ashen as well.

    ¡°Is¡­¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°No, my mana sense is just bad, right? Can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Whaka Matteo might still be able to help,¡± said Terry gloomily. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close. The lightning elemental that has possessed her might lash out at any moment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also why I can¡¯t take her to the fortifications.¡± Terry bit his lower lip. ¡°That and the fact that the other lightning elementals are instinctively attracted to a demon of their kind.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a demon!¡± spat Elena.

    Terry looked at her with sympathy. ¡°I have no way to prevent this, Elena. Whaka Matteo might be the only person in the world who can.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our fault,¡± wailed the woman. ¡°We should not have let her go. We should not have¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop that,¡± barked Terry. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet. That kind of stuff can come after we are all back home. For now, we need to keep the lightning elementals away from her and ensure that everyone stays alive until Matteo arrives.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Gellath to come here,¡± said Elena. ¡°Perhaps his Calming Waters spell can help her resist a bit longer.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt.¡±

    The spell cured several abnormal mental conditions as long as they were mana-induced. Gellath had learned the spell after his experience in the dungeon, which included both the fear ability from the grievance toads as well as a berserk patient. Elena was now very disciplined in avoiding bursts, but this spell would allow her to do so in emergencies. It could mitigate the berserk effect of her blood-aspected mana and jolt a person from a state of frenzy.

    Probably won¡¯t help much either, thought Terry while trying not to frown. Most likely, the spell would simply ease the symptoms temporarily without tackling the root cause. The condition would return as soon as the spell¡¯s effect wore off.

    ¡°Do you need healing?¡± Jorg asked Terry. ¡°Your face looks¡­ painful.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°Lichtenberg scars,¡± mumbled the dark-haired woman with a grimace. ¡°Probably not just the face.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, I got hit by some lightning,¡± said Terry dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll recover.¡±

    ***

    Purple lightning cracked in the sky and impacted on the ground. All the fighting elementals stopped in their tracks.

    In the next moment, dozens of human-shaped elementals led by a purple lightning figure rushed from the location where the lightning bolt had impacted. They quickly overwhelmed and consumed all the hostile elementals.

    Behind the human-shaped elementals, Matteo stepped out of the crater where the purple lightning bolt had impacted. He looked for Terry and dashed towards his location.

    ¡°Whaka Terry!¡± Matteo stopped in his tracks when he saw the person on the ground.

    ¡°Can you help her?¡± asked Terry.

    Matteo narrowed his eyes and muttered without certainty. ¡°I can try.¡± He kneeled down and rested a hand on Tiana¡¯s forehead. Several human-shaped lightning elementals of various colors surrounded the tertium cube.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee anything,¡± mumbled Matteo. ¡°If she has any family, you should inform them.

    ¡°I can do this while moving,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Her lightning does not hurt me. Get your things together and prepare to depart.¡±

    ***

    At some point in the night, a giant of a man rushed into the hospital room. ¡°Tiana!¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Siling shushed him. ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Tiana slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Not anymore.¡± Tiana smiled warmly at her brother.

    Chadwick walked to the bed and took his sister¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Crap, we¡¯re too late,¡± grumbled Lori. ¡°I told you we should not both go to buy snacks. Now she woke up again.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Jorg scratched his cheek. ¡°I did not expect her brother to be so fast.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Tiana weakly. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­?¡± Chadwick¡¯s lower lip trembled when he sensed his sister¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°I nearly was, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Chadwick¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. There must be something we can do.¡±

    ¡°My friends have already done something,¡± said Tiana with a faint smile. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what, but it has kept me conscious so far¡­ Despite being¡­ possessed.¡±

    Chadwick flinched when he heard the term ¡®possessed.¡¯

    ¡°I heard Terry led a team to extract you from the elementals,¡± said Chadwick.

    ¡°Yup, we were the team.¡± Siling waved and then made a victory sign with her fingers for Chadwick. ¡°All the usual suspects, only missing one Tiana, so we picked her up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you all,¡± said Chadwick wholeheartedly.

    ¡°Terry had to leave for the after mission report,¡± said Siling. ¡°But he should be back soon. He¡¯s cloaking his mana signature again, but I can already sense his life signature.¡±

    ¡°Matteo is currently with another person that has the same, uhhh, problem,¡± said Jorg. ¡°He¡¯ll be right over.¡±

    ¡°Matteo?¡± Chadwick raised an eyebrow. ¡°That friend of Terry¡¯s with the weird mana signature?¡±

    ¡°Cousin,¡± said Lori. ¡°Matteo is our cousin.¡±

    Chadwick caressed Tiana¡¯s hand softly. ¡°You¡¯re strong. You¡¯ll¡­¡± He bit his lips. He had never heard of a possession being cured. Not even the magic sovereigns were capable of that.

    ¡°Sorry for worrying you,¡± muttered Tiana and lowered eyes.

    ¡°No, mana, no.¡± Chadwick bent down with tears in his eyes. He kissed his sister on the forehead. ¡°Do not apologize to me, of all people. I¡¯m your brother, remember? We¡¯ll find a way to¡ª¡± He turned to Siling and the others. ¡°Did they say what will happen from now on?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do some resistance training with her.¡± Matteo stepped into the room. ¡°Lightning and mental resistance. Spirit resistance may help too.¡±

    Chadwick furrowed his brow. ¡°What does that¡­?¡± He bit his lip. ¡°Is that still¡­?¡±

    ¡°I can suppress the elemental,¡± said Matteo firmly. ¡°If I do that regularly until she herself is ready to suppress it and win the upper hand for good, then she¡¯ll stay in control.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­¡± Chadwick glanced back at his sister with a pained expression. Afterwards, he looked back at Matteo. ¡°¡­heard of something like this.¡±

    ¡°You are currently looking at a specimen,¡± said Matteo with a wry smile. ¡°Only my mind is a lot more crowded than hers.¡±

    Chadwick blinked dazedly while his thoughts tried to catch up. ¡°You? Your mana signature is weird but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Matteo shrugged. ¡°Long story, but yes. I¡¯ve been possessed by elementals for over ten years. Although, I¡¯ve only recently won the battle for my mind once and for all.

    ¡°Hopefully, yours won¡¯t take as long.¡± Matteo approached Tiana¡¯s bed. ¡°Here, for you.¡± He handed over a necklace.

    ¡°Uhm, thanks?¡± Tiana still felt groggy, and she did not know how to react to the unexpected gift.

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that protects against mind interference,¡± explained Matteo. ¡°Until the battle has been settled, your mind will be unstable and you should take protective measures. This one was gifted to me in the past, but you have a better use for it. It¡¯s the strongest artifact in that area that I know of.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, I¡­¡± Tiana was overwhelmed. She glanced at her brother. ¡°Can I accept this?¡±

    ¡°You are a friend of Whaka Terry,¡± stressed Matteo. ¡°You stood with him in that dungeon. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might have never gotten a chance to meet my little cousin. If you feel hesitant, you can feel free to return it to me after you have reconquered your mind.¡±

    ¡°Also here.¡± Matteo handed over a dagger. ¡°This dagger has the heartseeker inscription. I¡¯ve instructed the hospital to prepare these inscriptions for those that have been possessed by elementals. Your emotions are affecting the power of the elementals. Until you have won the battle, it is wise to prepare a way to moderate or suppress some of your emotions.¡±

    Tiana grabbed the dagger and nodded.

    ¡°Can she¡­¡± Chadwick swallowed heavily. ¡°Can she truly be saved?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make any guarantees,¡± admitted Matteo. ¡°But as long as she refuses to yield her mind¡­¡± He lowered his gaze in reminiscence. He thought of all the times that Sigille had ordered him to never yield his mind to anyone. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Uhh?¡± Matteo felt himself pulled into a bear hug. His feet suddenly dangled in the air because Chadwick was more than a head taller than him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Chadwick, who was hugging him tightly. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Matteo was not used to this kind of treatment. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Finally, Chadwick let Matteo down again. He turned to Tiana. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± He grabbed Tiana¡¯s hand again. ¡°I can instruct you with lightning resistance training. My superiors will understand. Unless you don¡¯t want to spend so much time with your brother?¡±

    ¡°I could not wish for anything better.¡± Tiana patted her brother¡¯s other hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°There he is,¡± exclaimed Siling. ¡°What took you so long to get from the ground floor to here?¡±

    Terry stepped into the room and swallowed the chocolate he had been chewing. ¡°Uhh, I bought some chocolate for Tiana.¡±

    Siling snorted amusedly.

    ¡°How about the scar treatment?¡± asked Lori. ¡°It really looks painful.¡± The fern-like scars from all the lightning impacts were still visible on Terry¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Later?¡± Terry held his nape. ¡°I have barely eaten anything since breakfast and the scars would heal on their own thanks to mana anyway, so uhh, priorities?¡±

    ¡°Right, right, sweets before healing, some priorities,¡± chided Siling sarcastically. She quickly broke out in a chuckle. ¡°I hope you brought enough sweets to appease our worries at least.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Terry with a grin.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Before Terry knew what happened, his feet were dangling in the air while he was being hugged by Chadwick.

    ***

 097 Awakened Wrath

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 66 ¨C

    A wrinkly, white-haired elf was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed. A small layer of sand was pulsing around him. If Samuel or Brynn had been present, they would recognize him as Roy ¨C one of the Guildheads that had helped to look for Terry.

    ¡°We have confirmed the information,¡± said Mia. ¡°All of it. Everything leads back to the minister of the western-most district in Tiv¡¯s north: Kipkoi, the one they call the Preacher.¡±

    The sand that was pulsing around Roy¡¯s silhouette abruptly tightened around him and then vanished into his body. Roy opened his eyes, which were burning with fury.

    ¡°Senior, what are your orders?¡± asked an elven man from the side.

    ¡°Mia, dear,¡± began Roy. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll have to change my name again.¡±

    Mia raised her eyebrows, but did not interrupt.

    Roy stood up. ¡°It appears I¡¯ll have to remind some people of my olden name.¡±

    ¡°Senior?¡± Another elven man raised his chin in anticipation. ¡°You mean that?¡±

    ¡°Send an invitation to our old acquaintances,¡± ordered Roy. ¡°And send a blood warning to the Guild in Tiv. Sign it with ¡®Weran¡¯. Guild management there should still be able to find that name.

    ¡°From now on, there will be blood,¡± growled Weran. ¡°Spread the word that the Tiv Empire will fall for what they have done. A year from now, there won¡¯t be a Tiv Empire on the map anymore. The magic sovereigns and the Arcanian army may have their hands full with blocking the Wastes, but that does not apply to all the mages and Guild members that chose Arcana as their home.

    ¡°Gather the dimensional mages,¡± ordered Weran. ¡°I¡¯ll invite the younger generation myself.¡± Weran retrieved a dark green cloak which emitted an eerie aura. He swung it around his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s time to hunt again.¡±

    ***

    Terry took a sip of mana-imbued tea while he was waiting for Miguel on the training grounds. After the scare with Tiana, they had settled into a new routine. They went into the dungeon every second day to collect mana cores. The remaining days, they met up on the training grounds to spar and train. They paid a visit to Tiana and Elena during their breaks.

    Terry was glad that Lori and Jorg had calmed down after their first dungeon dive and the subsequent night. He reserved his late evenings for his spellwork and mana crafting. He spent his mornings on other topics.

    Early every morning, Terry followed the same training routine. First, the special training room that assaulted him with various spells and effects. Second, the divine hammer inscription, which included both the inscription handling and his new movement practice in which Terry summoned junk items from his anklet storage and transfixed them to jump in the air. During the exercise, Terry siphoned all excess mana into mana containers.

    The collected mana was useful for his third regime, which aimed at improving his disruption pulse based on the mana vortex compression idea. By now, Terry could unleash a spiraling version of a disruption discharge that was actually able to disrupt mana. He could even do so while moving.

    Unfortunately, It still takes too long to prepare and the spell slicers¡¯ trajectories are less predictable¡­

    Even though Terry was outright ecstatic that the idea had finally transformed into something workable, he was far from satisfied with the current version.

    While practicing his discharges, Terry always attempted to reclaim his discharged mana, which helped his mana reach training as well as enabled him to practice for longer without pause because he did not have to wait to regenerate additional mana.

    Once his mana pool had bottomed out, Terry switched to practicing spear and dagger techniques while using the continuously changing mana pool level as a challenge for his mana cloaking. Terry had been thrilled with how the mana cloaking practice could be integrated into his other activities. It was pretty easy to practice cloaking even while doing the dishes, for Terry at least.

    Up next on the agenda was resistance training.

    ¡°Huaam. Morning Terry,¡± greeted Miguel after yawning. ¡°You¡¯ve been up long?¡±

    ¡°Not longer than usual,¡± replied Terry casually.

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Miguel rubbed his eyes and yawned again. ¡°Are you with us fire-victims again today? Or will you switch to Tiana¡¯s lightning group later?¡±

    ¡°All types of fire today,¡± replied Terry while trying to hide a grimace at the pain looming in his near future. ¡°Chadwick said I can also join whenever he is personally instructing Tiana for lightning resistance.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I see. No bill for that instruction round, right?¡± Miguel nodded in understanding. ¡°More contribution points left to spend on weird item ideas. How are those going, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Collecting dust mostly,¡± said Terry wryly. ¡°Many are, uhh, more destructive than feels appropriate when trying to collect mana cores.¡±

    Also not that useful against ethereal aspect beings. Terry frowned inwardly.

    ¡°Perhaps we can squeeze in a regular old mana corrupted hunt,¡± proposed Miguel. ¡°Perhaps something tasty.¡±

    Terry paused and jerked his head. ¡°Weird, what the¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Miguel raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡±

    ¡°Hundreds of mana signatures are gathering in front of the Guild building,¡± replied Terry curiously.

    ***

    ¡°The Council and the army are busy protecting Arcana, but what about ensuring that the culprits will be punished?¡± bellowed Weran.

    Terry and Miguel arrived in front of the Guild. Terry looked around and recognized the mana signatures of his friends and his family members among the crowd that was still growing by the minute.

    ¡°If a rabid dog bites, then you smack it,¡± roared Weran. ¡°And you must be swift if it is to learn its lesson. Our government feels compelled to uphold their noble dignity, but I, for one, do not.¡± He glared at the crowd. ¡°If our government is busy, then it is on us to swiftly teach a memorable lesson.¡±

    ¡°Even if what you said is true¡­¡±

    Terry heard the voice of Samuel. Samuel stood together with Brynn and a few other Academy mages.

    ¡°¡­then it was the decision of a single minister and his allies,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°Tiv¡¯s ordinary citizens did not choose this.¡±

    ¡°But they chose their government!¡± retorted Weran coldly. ¡°They chose this minister. They granted him power. They made the wrong choice.¡± His eyes did not contain any shred of sympathy. ¡°Now, the only choice they¡¯ll be given is to seek asylum elsewhere or perish.¡±

    ¡°On my name.¡± Weran forced his words through gritted teeth: ¡°Tiv. Will. Fall.¡±

    Weran moved his gaze over the crowd. ¡°Our fellow citizens of Arcana did not ¡®choose¡¯ this either, did they?¡± He spat on the ground. ¡°And yet at this very moment, they are dying all over the north and Arcana¡¯s earth is being drenched with their blood.¡±

    ¡°Tiv did this.¡± Weran glared at the crowd. ¡°Tiv plotted against our barrier. I have had it with that dogshit country! In the past, Arcana chose the high road by isolating itself instead of crushing the traitorous empire.¡± Weran¡¯s voice had dropped even lower than before. ¡°No more. Now, there will be blood.¡±

    ¡°This is my home,¡± roared Weran. ¡°Arcana is our home.¡± He gestured at the people with him. ¡°When the Lich Kingdoms rose, it was Arcana that stood in their path.¡± Weran¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°It was Arcana that fought to protect innocent lives. While the other empires were still busy with their schemes and power squabbles, Arcana fought their battle for them.¡±

    Weran inhaled deeply. ¡°When my village was attacked, it was not our Elusian Empire that came to our rescue. No, it was a magic sovereign of Arcana that took up the fight for us.¡±

    ¡°When the Wastes arrived and the Elusian Empire decided to abandon this realm and to retreat back to the native elven realm, I chose to stay,¡± bellowed Weran. ¡°I chose Arcana as my home. I joined Arcana¡¯s Guild and volunteered to move with the army.

    ¡°I bled to protect innocent lives within their borders.¡± Weran¡¯s fists were shaking. ¡°How dare they attack my home?! HOW DARE THEY?!¡±

    Terry glanced at the silenced Samuel. He could see Brynn putting a hand on Samuel¡¯s shoulder and shaking her head.

    ¡°I fought next to the Valkyrie,¡± roared Weran. ¡°I was there when the traitorous king bowed to the lich kingdom¡¯s envoy and stabbed the Valkyrie and our cause in the back. I was there when Tivius¡¯s mongrels allied with the Lich Kingdoms.¡± Weran spat on the floor in disgust. ¡°When they decided to abandon those conquered to enshrine their own new empire. I saw the bastard¡¯s self-satisfied grin when he tried to force Hope¡¯s hand, believing that she would not go against her new king.¡±

    ¡°BAH!¡± Weran laughed madly. ¡°Little did the bastard know that there was still one person with honor among his people. The Valkyrie sticking to her principles was the last time I felt true respect for anyone in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°Hope was the glue that kept everyone working together,¡± muttered Weran with a sad shake of his head. ¡°When the Valkyrie was proclaimed dead, the last shred of honor in those lands died with her. These cowardly dogs even stabbed Arcana in the back by leaking our positions to the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

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    Terry involuntarily gasped. He had never heard that part before.

    ¡°I gladly fought next to the Valkyrie¡­¡± Weran silently uttered while recollecting the past. Then, Weran clenched his fists and roared: ¡°But after everything these curs had done, all that was left was hate and resentment.¡±

    ¡°Arcana¡¯s isolation was a show of mercy by the magic sovereigns,¡± roared Weran. ¡°Those like me only held back out of respect for the sovereigns.¡±

    A heavy silence fell for a breath¡¯s time.

    ¡°They want to poke the sleeping dragon?!¡± demanded Weran. ¡°They want us back in the fight?!¡± He grinned menacingly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll start by paying back debts, old and new alike. They dare threaten Arcana?!¡± Weran¡¯s eyes turned beastly. ¡°They will face our wrath!¡±

    ¡°Everyone that wants to bring the fight back to Tiv, we¡¯ll get you there,¡± shouted Mia. She was standing next to Weran. She gestured to the dimensional mages at her side. ¡°Free of charge.¡±

    ¡°You should stick to the heartland,¡± said Weran coldly. His voice was only loud enough for the dimensional mages to hear. ¡°They want to pass the Wastes around? Let¡¯s see who will win that game. Let¡¯s see what prize awaits them.¡±

    Weran turned back to the crowd. ¡°Overmorrow, we¡¯ll show them the prize for threatening our home.¡± His face contorted in a menacing smile. ¡°If you¡¯re impatient and believe yourselves capable enough to act alone, we can send you over even earlier than that.¡±

    Could the Preacher really have been¡­? Terry was still processing all that he had just heard. Two words repeatedly surfaced in his mind: Stupid. Zealot.

    ¡°Terry,¡± a voice jolted Terry out of his thoughts. He noticed himself surrounded by Miguel, Samuel, Brynn, Tiana, and Chadwick.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blinked. ¡°Pardon, what?¡±

    ¡°You met this Minister Kipkoi, right?¡± asked Samuel.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Does this seem in-character to you?¡± asked Samuel.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t surprise me,¡± grumbled Brynn. ¡°Bloody Tiv. Even after leaving their mana-forsaken empire, they still drag everyone down and¡ª¡±

    ¡°My life, please,¡± interjected Samuel, and put an arm around Brynn. He explained to Terry: ¡°They¡¯ve made the information on which they are basing their judgement available to everyone at the Guild.¡±

    ¡°And the dimensional mages have already confirmed it,¡± added Brynn with suppressed anger. ¡°They dare to¡ª¡± She stopped herself when she felt the hand of her life¡¯s chosen rubbing her shoulder and sighed. ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    ¡°I just want to know Whaka Terry¡¯s opinion,¡± said Samuel. ¡°After all, I¡¯m not in a position to confirm the information myself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Terry recollected the attitudes of Kipkoi and Ava. The way Ava had sneered at the barrier in Syn City. The way that¡­

    He suddenly recalled the Preacher¡¯s words on stupidity. ¡®A powerful empire that refuses to join the fight against the Wastes.¡¯ He had paid little attention at the time, because he had already been ticked off by the examples of alleged stupidity that had referred to his aunts.

    Terry frowned. ¡°I think it¡¯s very in-character.¡± He looked at Samuel. ¡°If the Preacher could destroy the barrier, he definitely would have chosen to do so.¡±

    Samuel inhaled sharply and shook his head. He sighed and then kissed Brynn on the cheek to calm himself. This time, it was Brynn that rubbed Samuel¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°What will happen now?¡± asked Terry. ¡°I¡­¡± He remembered his friends and acquaintances that were still in the Tiv Empire. ¡°There are good people in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°I understand holding the Preacher and his ilk accountable, but¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°It did not sound as if they would stop there.¡±

    ¡°Will people really follow that elf¡¯s call to arms?¡± interjected Miguel. ¡°If this would be an assassination mission or, I don¡¯t know, kidnapping the responsible government officials, I would get it. But unleashing indiscriminate vengeance?¡± Miguel looked at the older people in their circle. ¡°Will people sign up for this?¡±

    Samuel sighed, while Brynn and Chadwick nodded.

    ¡°I have to admit that my anger definitely gained the upper hand during Roy¡ª during Weran¡¯s speech,¡± said Brynn with a glance at Samuel. ¡°This is my chosen home. It took me nearly all I had to get here and build the life I wished for. I¡¯ll be damned if I let someone threaten...¡± She emitted a low growl.

    After a deep breath, Brynn looked at Miguel. ¡°Weran had a point. It is the duty of Tiv¡¯s citizens to hold their government accountable. The Preacher may have been the one to sabotage our barrier, but do you truly believe that those that have voted him into office are unrelated?¡±

    Samuel made a bitter expression.

    ¡°Lizzy once said that they get little choice, though,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°That some factions have a stranglehold on everything and that not everyone has a chance to be put on the ballot.¡±

    ¡°Those factions have not come into power for nothing,¡± retorted Brynn with suppressed anger. ¡°And no stranglehold could survive a strong opposition from the citizens.¡± Brynn shook her head. ¡°Either they approve or they don¡¯t really care about the lives in Arcana. If it¡¯s the former, then they deserve what¡¯s coming to them. If it¡¯s the latter, then someone has to teach them to care.¡±

    Terry recalled a conversation between Sigille and Willow about the ability of people to change: ¡®Even those that can, they rarely do so without giving them a good reason.¡¯

    ¡°Back when I was still in Tiv, magic restrictions were not unpopular,¡± said Brynn with a resentful tone. ¡°Although most of the supporters were the people that had no big need for and no interest in magic to begin with ¨C save inside the capital, where they¡¯ll get privileged access to magic items.¡±

    ¡°The dimensional mages did not specifically mention the capital.¡± Tiana pointed out.

    ¡°True.¡± Brynn shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know that my anger is getting the best of me, but it¡¯s so damned frustrating.¡±

    ¡°The Preacher is actually elected in an outer district,¡± said Terry. ¡°Mostly because of his support to reestablish patrols in the Wasted Zone and perhaps his position on integrating channelers into society¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Although the latter was strongly related to his stance against magic liberties, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t help but feel that this is the natural conclusion of Tiv¡¯s treatment of magic,¡± said Brynn resentfully. ¡°They feel entitled to mages serving them. It is only natural that their view extends to the Empire of Magic. I expect that many see nothing wrong with forcing Arcana¡¯s mana users into the fight against the Wastes. In their mind, this is only as it should be.

    ¡°Magic obliges, bah.¡± Brynn sighed deeply. ¡°Anyway, I can see a lot of people signing up.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°I even expect some of my comrades to follow Weran.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Miguel was shocked.

    ¡°No offense, but you all have no idea about the devastation in the north,¡± said Chadwick somberly. He shook his head and inhaled slowly. ¡°Yes, a soldier should show more restraint than to exact revenge, but after¡­¡± He glanced at Tiana at his side. ¡°There are many among my comrades whom I cannot blame for their actions.¡±

    Chadwick shook his head once more with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°If Tiana had done mission work further in the north, if Terry or Matteo had not made it in time, if something had happened to her as a result of all this, then I¡­¡± Chadwick clenched his giant fist. ¡°Then I, too, might stand in line to crush the Tiv Empire.¡±

    ***

    In the evening, Terry and his siblings were walking back from the training grounds when they heard a loud howl of fury and frustration.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Jorg¡¯s mouth stood agape.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t that sound like¡­?¡± Lori looked at Terry and Jorg.

    Terry stared towards the direction of the sound. ¡°Aunt Brynn¡¯s mana signature is back there, but she appears to be running to the Academy now.¡±

    The three immediately dashed to pursue her, but they were abruptly stopped when a figure passed them. ¡°¡°¡°Pa?¡±¡±¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s eyes were swollen and red. His mana channels were clearly visible and strained beyond their limits. He did not break his run to greet his children. He was running towards the Guardian facilities at full speed.

    ¡°He must have seen us, right?¡± muttered Jorg. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°He appears to be going to the alchemy lab,¡± muttered Terry with a pale face. ¡°The storage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Pa,¡± said Lori. ¡°You check with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Uncle Samuel is rushing towards us, I think,¡± interjected Terry.

    Samuel¡¯s eyes were red, and his chest heaved with deep, difficult breaths. ¡°I need to talk to you three.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Lori in a quivering voice. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Samuel hesitated and took another deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s about your ma.¡±

    Terry¡¯s stomach felt as if it had collapsed into itself.

    ¡°Whaka Isille has been touched by a reaper,¡± said Samuel, and winced with a look full of pain.

    ¡°Wh-what does that mean?¡± stammered Jorg. ¡°Where is Ma?¡±

    Lori¡¯s lips parted, but no sound escaped while she shook her head disbelievingly.

    Terry felt the blood rush to his head and a sharp tone was ringing in his ears. Among the three siblings, he was the one most familiar with the death aura curse and its creatures. He had heard of the terror that was a reaper.

    Terry still saw through his eyes and heard everyone¡¯s voices, but he felt as if he was standing beside himself. As if he was merely an outside observer. As if this was not real.

    This can¡¯t be real. Not¡­ Not again.

    Tears entered Terry¡¯s eyes, and he clenched his fists.

    ¡°Whaka Isille is currently being brought to the Academy, because that¡¯s where the best available healer is located,¡± said Samuel wearily.

    ¡°C-can we see her?¡± asked Jorg.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Samuel. ¡°Whaka Isille is unconscious and¡­¡±

    ¡­she is unlikely to ever wake up. Terry knew which words were left unsaid.

    ¡°When will she get better?¡± asked Lori in what was almost a whisper.

    Terry flinched at the ¡®when¡¯ in the question, because he knew that this was¡­ Wishful thinking again¡­ Terry shook his head slightly while his fingers dug into his palms.

    ¡°Fortunately, we have an excellent healer at the Academy,¡± said Samuel in an almost pathetic attempt to sound cheerful.

    ¡°When?¡± Terry could hear his own voice before he realized that his mouth had moved. ¡°When did it happen?¡±

    Samuel lowered his head, because he realized the reason for the question. He grimaced when he looked at Terry. ¡°Almost two days ago. Whaka Bjorln and Whaka Isille were helping to evacuate a city when a part of what must have been a huge horde appeared out of nowhere. One of the liches must have learned some kind of transfer spell.¡±

    Terry had not heard anything after ¡®two days ago.¡¯ He felt as if the temperature had dropped a dozen degrees.

    ¡°Whaka Brynn is preparing an inscribed chamber that will hopefully help slow down the reaper¡¯s mark,¡± continued Samuel.

    ¡®Slow down.¡¯ Not stop¡­ Terry involuntarily flinched again.

    ¡°Pa must have an idea!¡± exclaimed Lori. ¡°He ran to the alchemy lab.¡±

    Samuel lowered his head again before mustering the resolve to speak. ¡°Whaka Bjorln has an idea, yes. A potion, but¡­¡± Samuel slowly shook his head. ¡°He can tell you himself. First, we need to get Whaka Isille¡¯s condition stabilized.¡±

    Terry raised his head and stared at Samuel. He had never known Samuel to lie. It sounded as if there really was a viable idea, and yet there was something in Samuel¡¯s tone that Terry could not place.

    A reaper¡¯s touch that had been placed almost two days ago¡­ Terry could not recall ever having heard a proper way to heal a victim in this scenario. He was desperately hoping that it was simply because of his own ignorance.

    Terry became aware that there was blood in his mouth. At some point, he must have bitten his tongue or the inside of his cheek.

    ¡®Now, there will be blood.¡¯

    The words Terry had heard earlier on this very same day were echoing in his mind over and over again.

    ¡®Now, there will be blood.¡¯

    ***

 098 Hardened Resolve

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 67 ¨C

    The Tiv soldiers cautiously approached the local command center from where flames were raging high into the night¡¯s sky. A hunched, dark silhouette stood in stark contrast to the bright flames in the background. The hooded figure was dressed in shadows that could not be explained by the fire or the night itself.

    ¡°Identify yourself!¡± barked an officer among the soldiers. ¡°Are you responsible for the fire?¡±

    An eerie cackle resounded in the air as two red pupils became visible underneath a hood that was otherwise filled with nothing but shadow.

    ¡°Look at all the little fishies jumping into the net to pay their blood¡­¡± The hoarse voice of a woman sent chills down the backs of the Tiv soldiers. ¡°I do not need to identify myself to a dead person,¡± sneered the woman and cackled again. ¡°For every drop of blood that has been spilled in Arcana, I¡¯ll extract a gallon here in Tiv.¡± Her red pupils flared up.

    Despite the heat of the fire, cold sweat appeared on the foreheads of the Tiv soldiers. ¡°You and you.¡± The officer pointed at two soldiers. ¡°Run and send a message to inform headquarters about this.¡±

    Before the two soldiers had moved more than a few steps, one of them exploded into a bloody mist. The remaining soldiers all stared at the scene in horror. The cackle resounded once more, and they all turned to the hooded woman.

    ¡°One messenger should suffice,¡± snarled the hooded woman. ¡°Considering Tiv¡¯s sins, more than a single survivor appears excessive to me.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what ¡®sins¡¯ you are talking about!¡± One soldier shouted with despair.

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, when has ignorance ever been an excuse when judgement awaits?¡± The hooded woman spoke derisively. ¡°Tiv broke Arcana¡¯s barrier. I¡¯ll break your necks. It is as simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Move!¡± The officer ordered the surviving messenger once more.

    ¡°Straighten your backs, soldiers!¡± shouted the officer. ¡°If a fight is what she desires, then a fight is what we¡¯ll give her. Take her down!¡±

    As the soldiers charged towards the hooded woman, her cackle resounded loudly once more. ¡°Bringing metal armor to face a true mage? How amusing.¡±

    For a moment, everything was illuminated in a flash as blindingly bright lightning danced from the hooded woman¡¯s hand to every single soldier.

    It was the first time that the soldiers got a glimpse of the elderly face underneath the hood.

    It was the last thing they saw in their lives.

    ***

    Late in the night, Terry was inside another special training room. He had been unable to sleep and thought he might as well use the time for something productive. Something that would keep him distracted from his own thoughts.

    It was not working.

    While dodging and transfixing the incoming ice projectiles, Terry¡¯s eyes repeatedly moved to the location of the alchemy lab. Bjorln had locked himself in the lab from the moment he had arrived. Terry could sense the mana fluctuations of whatever his accepted father was doing in there, but he had no idea what it could possibly be.

    Terry snapped out of it when he noticed the machine was already one gear further than he had intended to use. He flung some mana into the deactivation trigger. At this point, Terry realized he had already progressed into the difficulty that fired seven ice spikes at once.

    Initially, this exercise had been intended to test Terry¡¯s current mana intensity. The ice spikes were guided by mana, which meant that Terry had to overpower the existing mana or shield his spell structure if he wanted to transfix them.

    Terry was staring at the ice spikes that remained transfixed in the air. He had dodged two and transfixed the remaining five. While looking at the positions of the transfixed ice spikes, Terry became aware that he had not relied on his bodily focal points for casting. He had subconsciously cast directly outside his body, leaning on his improvements in mana reach and parallel casting.

    This was perhaps the first time that Terry had undeniably achieved truly hands-free ¨C and feet-free ¨C casting. If it had been any other time, Terry would have been giddy with excitement, but whatever happiness this could have sparked was dwarfed by the sorrow of what was going on around him.

    Terry mostly felt numb.

    Terry hated feeling numb.

    He caught the movement of familiar mana signatures in his mana sense and a pang of guilt pierced through his numbness.

    ¡°I hope I did not scare them again,¡± muttered Terry. He left the training room and looked towards the direction of his approaching siblings. Terry sighed. He had not warned them about leaving for the training grounds in the middle of the night. He had even forgotten to write a note. Again.

    Damn it. Terry was disappointed in himself.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Jorg¡¯s weak voice greeted Terry.

    ¡°I had a feeling you would be here,¡± said Lori. Her eyes were puffy and red.

    ¡°Has Pa come out?¡± asked Jorg.

    Terry shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep either?¡±.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can still find the resolve to train,¡± said Jorg with some self-reproach.

    ¡°It helps me,¡± said Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t know what else I can do.¡±

    ¡°I tried practicing spellwork when I could not sleep,¡± muttered Jorg. ¡°But it mostly ended in spell failures.¡±

    ¡°We could lift some weights,¡± suggested Lori. ¡°Not much concentration required there.¡±

    Jorg shrugged unenthusiastically.

    Suddenly, Terry jerked his head around. ¡°He¡¯s coming out,¡± said Terry while staring at the entrance to the alchemy area.

    Not long afterwards, a dwarf that resembled an ashen ghost rushed towards the three. While Terry was too dazed to react, Lori and Jorg were rushing to meet Bjorln. The three dwarves hugged each other tightly.

    Bjorln placed kisses on the heads of his two children. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I could not protect your mother. She risked her life to protect the citizens, and I was too late with my discharge. It¡¯s all¡­¡± He glanced up. ¡°Terry, my boy, come here!¡± He motioned with his hand.

    Terry went down on his knees and joined the sobbing bundles.

    Bjorln kissed Terry on the head as well. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re safe. You can¡¯t believe how happy we were to hear that you¡¯re safe.¡± Bjorln¡¯s face contorted in a grimace of pain. ¡°And I can¡¯t even thank the old lady anymore¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s stomach sank another floor at the reference to Sigille.

    Bjorln sobbed and inhaled deeply. ¡°I won¡¯t let my Isille go like this. I¡¯ll save her.¡± He hugged his children tightly to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll save her.¡±

    Terry had never heard his pa like he was now. The despair and resolve in Bjorln¡¯s voice almost scared him. He forcefully suppressed the urge to ask how he planned to save her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already begun the concoction,¡± muttered Bjorln distantly. ¡°The first phase of preparations is finished.¡±

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll make some snacks for you,¡± said Bjorln with a sad smile. ¡°You can¡¯t just stay up the whole night like this.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind was a haze as he followed Bjorln and his siblings.

    A faint scent of blood lingered in Terry¡¯s nostrils.

    ***

    Inside his office, Kipkoi stared at the report in front of him and held his head in his hands.

    ¡°How could they be¡­¡± Kipkoi¡¯s eyes were glazed over. ¡°Why are they so stupid? I can¡¯t believe this. This isn¡¯t what we wanted. This isn¡¯t what we need to do.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ HARRGH!¡± Kipkoi lost control of his impotent rage and he shoved all the items from his desk to the side.

    An elven man calmly snatched a few papers from the air before they fell to the ground. ¡°Twenty garrisons completely eradicated.¡± Clarence read out loud. ¡°Five high-ranking generals assassinated and¡­ Wow, really? Two of their heads have been sent to the Assembly and king?¡±

    Clarence fleetingly glanced up at Kipkoi, but the minister was in no mood to respond. ¡°More than fifty mobile squads taken down in a single night, two major supply routes completely torn apart¡­¡±

    Clarence skimmed the next sheet of paper. ¡°Emptied magic supply stores, burned down food stores, sabotaged constructs, several dozen imperial censors dead in the streets¡­

    ¡°They don¡¯t mess around, do they?¡± Clarence exhaled a sharp breath. He looked at Kipkoi. ¡°Any chance that this is Thanatos¡¯s work?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Kipkoi in a grave tone. ¡°As far as we can tell, Thanatos has pulled out of Tiv territory.¡±

    ¡°¡®As far as we can tell¡¯, huh?¡± Clarence smacked his lips. ¡°Why would they do that? If these reports really indicate retaliation from Arcana, then wouldn¡¯t now be the best time for Thanatos to act? They do seem the type to place a hard kick when an opponent is down.¡±

    Kipkoi raised his gaze pensively. His eyes opened wide, and he shook his head with a horrified look in his eyes. ¡°This¡­¡± Kipkoi gulped. ¡°Because it¡¯s not over yet.¡± He abruptly stood up. ¡°I have to go to the Assembly.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± asked Clarence with a raised brow. ¡°I don¡¯t see how you can help in this situation.¡±

    ¡°I need to hand myself in so that they can offer me to Arcana.¡± Kipkoi spoke in a daze. ¡°Perhaps that will appease the¡­ I never wanted¡­ I never thought that¡­¡±

    Clarence blinked a few times without saying anything. ¡°Losing the barrier always meant bloodshed. You knew that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Kipkoi shook his head. ¡°But how could they be so stupid?! I wanted them to finally fight against the Wastes.¡± He shook his head more forcefully. ¡°Like they ought to have all this time. Force them to finally see some sense. I¡­¡±

    Kipkoi lowered his gaze. ¡°Why is it like this? This is madness. Not only are they not using their full force against the Wastes, they are abusing their powers to attack us. This isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Kipkoi raised his head again and spoke with determination. ¡°I need to stop this if I can. Now.¡±

    Kipkoi rushed to the door. Suddenly, he felt a sharp prick at his neck. He turned around to see Clarence grimacing at him with a needle in his hand. Kipkoi was overcome with drowsiness and stared at Clarence, who was softly holding him so that he would not fall to the floor.

    Clarence shook his head with sympathy. ¡°You may be willing to give your life for this damned empire, but I¡¯m not willing to let you do that. I won¡¯t let you throw away your life for this shithole.¡± Clarence heaved the minister¡¯s unconscious body onto his shoulders. ¡°Even if it means that you¡¯ll hate me for it.¡±

    Afterwards, Clarence disappeared from sight while carrying the unconscious Kipkoi away.

    ***

    Terry stepped into the mana isolation room that allowed a view of the chamber in which Isille was treated.

    Emaldine, Lori, and Jorg were with him.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Emaldine shook her head. ¡°If Ma was still alive¡­¡± She sighed deeply. ¡°I can practically see her ripping the Preacher into pieces with her teeth.¡± She bit her lips. ¡°I¡¯m almost thankful that she does not have to see this. It would break her apart.¡±

    Two people stepped out of the chamber. Terry turned around to recognize his former mentor. He muttered weakly: ¡°Greetings, Instructor Pelliana.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Pelliana blinked. ¡°Terry? Is that you?¡± She examined him with a dismissive attitude. ¡°I can see that you at least took your mana foundational training seriously.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Terry swallowed the words in his mouth. He sensed the remaining traces of Pelliana¡¯s healing spells on the unconscious Isille and he spoke from the bottom of his heart: ¡°Thank you, Instructor Pelliana.¡±

    Pelliana leaned her head back slightly and gave Terry an appraising look over her nose. ¡°There is no need to thank me, boy. I am, after all, a healer. This is what I do.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°And I am not your instructor anymore. You can address me as Pelliana.¡±

    Terry nodded, and his gaze finally washed over the second person. A young woman with curly blond hair was staring at Terry with mouth agape.

    She seems familiar somehow. Have I met her before? Terry tilted his head slightly, but could not bring himself to care very much.

    ¡°Clarity, can you bring me the recharged blood purifier?¡± asked Pelliana. ¡°Clarity?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Clarity flinched and turned to Pelliana.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Pelliana looked curiously from Terry to Clarity. ¡°Have you two met before? Terry left the year that you joined the Academy. When would you¡­?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± mumbled Clarity. ¡°Not really.¡±

    Lori whispered to Jorg. ¡°Haven¡¯t we seen her before?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Instructor,¡± apologized Clarity. ¡°His mana signature surprised me.¡±

    Terry realized he was currently not cloaking his mana and another breath later, his mana signature was fully cloaked.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Clarity uttered faintly.

    ¡°My bad,¡± muttered Terry. He was not looking at the young woman and instead stared at Isille¡¯s unconscious body in the chamber. ¡°I didn''t mean to distract you. Thanks for assisting Inst¡ª Pelliana in the healing.¡±

    ¡°Clarity, if you want to have a chat with your failed predecessor, you can do that later,¡± interjected Pelliana. ¡°The recharged blood purifier, please.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± Clarity rushed off with hasty steps.

    ¡°How is she?¡± asked Emaldine.

    ¡°She has been touched by a reaper. What do you think?¡± Pelliana scoffed slightly and her tone became matter-of-factly. ¡°With a mark that advanced, there is not much I can do except try to stabilize her condition as much as I can. The chamber that Brynn has created helps, but even if she manages to improve the chamber even further, all we can do is buy time.¡±

    To Terry, Pelliana¡¯s voice sounded very distant. He had expected as much.

    Lori and Jorg grimaced and clenched their fists. Lori raised her head to glare at Pelliana. ¡°But Pa said that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me be blunt,¡± interrupted Pelliana curtly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that dwarf is planning, but in my professional opinion, you need to be prepared to say your farewells. There is nothing more cruel than false hope.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. He glanced at his siblings, whose faces had lost all color. Lori, in particular, looked as if someone had slapped the life out of her face.

    ¡°And you can tell that dwarf that there is no point in staring at the chamber the whole night,¡± said Pelliana grumpily. ¡°On the contrary, any mana presence is an unnecessary risk that might worsen the situation.¡± Pelliana moved her eyes over the people present. ¡°And allow me to be blunt again: That includes all of you, too.¡±

    Emaldine¡¯s face flushed with anger. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Pelliana,¡± interjected Terry in a flat voice. ¡°Thank you for¡­ everything you are doing here.¡± He turned to leave. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you any further.¡±

    ***

    ¡°¡­this is the list of ingredients I still require that we do not have in stock,¡± announced Bjorln. Intensely dark shadows were underneath his eyes and the skin on his face appeared to droop. Bjorln handed several copies to the people in the room.

    Terry was practicing his cloaking and observing the people present. Aside from his family, there were many people whom he had seen and interacted with before. Terry bit his lips while waiting for a copy of the ingredients to reach him. He had already placed a new notebook on the table in case there was any additional information he should write down.

    ¡°Whaka Brynn has already issued a request to the Guild,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°But some of the ingredients are difficult to come by.¡±

    Terry recalled how Brynn and Samuel had met up with Bjorln earlier in the day. The two were currently not present. Terry received a copy of the ingredients. He was still not sure if all of this was real. Bjorln seemed so sure that he could save Isille, and yet it clashed with everything that Terry knew.

    From the corner of his eyes, Terry spotted a frown on a Guardian whom he had met a long time ago. Terry recalled that the woman was called Leah. She seemed to have some connections with his accepted parents.

    ¡°I think I can get the crystallized tears of the ice tyrant,¡± said Mirabilia. ¡°And I can call in a favor for the soul draining weed.¡±

    ¡°I may have a lead on the pseudo phoenix feathers,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°But I would need to get to the Union for that.¡±

    ¡°Most of the dimensional mages are unfortunately not available,¡± said Tamar. ¡°But we can find a way. The livid frog eyes we can acquire. I only need to send a missive from the Guardians.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He got the impression that he was missing something to make sense of the whole situation. He scanned the list of ingredients. He did not recognize most of the entries, but a few caught his attention.

    The first such entry was an arcane mana core of a specific size. Unfortunately, Terry already knew that the purplemist lynx core was too small for the requirement.

    ¡°If I can get to Ferrow, I can get three arcane cores that match the requirements,¡± said Verecund.

    The next two entries that caught Terry¡¯s attention were a freely fallen leaf from a druid tree that was at least a hundred years old and a pinch of earth that had harbored a druid tree seed that was not older than a hundred days. Terry looked up to meet Matteo¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I know where to find the two druid tree related ingredients,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But they are way west in Tiv. I have some transfer scrolls that can cover some of the distance, but not the entire trip.¡±

    ¡°We could prepare scrolls to cover the distance within Arcana beyond the primary gates as quickly as possible,¡± said Tamar. ¡°Some walking distance can¡¯t be avoided. Unanchored transfers over longer distances are too destabilizing. That being said, while druidry is rare and the time limits make it very difficult, we should first search in Arcana.¡±

    ¡°The biggest problem is the four-leaved blood tulip,¡± a man spoke up.

    Terry recognized the man as one of the orientation instructors he had spoken with in the past. His name was Dwayne.

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Tamar. ¡°From what is written here, it only grows in areas with intense blood-aspected mana that is also free from practically all the core aspects.¡±

    ¡°Under Arcana¡¯s barrier, such a place did not exist,¡± said Dwayne.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I''ve never had much interest in gathering missions,¡± said Matteo. ¡°But Dhruv, the druid from Tiv I was referring to earlier, might have an idea. The problem is that I¡¯m not exactly free to leave at the moment. I am barely keeping up with the elemental subjugation missions and the suppression treatment for those that have been possessed.¡±

    ¡°The four-leaved blood tulip is optional,¡± interjected Bjorln with a firm voice. ¡°It would be good to have it, but there is no need to focus on it.¡±

    Terry caught a movement from Leah. She was lowering her head until her eyes were not visible anymore.

    ¡°More importantly, there is a strict time limit,¡± stressed Bjorln grimly. ¡°The potion has to be used right when the mark¡¯s effect hits its peak. The potion has to be fully prepared and ready at that time. The four-leaved blood tulip is not worth any delay.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. Something was off about Bjorln¡¯s tone.

    ¡°We can only work with the time that we¡¯ve got,¡± stressed Bjorln. ¡°The healer and the inscription chamber can¡¯t buy time indefinitely.¡±

    ¡°I believe there are a few more of these that I can gather,¡± said Mirabilia. ¡°But I need to confirm a few points first.¡±

    ¡°No time to dawdle,¡± declared Verecund, and took his leave. All the others stood up as well.

    ¡°Mira, could you stay back, please?¡± Leah spoke up.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mirabilia froze in the doorframe. ¡°Y-yeah, okay.¡±

    ¡°Bjorln.¡± Leah spoke in a low voice.

    Bjorln met Leah¡¯s gaze calmly. He remained standing where he was.

    Terry sighed and stood up as well.

    And again, there is nothing much I can help with¡­

    Again.

    Not again.

    Terry bit his lips and left with all the others.

    Only Bjorln, Leah, and Mirabilia remained in the meeting room.

    Leah sensed for the surrounding mana signatures without speaking. Mirabilia felt that the atmosphere was odd and sat down again.

    Outside, Terry discovered he had forgotten his new notebook. He walked back to the room when he heard heated voices.

    Leah, who had not sensed Terry¡¯s approach because of his active mana cloaking, had begun staring daggers at Bjorln.

    ¡°Bjorln, what the Wastes are you doing?!¡± demanded Leah.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Mirabilia.

    Bjorln looked at Leah calmly.

    ¡°I may not have kept up with my alchemy lessons as far as you¡­¡± Leah swallowed. ¡°But I still remember the introduction to forbidden potions.¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s expression did not change.

    Mirabilia¡¯s mouth opened without leaking a sound.

    ¡°These are the ingredients for the life sharing potion,¡± accused Leah. ¡°And without the four-leaved blood tulip, it¡¯s a life sacrificing potion.¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s expression did not change.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked Mirabilia. She looked from Leah to Bjorln and back. ¡°Explain it for someone that has never had an interest in potions or medicine.¡±

    ¡°A life sharing potion takes one person¡¯s remaining life span and cuts it in half,¡± said Leah. ¡°The other half goes to the person that consumes the potion. It would not heal Isille. She would die and then awaken with the shared life force.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Mirabilia inhaled sharply.

    ¡°A life sacrifice potion is worse than that,¡± said Leah in a low voice. ¡°Where the life sharing potion takes half and gives half. The life sacrificing potion takes all to give half.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mirabilia jumped up from her seat. She stared at Bjorln. ¡°Is this true?¡±

    Mirabilia found her answer in Bjorln¡¯s stoic expression. She turned to Leah. ¡°Is this even legal? It¡¯s called a forbidden potion, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± said Leah. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s called that, but the name has nothing to do with legality. There are heavy regulations around it. It¡¯s almost like a ritual. A person has a right to pay such a price if they wish, but there must be witnesses to testify that the person is sharing their life on their own accord and without being coerced in any way¡­¡±

    Leah shook her head. ¡°Yes, this is legal, but it¡¯s fucking stupid!¡± She glared at Bjorln. ¡°Do you think she would want this?!¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s expression did not change.

    ¡°If you die because of this, she will kill you!¡± snapped Leah.

    ¡°She would probably stab us, too, for good measure,¡± muttered Mirabilia. She pleaded: ¡°Bjorln, Isille is one of my best friends. She would not want this.¡±

    When Bjorln remained as expressionless as before, Mirabilia took a deep breath. ¡°Can this potion be distributed? Can I help in paying the price?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Leah firmly. ¡°It can only connect a single life and a person can only consume it a single time.¡± She scowled. ¡°From the looks of it, he has already connected his life with the first phase.¡±

    Mirabilia shook her head. ¡°Bjorln, you can¡¯t do this.¡±

    Bjorln closed his eyes for a single breath. ¡°I can and I will.¡± He stared resolutely at Leah and Mirabilia. ¡°I chose to share my life with Isille a long time ago. It is my life, it is my choice what I do with it.¡±

    ¡°Then think about your children!¡± exclaimed Leah. ¡°Like death, the tulip is ¡®optional¡¯. What about Florine? What about Jorgen? What about Terry? Are you just going to abandon them all?¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s gaze wavered, but only for a moment. ¡°They are not little children anymore. We have raised them as best we could. I trust them to take care of themselves. They have each other as whaka. They have found good friends, of whom some will most likely become their whaka. I trust them. This is my life. This is my choice.¡±

    ¡°Bjorln¡­¡± Leah shook her head. Her eyes were red.

    ¡°She would not want this, Bjorln,¡± pleaded Mirabilia. ¡°She¡ª¡±

    ¡°She promised!¡± Bjorln almost shouted. Tears were streaming down his face. ¡°She promised me she¡¯ll be here.¡± His voice turned into a whisper. ¡°That she¡¯ll always be here.¡±

    For a moment, they were all silent.

    Mirabilia raised her head to stare at the ceiling before turning back to Bjorln. ¡°That tulip is not optional, you hear me? If I have to tie you down and beat you into a pulp, that tulip is not optional.¡±

    Bjorln¡¯s expression did not change.

    Outside, Terry was staring at the door handle he had not pressed. He staggered a few steps back. Then, he ran to find his uncle Samuel.

    ***

    Terry barged into the classroom without so much as a glance for the seated Academy students.

    A small part of him was surprised at how weak their mana signatures seemed, but most of his attention was on Samuel at the other end of the room.

    ¡°Continue with the third shaping exercise for now,¡± ordered Samuel. He approached Terry, who was obviously deeply shaken by something.

    ¡°Did you know?¡± asked Terry.

    Samuel realized what was going on and sighed. ¡°Come.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He followed Samuel while breathing shallow breaths.

    They entered an empty discussion room.

    Samuel caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Yes. I did.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry opened his mouth repeatedly before he found the words to say. ¡°But we can¡¯t let him do this. Pa¡­ He¡­¡±

    Samuel took a deep breath. ¡°On the contrary, I can¡¯t stop him.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°I have no right to.¡±

    Terry creased his forehead. He subconsciously shook his head.

    ¡°Whaka Olgorn gave his life for a chance to protect mine,¡± said Samuel. ¡°I would have done the same for him.¡± He lowered his gaze. ¡°I would do the same for Whaka Brynn.¡± He looked into Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°I would do the same for you and your siblings.¡±

    Terry exhaled an unsteady breath.

    ¡°More importantly, Whaka Isille is no different,¡± continued Samuel. ¡°If it was Whaka Bjorln in danger and the situation could be tackled with a good spear arm, don¡¯t you think Whaka Isille would be the first to move?¡± Samuel smiled faintly. ¡°No matter the odds? Even if it meant charging into a fight, she has little chance of winning? Even if it meant getting herself poisoned or severely injured or killed? Even if Whaka Bjorln would prefer she didn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I regret with every fiber of my being that I don¡¯t have any other option,¡± said Samuel dejectedly. ¡°But I can¡¯t stop him. I can¡¯t blame him for trying what he can, either.¡±

    But giving all your life so that no more than half of it reaches another person?

    ¡°Stupid¡­¡± A word escaped from Terry¡¯s lips as his exchange with the Preacher intruded his thoughts.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly not entirely rational,¡± admitted Samuel wearily. ¡°But these things generally aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± asked Terry faintly.

    ¡°I wish there was,¡± said Samuel sadly.

    ¡°The four-leaved blood tulip is not optional.¡± Terry murmured, almost in a trance.

    Not like this.

    Not again.

    Never again.

    Terry raised his head and declared: ¡°I have to speak with Matteo.¡± Terry rushed out the door and out of the Academy.

    If he can¡¯t go to Dhruv, then I will!

    ***

 099 A Ripple Across Two Empires

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 68 ¨C

    Somewhere in Tiv, a man whose arms and legs were tied together was thrown into a hole. The hole had been dug deep into the ground. Near the bottom, the man fell onto the other captured people and a fresh round of whimpering and pleading welled up from the depths.

    ¡°Quit your yapping,¡± shouted Eric. ¡°You¡¯re all useless muppets, anyway. What do you have to live for? You¡¯re pathetic. You¡¯ll always be pathetic. You should be happy that you can contribute to someone getting stronger.¡± Eric grinned viciously. ¡°Offering your lives to me is the greatest honor of your pathetic little lives.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if the blue flames of that bitch can hold against the next level of the Pond,¡± growled Eric. He subconsciously touched the arm that had been ripped off by Apex during the battle in Libra City. Even though Eric¡¯s channeled abilities allowed him to regenerate the limb, he could still remember the feeling of pain and humiliation. ¡°Once I¡¯m done with you muppets, Apex better hope to never encounter me again.¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± roared Vicious. ¡°If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being weak.¡± Eric sneered. ¡°Or blame whoever has cut down all the powerful people around here.¡±

    After Eric had thrown the last person into the hole, he paused. After a moment of surprise, he whirled around to stare at the figure that had appeared out of nowhere.

    An old dwarf covered in a white fur cloak stood near the hole and calmly observed Vicious¡¯s actions. The dwarf¡¯s hair and beard were grey and braided. One of his eyes appeared sewn shut.

    ¡°Where did you¡ª?¡± Eric was deeply disturbed. Both by the dwarf¡¯s sudden appearance and the aura, the dwarf gave off. Eric¡¯s instincts told him he was not the dwarf¡¯s opponent. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one that has cut down all the powerful people around here,¡± replied the dwarf indifferently.

    ¡°Help us!¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°At least my daughter¡­¡± ¡°Please kill Vicious!¡±

    ¡°Which cult are you from?¡± asked the dwarf.

    ¡°Why?¡± retorted Eric. He was relieved that the dwarf had apparently not recognized him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the local deathcults is all,¡± replied the dwarf with a casual shrug. ¡°Since I¡¯m touring the area, I might as well gather some information.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to get in my way?¡± asked Eric warily.

    ¡°I¡¯m certainly considering it,¡± replied the dwarf nonchalantly. ¡°It is never a good idea to let a cultist realm traitor get too strong.¡±

    Ripples washed over Eric¡¯s fluid body as if a stone had been thrown into the water.

    The dwarf¡¯s cold gaze met Eric¡¯s. ¡°Then again, you¡¯re just a brat that would be far from strong even if you got a lot stronger. Any true mage could snuff you out as easily as flipping their palm.¡±

    Eric swallowed down his retort.

    ¡°Honored Senior, please!¡± ¡°Help us!¡±

    ¡°Help?¡± The dwarf snapped at the pleading people. ¡°Tiv has sabotaged Arcana¡¯s barrier, and the Wastes spilled in without warning. My grandson is dead. My daughter-in-law is dying. My son is wishing he was dead, too.¡± The dwarf¡¯s aura rose until a terrifying pressure silenced all the people inside the hole.

    ¡°Do you seriously believe I¡¯ve come to Tiv to ¡®help¡¯?¡± snarled the dwarf. He limped slowly a few steps around the hole while staring coldly at Vicious¡¯s victims down below. After a few silent breaths, the dwarf looked back at Vicious and growled: ¡°I believe the Tiv Empire deserves you.¡±

    ¡°Heeheeh¡ª¡± Eric¡¯s gloating giggle was caught in his throat when the dwarf disappeared without a trace, even though Eric had focused his complete attention on him. Eric gulped. ¡°Nearly as creepy as Sudden Death¡­¡± Eric furrowed his brow.

    After a moment of pause, Eric sneered and looked back at the hole he had dug. ¡°Now, my little muppets¡­¡± An eerie water was discharged from Eric¡¯s feet and flowed into the hole. The water filled the hole until all the screams had been drowned together with the people inside.

    ***

    ¡°Wastes¡­¡± Lori swallowed heavily. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Jorg closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Uncle Samuel¡ª¡± began Lori.

    ¡°Won¡¯t stop him,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°And I know that Mirabilia and Leah will try, but they can¡¯t watch him all the time, can they?¡±

    ¡°Neither can you, if you go through with your plan,¡± muttered Jorg.

    ¡°But if one of us stays, then¡­¡± Lori¡¯s eyes moved to Terry.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t whaka get into trouble one at a time?¡± groaned Jorg.

    Jorg and Lori glanced at each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re stronger,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°You can cast all the fundamental healing spells,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Could we hire someone to stop him?¡± Jorg wondered out loud.

    ¡°Hire someone that can defeat Pa?¡± Lori grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can afford that.¡±

    Jorg took a deep breath and clenched his fists. ¡°Lori, you go with Terry. We can afford a few healing items, but a few items would not get me to your level.¡±

    Determination flashed through Jorg¡¯s eyes. ¡°If no one is able to find a four-leaved blood tulip, then I¡¯ll stop him.¡± The determination wavered slightly. ¡°I have no idea how yet, but I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Wohh¡­¡± uttered Calam in a low voice.

    Gellath paled and gulped. His hands were shaking.

    ¡°You what now?¡± exclaimed Miguel. ¡°Go back to Tiv¡¯s Wasted Zone in search of a flower that might not even exist there?¡±

    ¡°More or less,¡± admitted Terry, and Lori nodded beside him.

    ¡°When do we go?¡± asked Siling.

    Terry stared at her. ¡°I, uhh, I only wanted to inform you. I couldn¡¯t ask any of you to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± interrupted Siling. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Although, I do indeed need to ask my mom, but that¡¯s for later.¡±

    Miguel¡¯s gaze was on Lori. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°It sounds very Guardian-like, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s just the Wastes. How bad can it be?¡± He drew back his lips.

    ¡°Like the heroes from the stories,¡± murmured Calam quietly. Ambitious yearning flashed through his eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Gellath stared at Miguel in shock. ¡°But you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°Not able to do much,¡± acknowledged Miguel. ¡°I know, but Terry was right. I want to do something. You can help out in the clinic. I can¡¯t do that. My tracking training can at least help in avoiding people. Remember that Terry still has a bounty on him.¡±

    Terry blinked. ¡°Right¡­¡± He frowned. The reminder for the bounty was only one reason. The other reason was that Terry had a similar objection in mind to Gellath. Miguel had not succumbed to the pressure against the elementals, but it had been undeniably difficult for Miguel to deal with them.

    Gellath¡¯s hand was still trembling. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Gellath,¡± said Terry softly. He remembered how Gellath had reacted during the emergency mission. The pressure was still too much for him. Even worse were the corpses they found. ¡°A larger group would be problematic in its own way.¡± Terry pointed out. ¡°Some of the transfer scrolls only work for up to five people.¡±

    ¡°Remember how they told us in therapy that the most important thing is to know your limits and respect the time you need?¡± Calam moved over to Gellath and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Also, you¡¯re a healer first and foremost. The clinic will be lucky to have you.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention we still have our new friends here,¡± said Lori. ¡°Emaldine will be on the move as well.¡±

    ¡°Right, you promised to show Thena and Clayson around in the southern district,¡± reminded Miguel.

    ¡°More importantly, I could use some help here too,¡± said Jorg and slapped Gellath on the back.

    Calam looked at Terry and Siling. ¡°I need to talk to my family, but I want to join if I can.¡±

    Terry nodded. Aside from working through his freeze problem, Calam had also progressed in his mana cultivation, and his force spells were very useful.

    Afterwards, Terry glanced at Jorg with an odd feeling in his stomach. To Terry, it was painfully obvious how Jorg tried to put on an optimistic face and how frustrated Jorg was feeling underneath it all.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed Elena. She looked worriedly at Lori.

    ¡°I know what you want to say, but you have your own father to worry about.¡± Lori stepped next to Elena and put a hand on her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±

    Elena shook her head. ¡°If my father wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± mouthed Lori silently. She rubbed Elena¡¯s arm.

    Tiana grunted with a frustrated shake of her head. She looked at Elena. ¡°My first thought was also that if it wasn¡¯t for my little possession problem, then¡­¡± Tiana sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t think either of us would be much help there. As much as I hate to say it, the elementals have shown me my limitations again. I¡¯ll happily challenge a stronger mana corrupted, but against these creatures of pure mana¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell you what, Elena,¡± said Jorg. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with your father, if you help me with mine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Elena raised her brows. ¡°With my father, that involves buying toilet paper and sometimes even helping him use it.¡±

    ¡°Meh, Gellath and I help out at the clinic, remember?¡± retorted Jorg. ¡°I see no shame in helping someone wipe their butt.¡± Jorg¡¯s nonchalant expression was slowly replaced with a grimace. ¡°Shitting myself on the other hand¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to the prospect of having to force some sense into my pa¡­¡± He shuddered. ¡°I¡¯d rather face a terror grizzly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen an exhibition match with your father once,¡± said Elena with a wry smile. ¡°I believe I might be getting the short end of the stick here.¡±

    ¡°Remember to invite me, too, when it¡¯s time.¡± Tiana said to Jorg.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Jorg said in a heartfelt tone. ¡°I was soooo hoping you would say that.¡± Jorg looked back at Elena. ¡°Parents, huh? What would they do without us?¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry took a deep breath while looking at Lori, Siling, Miguel, and Calam.

    ¡°Then I suggest we go shopping,¡± said Terry. ¡°I still have a lot of unspent contribution points and Matteo has also given me some more mana cores we can sell.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, what?¡± blurted Miguel. ¡°It sounds as if you want to pay us. That¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°No. You are all risking your lives to help us. This isn¡¯t payment. This is to help us succeed and get everyone back safely.¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that¡­¡± Miguel nodded. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t be polite. After our elemental encounter, I¡¯ve already done some research.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Terry looked at Miguel in a new light.

    ¡°There are two enchanting quivers I have my eye on, as well as a pair of boots,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°What¡¯s an enchanting quiver?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°A quiver that can enchant arrows,¡± said Miguel. ¡°The enchantment is temporary, and it takes a while to charge, but for arrows, this is sufficient.¡±

    Miguel looked at Terry. ¡°The first I have my eye on is an enchantment from the explosion family. After the arrow leaves the quiver, it can be primed and then the arrowhead will explode shortly after impact. It¡¯s not very suitable for hunting because of the metal pieces that are blown into the creature, but if you just want to kill something, then it¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°The second is a mana suction enchantment,¡± said Miguel while nodding to himself. ¡°Both together should give me good options for dealing with anything corporeal or ethereal. Some more aspected arrows and I¡¯ll also ransack the poison cabinet, then I should be useful.¡±

    ¡°What about the boots?¡± asked Jorg. ¡°Blink?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± grumbled Miguel. ¡°I don¡¯t want to trouble Siling¡¯s pets whenever we need to be fast. My endurance is fine, but I can¡¯t keep up with your speeds at all. I was looking at the fleet feet enchantment. The cheaper enchantments expire after a season or so, but that should be more than enough for touring the Wastes this once.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can find,¡± said Terry while doing a few calculations in his head.

    Jorg slapped Miguel on the back. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to look after my sister, then.¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®look after your sister¡¯?¡± asked Miguel with narrowed eyes. ¡°The last time I was able to protect your sister from anything was when she was still afraid of caterpillars. Back when we were all still learning to count our toes.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Lori blinked. ¡°That did happen.¡± She tilted her head in thought. ¡°Miggle.¡±

    Miguel blinked while looking at Lori. ¡°Now that¡¯s a part of the memory that should stay forgotten.¡±

    ¡°Miggle?¡± Gellath¡¯s face had regained some color, and he looked at Miguel with a teasing smile.

    ¡°Yes, Gella?¡± retorted Miguel. ¡°Or would you prefer Gelly? Like jelly?¡±

    Gellath¡¯s face contorted into a conflicted expression. After some hesitation, he yielded: ¡°Fine, truce.¡±

    Gellath leaned closer to Miguel and spoke in a lower voice. ¡°Seriously, though. If you go with Terry, then promise me you will look after yourself. You¡¯re a lot squishier than Lori.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Like a lot,¡± stressed Gellath.

    ¡°I know,¡± repeated Miguel.

    ¡°Like really,¡± stressed Gellath.

    Miguel narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you looking to turn into a snowball again? That can be arranged with a few surprise traps.¡±

    ¡°Ooohh, I¡¯m scared.¡± Gellath mocked before turning serious again. ¡°Promise!¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll promise,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Stop looking so anxious.¡± Lori said to Elena. ¡°We¡¯ll only go there to ask about a flower. We won¡¯t get lost. We¡¯ll stay out of trouble. I still owe you for the cupcakes last time, remember? How could I dilly-dally in some strange empire before repaying my snack debts?¡±

    Elena smiled half-heartedly.

    ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± Gellath looked from Calam to Terry and the others.

    ¡°If Calam goes, I¡¯ll take over the thaw thingamajig,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Together, we¡¯ll be like half a Jorg.¡±

    ¡°Oof,¡± uttered Gellath. ¡°Now I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°Remind me to steal your lunch money later.¡± Jorg bumped his elbow into Gellath¡¯s side.

    ¡°Yes yes, sure.¡± Gellath agreed sarcastically.

    ¡°Thanks, Miguel,¡± said Calam. ¡°I should be fine, though.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to keep an eye out and as the archer of the group, I¡¯m supposed to do that anyway, so no worries,¡± said Miguel. He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a blunt, weighted arrow ready to smack you out of it.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Calam grimaced.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can take your thanks back,¡± said Gellath to Calam.

    ***

    ¡°Calam, your force-spells are perfect for keeping corporeal creatures at bay, but you are missing a finisher,¡± said Terry. ¡°I know you are still sometimes relying on finger movements for the spell shaping, but you should at least have a weapon available.

    ¡°The second trouble point I see is that your powers don¡¯t work too well against less corporeal opponents.¡± Terry crossed his arms. ¡°Your repulsion field does not repel pure mana attacks. Your Kinetic Push does not work against ethereal creatures.

    Terry summoned one of the barrier spears he had used before receiving the care package in Tiv. ¡°Here, the quality is excellent for its mana consumption. The imprint is crystal clear. The primers regenerate quickly and there is a large mana base. The barriers can cover defense against mana-based attacks. You won¡¯t be able to learn spear techniques in time, but everyone can do some damage with a short spear. The basic usage is very intuitive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also talk to Tiana about getting some preloaded crossbows into your storage item,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°There is a mana-coagulant powder,¡± said Terry. He looked both at Siling and Calam. ¡°That should be pretty cheap and could be combined with your Kinetic Push spells. That would be an effective attack against most ethereal creatures.¡±

    Terry¡¯s gaze rested on Siling.

    ¡°I already bought a mana core powered barrier shield,¡± said Siling. ¡°I had nothing else on my shopping list. The powder sounds good.¡±

    ¡°We could look for a Blink imprint,¡± said Terry. ¡°That would offer some more flexibility for the Resummon Soul spell.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but a few more potions might be more useful,¡± said Siling.

    Terry looked at Lori. ¡°That reminds me. Now that your armor has been reinforced, we should make sure that your storage item is filled with mana potions. Your earth-aspected discharges work against the less-corporeal elementals, but they¡¯re eating through your mana too quickly.¡±

    Lori nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll also stock up on mana containers.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Ahh!¡± Terry pulled the necklace from under his armor and handed it to Siling. ¡°Here. We should all look for a personal barrier, but I don¡¯t believe we will be able to afford another one as good as this one.¡±

    Siling stared at the protective pendant and then at Terry. ¡°So, why are you giving this to me? That¡¯s the one the Divine Hammer gave you. She wanted you to have this. I did not even know the lady.¡±

    ¡°You will be our main healer,¡± said Terry. ¡°Lori can support with the Nourishing Earth spell and we¡¯ll bring items, but the primary responsibility will still fall to you.¡±

    ¡°The pendant can hold a lot of mana, and it reacts to mana-based attacks that reach your body and cross a certain intensity threshold,¡± explained Terry. ¡°It automatically matches the mana level to the attack.¡±

    ¡°As for me¡­¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°The pendant mostly activated on me whenever I ran into someone using a large-scale fire ability, and I¡¯ve already upgraded my armor to increase the fire resistance. And if I get hurt, I still have you to heal me¡­¡±

    Terry turned his attention to the Guardian that approached the counter.

    ¡°Here, the parts of your order that we can supply immediately,¡± said Tamar.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Terry was surprised because Tamar was not the one that had received the order from them. As far as he understood it, Tamar was actually very high up in the Guardian management hierarchy and would not deal with a simple item order.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we do not have many brightfire-aspected arrows in stock,¡± said Tamar regretfully. ¡°We never had much use for them before the barrier broke. To make up for it, I¡¯ve doubled the number of fire-, poison-, ice-, and lightning-aspected arrows.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry and Miguel glanced at each other.

    ¡°We¡¯ve also doubled the mana-coagulant powder and added a box that works particularly well against ethereal creatures of the death aspect,¡± continued Tamar. ¡°There is also this.¡± Tamar placed another large box on the counter. ¡°Potions, pills, scrolls. On the house.¡±

    The mouths of Terry¡¯s group stood agape.

    ¡°Isille is a very respected Guardian,¡± said Tamar. ¡°So is Bjorln.¡±

    Tamar smiled warmly. ¡°Some may call our Isille meddlesome, but the only reason that she goes out of her way to straighten everyone out is that she truly cares about our community. Arcana would fall apart without people like her around. I¡¯m a lot older than Isille, but even I sometimes cannot help but see her as our local Guardian mother.¡±

    ¡°Bjorn is a pillar among the consumable item crafters,¡± said Tamar. ¡°Well known to give exceedingly generous discounts if someone is unable to pay otherwise. Just like Isille, he puts in a lot more time and effort than is expected of reserve Guardians.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t spare anyone else to leave the Arcana Empire at the moment,¡± said Tamar regretfully. ¡°We have received many volunteers to take a few ¡®detours¡¯ to make sure that we gather all the ingredients, but the four-leaved blood lotus remains a matter of luck.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, I still have to ask you.¡± Tamar¡¯s voice became more stern. ¡°Are you sure that you can do this? We have censured the Libra Outpost and contested the bounty inside Arcana territory, but the bounty has not been withdrawn inside Tiv territory yet.¡±

    Terry finally found the sense to close his mouth. ¡°I am sure that I want to try. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I still have Libra City in my five-point inscription ring and I know the area a bit from my missions with Aunt Sigille,¡± said Terry. ¡°Matteo will pass me his remaining transportation scrolls. He still has two that can take a small group to Libra City. He also has a few more to move to other locations along the way, which should cut down our travel time.¡±

    ¡°I still have a construct from Aunt Brynn that can transport items to her from Tiv.¡± Terry nodded to himself. ¡°And if we¡¯re lucky, I can find Amelia to help with transport as well.¡±

    ***

    Ava¡¯s transfer failed yet again, and she fell down from the sky with bloody gashes on her whole body. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Ava glanced back in terror at the nothingness around her.

    The images of what had happened to her entourage of several dozen soldiers from the Devout Division haunted her mind. The soldiers were not weak, but they had been ripped apart in an instant with no warning.

    It was not the ruthlessness of the attack that terrified Ava. It was the fact that she alone survived, even though she did not have any right to. There was no reason for her to survive¡­ unless the attacker wanted her to.

    ¡°WHO ARE YOU?¡± screamed Ava. ¡°Why did you attack us?¡± She whispered. ¡°Why are you toying with me¡­?¡± Right after Ava¡¯s protective item had restored her body once more, another pair of spatial blades tore her apart without a moment¡¯s delay. Ava wailed: ¡°Why are you torturing me?¡±

    ¡°Despicable cur!¡± a voice echoed loudly over the area. ¡°You dare to claim ignorance?¡±

    The first thing that Ava noticed was the eerie aura of the elven man¡¯s green cloak. Next, she noticed the look of pure hatred on the wrinkly face.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you one of the main instigators in the plot against Arcana¡¯s barrier?¡± the elven man slowly stepped closer.

    Ava¡¯s expression fell and then hardened.

    ¡°Who am I? Right now, I am the Hunter. You may address me as Weran.¡± He glared at Ava with disdain.

    ¡°Stupid scum,¡± spat Ava. ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing wrong. Arcana ought to have fought the Wastes to begin with. It is not right that we are forced to fight the Wastes while they get to live in peace! We have only forced them to finally do their fair share. Magic obliges!¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges, does it?¡± sneered Weran. ¡°Magic obliges to do what?¡± Another spatial blade tore at Ava¡¯s body and she shrieked in pain.

    ¡°This right here, this is the natural order of things,¡± lectured Weran while looking down on Ava. ¡°Whoever has the power makes the rules. Might makes right. It is not that the powerless don¡¯t have the ability to speak.¡± Weran smiled thinly. ¡°But unless they are backed by power, why would they expect anyone to listen?¡±

    For a moment, Weran glowered at Ava in silence. ¡°If you want to get a proper seat at the table, then you need to come prepared with a good offer or you need to cultivate your own power.¡± He smiled with derision. ¡°Otherwise, you would do well to always remember that you are asking a favor from those who do.

    ¡°You should also remember what you aren¡¯t.¡± Weran sneered, and he stepped closer to Ava. ¡°A powerless person is never virtuous.¡± He glared at her with contempt. ¡°It is their powerlessness that prevents them from being any different. That¡¯s just weakness, not virtue.

    ¡°It is oh-so-easy to demand a favor. What¡¯s virtuous about that, I wonder? You want to be virtuous?!¡± demanded Weran. ¡°Then you first need to become powerful. Look at you.¡± He moved his disdaining gaze over Ava. ¡°What gives you the right to speak to me?¡±

    Ava wanted to retort, but the suffocating pressure that Weran was giving off did not allow her to speak.

    ¡°There are very few people that have the power to demand things from me,¡± said Weran. ¡°Even fewer that can ask a favor from me and have me willing to listen out of goodwill.¡±

    ¡°The magic sovereigns qualify for both,¡± said Weran solemnly. ¡°You, however? Why would I be ¡®obligated¡¯ to do anything for you?¡± Weran sneered. ¡°I care about myself and my own. Anyone else needs to bring a good reason.

    ¡°I work for coin,¡± said Weran flippantly. ¡°Or because I have something else to gain. I always repay my debts ¨C both favors and grudges. Sometimes, I work because I have taken a liking to someone on a whim. Never will I work for those that do not show the appropriate attitude towards me.¡±

    ¡°Selfish,¡± forced Ava through clenched teeth.

    Weran laughed derisively. ¡°Oh, I have to admit that I can¡¯t compete with you when it comes to selfishness. What could be more selfish than to unreflectingly expect others to live their lives for you? To unashamedly feel entitled to their efforts without feeling any obligation in return?¡±

    Weran leaned down towards Ava. ¡°Why would I ever work for lowlifes like you? I loathe your rotten empire. From your traitorous Founding King all the way to your perversion of the ancestral credo. A credo that has made a mockery out of your ancestors¡¯ fight for magic self-determination.

    ¡°If you want to decide how power is wielded, then you better cultivate your own.¡± Weran stood up straight again and looked down on Ava. ¡°You dogs have deluded yourself into thinking that I owe you something.¡± He growled in a low tone: ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to share your delusions.

    ¡°Why should Arcana care about the likes of you?!¡± demanded Weran. ¡°Why is it Arcana¡¯s problem that you are too incompetent to protect yourselves? Why should Arcana help an empire that does not accept Arcana¡¯s rules? Help an empire whose only means of persuasion consists of pathetic insults and mind games?¡±

    Weran leaned closer to Ava and hatred washed over his aged face. ¡°Why should Arcana do so again?¡± He spat on the ground. ¡°After all that has happened? Why should Arcana ever step foot into one of the traitorous countries except to raze them to the ground?

    ¡°The magic sovereigns might be above such acts, but I am not,¡± growled Weran. ¡°Because I understand that their high-mindedness is precisely why people like you dare.¡± Weran spat on the ground again. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Lich Kingdoms your allies now? Or why did that lowlife Founding King leak intel back then?¡±

    ¡°Wh-what¡­ are¡­ you¡­?¡± Ava could barely breathe and had a difficult time trying to talk.

    Weran scoffed. ¡°Young and ignorant, but ignorance is no excuse. Why don¡¯t you go preach your perversion of the ancestral credo to the Lich Kingdoms?¡± He sneered. ¡°Even whelps like you know damn well why you turn to Arcana with your nonsense instead.¡± He growled: ¡°It is the noble-mindedness of the sovereigns that allowed you to exist and it is their noble-mindedness that you curs dare to exploit.

    Weran shook his head. ¡°I chose to follow Arcana¡¯s laws. I even swallowed my old hatred because the magic sovereigns have asked me to. And you!¡±

    Weran glared hatefully at Ava. ¡°You dare attack Arcana. You dare to spit on the rules that even I chose to follow. You dare to spit in the faces of the people that I respect.¡±

    Weran scoffed. ¡°If you don¡¯t respect true nobility, then why should I?¡± The pressure he emitted increased even further. ¡°Now you can experience what such a world is like.¡±

    ¡°I have wondered what to do about you¡­¡± Weran crouched down slightly and looked at Ava, who was shivering under the pressure he emitted. ¡°Should I take your head and carve my demands into your skull? Should I string your dead, naked body up in front of Tiv Palace? Should I send you piece by piece to your mother to lure her out?¡±

    Weran stood up again. ¡°You won¡¯t die today, little cur. I want you to convey a message for me. A message for your mother¡¯s teacher. While the title of ¡®Mage Supreme¡¯ is gloriously inappropriate, that woman is indeed the only person that is worth talking to here. The only true mage in all of this extensive empire.¡± Weran shrugged. ¡°Archmage proper, as the younglings say.¡±

    Weran stared down coldly at Ava. ¡°Tell your mother¡¯s teacher that she should consider moving out of Tiv Palace. I will not stop the hunt before the royal family is dead. Not before all the members of the Assembly are dead. And, above all, not before that so-called ¡®Preacher¡¯ is dead.¡±

    Weran stopped his pressuring aura.

    ¡°YOU MURDEROUS BEAST!¡± shrieked Ava. ¡°We have not killed anyone in Arcana! We only brought down the barrier. The deaths have been caused by the Wastes. The Wastes that your precious Arcana failed to fight against!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Weran smiled a mirthless smile. ¡°You have not killed anyone?¡± An icy cold entered his eyes. ¡°I hope you remember that, because part of the message you need to convey is what is going to happen from now on.

    ¡°Watch carefully¡­¡± Raging mana emanated from Weran until an excessively large dimensional gate appeared in the area. ¡°Watch how I will ¡®not kill¡¯ anyone.¡±

    Weran grabbed Ava by the nape, pressed her into the earth, and forced her head up to see. An odd mana flow radiated from the dark green cloak to envelop both Weran and Ava.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Ava stared at the dimensional gate.

    A reaper rushed through the gate. A second one followed shortly after. Then, the whole gigantic horde spilled through.

    ¡°...¡± Ava gulped. She had lost track of her precise location during her escape attempt earlier. She did not recognize the village or settlement in the distance. However, no matter where they were, she was certain that they were still in Tiv.

    ¡°A little cur like you probably didn''t notice, but we¡¯re now all the way west in your pathetic empire.¡± Weran observed her coldly. ¡°I can assure you that this won¡¯t be the last gate that opens today. From now on, we will make sure to return the ¡®gift¡¯ that you have sent into our homes. Only, in contrast to you, we will carefully choose where we return it.¡±

    ¡°Every day, we will move further inside Tiv borders,¡± said Weran in a low voice. ¡°Until the hunt comes to an end.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± stammered Ava. ¡°HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!¡± She continued in a whimper. ¡°We did not attack anyone, we only¡ª¡±

    Weran interrupted her with vicious laughter. ¡°I¡¯m not attacking anyone here either, am I? It¡¯s all the Wastes. These are creatures taken from inside Arcana¡¯s borders. Creatures that were only present due to your destruction of the barrier.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only¡­¡± Ava finally broke down in tears when she saw the horde fall upon the settlement in the distance.

    ¡°Deluded dog,¡± spat Weran. ¡°You know damned well that you destroyed the barrier so that the Wastes would fall on Arcana, so that Arcana would have to fight instead of you. Well, what goes around, comes around. I much prefer the Wastes fall on Tiv, and I have the power to realize my preferences.¡±

    ***

 100 Stepping Into the Tiv Empire

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 71 ¨C

    Mia was sitting in the sky inside a transparent spatial barrier. Underneath her was a dimensional gate, and she observed the large demon army collide with the forces of the garrison in front of her.

    ¡°Are you trying to start a war?¡± howled a giant, silver-clad woman whose body was filled with rotating blades.

    ¡°No, we are just going to finish it,¡± retorted Mia casually. ¡°¡®Vigilant and virtuous¡¯, hah.¡± Mia scoffed. ¡°If anything, it was Tiv that started a war with the attack on Arcana¡¯s barrier.¡±

    ¡°That was not Tiv!¡± objected the silver-clad woman. ¡°That was just the action of a few individuals and not sanctioned by the Tiv Empire!¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You seem to know quite a lot about it.¡± She spread her arms and shrugged. ¡°But what does it matter? We dimensional mages are also just a ¡®few individuals¡¯ with no order from the Arcana government.¡±

    ¡°How can you attack innocent people?!¡± demanded the silver-clad woman.

    ¡°How could you?¡± retorted Mia in a biting tone.

    ¡°They attacked the barrier. They did not attack people!¡± insisted the silver-clad woman.

    ¡°Neither am I.¡± Mia pointed out while raising her hands. ¡°I am merely maintaining a dimensional gate.¡± She motioned her hands at the gate below her. Mia¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Don¡¯t play rhetorical games with me. Don¡¯t try to play dumb. The attack on Arcana¡¯s barrier redirected the terrors of the Wastes. Our gates are serving the same purpose.

    ¡°An attack for an attack.¡± Mia cracked her knuckles. ¡°If your ¡®few individuals¡¯ claim the right to redirect the Wastes to another empire, then we will do the same and we will do it better.¡±

    ***

    Close to Arcana¡¯s border with Tiv, Terry¡¯s group appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°These scrolls are great,¡± exclaimed Siling happily. ¡°Why don¡¯t we always have those?¡±

    ¡°Because avoiding a few hours of travel is usually not worth the price,¡± replied Terry with a chuckle. ¡°The permanent gates are pretty great on their own.¡±

    ¡°Rhetorical question, Terry.¡± Siling giggled.

    They had distributed the transfer scrolls between Lori and Siling, so that every second scroll was carried by one of the two. If, for some reason, they got separated, then they would still be able to travel the entire distance, but with longer walking periods between transfers.

    They had chosen Siling as the person with the most defensive role since the main healer is supposed to stay out of combat. They had decided on Lori as the strongest person after Terry. Terry himself had refused to carry the scrolls since he could not completely rule out dungeon shenanigans, and he was unwilling to endanger their task in any manner.

    ¡°What¡¯s bugging you?¡± Miguel asked Lori while walking.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Lori turned her scowling face to Miguel and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean aside from everything?¡± She herself was taken aback by the unexpected snark in her tone. Before she could apologize, Miguel already responded.

    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Normally, when shit goes down, you have this look of determination and concentration in your eyes. Like with the inscribed earth giant, or when we revisited that dungeon for the first time.¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°Now, however, you are looking more grumpy than focused. Like whenever Jorg has stolen your dessert.¡±

    Lori tilted her head and stared at Miguel for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about our cousins.¡± She frowned. ¡°I can understand Pa. I somewhat understand Uncle Samuel and Aunt Brynn.¡±

    Miguel listened attentively.

    Lori shook her head. ¡°But I have trouble understanding our cousins. They will cross vast distances and to empty their accounts and storage items to help, but neither Cousin Matteo nor Cousin Emaldine are willing to stop Pa Bjorln.¡±

    ¡°I think I get it,¡± interjected Terry with a conflicted expression. He had thought a lot about his talk with Samuel.

    ¡°You do?¡± asked Lori with more than a hint of surprise.

    ¡°I mean, considering what happened in the Libra Outpost, Pa Bjorln¡¯s actions are tame, aren¡¯t they?¡± Terry lowered his gaze. ¡°Almost rational, or more rational, at least. At least Pa¡¯s actions have a chance to save Ma Isille. By contrast, Whaka Matteo risked his life even though there was no chance to save Aunt Sigille at that point. Same for Whaka Emaldine.¡±

    Same for me, added Terry in his mind.

    ¡°I can understand that they are not willing to stop Pa,¡± said Terry. ¡°It is consistent.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just the hypocrite among us.¡±

    Lori¡¯s scowl was replaced with a pensive expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually more surprised that your families did not object to you coming with us to the Wastes,¡± said Terry with a glance at Siling, Miguel, and Calam.

    ¡°Wastes, Shmastes,¡± quipped Siling. ¡°Mana-corrupted beasts sight-seeing tour. We¡¯re probably a lot better equipped than the average waster out in the Wasted Zone and we¡¯re not going beyond the last Guardian Outpost, right?

    ¡°My mom said that she expected me to want to roam outside Arcana eventually and that she could not think of a better reason to start.¡± Siling shrugged. ¡°She only asked me to never set foot near the Lich Kingdoms. As long as we are careful and prepared, she¡¯ll trust me in Tiv.¡±

    ¡°My pa is manaless,¡± said Miguel. ¡°To him, there is not much difference between going into a dungeon, hunting mana corrupted, or making a trip to the Wastes. All just different shades of unfathomable madness. And right now, even Arcana is not completely safe from the Wastes anymore, so might as well¡­¡±

    ¡°My relatives said they¡¯re proud of me,¡± said Calam with a deep smile. ¡°And that my father would have been proud of me as well.¡±

    Terry recalled one of his talks with Calam in which Calam had mentioned that his interest in legends and legendary characters was in large part because of his deceased father, who had been the only person in his family that had properly trained as a mage and Guardian.

    Terry and Lori glanced at each other and they could read the thoughts in each other¡¯s eyes. They were grateful to have companions like these.

    ***

    ¡°Why the Wastes did we have to appear right in the middle of these beasties,¡± grumbled Miguel while running as if his life depended on it.

    Because it did.

    Miguel needed more than ten large strides to finally evade the giant claw rushing down from above. He rolled on the ground and then examined the ostrich, that stood as tall as most buildings in a smaller city. Miguel nocked one of his prepared arrows and fired without hesitation. A thin metal aspect reinforced wire was attached to the arrow.

    The colossal ostrich did not flinch when the arrow entered its giant body. It did not even notice when the arrow¡¯s mechanism triggered and a grappling hook extended inside of its flesh.

    Miguel dashed to the side while quickly channeling mana into the ring that was attached to the other side of the wire to activate the Immovable Object imprint. He summoned one of Terry¡¯s imprinted tertium slabs and transfixed it at an angle in the air while shooting more wired arrows from behind its protection. In between shots, Miguel glanced towards the side where Siling and Lori were dealing with another colossal ostrich that was still giving chase.

    Siling had activated her floating ability and cast Haste on everyone within reach. She skipped in one direction while Lori burst her mana and dashed in the other.

    The colossal ostrich chose to madly rush after Lori when its leg unexpectedly tripped over a thin trip wire that had been left in the air by one of Miguel¡¯s arrows. Both sides of the wire were secured to immovable metal rings.

    *BAM* The colossal ostrich fell flat on the ground. The wire had even cut deep into the bird¡¯s legs.

    Lori immediately followed up with an empowered Shape Earth spell and a parallel casting of Harden Earth. The colossal ostrich¡¯s neck was enveloped by earth that soon hardened into rock.

    Siling finished her own spell combination of Liquify Earth and Entangling Roots. The ostrich¡¯s claws sunk deeper and deeper into the muddy earth as it tried to lift itself up.

    Meanwhile, the arcane purplemist lynx and wiremoss tarantula soul spirits attacked the ostrich¡¯s exposed eyes.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Miguel returned his attention to the colossal ostrich in front of him. ¡°Crap.¡± He cursed himself for failing to account for the ostrich¡¯s flexible neck when he spotted the beak rushing towards him from a direction that was difficult to evade.

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    The head of the colossal ostrich was rammed into the ground by an empowered Kinetic Push spell.

    Up ahead, Calam used another Kinetic Acceleration spell to propel himself towards Miguel and take the dwarf some distance away.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Miguel and rapidly pulled an explosive arrow from his enchanting quiver. Without pause, he fired four arrows into the ostrich¡¯s eyes before the creature could lift its head up again.

    Shortly after the arrows had entered the creature¡¯s weak spot, the arrowheads exploded and the metal shrapnels penetrated deep into the bird¡¯s brain. Miguel replaced the fired arrows with fresh, non-magic spares so that his quiver could enchant them over time.

    ¡°Happy to help,¡± said Calam. ¡°Gellath warned me that you might lose sight of your own situation at certain moments.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem.¡±

    ¡°That little blabbermouth,¡± grumbled Miguel before shrugging. ¡°You watch my back, and I watch yours. How is Terry doing?¡±

    *Rumble* The noise of another fallen colossal ostrich reverberated through the area.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Calam prepared another jump spell. ¡°Much better than we are. Siling and Lori took down one. We took down one. That was already Terry¡¯s third kill going solo.¡± He looked over at Terry. ¡°And he¡¯s going in for the last one. Some of his new items are pretty terrifying.¡±

    Miguel exhaled a sharp breath. ¡°Yeah, especially for these beasties.¡± He let his finger run through one of the imprinted metal rings that Terry had given him. ¡°This improvement in mana compression is unexpectedly useful.¡± He watched Terry¡¯s fight in the back.

    Terry used a burst technique to speed up further while provoking the last remaining colossal ostrich. While running, he retrieved one of his prepared items, which he called a skewer box.

    Terry summoned and transfixed pieces of wood from his anklets to jump into the air. He infused the cylindrical container of the skewer box with mana and pointed it at the colossal ostrich¡¯s torso. The inscribed plate at the container¡¯s back propelled the over two dozen small needles forward and spread them out before the chained imprints in the needles all activated at once.

    Even if the ostrich had been slower, it would not have been able to see the small needles, much less dodge them. The colossal ostrich¡¯s large body collided with the wall of transfixed needles, and every needle pierced into its body with a tremendous force. Its instinctive flinching upon impact worsened its injuries even further and its organs were shredded.

    The colossal ostrich collapsed on the floor while the bloody needles remained transfixed in the air. As soon as the imprints deactivated, Terry channeled mana into the inscribed plate again, and all the small needles were pulled back into the cylindrical container.

    Excellent investment!

    Terry grinned. He had wondered if the inscription was worth the price, since he usually considered his throwing weapons to be disposable. He could have replicated the spreading out effect in another manner. He could have collected the small needles manually or with his inscribed gloves, for example.

    However, the convenience of registering several items and having them moved in fixed patterns was hard to beat. Fortunately, Terry only needed to move items that were both small and light. The inscription for Terry¡¯s use case was simple and therefore comparatively cheap.

    Initially, Terry was troubled to find a good use for his improvements in mana compression. While it was obvious that it allowed him to cast the spell on smaller items, it was less obvious how this could translate into a practical advantage. It was not practical to shrink his current throwing needles much further since a certain weight was required and he was not free to exchange materials.

    At least not yet. Terry had made progress in understanding the interaction between a naturalized oscillating mana charge and the Immovable Object spell, but creating the required charge added an undesirable delay to his casting.

    ¡°All good?¡± Lori walked up to Terry.

    ¡°All good,¡± said Terry. He looked expectantly at Siling.

    ¡°Yup, no more giant life signatures in the vicinity,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°Still a fan of transfer scrolls?¡± asked Calam with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°Less so,¡± said Siling with a shrug.

    ¡°Much less so,¡± grumbled Miguel. ¡°I much prefer to see where I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Interested in a colossal ostrich soul spirit?¡± Lori asked Siling. ¡°That would be quite the sight as a mount.¡±

    Siling snorted. ¡°Yeah, but no. Fast and comfy, yes. However, at this rank, that thing does not have any useful mana abilities. Its size is also rather impractical, I would say. I can¡¯t stuff that thing into a dungeon or into a normal street.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, riding an oddly colored wiremoss tarantula on a normal street also seems somewhat eccentric,¡± quipped Miguel.

    Siling gasped in mock offense.

    ¡°You could open up a travel service or something,¡± suggested Calam. ¡°These things could probably carry fifty people or so.¡±

    ¡°Oy, are you trying to get rid of me?¡± Siling narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Calam¡¯s expression froze. He asked in a fluster: ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°Just checking.¡± Siling snickered and stuck out her tongue. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m still very much into Guardianing, thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± said Terry with a grin.

    Lori and the others nodded.

    Miguel looked at the colossal corpses. ¡°Do we need to clean up or something? I¡¯ll get my arrows but¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Terry in thought. ¡°Would take too much time and we are still a long way from the Wasted Zone. Let the wildlife take care of it.¡±

    ¡°What a feast,¡± said Siling. She smirked at Miguel. ¡°Try fitting that game into your dimensional storage.¡±

    ¡°Even if we had time, my storage items are already filled to the brim with food and other supplies,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I did not want to rely on hunting along the way this time.¡±

    ¡°I believe the smell is already attracting a few animals.¡± Siling looked at Terry. ¡°Should I send out Grumpy while we¡¯re walking?¡±

    ¡°There are several larger birds up in the sky,¡± said Miguel while squinting upward.

    ¡°At least two of them have mana,¡± said Terry. He looked at Siling. ¡°Better not risk it. Grumpy isn¡¯t that sturdy, and we¡¯re not searching for anything in particular. We already know the way.¡±

    ¡°How far until we can use the next scroll?¡± asked Lori.

    Terry checked the map of Tiv that Matteo had prepared for him. It included the marked transfer destinations of all transfer scrolls that had been provided to them. Everyone in their group carried a copy of the map.

    ¡°This location is between Tiv¡¯s capital in the south and a supply point for death hunters in the north,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Kind of ironic that they placed their capital this close to Arcana¡¯s barrier, only to then sabotage it,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    ¡°Probably not the same people.¡± Siling pointed out with a shrug.

    ¡°Tiv¡¯s whole attitude towards Arcana also clashes with silently benefiting from Arcana¡¯s efforts,¡± remarked Lori. ¡°As far as I see it, anyway.¡± She looked at Siling. ¡°I read through Tiv¡¯s laws and magic restrictions and I find some of them quite disturbing. No wonder they are running out of mages.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Calam stared at Lori and then moved his eyes from one person to the other. ¡°Was I supposed to do homework on Tiv?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget?¡± Siling shook her head. ¡°Tut tut tut.¡±

    ¡°I only looked it up when I did not know what else to do in preparation,¡± said Lori. ¡°It was a good way to distract myself while regenerating mana.¡±

    ¡°I only looked up some of the flora and fauna,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Things I need to watch out for and things that might be useful.¡±

    ¡°I focussed more on the fauna part,¡± added Siling with a grin. ¡°I have little use for poisonous plants and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Good that I¡¯m not going alone,¡± muttered Calam. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m still not taking this seriously enough.¡± Afterwards, he became silent and pensive.

    ¡°Our next destination toward the Libra Outpost can be targeted if we move west for a day at a normal pace,¡± said Terry. ¡°Fortunately, we don¡¯t have to keep as much distance from the inhabited areas as in Arcana. One good thing about Tiv is that no one cares about the destabilizing effects of unanchored spatial transfers over long distances.¡± Terry made his remarks with a wry smile.

    ¡°Might have to do with Tiv running out of mages and crafters,¡± said Lori with a snort. ¡°Not much need to care if barely anyone can do it.¡±

    ¡°So? Do we aim for a normal pace, or do we run?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°On the one hand, I would like to get some more distance to the capital quickly,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°On the other hand, running may draw more attention to us.¡± Terry walked while thinking.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± interjected Siling. ¡°Collecting souvenirs?¡± She squinted at Terry¡¯s feet.

    Terry blinked and looked at his feet. Subconsciously, he had been collecting stones and twigs into his storage anklets.

    ¡°Something for my training,¡± said Terry, before looking at the others. ¡°Let¡¯s run for a while after Miguel has salvaged his arrows and wires. I¡¯d say it¡¯s better to collect our breath before the next transfer so that we are ready in case we stumble into another situation.¡±

    ¡°Alrighty,¡± exclaimed Siling and retrieved a mana container to siphon her excess mana into.

    Calam and Lori also retrieved their own mana containers. In contrast to Siling, they first had to absorb some mana to fill their own mana pools after the previous battle.

    ***

    Brynn yawned tiredly while stepping through the door. She put her hands in front of her face and moved them through her hair. When Brynn opened her eyes again, she could not help but smile, because Samuel was standing there with a basket in his hand.

    ¡°I thought since you are already choosing to neglect sleep, I should at least make sure that you eat properly,¡± said Samuel with a warm smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± said Brynn apologetically. ¡°I have an idea for condensing the inscriptions inside the chamber that might extend Whaka Isille¡¯s remaining life by ten to twenty percent.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I assumed, my life, which is why I brought everything with me.¡± Samuel patted the basket and sat down.

    Brynn rubbed her eyes and sat down next to Samuel. She felt the knot in her stomach untie while watching Samuel prepare a picnic in the hallway.

    ¡°If I had access to a few materials, I might be able to improve the chamber even further.¡± Brynn muttered to herself.

    ¡°Just hand me a list and I¡¯ll check with the Guardians and the Guild,¡± said Samuel without stopping to place the food in front of Brynn.

    ¡°Unfortunately, some of the materials are a bit difficult to acquire,¡± muttered Brynn. ¡°Not quite as bad as that four-leaved blood tulip, but still.¡±

    ¡°We can only try our best,¡± said Samuel with a hint of sadness.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what that is anymore,¡± sighed Brynn wearily.

    Samuel handed her a glass of orange juice. He waited for her to elaborate and speak whatever was on her mind.

    Brynn gulped down the whole glass and shook her head. ¡°On the one hand, I¡¯m the best qualified to work on the inscriptions for Whaka Isille¡¯s chamber. On the other hand¡­¡±

    After she had not finished her thought for several breaths, Samuel asked: ¡°Are you worried about Whaka Terry and Whaka Lori?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Brynn sighed. ¡°Mostly, I¡¯m wondering if I would be more useful there with them. Or in their stead. I¡¯m very tempted to go search for the missing ingredients and materials in Tiv Palace and their capital myself.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think they would give those to you even if they had them?¡± asked Samuel in a concerned tone.

    ¡°Who said I would give them a choice?¡± retorted Brynn with a dark expression. ¡°This whole situation is their fault, to begin with.¡±

    Samuel softly placed his arm around his life¡¯s chosen.

    Brynn sighed again. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t really want you to see that side of me, my life.¡±

    Samuel placed a soft kiss on her temple. ¡°Who said I would give you a choice?¡±

    Brynn snorted slightly.

    ¡°Just tell me in case it comes down to it,¡± said Samuel. ¡°I won¡¯t have you raid Tiv Palace alone, Whaka Brynn.¡±

    Brynn picked up one of the bread rolls. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll focus on improving the chamber. As long as my improvements can buy more time than I need to invest, this seems like the best course of action.¡±

    ***

 101 Forgotten Warning

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 78 ¨C

    Romana lowered her bow and stared at the carnage in front of her. ¡°Wastes, what happened here¡­?¡±

    ¡°This village was completely fine a few days ago,¡± said Yancey in a low tone. The death mage was floating slightly above the earth and cyan lights flickered inside his eye sockets. ¡°As fine as any waster village, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Going by the corpses and signs on the ground, they must have been overrun by a large group of mana corrupted,¡± said Romana with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°If we had seen such a large group nearby, we would have monitored it,¡± said Yancey.

    ¡°A large group of mana corrupted does not appear out of nowhere, does it?¡± retorted Romana. ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°This was the act of a dimensional mage,¡± interjected Ying in a grave tone. He had canceled his own vampire levitation. ¡°The space here was manipulated recently.¡±

    ¡°Why would a dimensional mage target a remote village in the Wasted Zone?¡± asked Yancey. ¡°Is there a chance that the Disciple¡¯s daughter has gotten wind of them wanting to join Syn City?¡±

    ¡°How would Ava learn about this?¡± Romana clenched her fists.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ying. ¡°Search for survivors while I talk to Saul. Whatever is going on, we should keep a better watch on things.¡± Ying moved his gaze over the bloody corpses. After a sigh, he incinerated the bodies.

    ***

    Very early in the morning, before the sun had risen, Terry walked out of his tent and towards the fireplace where Miguel was keeping watch together with two of Siling¡¯s unfatigable soul spirits: Grumpy for its life sense and Pricklybum for its tremor sense.

    ¡°Up already?¡± whispered Miguel. ¡°I know that you also took the first two late shifts. My shift isn¡¯t over yet. You can continue to sleep.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± whispered Terry. ¡°This is just my normal schedule. I always wake up at this time.¡±

    ¡°Knowing that, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re relatively sane.¡± Miguel smiled wryly.

    ¡°¡®Relatively¡¯?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You voluntarily joined the masochist courses for resistance training, remember?¡± Miguel snorted. ¡°Relatively indeed.¡±

    ¡°How are you doing with your spellwork training?¡± Terry noticed Miguel absorbing mana from a mana container.

    ¡°My coldfire-aspected variant of Burning Hands finally works more often than not.¡± Miguel smiled proudly. ¡°A few more of these night shifts and I can give Gellath a surprise in our next close combat spar.¡±

    ¡°How was the company?¡± Terry glanced at the two soul spirits.

    ¡°Not very talkative.¡± Miguel shrugged.

    Terry rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Nothing of note,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Grumpy pecked a few times, but only weakly. The Princess did not detect anything problematic either.¡± Miguel yawned. ¡°Okay, if you are sure, then I¡¯ll get some more shut eye. I¡¯m slow enough in my rested state.¡±

    Terry held Miguel back. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Miguel tilted his head.

    ¡°For joining us,¡± continued Terry. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be a fast runner to be a great help, and you are a great help. So thanks. It means a lot.¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡± Miguel yawned again. ¡°You would do the same if it was my pa. Jorg and Lori, too. Also, I still owe Jorg and Lori for beating up the bullies when I was little.¡±

    Miguel looked at the horizon. ¡°In retrospect, that might not have been the same threat level, but things sure seem different when you barely reach up to the other¡¯s knees.¡±

    Terry was not sure how to respond. He had little understanding about normal playgrounds since his upbringing in the Greenhouse was extremely supervised. ¡°That happened?¡±

    ¡°Not my favorite time to remember.¡± Miguel shrugged, and then he grinned. ¡°Aside from the time that Lori jumped up and head-butted one of them right in the crown jewels.¡± He snickered. ¡°That was quite the sight. That move has been firmly established on the playgrounds since then.¡±

    Terry suppressed a snort in order not to wake anyone.

    ¡°Afterwards, the taller bullies thought twice about seeing dwarven kids as easy targets.¡± Miguel yawned again. ¡°I believe one reason Gellath is looking out for ¡®Little Sister¡¯ Thena is that he still remembers being the shortest person around back then. If I remember correctly, Jorg also called him ¡®Little Brother¡¯ at some point.¡± Miguel yawned silently once more.

    ¡°Go get some rest,¡± said Terry. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±

    Miguel nodded, stretched, and went to his own tent.

    Terry looked around the fireplace. He subconsciously smiled when he saw the traces of nightly training in the area. There were several burned patches of grass where Terry suspected Siling had practiced her Fire Arrow spell. Terry was impressed with how quickly she had picked up the new spellwork.

    After their chat before their dungeon dive, Siling had first considered Fireball before eventually focusing on Metal Hammer. As soon as they had learned that they would go to the Wastes, Siling had shifted focus and instead of focusing on an advanced-level spell, she aimed to quickly expand her arsenal of different aspects by learning more lower level spells.

    Siling¡¯s current mana control was more than sufficient for intermediate level spells, and she had quickly brought the first spell to a practical level of spell control. With death aura creatures in mind, she had given priority to the fire aspect. Fortunately, the spell structure for Fire Arrow was closely related to the structure for Ice Spike, which she was already familiar with.

    Further back, Terry saw several spiked stone walls. The traces on the earth showed that the stone walls had been moved.

    Lori is getting better at quickly combining her spells.

    Terry smiled again. The walls were a result of Raise Wall, Shape Earth, and Harden Earth. The spiky walls were then moved with Propel Rock.

    There were no traces of Calam¡¯s training, but Terry knew that Calam diligently practiced his force-aspected spells and mana foundation. Calam¡¯s attitude had changed a lot since Terry had first met him.

    Terry began to emit low-intensity mana pulses while trying to pull back and reabsorb his emitted mana when it reached the edge of his control. All around him, his naturalized mana was moving first away from him and then back towards him.

    Next, Terry lifted one foot and began channeling mana into the divine hammer inscription on his legs. A thin sheet of golden, translucent mana appeared underneath his foot.

    Terry tested how much force the sheet could carry.

    Faster creation and a lot less brittle, but not enough to jump off it yet.

    Terry frowned and then shrugged.

    No matter. Not the goal for today, anyway.

    Terry began creating sheet by divine sheet and slowly walked around the camp on layers of divine mana while continuing to emit and reabsorb his mana detection pulses.

    Terry¡¯s primary goal was not to increase the sturdiness or creation speed for the mana sheets created with the divine hammer inscription. Instead, his goal was to increase his subconscious control and to avoid the divine hammer inscription¡¯s collapse with every lapse of his attention.

    After Terry had walked around the camp two times, he retrieved two items from his storage bracelet and grasped one in each hand. Terry took a deep breath and then activated the resistance training devices while circulating his mana more consciously. Coldfire bit into Terry¡¯s left hand and fire bit into Terry¡¯s right hand. Terry managed three steps before his next sheet of divine mana collapsed before he could put his weight on it.

    Terry took a deep breath and stopped his resistance training devices. He walked another round without them active and then tried another time.

    ***

    Terry and the others appeared out of thin air.

    ¡°Where to?¡± asked Lori while looking around.

    ¡°We need to pass through the ravine between the two mountains.¡± Terry pointed.

    Miguel squinted. ¡°That looks to be inhabited. I can see buildings.¡±

    Lori frowned. ¡°I thought we needed to avoid inhabited areas.¡±

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    ¡°Yeah.¡± Terry looked at the mountains with a grim expression. ¡°No choice. Going around the mountains would take weeks. Going above would probably draw attention, too.¡±

    Siling turned to Terry. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll postpone my summoning until we¡¯re through? Avoiding attention and all.¡±

    Terry nodded slightly.

    ¡°Any intel on the place?¡± asked Miguel. He looked at Lori and Terry.

    ¡°There is supposedly a crafter¡¯s market there,¡± said Terry. ¡°Not much else.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad then, is it?¡± said Calam. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll find something useful.¡±

    ¡°I have the money that Matteo gave me, but I think you should curb your enthusiasm.¡± Terry made a wry expression. ¡°Crafter¡¯s markets in Tiv are something of a letdown. It is possible that the ones here in the heartland are better, but I would not count on it.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention that you can¡¯t just buy whatever you want,¡± added Lori. ¡°You need a permit or writ of approval for even the most innocuous magic items.¡±

    ¡°How about poisons?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°Or weapons?¡±

    ¡°As far as I¡¯ve read, non-magic poisons and weapons are not restricted.¡± Lori shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s only magic they have regulated harshly.¡±

    Calam furrowed his brow. ¡°That seems¡­¡±

    ¡°Like bullshit,¡± finished Miguel. He clicked his tongue. ¡°Perhaps I can trade a few coldfire-aspected arrows for non-magic traps. That would be a great bargain.¡±

    Lori giggled. ¡°Are you trying to get us arrested?¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± admitted Miguel.

    ¡°Stay close together and be mindful of your surroundings when we get there,¡± said Terry.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group was walking on a stone road through the town inside the ravine.

    ¡°Why are so many people staring at us?¡± whispered Calam.

    ¡°Normally, I would assume that it¡¯s because of Terry¡¯s freakish mana signature, but he is cloaking himself.¡± Miguel warily observed the people in the vicinity. ¡°And they seem to stare at me even more. Strange¡­¡±

    Terry closed his eyes with a sudden realization. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Terry was scowling.

    ¡°O-kay¡­?¡± muttered Siling while glancing at Terry.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lori asked Terry without moving her eyes away from their surroundings.

    ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Terry clenched his fists. ¡°I forgot to tell everyone to get their items cloaked.¡±

    Walking fortunes.

    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot,¡± cursed Terry again.

    ¡°Why would we do that?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Ahh crap,¡± cursed Miguel with a grimace. ¡°Now that I think about it, it seems an obvious precaution.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Calam. ¡°I always thought of cloaking as a waste of money,¡±

    ¡°In Arcana, that may be true,¡± said Miguel. ¡°But here, this means unwanted attention, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Not only from bandits. Terry¡¯s expression became grave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. This is on me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on all of us,¡± said Siling. ¡°Like Miguel said, it seems obvious in hindsight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we could have noticed that as well,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°But I knew,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°I just did not think of it. Even though I¡¯ve been repeatedly warned when I was in Tiv before. I brought you all here. This¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± said Lori. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with what we have to.¡±

    Terry clenched his fists and nodded. A sharp glint entered his eyes.

    ***

    Miguel squinted casually behind his back, and towards the town they had just left. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone.¡±

    ¡°They realized we spotted our tail when we were still in the city,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Not only have they cloaked their mana, they have also used some means of invisibility.¡±

    ¡°Still three life signatures.¡± Siling pointed out.

    Terry nodded. ¡°I can also detect their presence in my pulses.¡±

    ¡°Bandits?¡± asked Lori. ¡°Why else would they tail us beyond the town¡¯s borders?¡±

    Terry glanced back at the town.

    Crafter¡¯s market¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that they wanted to avoid an armed conflict with people around,¡± said Terry. He added grimly: ¡°We¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s get some more distance from the city first.¡±

    While everyone prepared their equipment, Terry recalled the intensity of the mana signatures before they had been cloaked. Afterwards, he aligned with the others on a plan.

    They slowed down and Terry walked further in the back. Suddenly, Terry burst his mana and dashed towards one of the hidden presences. He stomped hard into the location at chest height and then darted towards a second location.

    Terry slashed his spear while channeling mana to summon a barrier. Terry¡¯s arm came to an abrupt halt and Terry heard a gulping sound as a human man became visible.

    The man¡¯s neck was trapped between the detached barrier and the spear¡¯s tip. There was only a small distance between his throat and the spear¡¯s blade.

    Terry moved the detached barrier to press the man¡¯s nape further forward until there was no distance at all. He stared coldly at the man that had the strongest mana signature before.

    Further to the left, the woman with the second strongest mana signature among the pursuers was already caught unprepared by the tight embrace of the jumpscare soul spirit.

    A sharp beak threatened the back of her head while the tentacles wrapped around it with only enough gaps for her to see Siling and the purplemist lynx soul spirit staring her down.

    Both Siling and Muttonchops had an arcane shield and two arcane bolts ready. Siling¡¯s skin also had a metallic sheen due to her metal coating ability.

    The third pursuer was an elven man who had found himself trapped in stone before he could get up. Lori was glaring menacingly down at him with two short spears equipped.

    Miguel remained in the back with his arrow aimed and ready. Next to him, Calam aimed a crossbow while keeping two force-spells primed to rush forward.

    ¡°S-sorry to d-disturb you,¡± stammered the man whom Terry was threatening.

    Terry ignored the man¡¯s stammering and searched for a recognizable insignia. He suppressed a frustrated groan when he recognized a familiar symbol on a badge. He thought back to what Sigille and Matteo had told him in the past.

    ¡°P-please let us go,¡± stammered the man. ¡°We d-did not mean to offend. Only our j-job¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re imperial censors, correct?¡± asked Terry in a loud and flat tone. Loud enough for the others to hear and intentionally flat to prevent his thoughts from leaking into his voice.

    ¡°Th¡ª Ahem. That¡¯s right.¡± The man corrected his stammering and suddenly spoke firmly with a tinge of haughtiness. ¡°I demand that you let me and my colleagues g-go.¡± The man¡¯s tone broke down when Terry and the others failed to show the reaction he had hoped for.

    ¡®Acting weak in front of the strong and strong in front of the weak.¡¯ Terry inwardly scoffed while recalling the words that Sigille had used to describe one kind of person that was drawn to the imperial censor position. She had also said that there are fewer but stronger imperial censors the further away you move from the capital.

    These three do not seem that strong.

    ¡°What makes you think you are in a position to demand anything?¡± growled Terry while trying hard to suppress his uncomfortableness with the role. He intentionally undid his cloaking and flared his mana for the man¡¯s mana sense to grasp.

    The man gulped. ¡°I¡ª Honored Sir, my apologies, I¡ª¡±

    Terry rapidly dismissed the barrier and took a step back. He rested the short spear on his shoulder and glared at the imperial censor. ¡°My companions and I are just passing through. No need to concern yourselves with us.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Now that the spear was not pressed against his throat, the man straightened his back. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    As soon as Terry sensed the slightest movement of mana, he stomped the man¡¯s chest hard while simultaneously unleashing an intense disruption discharge from the foot that hit the chest.

    The imperial censor rolled on the ground. When he came to a stop, he stared at Terry with fear in his eyes. He did not even try to retake control of the mana in his body that had turned chaotic from the intense disruption.

    ¡°Arcana!¡± shouted the elven man, of whom only the head was spared from the rock entrapment. He had noticed the symbol on Terry¡¯s Academy bag. That one word intensified the terror in the eyes of the imperial censors.

    ¡°Al-already all the way here?¡± muttered the woman that had been entangled by Peekaboo.

    ¡°G-good Sir.¡± The human man tried to get to his feet, but when he saw Terry moving a step forward with his spear pointed towards him, the man stopped. Instead, he remained in a kneeling position. ¡°We have heard that a bastardly person has plotted against the b-barrier, b-but if you¡¯re here to¡ª There are rumors about Arcanians visiting our Tiv Empire to av¡ª I wonder if you know about that?¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind raced until he thought he understood.

    Might as well make use of whomever from Arcana has inspired such dread around here.

    ¡°I suggest you make sure we¡¯ll never see you again instead of fishing for intel,¡± said Terry coldly. He turned his back and carefully observed all movements with his mana sense to follow the man¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Y-yes, my lord, thank you for the advice.¡± The imperial censor slowly got up. After a moment of hesitation, he shouted to the others: ¡°We¡¯ll return. We haven¡¯t seen anything.¡±

    Terry nodded to Siling, who ordered her soul spirit to let the woman go. After the woman had distanced herself, Lori released the last of the imperial censors. When Terry and the others had left the town a good way behind them, everyone exhaled a sharp breath.

    ¡°That went unexpectedly smoothly,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I expected worse.¡±

    ¡°Well, we did not give them much of a choice,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Stay sharp,¡± said Terry. ¡°We need to keep an eye out in case they send someone else or come back with reinforcements. Killing them would have meant definite trouble, but if I judged their characters incorrectly, trouble may still come for us. We should quicken our pace until we are in range to use the next scroll.¡±

    ***

    An elven man with a feather hat and a blue cape was sitting inside a spatial barrier in the sky.

    Below the elven man, countless mana-corrupted beasts were arriving through a dimensional gate. One after the other, the mana corrupted beasts turned their attention to the mouth-wetting life and mana signatures in the distance.

    The beasts charged towards the village when another dimensional gate appeared in the sky. This gate was placed horizontally and a flood of lava spilled through it onto the heads of the mana-corrupted beasts.

    The elven man frowned and searched for the source of the dimensional gate.

    A figure in a grey, hooded traveling cloak appeared right beyond the reach of the lava. The figure was wearing a white face mask, and the hood covered the rest of the head.

    ¡°I hope you can pick a different location for your revenge, Arcanian.¡± The masked man spoke in a cold tone. ¡°Your revenge is with Tiv, isn¡¯t it? These villagers have already agreed to join my Syn City.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Syn City before,¡± said the elven man with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to visit if you know how to behave,¡± said the masked man. ¡°Wasted creatures are not acceptable as plus ones.¡±

    The elven man silently examined the masked man¡¯s dimensional gate in his mana sight to get a grasp of his abilities.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in meddling between the affairs of Tiv and Arcana,¡± said the masked man. ¡°I find your grievances with Tiv understandable. Nevertheless, I would appreciate it if you could give me some face and avoid the towns and villages out here.¡±

    ¡°In exchange, you¡¯ll have my word that I won¡¯t interfere when you are targeting the areas further southeast,¡± proposed the masked man. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are better uses of your time than a duel with a dimensional mage whom you know nothing about.¡±

    ¡°Are you speaking for yourself or for everyone in this ¡®Syn City¡¯?¡± asked the elven man after some thought.

    ¡°Just for myself,¡± admitted the masked man. ¡°Some in our city have friendships with people in Tiv, and I can¡¯t speak for them. However, if you avoid the larger settlements and the frontier cities, there is little chance of creating grudges.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not negotiable,¡± said the elven man indifferently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop you,¡± said the masked man. ¡°If you avoid the towns and villages here, I won¡¯t interfere with your revenge. Even if others from Syn may choose to try, I will stay out of it.¡±

    ***

 102 The Hunter and the Hunted

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 84 ¨C

    ¡°Who are you?¡± A dwarven man was kneeling on the wooden floor with his hands and legs tied up. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    Near the wall of the badly illuminated building, there were a dozen more people tied up and gagged.

    ¡°Heh.¡± A seemingly middle-aged human woman was sitting cross-legged in front of the dwarven man. She was wearing a dark leather coat and a black headband. Behind her were three other people wearing the same outfit.

    The woman put a sheet of paper on the floor and then slid it across the floor towards the dwarven man with two fingers. ¡°This is a list of cults that have conspired to sabotage Arcana¡¯s barrier. Take a guess why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡± The dwarven man stared at the list, and his face became ashen. ¡°No, no, no. The Circle of the Bright Lady would never. We would never. This can¡¯t be right. I can assure you that¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can assure me of a lot of things.¡± The woman cut off the dwarf. ¡°That does not mean that I will take your word for it.¡± She leaned slightly closer and stared into the dwarf¡¯s eyes. ¡°We have already verified the veracity of this list.

    ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you, because your mana signature carries the most intense traces of the creature you call the Bright Lady,¡± said the woman. ¡°I presume that you have the highest authority here. Do you have an official rank in your cult?¡±

    The dwarf shook his head.

    ¡°Then I hope you will provide the required information so that we can find someone more appropriate to talk to.¡± The woman spoke in a tone that made it clear she was looking for acquiescence. ¡°I want to find a Bright. If you can¡¯t lead me to one, I hope you can lead me to someone who can.¡±

    One of the gagged people started shouting while glaring and shaking their head.

    ¡°Let me tell you a story first,¡± said the woman. ¡°My grandparents once fled from the Lich Kingdoms. Have you ever heard of someone escaping the Lich Kingdoms?¡±

    The dwarf furrowed his brow and shook his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it practically never happens,¡± said the woman. ¡°Even if you manage to leave the border, the worst is still ahead of you. The lich kings have a dedicated unit to deal with those that attempt to escape their clutches. They call themselves the Hounds and they¡¯re among the most ruthless scum that walks the earth.¡±

    The dwarf looked at the woman with incomprehension. He did not understand what she was getting at.

    ¡°The evil martial sects may skin you alive, drink your blood, and refine your soul,¡± said the woman. ¡°But they leave the core of your person intact. The Hounds, by contrast, will break what makes you you.

    ¡°They don¡¯t kill you.¡± The woman tapped her index finger on the floor. ¡°They infect you with the karmic soulrot so that your mere presence will kill everyone close to you.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t kill innocents to threaten you.¡± The woman tapped her middle and ring finger on the floor. ¡°They will use drugs and mind magic and let you be the one to hurt the innocents in your path.

    ¡°They don¡¯t draw blood to torture you.¡± The woman tapped her pinkie finger on the floor. ¡°They will starve you and then prepare a feast in front of you every day. All you need to do to dig in is to betray whoever is close to you. Share their secrets, little things at first. Get you used to the idea of betrayal, make the idea a part of who you are.¡±

    The woman tapped all the fingers of her hand one by one. ¡°Until you hate yourself with every fiber of your being. Until all that gave you meaning and comfort in life has been torn down. Until you either want nothing more than to die or turn into a beast that can only thrive in the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

    The dwarf¡¯s mouth opened, but he did not know what to say.

    ¡°The reason that my grandparents could escape¡­¡± The woman gestured at the people behind her. ¡°The reason that their descendants are free to walk the earth was the help and charity of Arcana. My grandparents made sure that every member of our family understands the grace that we have received.¡± The woman¡¯s tone became solemn. ¡°Even on their deathbeds, the last thought of my grandparents was with Arcana.¡±

    ¡°My parents, aunts, and uncles joined the army. Me, my siblings, and most of my cousins have chosen other professions, but¡­¡± The woman clenched her hand into a fist. ¡°As long as we draw breath, threats to Arcana will not be tolerated.¡±

    ¡°Please, we know nothing,¡± begged the dwarf. ¡°We would never¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you all this to make you understand that this is personal,¡± stressed the woman grimly. ¡°Not between you and me, but between us and your cult. See, if it was just another organization, then it would be one thing ¨C kill the head and be done with it.¡± She sighed. ¡°In the case of cults, however, we can¡¯t know for sure if the threat originated from a wicked person or from the vile creature in control of your minds.¡±

    ¡°The Bright Lady would never¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save it.¡± The woman cut him off again. ¡°I¡¯m not enjoying this.¡± She scowled. ¡°Normally, my siblings and I are getting paid to hunt down people like the Hounds. Curse mages. Evil sects. Mass murderers. Insane necromancers. The scum of the earth.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Aside from your cult membership, I¡¯m not convinced you qualify.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be upfront with you.¡± The woman leaned closer again. ¡°The only way for us to ascertain if this was just the sin of a few cultists or the sin of the otherrealm creature itself is to find a person that has opened their mind far enough.¡±

    The woman stared into the dwarf¡¯s eyes. ¡°You can point me in the right direction or we are forced to go with the uncharitable interpretation, which means you will all die. We will make it quick and painless, but you will die unless we get an answer.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The dwarf seemed conflicted, and his expression changed repeatedly.

    ¡°Cousin, look at this.¡± A man in a dark leather coat walked up to the woman from the gagged hostages. He had been rummaging through the people¡¯s belongings and handed over a sheet of paper.

    The woman looked over the piece of paper. ¡°A bounty?¡± She examined the dwarf in front of her and then slid the paper to the dwarf. ¡°What can you tell me about this?¡±

    ¡°This person helped murder a Bright in Libra City,¡± growled the dwarf. ¡°A wasted dump in the northwest.¡±

    ¡°Wanted ¡®dead or alive¡¯?¡± asked the woman pointedly.

    ¡°Better dead,¡± grumbled the dwarf with a dark expression.

    The woman looked at her cousin.

    ¡°We¡¯ve checked and while there is a corresponding bounty from the Tiv branch of the Guardians, that bounty has been contested from Arcana,¡± said the man.

    The dwarven channeler scoffed quietly. ¡°Bigoted blasphemers.¡±

    ¡°The Bright in question was actually that woman called Willow,¡± continued the woman¡¯s cousin.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The woman looked over the dwarf and the other followers of the Bright Lady. ¡°So you are bounty hunters? Looking to kill this ¡®Terry¡¯?¡± A cold glint entered the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Let me get this straight. You are looking to kill an Arcanian citizen for being part of a group that killed Willow ¨C the woman that was one of the main conspirators against Arcana¡¯s barrier?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± spat the dwarf. ¡°Lies! A Bright would never¡ª¡±

    ¡°I believe we are done here,¡± the woman stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this Terry had already figured out what was going on or if there was another reason behind his actions, but I won¡¯t allow you to threaten a fellow Arcanian for getting a head start in avenging Arcana. Your hunt ends here.¡±

    The woman nodded at her cousin, who then gagged the dwarf. ¡°Make it quick and painless. Afterwards, cut out the channeling anchors and burn the flesh. Nail a list of the involved cults outside before we leave.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Understood.¡±¡±¡±

    The woman walked outside where more of her relatives waited. ¡°Which of the culpable cults is next?¡±

    ¡°Nearest is a group from the Divining Eye,¡± said a short human woman. She handed a map with marked locations to her leader.

    ¡°Divination?¡± The woman that acted as a leader scoffed. ¡°Pretentious, aren¡¯t they? Scrying the mysteries of the present is challenging enough, but divining the future is a mess of probability distributions.¡± She stepped forward and handed back the map. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll see us coming¡­¡±

    ***

    In a sparse forest, Miguel was crouching and examining the traces on the ground. ¡°Folks have been here not too long ago.¡± He pointed at several twigs. ¡°These sharp snaps are from boots.¡±

    Terry frowned.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to mean anything, right?¡± interjected Siling. ¡°I mean, we are walking here, too.¡±

    ¡°I like your optimism,¡± said Calam, and grinned.

    ¡°In this case, I don¡¯t,¡± said Lori with a furrowed brow. ¡°Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°We¡¯re avoiding the main road because I have a bounty on my head.¡± He looked at Siling. ¡°What are the chances that we¡¯ll get along with the next person in a similar situation?¡±

    Siling shrugged. ¡°Spells ready, got it.¡±

    ¡°Can you show me the map?¡± asked Lori. After Terry handed it over, she read over the notes from Matteo and the Guardians.

    Lori returned the map to Terry. ¡°The road runs between major trade hubs. Remember the bounty hunt introduction?¡±

    ¡°Primary target for bandits,¡± muttered Terry while nodding.

    ¡°Clean up the area while we¡¯re passing through?¡± asked Miguel.

    Terry made a conflicted expression and then shook his head. ¡°Not unless a confrontation can¡¯t be avoided. A confrontation would take time.¡±

    Miguel nodded.

    Next to Miguel, Calam frowned, but also nodded slightly. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep an eye out and continue at a comfortable pace,¡± said Terry. ¡°If we don¡¯t encounter anyone, then they are probably just avoiding attention, just like we are. If we find someone waiting in the bushes, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Spears ready,¡± finished Lori.

    They continued to walk for an hour, and then they sensed several folk signatures among the trees in the distance. The people were waiting.

    ¡°What now?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Probing,¡± murmured Terry. ¡°They haven¡¯t sensed us yet. Let¡¯s circle around and see how they will react when we enter the range of their sensors..¡±

    They distanced themselves further from the road while moving further forward.

    ¡°They have cloaked their mana,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°And their life signatures are moving,¡± said Siling. ¡°From what I can see, they¡¯re all gathering and separating into two groups. One to our front, the other in our left flank.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they have only the best intentions.¡± Miguel spoke with sarcasm.

    ¡°Let me test something,¡± said Terry. He stopped cloaking his mana.

    ¡°They¡¯ve stopped moving,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°Probably getting second thoughts.¡± Miguel snickered with a glance at Terry.

    ¡°Avoiding flies¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself.

    ¡°And they¡¯re moving again.¡± Siling frowned.

    ¡°Looks like their greed overcame their good sense,¡± grumbled Miguel.

    ¡°Ambush them first?¡± suggested Lori.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Calam grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s still possible that they¡¯re not bandits, right?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re definitely not random citizens,¡± retorted Miguel.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Calam fidgeted with his hands. ¡°It¡¯s possible that they¡¯re like Terry and are afraid of bounty hunters themselves.¡±

    Terry slightly shook his head while biting his lips. He recalled the mana signatures he had sensed. ¡°I can probe them.¡±

    Lori frowned instantly. ¡°What do you mean ¡®I¡¯? How about ¡®we¡¯?¡±

    ¡°They reacted to my mana signature,¡± said Terry. ¡°Which means that I have their attention. If they¡¯re bandits, then they should jump at the chance to take me out. Less so if everyone is with me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± grumbled Lori. ¡°Couldn¡¯t I approach from below at least?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t cloak your mana signature,¡± reminded Terry.

    ¡°Hmph, I hoped you would forget that detail,¡± grumbled Lori.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Miguel. He glanced at Lori. ¡°We can still object after hearing him out, right?¡±

    Lori shrugged.

    ¡°If they concentrate their attention on me, then I can try to lead them to a proper spot,¡± said Terry. ¡°A clearing where my items for large groups work better. I can act as if I was scouting ahead.¡±

    Terry glanced at Siling. ¡°We have the benefit that we can sense each other. Also, they should not have caught on yet that we sensed them before they sensed us.¡±

    ¡°One adjustment,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I want to go with you for the first part. Just far enough to verify if they have masked their physical presence as well. I would like to know if I can aim properly or if I need the thermal scope.¡±

    ***

    Terry walked slowly while maintaining his mana detection field. He pretended to examine traces on the ground while adjusting his position in order to guide the hidden people that were encircling him.

    Terry dashed forward towards one person that was further away than the others. He hit the person with a palm that carried a disruption discharge and then placed his inscribed dagger at the person¡¯s throat in one fluid motion.

    ¡°Wh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± barked Terry. ¡°Why are you following me?¡±

    For a bystander, it looked as if Terry was talking to the empty air.

    A scar-faced, elven man appeared where Terry had detected a person before. ¡°You can see me?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to bullshit me?¡± retorted Terry. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. Why are you and your friends following me?¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Hahaha, how interesting.¡± The scar-faced man snapped his fingers and two more people became visible.

    ¡°Still trying?¡± Terry spoke with emphasized disdain. ¡°Four more next to you, two more on the left over there.¡± Terry pointed with his eyes.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± The scar-faced man frowned.

    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± repeated Terry.

    ¡°My, you are insistent, aren¡¯t you?¡± The scar-faced elf smiled. ¡°See, we were only worried about you and your companions. Don¡¯t you know that carrying so many magic items with you can attract disaster?¡±

    Unrestrained greed entered his eyes. ¡°Fortunately for you, we are good people. We are willing to free you from that danger and take those troublesome items away. Your lives will be much safer afterwards. How about you show some gratitude instead of threatening one of my subordinates?¡±

    Terry smiled mirthlessly.

    ¡°Hahaha, look at him.¡± The scar-faced man pointed at Terry. ¡°He seems to be happy that we are offering to help.¡±

    To his surprise, Terry noticed that he did indeed feel a touch of relief after the bandit¡¯s words. Terry briefly wondered why, and the words of the Preacher¡¯s helper, Clarence, echoed in Terry¡¯s mind. The words from the time they had encountered the guard from the Black Arachnid organization.

    The world of beasts.

    Terry¡¯s gloves emitted a blinding light. He burst his mana and cut the throat of his bandit hostage. He hurled a small, heavy item towards the group in front and dashed towards the two bandits on the left.

    The arrows and bolts that the enemies shot at Terry were transfixed in the air.

    The cylindrical object that Terry had thrown transfixed in the air as well. Inside, a heavy, cylindrical object continued moving forward because of inertia. It moved outside the enchanted storage compartment, which reduced a part of its weight, and continued to compress the liquid in the front compartment.

    *Squit* The liquid inside was pressed forcefully into a tiny nozzle. An effect similar to a spray water bottle was created and a fine stream of droplets were propelled towards a larger area.

    Cries of pain rang out as the darkwater engulfed the largest bandit group.

    Before Terry¡¯s attack hit, a few bandits had already unleashed spells. Shortly before they reached Terry¡¯s moving figure, Terry unleashed his prepared disruption pulse.

    Terry arrived in front of one of the flanking bandits and ducked a shortsword. In one nimble motion, Terry rammed the mana blade of his dagger into the man¡¯s kidney and twisted the handle. He punched his free fist into the man¡¯s groin and then charged the second bandit nearby.

    Terry continued channeling mana into the keen dagger and intentionally missed with a slightly slower move to draw the bandit¡¯s attention. While the bandit was completely focused on the mana blade, Terry pulled his second inscribed dagger and stabbed it from below through the woman¡¯s chin and into her head.

    Without slowing down, Terry jumped into the air and then propelled himself towards the group of debilitated bandits. None of them could put up much of a fight anymore. Only the scar-faced leader still had the awareness to channel mana into a protective item that created a sphere of fire.

    Unfortunately for the scar-faced elf, the item was not well shielded. Terry activated his own barrier visor, circulated his mana according to his resistance training, and then shot forth a palm to collapse the imprint that created the fire sphere. Terry¡¯s other hand arrived with a keen dagger that took the bandit¡¯s life.

    A while later, the rest of Terry¡¯s companions arrived.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Miguel stared at the haunting sights of the darkwater attack¡¯s victims. ¡°How many of these do you have?¡±

    ¡°I can refill them and the darkwater was actually a lot cheaper than expected,¡± said Terry while searching through the bandits¡¯ belongings. ¡°Darkwater does not really have any non-combat uses and apparently, it¡¯s a byproduct of a few rituals and some weapon tempering techniques.

    ¡°The expensive part is the nozzle that needs to remain completely unaffected by the darkwater,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Same for the acids.¡± Terry frowned slightly. ¡°Only the acids are expensive to begin with. The acid I could buy in large quantities is normally intended for crafting.¡±

    ¡°The concentrated alcohol and oil were the cheapest, I take it?¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°Yup, but lighting them up in the middle of a forest seems a bit questionable,¡± said Terry. He pulled off a ring from one of the bandits and examined the mana inside. ¡°Found it.¡±

    ¡°I got a live one.¡± A muddy Lori hurled an unconscious bandit on the ground. The man was tied up and gagged. ¡°In case we have questions.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Terry handed a few rings to the group. ¡°These should be what they used to hide their presence and mana signature.¡±

    ¡°Bit redundant for me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Siling received the ring and grinned.

    ¡°There should be enough for everyone and it¡¯s always better to have more options,¡± said Terry. ¡°Especially for our healer.¡±

    ¡°Always so serious,¡± muttered Siling, and moved her gaze over the area. ¡°Might be due to all the blood around here.¡± She looked at Terry with a teasing smile. ¡°The next time you give a ring to a woman, you should pick better scenery.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes.

    Calam crouched down to the captured bandit with a slightly distraught expression. He slapped the bandit awake and then lowered the gag. ¡°Why would you attack us?¡±

    ¡°Just kill me, little punk,¡± growled the bandit.

    ¡°Just for a few items?¡± Calam shook his head and glared at the bandit.

    ¡°Bah!¡± the bandit scoffed and then spat some blood and bile onto the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t act all noble and holy in front of me.¡± He raised his chin towards Terry. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that punk¡¯s face on a bounty. You¡¯re not better than me.¡±

    Lori punched the man¡¯s temple while restraining her strength. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t a piece of shit that would kill people for their possessions.¡± She crouched down and leaned towards the man, who involuntarily shivered. ¡°And I believe we¡¯ve already established that we¡¯re better at fighting, or do you want to try again?¡± Lori stood up and continued giving the bandit the stink-eye.

    Terry was collecting his emptied spray container that had fallen to the ground.

    How did it get damaged? Did they shoot another projectile that I missed? Or was that dent always there?

    Terry narrowed his eyes at a barely visible dent on the container. The container was specifically prepared to contain the troublesome liquids, which had Terry pay close attention to its condition.

    ¡°Wheww.¡± Miguel whistled. ¡°Terry? If you have questions, you might want to ask them before the idiot gives more infuriating commentary.¡±

    Terry jolted from his thoughts and then crouched down in front of the bandit as well. ¡°Have you ever heard of a four-leaved blood tulip?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± The bandit furrowed his brow.

    Terry instantly cut the bandit¡¯s throat and spine with his dagger¡¯s mana blade.

    The color drained from Calam¡¯s face and he swallowed hard.

    ¡°Not in the mood for a chat?¡± Miguel knitted his brows and looked at Terry with some concern. ¡°You alright?¡±

    Siling glanced at Miguel and then at Terry. ¡°You do seem a bit different since we¡¯ve entered Tiv.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Terry wearily. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to waste time and¡­¡±

    People here are different, too.

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯re all a bit tense.¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to the Wasted Zone.¡±

    Lori grunted shortly. ¡°The words of a bandit can¡¯t be trusted anyway¡­¡±

    Calam stared at the dead bandit. ¡°Yeah, but I think I¡¯ve learned at least one thing from him¡­¡±

    Lori raised an eyebrow.

    Calam glanced at Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever blindly trust a bounty poster again.¡±

    Lori raised her eyebrow even higher. ¡°Were you asleep during the theoretical part of the bounty hunting introduction?¡±

    Siling giggled.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s kind of how it should be,¡± said Miguel with an amused expression. ¡°We are supposed to vet the information and its sources for a reason. Didn¡¯t you listen back then?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Calam scratched his cheek. ¡°I did listen¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°I guess I just did not understand completely.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a person?¡± Calam looked at the figure lying on the road.

    ¡°Careful,¡± reminded Miguel. ¡°We¡¯re basically in the middle of nowhere. Why would there be a lonely person lying on the road?¡±

    ¡°I can cast healing spells from here,¡± said Siling with a glance at Terry, who nodded.

    The figure on the road shook and coughed intensely. ¡°W-water, please¡­¡± The voice belonged to a woman.

    Terry retrieved a bottle of water and then slid it across the ground to the woman.

    The woman gulped down several mouthfuls of water.

    ¡°Slow down unless you want to¡ª¡± Miguel¡¯s warning was interrupted by another round of intense coughing.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the woman sincerely. ¡°May I know where you are going?¡±

    ¡°You can keep the bottle,¡± said Terry, who did not like her question. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I was kidnapped from my village.¡± The woman¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°Luckily, a group of mana corrupted attacked the carriage I was held in. I managed to escape in the chaos, but I don¡¯t know where I am. I thought I could follow the road, but¡­¡±

    ¡°What mana corrupted?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I d-don¡¯t know their name,¡± stammered the woman, who appeared intimidated by Terry¡¯s tone.

    ¡°Terry, aren¡¯t we a bit too harsh?¡± interjected Calam. ¡°She looks manaless and hardly like a threat to any of us.¡±

    ¡°What did the mana corrupted look like?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°It was dark¡­¡± The woman furrowed her brows.

    Terry frowned.

    ¡°But there were barking sounds and I believe the fur was white,¡± said the woman hesitatingly.

    Terry looked at Siling on his side.

    Siling puckered her lips. ¡°Could have been frost jackals. If I remember correctly, there should be some in this region.¡±

    ¡°Then it fits,¡± exclaimed Calam relievedly.

    ¡°C-could I come with you?¡± asked the woman in a pleading tone. ¡°I just want to get into a town or¡­¡±

    Terry crossed his arms and lowered his gaze with a frown.

    ¡°Please?¡± Calam spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s only until we find an inhabited area she can reach on her own. I can carry her if we need to quicken the pace, and in combat, we could hide her in one of your foldable cubes.¡±

    Terry looked at Calam and sighed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Calam approached the woman. ¡°I¡¯m Calam, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°L-Lilith,¡± stammered the woman and rewarded Calam with a charming smile.

    ***

    ¡°See? We could do some good while on the road,¡± exclaimed Calam happily. ¡°Just like in the stories.¡±

    They had left Lilith near a village in the early evening.

    ¡°Mhmh¡­¡± Terry subconsciously looked back toward the village.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Terry smacked his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s look for a suitable spot to set up camp.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± Miguel raised an eyebrow.

    Terry weighed his head from side to side. ¡°Don¡¯t know why, but I have a feeling it¡¯s better to stay well-rested in the coming days.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Might just be that we are getting very close to the Wasted Zone.¡±

    ***

    In the middle of the night, Lori was checking the surroundings of the camp during her shift.

    ¡°Hello, Lori.¡± A figure stepped out of the shadows.

    Lori whirled around with spears raised. She squinted with her darkvision goggles on. ¡°Lilith? Where did you come from?¡±

    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± said Lilith.

    ¡°You could have done that during the daytime when everyone was awake.¡± Lori observed her warily while stealing glances at the camp.

    ¡°That village was not a nice place.¡± Lilith shook her head with a sniffle.

    Lori narrowed her eyes. She stole a glance towards the camp again. Specifically, she was glancing at the figure of the bloody frogmouth soul spirit. Lori returned her attention back to Lilith and growled: ¡°Cut the crap! Someone that can avoid life sense is not some weak little flower on the road.¡±

    Lilith smiled with praise. ¡°I knew you were smart. That¡¯s why I chose to talk to you.¡±

    Lori did not show a reaction on her face, nor did she lower her guard.

    ¡°Aside from Terry, you seem to be the strongest in this group,¡± said Lilith. ¡°Terry also seems to trust you wholeheartedly.¡± She pressed her lips tightly together.

    ¡°And?¡± Lori lightly tapped the ground with her foot, which Lilith took as a sign of impatience.

    ¡°I was just wondering if you knew that Terry is a wanted criminal?¡± Lilith shook her head. ¡°There are several groups that have issued bounties, and the total sum is quite sizable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, so what?¡± Lori continued tapping the ground with her foot.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a shame that someone as smart and strong as you would choose to follow such a character.¡± Lilith spread her arms and shrugged. ¡°As I see it, you would be the more appropriate leader. I could help you with that, and we could both get an advantage out of it.¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Lori. ¡°Terry is my brother.¡± She tapped her foot once more.

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Lilith¡¯s smile remained unperturbed. ¡°But there are no eternal friendships, only eternal benefits. What if I told you that there is a way to quickly improve your mana control in my possession and that I would share it with you when we split the bounty? You do want to become stronger, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Lori did not react and continued tapping her foot.

    ¡°All I¡¯m asking of you is to put a little something into the drink of the criminal that is leading your group.¡± Lilith pulled a small bottle out of her sleeve. ¡°I know he only takes his bottles out from his storage item to drink, but I¡¯ve seen you share a cup of that one tea flavor.¡±

    ¡°What kind of poison is that?¡± asked Lori. ¡°Does it have to be ingested?¡±

    ¡°Rotting nightshade.¡± Lilith¡¯s eyes glistened because of Lori''s shown interest. ¡°A cut would work too. I figured it would be less easy to hide your involvement, but I leave that up to you.¡±

    ¡°Put it on the ground and take a few steps back,¡± ordered Lori.

    Lilith did as instructed.

    Lori picked up the bottle. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then.¡±

    Lilith grinned in self-satisfaction while watching Lori walk back to the camp.

    *Thwish* A black arrow flew through the darkness of the night and hit Lilith in the chest.

    Lilith felt numbness spread out in her body. She stared in disbelief as she not only felt the effects of some paralyzing non-magic poison but also the feeling of a part of her mana being sucked away. Before Lilith could react, she was pulled deep down into the earth, never to rise again.

    Not long after, Miguel held out a hand to the muddy Lori whose upper half was sticking out of the earth.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Lori and pulled herself completely out of the liquified earth.

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I have to say though, when I was dreaming of a princess approaching my tent in the middle of the night, I was not picturing the hairy legs of a wiremoss tarantula.¡±

    Lori snorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°Good that we taught Pricklybum a few tremor signals.¡± The moment she believed Miguel was not looking at her, she squinted at him and bit her lip in thought.

    ¡°So what was this about?¡± asked Miguel with a glance at the muddy earth.

    Lori hurriedly averted her eyes from Miguel and said angrily: ¡°Only a despicable thing looking for death. Ahem¡­¡± She cleared her throat and looked at Miguel shyly. ¡°Here, I¡¯ve got a gift for you.¡± Lori handed over the small bottle and beamed at Miguel. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    Miguel used his hands to fan some air from the bottle to his nose. ¡°Some kind of mana-corrupted nightshade?¡±

    ¡°She called it rotting nightshade,¡± said Lori while watching Miguel¡¯s face.

    ¡°Fancy.¡± Miguel grinned at Lori. ¡°You believed correctly. Thanks!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Did father put you up to this?¡± asked Amelia. ¡°Or were you yourself stupid enough to volunteer as a mage hunter?¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± barked a human man. Blood was flowing down the sides of his mouth.

    Dargones hurled another human away. The mage hunter was already unconscious. Dargones looked at Amelia and talked silently.

    ¡°No, Dargo.¡± Amelia smiled at him and sighed. ¡°Just like most of my family, he does not know what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡± scoffed the injured man.

    ¡°Are you trying to die?¡± asked Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s not you who I need to kill, but if you don¡¯t shut up, then¡ª What the¡­?¡±

    Amelia, Dargones, and the remaining mage hunters all turned to look in the direction where a large demon army suddenly appeared. The location was very close to the village they had all left before their fight.

    Amelia and Dargones looked at each other and nodded. Amelia turned back to the mage hunters. ¡°Go help or go to hell.¡± Afterwards, she teleported and Dargones followed her.

    Amelia waited for Dargones to step next to her. The moment she felt his presence, she soared into the sky and unleashed several chained spells to assault the demons among the army. Meanwhile, Dargones charged right into the army to wreak havoc among the elementals.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Amelia stared at the figure sitting atop the dimensional gate. The elven man was wearing a dark green cloak with an eerie aura.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a magebane.¡± Weran observed Dargones with a mixture of nostalgia and curiosity..

    ¡°Do you have a grudge with this village?¡± asked Amelia testily.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Weran indifferently. He inhaled and growled fiercely: ¡°I have a grudge with Tiv.¡±

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± retorted Amelia while creating a rain of fire to assault the demon army.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Weran chuckled. ¡°One of my grandchildren has told me about you. Amelia, right? A former mage hunter and a rising Guildhead.¡± He glanced at an injured mage hunter that had joined the fight. ¡°Had a friendly bout with your old colleagues?¡±

    ¡°Nothing friendly about that,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Finally.¡± She flicked her wrist and the dimensional gate was erased.

    ¡°You bought some sympathy by beating down Tiv¡¯s dogs,¡± said Weran coldly. ¡°Not to mention that you have a bounty on your head for making sure one of the people that plotted against Arcana¡¯s barrier was put to death¡­¡±

    Amelia furrowed her brow.

    ¡°But if you think I will allow you to stand in my way, you are mistaken,¡± growled Weran. He re-summoned the dimensional gate and, at the same time, three spatial blades flew at Amelia with high speed.

    Amelia teleported to evade but was immediately confronted with another attack. Dargones appeared right in front of her and punched out a discharge of nullification mana before dropping back to the ground. Cold sweat appeared on Amelia¡¯s brow.

    ¡°You may try to face the creatures walking through, but you should not think of touching the dimensional gate I place,¡± said Weran. ¡°These creatures will be brought to Tiv because it is Tiv¡¯s fault that they are currently in Arcana.¡±

    Amelia stared at the old elf. ¡°If you have a grudge with Tiv, then why don¡¯t you attack Tiv Palace or, better yet, all the vile people among the nobles and Assembly members. I can point you to the estate of my family. You can start there. Go to the capital for all I care. You have my blessing. Good riddance.¡±

    ¡°These people¡­¡± Amelia pointed with her staff towards the village. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve this. These poor wasters have been facing the terrors of the Wastes the whole time. They barely have the strength to defend themselves as is. Your grudge can¡¯t possibly be with them!¡±

    Weran put a hand on his chin and looked at Amelia, then at Dargones, who was viciously fighting against the army of elementals without flinching.

    ¡°You two can¡¯t stop me,¡± stated Weran matter-of-factly. ¡°Do you really want to try? Those pathetic mage hunters back there certainly won¡¯t be of much help, either.¡±

    Amelia took a deep breath with resolve in her eyes. She uncorked a potion. However, before the liquid could enter her mouth, it suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Hoh?¡± Weran tilted his head while examining the floating liquid in front of him. ¡°You are ready to go that far? Even if you won, this would leave you barely a step away from death.¡± He glanced at the town and then at Amelia. ¡°Do you even know these people?¡±

    Amelia frowned and clenched her fists. ¡°We¡¯ve stayed with a family there for the past two days.¡± When she realized she was not Weran¡¯s match, she immediately switched targets and tried to decimate the elementals and demons as quickly as her abilities allowed.

    Weran pulled back his hood and watched Amelia and Dargones fighting against the demon army. After a while, he shook his head and muttered to himself. ¡°You¡¯ve been born in the wrong empire.¡±

    Weran flicked his wrist, and the dimensional gate disappeared. When Amelia moved her surprised eyes towards him, he spoke firmly in a loud voice. ¡°You remind me of an old benefactor, so I¡¯m willing to make a single exception. This is it. The next time we meet, you should not think of touching the dimensional gate.¡± Afterwards, Weran disappeared.

    Amelia swallowed and returned her attention to the demon army. She heard the voice of Dargones in her mind and replied: ¡°Yeah, I know. After this, we need to find Jee.¡±

    ***

 103 This Is Awkward

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 90 ¨C

    ¡°Well, this is awkward,¡± groaned a dwarven guard for Libra City. She grimaced and looked at Terry. ¡°Technically, I am supposed to arrest you. Why are you approaching as if you¡¯re taking a stroll?¡±

    ¡°I could walk into the sky and enter that way if it avoids trouble for you all,¡± said Terry with a wry smile. ¡°Just thought I would say hi first. I have to talk to Dhruv, one way or the other. I don¡¯t intend to stay long.¡±

    ¡°Just let them through,¡± said an older, elven guard. He looked at Terry with a serious expression. ¡°If anyone wants to complain about it, I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± He lowered his gaze and lightly shook his head. ¡°I owe the old lady that much and more.¡±

    The dwarven woman nodded and gestured with her hand. ¡°You heard the man. Welcome to Libra City. Don¡¯t let the pickpockets get you and try to stay out of trouble.¡±

    Terry led the others into the city and towards the Guardian outpost. They were halfway down the gravel road when a group of channelers arrived and blocked their path.

    ¡°See?! I told you, it¡¯s the one from the bounty!¡± One of the channelers pointed. The people with him glared at Terry.

    ¡°How dare you come back here!¡± ¡°Have you come to apologize and turn yourself in?¡± ¡°Bastard even killed his own companion!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you did to Harrison.¡± The group shot angry comments and questions at Terry.

    ¡°Let him talk,¡± said one of the group. She sneered at Terry. ¡°What are you here for? Are you sorry for all the blood that you have spilled?¡±

    The image of Sigille¡¯s armored back appeared in Terry¡¯s mind, and he straightened himself. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± The woman snapped.

    ¡°We all made our choices that day.¡± Terry spoke with a hardened expression. ¡°Thinking about what happened makes me many things.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Sad, angry, disappointed, and, above all, frustrated. I regret I was too weak to be in complete control of the situation.¡±

    Terry clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯m saddened that Harrison is dead, but I¡¯m not sorry that he died at my hands.¡± Terry spoke firmly: ¡°Because I would do it again.¡±

    ¡°Bastard¡­¡± ¡°What kind of monster are you?¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± The group was not happy with Terry¡¯s response and some of them drew their weapons.

    ¡°Step away from him!¡± A middle-aged man addressed Lori and the others. ¡°This man is a criminal and we are going to apprehend him. Dead or alive.¡±

    Lori stomped her foot and in a matter of seconds, a rock wall had formed in front of her and was propelled into the group of channelers. The channelers fell down. When they raised their heads again, they were confronted with everyone among Terry¡¯s group having drawn their weapons and prepared their spells. The channelers gulped.

    ¡°Stop!¡± The voice of a man arrived.

    Terry scowled at the familiar face. It was a man he had seen with Willow in the past, but the man looked as if he had aged a lot compared to what Terry remembered.

    ¡°Luminous Anem, that¡¯s one of the people that killed Bright Willow!¡± yelled one channeler.

    Anem looked at Terry with a complicated expression before turning to the channelers. ¡°Leave them be.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    ¡°I said leave them be,¡± repeated Anem firmly. ¡°They are moving to the outpost. Let Dhruv and Luminous Cadence handle this.¡±

    ¡®Luminous¡¯ Cadence? Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You can put away the weapons.¡± Anem spoke to Terry.

    ¡°You have to forgive me if I don¡¯t put much trust in the words of the witch¡¯s friends,¡± said Terry in a biting tone. This sparked another round of outrage among the channelers.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Anem silenced the angry channelers. He turned to Terry and lowered his head slightly. ¡°We will walk ahead. You can maintain your distance.¡±

    Afterwards, Anem looked at Lori and the hole in the road. ¡°Could I trouble you to fix that?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lori narrowed her eyes without a proper response. Despite her defiant expression, she filled the hole again. Once she was done, her gaze moved over the group in front of them and she grumbled: ¡°I already can¡¯t stand this place.¡±

    Miguel looked at Lori and snickered.

    ***

    ¡°I said enough!¡± Cadence raised her voice. ¡°I suspend all bounties related to Terry inside Libra City''s jurisdiction. If you feel unreconciled, you can submit a formal complaint to Guardian management, but since that currently means me, you will only end up disappointed again.¡±

    Terry moved his gaze from the disgruntled group of channelers to Cadence.

    ¡°Now leave and return to your assigned tasks,¡± ordered Cadence. ¡°I want to talk to Terry¡¯s group.¡± After the channelers left the vicinity, Cadence sighed wearily.

    ¡°How do you like being part of Guardian management?¡± asked Terry with a barely suppressed grin.

    ¡°Not. At. All.¡± Cadence groaned. She moved a hand to her forehead and sighed. ¡°But it has its perks. At least, I have the authority to stop some situations from getting out of hand now, which reminds me¡­¡±

    Cadence looked at Terry with a trace of exasperation. ¡°What were you thinking when waltzing back in here without warning? Arcana has contested the bounty, but it¡¯s still active and as long as the imperial bounty is not revoked, this¡ª¡±

    ¡°No choice.¡± Terry¡¯s serious expression gave Cadence pause. Afterwards, Terry explained the situation of Isille.

    Cadence lowered her head and sighed again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this happened, Terry.¡±

    ¡°You had nothing to do with it,¡± said Terry. ¡°I just need to talk to Dhruv.¡±

    ¡°Dhruv is here, but he¡¯s currently going through some druid procedure to strengthen Emily¡¯s tree seed,¡± said Cadence. ¡°It should not take long.¡±

    Cadence snapped her fingers and called two of her assistants over.

    ¡°You can hand a list of the required ingredients to them.¡± Cadence spoke to Terry and then turned to her assistants. ¡°Check what we have in stock and compile all available information on those that are missing.¡±

    Cadence turned towards Terry and the others. ¡°You all must be tired.¡± She spoke with concern. ¡°I¡¯ll have rooms prepared for all of you.¡±

    ***

    ¡°...so it¡¯s like soul spirits?¡± Siling tilted her head and looked at Cadence.

    ¡°...¡± Cadence¡¯s face stiffened and her eyelid twitched.

    Siling blinked innocently and waited for a response.

    ¡°No, the Bright Lady is not like a soul spirit.¡± Cadence¡¯s tone shifted between grumpiness and amusement. Eventually, she chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Is everyone in Arcana like that or just the people around Terry?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Siling creased her brows. ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they must be done now,¡± exclaimed Cadence. She and Siling returned to the others.

    A short while later, a blur of red hair whizzed into the group and hugged Terry.

    ¡°Terry!¡± Emily exclaimed happily. She loosened her hug and looked quizzically at Terry. ¡°Is Big Brother back too?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Young elven women rushing into your embrace? Is that the kind of training you did here, Terry?¡± Siling spoke up in a teasing tone.

    Terry chuckled drily and looked at Siling with a forced deadpan expression. ¡°Are you implying that I beat you in the spars without having trained properly?¡±

    Siling gasped with a scandalized expression and turned to Lori. ¡°Terry is getting cheeky. When did that start?¡±

    Lori snorted amusedly.

    Emily giggled. ¡°I can vouch for Terry having trained properly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± said Siling and held out a hand. ¡°You must be Emily. I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Siling,¡± said Emily and shook Siling¡¯s hand. ¡°Terry has told me about the dungeon trip with the inscribed earth giant.¡± She moved her eyes over the rest of the group. ¡°You must be Lori, Miguel¡­¡± She greeted and then paused before Calam.

    Calam blushed profusely. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He moved a hand to his nape. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the dungeon, I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Calam,¡± said Emily. ¡°Terry told me about you too.¡±

    Calam¡¯s blush intensified until his face could rival a tomato.

    Terry squinted at Emily. ¡°Are you secretly trying to confirm your perception of their mana signatures?¡±

    Emily grinned sheepishly. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, Terry, you can¡¯t just spill a woman¡¯s secrets like that,¡± protested Siling.

    ¡°Pleased to meet all of you,¡± said Emily and made a brief bow.

    ¡°Emily, I need your help,¡± said Terry in a serious tone that stood in stark contrast to the cheerful mood before. Terry explained the situation and about the required ingredients.

    ¡°O-of course,¡± muttered Emily. ¡°Instructor Dhruv told me to keep the earth in which I have raised the seed because it has many uses. I have a lot more than what you require. I can get all of it right now.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Terry, what did I tell you about suicidal activities?¡± Wallace¡¯s voice reached Terry, who had been chatting with Siling.

    ¡°Uh, not to engage in them?¡± Terry smiled wryly. ¡°Greetings, Wallace.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! So why are you returning to this wasted city while there are several bounties on your head?¡± Wallace walked up to Terry. Wallace¡¯s gaze caught the sight of his daughter with several other people whose mana signatures screamed Arcana. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°And why are you bringing young, blushing, elven men with you?¡± He looked at Terry with exasperation. ¡°What did I ever do to you?¡±

    ¡°Heh, are you sure that you only need to worry about the elven men?¡± Siling had a mischievous grin on her lips. ¡°Your daughter is quite charming.¡±

    Wallace blinked a few times while looking at Siling with no further reaction.

    Then Wallace looked up in thought and raised a palm. ¡°On the one hand, there is still the risk that my little angel will get her heart broken.¡±

    He raised his other palm. ¡°On the other hand, there is no risk of you knocking my angel up and abandoning her afterwards. So¡­¡±

    Wallace lowered his hands and looked at Siling. ¡°You have my blessings. I¡¯m cheering for you. You should invite her to Arcana sometime. How about right now? Should I tell you her preference regarding pastries? How about I teach you her favorite dishes? I have time. We can start in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Siling¡¯s mouth opened several times without her finding the words to respond. She turned to Terry with a befuddled and helpless expression. ¡°That, uhh, was not the response I expected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your own father can sympathize,¡± said Wallace with a wry smile.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Siling shrugged and turned to Wallace. ¡°I don¡¯t remember my dad, and my mom is quite tight-lipped on the topic. From what I could piece together, he turned crazy or something.¡±

    ¡°Oh good,¡± exclaimed Wallace with eyes wide open. ¡°That means I¡¯ve fulfilled today¡¯s quota for putting my foot in my mouth.¡± His mouth contorted as if he had swallowed something disgusting. ¡°Always good to get that out of the way early.¡±

    Terry fidgeted with his hands. He had noticed in the past that Siling never spoke about her early childhood ¨C different from Miguel and the others. Then again, Terry knew he was not in a position to judge what was normal or not, especially when it came to early childhood experiences. Perhaps Miguel and Gellath were just chattier.

    Siling merely shrugged with a light smile.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Wallace. Afterwards, he spoke in a more serious tone to Terry. ¡°So? What brought you back to this dump? Emily has only sent me a message that you¡¯re here, not why.¡±

    Terry explained the situation.

    ¡°Well, crap¡­¡± Wallace grimaced and shook his head with a tired expression. ¡°I can check with my contacts, too, but that tulip sounds troublesome.¡±

    ¡°We can only try,¡± said Terry. ¡°In any case, we already received the leaves and the earth. Several portions even¡­¡±

    Lori and Siling each carried a set of the ingredients they had acquired. Similar to their distribution of transfer scrolls, Terry had been hesitant to carry the ingredients, because he could not completely rule out dungeon shenanigans. Despite his reservations, Terry himself carried two more spare sets.

    They had all voted for Terry to carry one set because he was undeniably the strongest in the group. The second set was for an idea they had only thought of after departing from Arcana: the dragonfly construct that Terry still possessed.

    Back when Terry had arrived in the Libra Outpost for the first time, Brynn had sent him gifts from home with a special dragonfly construct. The construct could not compete with teleportation scrolls in terms of travel speed, but depending on the situation, it might represent a workable second option.

    The dragonfly construct was keyed to Terry¡¯s mana. Only he and Brynn could open it or send it on its way, which meant that Terry had to be the one to continue carrying it. If Terry got whisked away by a dungeon, none of the others would be able to use it.

    Thinking about sending the ingredients, a distant look entered Terry¡¯s eyes. ¡°Only without the tulip, it might be better to not send anything back...¡± Terry cleared his throat.

    ¡°Cadence is looking for the other ingredients as well, but¡­¡± Terry frowned slightly.

    ¡°Yeah, I would not get my hopes up on that point,¡± said Wallace testily. ¡°Druid thingies aside, it would be a miracle to find something here that you cannot find in Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be a few ingredients in this place that can¡¯t be gathered in Arcana?¡± asked Siling in a surprised tone.

    ¡°All items on the list are considered magic items,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Even if one of them was gathered here, they have to register it with the administration that handles the distribution of magic items and since they¡¯re all rare ingredients¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll snatch it up with their grubby, little administrator fingers,¡± finished Wallace. He raised his hands in front of him in a horizontal position and wiggled his fingers creepily.

    ¡°Dhruv might have a lead on the four-leaved blood tulip,¡± said Terry with a frustrated expression. ¡°But it¡¯s a long shot.¡±

    Siling sighed and moved her gaze over the area. ¡°Huh.¡± She looked back at Terry. ¡°Have you noticed how everyone is looking at you here?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Leaving the cultists aside, there are so many that are avoiding your gaze ¨C almost as if they¡¯re afraid or something,¡± muttered Siling. ¡°Intimidated. Definitely giving off submissive vibes¡­¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°What kind of reputation do you have in this place?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry looked around. ¡°I believe I may have faced some of them in combat practice.¡±

    Siling snorted. ¡°Did you offer them hugs as well?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± Terry made a wry expression.

    ***

    Lori, Miguel, and Siling were waiting for Terry at the training grounds in the Libra Outpost.

    ¡°Oh look, the murderer¡¯s friends are here.¡± A human man in silver robes spoke with disdain. Although he was not a channeler himself, he was accompanied by several of the channelers that had confronted Terry on the gravel road to the outpost.

    ¡°I heard that they¡¯re even Guardians,¡± spat one channeler.

    ¡°Some Guardians they are,¡± added another. ¡°Despicable.¡±

    ¡°Before you continue this conversation, you should understand that the next time I¡¯ll have you eat a stone wall, I¡¯ll make it spiky,¡± hissed Lori.

    ¡°Big words for such a small person,¡± growled the silver-robed man.

    Miguel snorted. ¡°Careful that you don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew, big guy.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t cower before a murderer and his lackeys.¡± The silver-robed man glared at them with disgust.

    ¡°Yeah, what kind of Guardians are you?¡± demanded another channeler. ¡°Are all Arcanian Guardians as shameless as you?¡±

    ¡°Are you intentionally ignoring that this Willow woman colluded with a lunatic mass murderer?¡± retorted Miguel indignantly. ¡°Who is the shameless one here?

    No Guardian should have ever tried to shield such scum. As I see it, you people are a joke.¡± Miguel involuntarily raised his voice while his anger overcame him. ¡°These bastards even murdered the Divine Hammer and you still can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Are you really that dense, or are you working hard to maintain that level of ignorance?¡± Miguel practically spat his words. ¡°People like you calling yourselves Guardians is a bloody disgrace.¡±

    Lori blinked with mouth agape. She could not remember ever seeing such an outburst from Miguel. She jerkily shook her head and added: ¡°The only murderer was the one Willow invited so that she and those with her could follow in his footsteps. Shameful.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± shouted one of the channelers.

    The silver-robed man placed a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulders. He glared at Miguel and Lori. ¡°You dare call us ignorant? In contrast to my friends, you weren¡¯t even here when everything happened! Where do you find the gall to accuse them of ignorance?¡±

    ¡°I know my brother,¡± said Lori firmly. ¡°And I¡¯m damn sure I know him better than any of you knew that Willow.¡±

    Miguel nodded.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± added Siling. ¡°Anyone that has ever spent some time with Terry knows that he¡¯s truly a sheep in sheep¡¯s clothing.¡± She grinned when she could see her odd description temporarily wash the anger from Lori¡¯s face. ¡°Only he¡¯s the kind of sheep that can bite a wolf to death.¡±

    Miguel exhaled a short snort.

    ¡°As if anyone would believe your words,¡± spat a channeler with a shaved head and iron scale armor. He glanced at Lori. ¡°His sister and¡­¡± He looked at Siling with disgust. ¡°A self-mutilated soul. I saw that soul creature of yours earlier. Such vile magic. No wonder you grouped up with a murderer. Abominable people get along, it seems.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like your teeth, I can help you lose a few,¡± growled Lori and stepped forward.

    Siling looked warmly at Lori and then put a hand on Lori¡¯s shoulder to calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Lori.¡± Siling smiled coldly at the channeler. ¡°I¡¯m actually flattered. I have indeed customized my soul to my tastes. Thanks for noticing! I can do that because, after all, I still own my soul. Do you even remember what that feels like, cultist?¡±

    Miguel pressed his lips together and raised his eyebrows. He was impressed with how much cold disdain Siling could put into a single word. Even the highest praise would sound like the most horrible insult when spoken in that tone.

    Siling¡¯s thin smile turned even thinner. ¡°Excuse my bluntness, but being insulted for how I treat my soul by someone who has sold his own sounds like a compliment in my ears.¡±

    ¡°YOU!¡± The channeler¡¯s face flushed from anger. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like this conversation, there is a very simple solution,¡± interrupted Siling while raising her hand. Her gaze was still ice cold. ¡°Go away. Leave us alone. Stop forcing your presence on us.¡±

    The channeler clenched his fists with unconcealed anger. He felt the hand of the silver-robed man on his shoulder. His friend was looking at him. ¡°Don¡¯t. Let¡¯s go. They¡¯re not worth it.¡± The silver-robed man gave one more glance at Lori and the others. ¡°Shameless.¡±

    ¡°Right back at you,¡± retorted Miguel with a sneer.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Calam stepped into the round. He had jogged over as soon as he saw the confrontation between the two groups. ¡°What did I miss?¡±

    ¡°A bunch of pest beetles shit-talking Terry,¡± grumbled Lori with a scowl.

    ¡°Really?¡± Calam puffed his cheeks. ¡°Huh.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just talked to two people who had nothing but respect for Terry. Apparently, they were students of the Divine Hammer.¡± He looked around. ¡°Where is Terry? I¡¯m also supposed to greet him from an instructor called Rachel.¡±

    ¡°He heard that the local smith was packing up and leaving the city,¡± said Lori. ¡°He wanted to give her some interesting materials as a farewell gift.¡±

    ***

 104 Hope in the Wastes

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 95 ¨C

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure if a four-leaved blood tulip is there,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°But that region had several blood-aspected anomalies thirty years ago. It never reached the threshold for a forbidden zone, but the mana concentration was abnormal and purely blood-aspected.¡±

    Dhruv handed the map back to Terry. He had marked the area he was talking about.

    Terry examined the map. The region was east-northeast from Libra City.

    ¡°From what my friend told me, the mana situation was still the same two years ago.¡± Dhruv looked at Terry with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s definitely dangerous. This region is far beyond the frontier. You would be walking through the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°This looks pretty far from here.¡± Miguel examined the map as well. ¡°At least if we¡¯re talking walking distance. Can we even get there, you know, in time?¡± He looked at Lori and Terry with concern.

    ¡°Right, our time is limited.¡± Terry made a pained expression and looked at Dhruv.

    ¡°If you really want to go through with this, then I have an option.¡± Dhruv marked another location on the map. ¡°I still have an old transfer scroll that could take a small group here. If the scroll still works, it could transport all of you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only one way, though.¡± Miguel pointed out. ¡°And the location is out of range for the scrolls we had prepared.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have no more scrolls that target Libra City,¡± said Dhruv with a frustrated expression. ¡°Amelia was the one that provided them to us in the past.¡±

    ¡°We still have one spare scroll from Matteo,¡± said Terry. He glanced at Siling, who was carrying the last scroll that targeted Libra City. ¡°We could go to the area, search and then return here before starting our return trip.¡±

    Lori made a conflicted expression while moving her eyes over everyone. ¡°What about the risk of scroll failure, though?¡±

    Terry lowered his gaze.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the risk worth it?¡± asked Calam. ¡°If we really find the blood tulip there, I mean.¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°If the scroll doesn¡¯t work, we can still send back a set of ingredients with the dragonfly construct.¡±

    Miguel weighed his head from side to side. ¡°It would at least reduce the time pressure. That construct could already make its way to Brynn while we are carefully making our way into the range of the next transfer scroll.¡±

    ¡°You should get the scroll examined first,¡± interjected Cadence. ¡°To make sure that there are no obvious flaws.¡±

    ¡°I can have a look at it,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°I can¡¯t create them, but I¡¯ve seen enough to notice a few signs of problems.¡±

    Cadence stared at Terry. ¡°And you must stay within the range of the scroll to Libra City. The risk of scroll failure is one thing, but if you go beyond the range, then you have no chance of retreat in case of trouble. Not out there.¡±

    Siling handed the scroll to Dhruv.

    ¡°While I check the scroll, you should all make up your minds,¡± said Dhruv.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Cadence bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. This is your decision.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± said Terry, and Lori immediately stepped next to him. Miguel, Siling, and Calam followed half a breath later.

    Terry lowered his head pensively. He muttered with a shake of his head. ¡°This is really getting more dangerous, though.¡±

    Lori clenched her fists and moved her eyes over her friends again.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already made our way here. We should at least see the sights a bit, right?¡± Miguel shrugged. ¡°To be honest, I have no plans to ever return to this place. Not if I can help it.¡± He glowered at some of the local Guardians in the distance. ¡°Rotten empire.¡±

    ¡°If this works out, this will be a story to tell to our descendants.¡± Calam smiled brightly.

    ¡°Not every day that I get a chance to see so many weird mana-corrupted beasts,¡± said Siling in an upbeat tone.

    Terry chuckled lightly. ¡°Perhaps we can find you a shadow panther soul. The one from Ying was impressive and it would be large enough to serve as a mount for you. Muttonchops can at most carry a dwarf, after all.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the important part?¡± quipped Miguel with a slight smirk.

    ¡°Not unless you want me to start charging fees.¡± Siling giggled. She turned from Miguel to Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can handle a shadow panther yet.¡± Siling puffed her cheeks. ¡°And I still feel that there is something off with this mayor of Syn City. A spiritualist that can use a shadow panther soul should be able to summon more than one soul spirit at a time.¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure if he can. I¡¯ve just never seen him use any other soul spirit than the shadow panther.¡±

    They chatted until Dhruv returned and handed them the scroll.

    ¡°No problems as far as I can see,¡± said Dhruv.

    ¡°Can you hand us the other scroll?¡± asked Terry.

    Dhruv nodded. ¡°I figured you would go, and I already brought it with me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Terry when he noticed the frown on Dhruv¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m just thinking about the state of this outpost,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°I can¡¯t even offer to go with you, because without me here, the city would not have any real protection anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t see many Guardians here and the ones I see¡­¡± Miguel glowered at some people in the distance again. ¡°Are all¡ª¡±

    Lori elbowed Miguel weakly.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Miguel swallowed the insult he had in mind when recalling that Dhruv was a local Guardian, too.

    ¡°No need to mince words, young man.¡± Dhruv smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t get along with everyone either.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this place have any defenses?¡± asked Siling with creased brows.

    ¡°Not anymore, no,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°We have a broken inscription system, if you want to try your hand at it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a way to get injured, no thank you.¡± Siling smiled wryly.

    Dhruv shook his head with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°Even the Guild has closed down its headquarters in the city.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Terry raised his brows.

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re going to maintain a supply point, but there is no place to receive or hand in missions anymore,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°Means much fewer Guildheads on an average day.¡±

    ***

    Terry was leading the others through a path in the forest outside Libra City. He glanced back towards the giant druid tree in the distance. ¡°I think this should be far enough.¡± He sunk his consciousness into his dimensional bag in order to retrieve the transfer scroll that Dhruv had provided them.

    Terry abruptly stopped when he noticed a cloaked mana movement. ¡°Lori, care¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hrgh!¡± Lori¡¯s body was suddenly seized by hands from the shadows. She was rapidly dragged away from the group.

    Terry and the others immediately made to dash forward.

    ¡°STOP WHERE YOU ARE!¡± growled the human woman who had seized Lori. She was wearing grey leather armor with spiders encrusted onto it. A shadowy claw was wrapped around Lori¡¯s torso and arms while another pointed its sharp nails towards Lori¡¯s throat. ¡°Or she¡¯ll die.¡± A droplet of blood trickled down Lori¡¯s throat where the shadow nails had cut through the skin.

    Two more silhouettes stepped out of the shadows. ¡°Thanks, Patricia.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. The two new arrivals were the elven woman and another man from the channelers they had encountered on their way to the Libra Outpost.

    Miguel was already aiming his bow. ¡°Let her go or you¡¯ll die yourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let her go when that one is dead,¡± said Patricia, who was holding Lori hostage. She was gesturing with her chin towards Terry. ¡°Kill yourself and I¡¯ll let her go.¡±

    ¡°Piss off, you damned shadow weasel,¡± growled Lori and struggled without a care for the sharp nails that were cutting into her skin.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop struggling, you¡¯ll only kill yourself,¡± sneered Patricia.

    ¡°If you think I¡¯ll let you use my life against my brother, you have pus for brains,¡± growled Lori and intentionally pressed her neck forward.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Lori, don¡¯t!¡± shouted Terry. Next to him, Miguel gulped and breathed shakily. Even the channelers seemed taken aback by Lori¡¯s actions.

    Terry thought he could notice hesitation in Patricia¡¯s reaction. However, after a brief moment, Patricia grimaced fleetingly and scoffed while another shadow-aspected spell forcibly restrained Lori.

    ¡°I also had a brother once.¡± Patricia spoke with intense resentment. ¡°He accepted a Guild mission to defend a Guardian outpost.¡± She glared at Terry. ¡°You may not have killed him personally, but I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Karma has caught up with you, Terry,¡± sneered the elven woman from the channelers. ¡°Do you have the dignity to kill yourself, or do we have to help?¡±

    ¡°Stop your spellwork, elf!¡± shouted Patricia.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Siling frowned and interrupted her casting. She glanced meaningfully at Terry. ¡°Terry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Terry involuntarily jolted at the tone in Siling¡¯s voice. His thoughts raced until he had an idea of what she might have in mind. Next to Terry, Miguel reacted similarly.

    Terry intentionally flared his mana and stepped forward and in front of Siling. He spoke to Patricia: ¡°Let her go. If you have a grudge with me, you can settle it with me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not giving the orders here, man,¡± barked Patricia. ¡°Either you kill yourself or your sister dies first and then you¡¯ll die, anyway.¡±

    ¡°The hell is wrong with you?!¡± demanded Miguel. He also stepped slightly forward and in front of Siling. He glowered at the channelers. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be Guardians? Is this what you believe Guardians should be doing? Shameless bastards.¡± He aimed his bow at the elven channeler and growled: ¡°If anyone dies here today, I guarantee you will join them.¡±

    ¡°Animals,¡± spat the man from the channelers.

    ¡°That man is a criminal with a kill bounty on his head,¡± snarled the elven woman, and pointed at Terry. ¡°So, yes, I believe this is what Guardians should be doing. What any proper Guardian ought to do. You were the ones that chose to protect a criminal.¡±

    Terry forced himself to laugh out loud, which took the channelers by surprise. ¡°Really?¡± sneered Terry while continuing to flare his mana. ¡°That sounds very much like what I was thinking back when your Bright Willow chose to shield mass-murdering scum. You know, the whole reason why so many proper Guardians now have a bounty on their heads.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± snapped the elven woman. ¡°Anand was a guest of Bright Willow and she had the authority to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bahaha!¡± Now, it was Miguel who laughed loudly with derision. ¡°Cadence is now the person with the highest authority in local Guardian management. Didn¡¯t she suspend the bounty on Terry?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not in Libra City anymore,¡± snarled the man from the channelers.

    ¡°But we¡¯re still in its jurisdiction,¡± retorted Terry bitingly.

    ¡°Or do you not really respect Guardian management¡¯s authority?¡± Calam spoke up for the first time. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Cadence have a rank in the Circle of the Bright Lady, too? Luminous? Or is that not high enough?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± shrieked the man from the channelers.

    ¡°Perhaps the authority of Guardian management only counts when they want to shield mass-murdering necromancers?¡± sneered Miguel. ¡°You can pardon someone like Anand but not someone like Terry, is that it? I guess authority only matters when it¡¯s to the benefit of your little cult?¡± Miguel spat the words with intense contempt.

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Terry glanced at Miguel and then at the channelers. ¡°Anand may have killed and tormented entire cities, but a Bright was not among them, so it¡¯s no biggie, right?¡± Terry spoke with disdain and disgust. ¡°Even better, Bright Willow could use him to ingratiate herself with the Preacher, so why not let bygones be bygones?¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± The elven woman put a hand to her sword.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± roared Patricia. ¡°I don¡¯t care to argue with any of you.¡± She glared at Terry. ¡°Will you kill yourself, or do I need to kill your sister? I have no patience for¡ª¡±

    Invisible tentacles wrapped around Patricia¡¯s upper head and unleashed a strong lightning discharge right into her brain.

    Half a second later, rocks that had been attracted by Terry¡¯s bidirectional attraction gloves hit Patricia on the elbow and in the back between her shoulder blades.

    As soon as Lori¡¯s head was free to move, she rammed it back and broke Patricia¡¯s nose before jumping off from Patricia¡¯s chest and darting towards the others while retrieving her barrier spears and leaving an earthen wall behind her.

    Terry charged forward and pointed his own spear towards Patricia¡¯s throat before she had a chance to recover.

    The elven woman was about to draw her sword when a coldfire-aspected arrow had already arrived in front of her. ¡°Eeek!¡± She fell on her butt and looked at the arrow that was transfixed a hair¡¯s breadth of where her head used to be.

    ¡°Why did you save her?¡± Miguel asked Terry with a hint of annoyance. ¡°That instigating pest beetle deserved an arrow to the face.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± muttered Terry pensively. He glanced towards the two terrified channelers and shrugged. ¡°But you don¡¯t deserve a bounty. Cadence doesn¡¯t deserve the paperwork, and the outpost doesn¡¯t deserve to lose even more people.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Miguel asked with a disdainful look towards the channelers. ¡°I don¡¯t see the harm in losing shameful ¡®Guardians¡¯ like them.¡± He growled towards the elven woman. ¡°If you ever come near us again, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite.¡±

    The elven woman was about to stand back up when a rock hit her in the stomach.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down for now?¡± asked Lori in a low tone. After the elven woman fell down again, Lori glared at the second channeler, who was still standing.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± the other channeler sat down while raising his hands.

    Lori liquified the earth underneath the two channelers and after their legs had sunk into the mud, she hardened the earth into rock. Next to her, Siling was casting the fundamental healing spells on Lori.

    Terry looked at Patricia, who was glowering resentfully at him from below. ¡°You have my sympathies for losing your brother, but I can¡¯t bring him back.¡±

    Patricia scoffed while lowering her gaze. Her face was bloody and one of her eyes had turned red from internal bleeding. Her hands and facial muscles were twitching uncontrollably.

    ¡°Your brother accepted a mission to protect the people that tormented and killed my whaka,¡± said Terry sternly. ¡°I suggest you talk to Dhruv to understand who Anand is. Understand why it was unacceptable that Willow chose to collude with such a person, why Willow setting up the Divine Hammer crossed the line of what can be tolerated for so many people.

    ¡°I do regret that I wasn¡¯t strong enough to go after Willow and Anand without involving people like your brother ¨C people that only chose to trust the wrong person.¡± Terry spoke sincerely and firmly. ¡°But I do not regret my actions back then. If you resent me for that, that¡¯s fine. If you want to come after me, I won¡¯t resent you.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Terry stepped forcefully onto Patricia¡¯s chest and unleashed an intense disruption discharge. ¡°If you ever come after my companions for this again, I¡¯ll kill you. I won¡¯t care about your loss or your grief then. I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Terry did not raise his voice as he spoke. He did not speak threateningly. He talked calmly, almost matter-of-factly, except that there was a trace of resigned sadness in it.

    Terry¡¯s tone inspired a cold shiver to run down the spines of Patricia and the channelers.

    Terry crouched down and turned Patricia on her stomach. He held Patricia¡¯s arms together behind her back. He retrieved a metal ingot and channeled mana into the Shape Metal imprint located in the armor at the inside of his lower arm. He shaped the metal around Patricia¡¯s arms and hands to restrain her.

    ¡°You can get that removed in the outpost,¡± said Terry and stood back up. ¡°The fact that you survived the lightning discharge means that you have some ability. I sincerely hope that you can find better uses of your ability than coming after me.¡±

    Terry turned around while emitting mana detection pulses. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Terry to his companions. He walked next to Siling at the back. ¡°Thanks, well done.¡±

    ¡°No need for thanks,¡± said Siling, who was still protected by her arcane shield. ¡°Without all of you distracting them so that I could summon Peekaboo at a distance above us, it would not have worked.¡±

    ¡°Are we really just going to leave them like that?¡± asked Miguel in an unsatisfied tone.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to leave anyway,¡± said Terry, and retrieved the transfer scroll. ¡°They¡¯re not worth the time to burn their bodies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s dark,¡± muttered Calam with a grimace.

    ¡°Yeah, I like that,¡± said Miguel approvingly. ¡°I think I¡¯ll use that one in the future.¡±

    Siling snorted amusedly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, please.¡± Terry spoke to Lori in a low voice. ¡°I came here to not lose my whaka. At least give us some time before you go for the suicide option. I¡¯m not that stupid.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Lori cleared her throat with a sheepish expression. ¡°I may have panicked a little.¡±

    ¡°I did not know you had it in you,¡± interjected Miguel while eyeing Lori from the side.

    ¡°What? Sacrificing my life to save my brother¡¯s?¡± Lori narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°No, silly.¡± Miguel snorted. ¡°Panic. The other thing is obvious to anyone that knows you.¡±

    Lori blushed and averted her gaze from Miguel.

    ¡°Also, what he said.¡± Miguel gestured towards Terry with his head. ¡°If you do that again, I¡¯ll definitely tell on you after we get your ma back in shape.¡±

    Lori made a complicated expression. Afterwards, she also expressed her thanks to Siling.

    ¡°Everyone come closer together,¡± said Terry. After Terry had marked everyone in the group as targets for the scroll, he ripped the transfer scroll in half.

    ***

    As soon as they arrived at the transfer destination, Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Uff¡­¡± Miguel frowned.

    Lori emitted a low growl and clenched her barrier spears tightly.

    Siling clicked her tongue. ¡°Not very pleasant.¡±

    Calam gulped and took a deep breath.

    Terry moved his eyes over everyone. He furrowed his brow further when he noticed the sweat on Calam¡¯s forehead.

    Wastes¡­

    Terry clenched his fists. He himself did not feel that different, but it was obvious that the others were feeling the pressure of the abnormal mana in the area.

    ¡°I thought I was prepared, but why is it this bad?¡± complained Miguel. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Libra City supposed to be the westernmost outpost before the Wasted Zone? We¡¯re further east. Why is it worse here?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re also further north,¡± said Terry. He moved his gaze over the horizon. ¡°This isn¡¯t the frontier anymore. This is what the Wastes feel like when no one is pushing back.¡±

    Terry retrieved the map. There was a large circle around Libra City to indicate the reach of their remaining transfer scroll that had Libra City as its destination. Next, Terry retrieved his five-point inscription ring and used one of the available markers for their current location.

    ¡°Technically, we¡¯re still in Tiv territory.¡± Terry talked while looking around for identifiable landmarks to compare with the map. ¡°So we should call it the Wasted Zone, but I think it¡¯s fair to call this the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°North is there,¡± said Siling, and pointed for Terry.

    ¡°Right, I always forget Pricklybum¡¯s true north ability.¡± Terry smiled and oriented himself. ¡°This way to the blood-aspected area.¡±

    ¡°Sky isn¡¯t clear,¡± said Miguel. ¡°But there seem to be several things moving up there.¡±

    Terry nodded with a frown. ¡°Yeah, and those things have mana.¡± He glanced at Siling. ¡°Too risky for Grumpy.¡±

    Siling frowned as well. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°I can sense troublesome mana signatures in this location.¡± Terry pointed at the map. ¡°There are also some here, but they seem manageable. I would suggest making a slight detour to avoid the first group. If we want to avoid both, it would have to be a long detour, unfortunately. Scouting and engaging the second group may be worth it to save time.¡±

    Siling and Miguel squinted into the directions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense any life signatures closer than that,¡± said Siling. ¡°But my life sense can¡¯t compare to your mana sense range. There may still be some in the gap.¡±

    ¡°Tell us if you notice anything,¡± said Terry. ¡°Same for everyone. If anything seems fishy or if you have any concerns, speak up.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± said Lori. ¡°Let¡¯s take a stroll through the Wastes.¡± She stepped forward while her eyes darted over the surroundings. ¡°The quicker we get this over with, the better.¡±

    ***

 105 A Stroll Through the Wastes

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 3 ¨C

    ¡°Can we go above?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Not without a fight,¡± said Siling. ¡°From Terry¡¯s and Miguel¡¯s description, the signatures on the left are likely to be flaming geese.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a dish,¡± remarked Miguel. ¡°What can they do?¡±

    ¡°Spit fire, mostly,¡± said Siling. ¡°Aside from that, their wings are supposed to be quite hard and sharp. The teeth-like projections lining their tongue can inject some kind of fire-aspected venom.¡±

    ¡°Did you just say ¡®teeth¡¯ on their tongue?¡± Calam looked horrified.

    ¡°Never seen a goose up close before?¡± interjected Miguel with a raised eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°Not really teeth, but teeth-like projections,¡± said Siling. ¡°But yes, basically.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also worth mentioning that most geese are assholes,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I doubt the mana corruption has changed that aspect.¡±

    ¡°The flaming geese are known to be very aggressive.¡± Siling pointed out.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t they attack the other mana corrupted next to them?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Different aspects,¡± said Terry while observing the surroundings. ¡°The wildebeests are primarily nature-aspected. The oversized hares are pure darkness corruptions.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, most likely not the same food chain,¡± said Siling. ¡°And the flaming geese can fly faster than they can run, so they feel more threatened by something blocking the sky. They defend their escape route.¡±

    ¡°Can we use the cloaking rings from the bandits?¡± asked Lori. ¡°They¡¯ve been quite useful so far.¡±

    ¡°We can try, but the rings are obviously targeted at countering people.¡± Siling shook her head. ¡°The flaming geese have thermal sight. And among the other creatures, they have an excellent sense of smell and an even better sense of hearing. Especially with the nightmare hares. The rings don¡¯t help us there.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± said Terry. He looked at Calam and Siling. ¡°If the geese are our main concern, we can use a few empowered Kinetic Push spells to hurl the others above them. No matter if they are deciding to flee or attack the other mana corrupted, it would take care of our problem.¡±

    Terry glanced at Miguel. ¡°And if things don¡¯t work out, we can take them out.¡± He moved his gaze over the horizon. ¡°But in either case, we need to get some distance afterwards. Any battle is a risk to attract further trouble, especially if it¡¯s loud and bloody.¡±

    ***

    Terry tensed when Calam and Siling threw their empowered Kinetic Push spells. The mana-corrupted creatures were hurled through the air and right into the group of flaming geese.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry gestured to his companions.

    Their plan had worked partly. The flaming geese had attacked the other mana corrupted, and the wildebeests fled as soon as they were able to.

    The nightmare hares, by contrast, decided to fight back and the surrounding hares all joined in on the fight.

    Terry and the others used the chaos to pass by the creatures and regroup.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry moved his head. ¡°The wildebeests are changing direction and circling back here in a collective stampede.¡±

    ¡°Not as peaceful as we hoped,¡± remarked Miguel. ¡°Attack or redirect?¡±

    ¡°Neither,¡± said Terry pensively. ¡°Better for the wildebeest to do as much damage as they can.¡± He glanced back to the fight among the mana corrupted. ¡°The flaming geese should be distracted enough. Let¡¯s go above the wildebeests while staying as low as possible.¡±

    Peekaboo grabbed onto Miguel and then Calam used his jump spells to propel himself and the floating group that consisted of Peekaboo, Miguel, and Siling. Meanwhile, Terry carried Lori on his back and stepped into the air. The group passed over the stomping mana-corrupted wildebeests and then returned to ground level.

    ¡°That was an impressive improbability,¡± exclaimed Siling with a glance behind her shoulder.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Calam. ¡°Is it improbable for wildebeests to retaliate in that manner?¡±

    Miguel narrowed his eyes at Siling. ¡°I know that tone. That¡¯s the tone that Gellath has when he thinks he¡¯s being funny.¡±

    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Siling maintained a deadpan expression.

    ¡°Dodge to the sides!¡± shouted Terry while hurriedly throwing a tertium slab to the ground before jumping himself. Without understanding why, everyone followed Terry¡¯s order on reflex.

    Something collided from below with the transfixed slab, and the earth quaked.

    ¡°Earth-aspected signature below,¡± shouted Terry. ¡°Big and fast. It seems to take a long run-up.¡±

    Siling and the others all nodded. They could now sense it as well.

    ¡°Back into the air,¡± shouted Siling. She floated up and had her jumpscare cuttlefish soul spirit carry Miguel.

    In the air, Miguel transfixed one of Terry¡¯s imprinted tertium slabs. This slab had a slit for Miguel to shoot his arrows through. Terry prepared another transfixed tertium slab for Lori to stand on.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bait it out,¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow-up,¡± shouted Lori.

    ¡°Me first,¡± shouted Calam.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do the rest,¡± muttered Miguel while aiming his bow. Next to him, Siling readied her arcane abilities and entangling root spell.

    Terry intentionally stomped around the ground until he could sense the earth-aspected signature approaching again. He transfixed several throwing needles and stepped into the air.

    A long, greenish spike protruded from the ground, followed by a massive earth-colored fish.

    ¡°Stonespear fish!¡± shouted Siling. ¡°Liquify earth and stoneskin abilities.¡±

    Despite its protective stoneskin, the stonespear fish¡¯s large momentum caused the transfixed needles to pierce the mana corrupted creature. As soon as the stonespear fish came to a halt, Calam arrived from the side and threw his Kinetic Push into the creature¡¯s flank while Terry¡¯s throwing needles inside it were still transfixed.

    Next, Lori jumped from her tertium slab and cast her spell combination of Harden Earth and Rockspall Touch on the ground where the stonespear fish emerged from. The unleashed rock projectiles damaged the creature further.

    When Lori darted to the side, Miguel followed through with ice-aspected arrows while Siling simultaneously entangled the stonespear fish with roots and attacked with arcane bolts.

    After Siling confirmed that the life signature had vanished, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That could have gotten ugly,¡± murmured Miguel.

    Terry bit his lip before shaking his head. ¡°We should get away from here. Let¡¯s move.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Hold the position,¡± shouted Terry, and glanced at their improvised fortifications.

    Lori stood on one of her rock walls and punched out an earth-aspected discharge towards a fire spirit.

    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s worth using the powder again,¡± said Calam. ¡°There¡¯s so many of them.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°Yes, we need to thin out the spirits and weaker elementals quickly.¡±

    ¡°I still have a few mana suction arrows,¡± said Miguel. ¡°Should be enough for the weaker fire elementals that don¡¯t have a protective crystal yet.¡±

    Terry weighed his head from side to side slightly. ¡°Keep a few in reserve, just in case.¡±

    ¡°Me and Muttonchops will stick with arcane bolts,¡± said Siling. ¡°Keep the powder for emergencies.¡±

    ¡°The problem is the two elementals in the back,¡± said Lori. ¡°They seem to be of a higher rank and while they don¡¯t attack, they seem to coordinate the rest somehow.¡±

    ¡°Why are they hanging back anyway?¡± asked Siling. ¡°Seems odd. If they are so interested in that tunnel, why don¡¯t they go in?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± remarked Terry with a wary expression. ¡°We need to get through that tunnel, after all.¡± Terry took a deep breath while examining everyone¡¯s mana status. Afterwards, he clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the high ranks in the back.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°No,¡± said Terry while shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m faster alone and if anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll need a place to retreat to.¡± He looked at Lori. ¡°And your abilities are better suited to defending our fortifications in this case.¡±

    ¡°I could push the coagulant powder from above to keep your path clear,¡± suggested Calam.

    ¡°No need.¡± Terry shook his head again. He looked resolutely towards his targets. ¡°I got this.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°Focus on thinning them out back here.¡± Terry channeled mana into his helmet, and a barrier visor covered his face. He looked at the incoming fire spells.

    ¡°Allow me at least,¡± said Siling and without waiting for a response, she channeled mana into one of the mana cores in her shield. A water-aspected barrier appeared in front and blocked the current barrage of fire-aspected spells.

    Terry burst his mana and dashed forward into the group of aspect beings. He air-jumped above and continued towards the higher ranked elementals while nimbly dodging the incoming fire spells. He left his stunned companions behind in their fortifications.

    ¡°Calam, didn¡¯t you want to do something?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Calam was still staring at Terry¡¯s back. ¡°Oh! Right!¡± Calam used his Kinetic Acceleration spell to propel himself into the sky where he scattered a package of mana-coagulant powder and pushed it into the spirits with his Kinetic Push spell.

    ¡°Pheew,¡± uttered Miguel while carefully selecting the most suitable targets for his mana suction arrows. ¡°Seems as if Terry is getting faster whenever I¡¯m taking time to blink.¡±

    Lori scowled angrily at an approaching fire elemental. She emitted a low growl and punched out a large earth-aspected discharge that even attracted bits of earth from the ground before breaking apart the fire elemental¡¯s unprotected mana formation.

    ¡°Save some mana,¡± reminded Siling.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± grumbled Lori. She glanced at Terry¡¯s figure in the distance and clenched her fist with a frustrated expression.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Terry dropped from the sky and right in front of the two higher-ranked fire elementals. As soon as Terry had landed, many fire arrows were flying at him. He took another deep breath and dashed forward unflinchingly.

    Shortly before the fire projectiles hit him, Terry unleashed his prepared disruption pulse and then began circulating his mana according to his resistance training exercises. The combination of the disruption, his fire-resistant armor and his own resistance allowed Terry to break through while examining the mana protective crystals.

    For a breath¡¯s time, Terry hesitated while mentally taking stock of his remaining mana cores. Afterwards, resolve flashed through Terry¡¯s eyes. He channeled more mana into his helmet and accelerated his resistance circulation. He pulled his keen daggers and held his breath¡­

    Terry charged right into the elemental¡¯s body of raging fire. Time seemed to move very slowly for Terry until he began hacking the protective mana crystal into pieces. After the elemental¡¯s mana dispersed, Terry inhaled deeply. The lingering heat burned his throat. He clenched his teeth, focused on his mana circulation, and charged at the second elemental.

    Back at the fortifications, Miguel stared with mouth agape.

    ¡°Miguel!¡± shouted Lori.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Miguel blinked. ¡°Oh.¡± He ignited the primer of his prepared spellwork and a coldfire-aspected variant of Burning Hands eliminated the approaching spirit in front of him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lori jumped to Miguel. She tried to follow his gaze and squinted. ¡°Everything alright with Terry?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, yes, but uhh¡­¡± Miguel puffed his cheeks. ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know. Slightly insane? More slightly insane than usual.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lori furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Let me put it this way: Terry has found a way to deal with the stronger elementals without using up a monster core,¡± said Miguel with a deadpan expression. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± Miguel pulled another mana suction arrow from his enchanting quiver and shot it at a weaker fire elemental whose mana formation lay exposed.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s group was proceeding slowly through the tunnel.

    ¡°There¡¯s dried blood here,¡± said Miguel while crouching down.

    ¡°Can you sense anything?¡± Siling asked Terry with a troubled expression.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry with an equally troubled expression. ¡°There must be some kind of mana-osmotic ore in the surrounding stone.¡±

    ¡°Let me try something.¡± Terry retrieved a ring from his dimensional bag. He channeled mana into it, and a slightly translucent purple vampire bat appeared in the air with fluttering wings.

    Terry closed his eyes and then shared his senses with the spirit projection. Afterwards, he guided the bat projection forward in the tunnel. Terry fought down the feeling of nausea and opened his own eyes while grimacing. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you can keep this up?¡± asked Miguel.

    ¡°Better than walking blindly,¡± said Terry with a shrug.

    ¡°I¡¯ll switch Peekaboo with Pricklybum,¡± said Siling. ¡°Tremor sense should be helpful.¡±

    They proceeded through the tunnel for half an hour before Terry motioned for everyone to stop.

    ¡°There¡¯s something ahead,¡± said Terry. He glanced at Siling.

    ¡°Pricklybum doesn¡¯t sense anything,¡± said Siling with creased brows.

    Terry closed his eyes and focused on the sensory input from the bat projection. ¡°The smell of blood gets stronger. Something is at the center.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned and opened his eyes. ¡°The spirit projection is gone.¡±

    ¡°Did ¡®something¡¯ get to it?¡± asked Lori while clenching her barrier spear more tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Terry. ¡°There was still some distance.¡±

    ¡°Did you get a look at the thing?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°It was a bit blurry, but¡­¡± Terry tried to recall the different sensory inputs. ¡°I would say it resembled a large bear, and it definitely had blood running through its veins.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps just a cave bear?¡± Miguel wondered out loud.

    ¡°If it was just that, then why would the fire elementals be so antsy outside the tunnel?¡± reminded Siling.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry sensed a flicker of something in his mana sense and closed his eyes. After several breaths, Terry opened his eyes again. ¡°I believe I might know what¡¯s going on.¡± He turned to the others. ¡°I think I sensed an earth spirit. Together with what we know, it¡¯s possible that there¡¯s a demon in there. Possessed bear of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Did the bat sense any corporeal elementals?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s just a vampire bat, so best not to rely on its senses too much,¡± said Terry. ¡°Better for you to stay above ground-level before we have gotten a good look ourselves.¡±

    Lori nodded. She had already been wearing her darkvision goggles, and now she moved her mask above her nose and mouth as well.

    ¡°Any idea of the area?¡± asked Miguel while nocking a plain arrow.

    ¡°An open cavern,¡± said Terry. He glanced at Calam. ¡°Large enough for aerial movement.¡±

    Calam nodded and grabbed his barrier spear tightly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the usual,¡± suggested Terry, and the others nodded.

    Siling unsummoned the wiremoss tarantula soul spirit. Terry and Lori moved to the front, followed by Calam, and Siling hung back with Miguel and her purplemist lynx soul spirit. They cautiously proceeded through the tunnel.

    When they reached the cavern, Terry dashed forward and unleashed an intense disruption discharge that evaporated many earth elementals.

    Right behind him, Lori created walls of stone with several slits to shoot arrows and spells through. Once she was done with one layer, she shaped another batch of earth to increase the height and thickness of the fortifications.

    Terry hurriedly moved his eyes and mana sight over the area while stepping into the air. He sensed Calam¡¯s signature behind him.

    The earth spirits began their counterattack and small rocks came flying.

    Calam cast Kinetic Push and forced all the projectiles back.

    ¡°Crap,¡± muttered Terry with a frown. He shouted: ¡°That bear carries mixed aspects separate from the earth-aspected elemental signature!¡± Terry unleashed another disruption discharge while making sure to try to reabsorb the mana.

    Below, Siling peeked through a gap in their fortifications.

    Next to her, Miguel dipped his arrow first in water and then in the mana-coagulant powder. He aimed through an arrow slit and chose a path that would hit at least three approaching earth spirits. Then Miguel loosened the arrow and moved his gaze to the primary threat further back.

    ¡°Looks more like a grizzly to me,¡± said Miguel. He examined how his prepared arrow had performed. He retrieved an ice-aspected arrow to finish a stronger earth spirit that hadn¡¯t been affected by the trace amounts of mana-coagulant powder.

    Siling frowned and bit her lip. ¡°The fur looks discolored, and there is sand clinging everywhere. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s from mana corruption or from elemental possession. I can¡¯t sense any details with the elemental possession.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s poke the bear,¡± said Miguel and pulled an arrow from his enchanting quiver for exploding arrow-heads. He shouted: ¡°Exploding arrow outgoing!¡±

    An explosion was followed by the loud roar of an incensed beast.

    ¡°I believe you made it angry,¡± said Siling with a wry smile. ¡°It did not trigger any defensive abilities though. Still not sure what it could be.¡±

    The bear growled furiously. It slashed its claws and three giant sand blades were rushing towards the fortifications.

    Terry let himself drop in front of the fortifications while summoning a tertium slab which he transfixed to take the brunt of the incoming attack.

    ¡°Lori?¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°No need to block that next time.¡± Lori shouted back. ¡°At that level, the hardened rock is enough!¡±

    Terry nodded and stepped into the air and closer to the bear to get a better sense of its mana.

    Meanwhile, Miguel continued firing various arrows to probe and injure the possessed creature.

    Unexpectedly, the bear had decided to meet Terry half-way. Cloud-like air pockets had appeared underneath its paws and it had rushed into the air. Terry hurled an octavum needle into the bear¡¯s path while concentrating on his mana sight.

    Inside the fortifications, Siling became pensive. ¡°Air-walking grizzly¡­¡± She muttered to herself. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.

    Terry and Siling shouted at once. ¡°Primarily air and poison aspects!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡±

    "Roar!" The bear had charged right into the transfixed throwing needle. It stopped its movement when the needle didn¡¯t budge. Its eyes began glowing.

    Before Terry and Calam could return to the fortifications, the demonic beast spat out a giant cloud of green gas.

    Being taken off-guard by the sudden large-scale attack, both of them inhaled some of the gas. Calam directly lost consciousness while Terry felt himself getting slightly hazy.

    Terry hurriedly retreated and hurled a heavy spray container towards the immobile bear. The container transfixed a short distance from the mana-corrupted creature. The inertia carried the heavy weight inside and a blast of acid was sprayed into the bear¡¯s face, which caused the grizzly to howl in pain.

    Near their fortifications, Lori had caught Calam and saved him from impacting on the ground.

    ¡°Shit,¡± cursed Siling. She unleashed one Kinetic Push to slow down the arrival of the gas somewhat. ¡°Shit shit shit.¡± She hurriedly cast Cure Poison on Calam.

    ¡°Venom?¡± asked Terry with a worried expression. ¡°How bad?¡±

    Next to him, Miguel was pale and wheezing. ¡°Damned thing.¡± He cursed and retrieved both an arrow and a bottle. ¡°I¡¯ll take you down with me.¡± He coated the arrow in the rotting nightshade and then shot it at the creature. Afterwards, Miguel, too, lost consciousness.

    Lori pulled Miguel away from the arrow slit.

    ¡°Yes, venom,¡± said Siling. ¡°My Cure Poison spell should be sufficient, but it will probably take time. I think that¡¯s a windvenom grizzly. They¡¯re mid-level corruptions and supposedly a nightmare in closed quarters.¡± She glanced at Terry. ¡°How are you still fine? Are you still fine?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mostly. Might be the difference in mana pools,¡± surmised Terry while observing the conditions of the others.

    He retrieved the wand that Samuel had sent him in the past and used up one charge of Cure Poison for Siling. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the healer. You need to watch yourself first.¡±

    Afterwards, Terry placed the wand at his sheath belt so that it could gather mana to recharge the used primer.

    ¡°Yes yes.¡± Siling did not look at Terry and instead cast her Cure Poison spell on Miguel.

    Lori finished her Nourishing Earth spell and everyone¡¯s health regeneration received a boost. ¡°I believe my enchanted breathing mask helps, but I do feel a bit woozy.¡±

    The windvenom grizzly roared again and unleashed another barrage of sand blades. They cut into the rock walls but did not get through them.

    ¡°Regeneration aside, its skin seems to be very tough,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Is that normal or related to the earth-elemental possession?¡± Terry grimly looked through one of the arrow slits when his mana sense picked up a new mana signature. He whirled his head around to the tunnel from which they had arrived.

    Terry caught a glimpse of silver fur, not bigger than a fist. Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he screamed internally. He bit down on his tongue. ¡°Out, we need to get out.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Siling and Lori, who were still conscious, were taken aback.

    ¡°Now!¡± insisted Terry. ¡°There is something worse coming. Unsummon your soul spirit.¡±

    Lori and Siling nodded.

    Terry heaved Calam onto his shoulders. He picked up Miguel with one hand.

    ¡°Float and use your shield and barriers to hold that grizzly off for a while.¡± Terry spoke to Siling with a grave expression. He picked up Lori with his free arm. ¡°Hold on to me and make sure that Calam doesn¡¯t fall.¡±

    Afterwards, Terry burst his mana and hurriedly stepped into the air while using his bidirectional attraction glove to pull Siling with him.

    Siling channeled mana into all the cores in her shield, and a strong mixed-aspect barrier appeared to block the assault from the windvenom grizzly¡¯s sand blades.

    Terry rushed up until they had reached the ceiling. He hurriedly retrieved a few slices of a tree from his anklets and transfixed them right beneath his feet. He created footing for Lori and then summoned tertium slabs to transfix as well.

    Terry placed Miguel and Calam on the tertium slabs and retrieved two foldable tertium cubes. He folded the cubes so that they could be combined into a larger protected area.

    Once everyone was inside, Terry transfixed the cubes. ¡°Continue with the treatment. We can¡¯t go out right now. Even if we have to continue inhaling the venom, we can¡¯t go out.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is coming?¡± asked Lori.

    They were interrupted by a pained roar from the windvenom grizzly.

    ¡°Is it already there?¡± asked Siling while casting another round of Cure Poison. This time, she also included Lori.

    ¡°No, that was probably Miguel¡¯s poisoned arrow taking effect,¡± said Terry. He looked at Lori. ¡°I think I saw a small space-aspected signature. Silver fur. Size of a chicken egg.¡±

    Lori blinked with mouth agape.

    ¡°Shit,¡± cursed Siling.

    ¡°We could try to make a run for it,¡± suggested Lori. ¡°Only need to get past the grizzly.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s behind the windvenom grizzly,¡± reminded Terry. ¡°For all we know, there could be more of them in the tunnel.¡±

    Terry peeked through the small gap he had left between the two cubes. Like this, they waited for several minutes.

    ¡°The airflow in here isn¡¯t sufficient to disperse the poison,¡± said Siling worriedly. ¡°If this continues for much longer, I¡¯ll run out of mana.¡± She glanced at the transfixed tertium cubes. ¡°Are you still fine?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can keep the cubes transfixed, no worries,¡± replied Terry without moving his gaze away from what was happening outside.

    ¡°The grizzly seems to have calmed down,¡± said Lori. ¡°Or the rotting nightshade has gotten to it. What do you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Terry shushed her and moved his finger to his lips. He whispered: ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Lori and Siling squeezed next to Terry to peek through the small gap.

    A little, silver-colored rodent scuttled into the cavern. It stopped for a moment and held its little nose into the air. It quickened its pace and approached the large windvenom grizzly.

    The irritable grizzly roared when it detected the little critter.

    The hamster stopped when it heard the roar. In the next moment, a large vortex appeared in front of the hamster¡¯s little mouth. Space distorted and an enormous suction force pulled everything movable in front of it into its dimensional stomach. When the spatial vortex disappeared, no trace of the large windvenom grizzly remained.

    The vortex hamster sniffed the air again and moved around the cavern happily. After several more minutes, it left by the same tunnel from which it had arrived.

    Up in the air, Terry, Lori, and Siling exhaled a sharp breath. They waited for several minutes and then cautiously proceeded through the tunnel.

    Fortunately, they encountered nothing dangerous before finding a place with fresh air where they could hunker down until everyone had recovered.

    ***

 106 Asking for Trouble

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 7 ¨C

    ¡°Clear,¡± said Terry. He exited the tunnel and stood underneath the night sky.

    ¡°Is it really a good idea to proceed before resting?¡± asked Calam. ¡°The walls inside seemed more protective than my tent. Our signatures should be masked by the ore in the rock as well, right?¡±

    ¡°While that¡¯s true, that goes both ways,¡± said Terry. ¡°If something is crawling in there, we won¡¯t know what''ll hit us before it¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡°Did you really see a vortex hamster?¡± Miguel asked Lori.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Lori.

    Miguel puffed his cheeks and turned to Calam. ¡°I vote to find another place.¡± He glanced at Siling and Terry. ¡°We have great sensors with us and I¡¯d rather trust their senses than protective walls that keep us blind.¡±

    Lori nodded. ¡°I can also whip up a few walls for your tent if you want.¡±

    ¡°Above all, I don¡¯t fancy the idea of being digested by a tiny space rodent.¡± Miguel grimaced.

    Lori snorted amusedly. ¡°What? Would it be preferable being digested by a large grizzly?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds weird, but yes,¡± insisted Miguel. His face stiffened. ¡°Wait, is this what tall people feel when they get defeated by a dwarf?¡±

    ¡°Over there.¡± Terry pointed at a large wind-faceted rock pedestal that stood tall among the deserted area. ¡°If that place is clear, we can rest up there.¡±

    ¡°Easily defensible,¡± said Lori.

    ¡°Elevated area with a good view of the surroundings,¡± added Miguel.

    ¡°Not everything can reach the place.¡± Calam nodded.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Siling, and yawned.

    Terry glanced at Siling and noted her exhaustion. His eyes moved over the others. Miguel and Calam were still weakened from having been poisoned by the grizzly¡¯s venom. They¡¯re pushing themselves, thought Terry, and bit his lip. He glanced at Lori. While she was better at hiding it, she was definitely exhausted.

    Terry swallowed his frustration. Their progress towards the blood-aspected area had been slow. They frequently had to avoid or engage enemies. This trip had already proved to be much more difficult than reaching the Libra Outpost.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Terry. He clenched his fists while walking ahead.

    ***

    Late in the night, on top of the rock pedestal, Terry was circling the camp on sheets of mana, which he had created with the divine hammer inscription.

    Terry had volunteered to take watch for the whole night. The others had objected at first, but Terry had insisted. In Terry¡¯s opinion, they needed the rest more than he did. His argument that he had been the least affected by the venom was hard to refute.

    Each of Terry¡¯s hands firmly grabbed a device. In regular intervals, the devices assaulted him with aspected mana while Terry circulated his mana for his resistance training.

    Terry frowned and concentrated on his mana sense. He had noticed a group of death-aspected signatures roaming around at the edge of his perception. From what he could tell, it was a smaller horde of undead that was killing off mana-corrupted creatures in the area.

    The thing that caused Terry to frown was that the undead horde was inadvertently coming closer and closer.

    ***

    Later in the night, Terry clenched his teeth and shook his head. He had stopped his training with the divine hammer inscription out of fear that the intersection with the light aspect would attract the undead horde.

    Unfortunately, the horde was approaching regardless.

    Terry glanced back at their camp. While Terry himself was cloaking his mana, the camp had countless mana signatures visible in mana sight. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the mana signatures of his companions and their items, Terry knew that everyone¡¯s life signatures could attract trouble, too. None of them had a means to cloak their life energy.

    The horde is too close already. There are no other sources of shade nearby. As soon as the sun goes up, the ghouls will be drawn here, even if it was just to avoid the sunlight.

    ¡°No helping it,¡± muttered Terry. He decided to wake up his companions. While he wished to allow them a full night¡¯s worth of sleep, it did not look like this was an option. It was not a good idea to face the horde without preparation.

    Not with the signatures flying in the sky¡­

    The thing that worried Terry the most was that he believed he had sensed a phantom. In itself, this was something they could handle, but the implications were troubling. From Terry¡¯s understanding, a phantom should not appear in a horde of that size, not unless it had split off from a larger horde.

    Terry took a deep breath and regretfully woke the others.

    ***

    ¡°Ugh, the stench is unbearable,¡± complained Miguel. Next to him, the others were also making disgusted faces.

    ¡°Wait until our first objective has been achieved,¡± said Terry wryly. ¡°The stench will get much worse.¡±

    ¡°Did you really live next to these things in the dungeon?¡± Lori asked with a horrified expression.

    Terry chuckled involuntarily. ¡°I learned from the experience.¡± He retrieved several scent masks and handed them out.

    ¡°I love you, Terry.¡± Miguel hurriedly put on the scent mask. Lori snorted amusedly at Miguel¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°Oh, thank mana,¡± exclaimed Siling and also put on hers. She had been trying to swallow her complaints previously, but the difficulty of that endeavor had been plainly visible on her face.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set up the first objective,¡± said Terry with a glance at Miguel. ¡°Runners first. Flyers next. Focus on defense and leave the big finisher to Lori. Afterwards, we only need to clean up.¡±

    ¡°Powder ready?¡± Terry asked with a look at Calam, who was carrying most of the special powder that worked particularly well against ethereal creatures of the death aspect.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Calam firmly.

    ¡°Shields up at your discretion,¡± said Terry, and jumped off the rock pedestal. Terry allowed himself to fall until he was a few meters above the ground. Then, he dashed forward and retrieved a light-aspected metal rod.

    As soon as Terry passed above the incoming zombies, the undead creatures clawed upwards and pursued Terry¡¯s scent and life energy. The ghouls that had been running not far behind the zombies were immediately drawn to the light-aspected mana, and in a matter of seconds, all the runners had gathered underneath Terry.

    Terry retrieved and then poured down a barrel of concentrated alcohol, which he had originally prepared to refill his spray projectiles. He spread the liquid while running circles around the group of undead. Afterwards, Terry returned the empty barrel to his storage bracelet and dashed further up into the air.

    A fire-aspected arrow hit one zombie, and then the entire group of runners lit up in flames.

    ¡°Workable,¡± muttered Terry while looking down without losing track of the death aura signatures in his mana sense. When the stench of burned, rotten flesh reached Terry¡¯s nose, he pulled his own scent mask up. Terry was glad to see that their alternative solution to make up for their lack of good area-of-effect spells was working.

    Terry sidestepped the rising heat from below and waited for the expected movement from the approaching death aura creatures. When the translucent green death specter began rushing forth, Terry narrowed his eyes. He was still waiting for the remaining mana signature, that was invisible to the eye, to move as well.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry scowled when he could not wait anymore.

    Let¡¯s see if this works¡­

    Terry unleashed a layered disruption discharge that was focused to cover the specter¡¯s haunts while most of the spell slicers hit the death specter itself.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry blinked and opened his eyes wide with surprise. Not only did the haunts all evaporate, even the death specter dissipated into thin air. Terry only dared to believe his eyes when his mana sense confirmed that the death specter had really died.

    Focus.

    Terry took a deep breath and reabsorbed as much of his naturalized mana as he could before¡ª The invisible phantom rushed forth while two death mages also flew up to follow it. Terry immediately interrupted his mana reabsorption and darted back towards the rock pedestal. As soon as Terry judged the proximity to his companions sufficient, he slowed down and focused on his mana sight.

    The phantom¡¯s claws lashed out towards Terry and Terry unleashed another layered disruption discharge and allowed himself to drop down to dodge. Terry¡¯s disruption discharge hit the phantom and while it did not evaporate, it flickered and became visible.

    From the rock pedestal, Calam rapidly sped up through the air and unleashed an empowered Kinetic Push. A forceful wave of powder enveloped the phantom, and many holes appeared in the phantom¡¯s translucent figure.

    Several death spears charged towards Calam from the flying death mages, but Calam successfully dodged in the air and blocked one with the barrier from his short spear.

    Terry was still considering finishing the phantom with another disruption discharge when he already sensed the fire arrow spells and arcane bolt abilities from Siling and her purplemist lynx soul spirit.

    If that¡¯s not enough, then there is still Miguel.

    Terry nodded slightly to himself and charged at one of the flying death mages. He dodged the incoming death spells while retrieving a barrier spear and a brightfire spear.

    After Terry had arrived in front of the death mage without having to summon a barrier, Terry transfixed the barrier spear in mid-air while simultaneously striking out with the brightfire spear in his right. Terry burst his mana to give his thrust more oomph, and the brightfire spear pierced right through the death mage¡¯s skull.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Terry had already used his free hand to summon the one-handed, Thanatos-styled war hammer, and he smashed the death mage¡¯s rib cage apart. Before a breath¡¯s time, Terry had already exchanged the war hammer with his barrier spear again and he was dashing to the second flying death mage.

    With his mana sense, Terry noticed the death of the phantom, as well as several incoming ranged attacks from the death knights and skeletal warriors. Terry smiled when he sensed the raised barriers and defenses from his companions, but he frowned when he noticed Calam was still flying through the air.

    Calam unleashed another Kinetic Push that forced the remaining death mage towards Terry, and he returned to his position behind Siling¡¯s barrier and arcane shield.

    Terry smiled approvingly and finished off the death mage. Before he returned to the others, he tentatively tested the effect of a disruption discharge on the ranged mana abilities of the death aura creatures. To his relief, the spell slicers were effective at weakening or outright destroying the mana projectiles. Terry had known that it should work, but he still felt better when experiencing it for himself.

    Terry landed on the rock pedestal. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± replied Lori.

    ¡°¡°¡°Ready,¡±¡±¡± echoed Calam and Siling.

    Miguel continued firing coldfire-aspected arrows at some of the stronger death knights while everyone else waited for Terry¡¯s signal. As soon as the vast majority of death aura creatures was in front of the rock pedestal and beginning to climb, Terry¡¯s gaze grew sharp.

    ¡°Now!¡± shouted Terry.

    From a gap in the rock pedestal, Lori cast her empowered Propel Rock spell. Simultaneously, Calam and Siling cast their empowered Kinetic Push spells. A large part of the rock pedestal slid forward on a layer of liquified earth until gravity got a hold of it. The giant rock crushed nearly all the death aura creatures into bone dust.

    ¡°Time for cleanup,¡± said Terry. He threw the two-handed war hammer he had originally bought for the cloud badger hunts to Calam. Next to them, Lori retrieved her own two-handed war hammer that had been aspected with coldfire. Afterwards, Terry retrieved the large, lightning-aspected war hammer which Tiana had lent him.

    Terry allowed himself to fall from the rock pedestal. He used his bidirectional attraction gloves to decelerate and land softly on the earth. Down on the ground, Terry considered pulling the remaining few climbers down with his gloves, but before he could do so, they were already falling. Lori, who was being carried down by Siling¡¯s jumpscare cuttlefish soul spirit, had liquified the area where the creatures had been climbing.

    Terry grabbed the lightning-aspected war hammer tightly and picked out the strongest death knight around. He charged forward while fire arrows and arcane bolts rained down from above.

    ***

    Once the battle was over, Terry examined the state of his companions again. He could not help but worry. They still appeared exhausted and weakened. Even worse, both Calam and Lori had been injured.

    Calam had only engaged the skeletal warriors, but when one of them unexpectedly continued fighting even though it had lost the lower half of its body, Calam had been too slow to react and was cut with a mana sword.

    Lori was overall capable of engaging the death knights, but the barrier spears and her daggers were not very effective against the creatures and she wasn¡¯t very used to other weapons. Lori did not have burst techniques to rely on in emergencies either, and one death knight grazed her with a mana axe.

    Even though Siling had patched everyone right up, the injuries, the lost mana, and the lost life energy added to the overall exhaustion.

    Terry bit his lip.

    ¡°Do we make camp again or¡­?¡± Calam let his voice trail off.

    Siling puffed her cheeks and looked from the group of burned zombies to the place where the death aura creatures had been crushed.

    ¡°The air is tolerable with the masks,¡± said Lori. ¡°The location is still good.¡±

    Siling shrugged. ¡°If I remember correctly, the stench of mana-cursed creatures also keeps some mana corrupted away.¡± She glanced at Terry. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Your face is insisting that something is on your mind.¡±

    ¡°The repellant effect on mana corrupted is true,¡± said Terry while furrowing his brow. He glanced at Lori. ¡°Everything else you said is true, too. It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    Terry bit his lip. He recalled the words that Varnika from the Deathguard had once said during the battle near the Bulwark. ¡°We have also made a lot of noise and mana disturbances. Any battle in the Wastes has a chance to escalate. If we don¡¯t move, then¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Miguel?¡± prompted Lori. ¡°Your face looks off, too.¡± Afterwards, she paused and flushed. ¡°Wait, that came out wrong.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t up there anymore when the sun rose further,¡± said Miguel with a pensive expression. ¡°The view was completely clear for a time and I could see a long way. I¡¯m not sure, but I believe there was movement in the distance. Hard to say, because out here, everything seems to have the same color.¡±

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Do you mean in the direction that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Miguel regretfully. ¡°I can¡¯t judge if it¡¯s in front of our target or behind, mind you.¡±

    Terry opened his eyes and gazed into the distance.

    Blood-aspected anomaly. It¡¯s not far-fetched that such an area might attract¡­ Terry clenched his fists. Hope for the best¡­

    ¡°We still have some distance to put behind us,¡± said Terry. ¡°We can judge the situation once we get closer.¡±

    ***

    ¡°This one looks to be on the bigger side,¡± muttered the elven man with a feather hat and a blue cape. He was sitting inside a spatial barrier in the sky and looked at the horde of undead pouring through the dimensional gate underneath him.

    ¡°You can only blame your fellow countrymen for inviting trouble to you all¡­¡± The elven man coldly glanced towards the settlement in the distance. A group of guards were already shouting and preparing a defense.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡± The elven man stared with wide eyes when he noticed a freakish mana signature rushing towards him.

    A whirlwind carried a figure right up to the spatial barrier, and then the sky lit up with a giant blast of crimson flames that smashed the elf¡¯s spatial barrier apart.

    ¡°Argh!¡± The elven man coughed blood and hurriedly cast healing spells to treat the hellfire burns.

    Devon dropped from the sky and landed right in front of the dimensional gate. Instantly, a large sheet of black ice appeared in front of the gate. Not only did the netherfrost slow down the horde¡¯s movements, it even killed many of the weaker creatures outright.

    Afterwards, Devon hurled palms of hellfire at seemingly random locations around the dimensional gate. He had no idea where the anchors for the dimensional gate were located and could only guess blindly.

    The eyes of the elven man in the blue cape narrowed when he saw Devon shrug off the attacks from death aura creatures as if they were cotton balls. Even though Devon was already covered from head to toe in his own blood, he did not flinch at all.

    ¡°What the Wastes are you?¡± snarled the elven man.

    ¡°Close this gate,¡± growled Devon.

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± scoffed the man. ¡°You dare to attack me? Now I feel even less inclined to¡ª¡±

    A gigantic blast of hellfire erupted from Devon¡¯s palms and enveloped nearly half of the dimensional gate, which caused it to flicker and tremble.

    The elven man immediately reinforced the dimensional gates with new spatial anchors. Unfortunately for him, Devon was determined to erase them as quickly as he could create them.

    ¡°You pestering nuisance,¡± snapped the elven man. He interrupted his space magic to unleash several attack spells towards Devon.

    When these offensive spells did not show any favorable results, the elven man attempted to use restraining spells. To his chagrin, he quickly discovered that it was very challenging to restrain a person that was able to wield hellfire and had no qualms about losing body parts.

    ¡°To hell with this!¡± yelled the elven man. He was shaking from indignant anger, which caused the feather on his head to dance in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not here to play with you. If you want to fight, go fight there.¡± He flicked his wrist with a new spell and Devon disappeared.

    Devon landed in the middle of the Chara Settlement. He stood up and grimaced from the overwhelming sensations that assaulted his life sense. He subconsciously matched the life signatures to the people he knew.

    Devon emitted an aggrieved howl and then sprinted towards the orphanage. When Devon arrived, he smashed a palm of hellfire into the death specter that had risen from the ground.

    Afterwards, Devon crouched down with an ashen face and looked at the child that was on the verge of death.

    ¡°D-Dev¡­¡± The little boy had tears streaming from his eyes. ¡°I d-don¡¯t feel so good¡­¡±

    Devon took the boy in his arms. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright¡­¡± Determination flashed through his eyes as he looked over all the injured children. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I promise.¡± A circle of crimson light appeared underneath Devon. It expanded further and further until it was covering all of the Chara Settlement.

    ¡°I promise,¡± whispered Devon. Blood was trickling down from his eyes.

    ¡°Devon, you¡­?¡± A woman from the city guard was staring at her own regrowing arm. She walked to Devon and asked him what was going on, but Devon did not show any sign of noticing her presence.

    ¡°I promise.¡± Devon was rocking back and forth while holding the boy in his arms. Color had returned to the boy¡¯s cheeks, but he was still unconscious. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, where did that specter go?¡± a black skeleton with a cyan glow in its eye sockets arrived. ¡°This physical body sure can be annoying. What¡­¡± She stared at Devon and the boy in his arms.

    ¡°Auntie Ethel.¡± One child clung to the black skeleton.

    For a moment, the black skeleton stood motionless. Ethel clenched her bony fists. ¡°Damn it.¡± She shook her skull. ¡°Some Deathguard I am.¡± She spoke with self-derision. ¡°Can¡¯t even protect an orphanage properly.¡± She looked at the girl that clung to her shins. ¡°I have to go, little one.¡±

    On the frontline of the Chara Settlement, the guards were looking at each other in confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A dwarven woman wondered out loud. She was glancing nervously at her own recovering wounds. ¡°I¡¯ll take any support that I can get, but what the Wastes is going on?¡±

    ¡°Sacrificial Light.¡± The Captain landed next to them with a frown. She glanced at Lizzy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t overdo it,¡± said Lizzy and darted off.

    ¡°Fight,¡± ordered the Captain. ¡°Devon can¡¯t hold this empowered spell for long without risking everything.¡± Megumi¡¯s eyes showed cold resolve as she retrieved her magic short swords and soared into the air.

    From the sky, the Captain moved her eyes over everyone¡¯s positions. Megumi was relieved to discover a freshly cast Sanctuary around the orphanage. She could only hope that Ethel did not quarrel about having to leave the area. None of them could afford the time.

    Megumi¡¯s eyes moved towards the tall canan figure of Mal, who was glowing brightly while wielding a giant flaming hammer as if it weighed nothing.

    Not far behind the line supported by Mal, Megumi saw another Sanctuary appear to reinforce the frontline. Varnika¡¯s blinking figure disappeared to another location as soon as she was done. The Captain nodded approvingly and rushed towards the horde.

    Near the dimensional gate, the elven man in the blue cape furrowed his brow while watching the crimson light. ¡°What kind of freak show did I get myself into here?¡± A moment later, his eyes widened again.

    A giant ball of lightning rushed towards the elven man from the Chara Settlement.

    The ball lightning impacted close to the dimensional gate where the elven man was sitting inside a spatial barrier.

    On a rooftop in the Chara Settlement, a group of people was rushing back and forth.

    ¡°Two meters to the left. Five to the back.¡± One of the settlement guards was staring through a pair of binoculars.

    ¡°Got it,¡± acknowledged another guard and adjusted an inscribed contraption accordingly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll show you to mess with our favorite geezer,¡± growled Elvis while fine-tuning another contraption. Next to him, Poppy was nodding furiously while doing her own checks.

    ¡°The walls and traps you helped us prepare are doing wonders for the defense,¡± said a dwarven man from the guards. ¡°We owe you siblings for this.¡±

    ¡°Continue defending the orphanage and we are even,¡± said Elvis without moving his attention from the contraption.

    ¡°Brynn is nice,¡± muttered Poppy in a barely audible voice.

    ¡°Right,¡± said Elvis. ¡°If you want to thank anyone, you can thank that new pen pal of my sister. It certainly wasn¡¯t us that came up with all the materials.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how the big one performs,¡± exclaimed Elvis, and took a step back from the contraption. He glanced at Poppy, who was clenching her fists.

    ¡°Wait!¡± shouted the guard with the binoculars. ¡°I see cyan and yellow glows appearing from behind the gate.¡±

    The dwarven woman turned towards him. ¡°Friends of Ethel? Reinforcements from Syn?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± muttered the other guard. ¡°If they brought a dimensional mage, then that would be great, but they¡¯re arriving from an unfortunate location. We don¡¯t want to hit them as well.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked.¡± An armored woman arrived from the stairs leading to the roof.

    ¡°It did?¡± the other guard raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yup, the looneys could barely contain themselves when they felt the crimson light of their Lord,¡± said the woman. ¡°After I told them that Devon wants them to fight against the horde, they were practically falling over their own feet to be the first to get there.¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Woah.¡±¡±¡± The guards all looked wearily at a figure that had dropped from the sky onto the roof. It was a man who was wearing dark goggles and whose body was entirely wrapped in bandages.

    ¡°At ease,¡± said one of the guards. ¡°I know him. Vell, right?¡±

    ¡°The Captain told me to help coordinate the forces from Syn City with your construct use,¡± said Vell.

    ¡°Good,¡± exclaimed the male guard. ¡°Does this mean that there is no dimensional mage with you? Pity.¡±

    ¡°Actually, there is,¡± said Vell. ¡°Ying brought everyone here. Unfortunately, it¡¯s complicated. From what we know, going after the gate will invite more trouble than we can handle, especially if we are to seriously injure that elf. He¡¯s not alone and they appear to pay back grudges with interest.¡±

    ***

 107 Suicide Mission

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 9 ¨C

    Siling was casting Heal on Lori. She finished cleaning the wound and then cast Cure Wounds.

    ¡°How is the arm?¡± asked Terry with a look of concern.

    ¡°Nearly as good as new,¡± replied Lori with a pale face.

    ¡°That thing swooped down way too quickly,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°What in mana¡¯s name was that?¡±

    ¡°Thunderblood hawk,¡± replied Siling. ¡°It¡¯s one of my candidates to replace Grumpy long-term. Life sense and a possible range of other abilities from the blood, lightning, and air aspects.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that it would appear near a blood-aspected area¡­¡± Siling puckered her lips and moved them from side to side while thinking. ¡°But there should have been no reason to target Lori, in particular.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe it just wanted meat.¡±

    Lori narrowed her eyes and looked over everyone. ¡°I feel like there should be at least three better sources of meat here than me. Is that stupid bird calling me fat?¡±

    Miguel snorted. ¡°I believe it¡¯s calling you yummy. Maybe I am the one that should feel offended.¡± He looked at Siling. ¡°Any chance that your picky cuttlefish badmouthed me to other mana corrupted? If so, I¡¯m okay with that.¡±

    Siling giggled and rolled her eyes. ¡°More likely that it focused on the, shall we say, more portable meat rations. It¡¯s also not too far-fetched that it was more wary of the coldfire aspect than the earth aspect.¡±

    ¡°Good that we have Terry¡¯s gloves and Calam¡¯s force spells,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°Otherwise, the stupid bird might have really carried Lori away.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, how is the situation?¡± Siling asked Terry.

    Terry frowned. ¡°I sense nothing here that would indicate a blood tulip. Several blood-aspected worm creatures are wiggling around in the soil. There may be some kind of natural oddity further down, but the tulips grow above ground and there is nothing in the area.¡±

    ¡°So we need to go further?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°Yeah, continue northeast,¡± said Terry. ¡°There should be another area rich in the blood aspect within the range of our scroll.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Wait,¡± exclaimed Terry, and held up his hand.

    ¡°Sense anything?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°These huge, thorny vines are making me nervous as well.¡±

    ¡°Not the vines, no,¡± said Terry while staring ahead. ¡°They¡¯re mana-corrupted plants, yes, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about.¡± He narrowed his eyes and bit his lips. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the unusual clearing.¡±

    ¡°You mean the one that seems like the best way to get through that thorny thicket?¡± asked Miguel with a mixture of wariness and disappointment.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Terry scratched his nose and frowned. ¡°I thought I could sense something several times, but even now that we¡¯re closer, it¡¯s still vague. I believe I¡¯m sensing mana signatures there, but they¡¯re¡­ odd.¡± Terry shook his head slightly. ¡°I can sense several areas where the mana is different. Distorted at times. At other times, it¡¯s¡­¡± His frown deepened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense any life signatures there,¡± said Siling. ¡°Undead? My life sense only covers the life-side of the death-life spectrum.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sensing the death aspect,¡± muttered Terry and shook his head.

    ¡°Cloaked?¡± interjected Calam. ¡°Or constructs?¡±

    ¡°Constructs?¡± Miguel turned to Calam. ¡°Out here?¡±

    Calam shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You said distorted ¡®at times¡¯,¡± interjected Lori. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Terry continued staring towards the clearing. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s cloaking either.¡± He shook his head slightly. ¡°If I had to guess¡­¡± He nodded slightly before turning to the others.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s an aspect or a mixture of aspects I¡¯ve never sensed before,¡± said Terry with a grim expression.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Miguel¡¯s mouth stood agape.

    ¡°That¡¯s ominous,¡± said Siling wryly.

    ¡°Yeah, haven¡¯t you pretty much come across most aspects by now?¡± asked Calam with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Any aspect close to it?¡± asked Lori. ¡°Does it resemble anything familiar at all?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is one thing that I keep thinking of, but I can¡¯t really say why,¡± said Terry. ¡°But it matches my theory for why I don¡¯t recognize any of the aspects.¡±

    ¡°This is not going to be good, is it?¡± Miguel grimaced.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± affirmed Terry. ¡°I believe there are hellspawn lurking underneath the ground there.¡±

    ¡°Crap,¡± cursed Miguel.

    ¡°Hellspawn?¡± exclaimed Calam. ¡°Like in the dungeons?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lori clenched her fists. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve been lucky to not encounter any of them so far.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with hellspawn,¡± said Siling with a glance at Terry. ¡°Anything we should know?¡±

    ¡°I only know a bit,¡± said Terry. ¡°While I had signed up for the course from the expert curriculum that serves as an introduction to hellspawn, we left Arcana before the course started. I¡¯ve only read through one of the recommended books for the course.¡±

    ¡°Only¡­¡± Terry sighed in frustration. ¡°The most important thing to know is to stay the hell away from them. While there are weaker and stronger species, all of them can be a lot of trouble.¡± Terry looked at Siling. ¡°I guess you can think of the weaker ones as akin to mid-level mana corruptions. Only the hellspawn abilities are hard to predict since they are based on ill-understood mana aspects.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say more without knowing the species we¡¯re talking about,¡± said Terry. ¡°I can rule out behemoths because the signatures are way too small for that, but aside from that¡­¡± Terry shrugged and shook his head.

    ¡°The good news is that I¡¯m not aware of hellspawn that hide underneath the earth and also have the ability to fly,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°So we go above?¡± asked Miguel. ¡°Even though these vines cover a larger area?¡±

    Terry examined the mana pools of his companions. ¡°If it comes down to it, I can transfix items so that everyone else can travel in the sky without using mana.¡±

    ¡°Do we still probe the creatures?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°If they truly can¡¯t follow us into the sky, then I vote yay,¡± said Siling. ¡°If only to confirm our suspicions and remember the aspects accordingly.¡±

    After they had discussed some more, they all moved into the sky and approached the thicket of giant, thorny vines. When they were some distance above and away from the clearing, Terry transfixed an unfolded tertium cube for the others to stand on. Afterwards, Terry moved closer to the clearing and retrieved a fist-sized stone from his storage anklet. Terry hurled the stone towards the clearing.

    *Tap* The stone impacted on the ground.

    ¡°Hiss.¡± *Wroom* ¡°Hiss.¡± Several creatures jumped up from their hiding spots underneath the earth.

    ¡°What the shit?¡± exclaimed Miguel and involuntarily recoiled back a step on the tertium slab.

    ¡°Yuck,¡± muttered Lori.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Calam grimaced.

    Three hellspawn of the same variety had surfaced from the ground. Their faces resembled bats with large eyes that were completely white. There was a bony dome atop the skull. The torso looked like it had been taken from a praying mantis, only that the hellspawn had two pairs of bladed arms instead of just one. The hind-legs were large, like those of rabbits or kangaroos, and they were completely covered in scales.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with catching mana-corrupted beasts,¡± said Siling. ¡°Now I understand what Terry was talking about.¡± She focused on her mana sense. ¡°These aspects feel¡­ wrong.¡±

    Next to Siling, the others were also trying to commit the hellspawn¡¯s impression in their mana sight to their memories.

    ¡°These are called widowmakers,¡± shouted Terry.

    His shout caught the attention of the widowmakers below.

    *Clomp* One of the widowmakers jumped high into the air. ¡°Screee!¡±

    Unfortunately for the hellspawn, even the impressive jump was not enough to reach Terry.

    ¡°Hiss!¡± The hellspawn spat out what seemed like translucent locusts and they immediately charged towards Terry.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry unleashed a disruption discharge that pulverized the mana-formed locusts before they could reach him. Afterwards, he did not bother anymore with the widowmaker and walked back to the others.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Cute, aren¡¯t they?¡± asked Terry with sarcasm.

    ¡°Yeah no,¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°No no no.¡±

    ¡°How does one go about killing these things?¡± asked Lori. ¡°The usual? Stab slash squash?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also curious,¡± said Siling. ¡°Now that we know what we are talking about. Anything we should know about these widowmakers?¡±

    ¡°What were those things flying out of its mouth?¡± asked Calam, who was wearing a horrified expression.

    ¡°They¡¯re not easy to kill with non-magic weapons,¡± said Terry. ¡°Most hellspawn are supposed to carry something called the ichor aspect that gives them a passive ability to recover and regenerate, like an intense blood aspect for us.¡±

    Terry weighed his head from side to side with a frown. ¡°Although people also aren¡¯t sure if that¡¯s really an aspect or just their biology. The aspect theory has the most support, because the different hellspawn species are just way too different for such a shared trait to only be because of biology.¡±

    Terry looked at Calam. ¡°These locust-thingies are supposed to be created from a second conjectured aspect that is called the withering aspect.¡±

    They observed the widowmakers burrowing back into the earth.

    ¡°The effects most closely resemble the death and the darkness aspects as well as, strangely, the holy aspect,¡± said Terry. ¡°Eroding life, corroding materials, disturbing mana. These locusts would basically eat you alive and destroy your equipment.¡±

    ¡°Widowmakers can also infuse their blades with the same aspect,¡± continued Terry and retracted his gaze from the hellspawn. ¡°Best to stay away from them.¡±

    ***

    Terry looked at the map again. He did not know why he did it. The contents wouldn¡¯t change, no matter how often he looked at it. The situation wouldn¡¯t change either.

    ¡°Can I?¡± asked Lori, and held out her hand.

    Terry handed over the map without comment. He glanced up to where Miguel was currently floating with the help of Peekaboo. Miguel was staring into the distance. Terry already knew what Miguel would see from up there. They had asked Miguel to give a visual confirmation, but Terry already knew. His mana sense already told him what Miguel would see.

    Terry knew.

    Terry knew, and every fiber of his being felt unreconciled. He clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing.

    Calam and Siling looked at the two siblings with concern and sympathy. They all felt vast disappointment at not being able to find the four-leaved blood tulip.

    They had checked two blood-aspected areas with no luck. There was supposedly another area with a very pure blood aspect, but that area was outside the range of their transfer scroll to Libra City. Currently, they were standing at the edge of where their return scroll could activate without problems.

    ¡°We could try to scout out the area before going there,¡± muttered Lori, but her face showed hesitation and worry. ¡°If the path is clear, at least¡­¡±

    Terry noticed Lori¡¯s eyes wandering over everyone in the group with a low gaze and then up to Miguel. He thought he knew what she was thinking. This would go well beyond the risks they had taken so far.

    Terry clenched his fists even harder. He knew that if he spoke, everyone might be willing to take the risk, regardless.

    I came here to avoid losing my whaka. I did not come here to lose my sister and friends.

    Terry shook his head subconsciously. He recalled all the close calls they had already encountered. Terry moved his eyes over everyone. He took note of their exhausted expressions. Of their worn down armor. Of the traces of battle and injury on their bodies. This was not a risk he wanted them to take.

    Terry closed his eyes and took deep breaths. His thoughts were racing into the past¡­

    How he had arrived at the house of Isille and Bjorln for the first time¡­

    How he had been accepted into their family¡­

    How they had cared for him¡­

    ¡°Bad news,¡± said Miguel while he floated down from the sky. He shook his head with a grave expression.

    ¡°Undead?¡± prompted Siling.

    ¡°A gigantic horde,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even see the end of the green glow.¡±

    Terry opened his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far away,¡± said Miguel. ¡°And getting closer at an uncomfortable pace.¡±

    Miguel¡¯s confirmation caused the expressions of everyone to sink further ¨C everyone except Terry.

    Terry had already known.

    ¡°Can we try what Lori said?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Miguel.

    Lori and Terry glanced at each other with conflicted expressions. They both shook their heads.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work,¡± said Lori. ¡°I thought we could try scouting further and then return here to use the scroll, but that¡¯s¡­¡± She shook her head while her voice trailed off.

    ¡°Terry?¡± prompted Siling.

    Terry¡¯s response was delayed, but he spoke with a firm voice. ¡°No. I agree with Lori. A horde of that size will have some creatures with better senses. Any closer and we will definitely draw attention.¡±

    ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t have to engage that horde.¡± Calam pointed out. ¡°With the scroll, we only need to get back here in order to escape.¡±

    The expressions of the others stiffened. Involuntarily, they glanced at Lori.

    ¡°Scrolls can fail,¡± reminded Terry. ¡°Then what? Trying to outrun the horde?¡± A strange glint entered Terry¡¯s eyes, and he clenched his fists again.

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a suicide mission,¡± said Miguel. He looked at his short legs and enchanted boots.

    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that something else pops up again,¡± said Siling. ¡°Another creature lurking below the ground or above the clouds. Or worse, one with cloaking abilities.¡±

    Terry stared at the ground with a pensive expression. ¡°Yeah, we might get trapped in a fight before we can return and use the scroll. So far, we always treated the scrolls as an additional safety net, but that won¡¯t do when we are outside the scroll¡¯s range.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, Calam,¡± said Lori with a bitter smile. ¡°But this is going too far.¡± She lowered her head. ¡°We have done our best.¡±

    ¡°There are still the others, right?¡± reminded Siling. ¡°It¡¯s possible that the Guardians or Guildheads have already collected all the required ingredients, or at least the tulip.¡±

    ¡®There is a difference between possible and probable.¡¯ Involuntarily, Terry recalled the words that Sigille had once said to him when talking about dungeons. He tried to control his breathing while his mind wandered to other scenes with his aunt¡­

    Sigille facing down the Devout Division in Syn City¡­

    Sigille talking about the Valkyrie¡­

    Sigille lying dead on the floor¡­

    Terry¡¯s clenched fists were trembling slightly.

    ¡°Yeah, true,¡± said Calam. ¡°No one is saying that we can¡¯t have a happy ending.¡± He smiled slightly, but his eyes still showed disappointment. He looked into the distance. ¡°Perhaps our part is done.¡±

    ¡°Use the scroll?¡± asked Lori.

    Terry nodded with an unreadable expression.

    Siling retrieved the transfer scroll from her dimensional storage. ¡°Everyone get closer together.¡±

    When everyone was in position, Terry closed his eyes.

    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°¡°¡°Ready.¡±¡±¡±

    Terry spoke with his eyes still closed. He felt himself being targeted for the scroll by Siling while images flashed through his mind¡­

    Isille lying unconscious in the treatment chamber¡­

    Bjorln¡¯s haggard expression when he came out of the alchemy lab¡­

    Sigille lying dead on the floor¡­

    Terry felt once again the helplessness when he had arrived too late. The regret of not having done enough. The despair of not being able to do anything to change what happened.

    I can do more.

    Terry opened his eyes while Siling was ripping the transfer scroll apart.

    ¡°Terry?¡± Lori, who had noticed the strange look in Terry¡¯s eyes, suddenly exclaimed. ¡°No, wait¡ª¡±

    Everything turned silent.

    Terry was alone.

    Terry had burst his mana to exclude himself from the group transfer. He took a deep breath. He retrieved a notebook and wrote the same message on two sheets of paper before ripping the pages out and storing them separately in his storage item. Next, Terry retrieved his Guardian card and the signaling cube. He set the links with the others to tell them to stay away.

    Afterwards, Terry turned towards the direction of the horde, or rather, towards the area he knew to be there. The area he had sensed but not mentioned to the others.

    An area located very close to the horde.

    An area with a very pure blood aspect.

    An area with several dozen small, intense blood-aspected signatures that weren¡¯t moving.

    Terry ran as fast as he could.

    ***

    ¡°NO!¡± yelled Lori in despair. She and the others had arrived on a road in the forest near Libra City.

    ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± Siling looked around with an ashen face. ¡°D-did I mess up the targeting? No no no, this¡ª I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s¡­?¡± Calam noticed that one of them was missing.

    Miguel lowered his gaze and clenched his fists.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Siling swallowed and her eyes were glistening. ¡°Did I¡ª?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Lori firmly. ¡°This was Terry¡¯s doing. A burst. Intentional.¡± Her expression shifted from fury to worry to determination. She turned her back to Libra city and stomped forward.

    ¡°Lori, wait,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°What for?¡± snapped Lori. ¡°Waiting doesn¡¯t change anything. Terry is still there. I need to go there as well.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have another transfer scroll,¡± said Miguel calmly. ¡°Even if we started running without ever taking a break or having to fight, we would not get there in time to do anything.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Lori stared at Miguel with tears rolling down her face. ¡°What am I supposed to do then?¡±

    Miguel bit his lips.

    Siling pressed her lips tightly onto each other and shook her head with an indignant look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so going to have one of my pets shit on his head.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we¡­¡± Calam spoke up before losing his train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± said Lori, and turned around.

    ¡°Going where?¡± Miguel quickly dashed in front of her. ¡°Walking all the way there through half the Wastes? To a location that Terry will have left by then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± replied Lori loudly. She muttered faintly: ¡°Yes, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go with you,¡± insisted Miguel.

    Lori grimaced.

    ¡°There!¡± Miguel pointed at Lori¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. I know that look. That expression. Perhaps you are not familiar with it, but I know that look.¡±

    Lori furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that look before from Jorg, from you, even from Gellath,¡± said Miguel. ¡°That worried look before and during missions when you were looking at me.¡± Miguel tried hard to keep his voice firm and calm.

    Calam subconsciously nodded while lowering his gaze. He, too, knew the look Miguel was talking about.

    ¡°Since we came here, I¡¯ve seen that look on Terry a lot.¡± Miguel spoke with emphasis: ¡°And he wasn¡¯t just looking at me.¡±

    Understanding flashed through Lori¡¯s eyes and it fought with her unwillingness to accept it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one that noticed that Terry has stepped into another league,¡± said Miguel helplessly. ¡°While we were dealing with one beast, Terry put down three. While we were already wheezing, Terry was running circles around us and scouting ahead. The things that threatened us, Terry simply shrugged off. He slept less, always took on the brunt, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get it!¡± interrupted Lori. She clenched her fists.

    Calam was fidgeting with an uncomfortable expression. His eyes widened with an idea and he retrieved his Guardian card to check the link with Terry. He smiled sadly. ¡°His link is telling me to stay away.¡±

    Afterwards, the others were checking their Guardian cards as well.

    ¡°He must have had his own thoughts,¡± said Miguel.

    ¡°He probably did.¡± Siling sighed. She grumbled to herself: ¡°But he better not be overestimating his abilities. If I have to learn necromancy before my pets can shit on him for that, I need to catch some bigger pets.¡±

    Siling walked up to Lori. ¡°Miguel is right that the distance is too vast for us to cover without a scroll. We should first talk to Dhruv and Cadence. Perhaps they have an idea.¡±

    ¡°There are also the ingredients we already collected.¡± Calam pointed out. ¡°We still need to get them to Arcana.¡±

    ***

 108 Eye to Eye With Death

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 11 ¨C

    ¡°Just die already!¡± Terry channeled mana into his mana sublimator and unleashed another blast of intense fire-aspected mana towards the large blurry outline of a black snake with wings.

    ¡°Hiss!¡± The shadow-aspected creature flickered and retreated into the shadow plane.

    I hate creatures that can fully step into the shadows! How is anyone supposed to sense these things?! And putting wings on that damned thing is just fucking obnoxious.

    Terry cursed inwardly. The shadow-aspected snake creature was the second time that he could not avoid getting entangled in a fight on his way. The first time, Terry had got away comparatively quickly, but this mana-corrupted snake had already cost him more time than he could reasonably afford.

    A part of Terry was glad that this mess was his alone.

    ¡°Please stay away this time,¡± pleaded Terry with the surrounding shadows.

    Terry glanced towards the blood-aspected area that was not far away. His mana sense had already warned him of the rapidly approaching horde a while ago. The speed of the runners indicated that they had picked up his scent.

    Terry¡¯s mana-empowered eyes could already make out the details in the frenzied visages among the zombies. Terry exhaled sharply and sprinted towards them.

    Between Terry and the approaching horde was a slightly sunken pit that was at the center of the pure blood-aspected anomaly. Terry¡¯s gaze was glued to the edge and to the pit¡¯s bottom, that became increasingly visible with every inch he got closer.

    As soon as Terry could identify the shape of a crimson tulip, his eyes became bloodshot, and he subconsciously burst his mana beyond his limits. Terry¡¯s eyes and mana sense raced over the flowers to count the leaves before his feet had even touched the bottom of the pit.

    He instinctively controlled his breathing while retrieving the tools to harvest the tulips. He dug out the first and placed it into a specially prepared wooden container that already contained one set of the other ingredients they had collected.

    Right after finishing with the first four-leaved blood tulip, Terry continued with a second one while keeping part of his attention on the approaching death-aspected signatures.

    Terry refused to blink while he put the spare blood tulip into the same wooden container. He put the container together with a sheet of paper into the miniature crafter¡¯s pendant belonging to Brynn¡¯s dragonfly construct. He channeled mana into the lower wings of the dragonfly.

    Finally, the dragonfly construct soared into the air and buzzed off, while Terry heaved a small sigh of relief.

    What if something goes wrong on the way?

    Terry¡¯s pulse sped up even further, and he clenched his fists. He immediately began harvesting another pair of four-leaved blood tulips. He placed the tulips into the second box of ingredients he carried.

    Simultaneously, he retrieved a wand and a metal ingot. Terry used the wand¡¯s imprint to cast the Liquify Earth spell and used the Shape Metal imprint in his armor to surround the box and his second written note with protective metal. He pushed the box into the muddy earth. Terry retrieved his signaling cube and activated the configured flash sequence on several links. He pushed the signaling cube into the muddy earth as well. Terry used the wand¡¯s second imprint and cast Harden Earth to protect the ingredients, his written message, and the signaling device.

    Knowing the location is no use if the horde is destroying everything here.

    Terry gritted his teeth and air-jumped out of the pit. The closest zombies were only several meters away from the pit¡¯s edge on the other side. With grim resolve, Terry air-jumped towards the zombies while retrieving items from his storage bracelet.

    An intense blast of fire-aspected mana erupted from Terry¡¯s mana sublimator and engulfed the closest zombies.

    ¡°Come get me, you rotten flesh bags!¡± Terry darted further east-northeast to attract the horde¡¯s attention away from the blood tulips. While running, Terry retrieved his Guardian card and set all links to off so that the signaling cube was the only available signal for him.

    His mana sense was already warning him of flying death aura creatures that were in pursuit. Terry cycled a burst technique to increase his speed. His mind was overcome with a single, all-consuming thought.

    Run!

    ***

    In one of the training grounds inside the Libra Outpost, the whole area looked like a mess. There were large holes in the ground, the earth had been completely overturned, and rock structures were piling up randomly.

    At the center of the chaos was a dwarven woman with a grim look in her eyes. She used up her mana as quickly as she regenerated it. She only paused to occasionally check an item from her dimensional storage.

    ¡°You better come back,¡± muttered Lori in a low voice. She cast her empowered Shape Earth spell and followed up with Harden Earth to turn her shaped structure into stone.

    ¡°You better.¡± Lori somersaulted backwards and then shot several stones at the rock structure with her Propel Rock spell.

    Lori wiped the sweat from her forehead and clenched her fists. ¡°You promised to always come back.¡±

    From the side, Miguel occasionally took his eyes from his training targets to shoot worried glances at Lori. When he caught sight of another figure approaching, he immediately nocked a coldfire-aspected arrow and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Where is Terry?¡± Patricia walked up to Lori while staring at the destroyed training grounds. ¡°I don¡¯t see him with you.¡± As soon as her gaze arrived on Lori¡¯s face, Patricia flinched.

    Lori looked as if she was ready to murder someone. ¡°None of your business! Piss off or I¡¯ll make you.¡± She placed her hands on the hilts of her inscribed daggers.

    ¡°I just¡­¡± Patricia made a complicated expression. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for taking you hostage back then. I talked to Dhruv. I would like to talk to Terry, but I can¡¯t find him. I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± snapped Lori.

    ¡°I just want to talk to him,¡± insisted Patricia.

    ¡°He. Is. Not. Here.¡± Lori clenched her daggers tightly.

    ¡°Then where is he?¡± asked Patricia while observing Lori¡¯s expression.

    ¡°HE¡¯S STILL IN THE WASTES!¡± Lori yelled with red eyes. ¡°My brother is trying to save our parents.¡± She punched a nearby rock wall. ¡°My whaka is in danger and I¡¯m not there.¡± She clenched her teeth.

    Lori heaved heavy breaths. ¡°If you have a way to cover an enormous distance quickly, then I¡¯m all ears,¡± growled Lori while shaking her head. ¡°Otherwise, leave me alone. I don¡¯t care what you want. If I had a way to get to my brother, I would have used it already.¡±

    Patricia was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Lori!¡± Miguel jogged over.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Lori with an indifferent glance at Patricia. ¡°She was just leaving.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡ª Check Terry¡¯s signal!¡± urged Miguel.

    Lori hurriedly did so and furrowed her brow. Meanwhile, Siling and Calam were already rushing over as well.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked Calam. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know the signal could flash like that.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t,¡± said Miguel. ¡°At least the Guardian cards can¡¯t send a signal like that.¡±

    ¡°He did not use the Guardian card,¡± said Lori. ¡°This is a pattern from his signaling cube.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but what does the pattern mean?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the default patterns in the cube,¡± said Lori. ¡°Means the job is done or mission completed.¡±

    The companions looked at each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Calam with some excitement. ¡°That probably means he has found the blood tulip, right?¡± He was confused by the troubled expressions of the others. ¡°Does this mean that we should begin our return trip?¡±

    ¡°The signal doesn¡¯t seem to be moving.¡± Lori pointed out.

    ¡°It is a large distance,¡± reminded Siling. ¡°Terry would have to move a lot for that to be noticeable for us.¡±

    ¡°We could ask Guardian management to triangulate the signal and check to be sure,¡± proposed Miguel. He frowned slightly. ¡°Do they even have the equipment for that here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m having a bad feeling,¡± muttered Lori.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Their attention was drawn by a commotion at the entrance to the training grounds.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± asked Miguel with narrowed eyes. ¡°The cultists seem agitated again.¡±

    ¡°A death hunter has arrived,¡± interjected Patricia, who was also watching the people at the entrance.

    ¡°Why are you here again?¡± Siling eyed Patricia with suspicion and hostility.

    Patricia ignored Siling and began jogging to the entrance. Siling and the others looked at each other, shrugged, and then also followed.

    ¡°This is troubling news,¡± murmured Dhruv. Next to him, Emily was looking distraught.

    ¡°Is this intel reliable?¡± asked Cadence with intense worry.

    They were all looking at a woman dressed completely in black with a rapier and a one-handed crossbow at her waist.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± replied Elenec. ¡°We¡¯ve received multiple reports already. Countless garrisons and whole settlements have been flattened in a single night. From what we know, some powerful mages from Arcana are taking revenge for the destruction of the barrier.

    ¡°The worst part is that dimensional mages appear to support them,¡± said Elenec. ¡°They can move through the entire empire instantly. They can open a dimensional gate to invite monsters right into the middle of a city.¡±

    ¡°What is the Guild going to do?¡± asked Dhruv.

    ¡°That is a good question,¡± said Elenec. ¡°From what I can tell: nothing.¡±

    ¡°Nothing?!¡± asked Cadence with shock.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why either,¡± said Elenec while shaking her head. ¡°But the last news I received is that upper management is insistent on not issuing nominated missions. I heard that they even threw out the last imperial censor who tried to put pressure on them.¡±

    ¡°Seems like Arcana is finally showing its true colors,¡± sneered one channeler. ¡°Vicious beasts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly one way to look at it,¡± said Elenec flatly. ¡°But as I¡¯ve mentioned already, this is revenge for them. According to our information, Arcana¡¯s barrier was sabotaged by a group of different factions. Two of the main instigators have closer relations to this place: the Preacher and Bright Willow.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± ¡°Lies!¡± ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± ¡°A Bright would never¡­¡± The followers of the Bright Lady did not take kindly to the accusation. Further in the back, Luminous Anem was lowering his gaze.

    ¡°If you had the means, you could verify the information as well,¡± said Elenec coldly. ¡°I can assure you that this has already been checked repeatedly. The information is accurate.¡±

    ¡°Pah! As if anyone would trust the words of a death creature,¡± spat a channeler of the Bright Lady.

    Elenec simply smiled.

    ¡°You step forward!¡± ordered Cadence and pointed at the person that had just insulted Elenec.

    ¡°Yes, Luminous.¡±

    ¡°How dare you speak to anyone like that!¡± Cadence glared at him.

    ¡°But she is a creature of death!¡± objected the channeler. ¡°That goes against the light of the Lady!¡± A few others of the channelers were nodding slightly.

    ¡°The Bright Lady does not condemn people for the nature of their existence.¡± Cadence stared furiously at the offending channeler. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare shame the Lady¡¯s name with your despicable rubbish! Of all people, you actually chose a death hunter to insult! Don¡¯t you feel yourself to be ridiculous?!¡±

    Cadence shook her head in indignation. ¡°Lady Elenec has probably cleansed more lands of death than all of you here combined.

    ¡°Doing good does not require a specific aspect, nor does doing evil.¡± Cadence spoke solemnly. ¡°You better remember this or you will one day find yourself standing on the wrong side.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to stay here?¡± Dhruv asked Elenec.

    ¡°That is my intention, yes,¡± replied Elenec. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before the vengeful Arcanians will reach this place.¡± She glanced at Emily. ¡°Me and a few other death hunters have made a promise to watch over the little sister of a friend of ours.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Cadence in a heartfelt tone. ¡°It is reassuring to have a few capable Guildheads in the city.¡±

    ¡°Still, if I were you, I would prepare for the worst,¡± said Elenec. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, these mages don¡¯t negotiate. Best-case scenario, we will have to fight off a large horde of undead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®best case¡¯ scenario?¡± Cadence¡¯s face cramped up.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Elenec with a slight grimace. ¡°With all the holy channelers in this place, you would have a better chance against an undead horde than against a comparable demon army. If they transfer a large group of hellspawn, we¡¯re probably all done for anyway and surprisingly, that would still not be the worst-case scenario.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®worst case¡¯ scenario?¡± Cadence asked with an awful premonition.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard?¡± Elenec smiled wryly. ¡°The worst-case scenario is that one of the dimensional mages directly joins the fight.¡±

    Elenec turned around and found herself standing in front of a dark-haired elven woman staring at her.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked Elenec cautiously.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Siling blinked. ¡°Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean to stare. I¡¯ve just never met a vampire before and got curious.¡±

    ¡°Curious?¡± Elenec raised an eyebrow. ¡°You say that with a smile. That¡¯s rarely among the first reactions I get.¡±

    ¡°I feel that,¡± muttered Siling wryly. ¡°I can relate.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Elenec furrowed her brow.

    ¡°They¡¯re friends of Terry,¡± interjected Cadence. ¡°From Arcana.¡±

    ¡°Any chance that Matteo is coming too?¡± asked Elenec with little hope.

    Lori shook her head.

    ¡°Any chance that you could convince your fellow Arcanians to back off?¡± asked Elenec with even less hope.

    Lori clenched her fists and turned pensive. ¡°¡­maybe.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? Really?¡± Elenec stared at Lori.

    ¡°Uhh, I meant that if a dimensional mage from Arcana shows up, I have something to ask them anyway,¡± said Lori determinedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Cadence with concern. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best that you all use your transfer scrolls. This area is going to get very dangerous.¡±

    Many of the surrounding Guardians from Tiv wore dark expressions when hearing Cadence. Some felt hostile to Lori and the others to begin with, and their resentment intensified when learning that they were under attack from Arcana. Others were envious of their transfer scrolls and the chance to escape the incoming calamity.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± Calam spoke up before realizing what he was doing. ¡°Ahem, isn¡¯t that a reason to stay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this outpost seems more than understaffed,¡± agreed Miguel. ¡°I may not like some of the people here, but that¡¯s another topic.¡±

    ¡°Guardian duties aside, we¡¯ve already made some new friends here,¡± added Siling. She and the others looked at Emily with concern.

    ¡°And I have to speak to the dimensional mages,¡± insisted Lori.

    Miguel looked intently at Lori.

    ¡°I have to ask them if they can transport us to Terry,¡± muttered Lori quietly while clenching her fists. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Cadence. ¡°We could certainly use some more Guardians.¡±

    In the vicinity, many of the people from Tiv made surprised or skeptical expressions. Two people among the crowd were wearing particularly complicated faces. One was a woman in grey leather armor encrusted with spiders. The other was a silver-robed man.

    ***

    Terry carefully cycled his burst techniques to lessen the strain on his mana channels during his desperate run. Several death spears were flying towards him from behind, and Terry¡¯s mind raced to analyze the best course of action.

    First, he dodged two death spears by accelerating further. When several death mages placed their casting centers right in the path Terry was running to, Terry had no more choice. He changed his path slightly and adjusted his movement so as to catch as many death spears as possible inside a smaller area. Terry unleashed his disruption pulse that obliterated the incoming magic attacks.

    With his path freed, Terry darted forward and tried his best to pull some of his discharged mana back into himself before it moved outside his reach. It was at this point that Terry realized he had made a blunder in his desire to protect the area with the blood tulips. He had successfully drawn away the attention of the horde, but he had also cut himself off from every path that any sensible person would take. A part of the horde was now to the south from him, which meant that it blocked his retreat away from the Wastes. At this rate, Terry was only left with three options.

    Continue deeper into the Wastes.

    Terry glanced north, to the left, while simultaneously reacting to a trace of a shadow-aspected mana signature that had appeared in his path. He jumped and thrust his brightfire spear forward to kill the shade before it had a chance to attack him.

    Engage the undead horde that is blocking the path to the heartland.

    Terry glanced south, to the right, while dodging the crimson mana blade of a death executioner. He cast a fleeting Immovable Object spell on one of his armor¡¯s septimum pearls to adjust his position with the help of his own inertia.

    For a brief moment, Terry considered sacrificing another mana core to deal with the death aura creature. He knew he could not afford to be inflicted with maledictions by the death executioner.

    Terry grit his teeth and instead used his bidirectional attraction glove to pull another small metal ingot from his Academy bag. He used up the last available charge in the Shape Metal imprint of his left bracer. He burst his mana beyond his limits and dived closer to the death executioner. He shaped the metal around one of the creature¡¯s vertebrae and immediately followed up with the Immovable Object spell.

    The death executioner nearly split in half from his own momentum. While the maneuver had not finished it off successfully, it had bought Terry some breathing space.

    Or continue running east.

    Terry looked straight ahead. For several breaths, Terry thought about nothing while dodging attacks and saving his mana as much as possible.

    Determination flashed through Terry¡¯s eyes, and without interrupting his run, he summoned a barrel of lamp oil. Terry stabbed holes into the barrel with his inscribed dagger. He air-jumped up, turned the barrel on its head and transfixed it in this position. While Terry continued running, the lamp oil poured onto the undead pursuing him.

    Terry repeated the action with two more barrels while moving through the air in a quick circle. He picked the locations to hit as many creatures as possible.

    Afterwards, Terry hurriedly retrieved a fire-aspected arrow, an old throwing needle, and some rope. Terry felt extremely lucky when he remembered the fire-aspected arrows he had found in the abandoned village during the investigation with the Captain. Without those, Terry would not have a good way to ignite the oil.

    Terry hurled his improvised ignition helper at one of the areas drenched in oil. The fire quickly caught up with the oily creatures as well.

    Terry continued running east while paying close attention to the happenings behind him in his mana sense.

    Terry cursed inwardly when he sensed a growing blood aspected mana signature. He glanced backwards and confirmed that among the burning zombies, a blood abomination had begun acting out. The blood abomination absorbed the surrounding zombies and a horrifying wave of flesh formed to rise from the ground. Limbs and rotten heads were sticking out everywhere.

    Terry pushed down the rising feeling of nausea. It did not take long for Terry to feel the mind-altering effects of the blood abomination¡¯s aura as well. He consciously noted his own rage welling up.

    Run. Run. Run!

    Terry kept repeating to himself that he needed to run. He resisted the urge to engage and fight. He suppressed the urge to battle to his heart¡¯s content. He knew these urges were neither his own nor in his interest. The experience made him sympathize even more with Elena¡¯s trouble when bursting her blood-aspected mana.

    Terry thought back to the fight at the Bulwark and how the blood abomination there had attracted the giant centipede. This gave him pause and helped him to push down his rising bloodlust even further.

    Terry recalled one of the Veilbinder¡¯s companions during the war in the Deep. A dwarven man by the name of Tuara, who had been one of the most renowned people in the war, even though he had remained manaless until the very end. Tuara was a leader of the Stonewardens and later became one of the Veilbinder¡¯s first major allies in the fight against the False Gods.

    The reason that Terry had thought of Tuara was one of his documented quotes: ¡®One enemy is a challenge. Two enemies is an opportunity.¡¯

    Terry continued running east while searching for traces of other creatures in his mana sense.

    Opportunity.

    ***

 109 Opportunities

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 13 ¨C

    Terry had been running nonstop for more than a day while cursing the indefatigable undead. Even though he was faster than the runners, he could not put much distance between himself and the horde. Not only did the horde have some means to track Terry¡¯s location for their pursuit, there were also moments when smaller groups sped up unnaturally.

    To Terry, this showed that aside from a death whisperer with the ability to coordinate the different creatures, there must be some high-rank spell caster amidst the core of the horde, which probably meant a lich. He was not looking forward to such an encounter, and his only consolation was that the strongest creatures stuck to the center of the horde.

    By now, the horde¡¯s dogged pursuit had changed the horde''s overall gestalt. Instead of a large roaming cluster of undead, it was now a narrow trail that spanned many miles. A part of Terry¡¯s mind was wondering if undead were capable of holding grudges. Or if he looked particularly tasty to undead. He had trouble guessing why they would pay so much attention to him.

    Terry exhaled sharply and changed course to intersect with the other mana signatures he was sensing in the distance.

    Please be aspect beings¡­

    Please be aspect beings¡­

    Please be aspect beings¡­

    Damn it!

    Terry cursed as soon as he could make out that he was on his way to collide with yet another group of mana-corrupted creatures.

    I¡¯ll have to take what I can get.

    Terry gnashed his teeth and continued on his path. As soon as he could see the enlarged lizard creatures, Terry air-jumped into the sky to pass them without having to engage them.

    "Hiss!" Some of the lizards attempted to follow Terry on the ground while spitting dark clouds filled with cracking lightning at Terry.

    For a brief moment, Terry considered if he should use a disruption discharge, but he dismissed the idea to budget on mana. Instead, he dodged as best he could and circulated his mana according to his resistance training when he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Urgh.¡± Terry groaned in pain and exhaled sharply when a nasty cloud hit him. Terry pushed down the pain and continued forward while sensing the arrival of the undead on the scene behind him.

    A short time of gleeful schadenfreude when the creatures were killing each other was immediately followed by resigned frustration when Terry sensed new death aura creatures rising from the corpses of the mana-corrupted beasts.

    The problem with using mana corrupted to whittle down the undead horde was that the death aura curse was not limited to affecting humans or other folks. As long as the killed creature offered enough mana and material, the death aura curse would take effect.

    By now, Terry had even noticed smaller indicators on the skeletal warriors that allowed him to identify with reasonable accuracy which of them had been created from beasts. The skulls and limbs looked slightly different depending on the origin.

    This was why Terry was always hoping to encounter aspect beings instead of mana corrupted ¨C spirits and elementals did not trigger the death aura curse. Demons with their hosts could trigger it, but demons would also ensure that they took down larger numbers of undead with them.

    Terry grit his teeth and continued dashing east.

    ***

    After running for three days with no chance for a proper break, Terry felt himself getting groggy, and he noticed that his own mana consumption had increased sharply.

    He was reaching his limits.

    He needed food and some rest, even if just a bit. Unfortunately, the undead horde was still on Terry¡¯s heels and did not give him a chance.

    At least I was able to use some opportunities to do some good¡­

    Terry smiled slightly. He had not kept count of all the eliminated undead and other creatures, but he knew that the accumulated number of the past few days was not insignificant. His repeated luring of the undead into groups of other magic creatures definitely had an effect.

    At least I could send the dragonfly construct on its way¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes closed slightly. Images sprang up in Terry¡¯s mind¡­

    A scene of Bjorln cooking dinner while Isille was helping out and chatting with him¡­

    Everyone¡¯s faces when he finally called them from the Libra Outpost¡­

    His friends that were waiting for him in Arcana City, goofing around with him on the training grounds, and then volunteering to join Lori and him in their search for the blood tulip¡­

    The worried faces of Lori and Jorg when they were checking on him during the middle of the night because they feared he might disappear again¡­

    Terry forcefully bit his tongue to let the pain shake himself awake and he opened his eyes widely once more.

    ¡°SCREW THIS!¡± Terry shouted loudly while tasting blood. ¡°I. WILL. GET. THROUGH. THIS.¡±

    Even though he couldn¡¯t do anything about his increasing mana consumption, he could stay conscious and alert enough to dodge the incoming ranged attacks.

    When night arrived and the sky turned dark once more, Terry caught a faint glimpse of light in the distance. He focused on the light to prevent his mind from slipping. Eventually, Terry¡¯s mana sense caught up with his visual perception, and Terry fell deep into thought.

    Pure fire-aspected signatures.

    Intense fire-aspected signatures.

    Many of them.

    On the one hand, this was good news as far as Terry¡¯s goal of whittling down the horde was concerned. On the other hand, these signatures on their own were definitely bad news. Some of them were much more intense than Terry felt comfortable with. They reminded Terry of the elementals that Anand had invited to the Libra Outpost with his dimensional gates.

    A chance is a chance.

    Terry¡¯s eyes showed determination, and he dashed forward to cross the fire-aspected signatures. After some time, Terry could see the roaming flames and fire creatures. He grimaced when he noticed that some of the flames contained traces of blue. Not the blue that would indicate a different aspect like coldfire. This was the blue of pure, unadulterated, and intense fire, which was an indicator of high-rank fire elementals.

    Terry intentionally slowed down slightly to gather some breath and allow the undead creatures to catch up with him further.

    Now!

    Terry abruptly sped up and burst his mana beyond his limits. He charged into the fire elementals and air-jumped up with as much power as he could muster.

    Crap!

    To Terry¡¯s horror, he noticed that his forceful jumps went beyond the material limits of the extension coil springs in his boot mechanism and they overextended no matter how fleetingly Terry cast the Immovable Object spell on the extension layer. Terry exhaled sharply and began summoning and transfixing junk items from his storage anklets in order to jump further up while dodging the incoming attacks.

    Without the awkward obstruction from the coil springs, Terry could accelerate even further.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Terry cursed loudly when the temperature around him rose sharply. A jaw of flames was pursuing him from behind with astonishing speed.

    Terry could not help but attempt to speed up his mana circulation even further, to push his mana just that much faster, to forcefully press more mana into his muscles and veins.

    As the blood vessels on Terry¡¯s face became more and more visible, two blue flames passed by his sides. The blue flames combined right in front of Terry¡¯s path and then another thin flame shot from them to link up with the fire jaw that was pursuing Terry.

    As soon as the link was established, the temperature increased significantly and even the jaw of flames began turning blue with sizzling noises.

    These flames were more than Terry¡¯s armor or his resistance could handle, and Terry knew it. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the blistering heat, his mana sense was warning him of the attack¡¯s intensity.

    Terry hesitated and considered breaking through the flames, but when he sensed the breadth of the expanding inferno, he dismissed the idea. With no other option left, Terry retrieved a foldable tertium cube and hurriedly hid inside before pulling the handle to close the cube and then transfix it.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Argh!¡± Terry groaned when he collided with the inside of the immovable cube. Unfortunately, he did not have the convenience of waiting until the air resistance had slowed him down. Terry coughed some blood and then hurriedly changed his mana circulation to go easy on his mana channels while also following the resistance training pattern.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Terry chuckled wearily. ¡°This is it.¡± Terry felt relieved when the immovable cube held against the elemental¡¯s attack, but he understood the situation he was in. While he was able to endure the heat with the help of his mana, he was trapped until he found an opportunity to break through.

    Terry paid close attention to the mana in the vicinity, as well as his own active Immovable Object spells.

    ¡°Might as well¡­¡± Terry muttered feebly and retrieved some mana-imbued cold tea before wolfing down some food.

    Terry could not help but sigh when the chocolate bar he had retrieved immediately melted in his hand. ¡°Should have seen that coming.¡± He fidgeted. ¡°Damn it.¡± Some of the chocolate had already dripped onto his armor and the tertium cube. His eyes lingered sorrowfully on the wasted chocolate.

    And today¡¯s menu? Chocolate-covered Terry!

    I hope the ghouly Alricks can appreciate the change in flavor¡­

    Terry chewed and drank while observing the moving mana signatures outside the cube.

    More and more undead had entered the scene. It was evident that a death whisperer had taken control, because the zombies and ghouls were keeping their distance from the fire elementals while the death aura creatures positioned themselves for battle.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Terry groaned. ¡°I need to stay awake.¡±

    He searched his storage items for the closest thing he could find to a Banish Fatigue effect and immediately downed the potion.

    As another precaution, Terry retrieved the resistance training device that emitted ice-aspected mana and tightly held onto it. The pain would help keep him awake and the slight cooling effect was much appreciated.

    I guess I should count myself lucky that I¡¯m not wearing the furry cloud badger armor anymore¡­ Wastes, it¡¯s so hot¡­

    ¡°What the¡ª No, damn it!¡± Terry sensed a casting center appear inside his immovable cube. He whirled around and instantly disrupted the Death Spear spell with a focused discharge.

    ¡°Go fight the elementals! Leave me alone!¡± Terry cursed while playing whack-a-mole with the appearing casting centers.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes narrowed when a casting center appeared right on top of his own Immovable Object spell structure. Now Terry had to shift and recast his own spell while simultaneously disrupting the incoming spells.

    Fortunately for Terry, the fire elementals were not creatures to be ignored either, and the increasing number of death mages were not free to focus entirely on Terry.

    Terry bided his time while frantically disrupting any casting centers that appeared to threaten him and constantly reabsorbing his discharged mana.

    Eventually, Terry paused and narrowed his eyes. His cheeks were puffed with food. He chewed slowly while observing the movements in his mana sight.

    Terry moved into a start position for sprinting. He swallowed his food down. He transfixed slices of wood underneath his feet.

    Terry slapped his hand on the tertium cube. He deactivated the active Immovable Object spell and instantly returned the cube into his storage bracelet.

    Terry bolted away while the undead and fire elementals were keeping each other busy. Some creatures still aimed ranged attacks at Terry, but he could dodge or rely on his disruption pulse to make his escape under the cover of the surrounding chaos.

    When he had gained some distance, Terry returned to the ground in order to save mana while running. He glanced back west towards the ongoing battle without stopping.

    While a few skeletal warriors had broken off from the battle to pursue Terry, they did not have the assistance of their high-rank spell casters and fell further and further behind.

    ***

    High above the ground, the sky was empty except for a single transfixed box of tertium.

    Inside the tertium box, a sleeping figure was curled up.

    Above the figure, a bucket with a water catcher was transfixed in the air.

    Terry had used his chance to put some distance to the undead horde and finally get a moment of sleep. He had worried about getting attacked while sleeping. After all, the undead were not the only threats around. In the end, Terry had decided to sleep in the sky to eliminate most potential threats and to sleep inside his immovable cube to protect against most of the remaining ones.

    Naturally, this had put a limit on his nap time because Terry had to compress his mana in order to empower the Immovable Object spell to hold out without feeding additional mana to it.

    Since Terry did not feel safe sleeping for long anyway, this spell limit was acceptable. He had set up a safety spell in order to wake up before he fell from the sky.

    Eventually, a metal bucket hit Terry¡¯s head and spilled water all over him.

    ¡°Urgh-huam puh-blblbl¡ª I¡¯m awake.¡± Terry sat up dazedly and immediately concentrated on his mana sense.

    ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡± Terry whined. ¡°Persistent bone bastards.¡± At the edge of Terry¡¯s mana sense, he could already sense the vanguard of the undead horde.

    ¡°Haaahhh¡­¡± Terry sighed, took a sip from his mana-imbued cold tea, and transfixed his boots. He returned the tertium cube to his storage bracelet and surveyed his surroundings.

    ¡°Nothing to do but press on,¡± muttered Terry while looking east. He used his five-point inscription ring to make sure of his current course. ¡°As long as I keep doing what I¡¯m doing¡­¡±

    Terry stretched. ¡°Perhaps a hundred more opportunities, and I¡¯m good. Perhaps a hundred more days of running and I¡¯m back in Arcana. Perhaps a hundred more¡ª¡± Terry blinked. ¡°Uhh, where was I going with this? I¡¯m still sleepy¡­¡±

    Terry allowed himself to drop down and used the pearls connected to extension coil springs in his armor to safely land on the ground.

    ¡°Huaaamm¡­¡± Terry yawned. ¡°One step at a time.¡± Terry began running.

    ***

    In a secret location inside Tiv¡¯s territory, a group of soldiers wearing the silver uniform of Tiv¡¯s imperial army were waiting in a cavern when two messengers arrived from different entrances.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation outside?¡± asked the woman in charge.

    The man that acted as the messenger handed over several documents. ¡°Not good, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Cut the ma¡¯am, that¡¯s my mother,¡± interrupted the commander. ¡°I¡¯m Yujin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yujin,¡± acknowledged the messenger, and relaxed slightly. ¡°The most recent battle with the hellspawn has attracted another undead horde.¡±

    ¡°Better undead than hellspawn,¡± interjected a soldier from the side. She was observing their commander¡¯s expression while Yujin read the documents. ¡°The situation here can¡¯t be contained. It¡¯s only a matter of time before more hellspawn arrive and a buffer zone with undead could buy us some time.¡±

    ¡°Without reinforcements, the line outside won¡¯t hold,¡± stressed the messenger.

    ¡°Where are the reinforcements, then?¡± interjected another soldier. He was scowling and sounded angry. ¡°They can¡¯t have possibly abandoned us in this hellhole. If they want to secure this place, they better send some more forces.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get why we even care about this stupid dungeon,¡± grumbled another soldier. ¡°What is so important about this place that the Royal Faction is throwing away all our lives to protect it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t care about this dungeon.¡± Yujin spoke up and stowed the documents away. She eyed the soldier by his side. ¡°We are following orders. That¡¯s all we need to know.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The soldier looked dissatisfied, but held his tongue.

    Yujin glanced at a pair of soldiers whose armor was slightly different and showed that they were the people that were truly in charge of this place. The commander and her troops were just reinforcements.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any more reinforcements,¡± explained Yujin. ¡°Apparently, some people from Tiv have sabotaged Arcana¡¯s barrier, which has provoked a group of monsters from Arcana. The Royal Faction won¡¯t be able to sequester more troops, no matter how much the Founding King insists.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± A soldier spoke up, and her eyes were filled with horror. ¡°Someone intentionally provoked Arcana?¡±

    ¡°Insanity,¡± muttered another of the soldiers.

    ¡°Has war been declared? If so, I won¡¯t complain about this deployment ever again. Better to stay in a dungeon than¡­¡± The soldier paled.

    ¡°No official war, no,¡± said Yujin. ¡°Only a few individuals. Perhaps a few dozen.¡±

    ¡°A few individuals are keeping our entire empire on its toes?¡± A soldier exclaimed in shock.

    ¡°Dimensional mages and archmages,¡± replied Yujin flatly.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Curses escaped the lips of the soldiers.

    ¡°Bottom line, we¡¯re on our own here,¡± said Yujin. She turned to the second messenger. ¡°How is the situation further down?¡±

    ¡°Worse than you can imagine, platoon leader,¡± replied the woman. ¡°Another tear has opened with more and more hellspawn pouring through. The dungeon¡¯s spawn rate has nearly crawled to a halt.¡±

    ¡°Unsurprising,¡± muttered Yujin. ¡°The hellspawn and all of us are competing with the dungeon for the mana here. If we continue staying in this location with large numbers, this dungeon will collapse sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°And if we don¡¯t stay here, the hellspawn will overrun this place and the dungeon will collapse as well,¡± remarked a soldier from the side. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s the point?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve lost thousands of good soldiers here already. What for? Best case, one more dormant dungeon, so what? Worst case, another portal for hellspawn. That won¡¯t make much of a difference, will it?¡±

    ¡°I agree. It¡¯s meaningless to stay here. If we leave, the dungeon collapses. If we stay, the dungeon still collapses. I don¡¯t mind dying, but I don¡¯t want to die for nothing. This is meaningless.¡±

    More and more complaints were piled onto each other, and Yujin frowned.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± the messenger from deeper down in the dungeon spoke up. ¡°Uhm, Yujin?¡±

    ¡°Speak freely, soldier,¡± said Yujin.

    ¡°The sentiments down in the dungeon are similar,¡± said the messenger. ¡°They phrased it less politely though. More cursing and¡­¡± The messenger hesitated. ¡°It is getting harder and harder for those in command to keep everyone in line.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s frown deepened. She took a deep breath and glanced at the soldiers that were really in charge of this dungeon.

    ¡°They have a point,¡± said Yujin.

    ¡°They have orders,¡± retorted the man that held her gaze.

    ¡°Nevertheless.¡± Yujin stared at the man coldly. ¡°You¡¯re called Claude, right? If we are to die, Claude, we should know what for. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame us for leaving to find a more meaningful battle.¡±

    The woman next to Claude, who was wearing the same armor as him, put her hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword.

    Claude scowled and let his eyes wander over the dissatisfied soldiers. ¡°If this place falls, then the Tiv Empire will be torn apart.¡±

    ¡°Explain,¡± prompted the commander.

    ¡°We¡¯re not authorized to do that,¡± spat the woman next to Claude. ¡°These decisions have been made by the people that have ordered you to this place. Unless you intend to desert, you should worry about how to achieve your mission instead of why. The security of this place is paramount. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±

    Beside her, Claude eyed the soldiers¡¯ reactions warily. ¡°This place has been protected for two centuries. I am sure you can ascertain the weight behind this.¡± His tone became solemn: ¡°Do you really want to be responsible for a failure of this magnitude?¡±

    This proclamation stunned the soldiers into silence.

    ***

 110 No Matter How Difficult It May Be

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 26 ¨C

    Weran stepped through the dimensional gate. His eerie, green cloak was fluttering in the wind. He examined the outline of the giant oak that was towering over the city below. ¡°What a rare sight. Almost a pity to cut it down.¡± He began anchoring the long-distance gate connected to the northeast of Arcana.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Elenec dropped from the sky. She was the first to detect the unfamiliar scent and life signature.

    Weran shot her an indifferent glance and continued his work unperturbed. ¡°If you believe that you can give me orders, you are mistaken, vampiress.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡ª¡± Elenec forced herself to remain calm. According to her intel and the elf¡¯s appearance, this was the worst possible person to meet among the vengeful dimensional mages. ¡°There are people that want to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Which is different from me being willing to listen,¡± retorted Weran.

    ¡°People from Arcana as well,¡± stressed Elenec.

    For the first time, Weran looked at her properly. ¡°So? I don¡¯t give special treatment based on our shared place of birth. They are free to join in teaching Tiv a lesson or to throw their lives away.¡± He did not interrupt his casting. ¡°Their lives are their own. Nothing to do with me.¡±

    People were rushing to the place from the Guardian outpost.

    ¡°Please stop!¡± shouted Cadence.

    Weran¡¯s eyes narrowed with a frigid glint when he recognized the mana signature of the Bright Lady. ¡°Don¡¯t wag your vile tongue at me, cultist. You can thank your Bright Willow for this. Actions have consequences.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Cadence gulped and hardened her resolve. ¡°If you have a debt to settle with our circle, then please limit it to me. I¡¯m a Luminous and that is currently the highest rank of our circle in this place. Kill me if you wish, but please do not involve the city.¡±

    ¡°What good would killing you do?¡± Weran retorted with cold indifference, as if he was talking to an insect of no consequence. ¡°Will it bring back Arcana¡¯s barrier? Will it undo the death and destruction? Your life means nothing.¡±

    ¡°Destroying Libra City will not do any good either!¡± retorted Elenec. Her fists were clenched tightly.

    ¡°Destroying the Tiv Empire, on the other hand¡­¡± Weran looked at them fiercely. ¡°Will remind people of a lesson they should have never forgotten in the first place. Actions have consequences.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡± Cadence¡¯s eyes were turning red.

    ¡°Cadence, stop,¡± interjected Dhruv, who had also arrived. ¡°This won¡¯t change anything.¡±

    ¡°Listen to the druid,¡± said Weran with a chuckle. ¡°Impressive druid oak. Reminds me of the elven groves of my home.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, you have picked an awful place to plant it.¡±

    ¡°I would like to confirm a few things,¡± said Dhruv tentatively. When Weran did not interject, he continued. ¡°We just have to face whatever is coming through the gate. You won¡¯t get involved personally?¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t touch the gate or me, that is correct,¡± replied Weran. ¡°These creatures were released into Arcana by Tiv¡¯s conspiracy. I¡¯m just paying this empire back in kind. I don¡¯t have a personal grudge against you. Whether you survive or not does not interest me, unless you provoke me first.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Dhruv and made to leave to prepare for battle.

    ¡°Please!¡± Lori and the others had arrived. ¡°We need your help!¡±

    Weran raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand the situation you¡¯re in, young lady. I¡¯m not here to help.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡ª I mean we¡­¡± Lori gestured to Siling, Miguel, and Calam. ¡°We¡¯re from Arcana. We came here to find ingredients for a potion to save my mother. She¡¯s a Guardian who has been touched by a reaper when evacuating a city after the barrier had shattered.¡±

    ¡°If you stay with me, I can keep you out of the fight,¡± offered Weran. His attitude had softened after learning about the circumstances.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not.¡± Lori took a deep breath. ¡°Whaka Terry, my brother, is still in the northeast. We got separated and we don¡¯t have a way to get to him.¡±

    ¡°Terry?¡± Weran paused. ¡°Why does that name sound familiar?¡±

    Lori felt hope well up in her. ¡°He once disappeared near a dungeon, and my aunt Brynn issued a Guild mission for clues. Perhaps¡ª¡±

    ¡°I remember now,¡± interrupted Weran. ¡°I had indeed taken an interest in that mission. The terms appeared quite profitable at first. So the boy reappeared? Interesting it may be, but not right now.¡±

    Lori clung onto the hope that the man had been tempted by Brynn¡¯s reward. ¡°I¡¯m sure that my aunt would offer similar terms for rescuing Terry now if you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± Weran had turned away from Lori again. ¡°Times have changed. Right now, the only currency that piques my interest is Tiv''s blood.¡±

    Disappointment washed over Lori and the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± spat Weran. ¡°You can stay by my side and no harm will come to you, but that is all I¡¯m willing to offer at the moment.¡±

    Lori clenched her fists and glared at Weran with teary eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find another way,¡± said Siling comfortingly and put her hand on Lori¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Terry is tough,¡± added Miguel from the side. He glanced back towards the outpost, evidently getting itchy feet to prepare and get some distance from the dimensional gate.

    Calam lowered his gaze and was not sure what to say. He looked at Weran and muttered in a faint, barely audible voice: ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±

    ¡°You can stuff that offer up your arse!¡± spat Lori resentfully. ¡°Not helping and transporting monsters to a city. Thanks for nothing!¡± She turned around and stomped towards the Guardian outpost. ¡°Bringing shame to Arcana.¡±

    Siling and the others immediately followed.

    Miguel momentarily halted his steps and looked at Weran. ¡°Something is off with you, you know?¡± His gaze lingered on the elf¡¯s eerie cloak. ¡°That is a lot of innocent blood you are spilling.¡± Afterwards, Miguel hastened his steps and caught up with Lori.

    Cadence and Elenec were the last to leave Weran.

    ¡°There is nothing innocent about Tiv.¡± Weran looked after Miguel and muttered coldly. ¡°They chose to grant power to people like the Preacher and the cults.¡± His fierce eyes moved to Cadence''s back. ¡°Tiv¡¯s acceptance of their madness has led to this point.¡±

    Weran returned his attention to the dimensional gate.

    ¡°You may regret standing with the Tiv dogs, my fellow Arcanians,¡± muttered Weran unconcernedly. He sensed for the happenings on the other side of his dimensional gate. ¡°This is a large one.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry abruptly halted in his tracks.

    Unless I¡¯m mistaken, these are folk signatures. A village? Here?

    Terry suppressed a yawn and retrieved his map and five-point inscription ring. He marked his best estimate for his current location and where he sensed the mana signatures matching folks.

    ¡°How in the Wastes did a village survive out here¡­?¡± Terry¡¯s mind still felt muddled from exhaustion. ¡°In the Wastes?¡± Terry had come a long way over the past few days and nights, but it was still wasted territory.

    Terry had been lucky that many of his attempts to bait other enemies to fight the undead horde had succeeded. Terry had been exceedingly unlucky that there were many smaller hordes which had joined the large horde that was pursuing Terry doggedly.

    Terry was still unsure how or why the horde was tracking him. He had been careful to cloak his mana and, for a time, he even wore the enchanted concealment ring from the bandits.

    All to no avail.

    Even though Terry had not been able to shake off the undead horde, he had managed to maintain some distance. He had not received any serious injuries when baiting other creatures, either. He was just exhausted and tired.

    So so tired¡­

    Terry shook his head forcefully and looked around pensively.

    ¡°If that¡¯s a village, then¡­¡± Terry grimaced.

    The mana signatures are few and not that strong¡­

    Terry glanced back towards the long trail of death-aspected signatures that were following him. ¡°If I get too close, some undead will surely pick up the scent. Seriously, how did a village survive here?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Were they just lucky?¡±

    Am I the bringer of bad luck? Terry bit his lips. ¡°Do I risk involving them?¡±

    Involuntarily, Terry recalled the scene in Arcana City¡¯s public square in front of the Guild headquarters ¨C when the dimensional mages announced their intentions to enact vengeance.

    ¡®Our fellow citizens of Arcana did not ¡°choose¡± this either, did they?¡¯

    It¡¯s Tiv¡¯s fault that the barrier broke. It¡¯s Tiv¡¯s fault that Ma Isille got hurt by a reaper. It¡¯s Tiv¡¯s fault that we had to look for a blood tulip.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the Preacher, and Willow, and¡ª If it wasn¡¯t for Tiv, then I would not be pursued by this wasted horde of undead.

    Rage welled up in Terry and he stared furiously towards the village¡¯s direction.

    ¡®Two enemies is an opportunity.¡¯

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    At this point, a picture emerged in Terry¡¯s mind. It was the sole picture of the Veilbinder from the Path of a Mage. The picture did nothing to alleviate Terry¡¯s fury, resentment, or thirst for vengeance. It did, however, remind him of something else.

    Follow the kind of person you want to become.

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I must have lost my kindness along the way, too.¡± He sighed.

    ¡®All his apparent kindness was truly rooted in pride ¨C pride in the person he aimed to be.¡¯

    Terry opened his eyes. He turned north to make a large detour around the village. He continued on his path with increased speed and newfound vigor.

    ***

    After running for another hour, Terry paused in front of a large, strange body of orange water. It looked like a giant lake, but the liquid was moving as if it was a river.

    Terry crouched down at the edge and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Looks as if the water is flowing down somewhere,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Elevated part of a magic underground river?¡±

    Terry looked towards the direction where he had sensed the village. ¡°Does this have something to do with the village¡¯s ability to persevere in this place?¡±

    Terry summoned a rock from his storage anklet and kicked it into the orange water. The rock sizzled and visibly shrunk before it even sank down into the water.

    ¡°I take that as a yes,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°If that river surfaces in several locations that would limit the direction of possible threats for the village.¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°Good for them, but what am I supposed to do now?¡±

    Stepping over that means I won¡¯t be able to return to ground level for quite some time. No more conserving mana by running on the ground. Stay in the sky or die.

    Terry looked at the orange water with hesitation before turning north-northeast.

    ¡°Since I wanted to make a large circle around the village anyway, I still have time to make up my mind.¡± Terry took a deep breath and continued running along the riverbed.

    ***

    After another hour of running, Terry abruptly stopped with wide eyes. He even placed a foot in front of him and activated the Immovable Object spell in order to rapidly come to a full stop.

    Terry squinted nervously at the area in front of him. He glanced back and to the front again. The area in front differed little from the area behind him, except for the fact that the dry, earthy soil appeared drained of some color.

    Normally, Terry might not have paid it much attention. Even though it was slightly odd, there was not much reason to suspect that such a minor change hinted at danger. After all, the sediment composition could be different for a vast range of innocuous reasons.

    Could be.

    And yet, Terry¡¯s instincts screamed danger. He could not put his finger on it, but he felt that something appeared off in his mana sense.

    ¡°Creepy,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Well, shit.¡±

    He glanced east¡­ Orange water.

    Then north¡­ Creepy sensation.

    He looked back. The undead horde was approaching from the southwest.

    Terry yawned involuntarily and shook his head wearily. He exhaled sharply and contemplated his options.

    ¡°Orange water of death, creepy potential death trap, or backtracking through a horde of undead¡­?¡± Terry held his head and then rubbed his eyes. ¡°Last one is out. The only reason I survived this long was because I did not have to engage the high-ranking creatures from the core of the horde.¡±

    He glanced towards the horde. ¡°If I go back, I will be forced to pass them.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Or worse, they¡¯ll react by moving to cut off my path and surround me.

    ¡°Alright, magic acid river or monochrome wasteland?¡±

    The water is definitely lethal. The wasteland is, so far, only confirmed creepy.

    Terry smacked his lips several times. Eventually, he shrugged. ¡°Since I would have to stay in the sky over the water anyway, I can just try the same in the wasteland. If I fall out of the sky for some reason, I take uncertain death over certain death.¡±

    Mustering his resolve, Terry jumped up into the sky and began running over the creepy wasteland while staying as close to the orange water and moving east as far as possible.

    ***

    For a while, Terry had been relieved to not encounter any trouble since he started moving above the creepy wasteland. Eventually, however, this only added to the area¡¯s perceived creepiness. It wasn¡¯t normal for Terry to not sense any mana corrupted or aspect beings for such a long time-span.

    *BOOM* ¡°Screee!¡± *Wram*

    Terry halted in the air and whirled around towards the various noises that arrived from several different directions. The color drained from Terry¡¯s face and he stared towards the direction of the undead horde. The runners had entered the pale wasteland¡­ and the wasteland had reacted the moment their feet touched the ground.

    ¡°¡°¡°Scree!¡±¡±¡± Dozens of widowmaker hellspawn had surfaced from the earth. They used their powerful hind-legs to propel themselves forward and their four bladed-arms shredded the undead creatures.

    *Rumble* Juggernaut hellspawn of various sizes emerged from pockets of bubbly, liquified ground. They jumped and ran on their knuckles to throw themselves into the fight and smash the death creatures into pulps.

    Terry jerkily moved his head to stare at a gigantic bubbly mountain surfacing from the ground.

    A moment later, horrific creatures that looked like six-legged, headless elephants with segmented torsos stomped forward from the mountain. Their necks opened towards a large spherical maw which was lined with countless spirals of sharp teeth. Underneath each of their feet, similar horrific maws were located.

    Terry gulped. ¡°Behemoth.¡±

    The behemoths lifted their front pair of legs up while continuing to run with the other two pairs. They swatted the flying death aura creatures with their front feet and maws while stomping on those on the ground. Whenever the behemoths lifted their mawed feet, it became clear that all the death aura creatures underneath had been devoured.

    ¡°¡°¡°Roar!¡±¡±¡± Smaller creatures soared from the bubbly mountain into the sky. They were about the size of a dwarf and did not appear to have a torso. Instead, they had the head of a lion with feelers, multi-faceted eyes, and elongated canine teeth. There were two pairs of insect wings attached to the head¡¯s back and two long, double-jointed limbs with sharp claws at the head¡¯s bottom.

    ¡°Hellion,¡± muttered Terry with horror.

    Well done, Terry! You walked right into a gigantic hellspawn hive. Good luck with that!

    Terry felt like cursing his muddle-headed decision making. ¡°Crap. Crap crap crap.¡±

    Run! Run run run!

    With no other option left, Terry continued on his initial path. He dashed forward while sticking close to the orange river. It was still the best available option, only now he was sure that there was certain death waiting for him, no matter where he fell.

    Stick to the skies.

    Terry clenched his teeth and warily eyed the flying hellspawn while his mana sense informed him about the battle¡¯s increasing intensity.

    One giant opportunity right there. Also, a giant death trap!

    Terry could not even see the end of the hellspawn territory or the orange river.

    The more undead arrived, the more hellspawn rose from the ground. The area from which the hellspawn surfaced became larger and larger. Like a ripple washing over the wasteland, the hellspawn hive became buzzing with activity.

    Before long, a few of the hellions detected Terry¡¯s presence and rushed towards him.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed Terry and retrieved his barrier spears.

    Terry dodged the claws of one of the hellspawns and slashed towards it with his spear. He channeled mana into his second spear. The barrier blocked an arrow of corroding liquid which one of the hellspawn had spat out.

    Terry channeled mana into both of his spears and bidirectional attraction gloves. Barriers appeared as he pulled two hellions from opposite directions and right onto his spears. He moved the barriers to loosen the hellions on his spears and then flung the injured creatures into the acidic body of water, where they sizzled into nothingness.

    Terry¡¯s feeling of accomplishment at seeing the creatures die was quickly washed away by the input from his mana sense and eyes.

    This won¡¯t work. If I pause to fight, I¡¯ll die. There¡¯s too many of them.

    Terry grit his teeth, burst his mana, and dashed forward in the sky.

    Damn it! Terry cursed inwardly when he noticed the coil spring in his boot mechanism overextend from his forceful jumps. He could fix the damage by infusing some mana into the mana-reactive alloy, but this would not only increase his mana consumption but also slow him down.

    Terry judged the situation in his mana sense and did not see any leeway to slow down. Perhaps, if he could increase the distance from the main battle between the undead horde and the hellspawn some more, but definitely not now.

    Terry began retrieving and transfixing items from his storage anklets to move forward in the sky. He anxiously sank his consciousness into the storage anklets and cursed himself once more. He still had quite a number of junk items stored, but there was still space for more. If he had only collected them more diligently along the way. Terry blamed his muddle-headedness on his sleep-deprivation.

    If I am going to die because I¡¯m missing some damned pebbles or slices of wood, I¡¯ll be pissed.

    Terry exhaled sharply and tried to make better use of his vertical movement by jumping higher up before letting himself drop into his target direction without having to use another foothold for a while.

    Unfortunately, this plan was quickly spoiled by interfering hellions that were rather too pleased with Terry¡¯s predictable downward trajectory.

    Terry frequently had to dodge or react quickly. He relied on his boot mechanism whenever possible, but he could not rely on it for longer periods of time or he would have to slow down too much.

    He attempted collecting his used junk items with the help of his inscribed gloves. Sadly, this was not always possible because of hellion interference. It was also hard to judge the timing. The delay between attracting the item and using it as a foothold was too large.

    In his desperation, Terry even considered using the incoming hellions as footholds¡­

    Terry¡¯s breathing sped up subconsciously. His sleep-deprived mind was reaching the limits of what he could keep track of simultaneously. Dodging, retrieving items, counter-attacking, transfixing footholds, collecting items, blocking with a barrier¡­

    ¡°Screee!¡± Several widowmakers began targeting Terry, and he had to move up and stay higher in the sky to avoid their attacks without wasting mana on disruption discharges.

    Terry could conserve a lot of mana by relying on burst techniques, spherical discharge pulses, and mana reabsorption, but over time, it all still added up. Terry¡¯s blood vessels became more and more visible. His eyes became bloodshot as pictures of his friends and family flickered through his mind again.

    Terry did not know how long he had been holding on, but finally, he came up empty when trying to retrieve a junk item from his storage anklet. Terry reflexively relied on his boot mechanism and instantly overextended the coil spring due to his high speed.

    Several arrows of corrosive liquid flew towards Terry before he had any chance to fix the coil spring. The sharp-toothed hellions were not far behind.

    Terry¡¯s mind raced, and it seemed as if time had slowed down¡­

    Transfixing the fixed layer of the boots? Abrupt stop. May work to dodge, but then what? Not an option.

    Dodge via fixed pearls? Abrupt stop. Same problem. Not an option.

    Extension coil springs from my gauntlet mechanism? Too slow to take effect. Might even pull me backwards. Not an option.

    Bidirectional attraction? Using what? Throwing and transfixing a throwing needle is too slow. Hellions? Then what? Getting bogged down here means death!

    One by one, the different options were eliminated in Terry¡¯s mind and a strange calmness overcame him as he closed his eyes¡­

    *Thwack!* Terry felt a dull pain on his head. He had dodged a claw by instinct, but his helmet was still hit by the hellion¡¯s limb.

    Involuntarily, Terry recalled the moments that Sigille had rebuked him with her dreaded staff during the training sessions.

    The blood rushed to Terry¡¯s head.

    For a split second, Terry saw his aunt Sigille as she ran through the sky above Syn City. Terry subconsciously channeled mana into the divine hammer inscription at his leg. His foot finally met some resistance, but the layer of mana shattered quickly.

    ¡®The sheer grit that was the Divine Hammer.¡¯ Terry heard Dhruv¡¯s voice in his head and he continued channeling mana into the inscription.

    Terry¡¯s foot had already shattered half a dozen layers, but Terry recreated them as quickly as they shattered. Finally, a layer held and Terry charged forward with a roar while blocking attacks with his barrier spears.

    When the time came for the next required foothold, Terry rapidly created several layers of divine mana underneath each other. While Terry wasn¡¯t able to make them very sturdy, his practice allowed him to make up for it with his activation speed at close range.

    Four layers broke, but before the fifth could break, Terry had already created new ones below. The eighth layer finally held, and Terry continued ahead.

    Liberated from his movement restrictions, Terry burst his mana beyond his limits and accelerated further and further. He had no delusions about getting out of the problematic area quickly, but he now had hopes of getting away from the worst of it while the hellspawn were getting entangled with the undead horde.

    As Terry was getting used to his newfound approach to rely on the divine hammer inscription for aerial movement, another scene involuntarily flashed through his mind.

    ¡®Well done,¡¯ said Sigille with a grin.

    ***

 111 Pass the Wastes

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 32 ¨C

    Terry somersaulted in the sky and hurled a spray canister at the pursuing flock of hellions. The canister transfixed in the air and the weight propelled by inertia caused a mist of darkwater to disperse over the hellspawn.

    ¡°Screee!¡± The hellions screeched in pain.

    Terry activated the divine hammer inscription and several layers of shattered mana later, he jumped to distance himself further from the debilitated creatures.

    Terry had learned quickly that his transfixed throwing needles or his skewer box did not work as well against the hellspawn with their frustrating ichor-aspected recovery abilities.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Terry inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. His mana consumption had balanced out again, now that he could rely on the divine hammer inscription for movement. His biggest remaining worry was that his sleep deprivation and lack of proper food were certain to destroy that fragile balance in the foreseeable future.

    Well, perhaps not the ¡®biggest¡¯ worry¡­

    Terry glanced anxiously to his left, where countless hellspawn were roaming around. He had been lucky that no other hellspawn species that was capable of flight had appeared, but the commotion created by the hellions that were pursuing him drew out a vast number of hellspawn along the way.

    Terry¡¯s stomach had plummeted into the abyss the first time he had detected an ascarab slithering over the earth with its torso lifted up. An ascarab was an advanced hellspawn that looked like a human-sized worm with two arm-like limbs, a protective beetle carapace at its torso, and a ring of sharp teeth at the end of its head.

    In the Path of a Mage, Terry had read about magical folks that looked like snake humanoids. The way the ascarabs slithered over the earth was exactly how Terry imagined these folks to move.

    The ascarabs shared an aspect with the behemoths, which had been dubbed the devouring aspect. While the behemoths focused on devouring mana and matter, the ascarabs devoured souls.

    Terry counted his blessings when the ascarab showed no inclination to get closer to him and moved parallel to Terry¡¯s own path instead.

    The second advanced hellspawn species that nearly gave Terry a heart attack was the appearance of a pharoh. This was a bipedal, scaled creature with four arms and the head of a crocodile. Their most terrifying trait was an affinity to another hellspawn aspect: miasma. Even getting close to a pharoh would be like bathing in diluted darkwater.

    Unfortunately, the pharoh had not been as disinterested as the ascarab. Instead, it had mounted a behemoth and was now riding the gigantic six-legged creature in pursuit of Terry.

    Fortunately, Terry could exploit the acidic, orange body of water whenever there was a danger of the behemoth getting too close. As such, Terry''s combat clashes were mostly limited to hellion confrontations, which Terry still dealt with successfully up to now.

    Probably not for long though¡­

    ¡°Shut up!¡± hissed Terry through gritted teeth. He ignored his intrusive thoughts and pushed forward through the sky above the hellspawn hive.

    Terry did not know if he should count himself lucky or not. On the one hand, he mainly had to deal with hellions, and these were creatures he could handle. On the other hand, they also had some means of tracking him, even when he cloaked his mana and wore his enchanted concealment ring.

    Related to their screeching or antennae, maybe?

    Terry shook his head slightly while rushing forward without rest. After several hours, Terry narrowed his eyes when he sensed a change in mana signatures on the way ahead.

    Undead again? Have I reached the end of the hellspawn territory? Wait¡­

    Terry subconsciously sped up.

    Are those folk signatures? So many? A battle?

    Terry furrowed his brow. He contemplated what to do and continued on his path.

    ***

    Terry nearly messed up the activation of his divine hammer inscription when he could finally get a visual confirmation of the folk signatures he had perceived with his mana sense.

    The thing that took Terry aback was that the people engaging the undead were clearly all wearing the same colors. Even at the current distance, this fact stood out among the green glow of the death aura creatures and the dark hills behind. All of these people were wearing silver.

    Terry squinted and clenched his fists. He recalled that this silver was the color of Tiv¡¯s army uniforms. His thoughts became muddled. Blood rushed to Terry¡¯s head and anger towards Tiv was welling up.

    Terry remembered how Megumi and Lizzy had talked about how Tiv stopped performing army patrols through the Wasted Zone, leaving the wasters to fend for themselves.

    Terry recalled the tragic stories from Syn City. Abandoned wasters like Olivienne, who turned herself into a skeletal warrior in order to protect her baby son.

    Terry remembered Yancey, who had spoken up for Lizzy because of her grandfather, who was trying to reestablish the patrols. Yancey had learned magic to protect his family, and he had been killed by pursuing mage hunters for daring to learn magic without permission. The death mage had hatefully berated Tiv for abandoning the wasters while always finding personnel to go after unsanctioned mages.

    Without him being aware of it, Terry¡¯s breathing accelerated and his blood pumped faster and faster through his veins. He checked his current location and trajectory with his five-point inscription ring and the act made him remember something else.

    Northeast.

    Terry remembered how many people had alluded to a mysterious deployment of Tiv troops in the northeast, how that was one reason why the patrols had been stopped.

    When Terry recalled one person in particular, hatred welled up further. The Preacher, too, had once complained about such a thing. The Preacher who had also plotted against Arcana¡¯s barrier. The Preacher who had set all the things in motion that led to Isille being hurt and to Terry being in this mess. The Preacher who had been elected minister for the Tiv Empire.

    After thinking of the Preacher, Terry¡¯s mind moved towards Ava, who had brought her division of cultist soldiers to threaten Syn City.

    Inevitably, Terry¡¯s mind reached Bright Willow. Willow, who had killed Sigille. Willow, who had threatened his whaka. Willow, who had been elevated to a position of power in the Tiv Empire.

    Terry involuntarily thought of Harrison, who had occasionally worn his own silver army uniform. Harrison, whom Terry had once considered a friend until he chose to side with Willow. Harrison, whom Terry had killed because he had chosen to be a threat to Terry''s whaka.

    Soldiers that chose to work for the Tiv Empire¡­

    One by one, Terry¡¯s exhausted mind was bringing up reasons to hate the Tiv Empire and the soldiers that chose to follow its orders.

    Abandoning those that need protection.

    Orders.

    Hounding those that try to protect themselves.

    Orders.

    Following orders, no matter how despicable.

    Orders.

    I believe in choices¡­

    Terry stared forward with fierce eyes and he growled: ¡°You¡¯re no innocent villagers.¡±

    Orders.

    Blame the people that brought the Wastes to Arcana. If it hadn¡¯t been for the Preacher and his co-conspirators, I wouldn¡¯t be here either.

    Orders.

    I¡¯m sure the Preacher would order you to fight these creatures behind me as well.

    Terry exchanged his five-point inscription ring with the enchanted concealment ring, which they had looted from the bandits. He jumped higher up into the sky without changing course.

    Terry was dashing rapidly towards the clash between the undead horde and the Tiv soldiers. A trail of hellions was following behind Terry in the air. Another large swarm of hellspawn was following on the ground below.

    In a corner of Terry¡¯s weary mind, a seed of curiosity was growing behind the immediate danger of the situation. He could not help but wonder exactly what the Tiv Empire considered so important to have so many strong soldiers deployed to this location while citizens were suffering all around the Wasted Zone without a single soldier present to protect them.

    After another hour of running madly, Terry could sense the hellspawn below tearing into the mid-sized horde of undead. The behemoth with the pharoh on its back had even broken through directly to the Tiv soldiers. Terry continued forward and used the opportunity to kill the group of hellions that were still on his tail. Now that there were other targets in the area, it was unlikely that more hellions would follow anytime soon.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Terry jumped circles around the creatures while slashing fiercely at them with his spears. His barrier spears were great for blocking the incoming ranged attacks, but they were not so great for killing the hellions due to the hellspawn''s ichor-aspected recovery abilities. Among Terry''s weapons, the lightning- and coldfire-aspected spears worked best for finishing the hellions off.

    One by one, Terry eradicated the lion-faced hellspawn in the sky until, for the first time in a long while, Terry¡¯s surroundings became calm ¨C at least if one ignored the huge ruckus on the ground near to him.

    Terry turned around to use the opportunity to finally get away from all the trouble when something in his mana sense caused him to pause. At one location, a thin cloud of mana had appeared out of nowhere. Terry, who was still concealed, stared down and spotted a larger hole leading into the ground at an angle.

    After Terry¡¯s attention had been drawn to the mana, he also noticed several other similar signatures. The other locations were all guarded by soldiers in Tiv uniform.

    When Terry spotted one of these locations, he gulped. It was an elevated area of rock with a very distinct entrance. The sight caused Terry to finally realize what these thin layers of mana represented.

    Dungeon.

    Terry bit his lips.

    What kind of dungeon has so many entrances? And one suddenly appearing out of nowhere at that? Wait¡ª

    Terry remembered his time with the dungeon scavengers. ¡°Losing control? Turning dormant?¡± He stared down with a furrowed brow. ¡°What the Wastes is going on down there?¡±

    Terry wrestled with himself. In a half daze, Terry began wolfing down food and swallowing large mouthfuls of mana-imbued cold tea. The reflex to make good use of any rest time had been deeply ingrained into Terry over the past days.

    Eventually, Terry¡¯s curiosity ¨C accompanied by an unexplainable feeling of dread ¨C won over his desire to leave.

    Terry double-checked his concealment, and he switched from his divine hammer inscription back to his cloaked boot mechanism. Like this, he made his way to the recently opened entrance, which wasn¡¯t guarded by soldiers yet.

    Down on the ground, Terry looked around. The entrance was secluded from the active battle.

    From up close, Terry was absolutely certain that this was a dungeon. The feeling was all too familiar. Terry stared at the dungeon entrance in thought.

    Sheltered Guardian. Nosy Guardian.

    What if this is another plot that might affect Arcana? Affect my whaka?

    But I finally have the chance to break free from the pursuit by the Wastes. A chance to return to my whaka.

    But if we had discovered the plot by Willow and the Preacher before they succeeded in destroying the barrier, then none of this would have happened.

    What if¡­?

    Terry hesitated with a conflicted expression.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we do our part?¡¯ Sigille¡¯s question echoed in Terry¡¯s mind. He took a deep breath and stepped into the dungeon¡¯s tunnel.

    ***

    Little by little, the defense around the Libra Outpost was falling apart. To many, it appeared a miracle that they had persisted for this long despite the odds. If it hadn¡¯t been for the constant spell support provided through the giant druid oak, they wouldn¡¯t have.

    But no matter how big an advantage the holy aspect gave the many channelers, no matter how steadfast Dhruv stood at the center of their defense, the ongoing battle against the indefatigable hordes of undead was taking its toll.

    A silver-robed man was covering the backs of some of his friends as they tried to retreat to the next line of fortifications.

    ¡°Argh!¡± a death spear hit the man from a blind angle. He was lucky that his armor prevented the worst from happening.

    Unfortunately, the shock and the following lapse in attention allowed a group of zombies to rush in and overwhelm the man temporarily. Before the man could disentangle himself from the creatures, he had already been bitten.

    The man grit his teeth. In a violent burst of mana, he shook off the zombies but found himself trapped and all paths of retreat blocked.

    Looking back, the silver-robed man saw another large group of zombies rush towards him. Just when he was about to curse in hopeless resignation, a blast of rock projectiles exploded from the ground and tore the zombies apart.

    A moment later, the ground reshaped and Lori burst forth with her spears in hand. Her barrier spear blocked another volley of death spears.

    ¡°You need to go back to the infirmary. Have the cultists clean that bite,¡± ordered Lori. ¡°Afterwards, go to Emily and the others and have them restrain you. They can observe you and watch for warning signs while you rest. We can¡¯t afford a life turning. Neither in the defense line, nor in the shelter.¡±

    The man coughed and collapsed on the ground. He tried to get back up, but realized that he did not have enough strength left to make it back on his own.

    ¡°Okay, now you should be fine,¡± said Lori, and returned her attention to the arriving undead.

    All around the two, fire-aspected arrows arrived and covered Lori''s position. Lori displayed a reassured smile towards a spot where the figure of Miguel was aiming through an arrow slit inside the Guardian fortifications.

    A white lynx with purple markings appeared under the protection of a spherical arcane shield. The soul spirit bit into the injured man¡¯s silver robe, extended its arcane shield around the man, and began pulling him to a safe location.

    A group of ghouls lunged at the arcane shield, but before they could arrive, they were eviscerated by multiple arrows and arcane bolts.

    Shortly after, all the undead creatures were hurled through the air and pushed back when Calam arrived in a massive leap and unleashed his spell.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t get it,¡± stammered the silver-robed man. He looked from Lori to Calam, and back to the fortifications. ¡°Why would people like you side with someone like that Terry? It makes no sense!¡±

    Lori looked at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret saving your ignorant bum. You ask why?¡± She scoffed. ¡°Because in contrast to you, we actually know Terry. You know nothing.¡±

    A death specter floated up from the ground and sent its haunts towards Lori.

    ¡°One of those annoying towels again.¡± Lori scowled, retrieved a fire-aspected short spear, and slashed at the haunts.

    Before Lori could engage the death specter itself, a claw rose from the shadows and shadow blades ripped the ethereal creature apart. For a brief moment, a woman in grey armor with encrusted spiders nodded at Lori and then disappeared into the shadows again.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Lori looked pensively after the disappearing woman and clicked her tongue. ¡°Patricia.¡± She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°Honest or not?¡±

    Just when Lori was about to return to her liquified earth pocket, Dhruv lowered himself on a giant vine and appeared next to her.

    ¡°You know, lass, you would have made a great root protector,¡± said Dhruv. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t such a bad time, I would be tempted to teach you a few tricks that root protectors from the druids employ.¡± He pointed towards another location. ¡°You should move over there. We have to abandon this side. The death hunters have¡ª Speaking of death hunters.¡±

    Lori nodded and did not wait around to hear the explanation. She trusted the old druid¡¯s instructions and left for the location he had pointed out.

    Elenec dropped from the sky. ¡°Damn, the aerial battle is getting more and more intense.¡±

    ¡°How did it go?¡± asked Dhruv.

    ¡°It worked,¡± replied Elenec with a slight grimace. ¡°We managed to lure the first group of skullfeast hippos here.¡±

    From the city¡¯s edge, about a dozen massive hippos stomped into the area and caused all the buildings to shake from their thunderous approach. Their skeleton appeared to be both internal and external. Their most distinguishing features were the skull that surrounded the flesh on their head and their death-aspected mana signature.

    The skullfeast hippos tore through the buildings and hurled themselves hungrily at the undead creatures. They chomped frenziedly and feasted to their hearts¡¯ content.

    The death spear spells did not harm the skullfeast hippos in the least. Instead, it looked as if the mana-corrupted hippos were welcoming the death-aspected spells eagerly.

    The claws and teeth of the zombies or ghouls had no way to penetrate the hippos¡¯ thick hides, and the hippos gorged themselves while grunting in satisfaction.

    ¡°They¡¯ll do a good amount of damage by flanking the horde, but sooner or later, we will have to deal with them, too,¡± remarked Elenec.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s still worth it,¡± said Dhruv grimly. ¡°Thank your colleagues for me. Unless we pull tricks like this, then there won¡¯t be a later.

    ¡°The scope of the dimensional gate limits the speed at which the undead come through, but it¡¯s not just the dimensional gate we need to worry about anymore.¡± Dhruv¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°This battle is drawing the attention of more and more creatures from the vicinity.¡±

    Dhruv looked up. ¡°And the high-level death mages and lichs are increasingly targeting my oak directly.¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s my cue,¡± said Elenec, and soared into the sky.

    Dhruv stepped on a lowered vine swing and had it pull himself up.

    At the next line of fortifications, other people were observing the aerial battle anxiously.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look good up there,¡± remarked Wallace. He aspected a fresh arrow with brightfire and shot it into the skull of a skeletal warrior in the distance.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± exclaimed Miguel in a grumbling tone. He shot a mana suction arrow at a death specter and immediately refilled his enchanting quiver. He tried to keep his enchanting quivers filled at all times for emergencies while firing as quickly as the quivers could enchant new arrows.

    Wallace peeked around to get a better idea of the situation while using the time to aspect more arrows with fire and brightfire to restock the supply that he and Miguel relied on.

    ¡°One of the lichs is flying lower now,¡± said Wallace while squinting. ¡°My bow won¡¯t work, but I believe your bow¡¯s reach could suffice.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Miguel looked up and frowned. ¡°Perhaps it does but¡­¡± Even after several breaths, he did not see a direct line for an arrow to pass and hit the lich¡¯s skull. ¡°But with the druid¡¯s vines and roots smashing around everywhere, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hit it from here.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Wallace smacked his tongue. He held out his hand. ¡°Would you mind lending me your bow and one of your fancy exploding arrows?¡± He placed his own bow on the ground.

    Miguel raised an eyebrow but did as was asked. He could continue firing into the horde with any bow and currently, the aerial battle was the most troublesome. Even if the chance was slim, any chance to impede a lich was worth taking.

    Wallace tested Miguel¡¯s metal-aspect reinforced bow. ¡°Good bow.¡± He nocked the enchanted arrow and took calm, measured breaths.

    Abruptly, Wallace narrowed his eyes and loosened the arrow. *Thwish*

    Miguel watched the slightly wobbling arrow fly off. After half a breath, Miguel felt like sighing. He could already see a thick vine moving into the arrow¡¯s path.

    Unexpectedly, the wobbling arrow¡¯s trajectory changed slightly. It curved and successfully passed through the dense net of moving obstacles.

    The arrow entered the lich¡¯s skull from below, and the arrowhead exploded inside.

    Even though the lich was not vanquished yet, it provided an opportunity for the death hunters. They instantly pressured the lich and pushed the creature into the range of Rachel¡¯s Sanctuary.

    As the outpost¡¯s main spellwork instructor, Rachel was one of the pillars that had allowed the defense to hold up so far. Her exquisite robes were fluttering wildly in the wind and she used the opportunity to blast the weakened lich apart with an intense ray of fire.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± exclaimed Miguel with wide eyes. He looked at Wallace. ¡°Was that intentional?¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Wallace grinned. ¡°Not everyone has access to good magic toys. You learn to adapt in order to improve.¡± He winked. ¡°If we survive this, I can show you.¡±

    ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Wallace switched bows with Miguel again and frowned. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t my little angel become a dainty seamstress or a burly lumberjack or anything else that would not require coming here? Have I mentioned that I hate this place?¡±

    Miguel snorted. ¡°Once or twice since this started.¡± He looked at the undead. ¡°Can¡¯t blame you for that either.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± cursed Wallace with a glance to the frontlines. ¡°The gold cages prepared by Cadence have done a good job to keep the zombies out, but with so many death knights hacking holes into them, we¡¯ll probably have to retreat further back soon.¡±

    ***

 112 Mysterious Deployment in the Northeast

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 32 ¨C

    Terry used his five-point inscription ring to mark the position of the entrance and then returned the ring to his dimensional bag. Terry double-checked his mana cloaking and the concealment effect of his enchanted ring. Terry controlled his breathing. Finally, he began descending through the dungeon tunnel while focusing on his mana sense.

    Dungeon mana is still apparent in the walls. Not just sparse mana crystals, but ambient mana everywhere. This dungeon is still active.

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    But the mana suppression is quite weak. Point in favor of the turning dormant theory.

    Terry followed the passage until he reached a fork. He glanced back.

    There was no reservoir room. With how narrow the tunnel is and considering that it¡¯s not directly connected to a room¡­ definitely not a normal entrance. Exit. Special exit.

    Terry frowned slightly and became pensive.

    If this is an exit that is normally reserved for dungeon divers after a special encounter, then who knows how far it goes down? Special encounters are more frequent in deeper locations.

    Terry retrieved the ring with the five-point inscription again and pondered with a conflicted expression.

    The Chara Settlement. The Libra Outpost. The location of our last transfer. The location from where I sensed the blood tulips. This dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    Terry felt hesitant. Inside the dungeon, it was not always possible to sense the markers outside, which meant that they provided little use to Terry. His current priority was to not get lost inside.

    I have the map. I just need to keep a general sense of direction outside. Avoid the Wastes. Move towards Arcana. I left the signaling cube with the tulips and I can find the place again with the map.

    Terry finally resolved himself to erase some of the marked locations in order to free up points for this dungeon. He created a new marker for the current fork and kept the inscribed ring on his finger.

    Terry did not sense any mana signatures ahead and decided to take the left path. Before he made a step, however, Terry hesitated once more. He glanced toward where he had come from. While Terry was wondering what he was even doing here, his gaze landed on the floor. He noticed his own tracks on the thin layer of dirt.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry stepped slightly into the air and relied on his cloaked boot mechanism to avoid leaving tracks from this point onwards.

    Right. It¡¯s not just dungeon critters I have to worry about here.

    Terry glanced at his enchanted concealment ring.

    It¡¯s possible that the Tiv soldiers have magic items as well. I should be more careful.

    Terry weighed his options.

    Maintaining a constant detection field would stand out and draw attention. Detection pulses might work as long as I keep them thin enough to stay below their mana sensitivity.

    Terry frowned and bit the inside of his lower lip.

    If they notice the pulses though, then the pulse would immediately give away my position.

    What am I doing here again? Being nosy, that¡¯s right¡­

    Terry¡¯s thoughts drifted once more until he remembered another option. He retrieved a third ring and put it on the same hand as the ring with the five-point inscription.

    Since I¡¯m not using these constantly, the mana interference should be negligible.

    Terry channeled mana into the third ring, and a slightly translucent purple vampire bat appeared in the air with fluttering wings.

    Terry grimaced at the flood of additional sensory inputs. He clenched his teeth and guided the bat projection to check the path first.

    Its mana signature is weak enough. Bats shouldn¡¯t be a rare sight in dungeons either. I guess the color is a giveaway, but the light in here is weird to begin with. At least if the bat projection is discovered, it will not immediately reveal my location.

    From then on, Terry fell into a routine. He relied on his mana sense for a first probe into new passages and followed up with the vampire bat projection. Like this, he made his way further down. He did not leave any tracks behind.

    Terry reached a small room that appeared empty, and he thought of an additional check. He remembered the mana games he had used to play when he was younger. This gave him an idea to adjust the detection pulse approach to his current situation. He created several thin clouds of mana and guided them through the room to check for any invisible obstructions. To Terry''s relief, the room revealed nothing, just like several rooms afterwards.

    Eventually, Terry reached a large room with several structures resembling ramparts. The room was empty in the beginning, but Terry sensed a fire-aspected slime emerge from one of the walls. The dungeon-native creature appeared weak and did not pose much of a threat to Terry.

    Most likely, it can¡¯t sense me, anyway. That fire slime doesn¡¯t look high rank. If it can¡¯t rely on heat sense, then it can only rely on mana sense.

    It did not surprise Terry that the slime did not pay him any attention. What did surprise him, however, was that the slime immediately left the room after it had scaled down the wall.

    That¡¯s a bit odd.

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He observed the slime¡¯s movements in his mana sight. It did not take long before other mana signatures appeared to join the slime. All of them moved together in the same direction.

    Definitely odd.

    Terry suppressed a tired yawn and followed behind the dungeon creatures. After a while, Terry reached a cliff. This was a large tunnel going straight down. Several smaller passages, like the one which Terry had followed, fed into this vertical shaft. Terry stared down pensively.

    Must be that all the dungeon creatures in the slime¡¯s entourage were climbers.

    While this might have been a dead end for others, Terry simply continued walking through the air. It did not make a difference if he walked slightly above the floor to avoid leaving tracks or if he did so far above the bottom of a hole.

    *clank* *rumble*

    Terry furrowed his brow because he heard sounds of battle rise from the hole. From deep in the hole. He summoned the vampire bat projection and was immediately assaulted by the amplified scent of blood.

    Such an intense blood stench in a dungeon¡­

    Terry tilted his head from side to side.

    Either there are many combatants or the dungeon has lost the ability to claim dead bodies. Terry was scowling. Or both.

    Terry looked down into the vertical shaft and then upwards.

    At the very least, this offers a straightforward path to retreat if necessary.

    A slightly translucent purple vampire bat projection flew downwards. It was followed by thin clouds of naturalized mana whirring through the air. A concealed figure closely followed.

    The further down Terry walked, the deeper the wrinkles on his forehead became. The dungeon¡¯s interference was still blocking his mana sense from reaching too deep through its walls, and Terry was left to baselessly speculate why the Tiv army would pay so much attention to this particular dungeon.

    During his descent, Terry saw many dungeon creatures appearing from the side passages. Various slimes, geckos, spiders, and even mana-corrupted monkeys scaled the walls to move further down into the hole.

    The further Terry went down, the stronger the creatures that appeared were, which was as expected. However, strength wasn¡¯t the only difference. At first, Terry had not noticed, but the stronger the creatures, the fewer of them he could see. This was less expected. Normally, the frequency of stronger creatures would increase further down to rival the number of weaker creatures on higher floors.

    Odd.

    Terry paused in the center of the hole and looked around. None of the dungeon creatures on the walls paid him any attention while they were rushing down. Terry knew he should feel relieved that his concealment was working, but something was gnawing at his mind.

    Something felt off.

    Terry suppressed another tired yawn and stretched. For a while, Terry stared pensively down. He closed his eyes and thought about abandoning whatever he was doing here, about returning to the surface and simply using the chance to leave this place.

    Terry¡¯s brow twitched. With his eyes closed, he thought he could make out a new sound in the area. He opened his eyes with a complicated expression and used his vampire bat projection to confirm the auditory sensation.

    There. Terry looked towards a specific passage. The voices are coming from there.

    Terry walked through the air, away from the hole, and into the passage. Terry could make out voices, but he did not find a direct path to get closer to the source of the voices. He had to follow another path beyond a fork instead.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    After continuing for some time, Terry reached a cavern from where he could hear a sizzling noise. Terry¡¯s eyes widened when he spotted the orange water that covered the whole bottom of the cavern. He surveyed his surroundings.

    Is the dungeon connected to that acidic lake?

    Terry looked up. The ceiling in this room appeared unusually high.

    Was there a proper floor here at some point? A bridge? Anything?

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    If the dungeon relies on mana to protect structures against the orange acid, then the dungeon losing control would explain a change in terrain.

    Terry stepped up into the air to get closer to the ceiling, where he found another passage to continue forward. He passed through several similar caverns without a hitch.

    Eventually, Terry discovered something he had not expected in a dungeon. In front of another disconnected passage, there was a door. A magically reinforced door. Not a dungeon structure.

    Dungeons don¡¯t normally create regular keyholes, do they?

    Terry narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the door that should not exist. He looked around with a quizzical expression.

    What in the Wastes is Tiv doing here? I¡¯ve never heard about anyone maintaining something like that in a dungeon. That would require constant supervision and maintenance. That would mean establishing a permanent presence and wrestling partial control from the dungeon to prevent the dungeon from tearing it down again.

    Terry subconsciously shook his head.

    But a permanent presence would be problematic for all sorts of reasons. Even putting the risks of damaging the dungeon aside, this is madness.

    The risk of mana corruption and dungeon assimilation. The potential detrimental effects of longer exposure to mana suppression.

    The constant struggle against the dungeon and its creatures.

    The sheer number it would require¡ª

    Terry frowned when he recalled the number of soldiers outside and how much time it had been since he had first heard about this mysterious deployment. The extent of this entire operation.

    Why? What for?

    Terry continued shaking his head in thought. He peeked through the keyhole and saw nothing. He guided a thin cloud of his mana through the keyhole and, again, detected nothing.

    Terry squinted at the keyhole.

    The door is magically reinforced, but it¡¯s a plain and simple lock¡­ Intended to block dungeon creatures and probably not taking folks into account.

    Terry puckered his lips and narrowed his eyes.

    Screw it. I want to know what¡¯s going on here.

    He guided a denser ball of his naturalized mana into the keyhole to get an impression of the lock¡¯s shape in his mana sight. Terry pulled a small metal ingot from his Academy bag and began reshaping the metal with the help of the spell imprint in his bracer.

    After Terry had reconstructed a working key and unlocked the door, he pushed the door open to find an empty passage. He perked up his ears when he heard the sound of voices again. He was getting closer to the source.

    ***

    ¡°You have your orders!¡± spat Claude coldly.

    The soldiers glared at Claude and everyone else that wore the same uniform and insignia as him.

    Yujin inwardly cursed at this socially impaired nincompoop. With how standoffish Claude and his ilk were, she saw no way to salvage the situation without taking a clear stance.

    Several of Yujin¡¯s subordinates already had their hands on the hilts of their weapons. They had not unsheathed them yet, but they appeared to be at the end of their patience.

    To make it worse, there were many soldiers that did not belong to Yujin¡¯s original platoon. They had arrived with earlier platoons to reinforce the dungeon. These soldiers had been here long before Yujin had arrived. They had already lost their previous commander and many of their comrades in this dungeon. These soldiers were already filled to the brim with anger and despair.

    These soldiers did not have the same respect for Yujin as her original subordinates did. That her own rank was the highest present did not make up for the fact that they had been here first, nor for their heated emotional state. To put herself against these soldiers in this situation would further erode Yujin¡¯s standing among them. She had to carefully weigh her next actions. Orders meant nothing if no one was willing to follow them.

    In the end, Yujin shared a glance with some of her trusted soldiers from her own platoon. They were the only ones whom Yujin could truly rely on, and seeing their expressions helped her make up her own mind.

    ¡°You owe us an explanation, Claude.¡± Yujin spoke firmly. Her voice stopped several of the soldiers from other platoons that were about to lose their temper with Claude.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± retorted Claude snippily.

    ¡°In that case, I have to pull rank,¡± said Yujin. ¡°I insist.¡±

    Claude sneered. ¡°Your rank in the army may be higher, but in this location, I am the highest authority.¡± He pointed at the insignia on his uniform. ¡°The ranks here are different.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Yujin held his gaze. ¡°Says who?¡±

    Claude¡¯s expression fell. The faces among the soldiers on his side flushed with anger.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been courteous with you so far,¡± said Yujin. ¡°I don¡¯t feel that my courtesy is being reciprocated. So let me make this clear. I have orders to support the defense of this place, true.¡± She gestured towards some of her soldiers, who immediately blocked the exits and kept their hands on their weapons. ¡°But I never received instructions to ignore the military chain of command.¡±

    Yujin carefully maintained a deadpan expression. She knew that her portrayal was a stretch. It was perfectly clear to her who was supposed to be the authority in this place and it wasn¡¯t herself. Even so, she could make a defense based on the literal wording of her orders, which should suffice to put some pressure on Claude and his troops.

    ¡°From where I stand, you, Claude, are guilty of insubordination,¡± said Yujin with careful enunciation. She spotted a few grins on some of the soldiers. One of them, a soldier from another platoon, even began clapping.

    Next to Claude, the soldiers with a special insignia on their uniforms now put their hands on their weapons as well. They glared at Yujin and the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to postpone the matter of discussing an appropriate punishment.¡± Yujin spoke up quickly to deflate some of the building tension. ¡°But I have to remind you that I have orders. If I see the fulfillment of my orders threatened by your presence, then my orders compel me to remove you.¡± Yujin spoke slowly and firmly, word for word: ¡°As I see it, you are currently obstructing my mission by withholding relevant information.¡±

    Inwardly, Yujin thought to herself that this was definitely the truth. Without soldiers that would follow her orders, her orders were meaningless. With Claude¡¯s previous attitude, desertion and mutiny would be inevitable given the current precarious situation.

    ¡°I am to support the defense of this place and with how things are going, that requires more information,¡± said Yujin. ¡°We are stretched thin and we won¡¯t be able to maintain all positions, so I have to prioritize.

    ¡°And I can¡¯t prioritize troop allocations if I don¡¯t know for what purpose we are protecting this place,¡± continued Yujin with a determined look towards Claude. ¡°I can¡¯t come up with a strategy if I don¡¯t know the primary objective to ensure. In so many words, I hereby order you to explain.¡± Yujin forced herself to ignore the bated breaths among the soldiers and focus entirely on Claude.

    After more than a minute of silence, Claude finally spoke up. ¡°This place is not just a dungeon. It¡¯s a prison.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Yujin with surprise and a hint of irritation. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°It is of the utmost importance to protect this place,¡± stressed a woman who shared Claude¡¯s special insignia on her uniform. ¡°You are not qualified to get a detailed briefing.¡±

    ¡°What prison?¡± spat one soldier. ¡°Why don¡¯t you move your wasted prisoners to another location?¡±

    ¡°Or kill them!¡± A soldier with fierce eyes shouted. ¡°Are you seriously saying that we lost thousands of soldiers because you were unwilling to kill a few prisoners?¡±

    ¡°Why even pick a dungeon as a prison?¡± More and more complaints spilled out.

    Yurin¡¯s expression darkened. She could think of potential reasons for picking a dungeon as a location. A death in a dungeon would not leave any trace. Dungeon interference obstructed signals and mana senses. That being noted, there were also obvious downsides to maintaining a permanent presence in a dungeon. All in all, such a thing went against common sense.

    ¡°These are none of your concern,¡± spat the prison guard next to Claude. ¡°These decisions have been made by the people that have ordered you to this place. Unless you intend to desert, you should worry about how to achieve your mission instead of why. The security of this place is paramount. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±

    Yujin exhaled sharply. While the tension in the room had eased somewhat with the final revelation of their purpose here, she was sure that this was only a temporary relief. She decided to press the issue.

    ¡°Let me repeat: This¡ª¡± Yujin stopped herself when she noticed new messengers arriving. The messengers looked ghastly.

    Yujin immediately stepped forward to receive the message. The fact that the messenger handed her a written note showed that this was sensitive. While reading the message, Yujin¡¯s complexion became pale and a cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

    ¡°You did well.¡± Yujin spoke to the messengers and did not dare to dawdle. ¡°Tell them to retreat into the dungeon and hunker down in room C-5.¡± Then she turned to the second messenger. ¡°Relay the info to those fighting below and tell them to move up to T-12. Depending on the movements from the tears, we need to adjust course. If we¡¯re lucky, we will be able to all join up to make a stand.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Claude spoke up with indignation. ¡°You have orders to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± interrupted Yujin testily. ¡°But orders won¡¯t fulfill themselves. You need soldiers, and right now, our soldiers are getting decimated out there. It will be a miracle if any of us survives the day.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª?¡± Claude stared at her in disbelief.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Yujin. ¡°I would explain if you stopped interrupting, soldier.¡± Yujin took a deep breath and then addressed the soldiers while focusing her gaze on her trusted subordinates. ¡°More hellspawn have arrived outside. They have made quick work of the undead, and most of our comrades outside are already dead.¡±

    In an instant, the atmosphere became grave.

    ¡°This is not just a scouting or raiding party,¡± said Yujin. ¡°The worst risk we had identified has now materialized. A whole swarm has appeared at this dungeon¡¯s entrance. Behemoths that can change size. Worst of all, there is already one confirmed spellweaver among the pharohs.¡±

    The mention of a spellweaver triggered grimaces of despair. Rarely, champions emerged from the hellspawn hives. These champions were always a cut above the others of the same rank. Some champions demonstrated an ability for structured magic. From the perspective of the spellwork in this realm, it looked wrong, but it was nevertheless structured magic and not just a mana ability.

    Aside from power and mana, spellweavers required intelligence. The hellspawn that were able to weave spells were the most troublesome to face. Structured magic also meant that it was difficult to judge their abilities. Just like two mages with the same mana could pose vastly different threats depending on their mastered spells, the same applied to spellweaving hellspawn.

    After Yujin had spoken, even Claude paled. He shared anxious glances with the other prison guards. ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°Will this place truly fall? I don¡¯t want to die,¡± wailed one of the prison guards.

    ¡°Do something!¡± yelled another prison guard at the soldiers. ¡°You have orders to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Yujin glared at the prison guards. ¡°This situation is beyond what we can handle with the forces we have. We will make our last stand. Unless you want to die on your own, you will fight with us this time. If we can hold out until reinforcements arrive, then¡ª¡±

    One of the soldiers from another platoon sneered loudly. ¡°What reinforcements? I heard there won¡¯t be any more reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°And this changes what exactly?!¡± demanded Yujin. ¡°We can fight or we can lie down and die. I myself prefer to die fighting.¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± ¡°Commander!¡± Several of Yujin¡¯s trusted subordinates shouted with hardened resolve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Yujin. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed that Claude was still rooted to his spot with a pale but pensive expression.

    ¡°Do you have a better idea?!¡± demanded Yujin with narrowed eyes. ¡°Something worthwhile to share for once?!¡±

    ¡°Is¡­¡± Claude hesitated. ¡°Is the situation really as dire as you say?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of demoralizing my own troops,¡± hissed Yujin. ¡°If that is all, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± exclaimed Claude, but he did not continue speaking his thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it.¡± The prison guard, who had wailed for her life before, now stepped forward. ¡°There is a way to bring down the number of hellspawn.¡±

    Claude¡¯s expression darkened, but nonetheless, he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a risk, and it¡¯s¡­¡± He shook his head while his voice trailed off. ¡°No, if this place falls either way, then we have no choice.¡±

    ¡°Care to enlighten us?¡± prompted Yujin with annoyance. This whole dance of coyness was entirely inappropriate, given the urgency of the situation. ¡°What exactly can we do against the hellspawn?¡±

    ¡°Release the Savage,¡± replied Claude solemnly.

    ***

 113 Release the Savage

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 32 ¨C

    ¡°Do we finally get to look behind the mystery door?¡± quipped one soldier grumpily.

    ¡°I hope there are some useful supplies hidden behind it,¡± added another. ¡°Otherwise, this is a tremendous waste of time. What in bloody¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Yujin cut off the mouthy soldiers and watched Claude unlock the magically reinforced door with a plain metal key.

    ¡°This leads to the prison,¡± explained Claude and gestured for Yujin and her soldiers to move through.

    ¡°We still need to link up with the others,¡± reminded Yujin.

    ¡°The prison area is connected to several tunnels,¡± assured Claude. ¡°All of them are sealed with similar doors, usually more than one.¡±

    ¡°Could we get the others and hide here?¡± injected a soldier. ¡°These gates seem sturdy enough.¡±

    Yujin frowned, but did not reject the idea outright.

    ¡°That plan will fall apart once the champions arrive here,¡± said Claude. ¡°These gates were designed to block dungeon creatures. Hellspawn with sufficient intelligence for spellweaving or with devouring-enhancing mutations won¡¯t be blocked for long.¡±

    Yujin nodded slightly. ¡°But we could use the time to gather everyone and fortify our position.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but I would suggest another approach,¡± said Claude.

    ¡°The ¡®Savage¡¯?¡± Yujin asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained that one.¡±

    ¡°The prisoner here,¡± said Claude.

    Yujin¡¯s eyes narrowed at the way Claude phrased his statement. ¡°¡®The¡¯ prisoner? A single person?¡±

    Claude had already walked forward without caring to give a reply. They walked on top of a narrow stone bridge over an orange lake of acidic water.

    ¡°Explain.¡± Yujin lost her patience when Claude refused to elaborate of his own accord. ¡°Now. I must brief the soldiers in order to coordinate.¡±

    ¡°We can make use of the gates to redirect the hellspawn towards the Savage,¡± said Claude coldly. ¡°Keep this gate open to attract the hellspawn¡¯s attention here and then have them fight each other.¡±

    ¡°And a single prisoner is supposed to hold out for how long exactly?¡± asked Yujin skeptically. ¡°What could a single prisoner even do?¡±

    ¡°Fight,¡± replied Claude.

    ¡°Do you keep your prisoners armed and in fighting condition?¡± retorted Yujin with sarcasm. She was beginning to regret losing valuable time to Claude¡¯s harebrained idea.

    ¡°The prisoner has unexpectedly managed to maintain a fighting condition, yes,¡± replied Claude unperturbed. ¡°Not armed, but this is not a problem. Still, we will first have to release the Savage¡¯s restraints and shackles.¡±

    A vein was pulsating on Yujin¡¯s forehead from constantly having to read between the lines to get an idea of what Claude refused to say outright. She was wondering whether he did this on purpose or if it had become a subconscious habit that was hard to shake off for the prison guard.

    ¡°So this prisoner is really that powerful?¡± murmured Yujin. She frowned deeply. ¡°That may suit your plan, but how do you know the prisoner isn¡¯t simply going to use that strength to kill us and bail?¡±

    ¡°Not the type for it,¡± replied Claude calmly. ¡°And while I don¡¯t know for sure at this point, I will know before we decide to release the prisoner or not.¡± He motioned for one of the other prison guards to unlock the next gate. Behind the gate, a similar room with a high ceiling and another stone bridge appeared, only this bridge looked even more fragile than the previous one.

    Yujin furrowed her brow. She was tempted to kick the reticent Claude from the bridge and have him dissolve in the acid below. She clicked her tongue. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed one soldier whirling his head around to watch the ceiling. Yujin followed the soldier¡¯s gaze and tensed when she spotted some slight movement in a dark corner.

    Yujin relaxed when she realized it was just a small vampire bat with no mana core. Slight mana signature, so likely an extremely minor mana corruption. Nothing to worry about.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said Claude. ¡°This is the containment cell. I¡¯ll do the talking. Your soldiers stay back.¡± He motioned for two other prison guards to join him. ¡°In the meantime, you should prepare to lure the hellspawn.¡±

    ***

    In the dark cell, an emaciated and feral-looking elven woman raised her head. Between long, grey streaks of unruly hair, fierce eyes that glowed with mana turned towards the approaching prison guards. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Her voice was hoarse and carried a biting undertone. ¡°If he has come to visit again, you can tell him to leave right away. My answer has not changed. My answer will never change.¡± Her arms twitched and the mana-suppressing shackles noisily moved on the ground.

    ¡°He has not come again,¡± said Claude flatly. ¡°The reason he has stopped visiting is also the reason why I am now forced to speak to you.¡±

    The prisoner held his gaze without blinking.

    ¡°I have come with an offer,¡± continued Claude.

    The elven woman snorted dismissively.

    ¡°A different offer this time,¡± stressed Claude. ¡°This dungeon has been invaded by hellspawn. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re itching to move your muscles in battle after all this time. How about using that accumulated mana for the sake of the realm once more?¡±

    The feral woman tilted her head. ¡°Is Tivius still king?¡±

    ¡°The reigning king is Tivius¡¯s son,¡± replied Claude.

    The prisoner¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is Tivius still alive?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Claude clicked his tongue. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because if Tivius is alive, then once you undo these shackles.¡± The elf moved her arms to elicit clanging noises from the chains that bound her. ¡°He won¡¯t be alive for much longer.¡±

    ¡°Traitor,¡± spat one of the prison guards.

    ¡°Putting personal grievances over public duty,¡± rebuked another.

    Meanwhile, Claude was scowling silently.

    ¡°That face tells me that Tivius has lived to this day,¡± observed the feral woman. ¡°Every offer comes with terms. I will see that man dead. That is non-negotiable. If you expect me to promise differently, you can leave right away. Don¡¯t waste your precious time.¡±

    Claude took a deep breath and clicked his tongue once more. ¡°I only require a promise that you won¡¯t lash out against the present guards or soldiers once we release your shackles.¡±

    ¡°To be clear: If I am attacked, then I will retaliate.¡± The elven woman tilted her head. ¡°These terms only apply to the current situation. If your actions invite death in the future, then my promise of today won¡¯t bind me. Beyond that, I can agree to your terms.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Claude nodded and then ordered the prison guards next to him. ¡°Undo the restraints.¡±

    ¡°Are¡ª Are we sure this is a good idea?¡± One of the prison guards hesitated.

    ¡°Do as I say,¡± ordered Claude. ¡°Without her assistance, we will all die in this place.¡± Claude left the cell and the two other guards went to liberate the prisoner from her shackles.

    ¡°Where are the hellspawn?¡± asked Claude.

    ¡°Approaching from the room down the disconnected tunnel,¡± replied Yujin. ¡°If your plan does not work out, then they¡¯ll be coming our way. We need to engage them on the narrow bridge if possible.¡±

    ¡°Not ¡®we¡¯, she will engage them,¡± emphasized Claude. ¡°In that exact chamber.¡± A strange glint entered his eyes.

    After a while, the mana-suppression shackles were finally removed and an audible gasp exclaimed from the soldiers in the tunnel bordering the prison cell. The amount of mana that was being emitted from the released prisoner was overwhelming.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Yujin questioned her assent to Claude¡¯s idea once more.

    The thin, elderly elf was slowly walking forward on bare feet. The soldiers stared at the woman as if she was a monster in disguise. That such a frail old body could contain so much mana was beyond belief.

    Claude cleared his throat. ¡°Our current plan is to¡­¡± His voice trailed off when the savage-looking elf passed by him without paying the slightest attention to his words.

    ¡°We can give you a detailed briefing,¡± offered Yujin. She creased her brows when she realized that the woman¡¯s vast amount of mana carried only a single aspect. A particular aspect that made her recall all the previous information they had learned about this secret prison dungeon. Her eyes opened wide and her words became stuck in her throat.

    The elf moved her hands to the back of her head without interrupting her stride. Mana flashed and long strands of grey hair fell down. The hair had been cut short cleanly with practiced but long-unused spellwork.

    Another breath later, the elven woman had already reached the end of the disconnected tunnel and she jumped without the slightest hesitation.

    The Savage arrived in the middle of the bridge with a bang. A torrent of mana condensed into spellwork, and the bridge behind her collapsed loudly.

    With her back turned towards the sharp cliff, the elderly elf faced the charging hellspawn from the front. Her breathing was calm. Her eyes were sharp.

    A large juggernaut made up the vanguard for the hellspawn. A savage grin appeared on the wrinkly elven face. Her force-aspected mana flared fiercely, and entire chains of spells ignited all around her.

    The thin elven figure burst forward and her forceful charge smashed the juggernaut into a pulp. Kinetic blades rushed forth and cleaved the next line of hellspawn apart. Powerful pushing and pulling forces were created from different casting centers all around the room.

    A shrunk behemoth enlarged, but before it could unleash a devouring attack, it had been torn apart by several pulling forces at once. Widowmakers charged with skull domes ahead, only to find the incoming force too much to bear with their protective plates, despite their sturdiness.

    The hellspawn fell by the dozens at the hands of the ferocious elven woman with her fragile appearance.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Yujin gulped. She was shocked ¨C in part because of the astonishing performance, but even more by the realization that forced itself upon her.

    ¡°Alright, prepare to collapse the cavern,¡± ordered Claude. ¡°While they are entangled here, we can make our escape and make sure they all get buried together.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?!¡± Yujin¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. She stared fiercely at Claude and pointed at the savage prisoner, who was tearing through hellspawn as if they were made of wet paper. ¡°A force-aspected elven woman with that kind of mana pool? When has there ever been another one like her? Don¡¯t you realize who she is? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know who she is,¡± spat Claude and his gaze turned frigid. ¡°Everyone that guards this place knows who she is. We also know that her existence is a threat to the Tiv Empire. Even today, she has sworn to see the Founding King dead. If that woman escapes, there will be a regicide at best and a civil war at worst. She has destroyed the alliance in the past. She must pay the price for her sins.¡±

    ¡°How dare you?!¡± Yujin gripped her sword. Her trusted subordinates behind her did the same.

    ¡°You have your orders,¡± barked Claude. He and the prison guards unsheathed their own weapons. ¡°The Savage must not escape this prison. Remember that if we fight here, then we may all lose this chance and we will all die.¡±

    ¡°Commander, he may have a point.¡± One soldier spoke up. Fear was clear on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die in this place.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Yujin shook her head with a trace of madness in her eyes. ¡°This can¡¯t be. NO! I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this nonsense,¡± spat Claude. ¡°Soldiers, if you want to live, stand with me. As some of you have correctly pointed out before, there is no need to die here. It is impossible to salvage the prison. We only need to kill the prisoner and escape.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The soldiers quarreled with each other.

    ¡°The commander is in charge here!¡±

    ¡°I still have reasons to live for. I can¡¯t die in this place!¡±

    ¡°If you betray the commander, I¡¯ll personally put an ice spike through your brain.¡±

    Yujin felt sick to her stomach. Her previous plan to keep everyone in line and working together was falling apart in front of her eyes. Previously, she could appeal to the soldiers¡¯ sense of self-preservation and reinterpret orders to pressure Claude.

    Now, Claude was using a similar approach to force her on a path she decidedly did not want to walk. A path that she would never forgive herself for. Yujin wanted nothing more than to tear Claude¡¯s face apart this instant.

    While Yujin and the soldiers were irresolute, a concealed figure near the ceiling above them felt a lot less conflicted. Terry¡¯s brain was barely registering the current words that the nearby soldiers were shouting at each other. His ears were already ringing from thoughts, not sounds.

    Terry stared at the force-aspected elven woman with eyes ablaze. It wasn''t just because of the insanely large mana pool that made Terry''s seem like a tiger in front of an elephant.

    ¡®That¡¯s my kind of hero.¡¯ The scene of Sigille talking admiringly about the Valkyrie of Hope flickered through Terry¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Things would have been different if the Valkyrie had not died shortly after the retreat.¡¯ All the different encounters Terry had had in Tiv ran through his mind. All the struggles. All the pain.

    Terry saw red.

    Without being fully aware of it, Terry was already dropping down from the ceiling with his barrier spears in hand. During his fall, he transfixed some of the pearls in his armor, which caused him to rotate into an upside down position. All the force of his fall combined with his thrust¡­

    One of the stronger prison guards had their skull pierced from above.

    Terry spun again and began slashing ferociously at every prison guard in sight. He had already killed three before anyone could react.

    ¡°Ambush!¡± shouted Claude. Magic disruption discharges and anti-magic spells were hurled everywhere.

    Terry noticed one spell taking effect when he sensed the enchantment from his concealment ring weakening. One of their spells had drained the enchantment, which caused it to expire.

    Terry did not stop and only channeled his mana into his helmet to create the protective barrier. He thrust his spear at one more prison guard and then left it transfixed in the air to block another guard that was trying to intervene from the side.

    ¡°All with me!¡± Yujin made up her own mind after seeing Terry in action. ¡°Protect the Valkyrie!¡±

    Terry felt strangely calm at this moment. It was probably the most danger he had ever been in and yet, his mind was calm. He did not hold on to any thought except to fight. Battle was all that was left in his mind.

    He jumped, transfixed his mid-bracer pearl and pulled himself up while smashing his knee into a prison guard¡¯s chin from below. He deactivated the immovable pearl and then combined his own weight with a double-stomp onto the downed guard¡¯s head.

    ¡°Who is this?!¡± demanded Claude. ¡°Wait¡­¡± He spotted the insignia at the bag on Terry¡¯s waist and paled. ¡°Arcana?¡±

    ¡°C-could he be one of the people here to avenge the barrier?¡± A prison guard next to Claude stammered. ¡°Was it him that brought the hellspawn? There must be others¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± cursed Claude. ¡°Fight! Kill them! Both the deserters and the Arcanian!¡±

    Terry transfixed his shoulder pearls and unpredictably changed trajectory to avoid an incoming attack. He used his bidirectional attraction glove to pull the spear he had left behind towards himself.

    *Clang* ¡°Huh?¡± The spear hit a prison guard in the back, which distracted the guard just enough for Terry to arrive with a drawn keen dagger in hand and slash the mana blade over the man¡¯s exposed side and then thrust his spear through a gap in the guard¡¯s armor.

    All around, fights broke out between the two opposing soldier factions.

    Terry punched out an intense disruption discharge to slice several shaped spell structures apart before the mages could even ignite them.

    Among the spell structures, Terry recognized a Shadow Bind spell, which could be troublesome in a dungeon. He channeled mana into the divine hammer inscription and used the foothold to jump towards the offending mage.

    A barrage of ice spikes traveled through the air towards Terry. His training reflexes kicked in and, without thinking, he transfixed two spikes and dodged the rest.

    Terry left behind a number of transfixed throwing needles to obstruct any pursuers. In the dark and strange luminescence inside the dungeon, the needles were difficult to detect when moving fast and more than one hostile soldier injured themselves by charging at Terry or trying to follow him.

    With his mana sense, Terry subconsciously observed all mana movements in the vicinity. Shortly before he arrived near his target, he unleashed a prepared spherical disruption discharge that freed his path and bought him time.

    The man next to the target mage attacked Terry with a mace, only to smash face-first into his own weapon that had been transfixed in the air.

    Terry recognized the structure for Shadow Step ¨C a spell that allowed a mage to step into the shadow plane, which was mostly used to dodge or scout. Terry circulated a burst technique and sped up. When the mage attempted to flee into the shadows, he discovered in horror that he could not move. Parts of his armor were holding him in place.

    Terry arrived with two tightly grasped spears. An instant later, the spears pierced through the mage¡¯s armor. Simultaneously, Terry deactivated the Immovable Object spell and summoned his spear barriers. He sped up and forced the man towards the end of the disconnected tunnel. Another channeling of mana later, the barriers had pushed the mage over the spears, over the ledge, and into the acidic water below.

    ¡°Bastard!¡± The mage¡¯s friend was furiously charging with his brandished mace towards Terry.

    Terry had already known that the man was right behind him. As soon as Terry reached the cliff himself, he transfixed his wrist pearls and swung himself up into the air.

    The soldier was not prepared to suddenly lose his target in this manner and scrambled to stop before falling over the cliff. Unfortunately for him, Terry¡¯s bidirectional attraction gloves were tugging at him, and then Terry¡¯s feet came stomping down to ensure that the prison guard would follow his friend into his orange death.

    Terry shot one more glance towards the Valkyrie, who was decimating the hellspawn. He thought he could see her fleetingly glance back to him, but he did not pay it much attention.

    Terry returned to the disconnected tunnel, where prison guards and a minority of the other soldiers were facing off against Yujin and the rest. Several soldiers and guards from Claude¡¯s faction warily turned their attention to Terry, whose threat level they could not determine.

    Terry gripped his barrier spear tightly and held their gazes.

    These people!

    ¡°Hrrrmm¡­¡± A low growl escaped from Terry¡¯s throat.

    Two hundred years¡­

    Blood was rushing from Terry¡¯s exhausted body to his head.

    Two wasted centuries¡­

    A savage glint entered Terry¡¯s eyes.

    All of it!

    Terry charged forward with his barrier raised.

    ***

 114 Magic Obliges

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 33 ¨C

    A man in prison guard uniform was pushing hard against Terry¡¯s barrier. Terry¡¯s own arsenal of mana bursts and burst techniques was insufficient to hold his own against the advanced strengthening spellwork of this opponent.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry swiftly flicked a throwing needle from his sheath inscription leg strap to his left. He gripped his spear tightly, increased the amount of mana to support the barrier, and gritted his teeth.

    Terry transfixed the mid-wrist pearl on his bracer and used all his strength to redirect the pushing opponent with his own spear barrier as a lever and his transfixed pearl as the lever¡¯s fulcrum. The guard¡¯s own momentum worked against him and he was redirected right onto the immovable throwing needle.

    As soon as the man¡¯s movement was temporarily restrained, Terry transfixed the spear, ducked low and then air-stepped high. He first slashed with his keen daggers at the man¡¯s femoral artery and then feigned a thrust towards the man¡¯s temple to hide an acid spray container aimed at the guard¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Terry¡¯s opponent was taken off guard by the quick succession of attacks. Most of the others had grown very wary of Terry¡¯s immovable needles and avoided charging at Terry. This man, however, had still been confident earlier. Now, the man¡¯s confidence had been shattered. After the man''s confidence, the man¡¯s skull was shattered next. Terry had landed a horizontal stomp, assisted by his immovable chest plate.

    The narrow quarters suited Terry¡¯s combat style more than he had expected.

    After the face-stomp, Terry kicked out again, but this time he shifted the Immovable Object spell to different armor pieces and propelled himself backwards. From the corner of his eyes, Terry could already detect the spell projectiles he had sensed before with his mana sense. Terry exhaled sharply and kicked out a third time while still flying backwards. This time, he unleashed a dual-disruption discharge from his feet and eviscerated the incoming spell projectiles.

    Again, Terry noted the benefit of narrow quarters. Long-range attacks had been the bane of his past battles, both in the Libra Outpost and in Syn City. In the middle of a dungeon tunnel, however, Terry found them much more manageable.

    Terry placed a tertium slab in front of him to get some cover and take a moment to judge the situation. Somehow, Terry ended up as the person blocking the path towards the chamber in which the Valkyrie continued her battle. Terry was the last obstacle for the prison guards to overcome in order to enact their plan and collapse the chamber.

    Yujin and her soldiers were engaging Claude and his followers deeper in the tunnel, pressing them towards Terry¡¯s direction. While Terry had no idea about who was who among all the soldiers, he could make out that there were two different groups and that the people with a special insignia made up the bulk of his enemies.

    Initially, Terry had mostly baited his opponents towards the ledge and then relied on his aerial movement to fling them into the acidic body of water below. Later, he had switched to baiting them into a charge and then using his skewer box or transfixed needles to take them out. Another advantage of the battlefield was the sparse luminescence in the area that made it easy for Terry¡¯s transfixed needles to go undetected, especially when the opponent was running or distracted.

    By now, the prison guard faction was wary of Terry and hesitant to approach him. They could not accurately determine Terry¡¯s real threat level. Terry had appeared out of nowhere. His mana signature did not match his appearance. He was wearing the crest of a mage academy, but his combat style did not match that background.

    Terry had already killed a dozen soldiers, and they were still not sure if Terry was holding back in some way. Terry¡¯s style heavily featured baiting them to their own deaths and turning their own attacks against them.

    Most worrying of all, Terry wore a symbol of Arcana, but he appeared to act alone. Was this another trap? Were there others ready to appear out of nowhere, just like Terry had done? Was Terry powerful enough to act alone with full confidence?

    All of it added to the incongruous expression Terry gave off. All of it piled on the wariness and uncertainty of Terry¡¯s opponents. All of it helped Terry to block the path on his own.

    Even so, Terry did not feel comfortable to just wait for the outcome of the infighting among the Tiv soldiers either. As soon as the faction dispute was settled, he might be forced to face all the survivors at once, which made Terry search for other approaches to whittle down their numbers.

    Terry took some pages out of his ant extermination and bounty hunting experience. He began transfixing tertium slabs. He moved forward while placing immovable walls as cover in order to further control and seize the advantage the narrow quarters offered him.

    If the prison guards were not willing to approach Terry, then Terry would close the distance himself. If the prison guards outnumbered Terry, then Terry had to control the space, so they were forced to face him one by one.

    ¡°Wait!¡± A woman approached while holding up her hands. ¡°We¡¯re with the Valkyrie. I have a message and a question from Commander Yujin.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡± He did not lower his spear. ¡°I don¡¯t trust any of you.¡± He was surprised by how hoarse his own voice sounded.

    ¡°Please, we¡ª¡± The woman stopped mid-sentence.

    Both the messenger and Terry stared at a location on the dungeon wall between them on the side. In Terry¡¯s mana sight, it looked as if the mana was changing hue and as if the space was cracking apart.

    ¡°Unknown aspect,¡± mumbled Terry absentmindedly, and his voice dropped several notes to finish as a deep and hostile whisper.

    A pale grey crack appeared half an inch in front of the dungeon wall, seemingly hanging in mid-air.

    ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Scree!¡± *Rumble*

    Terry¡¯s feet reacted before he was fully aware of what was going on.

    ¡°Another veil tear!¡± shouted one of the soldiers.

    What am I even doing here? An intrusive thought flashed through Terry¡¯s mind during his sprint towards the veil tear.

    Terry jumped and turned in the air until he flew feet first with his head bent down to look towards the tear. He clenched his teeth and used his boot mechanism to stop where he wanted ¨C a rotated picture of someone falling and cushioning the fall with both legs. Terry transfixed his protective chest and back plates. He aimed his mana sublimator towards the tear and transfixed the handle attachment.

    ¡°Boom!¡± An intense blast of dense fire-aspected mana washed over the approaching hellspawn. ¡°SCREE!¡±

    Without a moment of pause, Terry shifted his spell so that it was only active on two pearls to form a rotational axis which returned him to an upright position. Simultaneously, Terry let the mana sublimator hang in the air and summoned a foldable tertium cube. He kept the cube unfolded and used it to cover the tear and then transfixed the slab in place.

    Afterwards, Terry blinked dazedly and became more aware of his own breathing again. He gulped with dawning awareness of the perilous situation developing around him. He collected and reloaded the mana sublimator while closely monitoring the state of his Immovable Object spell on the unfolded cube.

    From the corner of his eye, Terry noticed movement and realized that the messenger was still standing there. She was staring at Terry with mouth agape.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± barked Terry. ¡°Keep your distance.¡± He himself was taken aback by the rough tone in his voice, and this caused Terry to pause. He cleared his throat and spoke more amicably. ¡°I¡¯ve got my hands full here, but I¡¯m not letting anyone through to the Valkyrie¡¯s chamber. Not after what I¡¯ve heard before. If you want to work together, you need to work with that. I don¡¯t know any of you. I won¡¯t cooperate beyond these terms.¡±

    Terry added in a mutter to himself: ¡°The only person here I trust is fighting in that chamber. I wouldn¡¯t know how to face Aunt Sigille if I were to let someone stab her hero in the back.¡±

    ¡°Another veil tear!¡± A shout arrived from deeper in the tunnel, from the direction where the soldiers and guards were currently fighting with each other.

    ¡°What the Wastes is going on?¡± exclaimed Terry quietly, and his stomach was plummeting.

    Is the rest of the dungeon also like this? Or is this place collapsing more quickly than the rest? Is this amount of veil tears normal? I mean normal-abnormal? No veil tear is really normal¡ª Focus.

    Movement from the messenger caught Terry¡¯s attention and helped him concentrate once more. The woman was running back towards the place where Yujin was fighting.

    ¡°Scree!¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± ¡°ROAR!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± The utterances of hellspawn mingled together with the screams from folk to create a chilling cacophony.

    ¡°We can¡¯t hold here!¡± ¡°A spellweaver!¡± ¡°Two champions!¡± ¡°We¡¯re done for!¡± ¡°HELP!¡± ¡°Stop the infighting, we need to work together!¡± ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°Stop this internecine battle, please!¡±

    Terry glowered at what was going on in front of him. He saw some of the soldiers trying to use a variety of magic to block the invading hellspawn ¨C barriers, ice structures, earth structures, even a summoned wall of wood ¨C but none of the spells held for long against the devouring behemoths or herculean juggernauts.

    Hellspawn were pelting the transfixed tertium cube with attacks.

    Terry sensed mana movement at the edges of the transfixed unfolded cube ¨C one of the hellspawn evidently had an ichor-aspected ability to manipulate some pale tendrils of goo. Terry drew his keen dagger and infused it with mana to slash the pale tendril into two.

    The tendril instantly regenerated. In Terry¡¯s mana sight, a weird layered mana movement appeared close to the tendril¡¯s tip. The structure was not shaped out of mana like the spellwork that Terry was familiar with. Instead, it appeared like fine threads first created and then combined into a woven cloth of mana.

    ¡°Crap,¡± cursed Terry, and he unleashed a disruption discharge aimed at the spellweaver¡¯s casting center. Fortunately, spell slicers were effective no matter if you had to deal with a mage¡¯s spell structure or a spellweaver¡¯s spell fabric. Unfortunately, the mana consumption of discharges lost out in the mana efficiency department in both cases, too.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes at the unexpected sight. Not only had his disruption discharge eviscerated the spell fabric, it had also caused the pale tendril to retreat. Most surprising, however, was the change in the mana distortion resembling a crack in space: It looked as if the edge of the veil tear had slightly receded inwards upon contact with Terry¡¯s mana.

    ¡°The Veil has not been well-studied,¡± muttered Terry dazedly. Another aspect? Interaction with oscillating mana? Come to think of it, why is it disproportionately hellspawn that are appearing from veil tears in dungeons?

    ¡°Focus.¡± Terry reminded himself. He cautiously moved closer to the transfixed tertium and added additional mana to the active Immovable Object spell.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Terry concentrated on his mana sight and guided some of his mana towards the edge of the veil tear. He sensed the tear receding upon contact with the oscillating mana, and he inhaled sharply.

    Hellspawn are suspected to make use of the void aspect. Intersection between space and death. Our working theory for oscillating mana was the intersection between space and life. This reaction with the Veil¡­

    Terry¡¯s mind was racing. Finally, he recalled the ritual that the ancient deathcult had performed on Devon.

    Blood as the bridge between life and death. Blood. The Veil. Intersection between space and blood? The void aspect is pulling it in one direction and my aspect is¡­

    Terry clenched his fists. His mana sense informed him about the carnage that was going on around him. While the Valkyrie was decimating the invading hellspawn on one side, the soldiers were decimated by the hellspawn on the other side. If things continued like this, then sooner or later, the hellspawn would break through the soldiers and Terry would have to face them alone if he wanted to keep the Valkyrie¡¯s back free.

    Terry very much doubted that he could put up a comparable battle performance to this legendary character from a bygone era. He frowned and began emitting mana. He guided his oscillating mana and carefully paid attention to the amount of mana he needed to invest to make the veil tear shrink.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes moved from the newly closed veil tear to the other veil tears that were further in the tunnel with the fighting soldiers.

    What am I even doing here? Terry wondered once more and returned his attention to the veil tear in front of him. Terry noted that the veil tear remained closed even after several breaths of time. He was not sure if he should feel relief or dismay because this new discovery pushed another question to the forefront of his mind.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we do our part?¡¯ Sigille¡¯s voice echoed in Terry¡¯s mind again. Terry took a deep breath while staring at the raging three-faction battle further ahead in the tunnel. ¡°Why watch from the outside¡­¡±

    He repositioned the unfolded tertium cube so that it would block the path between him and the Valkyrie and transfixed it with a spell structure compressed as much as he could manage. Terry turned towards the fighting soldiers and heard the blood rushing through his ears. Pulsing. Thudding. Pressing. ¡°When you could be right in the thick of it.¡±

    Terry sensed for the location of the next veil tear and judged the path towards it. A breath later, Terry charged forward with his barriers raised.

    ***

    ¡°No!¡± screamed Elenec and flew swiftly through the sky to catch the injured death hunter. She hurriedly used her own blood-aspected spellwork to stabilize his condition. ¡°Damn it.¡±

    The man had lost his encounter with one of the lichs, and Elenec had arrived too late to support him. His life was rushing out of him and Elenec could follow the energy in her mana sight all the way up to the lich that had caused the injury.

    Elenec grit her teeth when she saw a root appear next to her. She handed her companion, who was on the verge of death, to the druid¡¯s care and hoped that Dhruv or one of the channelers of the Bright Lady would be able to prevent the worst.

    Elenec¡¯s scalp tingled and a moment later, a barrage of holy-infused fire spears passed by her and aimed for the lich. Cadence had taken up the battle against the lich now that the death hunter had been put out of commission. She was standing on a sheet of gold and floated up from below while firing off spells with grim determination.

    Elenec nodded towards Cadence and supported Cadence¡¯s flank to eradicate the freshly arrived death mages. Elenec''s figure transformed, and a tiny vampire bat rushed forth.

    Elenec arrived in front of the first death mage and returned to her human shape. Her magic rapier penetrated the skull of the first death mage and a small red vortex appeared. Shortly after, nothing was left of the death aura creature.

    After Elenec had taken care of four death mages one after the other, she abruptly turned around. ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t looking good,¡± exclaimed Cadence not far from her.

    Both of them threw glances towards the dimensional gate. A tall, floating skeleton in a dark robe and with a large scythe had arrived through the gate. The reaper turned ethereal while moving forwards and only turned corporeal when it stopped to swing its scythe at one of the skullfeast hippos.

    ¡°We need to finish this quickly,¡± said Cadence while continuing to engage the lich.

    Elenec, who had more experience with death aura creatures, shook her head. ¡°That lich is strong. There will be nothing quick about dealing with it.¡±

    Cadence¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°In that case, we can only hope that Dhruv has a trick to distract the reaper.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, I¡ª¡± Elenec whirled around once more. ¡°Oh thank mana, they¡¯ve finally arrived!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Cadence raised her eyebrows, only to detect the familiar mana signatures that had appeared out of thin air. ¡°By the Lady, am I glad to see them.¡± Her eyes moved from the new arrivals to the looming reaper.

    In front of the reaper, a mountain of a man was cleaving death aura creatures apart as if they were made of brittle sticks. Dargones punched out a disruption discharge towards the reaper above. His nullification mana spell slicers ripped a hole into the ethereal reaper and forced it to materialize.

    Snakes of fire instantly ensnared the reaper as Amelia swung her mage staff while casting anti-magic to prevent the creature from turning ethereal again.

    Dargones silently moved his lips.

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± said Amelia. ¡°They¡¯re at their limits. The creatures around here are already too much to deal with¡­ and there are more reapers on the other side of that gate.¡±

    Amelia cast a spell to reshape the earth and raise Dargones to allow him a better path of attack, so that they could finish the reaper more quickly. The moment Amelia sensed a second reaper approaching the dimensional gate from the space on the side of Arcana, her eyes showed resolve and she unleashed a prepared anti-magic spell to destroy the gate¡¯s anchors.

    Weran, who had been silently observing the battle from atop the dimensional gate, immediately reacted with his own spells to fortify the spatial structure. He glared at Amelia. ¡°I warned you before to not touch my gates.¡± Weran flicked his palm and lightning rained from above towards Amelia.

    Amelia countered with an anti-magic bubble to cover herself and a lightning guidance spell to direct a part of Weran¡¯s attack to finish off the reaper.

    ¡°It seems you are intent on dying,¡± said Weran coldly. ¡°And for what? For Tiv?¡± He sneered. ¡°Do you really believe that you could tear down my gates faster than I can create them? You¡¯re overestimating yourselves, children.¡±

    Weran moved his fingers and in less than a breath¡¯s worth of time, Amelia and Dargones found it hard to breathe because the breathable air around them had vanished ¨C an attack made much worse by the fact that the surrounding death aura creatures were not impaired by the lack of oxygen. The creatures¡¯ relentless assault continued unabated.

    Amelia could counter Weran''s air-aspected spell, but she missed another magic ploy that had been cloaked by Weran, and a shadowy tendril stabbed through Amelia''s stomach. She clenched her teeth and channeled mana into a small purple mana crystal to instantly cast a healing spell.

    Dargones performed a localized burst of mana and broke the shadow tendril apart. Despite her injury, Amelia suddenly grinned, which caused Weran to raise an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to overestimate myself,¡± said Amelia with bloody teeth.

    *Cling* Weran¡¯s dimensional gate collapsed.

    Weran narrowed his eyes, and he discovered the short stature of a dwarven man whose eyes looked like mirrors. The eerie aura spreading from Weran¡¯s green cloak rose with his anger.

    Weran moved his hands and recreated a dimensional gate while also adding a second. Since he still remembered the anchors and coordinate adjustments from his initial gate, these were created much faster than the first one.

    *Cling* *Cling* *Cling*

    Whenever Weran had created a dimensional gate, Jee immediately moved his own hands and destroyed it. They appeared evenly matched.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Weran flung out several spatial blades, which were countered by Jee as well.

    Unexpectedly, the eerie aura around Weran decreased as he tilted his head and examined Jee. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. I don¡¯t know if I should envy or pity you. Those eyes are a miracle, but that¡¯s a painful ritual you subjected yourself to.

    ¡°While I can admire sacrificing so much for the pursuit of a single aspect, you should remember that specialization is always a limitation.¡± Weran cast an empowered spell and an immense wall of fire rose all around Libra City. ¡°One I do not share.¡± Another spell created a vortex of poison that now loomed threateningly above the tall druid oak.

    ¡°I admit that your painfully earned peculiar affinities may allow you to compete with me in one aspect,¡± said Weran flatly. ¡°You may be able to destroy my dimensional gates, but are you really sure that this is what you want?¡± His voice hailed a haughty threat. ¡°So far, I have let Tiv face the creatures it has sent to Arcana. Do you really believe that Tiv will fare better facing me?!¡±

    Weran pulled his hood back and stared coldly at Jee. He moved his gaze to Amelia and Dargones. ¡°You have piqued my curiosity. Why are you all even here?¡±

    ¡°A friend is taking care of my sister, and I have promised to do the same for him,¡± replied Jee matter-of-factly.

    ¡°So?¡± Weran looked amused. ¡°Take her and leave, then. Why linger around?¡± His calmness presented a sharp contrast to the three that were engaged in battling the death aura creatures even while talking to him.

    ¡°As if you would pause and allow us to evacuate everyone!¡± shouted Amelia in a tone that conveyed she felt her intelligence was insulted by Weran.

    ¡°Naturally not,¡± admitted Weran indifferently. ¡°It would only delay the inevitable. If you evacuate them to the next city, then we will all eventually meet again in that location. When Tiv destroyed Arcana¡¯s barrier, it invited these creatures from all around the north. Someone will have to take care of these creatures now, and it¡¯s not going to be Arcana.¡± The eerie aura around Weran rose again. ¡°After Tiv¡¯s plot, I will have to insist on that point.

    ¡°But if you just want to protect your friend¡¯s sister, then I will allow you to take her away,¡± said Weran while looking inquisitively at Jee and the others.

    ¡°And what about all the other innocent people here?¡± spat Amelia. ¡°Are we just supposed to let them die?¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Weran actually smiled at that question. ¡°In the past days, me and mine have created more than a hundred gates. Do you want to guess how often the strong chose to stay and protect your so-called ¡®innocent¡¯? To risk their own lives for others without being forced to?¡±

    Amelia¡¯s expression darkened as soon as she heard about the scope of the dimensional mages¡¯ movements.

    ¡°Let me put it this way, if you curled a finger each time, you still wouldn¡¯t have a proper fist.¡± Weran spoke in an odd tone that seemed both mocking and cynical. ¡°A few imperial censors practically offered me the key to their city to let them go.¡±

    Amelia cursed quietly.

    ¡°Magic obliges.¡± Weran sneered. ¡°If that was supposed to inspire a sense of duty in the powerful, then Tiv¡¯s approach appears to have failed, pathetically so. In fact, the stronger the mage, the quicker they appear to flee.¡±

    Weran snorted. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they? They had to jump through hoops and submit to indignity just to learn magic. Why would they have any goodwill towards those that forced them to?¡± Weran shook his head. ¡°None of these people are truly innocent.¡±

    Dargones punched out a massive wave of nullification mana to stop a blood abomination from absorbing more zombies.

    ¡°This so-called empire is a farce.¡± Weran spat the words with contempt. ¡°In order to grow strong, people have to abandon their community, because that is demanded of them in exchange. Want to learn advanced magic? Join the army. Grow strong while not being around to protect those you truly care about.

    ¡°What a deal.¡± Weran¡¯s sarcastic voice gave way to derisive laughter.

    Jee was teleporting through the area and setting up a few temporary dimensional gates, which he immediately moved to reposition some of the most problematic death aura creatures.

    ¡°Utter idiocy,¡± sneered Weran. ¡°Those that truly care about others remain weak. Those that only care about strength learn to resent the weak. What a magnificent setup!¡±

    Amelia finished a complex spell casting and a bird of fire rushed through the death aura creatures.

    ¡°Instead of instilling a sense of duty in their mana users, Tiv has turned advanced magic into an almost exclusive privilege of nobles and selfish opportunists.¡± Weran chuckled cynically.

    Amelia unleashed a whip of fire to lash out at a blood abomination.

    ¡°You three are outliers.¡± Weran began laughing more loudly. ¡°But then again, two of you have already been branded criminals in this glorious empire.¡±

    Jee reappeared closer to Weran and unleashed countless spatial blades to tear apart higher rank death aura creatures.

    ¡°But I digress¡­¡± Weran moved his hands to his hood and was about to push it over his head when he halted. For several breaths, Weran watched the three Guildheads battle the death aura creatures. A battle, which they did not have to take part in. A battle, which they could have avoided if they had chosen to do so.

    For a moment, Weran closed his eyes. He let the hood fall on his back again. ¡°Alright, your silver eyes have caught my interest.¡± He released the threatening wall of flames and vortex of poison. This came as a tremendous surprise to Jee, Amelia, and Dargones. They were not sure if they could believe what they were seeing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll play with you for a bit,¡± declared Weran, and stood up. ¡°Might as well get some entertainment and perhaps a few insights on the nature of space out of this.¡± He moved his hands and six smaller dimensional gates appeared at once.

    Varied creatures were lurking on the other side: undead, spirits and elementals, mana-corrupted beasts.

    In the blink of an eye, all these horrors were flooding the area.

    ¡°Show me what those costly eyes can see,¡± said Weran and began teleporting around the area while creating more and more gates.

    Jee immediately followed to erase the gates as fast as he could.

    ***

 115 On the Brink of Collapse

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 33 ¨C

    ¡°What¡ª?¡± The soldier whirled around and slashed his axe.

    Terry reflexively transfixed the axe and nimbly jumped into the air above to avoid and bypass the soldier without slowing down. He didn¡¯t have the time to properly sort out who was an enemy and who wasn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t have the time to properly engage the surrounding enemies, either.

    Terry darted through the heated battle while transfixing equipment within a range of two meters around himself. The Immovable Object spell maintained a path for Terry to pass through by keeping others out of the way.

    In passing, Terry used every opportunity to sabotage the soldiers that were wearing the special prison guard insignia. That Terry did not have time to engage the prison guards himself didn¡¯t mean that he would miss a chance to interfere in the ongoing conflict between the different soldier factions.

    ¡°What kind of magic is this?¡± Many soldiers and guards were cursing at Terry barging through. ¡°Damn Arcanian!¡±

    ¡°Has that man gone mad?¡± exclaimed one of Yujin¡¯s messengers with surprise when she saw Terry continuing past the soldiers and right into the conflict with the hellspawn.

    Next to the messenger, Yujin creased her brows and stole a glance back towards the tunnel that led to the Valkyrie. She could see the unfolded tertium cube that Terry had transfixed, but she could not detect the spell structure responsible for the effect.

    ¡°Reposition!¡± shouted Yujin. She directly addressed a handful of her most trusted subordinates. ¡°Block the path towards the Valkyrie. Don¡¯t let anyone from Claude¡¯s people get past you.¡± She raised her voice: ¡°Everyone else with me and push into the next chamber! Press both hellspawn and enemy folks alike!¡± She murmured pensively: ¡°I hope the Arcanian knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Platoon leader.¡± Another messenger arrived. ¡°Claude is asking for a ceasefire to deal with the hellspawn.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Yujin frowned, but forced herself to consider the overall situation. ¡°Tell him: only under the condition that they never step between us and the Valkyrie¡¯s chamber. Non-negotiable. Our rearguard will consist of my people.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The messenger departed again.

    ¡°I wonder what the Arcanian has in mind,¡± murmured Yujin. ¡°I don¡¯t see what could get us out of this situation now that everything has come this far.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry was busy dodging hellspawn attacks left and right while taking deep, measured breaths and focusing on his mana sense to judge the best route to take. He used his skewer box to transfix a wall of needles into which a widowmaker charged the next second. ¡°SCREE!¡±

    Terry rotated in the air and jumped horizontally through the gap between the injured widowmaker and the wall. Right after passing through the gap, Terry retrieved a cheap shield, tackled a hellion into the wall, and transfixed the shield to pin the hellion for long enough to allow Terry to continue undisturbed.

    The next one is what counts!

    Terry¡¯s whole body tensed slightly when he saw the shape of the young juggernaut approaching. The juggernaut took up nearly all the space inside the tunnel and it did not leave enough space for Terry to squeeze by the side. The juggernaut was the last major obstacle blocking Terry¡¯s entrance into the next chamber where the veil tear was located.

    Terry inhaled sharply, and his thoughts raced before he decided to take his chance in a direct confrontation of strength. Even though Terry had little confidence, he did not have time for a very sophisticated strategy, either.

    Every second that the veil tear remained open was another hellspawn to face later. Terry clenched his teeth and summoned a tower shield, which he transfixed in front of him.

    *Clang* The young juggernaut collided forcefully against the immovable shield.

    Right after the immovable shield had taken the momentum away from the juggernaut, Terry pressed his back close against the shield. He positioned his legs so that he could make the best use of them and relied on his boot mechanism to get a secure foothold in the air. Terry deactivated the Immovable Object spell and burst his mana to empower his legs. Step by step, Terry pushed the juggernaut back.

    As soon as the juggernaut recovered from his earlier unexpected collision with an immovable object, the hellspawn put up a fierce struggle, and Terry soon found his task much more difficult.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry transfixed the shield. He bent his back and lowered his head. Upside down, he hurled a bolas underneath the immovable shield and positioned it with the help of his bidirectional attraction gloves. Without a moment¡¯s delay, Terry returned to his pushing position and deactivated the Immovable Object spell once more.

    Terry burst his mana beyond his limits and pushed against the young juggernaut. The blood rushed to Terry¡¯s head when he finally sensed what he had been waiting for ¨C the juggernaut toppled over the transfixed bolas. In an instant, Terry had broken forth and pressed the tower shield into the fallen juggernaut to pin it to the ground.

    Terry dashed through the air on layers of divine mana. He left a final parting gift for the young juggernaut: a transfixed barrel of acid that poured its contents directly onto the hellspawn¡¯s head.

    Finally, Terry entered the chamber with the veil tear. Even though the narrow tunnels suited Terry¡¯s combat style, they were rather annoying when pressed for time. Although the chamber was swarmed with hellions and other hellspawn, Terry found it easier to maneuver and make his way to the veil tear. At least until¡ª

    *Pa-kshh* A pale tendril whipped towards Terry.

    Terry dodged, but the tendril abruptly changed direction in mid-air and pursued him. Terry relied on his rotation pearls and his divine hammer inscription to make a sharp beeline. While in motion, Terry retrieved a shield and used it to block the whipping attack. *Clang*

    Terry allowed the force of the impact to propel himself away from the pale tendril and only adjusted his trajectory to avoid the criss-crossing arrows of corrosive liquid that were being spit by the surrounding hellions.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Terry grunted, and his mind raced to consider his options. He had been able to make out that the tendril originated from the back of an ascarab some distance away. The human-sized worm with arms was keeping his distance from Terry.

    ¡°Crap,¡± exclaimed Terry. He spotted suckers sprouting on the tendril and he very much doubted that this was a good sign. Terry did not recall information about these pale tendrils from the introduction to hellspawn book he had read. Therefore, Terry was forced to make a judgement based on how this pseudo-limb had behaved so far during this brief encounter.

    Terry allowed himself to drop to the ground and retrieved a U-shaped piece of septimum from his storage bracelet. When the tendril snapped towards Terry once more, Terry blocked with his shield and then forcefully rammed the U-shaped piece of septimum into the ground with the tendril in the middle. After a compressed Immovable Object spell to make sure the tendril remained trapped, Terry darted forward and hoped that the tendril was indeed corporeal, like he had surmised.

    Terry¡¯s stomach plummeted the moment he was sensing several mana threads weaving themselves into spell fabrics near some of the suckers. In contrast to the spellwork Terry was familiar with, Terry had no idea about what to expect from these woven spell fabrics.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, Terry did not have to guess for long because he suddenly felt his mind and body assaulted by an intense feeling of exhaustion, as if all stamina and concentration had been sucked out of him.

    ¡°No!¡± Terry gritted his teeth. He could hear the voices of Bjorln from their earliest days of mana cultivation training. From the time when Bjorln had insisted that they empty their mana pools. Terry could almost feel Sigille¡¯s dreaded staff thwack him whenever he had lost concentration during their all-out spars. With an inhuman level of defiance, Terry pressed forward against the screaming protests of his body and mind.

    ¡°Scree!¡± A widowmaker jumped right into Terry¡¯s path.

    Terry was a moment too slow with his debilitated body and sluggish movements. Now that his body had failed him, his spellwork instincts reflexively took over and, in a surge of mana, the many septimum scales hidden inside his mushroom leather armor became immovable.

    *Krchkss¡­* ¡°SCREE!¡± The widowmaker¡¯s two bladed arms failed to inflict a serious injury on Terry. Instead, the hellspawn nearly ripped one of its own arms off.

    Terry hurriedly pulled a metal ingot from his Academy bag and relied on the Shape Metal imprint in his armor to shape and transfix a metal ring around one of the widowmaker¡¯s bladed arms.

    Wearily, Terry forced himself to start moving again. In his mind, he was shouting at himself to continue. His inner shouts were accompanied by others in the voices of his whaka.

    Terry was almost close enough to the veil tear to reach it with a layered discharge. He had to remind himself that even if his oscillating mana could mend the veil tear in this way, this would represent a tremendous waste of mana.

    I don¡¯t know how much I will be able to reharvest either¡ª Damn it.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Terry felt his mind and senses assaulted by an unfamiliar power. He felt dizzy. He felt nauseated. He felt¡­ bored? Listless? Melancholic? Terry didn¡¯t even know why he bothered anymore, and his movements slowed down until he came to a stop with a puzzled look.

    A hellion¡¯s arrow of corrosive liquid impacted on Terry¡¯s chest. He could see and hear it sizzling through the layer of mushroom leather before being stopped by his septimum chest plate.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Terry examined the corroding acid with a detached and disinterested expression. His mana sense told him that some of the Tiv soldiers had engaged the hellspawn in the chamber as well.

    Terry was cognitively aware that he should feel relieved or even glad about this development, but he just felt bored. He glanced around listlessly and spotted a crocodile-headed pharoh among the hellspawn.

    Before Terry could think about what he saw, he was being flung across the cavern by the gorilla-like arm of a young juggernaut. ¡°Hrgh¡­¡± Terry rolled across the ground. When he stopped, he could see blood flowing out of his mouth. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Terry felt pain, but he wasn¡¯t sure why he should care about that.

    This isn¡¯t like me, is it? A thought entered Terry¡¯s mind. Scenes from the Academy flashed through Terry¡¯s thoughts.

    I wonder why? What would cause this?

    Terry¡¯s inner Academy student raised his head with curiosity. He could see Samuel and Brynn smiling the way they did whenever he had asked a good question.

    Pharoh¡­ Miasma¡­? Varied effects¡­ Terry felt as if he was an outside observer examining a puzzle that did not concern him personally.

    ¡°Ennui,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Similar effect as the Ennui spell¡­¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Terry burst his mana beyond his limits, and he felt as if his mind was being pulled back into his own body. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± The sensation of pain became a lot sharper.

    Terry rolled away and dodged the incoming claw of a hellion. The pain in his torso made Terry suspect he had cracked at least one of his lower ribs. He jumped backwards and downed a potion from his storage bracelet.

    Terry coughed and panted. He was still bursting his mana, but he knew that this wasn¡¯t a permanent solution. Terry dodged the incoming attacks while reorienting himself with the help of his mana sense.

    ¡°Screw it,¡± grunted Terry resolutely. He pulled back both arms. He layered several focus refractors and then pressed a dual discharge through all of them. The intense disruption discharge sliced apart several incoming mana projectiles and rolled towards the open veil tear. As soon as it arrived, the tear contracted visibly.

    Terry exhaled sharply. Emboldened by the initial success, he emitted discharge after discharge. The voice of worry inside his head screamed that Terry was consuming mana at an incredibly unsustainable rate. Terry distantly noted that this voice sounded like Isille. When the tear had finally become small enough that only hellions were able to get through, Terry heaved a sigh of relief and paused his discharges.

    Regroup with the soldiers? Stay close to the tear to close it completely? Terry could taste the blood in his mouth while contemplating his options.

    Most of all, stay alive for now¡­

    Terry gradually stopped his full-out burst and instead chose to cycle two burst techniques that Sigille had taught him ¨C one for agility and one for mental resilience. Noticing that his mana regeneration was sufficient to keep up while also refilling his mana pool made Terry take some courage.

    Terry hurled several octavum needles towards the shrunk veil tear. The transfixed needles obstructed even hellions from invading, which allowed Terry a moment to breathe. For several minutes, Terry mostly dodged, recovered some mana, and maintained his needle wall in front of the veil tear.

    Just when Terry began getting worried that the soldiers would be overwhelmed, he noticed something unexpected with his mana sense. Terry remembered he had not bothered to close the reinforced doors he had unlocked when he had entered the dungeon prison.

    A fire-aspected slime was the first to arrive and immediately unleashed a sequence of fire arrows towards the nearest hellspawn. Not far behind, more and more dungeon beings arrived on the scene. A few mana-corrupted spiders were even carrying vacuum cannon constructs that immediately positioned themselves and took aim towards the veil tear.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± For a moment, Terry was stunned. Soon after, however, Terry recalled again the horror stories from Samuel and forced his focus back to the task at hand.

    Terry positioned several tertium slabs and transfixed them in the air. While the battle was growing more and more chaotic, Terry had the means to secure himself a relatively safe corner whenever he needed one. Terry recovered mana while making up his mind about which approach to take. He equipped one barrier spear as his primary weapon and prepared to summon cheap weapons as needed.

    Another deep breath later, Terry dashed forward. He blocked a hellion attack with the barrier of his spear and then countered with his own spear thrust. Next, Terry followed up by piercing a cheap sword into the hellion''s head right next to the lion''s mane. Terry transfixed the sword and left it with the hellion. The ichor aspect made it too troublesome for Terry to finish off hellspawn quickly, but he could pin them down with the Immovable Object spell.

    Finally, Terry arrived close to the veil tear. He fought against the hellspawn in the vicinity and began guiding mana towards the tear while estimating the required mana in order to close it.

    Good, now I can close this thing without having to risk my mana bottoming out in the middle of combat¡­

    Determination flashed through Terry¡¯s eyes as he persevered in maintaining his position.

    ***

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Terry exhaled sharply when he sensed the veil tear closing completely.

    Unfortunately, Terry could not feel totally at ease yet. His biggest worry wasn¡¯t the chaotic battle that raged around him. Not the hellspawn. Not the dungeon creatures. Not the different factions among the Tiv soldiers. No, Terry felt a sense of looming dread, which he found difficult to put into words. Subconsciously, his eyes drifted back to some of the many corpses in the chamber.

    Corpses.

    In a dungeon.

    That can¡¯t be good¡­

    Terry was not entirely sure of how the average dungeon collapse played out normally, but he was forced to remember that, in some cases, the collapse could become quite literal. Terry cursed inwardly at his sleep-deprived decision making. When he had entered this dungeon, Terry had forgotten the first and foremost lesson that Samuel had taught them in their dungeon introduction lecture.

    Never enter a dungeon. Above all, never enter a dungeon without setting up at least one Mark-and-Recall spell.

    If I survive this, I¡¯ll probably be scolded when I confess this part¡­ Terry smiled wryly. A corner of his mind noted that this wasn¡¯t the time for such thoughts.

    Terry dodged another leaping widowmaker. He ducked underneath the widowmaker¡¯s bladed arms and placed a transfixed needle into the widowmaker¡¯s path.

    From the widowmaker¡¯s back, Terry air-walked up to the neck that carried the bat-faced head. Terry transfixed two cheap spears near the hellspawn¡¯s neck. One to hold the creature in place and another as a fulcrum. Without a second¡¯s delay, Terry inserted the bladed part of his barrier spear through the gap between the immovable fulcrum and the widowmaker¡¯s neck. A levered slash later, the widowmaker¡¯s detached head dropped to the ground.

    When Terry was about to gather his equipment into his storage bracelets again, he sensed an unfamiliar mana movement aiming for him ¨C the result of an unknown spell fabric. Terry cycled a burst technique for speed and jumped off the widowmaker¡¯s lifeless corpse.

    A shattering sound rang in Terry¡¯s ears, and his unexplained feeling of dread intensified. He could see the impact of a dark grey mana cluster on the widowmaker¡¯s back, which turned into dust instantly.

    Terry landed with his feet on the ground. Before he could remind himself to be glad that he had avoided that attack, the ground began to quake.

    *RUMBLE* The quake intensified and was accompanied by a loud, deep sound.

    Half-mindedly, Terry was wondering why he had never detected any spatial seals in the dungeon until now. He could not recall having heard the shattering sound before, despite bursting his mana all the time.

    For a second, Terry thought everything had turned slightly more silent than before. He could not tell how, but the impression that the dungeon creatures gave off seemed different to him.

    Then, Terry detected a change in the Valkyrie¡¯s chamber with his mana sense. The mana in the chamber¡¯s lower area had decreased as if the orange acid had been drained. Furthermore, there was¡ª

    Veil tear!

    Terry was running before being fully aware of it. He only noticed what he was doing when he was already half-way back to the passage that led to the Valkyrie. He reflexively evaded incoming attacks and left immovable objects behind to block both attacks and enemies that were trying to entangle him. He dashed past soldiers whose expressions ranged from confusion, over annoyance, to outright hostility.

    All of it seemed like a blur to Terry. He did not know why, but this veil tear seemed different. He could not put the feeling into words, but he was sure that this one was related to the dread that kept welling up inside of him.

    A part of Terry¡¯s mind registered that he had just thrust his spear through the throat of one of the prison guards. The woman had tried to ambush Terry. Terry did not stop to follow up and instead kept running when the prison guard was occupied with trying not to die.

    The following moments seemed like a dazed dream to Terry. The thought made Terry realize how exhausted he felt, but something was still pushing him on relentlessly. He had little recollection of his way through the passage, but eventually, he got close to the handful of soldiers that Yujin had dispatched to protect the Valkyrie.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Arcanian, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to let anyone of Claude¡¯s faction through, but what about the Arcanian?¡± ¡°Commander Yujin didn¡¯t mention¡­¡±

    One soldier hesitatingly stepped forward to block Terry. ¡°Hold on for a¡ª¡±

    Bright light radiated from Terry¡¯s two gloves. He was already channeling mana through his bidirectional attraction inscription on top. Fleetingly, Terry transfixed two of his bracer pearls.

    While Terry¡¯s momentum against the rotational axis caused him to swing forward, the bidirectional attraction simultaneously pulled the soldier towards and above himself.

    Before the soldiers knew what had happened, Terry had already left them behind.

    ¡°HEY!¡± Terry¡¯s dismissive actions had inspired some anger. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s¡­¡± A worried exclamation from one soldier calmed the others. They ignored Terry and stared through the passage in the opposite direction. A large group of dungeon beings was rampaging their way towards them in a mad frenzy. ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry had reached the unfolded tertium cube, which he had left behind before. From a corner of Terry¡¯s mind, he felt a sense of pride at the fact that his Immovable Object spell was still active and how far he had come since he had started practicing the spell.

    Half a breath later, Terry had returned the unfolded tertium cube back into his storage bracelet and found himself back in the chamber where the Valkyrie continued decimating hellspawn as if they were made of fragile glass.

    Terry believed he caught the eyes of the Valkyrie glancing back at him, but he did not have the time to dwell on it. He noted the chamber had changed. The orange, acidic water had indeed been drained somewhere, and the chamber¡¯s lower areas were now in full view.

    Terry jumped down before even confirming the veil tear visually. His mana sense already told him where the crack in space was located, where the fabric that separated the realms was torn.

    Right when Terry landed on the ground, the tear burst open and Terry suddenly found himself staring into an abyss of hell. Dark skies, pale thunder, and endless hellspawn waiting to invade. The worst part was the gigantic behemoth that stood towering in front and radiated a strange glow.

    Champion. Terry felt a strange incongruence inside of himself. He knew he should be terrified. He knew he would feel terrified when confronting such a sight. And yet¡­

    Terry did not feel much of anything, except for the urge to act.

    Actions.

    While the behemoth champion was still shrinking to fit through the veil tear, Terry had already transfixed unfolded tertium cubes and tertium slabs to block the tear.

    Another moment later, Terry felt an enormous suction force pull at him. Air rushed through the gaps into the veil tear. Terry¡¯s vision turned red ¨C literally. He realized that blood had entered his eyes, and he saw little droplets of his blood flying away from him.

    Subconsciously, Terry realized his mana was drained away from him, too, and he was already reclaiming the drained mana without thinking about it. Another flash of detached pride welled up. Both for his reflexive reclamation of mana and for the stability of his active Immovable Object spell structures.

    Terry did not linger on his ill-timed feelings of accomplishment, and instead, he was engaged in a fierce battle for mana with the devouring behemoth champion. Terry could not remember the last time he had strained his mana control to such an extent.

    If anyone were to look closely at Terry at this moment, they might be surprised to see him smile strangely. This smile provided a sharp contrast to his eyes, which were reminiscent of a ferocious beast.

    Every shred of mana that reached the veil tear¡¯s edge caused Terry¡¯s smile to widen¡­

    Every shred of mana that escaped Terry¡¯s grasp and disappeared into the devouring vortex caused Terry¡¯s eyes to grow more ferocious with intensifying resolve¡­

    Terry had lost his sense of time. He had even lost his sense for his own mana pool, which had never happened before in his life. Terry had no idea how this battle for mana was going to end, nor how long he could keep this up. All of Terry¡¯s mind was consumed with controlling his mana and guiding it to close the tear.

    Emitting mana as fast as he could.

    Wrestling mana back from the devouring behemoth.

    Guiding it.

    Forcing it towards the veil tear¡¯s edge.

    Mending the veil tear bit by bit. Eventually, Terry dazedly noted that the devouring force had ceased. Noted that the pale crack had vanished. Noted that the feeling of dread had finally left him. As soon as the tension relaxed, Terry fell unconscious from overwhelming exhaustion. The last thing he noted was the sight of a bright white pulse being emitted from the dungeon wall in front of him.

    Some distance above Terry, the Valkyrie was glancing down towards the collapsed Arcanian, who had confronted a major veil tear on his own. Towards the mage that had somehow managed to single-handedly close the tear and in less than an hour at that ¨C a feat she had never heard of before.

    Hope was aware that the Arcanian man had attacked the prison guards earlier, and she had an idea of what sparked the conflict, but she had no clue about the man''s motivations or why he was in this place. Her curiosity was piqued, but she did not have the leeway for a relaxed chat at the moment.

    Hellspawn were still flooding the area in front of her.

    From what Hope could tell, Terry was unconscious, but safe. Terry¡¯s mana signature was not deteriorating. None of the dungeon creatures appeared to be interested in him, either.

    Hope would take time for a proper conversation after she had dealt with the hellspawn. After all, Hope just needed to keep an eye on Terry¡¯s mana signature to intervene if something got too close to him.

    ***

    The Valkyrie was tearing through a young juggernaut champion with a Kinetic Drill spell when her attention was momentarily drawn away by the disappearance of a mana signature. Hope creased her eyebrows when she realized that the person whom she wanted to talk to the most had suddenly vanished from the chamber. She had no idea how the Arcanian had done it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Valkyrie continued her battle. She reserved some attention for the approaching mana signatures from the Tiv soldiers that were regrouping in the nearby passage. She intended to remember the appearance of the Arcanian from this dungeon.

    ***

 116 Same Shit Different Dungeon

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 34 ¨C

    Terry first became aware of the hard ground on which he was lying, stomach down. He felt a headache throbbing in his temples. He dazedly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Terry mumbled half-asleep. Not far from him, he spotted a small silvery blob with a tiny mana core squish into a crack in the dungeon wall.

    Dungeon wall¡­ Terry repeated inside his head. Dungeon¡­ Dungeon. Crap!

    The thought jolted Terry awake and to his feet in an instant. He instinctively jumped backwards.

    *Bam* A large gorilla-like fist with a strange glow smashed into the ground where Terry had been.

    ¡°What the¡ª Oh mana damn it!¡± Terry reflexively retrieved slabs of tertium to transfix and protect himself from the onslaught. His mana sense was already informing Terry of the situation he found himself in. He was trapped inside a dungeon chamber with no obvious exit.

    *Bam* *Bam* ¡°Hiss!¡± The only other inhabitant of the chamber was an adult juggernaut. More than twice as tall as Terry. Arms thicker than his whole body. A golden set of mandibles that were longer than his forearms.

    Terry threw a pair of bolas to buy time for himself. He was still trying to orient himself in the chamber. He also desired to drink something because he suspected his headache might be related to dehydration, which had not been mitigated with mana consumption.

    The bolas transfixed around the hellspawn¡¯s muscular arm. The immovable weights forced it to momentarily halt its onslaught on Terry. A short moment later, a dark liquid emerged from the juggernaut¡¯s forearm and enveloped the bolas and the Immovable Object spell deactivated, much to Terry''s chagrin.

    Ichor-aspect? Similar to the shadow-aspected ability of the undead shades I encountered on top of the Bulwark¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that part from the hellspawn introductory reading,¡± grumbled Terry.

    You weren¡¯t supposed to challenge a swarm of hellspawn before even taking the exam.

    ¡°Thanks. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Terry grimaced while transfixing several throwing needles and tertium slabs.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± His intrusive thoughts reminded Terry of the main question.

    How did I get here? Where is the Valkyrie? Where are the Tiv soldiers?

    Terry fought completely on reflex and instinct while his thoughts tripped over themselves to make sense of the situation.

    There was the veil tear with the approaching behemoth champion and then I blacked out and¡ª Is it this shit again?

    Terry was not able to tell mana signatures of different dungeons apart consciously, but something told him he wasn¡¯t in the same dungeon as before.

    ¡°Just great,¡± cursed Terry. He coughed up a clot of dried blood and spat on the ground. He wiped his mouth while noticing a change in mana around the juggernaut.

    The hellspawn creature punched his fist towards Terry and black fluid escaped from its knuckles. The fluid transformed into expanding blades.

    Terry transfixed a tertium slab and jumped backwards warily. The memory of how the ascarab in the previous dungeon had managed to move its pale tendrils freely was still fresh in Terry¡¯s mind.

    *Clang*

    Terry narrowed his eyes at the juggernaut¡¯s seeming lack of comparable movement flexibility. He was not sure if he could trust this new insight after a single test.

    A part of Terry¡¯s mind was wondering once more what he was even doing in this place, but most of Terry¡¯s mind habitually focused on the battle. Whenever his mind drifted away too far, he could almost hear and feel the nostalgic thwack from Sigille¡¯s instruction sessions.

    Terry dashed to the left and air-jumped on sheets of divine mana to get into the juggernaut¡¯s blind-spot from above. While moving, he retrieved the mana sublimator and equipped it with a fire-aspected mana core. Over the past days, Terry had gotten pretty good at preparing everything without having to take his eyes away from his opponents.

    Terry rotated himself in the air, so that he was going feet first. He transfixed his boot mechanism to land against the air. Simultaneously, he took aim and transfixed both the handle attachment of the mana sublimator and his protective back plate.

    *Boom!* A dense net of fire-aspected mana assaulted the juggernaut.

    Only two fire-aspected cores remain¡­ Terry mentally bemoaned his significantly diminished stock of mana cores. He had kept these last few for emergencies when fleeing from the horde, but against a full-grown juggernaut, he felt ill-prepared.

    ¡°For mana¡¯s sake¡­¡± Until now, Terry had faced this unexpected battle determinedly and with little thought to his own fate. The current sight in front of him, however, caused Terry¡¯s expression to fall.

    The strange glow around the juggernaut had intensified and the hellspawn now seemed almost transparent. Through the translucent creature, Terry saw that the ground behind it was covered in burn marks, and some of the rocks were even shining from the heat. The juggernaut, by contrast, was completely fine and uninjured.

    Terry clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt to bring himself back to focus. He hurled an old throwing needle at the juggernaut to confirm his hypothesis while also jumping backwards to get some distance.

    From the corner of his eyes, Terry saw the throwing needle pass straight through the slightly translucent shape of the juggernaut.

    Seemingly ethereal. The introduction book didn¡¯t list that as an ability of juggernauts¡­

    Terry clicked his tongue. Something about the intensified glow caused his skin to prickle.

    ¡°Champion,¡± mumbled Terry gravely. He retreated and kept his mana sense fixed on the juggernaut champion. He repositioned behind his previously transfixed items out of habit, even though immovable items might not block an ethereal creature depending on the nature of their etherealness.

    Terry was bothered by the prickling sensation in his skin. His wariness intensified further when his mana sense informed him about changes in the dungeon¡¯s mana.

    Countless thin and dense inscriptions flared up in the dungeon walls around them. Even Terry, with his exquisite mana sense, could only barely make out that these were inscriptions and not just some uniform mana layer.

    The juggernaut champion took this moment to charge forward.

    The quiet voice of Terry¡¯s inner Academy piped up and wondered how the charging worked for an ethereal creature, but Terry didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on useless thoughts and entertain his curiosity.

    Something unexpected played out in front of Terry¡¯s eyes. The ethereal juggernaut had just passed through a transfixed needle. Two things happened at once: The juggernaut¡¯s silhouette flickered slightly and the throwing needle dropped to the floor.

    The juggernaut phased through a transfixed tertium slab and a scene similar to the earlier one played out once more. This time, Terry was sure that the juggernaut¡¯s appearance had turned more solid.

    *Squittz* The next transfixed throwing needle pierced into solid flesh and black ichor squirted out of the wound.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± blurted Terry. His hand was already busy moving towards the location of the oscillating throwing needle at his leg strap¡­ Only there was none.

    Probably left behind in the other dungeon. Hmph.

    Terry grumbled inwardly and began to reclaim the oscillating mana in one of the throwing needles inside his storage item. He wanted to gather more data on the interaction of the juggernaut¡¯s ethereal state and his oscillating mana.

    Terry had already formed a hypothesis about the champion¡¯s unusual abilities.

    Void aspect.

    Terry coldly observed the strange glow on the juggernaut.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Presumed to be the intersection of space and death. Given how the veil interacted with my oscillating mana, the inverse would be accelerating the tears. If some hellspawn had an affinity for the void aspect, then that would explain why it¡¯s nearly always hellspawn appearing through veil tears.

    Terry¡¯s brow creased.

    If Uncle Samuel¡¯s theory on the nature of dungeons is correct, then together with my theory on the void and veil interaction¡­

    It would make sense that dungeons are getting aggravated by any creature wielding the void aspect. They¡¯re damaging or, at the very least, interfering with the veil. The more¡ª

    Terry bit his tongue to reign in his academic inquiry. He had used a lightning-aspected discharge from his mana sublimator to force the juggernaut into an ethereal state. In contrast to before, however, Terry had timed his own disruption discharge with the sublimator activation.

    *Krck-Boom!* The blasts of lightning and oscillating mana mixed together and engulfed the glowing juggernaut. ¡°Hiss!¡± The strange glow had activated once more, but the juggernaut could not completely avoid the lightning-damage with its void step.

    ¡°Its ability still managed to reduce the damage, though,¡± grumbled Terry unhappily. ¡°Not negated, but still reduced.¡±

    The juggernaut unleashed a strange ability from its feet that cut the surrounding ground apart. The hellspawn picked up rocks with its giant gorilla hands and hurled the sharp rocks at Terry with immense speed and force.

    Terry didn¡¯t even need to think to nimbly avoid the incoming projectiles despite their high velocity. A corner of his mind could not help but recall all the training with Matteo while he was evading, using his equipment to block with the Immovable Object spell, or redirecting the sharp rocks with his bidirectional attraction inscription.

    ¡°Rookie,¡± quipped Terry with a look at the juggernaut hellspawn. Somewhere in his head, Terry noted how odd it felt to joke around when being trapped with a hellspawn. He did not remember when he had become so desensitized to lethal danger.

    ¡°Focus,¡± grunted Terry and dashed to the side while arming the mana sublimator once again.

    During his run, Terry noted that the juggernaut had only been able to slice a limited layer of the dungeon floor. Its ability was blocked by a layer of rock that carried similar dungeon inscriptions to the ones that Terry had noticed earlier.

    One more thing to try¡­ Terry darted up into the air and sped up with a burst technique to get into a blind spot.

    Even though Terry had found ways to do some damage ¨C using a sequence of transfixed needles or combining an intense oscillating discharge with his sublimator ¨C his options still weren¡¯t all that great.

    The Immovable Object spell and the juggernaut¡¯s void step ability evidently interacted with each other, yes, but it was difficult to predict when the ethereal state would cancel. Even worse, the juggernaut moved quickly and still had access to its ichor-aspected recovery abilities. Any delay in breaking the ethereal state meant that there might not be any damage at all and any damage to its outer shell did not represent a serious injury.

    The discharge combination worked more predictably, but it had its own problems.

    First, the obvious problem that Terry had a limited supply of usable mana cores.

    Second, the fact that the damage was still reduced by the void ability.

    Third, the mixing of mana made it more difficult for Terry to perform his habitual reharvesting of his naturalized mana. Terry had to monitor his mana pool level and mana core stock to decide if this approach was workable or not.

    Terry attempted another probing attack. This time, he dared to jump closer to the juggernaut. Terry felt he was forced to in a way, because he felt reluctant to use another big mana core just for probing.

    The juggernaut swung its giant fist towards Terry.

    Terry fleetingly activated his bidirectional attraction gloves on the ceiling to give himself another push to avoid the fist while in the air. He aimed at the juggernaut¡¯s head and unleashed a lightning-aspected discharge from his mana sublimator.

    *Krchk-boom* Terry allowed the recoil from the mana sublimation to propel himself backwards while observing the juggernaut¡¯s handling of the attack.

    Whole body void step again¡­ Terry mentally took note of the fact that the juggernaut did not appear to have an ability for turning only a part of its body ethereal. The next thing Terry noted was the charging shape of the ethereal hellspawn.

    ¡°Hiss!¡± The juggernaut furiously clicked its mandibles at Terry.

    Once again, Terry wondered about the precise mechanism behind the void step considering the ethereal creature was in some way separated from the physical realm while at the same time, it was able to transmit its utterances, which proved that it was still somehow connected to the physical realm as well. Once again, Terry forced down his academic curiosity.

    Next, Terry forced down his instinct to set up transfixed items to block his enemy¡¯s charge. He had something different in mind this time. Terry hurled his oscillating throwing needle towards the multi-faceted eye on the juggernaut¡¯s right side. He jumped backwards while making sure not to go left or right ¨C he did not want to give the juggernaut an additional reason to change its course.

    ¡°HISS!¡± The juggernaut uttered a pained hiss when Terry¡¯s aspected needle suddenly made contact inside its head.

    *Clang* The oscillating needle dropped to the ground. To Terry¡¯s surprise, the needle had not lifted the juggernaut¡¯s ethereal state, even though it somehow managed to hurt it. The effect appeared different from the interaction between the void step and the Immovable Object spell.

    ¡°HISS!¡± The juggernaut voluntarily dropped its ethereal state as the glow on its body turned brown-ish. A dim red light appeared in the juggernaut¡¯s multi-faceted eyes. Its whole body turned black underneath the brown-ish glow. It looked as if it was covered in wet ichor.

    The juggernaut charged forward with unprecedented speed. Its spiky shoulders were threatening to skewer and flatten Terry in an instant.

    Suddenly, Terry didn¡¯t feel desensitized at all anymore. With eyes wide open, mana bursting, and senses stretched to their limits, Terry barely avoided the spikes. He had had no time to place a throwing needle into the juggernaut¡¯s path.

    Terry had no time to catch his breath either because the juggernaut smashed its giant palms on the ground, turned in the air, and charged at Terry full-speed once more.

    Even full-burst, Terry had trouble following the enraged juggernaut¡¯s movements. For better or worse, however, Terry already knew the hellspawn¡¯s target: himself.

    This time, Terry placed a single septimum throwing needle before jumping back and dodging to the sides.

    *Squitch* The juggernaut didn¡¯t seem to care one bit about the throwing needle tearing through its body. The black ichor immediately sealed the wound, and the juggernaut continued its charge unfazed.

    ***

    ¡°Holy mana,¡± exclaimed a Tiv soldier and dodged an intense lightning-aspected ability from one of the dungeon-assimilated mana corrupted that had ascended from the depths of the dungeon.

    ¡°Stay out of the crossfire!¡± ordered Yujin. ¡°The dungeon creatures are targeting the remaining hellspawn. Stay out of their way.¡±

    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± grumbled the soldier quietly. ¡°These things are crawling everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Focus on maintaining the fortifications and evacuating those left behind.¡± Yujin continued giving orders. ¡°Stay sharp and we¡¯ll all be going home to our loved ones soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this is practically the least pressure we¡¯ve had to face from hellspawn since we arrived in this mana-forsaken place,¡± commented another soldier.

    ¡°Yeah, but why? What happened? This shit makes no sense,¡± added a soldier with an anxious expression. ¡°Is this just the calm before the storm?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t jinx it!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass why. I only care that I¡¯m getting out of here. Let some dungeon researcher figure out the rest for all I care.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yujin did care though. Even though she was happy about the decreasing pressure, she didn¡¯t like the feeling of not understanding the situation.

    The arrival of new hellspawn had slowed down a lot, but why?

    Yujin glanced towards the battling Valkyrie and took some comfort in the weak-looking elf who was relentlessly tearing through the hellspawn ascending from the deepest depths of the dungeon.

    ¡°Commander!¡± a messenger arrived.

    ¡°How is the situation?¡± asked Yujin.

    ¡°Your orders have been implemented, ma¡¯am. Everyone has retreated from the lower floors.¡±

    Yujin suppressed the urge to object to being addressed as ma¡¯am. ¡°How about the tears?¡±

    ¡°Several of them closed a while ago with no discernible reason. This allowed our soldiers to perform an orderly retreat. Three tears are remaining active down there.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh¡­¡± A pensive look entered Yujin¡¯s eyes once more.

    ¡°I was asked to confirm the orders once more,¡± said the messenger. ¡°Some of the soldiers are wondering if this might be an opportunity to push back and hold instead of retreating. They¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± insisted Yujin. ¡°I understand where they are coming from, but they aren¡¯t aware of what is happening up here. I can¡¯t be certain, but I believe this dungeon is getting close to collapse. It¡¯s not just the decreasing spawn rate anymore. It¡¯s the fact that the dungeon creatures have seemingly shifted their focus to the upper floors. Almost as if the dungeon prepares to abandon the lower floors.¡±

    The messenger looked incredulous and spoke with skepticism: ¡°You make it sound as if the dungeon was a conscious being. Are you sure that we can ascribe that much thought to a dungeon?¡±

    Yujin sighed. ¡°They should really give some required reading when assigning soldiers to dungeons, especially the works of Samuel.¡± She steadied her voice: ¡°This is not the time to discuss the Immune System Hypothesis. Just pass on my orders. They are to continue the¡ª¡±

    *RUMBLE* *WROOM* *RUMBLE* A violent quake rose from the depths of the dungeon.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± The messenger looked around with an ashen face.

    ¡°I believe I may have just been proven right,¡± remarked Yujin drily.

    ¡°Go and pass on an additional order.¡± Yujin raised her own voice to jolt the messenger out of her daze. ¡°Send a small squad to confirm the state of the lower floors. If they have collapsed, then I doubt this dungeon will remain active for long. Everyone else is to prepare for ascension. There is still a hellspawn swarm waiting outside the dungeon for us.¡±

    While Yujin was instructing her soldiers, the outside of the dungeon was changing visibly. More and more exits opened in a wide area around the original entrance. More and more mana was released from below. The feeling of mana suppression inside the dungeon was growing weaker and weaker.

    Inside the original entrance room, a juggernaut was stepping on a mouse. The rodent corpse remained on the ground after death.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the soldiers inside the dungeon to notice that their mana sense seemed to reach wider and wider the more time was passing. The dungeon¡¯s interference had disappeared.

    A long distance away, a man in plain traveling robes and a white mask jolted around with surprise. ¡°Curious.¡± The man muttered in thought. ¡°That kind of vast mana signature shouldn¡¯t belong to a random nobody. Even at this distance. Impressive. Purely force-aspected¡­¡± His words trailed off. ¡°I wonder¡ª Couldn¡¯t be, right?¡±

    ***

 117 Prison of the Past

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 34 ¨C

    Inside Tiv Palace, an oppressive silence had fallen.

    ¡°Lady Supreme?¡± Mahalia stared at her mentor, who had paused mid-sentence during the conference.

    The reigning king as well as his parents ¨C the Founding King and Queen ¨C had been discussing with the Mage Supreme and her disciple about how to deal with the rampaging people from Arcana.

    The awkward pause continued and everyone was staring at the old human woman that was clad in silver and red. Her shocked eyes were glued towards an empty location at the wall.

    More precisely, the Mage Supreme was staring into a direction to the northwest where she had sensed a mana signature appear. A mana signature that could not possibly exist. Not anymore.

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± The Mage Supreme babbled quietly. ¡°This is impossible¡­¡±

    The royal guards were shooting puzzled glances at each other.

    Mahalia leaned in and spoke in a lower voice. ¡°Mentor Diwa, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Diwa¡¯s hoarse breathing became erratic. Her eyes quivered.

    ¡°Mentor Diwa¡­¡± Mahalia repeated and put a hand onto her teacher¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Diwa finally noticed the face of her disciple, who was staring worriedly at her. She swallowed even though her mouth was completely dry. She lowered her gaze and shook her head. ¡°This is impossible¡­!¡± Diwa raised her head and glared at the elderly pair that was sitting behind the reigning king. Diwa saw it in the Founding King¡¯s face. Tivius¡¯s mana sense was far from her own but this particular mana signature was vast and unmistakable. The moment Tivius noticed, Diwa saw and she finally understood.

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?!¡± snapped Diwa and stepped forward. Her mana flared and the mood instantly turned oppressive. She glared furiously at the Founding King, who was now staring dazedly into the same direction that Diwa had looked at. The flash of guilt and horror on his face already gave the Mage Supreme an answer.

    ¡°La-Lady Supreme?¡± Mahalia was taken aback.

    The royal guards were nervously glancing at each other.

    ¡°Lady Supreme, with all due respect, behave your¡ª¡± The reigning king spoke up hesitatingly.

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?!¡± repeated Diwa furiously.

    ¡°Insolence!¡± spat the Founding Queen. ¡°Do not forget your station, Diwa!¡±

    Mahalia was getting anxious and she held her mentor¡¯s arm.

    Diwa shook off her disciple roughly and stepped another step forward. ¡°You told me she DIED! Died in battle!¡± Diwa¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she glared at the Founding King. ¡°The dead do not come back to life after two centuries!¡±

    Realization flashed through the Founding Queen¡¯s eyes and her aged face turned cold.

    ¡°I should have known.¡± Diwa shook her head frenziedly. ¡°I did not¡ª I dared not¡ª I refused to believe you could be this DESPICABLE!¡±

    ¡°Hold your tongue!¡± shrieked the Founding Queen. ¡°Impertinent! How dare you insult the Founding King! ARREST HER!¡±

    ¡°Mother, what¡­?¡± The reigning king looked back with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Arrest her!¡± repeated the Founding Queen coldly. ¡°Lock her up immediately!¡±

    ¡°...arrest the Su-Supreme?¡± The royal guards were not enticed by that idea. Their expressions varied from hesitance and wariness to outright rage and indignation.

    ¡°Tivius!¡± shouted Diwa. ¡°Look at me! What did you do?!¡±

    The Founding King finally jolted from his haunting thoughts and turned to look at Diwa. The instant his eyes met hers, he immediately lowered his gaze and then closed his eyes.

    ¡°Never¡­¡± Diwa shook her head incredulously. ¡°Never would I have dared to believe you would¡ª¡± Diwa almost spat in disgust. ¡°Of all the people, you¡ª Stoop so low¡­¡±

    ¡°Arrest her!¡± shrieked the Founding Queen.

    ¡°Mother, perhaps we should¡ª¡± The reigning king was completely taken aback.

    ¡°ARREST HER!¡± The Founding Queen stood up shakingly from her throne.

    Some of the younger guards drew their weapons. However, the moment they made a single step towards the Mage Supreme, many of the older guards drew their own weapons to obstruct them.

    ¡°Are you trying to rebel?!¡± The Founding Queen glared furiously at these older guards. She turned to those that had acted to follow her orders. ¡°Execute these traitors!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± These younger guards looked at each other.

    ¡°No way,¡± exclaimed a younger woman. ¡°What? I c-can¡¯t execute my teacher.¡± Many of the other guards nodded faintly. The people that obstructed them had basically been their mentors for at least a decade.

    The few younger guards that still had their weapons raised firmly could not help but look perplexedly at all the parties present.

    ¡°Do you really believe anyone here could arrest the Mage Supreme?¡± asked one of the older guards that were obstructing the way. He scoffed slightly. ¡°Half the city would be blown apart first.¡± His expression became stern. ¡°And the bigger question is why would you want to?¡± He looked at the Mage Supreme. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Mentor¡­¡± Mahalia was as confused as the others.

    Diwa was shaking from anger. She raised a trembling hand and pointed at Tivius. ¡°If you have any shred of decency left, you will end this yourself instead of having your son shoulder the sins of his bastard parents!¡±

    ¡°Sins?!¡± shrieked the Founding Queen. ¡°What ¡®sins¡¯? Tivius has built this empire from the ashes! Everyone here owes him their lives! He only did what was necessary to finally secure peace! That bitch would have ruined everything!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaa!¡± The Mage Supreme laughed madly. ¡°Shameless insanity!¡± She spat hatefully. ¡°I finally understand all the thinly veiled insults that Thanatos has been throwing your way. It all makes sense now. You dare blame her?! Wretched scum!¡± Diwa¡¯s face became increasingly flushed from anger and she pointed once more at Tivius. ¡°It was him that ruined everything when he invited the Lich Kingdoms to his table. Hope¡¯s oath was clear from the beginning. The fact that she never broke her vows was the very foundation for Tivius¡¯s alliance to work.

    ¡°YOU BETRAYED HER!¡± Diwa roared at Tivius. ¡°And when you did, you destroyed the alliance with it. This disgraceful attempt¡ª These LIES only further serve as proof of the bastard king¡¯s cowardly character.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± roared the Founding Queen back.

    ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± Diwa laughed madly once more. ¡°I can finally see why you chose Korra as your queen.¡± She looked from the Founding Queen to Tivius and spoke in a mocking tone. ¡°The only one that would shamelessly accept and support your despicable side.

    ¡°Do you believe that everyone followed you?¡± Diwa sneered. ¡°For your great prowess in battle and your strategies? BULLSHIT!¡± Diwa broke into a mad laughter once more. ¡°You despicable thing!¡± The Mage Supreme rained curses on the Founding King.

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    ¡°I¡¯ve been a good king!¡± Tivius finally spoke up loudly but in a quivering voice. He repeated in a quieter voice and with a distant expression in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been a good king.¡±

    ¡°YOU¡¯VE BEEN NOTHING BUT A LIE!¡± spat Diwa. ¡°A traitor to the cause!¡± She was heaving heavy breaths.

    The door of the hall opened and new royal guards entered. At the front was a sturdy old human man with a thick belly. He walked with a slight limp.

    ¡°What is all this ruckus about?!¡± demanded the man.

    ¡°They¡¯re rebelling!¡± shrieked the Founding Queen. ¡°Arrest them, Castellan! Arrest them all!¡±

    ¡°Korra?¡± Castellan furrowed his brow and searched the different faces for a clue of what was going on.

    ¡°Hope is alive!¡± shouted the Mage Supreme hoarsely as soon as Castellan¡¯s gaze was on her. Tears of anger and indignation were welling up in her eyes.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Castellan did not understand what this was supposed to mean. Not until he saw the expression on Tivius¡¯s face. The face of Castellan¡¯s old companion was distraught and Tivius refused to meet Castellan¡¯s gaze.

    For several breaths, Castellan stared at Tivius. Then, Castellan¡¯s expression fell and he straightened his back. He looked at the guards that stood opposed to the Mage Supreme. He searched for a familiar face. ¡°Put down your sword, my grandson.¡± His voice was shaking as he gave his order. Tears had already entered his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re standing on the wrong side of this.¡±

    Castellan¡¯s word carried an immense weight among the royal guards and added to the threat of the Mage Supreme, to the deterrence of having to face your own mentor, there was suddenly no one willing to follow the orders of the Founding Queen.

    Afterwards, Castellan shot one last look of sadness and disappointment at his old friend Tivius. He turned around and with tears rolling down his face, Castellan ordered: ¡°Someone bring me my armor. I want to greet my commander properly.¡±

    ***

    Before Terry had much chance to react, the juggernaut was already right in front of him. He barely managed to dodge the shoulder spikes before facing a giant palm that was swatting at him.

    The nostalgic image of an inscribed earth giant flashed in Terry¡¯s mind and for a brief moment, Terry wondered if he should transfix some of his septimum scales to block. This slight moment of hesitation was already too long. When Terry moved to dodge, the hellspawn palm still grazed him in the air and he was sent both spinning and flying. Terry¡¯s mind was flooded with a world of spinning sensations. One disadvantage of using mana sense was the fact that it was one more sense to disorient you.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry channeled mana into his gloves to use the bidirectional attraction to slow and stabilize his flight. When he had finally managed to get the rotation under control, he fleetingly transfixed the extension pearls in his bracers to use the coil spring resistance to decelerate.

    If it had not been for Terry¡¯s long practice of incorporating rotation and rapid shifts in movement into his battle training, he would have vomited his brains out. Terry didn¡¯t exactly feel comfortable or unperturbed, but he still managed to catch himself and to spot the charging hellspawn figure in time.

    Terry couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that this was a troublesome opponent for himself. An opponent that appeared much stronger than Terry. If it had been as little as a year ago, Terry might have flinched and gotten himself smashed into an early grave. Now, however, Terry¡¯s muscles were moving almost on their own.

    Luckily, this wasn¡¯t the first time that Terry had to confront opponents much stronger than himself. No matter how intense the hellspawn¡¯s relentless assault got, it could not overwhelm the memory of repeatedly facing a much smaller and yet much more intimidating opponent. Terry did not have time to verbalize his gratitude to Sigille and her all-out spars but the feeling was real regardless.

    Terry¡¯s body reflexively did something his mind was not entirely on board with: He charged forward just like the juggernaut hellspawn. He began creating a strobe light effect with the radiating light inscription from his gloves. His mana shifted between different burst techniques and just when the two opposing bodies were about to collide, Terry accelerated.

    In a combination of his own movement and an additional booster from his bidirectional attraction aimed at the dungeon wall, Terry narrowly passed by the juggernaut¡¯s spikes and ducked underneath its swatting palm.

    Terry did not slow down and continued dashing while shifting his burst techniques. At this point, Terry¡¯s conscious mind was catching up with the reason for his subconscious actions: The hellspawn¡¯s charge was fast but its speed and trajectory impaired its reaction time. It was unable to quickly change course without relying on the palm smash it had used earlier on the ground. This meant that being on the move was Terry¡¯s best defense.

    A short moment of respite while running was sufficient for Terry to regain his battle groove and he was already placing transfixed items all around the chamber to impede the juggernaut¡¯s charge.

    Behind the cover of a transfixed tertium slab, Terry retrieved two more items: An octavum ball and a long metal chain. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this works out¡­¡± He used the Shape Metal imprint in his armor to reshape the octavum ball around the first link in the chain. He weighed the ball that was now attached to the chain in his hand. ¡°Throwable. Swingable.¡±

    Terry had kept his mana sense locked on the movements of the juggernaut hellspawn the whole time. He broadened his awareness to include all the transfixed items in the chamber as well as their remaining Immovable Object charge. At the same time, Terry was stuffing the other end of the long metal chain into his Academy bag to make use of the enlarged space and weight reduction enchantments.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out if you can handle my spell faster than I can activate it,¡± growled Terry. He weighed the ball and chain in his hand and dashed from behind his cover.

    ***

    ¡°I admire your tenacity,¡± praised Weran flatly. He flicked his wrist as another spatial storm broke out around him. ¡°But this is still within my means.¡± Mana flared up around his hand and the space became calm. ¡°Intriguing mana efficiency though, I have to admit. It¡¯s quite a feat to use less mana in the attack than is required to defend when it comes to space magic. Impressive.¡±

    Jee¡¯s mirror-like eyes showed no reaction at the praise. He shaped a complex spell structure and the moment the spell was ignited, Weran could sense the space distort around himself.

    ¡°Switching tactics to use defensive spells offensively?¡± Weran raised one corner of his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not that easily trapped.¡± His eyes darted all over the mana distortion in the area. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I had to worry about spatial seals. This is almost exciting¡­¡±

    Jee, by contrast, did not show any excitement on his face. Instead, he was feeling extremely tense like he had not felt in a long time. He knew that this battle was like walking on a tightrope. As long as he kept Weran busy, Amelia and Dargones could try to erase some of the dimensional gates, which meant that the city¡¯s defenders had a chance to bring down the enemies without new enemies arriving immediately after.

    If Jee failed to hold Weran¡¯s interest with his space magic, then Weran might again decide to focus on inviting new enemy hordes that would wipe out the city. If Jee pushed Weran too much, then Weran might get truly incensed. If Weran took this duel seriously and used all of his available aspects again, then Jee was not confident in his ability to protect the outpost.

    Jee used the time Weran was sealed to collapse the space around one of the stronger lichs that were flying in the sky. It looked as if the lich and the air around it imploded and were compressed to a single point.

    ¡°Leave them to us,¡± shouted Amelia, who was soaring through the sky. ¡°You focus on tying the elf up. You have the most important task. Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±

    Jee wasn¡¯t used to working with others, especially not in battle. He did not usually take combat-oriented missions to begin with. He recalled the first time he had assisted Matteo in a death hunt, which later developed into Matteo assisting him with a personal request after an unexpected situation had occurred.

    ¡°Got it,¡± murmured Jee. He was preparing to add a new layered spatial barrier with a matching lock to trap Weran.

    ¡°Here,¡± exclaimed Weran and used his spell to target a precise location in the space around himself. A quiet shattering sound resounded and it looked as if a layer of reflective glass broke apart.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡ª¡± Weran jolted around.

    Jee, who had been preparing his own magic, was taken aback by the sudden shift in Weran¡¯s demeanor. Something about the old elf had changed in an instant.

    A death reaver in intensely glowing red mana armor charged at Weran from the side.

    Weran did not so much as turn his head or lift a finger as a blast of brightfire rushed from the air not far from him right towards the advanced skeletal warrior. The death aura creature dispersed into dust before it was able to make another step. All the while, Weran was staring at the distance unblinkingly.

    Jee hesitated. On the one hand, this was an opportunity to trap Weran. On the other hand, the aura around Weran had changed. Weran appeared to be dead serious at this moment.

    While the moments passed, several other undead were foolish enough to attack Weran in his unmoving state. None of them survived their mistake.

    Jee involuntarily gulped when he saw Weran casually unleash an unknown spell that disintegrated a giant blood abomination in the blink of an eye. Such a feat was impossible for anyone but practiced death hunters. Blood abominations were known for their high resilience and regenerative abilities. For the first time, Jee realized that Weran was not only an archmage proper but that he probably specialized in eradicating creatures of the death aspect.

    Weran¡¯s expression darkened and he shook his head vigorously. ¡°Can¡¯t be. But if¡­¡± He clenched his fist. ¡°If this is some kind of trick from that naive lass that calls herself Mage Supreme, she¡¯ll pay. If¡­¡± His expression slightly melted and his eyes wavered. ¡°If this is¡­¡± He swallowed the words in his mouth and his voice contorted in a snarl. He spat a single, loathful word: ¡°Tivius.¡±

    The space around Weran distorted violently. Jee was momentarily stunned at the exceedingly forceful and nevertheless skillful manipulation. It wasn¡¯t easy to manipulate space in such a forceful way without having it implode upon itself.

    Thanks to his special eyes, Jee could detect that there were small errors in the magic that could be improved on. He could not help but be impressed that the spell worked stably regardless. He could not help but be impressed by the mage that worked this magic without losing control and with nothing but his mana sense to assist him. He would definitely remember the elf.

    For the moment, however, Jee focused on following the mana movements in order to remember them later. In their spatial duel, it had mostly been Weran trying to catch a glimpse of inspiration from Jee, but now their roles had switched and it was Jee taking inspiration from the elderly elf.

    The minutes ticked by with a torrent of intense but finely controlled movement of mana. Finally, Weran vanished without a trace. In the moment before his departure, Weran¡¯s grim eyes could have taught fear to an undead.

    ***

 118 Mission Completed

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 34 ¨C

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Amelia shouted her question.

    ¡°Gone.¡± Jee appeared next to her with a deeply furrowed brow. ¡°Definitely gone and gone far away. Going by the destabilized space, that unanchored transfer must have been quite the distance.¡±

    Amelia repeated the info for Dargones¡¯s ears, who was holding off several death reavers at once.

    Jee disappeared and moved from place to place to erase all the remaining dimensional gates.

    Amelia nodded when she saw Jee jump back into action. She looked for a death hunter to coordinate with. ¡°No matter the reason, a chance is a chance. Let¡¯s take these things down while we can.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Hah!¡± Terry uttered and let go of the metal ball he had been swinging on the chain. He dashed to the side and channeled mana into his bidirectional attraction inscription to ensure that the chain would further tangle around the juggernaut.

    Terry had needed a few attempts to get the hang of it. Even though he was familiar with bolas, he had little experience with swinging a chain around. Fortunately for Terry, he had been able to adapt after a few failed attempts.

    ¡°HISS!¡± Unfortunately for Terry, the juggernaut was an unwilling participant to Terry¡¯s plan. As soon as Terry left the protective cover of an immovable object, the enraged juggernaut charged into the gap to smash Terry to pieces.

    Terry nimbly dodged into the air with the help of the divine hammer inscription. He had to suppress the instinct to activate the chained imprint in the metal chain. If the juggernaut became wary before Terry had a sufficient setup, then all of Terry¡¯s earlier efforts would have been for nothing.

    Luckily, the hellspawn did not pay much attention to the chain as long as it did not impede its movements. Terry was quite proud of managing to direct the chain around the juggernaut¡¯s torso and spikes without creating too much of an obstacle for its legs or arms.

    By now, Terry was getting more accustomed to facing the enraged juggernaut. The fact that it was a lot faster than it was agile proved to be a big advantage for Terry. An advantage he could exploit magnificently with his Immovable Object spell.

    At least I¡¯ve been good at staying alive so far. I really need to improve my offensive ability if¡ª Focus!

    Terry was subconsciously examining all the active spells around him ¨C all the transfixed items that provided cover and limited the juggernaut¡¯s movements. Estimating the remaining spell duration and replenishing the mana from a distance while running around the chamber had already become second nature to Terry.

    Terry had reached the end of his prepared metal chain.The juggernaut had dragged the last remaining links out of Terry¡¯s enchanted Academy bag and the chain was falling to the ground. Before the chain hit the ground, Terry had already somersaulted in the air and pulled the end of the chain towards him with his bidirectional attraction glove. While Terry was keeping a hold on the chain with the inscription, he used his free hands to prepare the mana sublimator with the biggest lightning-aspected core he had left in his storage.

    Now!

    Terry grabbed the end of the chain with one hand and the mana sublimator with the other. He darted forward and into the path of the charging hellspawn. Shortly before they collided, Terry pressed as much mana into his channels as he could control. In his state of burst acceleration, Terry wrapped the chain one more time around the juggernaut.

    Finally, Terry activated the imprint in the first link. The Immovable Object imprint activated and simultaneously, the carved directional lines guided the mana to activate the imprint in the next link of the chain. Link by link, the whole chain transfixed around the juggernaut.

    ¡°Hiss!¡± The juggernaut was not pleased at this new development. Unfortunately, for the hellspawn, it could not simply press through the whole chain the way it did with the transfixed throwing needles.

    Before the juggernaut champion was able to shift gears and dismiss his state of boosted empowerment in favor of switching to an ethereal state, Terry had already placed several transfixed items to further box the juggernaut into a newly created corner. He only left the top direction open.

    Terry air-jumped above the juggernaut. He could detect that the juggernaut champion was trying to turn ethereal again. Emphasis on trying. Once more, the active Immovable Object spell and the void step ability seemed to mutually negate each other and it flickered without ever fully losing its corporeal state.

    Terry kept an eye on the active imprints in the chain ¨C always prepared to reignite the whole chain of imprints at a moment¡¯s notice. He carefully judged the timing and hurled an oscillating needle between the two multi-faceted eyes of the juggernaut, right at the time the juggernaut flickered. Terry knew he had to be quick for this next part.

    Terry used his bidirectional attraction inscriptions to roughly keep the needle in the area where he suspected the hellspawn¡¯s brain to be. Without pause, Terry followed up with the last part of his plan: He aimed the mana sublimator, transfixed the handle attachment and then¡ª

    ¡°BOOM!¡± A dense blast of lightning-aspected mana enveloped the trapped juggernaut that was still unable to turn completely ethereal.

    Terry understood that he should keep his eye on the juggernaut being shredded by the lightning-aspected discharge and judge if this was sufficient to overpower the hellspawn¡¯s regenerative abilities.

    Nevertheless, Terry also felt his mana sight drawn to the lightning mana that passed the juggernaut and moved towards the dungeon floor. He could detect fluctuating changes in the tiny dungeon inscriptions when the lightning mana made contact. A part of the mana appeared to vanish while some of the inscriptions glowed more brightly than before. Other inscriptions flickered and a part of the mana was even reflected back towards the juggernaut ¨C much to Terry¡¯s delight.

    Terry had enough sense to not space out completely and he had already rearmed the mana sublimator with another mana core. Just when Terry unleashed another intense, aspected discharge, Terry spotted something happening to his oscillating needle. It made contact ¨C physical contact ¨C and combined with the juggernaut¡¯s rampaging movements, the juggernaut had sliced its own brain apart on top of being assaulted by aspected mana from the outside.

    Terry armed another mana core just to make sure, but before he could use it, the juggernaut champion was gone, vanished completely. For a moment, Terry was dazed and subconsciously focused on the changes in the dungeon inscriptions around him. He believed he had detected different inscriptions reacting at the exact moment that the hellspawn had vanished into nothingness.

    Terry blinked absentmindedly. He understood that he should feel relieved or happy, but for the moment, he was just staring and concentrating on his mana sense. Without turning back to look, Terry could sense a platform being raised from the ground. He sensed a set of magic items that had been obscured by the dungeon previously.

    ¡°Reward,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Special encounter? I¡¯ve never heard of a hellspawn involved in a special encounter¡­¡± Deep creases appeared on Terry¡¯s forehead.

    A part of Terry¡¯s mind was excitedly prodding him to check out the magic items, but his attention was still drawn by the dungeon inscriptions all around the chamber. There were large shifts in mana that would have appeared nearly random if not for Terry¡¯s honed mana sense.

    After several breaths, a movable part of a wall moved aside to reveal a large systematic mana structure. Terry approached the mana structure with eyes wide open. ¡°This¡­¡± He blinked. ¡°This looks like a mana lock. A bit like in the demon fortress, only¡­¡±

    Terry was unable to pin down the difference, but something about these inscriptions was different from the shielding and mana locks he had seen. Subconsciously, he reached out with one hand, but then he controlled himself and stopped. ¡°Not the time.¡± He turned around and distanced himself from the mana-locked exit. ¡°I should make use of having the room to myself.¡±

    Yeah, who knows how it looks outside? Or how long this will take this time? Or¡ª

    ¡°Thanks for the input,¡± grumbled Terry annoyedly.

    Terry arrived in front of the reward platform and discovered two magic items: A necklace and a brooch. He examined the necklace. ¡°Huh?¡± Terry could feel an effect as soon as he picked it up ¨C a portion of his mana was sucked away. ¡°Hmph.¡± Reflexively, Terry took active control to stop his mana being drained. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He tilted his head and looked closely at the necklace. ¡°A passive item. Doesn¡¯t seem to be harmful though. What does it do¡­?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Get back here, dwarf, we¡¯re still not finished with the treatment!¡± shouted one of the healers. ¡°You¡¯re still injured.¡±

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    Lori was bolting away with a speed that did not betray the fact that she had nearly lost her legs not too long ago.

    ¡°No offense, but if you keep pestering her, you¡¯ll only end up with two injured instead of one,¡± said Miguel dryly. He clenched his teeth as someone fixed his dislocated shoulder. ¡°Hfff¡­¡± He inhaled sharply. ¡°Going by the look in her eyes, she¡¯s probably worried that she¡¯ll miss the chance to get a hold of Silver-Eyes Jee. She¡¯ll calm down and behave after that¡¯s been settled.¡± Miguel blinked and looked to the side. ¡°I think.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The healer did not appear pleased but stopped going after Lori.

    ¡°Do you believe Jee will help?¡± Calam, whose forehead was covered by a bloody bandage, asked Miguel.

    ¡°No idea,¡± replied Miguel and shrugged, which instantly caused him to grimace from the pain in his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s Thena¡¯s older brother. He should know Terry. If we can convince him that we¡¯re telling the truth, he might help us search for Terry.¡±

    ¡°Neither of you is leaving.¡± The healer was giving the two the stink-eye. ¡°Your treatment hasn¡¯t finished yet. We¡¯ve barely finished the physical injuries. Death mana corruption, blood abomination rage, executioner debilitations, ghoul scratches, zombie bites, ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll behave,¡± interjected Miguel with a suppressed trace of annoyance. He had heard the list of required treatments after such a battle countless times already. He muttered under his breath. ¡°Until there is a good enough reason not to.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The healer squinted at Miguel.

    ¡°I said, we¡¯ll behave,¡± repeated Miguel wryly. He glanced at Calam. ¡°We could use a proper rest anyway.¡±

    Calam yawned loudly. This caused the healer to stare at him intently. Calam could practically hear the healer''s reprimand already. ¡°I know, I¡¯m not allowed to sleep yet.¡± Calam spoke up before the healer could go off on his second favorite rant.

    ¡°Not before we¡¯re done with the checks on your head, right.¡± The healer had deflated slightly after Calam pre-empted his warning. ¡°We need you to stay responsive a bit longer.¡±

    Miguel made a conflicted expression and opened his mouth without speaking.

    ¡°Go ahead and try to sleep.¡± Calam could guess Miguel¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you up if there is anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m running empty.¡± Siling hurried over and turned to the healer. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to support the healing for a while. I need to recover mana and I also need to talk to Jee or Amelia and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lori is already on it,¡± interjected Miguel. ¡°Darted off as soon as their battle had calmed down.¡±

    Siling grinned. ¡°Great minds think alike.¡±

    The healer scowled. Behind the healer¡¯s back Calam was gesturing to Siling. He shook his head. He looked pointedly at the healer. He moved his angled fingers back and forth in front of his throat by rotating his forearm.

    Siling cleared her throat and followed the hint to cut it out. ¡°I mean I¡¯ll use the break and make sure that Lori returns to finish her treatment.¡± She swiftly turned around and left while the healer was squinting at her departing figure with suspicion.

    Siling found Lori just when Lori had discovered Jee. Siling hastened her steps to hurry over as well.

    ¡°Please please please.¡± Lori was surprisingly out of breath after she had arrived in front of Jee. She even bowed to Jee.

    Jee, who was shorter than Lori despite her bowing, raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t remember your face. What do you want? I¡¯m busy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡ª¡± Lori was too nervous and saliva got into her windpipe, which caused her to break out into a coughing fit. ¡°Ahem¡­ Excuse me¡­ Ahem¡­¡±

    Jee scowled at her. ¡°Young lady, I¡¯m busy.¡± He turned around.

    ¡°Please wait!¡± Siling spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m Siling and this is Lori. We¡¯re friends of Thena from Arcana. Lori is Terry¡¯s sister, Matteo¡¯s cousin, Sigille¡¯s niece. We came to Tiv to gather ingredients for a potion to save Lori¡¯s and Terry¡¯s parents.¡±

    ¡°Ahem, we¡¯ve been separated from Terry.¡± Lori shot Siling a glance of gratitude and then spoke pleadingly to Jee again. ¡°And we can¡¯t reach him without the help of a dimensional mage. Please. It¡¯s been more than three weeks already since we¡¯ve seen Terry in the Wastes to the northeast.¡± Her eyes became watery.

    ¡°How is Thena?¡± asked Jee worriedly. ¡°Is the broken barrier affecting her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in Arcana City,¡± said Lori. ¡°Her, Clayson, and Cousin Emaldine have found a place together. My aunt is helping her with the immigration. My brother and our friends are looking after her too. Cousin Matteo is active near the city.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± muttered Jee. ¡°Arcana City is the safest place for them.¡± He sighed. ¡°I should still pay her a visit soon. The whole barrier incident was unexpected.¡± He nodded slightly and looked at Lori. ¡°Terry kept his promise to me and a simple transfer is nothing much to me. That being said, I have to disappoint you on one point: I won¡¯t be taking you to the Wastes.¡±

    Lori¡¯s expression fell.

    ¡°There is no need for you to go there, I will go,¡± continued Jee. ¡°Saves mana and avoids unnecessary spatial disturbances. You wouldn¡¯t be of help to me anyway. Do you have a tracking device?¡±

    Lori nodded shakily and retrieved her own signaling cube. ¡°This has the strongest signal.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± muttered Jee. ¡°I can copy the signal, I just need to know which one it is. Can you flash the link once? Ah wait, is it the looping one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± mumbled Lori with a nod. She was wiping a tear from her eye. She felt relieved to finally find a path to rescue Terry but she did not dare to feel at ease yet.

    ¡°I still have to coordinate with the others, but once I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll check it out,¡± promised Jee. ¡°Afterwards, I can also get you and your ingredients back to Arcana. I want to visit my little sister anyway.¡±

    ¡°There you are, little missy!¡± Wallace stomped over with a scowl.

    Lori and Siling looked at each other with confusion.

    ¡°I just had a grumpy healer chew my ear off about a fugitive patient.¡± Wallace crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

    Siling pointed at Lori. ¡°Safe to say he means you.¡±

    ¡°Go get yourself fully treated!¡± ordered Wallace. ¡°That healer may be unnecessarily grouchy, but he has a point.¡±

    Lori frowned at being ordered around.

    Wallace glanced at Jee. ¡°Are you going to help find Terry?¡± He was relieved to see Jee nod and returned his full attention back to Lori. ¡°Then you have even less of an excuse to dilly-dally here. Chop chop. A big girl like you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of the doctor.¡±

    Lori¡¯s face flushed at being treated like a kid. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°That archer friend of yours is currently snoring peacefully,¡± interrupted Wallace. ¡°A sensible choice I would say, since we don¡¯t know how long this quiet break will last.¡± He smirked cheekily. ¡°If you don¡¯t hurry, they might place another dwarven beauty next to the archer. That would be a shame, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lori blushed profusely and for a moment, she looked like a fish that kept opening and closing her mouth without finding the words to speak.

    Jee rolled his eyes and teleported away.

    ¡°Anyway, go back and tell the old grouch that I¡¯ve done my part.¡± Wallace unconcernedly walked away with a grin before Lori could retort. He even skipped and whistled.

    Siling could not help but snicker, which invited a glare from Lori. Siling raised her hands in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. He¡¯s the one who said it.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°You should go back to your treatment though.¡±

    ***

    While most people at the Libra Outpost had calmed down after Weran had suddenly vanished, a few figures were anxiously pacing back and forth on the training grounds.

    ¡°If you keep doing that, you¡¯ll have to fix the ground again,¡± quipped Miguel.

    Lori glared at him, which caused Miguel to smile sheepishly.

    ¡°Maybe we should ask one of the more experienced Guardians how long this should take?¡± suggested Calam. ¡°I literally have not the slightest understanding of space magic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it would help, even if we understood a bit,¡± said Siling wryly. ¡°No idea how far it really is, what is waiting there, or what Silver-Eyes is capable of.¡±

    Lori sighed and began pacing once more.

    Jee appeared out of thin air. He was alone, which caused everyone¡¯s expression to fall.

    ¡°The bad news is that I haven¡¯t found Terry at the location,¡± said Jee. ¡°But that seems to have been intentional on his part. I found this buried in a field of blood tulips.¡± He handed over a signaling cube and a metal box.

    ¡°That¡¯s Terry¡¯s cube,¡± muttered Lori.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t another signal even after I isolated the cube,¡± said Jee. ¡°Terry must have disabled the links on his Guardian card. Otherwise, I would have received something.¡±

    ¡°The bonehead probably didn¡¯t want anyone to miss the tulips when searching for him,¡± grumbled Siling.

    ¡°That box looks like Terry¡¯s shape metal imprint in action,¡± remarked Calam.

    Jee flicked his wrist and the contents inside the layer of metal were extracted: a wooden box and a sheet of paper. Lori took the sheet of paper while Miguel checked the wooden box.

    ¡°One complete set of ingredients ¨C including a four-leaved blood tulip,¡± announced Miguel. ¡°Terry really found them.¡±

    ¡°But why bury it?¡± asked Calam.

    ¡°Have you forgotten the undead horde?¡± asked Miguel with a gloomy expression. ¡°If I were him, I would send the dragonfly construct on its way and then try my best to survive. Terry is much faster than me, so he probably tried to lure the creatures away from the tulips as well.¡±

    ¡°...yeah,¡± mumbled Siling. She was reading Terry¡¯s message over Lori¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The message is addressed to whomever finds the box. He explains the situation with the ingredients and where they are needed. Evidently, Terry did not want to rely on the dragonfly construct alone.¡±

    ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed Lori. ¡°If he had stayed put, we could have all¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that was an option,¡± interjected Jee. ¡°Not from the tracks I¡¯ve seen.¡±

    Lori closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the message he included for us.¡± Siling put a hand on Lori¡¯s shoulder to comfort her. She looked at Calam and Miguel. ¡°Terry wrote that he¡¯ll come back to Arcana and that we should not worry.¡±

    Calam and Miguel glanced at each other and tried to wipe the worry from their faces. Admittedly, they were not entirely successful in that endeavor.

    ¡°Yeah and Terry doesn¡¯t like lying, remember?¡± said Calam in a slightly forced tone.

    ¡°Without us to worry about, Terry doesn¡¯t need to fight and can focus on escaping,¡± added Miguel.

    ¡°A good point.¡± Even Jee spoke up when seeing Lori worry about her brother. ¡°Escaping a horde is a lot easier than engaging it. Particularly a horde of that size. Unless the horde is willing to split up, there is a limit to its collective speed.¡±

    ¡°Right, and it¡¯s Terry!¡± Siling patted Lori¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Our homegrown mana-foundational freak. The undead that are trying to keep up with him are probably huffing and wheezing and considering crawling back into their graves by now.¡±

    ¡°Without a signal, there isn¡¯t much I can do, but I can keep an eye out and an ear open,¡± said Jee. ¡°I¡¯ll coordinate with the others and I also have some business with Dhruv. You should get packing. After I¡¯m done with everything urgent, I can take you back to Arcana. You won¡¯t be able to do much good here.¡±

    Lori grimaced and shook her head ¨C shifting between an unreconciled manner and sheer helplessness.

    Miguel poked Lori with the wooden box. ¡°Terry didn¡¯t lie with his signal. Mission completed. We can make sure your parents are alright and afterwards, we can all figure out how to best proceed. Terry made it out of a death-infested dungeon at the arse-end of nowhere. We shouldn¡¯t underestimate him. We¡¯ll just have to keep looking.¡±

    Lori sniffled and stared silently at Miguel. His phrasing had jogged another memory loose. She remembered Isille dragging her to the training grounds after Terry¡¯s last disappearance.

    ¡°...eventually there will only be us.¡± Lori muttered faintly and clenched her fists. ¡°Trying our best for our whaka.¡± She nodded and mustered the resolve to depart for Arcana. Her gaze rested on Miguel for a heartbeat longer than she intended.

    ***

 119 Rumors of the Arcanian

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 35 ¨C

    Weran stepped out of the dimensional gate with an almost tangible aura swirling around his dark green cloak. His fierce eyes darted over the area. In front of him, a swarm of hellspawn was pressing into a dungeon entrance. In a handful of locations, battles were still being fought.

    ¡°Undead.¡± Weran muttered unconcernedly while watching a high-level lich hold his own against several dozen hellspawn. Not far from there, a group of death executioners and reavers were still putting on a fight as well. Overall, however, it was clear that the undead were on the losing end of this confrontation.

    Weran ignored their fight and instead cast several detection spells. One of the spells allowed him to spot a group of Tiv soldiers hidden behind rock and steel fortifications, which they were desperately defending against a behemoth whose front-limb maw was turned inside-out with an endless spiral of sharp teeth tearing, slicing, and drilling into the soldiers¡¯ barricade.

    ¡°Dogs of the traitorous king,¡± growled Weran and his eyes narrowed. Mana began gathering between his fingers while his eyes observed the area. ¡°If this is a trap, then it appears to be an unusual one.¡±

    Weran scoffed and stepped forward. From all around him, mana was being absorbed into his cloak and strengthened his spell casting. In a few seconds, Weran had shaped a complex net of spell structures that were all chained together. A single ignition later, the barrage of spells activated while Weran focused on guiding the activations for minor adjustments.

    The earth rumbled and several large stone walls rose from the ground and high into the sky. One by one ¨C alternating left and right ¨C they stopped for a brief moment before tipping over and squashing whatever wasn¡¯t quick enough to escape.

    Once again, the earth rumbled and the ground shifted. The survivors of the first spell combination found themselves being moved together with the earth they were standing on. When they were all lined up, two casting centers ignited and unleashed two intense blasts of pale-blue flames.

    A behemoth galloped towards Weran and lunged at him with the center-maw on its neck opened wide.

    Weran modified the links between the chained spell structures to adjust the order and timing of spells. The earth around Weran reshaped into tiny, sharp-edged grains of sand, which then sped towards the behemoth¡¯s opened maw at high velocity. A dark green liquid rose from the earth and followed right after the sand.

    The high pressure beams of sand and liquid tore into the behemoth¡¯s throat and tested the limits of the behemoth¡¯s devouring ability.

    ¡°I never liked you behemoths,¡± remarked Weran with cold eyes. He cast a quickened spell that created a spatial barrier in front of himself.

    Another spell ignited and the air-pressure around the behemoth suddenly dropped significantly. It looked as if the behemoth was being turned inside-out and then it exploded into countless tiny bits of hellspawn flesh. Some of the fleshy debris impacted on the spatial barrier that Weran had created before.

    Weran controlled the remaining spells in his active chain when his attention was caught by a faint mana distortion on the other side of the hellspawn. He narrowed his eyes, circled his mana and put on the hood of his cloak. His skin-tone flickered and he disappeared from sight ¨C both eyesight and mana sight. An instant later, a dimensional gate opened where Weran had sensed the distortion.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea that you¡¯ve come, father. As the Supreme warned us, there is hellspawn activity here.¡± A woman in silver metal armor with purple cloth addressed the sturdy, thick-bellied, old human man.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to greet my commander,¡± insisted Castellan. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa,¡± muttered a man in blue scale armor. ¡°It¡¯s just uhm¡­¡± The man searched for words. ¡°When was the last time you¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I mean you¡¯re not really on active duty anymore, right?¡± His eyes danced over Castellan¡¯s armor that appeared to be close to bursting due to the amount of belly pressing against it.

    ¡°Worry about yourself,¡± grunted Castellan. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass our family name here. I can take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, father.¡± The woman shook her head. She pointedly observed Castellan limping forward. ¡°You¡¯re not that quick on your feet anymore. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± Castellan grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the hellspawn that ought to worry about being quick on their feet. I have no intention of running.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m being ignored here,¡± interjected an old human woman, who was clad in silver and red. The Mage Supreme shot an annoyed glance towards the group of worrying youngsters. ¡°I won¡¯t have my friends die in front of me. Hellspawn be damned. You should know that Castellan is more stubborn than a lump of iron. Then again, you might be too if you still haven¡¯t given up on dissuading him.¡±

    The group of elite soldiers proceeded together with Castellan while Diwa cast a combination of a spherical protective barrier and a pulsating fire vortex that incinerated the hellspawn in the vicinity.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Diwa whirled around and hurriedly began casting a spell. Before anyone else could follow what caused the Mage Supreme to be concerned, the fire vortex distorted, its color changed into an eerie crimson, and the whole spell contracted to threaten the spherical barrier protecting them.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Diwa clenched her teeth and fought with the unknown mage opponent for control of the spell.

    ¡°Mages!¡± shouted Castellan¡¯s daughter. ¡°Support the Supreme!¡±

    ¡°Rescind that order!¡± roared Castellan with eyes glued onto Diwa¡¯s strained expression. ¡°Think about what kind of opponent would be able to take Diwa on like this. In a duel of true mages, there is no place to just butt in. A single lapse in Diwa¡¯s concentration can spell death for us all. I know Diwa, she¡¯ll do better alone for now. Trust her.¡±

    Castellan¡¯s daughter nodded with a grim expression and adjusted her order. ¡°Everyone, focus on locating the enemy! Blue team, prepare to release a new barrier at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±

    ¡°Try to follow the mana movement if you can.¡± Castellan addressed one of his grandchildren who focused on spellwork. ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to follow her battles in mana sight, but from what I understand, it¡¯s an invaluable lesson for those that can.¡± He never took his eyes from Diwa¡¯s expression, even while talking.

    After seconds that seemed like hours, Castellan cursed: ¡°Shit!¡± The wrinkles on Diwa¡¯s forehead had deepened and cold sweat had appeared on her forehead.

    While Diwa was completely occupied with defending the flame vortex from interference, a thin trail of translucent grains shot up from the earth and snaked around her ankle, into her robes, around her torso, and finally around her neck. The tiny glass pieces tightened all at once and continued circling to cause a faint line of blood to follow in their path.

    ¡°Weran,¡± muttered Diwa with recognition and a slight trace of instinctual fear. The glass pieces could have cut deeper if the caster had chosen to do so. The Mage Supreme quietly admitted defeat and surrendered to the situation. Weran had chosen to let her live, which indicated that there was room to talk.

    ¡°I know this spell¡­¡± Castellan¡¯s face turned grave. He moved his hand over the shrunken battle axe at his belt. He hesitated when seeing the comparatively calm face of Diwa. As so often, he could not follow all of her reasoning, but he was pretty good at reading her intentions. ¡°Everyone stay calm for now.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡ª?¡± Castellan¡¯s daughter narrowed her eyes and reflexively reached for her weapon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± barked Castellan. ¡°Everyone, stay calm.¡±

    ¡°Prepare healing spells.¡± His daughter adjusted quickly and whispered new orders to the soldiers around her.

    A figure became visible within the sea of crimson flames, seemingly unbothered by what should be a lethal environment. All that was visible through the flames was the mana-distorting outline of a cloak with hood pulled up and a deep black penetrating from where eyes should have been ¨C a black that none of the raging flames could illuminate.

    ¡°If you wanted to bait me out of Tiv Palace, there are easier ways, old comrade.¡± Diwa spoke with forced composure and gulped. ¡°But this isn¡¯t one of your traps, is it, Weran? I don¡¯t believe that you would use Hope¡¯s memory like this. Never.¡±

    Dark black voids were coldly staring back from the flames while Diwa was speaking.

    ¡°But looking at you now, I¡¯m beginning to doubt my judgement.¡± Diwa gulped again. ¡°After all, I also believed that you had given up on that fiendish cloak. I remember you promising that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± hissed the figure from the crimson flames. The flames parted and a path opened to reveal Weran completely. His face was faintly visible underneath the cloak but the area where his eyes should be remained as impenetrable to light as before. The darkness glowered at Diwa and Castellan. ¡°The naive little girl and the knuckle-brained bleeding heart. The fact that it¡¯s you two that have come makes me willing to give you a chance. If you had brought one of the traitors, I would not have hesitated to settle some long-overdue debts.¡±

    ¡°We have sensed the same as you, I believe,¡± said Diwa. ¡°And¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°We have already received confirmation from Tivius. Hope is alive.¡±

    For the first time, the darkness that covered Weran¡¯s eyes faded away, but only for a brief moment. ¡°Did you kill Tivius on the spot?!¡± His tone contained an unspoken accusation.

    Diwa and Castellan clenched their fists. It was Diwa who replied: ¡°No. No, we did not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the difference between you and me.¡± Weran spoke with loathing and contempt. ¡°No matter how powerful you will grow, you will always be surrounded by liars and traitors.¡± His voice was cold. ¡°You deserve it.¡± Fire lit up in his eyes: ¡°She didn¡¯t!¡±

    Weran turned towards the dungeon and walked ahead. He muttered to himself: ¡°Without punishment, no lesson will be learned. Ever. No civilization will survive. Corruption. Collapse. Chaos.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Spare the wicked, doom the innocent.¡±

    ***

    ¡°The number of hellspawn has decreased significantly,¡± muttered one of the Tiv soldiers inside the dungeon.

    ¡°Stay sharp!¡± reminded Yujin. Her eyes darted around the chamber and surrounding tunnels. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. This is no time to let down your guard.¡±

    ¡°The Valkyrie!¡± shouted one of the soldiers. Hope had jumped back onto the disconnected ledge and walked into the tunnel.

    ¡°Move so much as a muscle, and I¡¯ll have your throats cut.¡± Yujin hissed towards Claude and his prison guards whom she had been keeping an eye on the whole time.

    As the Valkyrie walked past the Tiv soldiers, various expressions washed over their faces. Some contained gratitude, admiration and respect. A few even went down on one knee or bowed. Others wore expressions of wariness, fear, and barely suppressed hostility.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Where did the Arcanian go?¡± Hope addressed Yujin, who appeared to be in command at the moment. ¡°I missed his departure.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t know either,¡± admitted Yujin with a trace of anxiousness on her face. Not understanding often meant being at risk of an unexpected death. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t even understand where he came from or what he was doing here.¡±

    ¡°He was alone?¡± asked Hope with surprise. ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡±

    ¡°As far as we can tell,¡± replied Yujin. Her eyes did not miss the resentful expression on Claude¡¯s face, who had been taken off-guard by Terry¡¯s arrival and the fear of other forces from Arcana waiting to join the battle.

    ¡°Did no one catch his departure?¡± asked Hope. ¡°My mana sense was never the best but this still seems strange. Did anyone else notice anything?¡±

    The soldiers were shaking their heads quietly. Yujin observed their reactions carefully.

    Hope stepped closer to Yujin. ¡°So the Arcanian arrived out of nowhere, joined the battle against the back-stabbing guards¡­¡± Hope sent a dismissive glance towards Claude before returning her attention to Yujin. ¡°...he did something to the dungeon or veil tear, and then he just vanished?¡±

    Yujin wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.

    ¡°Does that make sense to anyone?¡± Hope chuckled lightly.

    Yujin noticed one of her subordinates fidgeting. ¡°Speak your mind, soldier.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The woman furrowed her brow. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve seen that man before. On a bounty poster.¡±

    ¡°A criminal?¡± exclaimed another soldier with shock.

    ¡°No surprise there, he did murder good people here,¡± growled one of the prison guards.

    ¡°What good people?!¡± sneered another soldier. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the Arcanian touch so much as a hair of any good person here. He only fought you scum.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± barked Yujin. ¡°If you¡¯re already growing tired of not fighting, you can replace those that are currently engaging the hellspawn at the chokepoint.¡±

    Yujin looked at her female subordinate, who had spoken up. ¡°What kind of bounty?¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that several bounty hunters have been found dead recently,¡± said the woman. ¡°The one thing they had in common was a single bounty they carried. The man who told me the story showed me the bounty leaflet, which is why I remember. The bounty was for an Arcanian man, who looked exactly like this person. The bounty had been issued for his involvement in a conflict at a Guardian outpost.¡±

    ¡°Notable conflict at a Guardian outpost¡­¡± Yujin furrowed her brow. ¡°It¡¯s very far west for an Arcanian, but do you mean the uprising at Libra City? The one where a Bright was killed?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± replied the woman. ¡°Bright Willow.¡±

    ¡°¡®Bright Willow¡¯?¡± exclaimed another soldier.

    ¡°Speak.¡± Yujin turned to the male soldier.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Bright Willow one of the people involved in the plot against Arcana¡¯s barrier?¡± asked the man.

    Hope raised a quizzical eyebrow at the mention of ¡®Arcana¡¯s barrier.¡¯ She had no inkling of what these words signified nor what kind of plot they were talking about.

    ¡°Hm, this is¡ª¡± Yujin stopped herself when she noticed the Valkyrie walking forward again.

    Hope, who had been listening attentively before, was now wearing a completely new expression: a softened gaze with tears in her eyes. She hesitatingly stepped towards one of the tunnels and muttered: ¡°Little Diwa¡­ Castellan¡­¡± Her eyebrow twitched. ¡°Huh? Naer?¡± She narrowed her eyes angrily. ¡°That damned cloak again.¡± She grumbled while hastening her steps towards the people she longed to see with all her heart.

    ¡°Uhm¡­?¡± The soldiers glanced at each other. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± ¡°Where did she run off to?¡± ¡°There are people there.¡± ¡°Yeah¡ª Wastes, these are intense mana signatures.¡± ¡°Hostile?¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± muttered Yujin. ¡°Not if the Valkyrie reacts like that. Friendlies.¡±

    ¡°Commander!¡± a soldier approached Yujin with something in his hand.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Yujin moved her attention to the soldier.

    ¡°We¡¯ve found these. We believe they belonged to the Arcanian.¡± The soldier handed over a bunch of aspected throwing needles.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Yujin weighed one of the throwing needles in her hand while examining it in mana sight. ¡°Who aspects an item with unaspected mana? Odd.¡±

    The soldier cleared his throat. ¡°Uhm, we have, uhm, discovered that these can¡¯t be entered into storage items.¡±

    Yujin raised an eyebrow at the unspoken implication that these soldiers had apparently first tried to sneak away the throwing needles but she chose to ignore the minor offense. She attempted to place the throwing needle into her storage item and confirmed what the soldier had said. ¡°Truly odd. Well¡­¡± Yujin shrugged. ¡°One more point to add to the mysterious Arcanian column.¡±

    ***

    ¡°SCREE!¡± *Clomp!* The widowmaker accelerated abruptly and bared its fangs at Terry. ¡°Scree? Scree¨Cgurgl¡­¡± It had thrown itself directly onto a set of transfixed needles from Terry¡¯s mana-crafted skewer box.

    ¡±Hchh!¡± With the hellspawn¡¯s dying breath, it emitted a swarm of translucent locusts. The withering-aspected attack rushed towards Terry.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry circled some mana into the magic item near his chest, which had been awarded to him by the dungeon. The brooch held together a velvety black fabric and with the addition of Terry¡¯s mana, the fabric began to turn an even darker shade of black. In an instant, Terry stepped into the shadow plane.

    Terry found himself in a monochrome world that seemed an inverted image of how the world was supposed to look. The only light emerged from where shadows were supposed to be and all light vanished after a short distance.

    Terry could see the locusts passing underneath him. He was standing on what appeared like a transparent window into the tunnel he had been standing in a moment before. This window was the shadow that was cast in the tunnel.

    Terry liked his new brooch. Aside from the ability to create and freely shape a cloak with detection-resistant properties out of thin air, it also allowed him to use an ability similar to the Shadow Step spell. This turned out to be a useful addition to Terry¡¯s evasive options since it often conserved more mana than countering with a disruption discharge. There was a downside, however, and Terry paid close attention to the mana around him. The shadow plane was not devoid of life. Mages or magic creatures like the undead shades might be lurking in the impenetrable darkness.

    Terry was not in any position to fight inside this plane of shadows, mostly because he was unable to lift a foot without returning to the normal world immediately ¨C a limitation of the cloak¡¯s ability and a limitation that was not necessarily shared by the creatures lurking in the dark.

    Terry crouched down to get a better view of the dungeon tunnel on the other side of the plane window. He nodded slightly and then lifted his foot. The moment his foot lost some contact with the plane window, the world around Terry tilted and he found himself back inside the tunnel. The dead hellspawn had all vanished into nothingness.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry puckered his lips and moved them from side to side. He adjusted the length and shape of the velvety fabric once more. He hadn¡¯t quite figured out yet how he should wear the cloak, or if at all. It consumed some mana to maintain and it looked rather peculiar.

    If the others were here, they would probably comment on my lack of fashion sense again. Terry snickered while thinking. Rightfully so, probably. Velvety black cloak paired with glossy brown mushroom leather and a few yellow-golden septimum pieces. Yeah¡­  Terry shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s functional.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry walked along the dungeon tunnel while subconsciously moving his fingers to the location of his second dungeon reward: the enchanted necklace with a constant passive effect. At first, Terry had no idea what the necklace¡¯s effect was. He had assumed that it might need charging because it had appeared to simply absorb mana to then emit a slightly lower amount of mana.

    Terry only discovered the actual effect when he had reached a dungeon chamber in which the mana was prominently featuring the ice-aspect. That was the moment when Terry detected that the necklace was absorbing his oscillating mana and then emitted a mana signature that mimicked the surrounding mana very closely.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned subconsciously. He glanced from side to side and thought: Is the dungeon calling me shady or something? What kind of person does this dungeon think I am? Why are both my rewards related to sneaking around? Why not a long-range magic weapon or anything an upstanding character might use in the open?

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry grumbled quietly and shrugged once more. Despite his grumbling, Terry was actually grinning whenever he thought of the necklace. It wasn¡¯t the useful mana cloaking assistance that he was so pleased with. It was useful, sure, and a welcome addition for someone with an aspect-impairment, of course. But the truly exciting thing in Terry¡¯s opinion was something else.

    Terry¡¯s mind immediately latched onto another property: The constant passive mana consumption. What sounded like a negative trait to most people¡¯s ears, sounded like the best mana regeneration training assistance a person could wish for in Terry¡¯s ears. When he had laid down for a nap in one of the secure dungeon chambers, he had become aware that he could keep training his mana regeneration even while sleeping. The excitement at that prospect had nearly foiled his napping plans.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry¡¯s brow furrowed at the sight in front of him. ¡°Another one of these door puzzles?¡± He glanced from side to side. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a single dungeon mechanism aside from these doors.¡±

    Terry was not sure what to make of these doors. The door lock puzzles were challenging. Even with Terry''s acute mana sense and exquisite mana control, it still took a considerable amount of time because the solution required him to maintain a comparably large mana structure in place.

    Terry shaped the unlocking structure and held it in place for several minutes while constantly adding more mana to offset whatever the door was doing that caused mana to thin out in some locations. Suddenly, the mana felt foreign to Terry and it was sucked deeper into the dungeon. This was the same for every door so far. It signaled the successful solving of the puzzle. A moment later, the door opened.

    ¡°This is so strange,¡± muttered Terry while following the descending mana with his mana sight and scanning the tunnel ahead with detection pulses.

    ***

    ¡°Naer, why are you still wearing that cloak?¡± Hope glanced at the elven man in his dark green cloak that was radiating an eerie aura.

    ¡°Hope.¡± Weran spoke the name almost like a sigh. ¡°Right now, you may call me Weran.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not!¡± retorted Hope. ¡°I remember you promising me that you wouldn¡¯t wear that cloak anymore.¡±

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t,¡± said Weran. ¡°Even though I thought you were dead. I didn¡¯t. Not until it became necessary. And truthfully, I believe my hesitation was perhaps my mistake. If I had picked it up earlier, then you might not have been¡­¡± Even though his hood was down, a trace of darkness flickered around Weran¡¯s eyes. ¡°All this time.¡± He clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Tivius, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to settle my debts, Naer,¡± interjected Hope. ¡°Nor do I want you to. You have a tendency to go beyond what you can bear, or you wouldn¡¯t need this fiendish cloak to keep going. I¡¯ll have my turn with Tivius.¡±

    Hope leaned slightly forward and stared into the elderly face. ¡°So please, can you please stop? I obviously don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, but please call off the hunt for now. We can sort out whatever happened. We can do it while being clear-headed and without losing our conscience. Don¡¯t lose yourself again.¡±

    For a while, Weran walked quietly next to Hope. Eventually, he sighed. ¡°Perhaps after your turn with Tivius. Not before.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hope lowered her gaze and shifted her expression before turning back to Weran. ¡°Tell me, how are you so sure that we¡¯ll find a trace of the Arcanian in this place?¡±

    ¡°This is the Libra Outpost,¡± replied Weran.

    ¡°Looks like a large battle has been fought here recently,¡± said Hope with a glance to Weran.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± acknowledged Weran without elaborating. ¡°You said that one of the soldiers recognized the Arcanian from the bounty poster, but the fact that makes me sure that we are talking about the same person is that he simply vanished from the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°How did he do it?¡± asked Hope.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Weran.

    ¡°That¡¯s unusual.¡± Hope smirked slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that there are still new things to learn about space magic,¡± said Weran. ¡°A fresh and recent lesson.¡±

    ¡°So why are we here?¡± asked Hope. ¡°From the soldiers¡¯ gossip, this is the place where Terry was involved in the killing of a cultist.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Weran muttered pensively before clearing his throat. ¡°We¡¯re here because Terry¡¯s companions are here.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Or they were here not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°Looks like there will be an entourage,¡± quipped Hope while observing the people approaching them.

    ¡°I hoped I would never see you again,¡± said Dhruv. The dwarven Guardian eyed Weran warily. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy at your return.¡±

    Amelia, Dargones, and Cadence were standing next to Dhruv. Their gazes were similar to Dhruv¡¯s ¨C not at all pleased to meet Weran again so soon.

    ¡°Are you insisting on continuing this fight?¡± asked Cadence with bitterness.

    Hope shot Weran a fleeting glance and then interjected: ¡°No, he does not. Absolutely not. He only brought me here so that I can inquire about an acquaintance. His name is Terry.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°...¡± Cadence, Amelia, and Dargones raised a set of synchronized eyebrows.

    ¡°What do you want with the boy?¡± Dhruv demanded with a gruff voice. ¡°If you are looking to harm him, there will be no information for you here.¡±

    Hope noted the reactions among the rest of the people and took particular note of a group of people that stood out among the rest. First, in contrast to the others, their magic items weren¡¯t cloaked. Second, there was a dwarven woman that looked about ready to bite Hope to death if she did not give a satisfactory answer to Dhruv¡¯s inquiry. Third, there was an elven man staring open-mouthed that had apparently forgotten to breathe since a while ago.

    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Calam stammered and stared at Hope with star-struck eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the Valkyrie!¡± He exclaimed while pointing subconsciously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called that.¡± Hope grinned. ¡°I somehow ended up taking an involuntary leave of absence in a place of seclusion.¡± She noted Calam¡¯s force-aspected mana signature. Hope remembered the story that Weran had told her about the group that had come to Tiv in search of ingredients to save a Guardian. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there were companions that had joined Terry on a rescue mission in these lands, a noble pursuit in my opinion. How might I address you, boy?¡±

    ***

 120 Destiny

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 36 ¨C

    Hope walked through a hallway in Tiv palace. To her left, Castellan matched her steps in his aged but well-maintained armor. To her right, the Mage Supreme strode and used her mage staff as a walking stick. Behind them, the Supreme¡¯s disciple walked next to another figure whom no one in the palace recognized.

    People all along the hallway had begun half-kneeling on one knee and putting their fists over their hearts while staring at the Valkyrie.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Hope grumbled quietly, which caused Diwa next to her to snicker. ¡°At least one of us finds this amusing,¡± complained Hope while looking over the reverent expressions from the kneeling people. ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to this. It¡¯s even worse than back then.¡±

    ¡°Legends have a way of growing bigger over time,¡± said Diwa with unconcealed amusement. ¡°Relax, once they¡¯ve seen you with bed hair in the early morning, with sauce at the edge of your mouth after lunch, or with weepy eyes after reading a questionable romance novel in the evening, the reverence will pass. They¡¯ll see you just like we are seeing you, right Castellan?¡±

    A heartfelt smile tugged at the corner of Castellan¡¯s mouth but he quickly controlled it. ¡°No comments on my commander¡¯s private life.¡±

    ¡°What a ¡®Brave Iron Giant¡¯?¡± Diwa chuckled. ¡°Still afraid to even speak a wrong word in front of the Valkyrie. Tut tut.¡±

    Castellan rolled his eyes.

    The group walked up to the entrance. At this point, Diwa¡¯s and Castellan¡¯s expressions became somber and hesitant.

    It was the Valkyrie that stepped first into the throne room. Her eyes moved over the small number of figures inside. Her eyes stopped on Tivius and countless emotions were pressed into a single moment between her falling eyelashes. She walked forward up to the place where guests would stand when they had an appointment with the royal family.

    ¡°Traitors everyone!¡± spat the Founding Queen. ¡°After all we¡¯ve done for you, you are still siding with her.¡± Korra¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with jealousy and indignation.

    The reigning king resolved himself and stepped forward. ¡°Lady Hope, I¡­¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°I know that I have neither the right nor the power to stop you, but¡­¡±

    The reigning king took a deep breath and went down on one knee. He took the crown from his head and presented it to the Valkyrie. ¡°Please spare my parents¡¯ lives.¡±

    The Founding Queen snarled and glared hatefully at the Valkyrie.

    The Founding King watched in silence with an ashen face. It looked as if his spirit had already left his body.

    Hope finally moved her eyes away from Tivius and onto the kneeling figure of Tivius¡¯s son. She spoke matter-of-factly: ¡°You have the wrong idea on two points.¡±

    Hope¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡°First, I have vowed that this man will die once I manage to escape the prison he had put me in. I have promised that to myself. Every day, for two centuries. My promises remind me of who I am. My promises are what has allowed me to hold on to my sanity. My promises are important to me.¡±

    Hope¡¯s expression softened. ¡°The sins of the parents have nothing to do with the child. I bear you no ill will. He is your father and you can keep thinking of him like that. Even in my opinion, once upon time, Tivius was not merely a great man but a good man. You should remember him like that. But this does not affect my promise.¡±

    Tiv¡¯s reigning king grimaced with a conflicted expression.

    ¡°Second, I have no interest in the crown ¨C any crown.¡± Hope shook her head. ¡°I never did.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right,¡± sneered the Founding Queen.

    ¡°Korra, you haven¡¯t changed.¡± Hope moved her eyes to the Founding Queen. ¡°People wouldn¡¯t forget that you exist if you stayed quiet once in a while, you know.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but oh, you have changed a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡± Korra grinned maliciously. ¡°Sunken cheeks. Miserable looks. A lot thinner and greyer than the last time I saw you.¡± She sneered. ¡°Only your self-righteous hypocritical pretense is still the same as always.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Hope was unperturbed by the insults. ¡°A tiger will never understand a rabbit¡¯s taste for grass. A liar will never understand an honest person¡¯s principles.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed Korra. ¡°Keep pretending.¡±

    ¡°I care about the people,¡± stressed Hope in a loud and firm voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about the right to rule.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right,¡± sneered Korra. ¡°As if.¡±

    Hope looked calmly at Korra and then at Tivius. ¡°I guess she doesn¡¯t know?¡± She shook her head with a disappointed smile. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that surprise me?¡±

    Tivius averted his gaze and subconsciously scooted away from Korra.

    ¡°Know what?¡± Korra retorted with derision towards the Valkyrie.

    ¡°If I had any interest in a crown, I could already be wearing yours,¡± replied Hope flatly while returning her gaze to the Founding Queen.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Korra barked coldly.

    ¡°First it was every week, then every month, then every year, and finally every few years.¡± Hope spoke with contempt. ¡°For two centuries, he kept visiting me in my prison uninvited ¨C always bringing the same offer.¡± Righteous indignation appeared on her face. ¡°He promised to release me as long as I would hide his crimes and forget my earlier oaths.¡± Hope leaned slightly forward while keeping her eyes on the Founding Queen. ¡°Can you guess what else he offered me?¡±

    Tivius flinched visibly.

    ¡°The position of queen,¡± finished Hope and shrugged.

    ¡°Lies!¡± spat Korra, who was fuming. ¡°You dirty liar! Tivius would never¡ª¡±

    Hope broke out in unrestrained laughter with an incredulous undertone. ¡°Really? I¡¯ve been called many things in my life, but few ever managed to call me a liar with a straight face.¡± She shook her head and raised her brows. ¡°You should know us well enough to know better, Korra.¡± Hope spoke with thinly veiled amusement. ¡°Which one of us is the liar? Me or Tivius?¡±

    Korra was stunned into silence and could not help but glance at Tivius next to her. Seeing the expression on Tivius¡¯s face, the blood rushed to Korra¡¯s head.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Korra moved closer to Tivius who kept averting his eyes. Korra¡¯s eyes turned wild. She snapped and pulled a concealed dagger from her garments. Without hesitation, she stabbed the dagger into Tivius¡¯s chest. The flesh immediately began to wither away. Black lines appeared on Tivius¡¯s face while he was staring into the hate-filled eyes of his wife.

    ¡°How could you?!¡± shrieked Korra. ¡°I gave you everything!¡±

    ¡°Including the permission to act shamelessly.¡± Hope¡¯s voice had turned cold. ¡°It was you who always encouraged his lies. Why do you act so surprised that he has turned into a liar?¡± She laughed mockingly. ¡°You got what you wanted.¡± Hope gestured at Tivius and spoke disdainfully. ¡°This is the man you helped create. This is the ¡®pragmatism¡¯ that treats words and principles as oh-so-cheap.¡±

    Hope laughed again with derision. ¡°You could not possibly have believed that you would be the eternal exception to his shamelessness?¡± All laughter vanished from her face and she spoke sternly: ¡°There is no such thing. Actions shape character. Character is destiny!¡±

    The Valkyrie turned away from the Founding Pair and looked at Tiv¡¯s reigning king, who appeared to be in a disbelieving shock and stared with horrified denial at his dying father.

    Hope glanced back at Tivius¡¯s dying figure once more. ¡°I remember that dagger well. There is no saving this old man¡¯s life now. My promise has been upheld. Hm¡­¡±

    Hope shook her head with a pensive expression and then took a deep breath. She turned her attention fully to Tiv¡¯s reigning king. ¡°The crown is yours, I don¡¯t want it. But I will address the Assembly. I have something to say to those that have allowed the Wastes to encroach this far onto the common people. As the reigning king, you should be present. Settle your family matters. We will inform you about the appointment.¡±

    Afterwards, Hope turned around and left. She nodded at Castellan and Diwa. She fleetingly glanced at Mahalia ¨C the Supreme¡¯s disciple. Finally, Hope¡¯s gaze rested on the last remaining figure. Hope smiled at the young force-aspected elven man from Arcana whom she had taken as her first disciple.

    ¡°While Diwa and Castellan prepare the appointment, we will begin with your instruction,¡± said Hope. ¡°These old bones have no time to waste. Let¡¯s get going, Calam.¡±

    Calam nodded hurriedly and he meekly followed the Valkyrie with visible excitement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised when you see the Assembly,¡± remarked Diwa. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be a full room.¡±

    ¡°Naer¡¯s doing?¡± asked Hope with a raised brow.

    ¡°Him and the associates he brought with him,¡± replied Diwa with a nod. ¡°He has grown into something truly terrifying. During the time he has not shown himself he has grown way beyond my expectations.¡±

    ¡°Hard to protect against assassination when dimensional mages of that caliber are involved,¡± remarked Castellan.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for his respect for the Valkyrie, I¡¯d wager the only ones that could reign him in are the magic sovereigns,¡± said Diwa with a distant expression.

    ¡°On the bright side, if the Assembly insists on being stupid, you probably only need to invite Weran and his cloak to scare some sense into them,¡± quipped Castellan. ¡°The terror is still fresh and no one would dare to question his willingness to follow through.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to use terror,¡± said Hope firmly. ¡°And I don¡¯t want Naer to wear that role, or that cloak for that matter.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m getting really tired of these door puzzles,¡± grumbled Terry while carefully examining the mana patterns in his mana sight. ¡°I much preferred the human-made doors with simple keys.¡± Terry continued grumbling.

    ¡°I guess here and here.¡± Terry mumbled and began channeling mana into specific locations on the movable wall construct. One of the patterns changed but only slightly. Terry narrowed his eyes and poured more mana into the changing pattern. ¡°Oh, come on!¡±

    If it sucks that much mana, then I¡¯ll be here for another hour. Terry scowled. And there will probably be more hellspawn on the other side.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry reconciled himself to the prospect of having to channel mana for a while and he slowed down his input to the door.

    Perhaps I should take the chance to sleep and eat again? This area is safe. Who knows what¡¯s waiting on the other side this time?

    ¡°Something is still fishy,¡± grumbled Terry while scrunching up his face. ¡°Why are there so many of these mana puzzles? Is this normal?¡±

    Ask Unca Samuel. He¡¯d probably be delighted at the question.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put it on the list,¡± muttered Terry to himself.

    Perhaps it¡¯s just my luck? Or lack of luck? A simple tendency to attract dungeon weirdness? Wouldn¡¯t be the first time.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry grunted and sat down to take a meal.

    ***

    It was perhaps the oddest sight to ever appear in the hall of Tiv¡¯s Assembly.

    A quarter of the Assembly seats remained empty because the ministers were either missing or confirmed dead. The sparse official seats stood in stark contrast to the flooded hallways and area outside the building. Everyone wanted to participate. Each and every civil servant from the city stood in the hall to get a glimpse of what was going on. Through the windows, everyone could see the capital¡¯s citizens staring with bated breaths and varied expressions.

    The reigning king had chosen to attend and yet no one paid much attention to his disheveled and sorrowful figure. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed onto the group in the speaker¡¯s corner. As always, the Mage Supreme and the Brave Iron Giant cut impressive figures in their official outfits that radiated authority, but it wasn¡¯t them that held everyone¡¯s attention. All eyes were instead on the barefooted, emaciated, and wrinkly-faced elven woman in plain, unassuming combat robes.

    Some of the ministers had been stunned into silence and did not know what to say. Some averted their eyes and wore faces filled with shame. Some were staring open-mouthed with unrestrained admiration and respect.

    Many of the ministers were visibly enraged but dared not to speak.

    ¡°This is treason!¡± One of the ministers from the Noble Faction could not hold it in anymore. ¡°Going against everything that is right!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°How dare you?!¡± Other ministers cursed the noble out. ¡°Ludicrous!¡± ¡°To accuse the Valkyrie.¡± ¡°Go dig a hole and die!¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed another minister from the Noble Faction. ¡°What makes you believe that Arcana would even accept? They never helped us before.¡±

    Hope stood in the speaker¡¯s corner unfazed. ¡°In contrast to Tivius¡¯s approach, I do not intend to go there to claim a right. I will not go there and explain to them how they are obligated to help us. I do not intend to condemn them for inaction. I do not intend to portray their help as something that I am entitled to and which they are unjustly withholding from me.¡±

    Hope¡¯s eyes were calm as she held the gaze of the noble that had addressed her. ¡°I am going to ask for help.¡± She paused and smiled charmingly. ¡°I am going to be thankful if they choose to give it. I am going to show them the respect they deserve for helping someone in need.¡± Her voice turned heavier. ¡°For risking their own in order to help an empire that has wronged them before.¡± A disappointed glint entered her eyes. ¡°To help an empire that is certainly not deserving of or entitled to their help.¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges!¡± Indignant and outraged exclamations rang from some of the ministers, particularly of the younger ministers. ¡°Mana use is a privilege!¡±

    ¡°Look around you!¡± The Valkyrie¡¯s mana flared up for the first time as she glared at some of those that had spoken. ¡°When was the last time you left this city? When was the last time you went to the Wasteborder?¡± She carefully enunciated her words: ¡°Mana use is not a privilege, mana use is a necessity!¡±

    Hope let her words linger for a moment before she continued: ¡°I don¡¯t really care about these lands. Frankly, I don¡¯t care to quibble about laws or power.¡± Her voice became stern: ¡°I care about the people and nothing will stop me from helping them when I can.¡± Hope moved her eyes over the Assembly. ¡°I have known Arcana to be honorable and honest in their dealings. I will ask them for help.¡±

    ¡°Now, what I will ask specifically depends on you.¡± Hope searched the expressions of the present ministers. ¡°If you decide to relinquish your power, then I will ask Arcana to accept us as part of their empire. The people will get their protection and we will all follow their laws.¡±

    ¡°Outrageous!¡± ¡°You have no right to tear down the Tiv Empire!¡±

    ¡°Hold your tongue!¡± ¡°If anyone has a claim to these lands, then it¡¯s the Valkyrie!¡±

    ¡°Our laws are our¡¯s to decide!¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges!¡±

    ¡°So does any power!¡± roared the Valkyrie. ¡°Power obliges! You are wielding the power of the government and from what little I have seen over the past few days, it is painfully obvious that you are the ones that have failed in your duties!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Back when we faced the Lich Kingdoms, the pressure was much higher than what I have seen from the Wastes even now!¡± interrupted the Valkyrie. ¡°And yet, your empire is collapsing while back then, we grew stronger together. From what I can see, your empire is rotting from within and your laws are a part of that!¡±

    ¡°Magic obliges!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Arcana¡¯s duty to help us! They have no right to make demands!¡± ¡°They¡ª¡±

    ¡°Back then, Tivius secretly began leaking the Arcanian troop positions to the Lich Kingdoms in order to lead them away from these lands!¡± The Valkyrie flared up once more. ¡°When I discovered that, I hoped that there was a mistake. When I confronted him, I walked into a trap set by Tivius together with the lich kings.

    ¡°Leaving aside my own miserable experience.¡± Hope glowered at the ministers. ¡°Does anyone among you really have the face to tell Arcana they have a duty to ¡®help¡¯ this empire? And without ¡®making demands¡¯?!¡± Hope scoffed. ¡°We owe them, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°You have no right to undermine Tiv nobility!¡± ¡°Nor the Assembly!¡± ¡°Damn¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± interrupted Hope. ¡°I won¡¯t quibble with you. Saint Dalia once said that there are two kinds of nobles. One that sees their title as a right to lord over others, a justification to look down on those without.¡± Hope¡¯s eyes moved over those that had spoken. ¡°The other sees their title as a duty, a commandment to work hard for the sake of their subjects, so that one day they might become worthy of the privilege they have been born with.¡± Hope smiled thinly. ¡°I do respect the latter and have no intention of undermining those.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you choose your power over your people, then I won¡¯t argue with you.¡± Hope interjected before they could start another round of shouting. ¡°What I will do is travel through the empire to gather everyone that wants to leave after making sure that Arcana will accept us.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°These are Tiv citizens!¡± ¡°They have no right¡ª¡±

    ¡°It seems quite peaceful here in this place,¡± sneered Hope. ¡°All cozied up to the good neighbor and close to where Arcana¡¯s barrier once stood.¡± Her expression darkened. ¡°Very different from what I saw along the way when traveling here.¡± The Valkyrie¡¯s mana flared up and this time, an oppressive aura accompanied it. ¡°It is you that has no right. You have no right to treat others as your meat shields.

    ¡°I will protect those that choose to go with me.¡± Hope retracted her emitted mana. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± She exhaled sharply. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t know how many fights I have left in these old bones and I would rather not waste them on some meaningless bullshit.¡± She glowered at the gathered Assembly. ¡°But if we go down that route, then I give you my word today that I will use everything in my power to get the people out of here. If you want to throw your own lives against mine, go ahead, but I won¡¯t let you hide behind your citizens.¡±

    ¡°Despicable!¡± ¡°Magic obliges!¡± ¡°How dare you use your power ¨C your magic ¨C to threaten us!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said what I had to say,¡± declared Hope calmly. ¡°You can inform me about your decision on which path you want to take. I am not your enemy unless you make me one.¡±

    Hope turned around and began leaving. Diwa and Castellan followed her.

    ¡°You!¡± ¡°Mage Supreme, how can you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Diwa turned around with a fierce expression. ¡°Save your breath! I will never stand against the Valkyrie. I, you, everyone here owes more than we could ever repay to her.¡± They gathered the two waiting disciples and then made their way through the crowd that opened a path for them.

    ***

    ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­¡± Terry panted and watched the last widowmaker disappear into nothingness. The tunnel was now finally empty.

    Terry collected the needles back into his skewer box and gathered all his cheap swords that were lying around.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Terry could not help but appreciate the advantages of fighting inside a dungeon. The immediate feedback when an opponent was dead was really helpful with opponents like the hellspawn that had considerable regenerative abilities.

    Terry also had to admit that he felt much more comfortable fighting in narrow quarters because it worked to his advantage when blocking with tertium slabs or when working with his transfixed blades and needles.

    This was especially true when facing the widowmakers whose battle style was based on charging with high speed. These hellspawn had sharp bladed arms and an incredibly tough dome-shaped protective plate to make this feasible for them and lethal to their victims.

    The battle style was suicide against Terry¡¯s immovable items though. No matter how tough the protective head plate was, it would not hold against a small immovable needle when the widowmaker was charging against it at full force.

    No matter how sharp the widowmaker¡¯s sharp blades were, they were not able to cut an immovable item.

    No matter how much regeneration the ichor aspect provided the widowmakers, it was not sufficient when they charged onto immovable blades that Terry had transfixed vertically. They cut themselves into several pieces in an instant. Their own kinetic force caused the pieces to press further forward ¨C where they would meet yet another blade at a different angle.

    Terry¡¯s improvements in mana reach allowed him to keep several layers of blades transfixed without getting dangerously close. If a widowmaker somehow managed to survive one of their suicidal charge attacks, then Terry would know thanks to the dungeon¡¯s immediate feedback upon death. In the case of a survivor, Terry only had to quickly follow up with fire or acid to finish it off.

    Terry was certain that he would not be able to face that many widowmakers outside the dungeon.

    Outside, I could escape though.

    Terry clicked his tongue and walked forward in the tunnel cautiously. His mana sense detected nothing ahead. His detection cloud made of thin naturalized mana detected nothing either. He sent the vampire bat projection ahead and discovered a dead end.

    Wait no, not a dead end.

    Terry subconsciously accelerated. ¡°Reservoir room.¡± He was already preparing himself to quickly dump a lot of his mana, but he had barely reached the middle of the room when the door at the end already opened. Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°Does this mean there was already a lot of dungeon-foreign mana?¡±

    Focus.

    Terry dashed through the open door and felt the warm sensation of the sun on his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. A breath later, Terry jerked around with eyes wide open. There was a mana signature not far from him. It did not seem like a monster and the shape matched folk.

    Except for the tail? Canan? No, that tail would be smaller. Felan? Probably the same. Lizan?

    Terry thought back to the lizan corpse he had once seen after a battle with Thanatos soldiers.

    Could be.

    Terry clicked his tongue.

    The mana signature would suggest an active mana user. Mage or cultivator. Not a channeler. Unaspected.

    Terry stopped his line of thought and instead summoned his five-point ring. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Terry¡¯s mouth opened with shock. According to the markers he had placed outside the dungeon of the Valkyrie, he was now¡­ in a completely different location.

    Terry retrieved his Guardian cards and checked the signals. His stomach plummeted when not a single one was within reach.

    Terry took a deep breath and tried to make sense of the markers in the five-point inscription. He was still able to sense the markers but they were stuck together.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Realization dawned on Terry. ¡°Must be a long distance. This should be¡­¡± Terry looked around. ¡°How did I get this far south? This must be way outside of Tiv¡¯s territory?¡±

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry became dejected and took another deep breath.

    On the bright side, I can still sense the markers, which gives me direction. I can determine how to get to Arcana.

    Terry nodded and was about to retrieve a map to consult when he sensed the mana signature nearby move towards him.

    My mana is cloaked. I even have the necklace. How did they sense me? Life sense? A soul spirit or something?

    Terry searched the skies above for any flying eyes.

    Should I step into the shadow plane? But then I could not move anymore¡­

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry was not sure how to feel about being detected in this unknown area. He checked his equipment and prepared himself to either escape or fight depending on the situation.

    Terry was not surprised to see the figure of a lizan.

    Terry was very surprised to see more than one. A lot more, roughly fifty. Only one of them was emitting mana.

    Going by the outfit, a mage. Going by the fact that the lizan with mana is taking point, probably the leader.

    While Terry was still considering his options, the lizan leader suddenly knelt on the ground. All the other lizans followed. They all began bowing towards Terry, much to Terry¡¯s bewilderment.

    ¡°Oh Great Dark One!¡± The lizan leader raised his body and spoke before bowing down again. ¡°We have awaited your arrival.¡± Whenever the leader spoke, he raised his body and then bowed once more after he was done. ¡°Please assist us in our plight!¡± Another bow. ¡°Our path north is barred and we require the Great Mage!¡±

    Terry blinked with mouth agape. His head swiveled around as if to ask if anyone else was seeing this. He furrowed his brow and looked at the bowing folks in front of him. A group of scaled bipedal people with lizard-like appearances, sharp teeth, and tails. ¡°...¡±

    Lizan looneys?

    Terry could not help but stare. ¡°Oh mana¡­¡±

    What have I run into now?

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 4, Savage Hope ¨C

 Arc 04 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Eli: human man, crimson iris at the center of his forehead, General of the Thanatos Empire

    Yana: human woman, soldier in the Thanatos army, acts as right hand of General Eli

    Clarity: human woman, student in Arcana Academy, prot¨¦g¨¦ of Pelliana

    Patricia: human woman, specializes in shadow-aspected magic, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Hope (The Valkyrie): elven woman, force-aspected, Tiv¡¯s most well-known hero and mage

    Yujin: human woman, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army

    Claude: human man, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army, special forces that guard the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon

    Tivius: deceased, human man, Founding King of the Tiv Empire, married to Korra

    Korra: human woman, Founding Queen of the Tiv Empire, married to Tivius

    Alias Roy ¡ú Weran, Naer

    Alias Diwa ¡ú The Mage Supreme

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on healing, Terry¡¯s former mentor, Clarity¡¯s current mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on rituals and applied spellwork

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): deceased, dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille, former Guardian (Tiv), former scavenger, accepted sister of Matteo, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Matteo (Elemental Fury): human man, possessing elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, accepted brother of Emaldine, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion and for dealing the deathblow to Bright Willow

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion, possessed by lightning elementals

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Naer (Roy, Weran): elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage, true mage (archmage proper)

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, former Guildhead (Tiv) that was active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), former Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Diwa (The Mage Supreme): human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, killed by Megumi at the Bulwark

    Damian: human man, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan (The Brave Iron Giant): Old noble in Tiv, war companion of the Hope, Tivius, Korra, and Diwa

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: deceased, human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), lead the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death, killed by Matteo

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, former Guardian (Tiv), specializes in mana crafting, former direct disciple of Sigille (honorary)

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex: human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Matteo, grudge against Apex

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: three human siblings, two deceased (male and female mana cultivator), one survivor (female mage), Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Rachel: human woman, Guardian instructor (Tiv) focusing on spellwork

    Palmer (The Demonpalm): human man, former Guardian instructor (Tiv), mana cultivator, specializes in the sonic aspect, known for hunting demons, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving to Thanatos

    Tara: canan woman, former Guardian (Tiv), direct disciple of Sigille, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving back to her native realm

    Thena: dwarven woman, sister of Jee, student and aspiring disciple of Sigille, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment

    Clayson: dwarven man, bodyguard and friend of Thena, mana cultivator

    Clarence: elven man, Kipkoi¡¯s childhood friend and helper, thief and assassin

    Derek: human man, direct disciple of Palmer, permanently crippled mana pool, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion in Tiv, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Rosheen: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing a sonic-aspected spell and remaining hidden, Guardian companion of Derek, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Isabella: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing the Shadow Bind spell, former Guardian (Tiv), wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, considered moving to a conclave of the Magic Liberation Front

    Harrison: deceased, human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (unranked), second Guardian companion of Terry in Tiv, killed by Terry during the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Wallace: elven man, dungeon scavenger, aspect archer, expert in hiding his mana and picking magical locks, like a father to Matteo, father of Emily

    Emily: elven woman, like a little sister to Matteo, daughter of Wallace, aspiring druid, disciple of Dhruv

    Bigsby: human man, dungeon scavenger

    Dee: human woman, dungeon scavenger

    Borf: dwarven man, dungeon scavenger

    Anand: human man, necromancer, dimensional mage, expert in elementals, former mentor of Matteo, willfully caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals and triggered a calamity in the lands of the Four Towers in the Free Factions Union that also led to the death of Sigille¡¯s husband, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death

    Anem: human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous)

 121 A Mess of Probability Distributions

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 5, Self-Made Fate ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 51 ¨C

    ¡°Oh Great Dark One!¡± The lizan leader bowed once more. ¡°Please assist us in our plight!¡± When Terry still failed to respond with anything but an incredulous stare, the lizan leader performed another bow and continued: ¡°We know we are not worthy but we are pleading with you to show mercy towards these forsaken ones!¡± The lizan pressed his forehead and palms to the ground again.

    Terry silently observed the lizan leader and he noted that the scales on this otherrealm folk individual carried a blue shine to them. The leader was the only one among the lizans with such a scale color. Terry noted further that while only the leader radiated mana, all of the lizans were heavily armored and armed.

    I figure with these muscles, claws and thorns, they might not need mana to pose a threat. Damn¡­

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry rubbed his eyes. He knew that he had missed yet another utterance of the lizan leader but he was still too bewildered to believe this was real. It seemed too surreal. And yet, no matter how often Terry sneakily pinched himself, the scene in front of him did not change. Eventually, Terry had to admit that it was too strange to not be real. There was no way that Terry¡¯s imagination would hallucinate a scene like this.

    Is this how Devon feels during the looney season? Ugh¡­

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Terry cleared his throat and warily observed the lizans¡¯ movements. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±

    ¡°Oh Great One!¡± The lizan leader crawled slightly forward on his knees.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± shouted Terry testily. ¡°Stay where you are and don¡¯t come any closer!¡± Subconsciously, Terry let go of his mana cloaking. He rapidly circulated mana out of his mana pool, condensed it tightly and guided it effortlessly through his mana channels.

    The fast and intense flare-up of Terry¡¯s mana caused the lizan leader to halt. With his head pressed to the ground, the lizan was sneaking glances at Terry. His smile shifted between docility and satisfaction. ¡°As the Great Mage commands! All according to the wishes of the Great Mage! Oh Great Dark One, please¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, hold it there¡­¡± Terry felt a headache coming and pressed his hand to his forehead with a sigh. ¡°What¡¯s with all this nonsense? All these weird titles? I¡¯m really not that great, trust me.¡± Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°And that other adjective doesn¡¯t sound like me either. I believe you must have the wrong person. I¡¯m just passing through and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± interjected the lizan leader without raising his head from the ground. ¡°I hope you can forgive this one¡¯s insolence in refuting your wisdom, but there is no doubt in our minds that you are the Great Dark Mage of our prophecy. You are destined to be our only hope of passing our current tribulation! Please, oh Great Mage¡ª¡±

    Oh boy¡­ Terry was so dumbstruck that he forgot to blink. Where do you even start with this crap?

    ¡°Putting my supposed greatness aside, I may¡­¡± Terry stumbled over his words when he recalled some of the warnings about not leaking intel he had received in the past. ¡°...or may not be a mage, but what is this ¡®Dark¡¯ title supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes, oh Great Dark One!¡± The lizan leader sat up on his knees.

    The rest of the lizans continued bowing.

    ¡°When I asked the great spirits of our blood for guidance, they granted me the prophecy of your arrival!¡± The blue-scaled lizan was evidently considering another bow and only Terry¡¯s stern gaze prevented the act of worship.

    ¡°The Great Mage will rise from darkness to stand above others.¡± The lizan leader almost chanted when reciting his prophecy. ¡°An appearance of soft black with head held high, the Great Dark One will succeed where we have failed!¡±

    Oh boy¡­ Terry was taken aback by the lizan¡¯s demonstrated fervor. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t remember having risen from darkness.¡±

    ¡°Pardon my insolence, my Great Mage¡­¡± The lizan leader spoke with hesitation.

    ¡°Please speak freely,¡± said Terry. Pretty please. Otherwise, this will take forever.

    ¡°Thank you, oh Dark One, but don¡¯t you remember ascending the dead dungeon?¡± asked the lizan leader with a pointed glance to the dungeon where Terry had exited not long ago.

    Terry blinked. For real? Wait a second, what ¡®dead¡¯ dungeon? That dungeon was in no shape or form dead. Not even dormant. Suspiciously devoid of dungeon creatures perhaps, but not dead. Why would a dungeon be considered darkness¡ª nevermind, it¡¯s dark, true¡­ Terry rubbed his temples. His headache was getting worse.

    ¡°¡®To stand above others¡¯?¡± Terry shook his head.

    The lizan leader smiled. ¡°You literally stand a head taller than all of us and from the glimpse of mana you have shown before, I can already tell that this statement applies in more than just one sense.¡±

    Terry suppressed a groan and held back his retort for now. ¡°¡®Soft black appearance¡¯...?¡± Terry¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked down at the velvety black fabric created with his magic brooch. Ugh, for mana¡¯s sake¡­

    ¡°You do realize that this is incredibly vague, right?¡± asked Terry hesitatingly. He recalled the time he had compared the Bright Lady to a soul spirit in his first conversation with Cadence. This felt rather similar and Terry hoped the lizans were open-minded enough for some basic inquiry.

    ¡°I understand your skepticism, oh Great Mage.¡± The blue-scaled leader spoke amicably. ¡°You are not familiar with our traditions and prophecies. Yes, divining the future is challenging.¡±

    No shit, thought Terry snarkily.

    ¡°...but the great spirits in our blood are not as vague as you might think,¡± continued the lizan leader. ¡°We have been led to this location to receive the Great Mage.¡±

    Terry tilted his head and furrowed his brow. Okay? That¡¯s a bit odd, but there¡¯s always a¡­ ah! ¡°So you¡¯ve been waiting here for how long exactly?¡±

    ¡°For half a cycle,¡± replied the blue-scaled lizan. ¡°We are at our wits¡¯ end and require your help!¡±

    Terry ignored the last part and only focused on the timespan. ¡°Someone roughly matching your vague prophecy would pass by eventually, right? Wait long enough and interpret loosely enough and someone will fit. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m really who you are looking for.¡±

    ¡°Beg your pardon, oh Great Mage, but you misunderstood me,¡± stressed the lizan leader. ¡°We have waited for half a cycle for the day that the prophecy would be fulfilled, but we always knew which day it would be. The date of your appearance was part of the prophecy. Please assist us in our plight!¡±

    Terry was stunned to speechlessness. He blinked in silence while looking for another loophole in this supposed prophecy. Terry had absolutely no desire to join in any prophecy shenanigans. He remembered many horror stories involving all kinds of prophecies ¨C most of them of the self-fulfilling kind where the prophecy¡¯s realization was entirely built upon the belief in the very same.

    ¡®You don¡¯t read the future, you create it.¡¯ Terry recalled the dismissive attitude that the Veilbinder had taken on any form of future divination beyond the short-term scope of the Premonition spell. Terry sighed while trying to ignore his aching head.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry felt his headache throbbing up in anticipation of the next exchange. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside this prophecy for now. What is this ¡®plight¡¯ you keep telling me about? What is it that you need help with?¡±

    ¡°We need you, oh Great Mage, to help us get past a wyvern!¡± The blue-scaled leader bowed again. ¡°The wyvern is blocking our path north.¡±

    Terry first noted how odd it seemed that this lizan was the only one speaking from the whole group. In fact, all the other lizans were always keeping their heads pressed to the ground without so much as a single utterance of any kind. Next, the leader''s words caught up in Terry¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait, WHAT?¡± Terry stood with mouth agape. ¡°A wyvern? Gigantic snake body, wings, thorny tail and all? A real wyvern?¡±

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    They¡¯re still around? Did they not disappear together with the dragons? I should have signed up for the introduction to primordial magical creatures. What the heck do they expect me to do against a wyvern? Politely ask it to leave?

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you¡­¡± Terry paused when he noted something off in the explanation. ¡°What do you mean the wyvern is blocking your path north? Why don¡¯t you just walk around? Wyverns may have wings, but they have a fixed territory, don¡¯t they?¡± Terry had no real understanding of wyverns but assumed that they would resemble dragons in their behavior. ¡°Why don¡¯t you move around the wyvern instead of waiting around for half a cycle?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to fail in my explanation, Great Mage,¡± said the lizan leader apologetically. ¡°But it¡¯s not that simple. The wyvern is blocking the only safe passage through the Elusive Fog of Frost.¡±

    ¡®The Elusive Fog of Frost¡¯? I¡¯ve heard about that. Terry searched through his memory until he recalled a discussion on the difference between forbidden zones and other magical phenomena.

    The Elusive Fog of Frost was one of the examples for a self-contained magic phenomenon that was dangerous but not concerning. This phenomenon did not lead to the appearance of new dangerous creatures. On the contrary, it acted like a very large barrier that blocked creatures from passing in or out.

    A skilled mage can bypass the fog with space magic or other advanced forms of teleportation. Without such means, however, the fog was near impenetrable. It was thick, wide, and even invaded deep underneath the earth. It assaulted your senses and disoriented you. It froze your blood and shattered you into pieces.

    Terry bit his lips in thought. Finally, he opened his eyes wide. ¡°Wait, what does the fog have to do with you here?¡± Terry asked with dread: ¡°Are we inside the fog right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, oh Great Mage,¡± affirmed the lizan leader.

    Just great. Terry cursed inwardly. If this was true, then Terry would be trapped too, because the fog was supposed to cover the sky as well.

    Something gnawed at Terry¡¯s mind. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and looked at the blue-scaled lizan. ¡°I don¡¯t see any fog in the sky.¡±

    ¡°I know, oh Great Mage.¡± The lizan leader nodded. ¡° The fog is elusive and only becomes visible when moving closer.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry did not remember any details about the magical phenomenon, but he vaguely remembered that the Elusive Fog of Frost was supposed to be near Thanatos territory, which matched Terry¡¯s current southern location indicated by his five-point ring. Terry looked from side to side. ¡°So where are we relative to the fog¡¯s borders?¡±

    ¡°We are south, oh Great M¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please just call me Terry,¡± interrupted Terry. ¡°I can¡¯t stand these titles.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, oh Gr¡ª¡± The lizan leader stopped himself. ¡°As you wish, Terry. We are south of the center. We can bring you to the northern passage.¡±

    Terry¡¯s ears perked up. He was still searching for a way to politely reject the request because he did not trust these strange lizans, but the talk of a northern passage made him remember something else: He still needed a way to return to Arcana. Terry observed the lizan mage closely and asked: ¡°How would you bring me there? On foot?¡±

    ¡°No, Terry,¡± replied the lizan leader. ¡°We can transport our group directly there.¡±

    ¡°Transport?¡± Terry became wary and prepared himself to fight at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°If you have access to space magic, then why don¡¯t you breach the fog yourselves?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple,¡± said the blue-scaled lizan mage with a shake of his head. ¡°We have tried, but our magic fails to pass the fog or the passage obstructed by the wyvern.¡±

    Terry suspiciously eyed the group of lizan and waited for a better explanation.

    ¡°Our magic is different from yours,¡± continued the lizan leader. ¡°We are relying on the magic gifted to us by the great spirits in our blood.¡±

    What in mana¡¯s name is that supposed to mean? Terry¡¯s headache worsened at this confrontation with newfolk mana use.

    Terry thought back to a conversation with his only closer newfolk acquaintance: Tara ¨C the canan disciple of Sigille. Terry had once asked Tara about the mana use in the native canan realm. Apparently, the canans mostly relied on some rudimentary mana cultivation skills. They accumulated mana but did not know about structured magic like spellwork. They had a basic understanding of aspects but had no idea about spell structures or refractors for separating aspects.

    The fact that had stood out in particular to Terry was that in Tara¡¯s home realm, unaspected mana was seen as a sign of weakness ¨C a prejudice rooted in their ignorance about the means for isolating aspects. In their realm, only single-aspected or certain mixed aspect mana cultivators were able to use their mana to great effect. A fire-aspected cultivator could punch fire with a simple discharge. Without a refractor, an unaspected cultivator could only punch plain mana, which does not have the same offensive applications.

    Even though Terry had a reference point for newfolk mana use with the canans, he unfortunately had no idea about the mana usage in the lizan realm.

    ¡°Please accompany us, Terry!¡± implored the lizan leader.

    ¡°To make it clear: I won¡¯t join you in an unanchored transport,¡± stressed Terry firmly. He still remembered the warnings from his family when he had first heard about dimensional mages in Arcana. ¡°I have to see where we are going.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± said the blue-scaled mage. ¡°Luckily, our magic should be considered comparable to your dimensional gates. Allow me¡­¡±

    The lizan mage switched to another language and Terry could only make out a barrage of hissing and slurping noises. The blue-scaled lizan took a chain of beads from his cloak and firmly grabbed one of the beads while continuing to speak in the lizan tongue.

    The rest of the lizan stood up and formed a half-circle around the mage leader. Terry was surprised to find that he was able to sense mana from all of them now. More surprisingly, the mana was being siphoned completely into the hands of the lizan leader.

    What a weird application of magic. A group spell? A chant? Some kind of mana-sharing ritual? Terry tried to memorize as much detail as possible from the movements in his mana sight.

    Finally, a portal with a purple hue opened.

    Terry squinted. On the other side of the gate, Terry could see fog in the distance. He warily watched the lizan leader. ¡°Do you mind stepping back from the gate for a moment?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, Terry,¡± agreed the lizan leader and all the lizans did as Terry had asked.

    Terry cautiously approached the weird transfer gate. He first put a metal rod through the gate¡­ nothing happened. Next, he put his five-point inscription ring on a metal rod and then poked the ring through the gate. With the inscribed ring on the other side of the gate, Terry moved his mana along the rod to activate the ring from a slight distance ¨C enough to check the marker without having to pass through the gate himself.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry nodded to himself. The marker indicated that the position on the other side of the weird gate was much further north than their current location. That much of the lizan¡¯s story appeared to be true.

    Terry pulled back his items and stepped back from the transfer gate. ¡°Do you mind if one of you goes first?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, Terry.¡± The lizan leader agreed again and two of the other lizan stepped through the gate without any apparent harm befalling them.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry retrieved his vampire spirit projection ring and sent out the translucent bat to scout the area on the other side. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry weighed his options. In the end, he decided that the lift further north was worth the risk. If the lizans wanted to cause him trouble, they could have already done so here, which meant that they definitely wanted something from him. He still had the option to make a run for it after passing through the transfer gate where he would be closer to Arcana.

    ¡°Alright, I can at least have a look. No promises on the whole wyvern thing, mind you.¡± Terry finally agreed, to the delight of the lizan leader and his followers.

    Terry approached the weird transfer gate cautiously. He took a deep breath. He thought about his group of companions whom he had left to teleport to the Libra Outpost on their own. He thought about his family back in Arcana. He thought about the uncertain fates of his accepted parents. Finally, Terry mustered the resolve to take the step through the transfer gate, the step that brought him so much closer to where his heart and thoughts were truly pulling him.

    After Terry had passed through, the lizans followed one by one. The lizan leader was the last to step through the transfer gate and then the lizans performed their own magic to close the transfer gate.

    ***

    Later on that same day, a tall figure appeared out of thin air. Hands decorated with dull black scales grabbed a mage hood and pulled it back to reveal the head of a lizan woman with blue eyes that were brightly illuminated with mana.

    The lizan woman walked forward cautiously while letting her inquisitive eyes wander over the surroundings. She shaped a spell structure and ignited it. With the assistance of her active spellwork, she searched the spatial signals to read how much her unachored transfer had destabilized the space in this area.

    More mana gathered at the lizan¡¯s scaled fingers. She cast several spells to ease the spatial disturbance and hide her tracks. Her mission did not allow for any mistakes. She must not fail. She must not be caught. She must find them without being found first. Or else.

    The lizan woman cursed in her native tongue and then paused to remind herself to practice the tongue of the local realm. ¡°This¡­ magic¡­ still amazes¡­ useful¡­ but so tedious.¡± Her complaints were accompanied by the proper spellwork that was the trademark of this human-native realm.

    She respected this magic but she also feared it, because this magic revealed. This magic revealed things she should not know, things those like her were forbidden from knowing. Things that had already brought her close to death so many times.

    She had initially begun studying this otherrealm magic on a whim. No one had paid her much attention back then, not until this magic had revealed the terrible truth to her younger self. It had not been easy to remain hidden after learning the truth.

    After she had smoothed over the destabilized space, the lizan mage cast another spell. The purpose of the scrying spell was to reveal insights to find her targets. ¡°So frustrating¡­¡± The spell only repeated the same information as before. ¡°So vague¡­¡± The lizan stopped her spellwork and looked over the area.

    ¡°Dungeon¡­¡± The lizan woman walked slowly towards the dungeon entrance. ¡°Strange interference¡­¡±

    ***

 122 Of Dragons Past and Wyverns Present

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 51 ¨C

    Terry observed the dense fog in front of him. He was stunned by the intricate movement of mana that was being emitted. On the one hand, Terry was relieved to find that the lizans had been honest in their dealings with him and that their weird transfer gate had not turned out to be some kind of otherrealm death trap. On the other hand, this meant that Terry was trapped in a gigantic magic phenomenon: the Elusive Fog of Frost.

    ¡°This year just doesn¡¯t want to end, does it?¡± Terry shook his head and bemoaned the insanity that had unfolded ever since the beginning of the Rising Moon. Sigille¡¯s death and the battle at Libra City. The destruction of Arcana¡¯s barrier and Isille¡¯s encounter with a reaper. Their search for the blood tulips. Undead. Hellspawn. Tiv soldiers. The reappearance of the Valkyrie. Soldier infighting. Veil tears. More hellspawn. Dungeon madness. More hellspawn. Dungeon shenanigans. More hellspawn. Now this.

    Terry grasped his face in his hands and inhaled deeply. ¡°I kind of miss the times when I only had to worry about failing an examination.¡± He lowered his hands and observed the magical fog once more. ¡°How exactly am I supposed to get through this?¡± He clenched his fists and thought of his whaka. ¡°Somehow.¡± He took strength from the memory of his accepted family. ¡°I will get through this somehow.¡±

    Terry took another deep breath, shook his head, and turned away from the fog. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to glean anything from the mana movements. I¡¯m sure better mages than me have tried.¡± Terry, in his amateurish opinion, felt inclined to concur with the prevailing classification of the fog as a magic phenomenon. The mana movements appeared at the same time chaotic and regular, patterns that seemed to repeat but were never quite identical.

    Terry was not privy to the finer details of these classifications, but he still remembered that forbidden zones were generally side-effects of whatever happened there. An accident or collateral damage for whatever was the true goal. The magic was out of control. The mana was problematic. Hence, the corrupting effects and troublesome manifestations.

    This fog, by contrast, seemed stable. Either a natural phenomenon born out of who knows what, or an intentional manipulation. Terry did not feel qualified to weigh in one way or the other. If he had to consult his gut, then the fog appeared purposeful to him, which would speak for an intentional manipulation. However, Terry was not sure if his gut could be considered an expert on high-intensity magic and permanent magic phenomena.

    If this fog was the result of intentional magic, then the spellwork, ritual, or mana ability must have been awe-inspiring. The fog had already been there when folks first discovered this area nearly an era ago. Such permanency for such high-intensity magic was a daunting idea.

    Terry distanced himself from the fog and sharply exhaled. After a few steps, the fog turned completely transparent. If it wasn¡¯t for the traces of frozen everything where the frosty fog was active, it would have been hard to tell with plain eyesight that there was anything magic going on.

    Terry relied on his boot mechanism to step up into the air and confirm the skyward presence of the fog as well. He had done so before, but he still wanted to probe in several other places. Perhaps it was foolish, but Terry would rather make sure that there was really no other option than to face a freaking wyvern.

    Wyvern. Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Probably not a cute little one either if it has the whole group of lizans stumped for ideas.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡± Terry sighed and resolved himself to at least inquire about details. So far, he had tried to maintain some distance from the lizans. He did not trust them and he definitely did not want to commit to any wyvern dealings before getting a better idea of the overall situation.

    Terry raised his head and watched the clouds in the sky. ¡°If only the Path of a Mage went into details about the Veilbinder¡¯s dragon hunts. It might have been useful.¡±

    Even though the Veilbinder was not the most famous dragon hunter, he was definitely the most famous person known to have hunted dragons. Hunting self-proclaimed gods tended to overshadow the whole hunting dragons thing in the history books.

    By now, Terry knew the large tome, which his uncle Samuel had given to him by heart. Of course, Terry still flipped through a few chapters whenever he found some time, but by now, it was mostly because it made Terry feel like home.

    During the Second Great Crisis, the Veilbinder had to overcome sheer impossible odds. Armies of mana cursed led by a near invulnerable immortal whose abilities and experience in magic surpassed those of the Veilbinder by far.

    Terry recalled the sole picture in the Path of a Mage ¨C the image of the Veilbinder at his lowest, a moment of helplessness and despair. No matter how impossible the task had seemed, the Veilbinder had stood up to face the challenge and, step by step, he had pieced together a solution.

    Terry soberly recalled the parts where the Veilbinder had left his companions, not because they had a falling out, but because he had felt uncomfortable with how they had treated him as their only hope. Absentmindedly, Terry retrieved his copy of the book and flipped towards the relevant section that listed excerpts from the Veilbinder¡¯s departure conversation.

    ¡®Don¡¯t look at me for hope. Don¡¯t look at me as if I¡¯m going to figure everything out. Hope is great if it gets your ass moving to do stuff, but not if it¡¯s paralyzing. Do something. Anything that helps. Train. Learn. Scout. Help. Don¡¯t just hope. Help!¡¯

    ¡®Frankly, I¡¯m not sure I got this. Not at all. To be even more frank, I¡¯m not entirely sure how I managed to get to this day. I¡¯ve made mistakes. Don¡¯t just blindly rely on me. I have my own blindspots. I¡¯ve been lucky that my ideas have worked out, but just because it worked out in the past, does not mean it will work out this time.¡¯

    ¡®The thing is, I can¡¯t do this without you. I don''t know the future. I''m no genius either. Sometimes, I¡¯m taking huge risks because it¡¯s the only path forward I can see. I¡¯m gambling my life because I have to. I can¡¯t do this if everyone is looking exclusively at me for hope. Look at yourself.¡¯

    ¡®It can¡¯t just all be on me, because if it is, then I can¡¯t do what I do. I can¡¯t gamble my life if my life means everything. I can¡¯t be sure that my next gamble will work. Don¡¯t pin all your hopes on me. I have to leave. I might have an idea, but it¡¯s insane. Don¡¯t count on it to work out. Do your own thing. You can count on me to try, but I need to count on you for the same. I have to count on you to not lose hope and to take over if I fail.¡¯

    Terry thought over the plans that had secured the safety of the realm back then. His mind retraced the steps in the book. The Veilbinder had pieced together several pieces of magic he had encountered by chance over the years.

    The first problem had been that the ancient curse mage was capable of instantly shifting its mind and soul to every single cursed being within the reach of its magic.

    The first piece of the puzzle was a magic ritual that created a localized plane shift. It was possible to roughly observe the happenings in the shifted plane, but beyond that no interaction was possible. The Veilbinder had encountered this ritual as part of a rescue mission after the First Great Crisis. The magic had been used to protect an artifact and some treasure hunters had been caught up in it. In the Veilbinder¡¯s opinion, this lost ritual was a bigger treasure than the artifacts it protected.

    The ritual was extremely effective at isolating both the physical and magical realm. It came with drawbacks, however. The shift required an activation key, which made the whole application dangerous and fragile. If the key broke, the shift could not feasibly be reversed ¨C it was technically possible, but would require the recreation of the initial shift sequence, which required unimaginably complicated space magic. Even worse, the initial shift required the mage to be shifted with the plane, which meant being trapped inside the shifted plane that might get orphaned from space when the key broke. These drawbacks served as an explanation for why the magic had been lost.

    However, none of these drawbacks mattered to the Veilbinder. On the contrary, these were additional advantages when used to isolate the ancient immortal. This was the first piece the Veilbinder came up with, because it was a perfect fallback plan. If everything else went wrong, then the ancient immortal would still remain trapped for a significant time period, even if the Veilbinder would be trapped with it. The Veilbinder had gambled on the fact that the ritual¡¯s plane shift would succeed in isolating the ancient immortal from its mana-cursed army and thereby rob it of the ability to switch bodies.

    While a fallback plan was good, the Veilbinder couldn¡¯t be sure that the isolation would work, or how long the ancient curse mage would be trapped by the shifted plane. The Veilbinder had no desire to die either and this led to the second problem: The Veilbinder was no match for the ancient immortal in a contest of magic.

    Accepting this fact led directly to the second piece of the puzzle. Since the Veilbinder felt outmatched in magic, he searched for a way to remove magic and level the playing field.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    During one of his travels, the Veilbinder had once accepted a request for help in a remote location. The request was supposed to be about a haunted mountain. However, it turned out to be an ancient dragon soul that simply refused to die. It was not strictly a ghost. It was an incredibly powerful soul that had found a way to consume mana to cling to life even without a proper body. No matter how often you defeated the soul manifestation, it would rise again. Never quite dead and never quite alive. This dragon soul stood out in the Veilbinder¡¯s memory because of its fierce absorption of mana and its undying perseverance.

    The first problem with the bodiless dragon soul was that it was too weak ¨C comparatively that is. It had taken the Veilbinder to kill it the last time, but the Veilbinder understood that the immortal curse mage would not find it an insurmountable challenge either. The second problem was that the dragon soul was bound to the mountain where its bones remained. It was not clear if the plane shift could shift the dragon soul together with the Veilbinder and his opponent.

    The third puzzle piece that fit the second was a forbidden type of magic with which the Veilbinder was very familiar. A magic that used blood as the catalyst and formed the basis of many terrifying spells from the curse mages. Spells that allowed the mage unbelievable mana and life regeneration as well as heightened infectiousness for their curses. The Veilbinder had never used this kind of magic himself, but he had to face it countless times in his past battles.

    This magic was forbidden because it used human blood ¨C lots of it ¨C and because it had mind-altering effects on the caster. It inspired a thirst for more blood until it was never enough.

    There was a single reason to think of this forbidden blood magic: It could bind and strengthen even the slightest flicker of souls. The Veilbinder gambled that he could adjust the magic to match the dragon soul ¨C to create a temporary body of blood, to bind it to himself, and to accelerate its magic absorption.

    A way to shift a rampaging, mana-absorbing, blood dragon together with himself and his opponent. With this preparation, the ancient immortal would have to fend off an extremely powerful dragon soul that grew stronger with time and mana ¨C a nice foil to any calm examination of space. Even if the dragon soul failed to kill the ancient mage, it would certainly serve as a powerful pest considering it grew stronger with the immortal¡¯s mana.

    The Veilbinder further gambled that the reason for the blood thirst inspired by the magic was the close relation to the used blood. Based on this supposition, he had no intention of using human blood. Instead, the Veilbinder went dragon hunting to collect what he needed. As another benefit, dragon blood worked better for strengthening the dragon soul as well.

    When the Veilbinder returned from his preparations, the companions explained their own idea for dealing with the army of mana-cursed. Back then, mana crafting and in particular rune inscriptions, were still a fairly new branch of magic. The modern mana application was a blindspot for the ancient immortal.

    The constructs were immune to the curse¡¯s infection. That battle would become the first major deployment of battle constructs and golems in recorded history.

    On the day of the battle, two among the closest companions of the Veilbinder found a note and one key-part each. The note explained the Veilbinder¡¯s plan, what could go wrong, and that the key-parts were necessary for reversing the plane shift. The Veilbinder intentionally chose two companions that basically never agreed on anything, because if there was the slightest chance that their enemy was still alive or that the Veilbinder¡¯s mind had been corrupted, he would rather die in the shifted plane.

    In the end, their plan had worked. The blood dragon rose. It shifted to the separate plane together with the Veilbinder, the ancient immortal, and a few hundred mana cursed.

    Inside the shifted plane, the dragon went on a rampage while draining mana from everyone and everything ¨C not even magic items were safe. The Veilbinder defiantly hung onto his life while his enemies were taken care of by the blood dragon.

    Outside the shifted plane, legions of battle constructs and golems faced the army of mana-cursed and the Veilbinder¡¯s companions assisted with ranged weapons and spells.

    The Veilbinder had been lucky that the blood dragon soul had instinctively avoided killing his own binding host. After a long and exhausting confrontation, the immortal ran out of mana-cursed hosts to switch to and then later out of mana to defend against the blood dragon.

    The Veilbinder had been less lucky that the blood dragon had not stopped its frenzied mana feast when there was no one else around. This had led to the destruction of all the Veilbinder¡¯s magic equipment and eventually also to the destruction of the Veilbinder¡¯s entire mana foundation.

    ¡°...and then the Veilbinder went on to create the most astonishing parts of his legend,¡± mumbled Terry with a wistful smile. He sharply exhaled air through closed lips. ¡°Puh-blblblbl.¡±

    All nice and good, but no idea how the Veilbinder managed to hunt so many dragons without dying. Even if I knew, I doubt that I could reproduce the Veilbinder¡¯s methods.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Terry mumbled to himself and let his gaze run over the area. ¡°Point of the whole story: Everyone can be beaten. Everything has a weakness. If there is none, you create one.¡±

    Easier said than done.

    ¡°No shit.¡± Terry shrugged and returned back to the ground. ¡°Better to try and fail than to give up before trying. It¡¯s just a wyvern, not even a proper dragon, how bad can it be?¡± Even before Terry had finished speaking, he had already gotten the bad premonition that fate would show him exactly how bad it could be.

    ***

    ¡°Me and my stupid mouth,¡± grumbled Terry. He was close enough to the entrance to the passage through the Elusive Fog of Frost to see the wyvern the lizans had talked about. To be fair, Terry did not have to get very close, because the wyvern was gigantic.

    Terry closed his eyes and sighed. Even in its coiled up form, this white wyvern was much larger than a colossal ostrich. If not for the reflective scales and visible wings, it could pass as a small mountain. In Terry¡¯s estimate, the wyvern¡¯s uncoiled form should be longer than most group combat training fields in the Guardian facilities, which meant that the wyvern was old as well.

    Very old. Probably several centuries.

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Terry tried to not dwell on the mountain of scaled flesh in front of him. He turned to the lizans behind him. ¡°I assume you¡ª By the way, how am I supposed to address you?¡±

    The blue-scaled lizan leader replied: ¡°You may address me as Blue.¡±

    ¡°Blue?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid my real name is hard to pronounce for someone of your kind,¡± said Blue. ¡°I believe this name should be easier to remember as well.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­? How do I address the rest of you?¡± asked Terry with a glance towards the other lizans.

    ¡°There is no need,¡± said Blue. ¡°They can¡¯t understand your tongue, Terry. I will have to act as the interpreter.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He did not recall the lizan leader ever translating anything for or from the other lizans. However, Terry had no idea about what¡¯s normal with these newfolk and he let it go.

    ¡°Blue, I¡¯m not exactly an expert on magical creatures of the primordial kind, but this wyvern looks out of my league,¡± said Terry matter-of-factly. ¡°I still believe you have the wrong mage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you will do splendidly, Terry,¡± assured Blue. ¡°The great spirits in our blood have foretold your success.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Terry did not find Blue¡¯s words very reassuring. ¡°Okay, what can you tell me about the wyvern?¡±

    ¡°Over time, we¡¯ve seen it face many mana-corrupted beasts,¡± said Blue. ¡°Like those of its kind, it mostly constricts and strangles its opponents after first attacking with its horned tail or an elemental breath.¡±

    ¡°Any structured magic?¡± asked Terry with a glance at the giant snake-like body with wings.

    ¡°Can wyverns do that?¡± Blue¡¯s eyes narrowed and he continued in a mutter of intelligible hisses before continuing in the common tongue of Terry¡¯s realm: ¡°The voice is the privilege of the dragons.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly at the weird phrasing the lizan leader had used for his reply, but he chalked it up to the language barrier. ¡°Okay, I take it that you haven¡¯t seen anything of the kind. Then what have you tried so far?¡±

    ¡°Pardon, Terry?¡± Blue tilted his head.

    ¡°I mean what have you tried to get past the wyvern?¡± Terry moved his gaze back to the lizans. ¡°You did try and probe it, didn¡¯t you? Sneak by? Maybe a few attacks?¡±

    ¡°Terry, I¡¯m afraid you misunderstand the true extent of our plight,¡± said Blue in an apologetic tone. ¡°We can¡¯t get close to this thing. Our blood won¡¯t let us.¡±

    What the Wastes is that supposed to mean? Terry wrinkled his forehead.

    ¡°Your ¡®blood¡¯ won¡¯t let you?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Our blood is suppressed by this creature,¡± elaborated Blue. ¡°We will lose ourselves if we get too close.¡±

    Well, that clears up precisely nothing. Terry was left only more confused. He decided to put the topic aside for now and proceed with the implications. ¡°You mean that we know nothing and that you can do nothing and that I will have to do whatever alone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Terry, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the case,¡± admitted Blue. He continued in a confident tone: ¡°But the great spirits have foretold of your¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, sure,¡± interrupted Terry unconvinced. Terry reaffirmed his desire to continue scouting the area in the hopes of finding a way to bypass the wyvern and to pass through the Elusive Fog of Frost without having to deal with the primordial beast. He quietly grumbled: ¡°This is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Terry, we will do whatever we can to make it worth your while,¡± stressed Blue.

    That¡¯s not really the issue here, thought Terry. He knew that he was in the same boat as the lizans. He needed to pass through the fog in order to reach Arcana. This wasn¡¯t about a lack of incentives.

    ¡°We are happy to please you in any way we can,¡± said Blue. He waved his hand and one of the grey-scaled lizans stepped closer to Terry.

    Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Anything,¡± repeated Blue. He looked intently at Terry and his forked tongue flicked lasciviously out of the mouth that was filled with sharp teeth.

    I have questions. Terry tilted his head with a frozen expression. And I¡¯m not sure I want the answers.

    A corner of Terry¡¯s mind brought up scenes from the Chara Settlement with Devon being confused by the people around him and then searching Lizzy¡¯s gaze for explanations. Unfortunately for Terry, there was no Lizzy around to explain the weirdness in front of him.

    Terry forcefully shook his head. ¡°Nevermind my time, I need a plan. I need more information. I need ideas.¡±

    Blue blinked quietly and unhelpfully. The grey-scaled lizan next to him followed Blue¡¯s lead.

    Terry sighed and put a hand to his forehead.

    ***

 123 How Not to Deal With a Wyvern

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 57 ¨C

    A lonely figure stood up high in the night¡¯s sky. Despite the many stars above, it would be difficult for any observer to detect the person that was cloaked in velvety darkness. It was practically impossible for any observer at ground-level because of the figure¡¯s high altitude.

    ¡°Mana damn it.¡± Terry cursed and sighed. His eyes were glowing with mana and he fixed his mana sight on the fog in front and above him. The interplay between the smoky fog and the stars¡¯ illumination painted a mesmerizing picture. The strange optical effect that hid the fog¡¯s existence when too far away only added to the beautiful scenery.

    Terry was in no mood to appreciate the aesthetics of the magical phenomenon that prevented him from returning to his friends and family. The elusive and intriguing effect only served to feed Terry¡¯s growing irritation and impatience.

    Terry had spent the first nights after his arrival in this location pretending to sleep. He had continued emitting low-intensity detection pulses and observed the lizans¡¯ movements when they believed him to be asleep. Terry had paid particular attention to the lizan leader.

    Terry had not trusted these strangers and he still didn¡¯t. His night watch had allowed Terry to get some more information about their attitudes and behavior. His findings were useful but incredibly confusing. On the one hand, Terry was reasonably certain that he could sneak out at night undetected ¨C useful. On the other hand, these lizans were so strange ¨C very confusing.

    This last finding was not only based on Terry¡¯s nightly observation, but also his day-time interaction ¨C or lack thereof ¨C with the lizans. Terry had given excuses to not go closer to the wyvern for now. Instead, Terry had questioned the blue-scaled lizan leader about the area and whatever they could tell him about the wyvern and fog.

    While the leader was one thing, Terry was incredibly weirded out by the rest of the lizans. He had tried interacting with them at times, but had gotten nowhere, not without the blue-scaled lizan acting as an intermediary. In the beginning, Terry had not been sure what exactly made him feel queasy about these non-communicative lizard folks.

    Only after Terry had started taking notes about their nightly movements, did he realize what had caused his odd impression of them: These lizans were simply too predictable. They always followed the same routines. Each and everyone of them. Every day. Every night. Sometimes, they just stood still for hours.

    This had given Terry pause. After all, he was writing down their patterns in order to be able to sneak off or get away if necessary. Naturally, Terry had hoped for some predictability in order to make use of it. This extreme level of predictability, however, made Terry worry. Was this just an act? Did the ¡®great spirits¡¯ in their blood tip them off about what Terry was trying to do and now they were playing along? Was all of Terry¡¯s behavior already part of their prophecy?

    Mind games. Terry reminded himself of another statement attributed to one of the Veilbinder¡¯s later companions, a person known as the famous Blasphemer. ¡®You show me a prophecy and I show you a mind game, because more often than not, that¡¯s what these alleged predictions of the future are: nothing more than mind games. Manipulation rather than revelation. Never trust a prophet. Never.¡¯

    ¡°Not like I have much of a choice,¡± grumbled Terry. Without the lizans, I might not even have found the passage.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry frowned. ¡°Not like the passage is doing me much good with a freaking wyvern blocking the way though.¡± Terry subconsciously stole glances towards the direction where he knew the wyvern was waiting. Initially, Terry had hoped that the primordial beast would eventually have to move from its spot ¨C to hunt for food or something, Terry would have settled for the wyvern scratching itself ¨C but alas, no such luck. Nothing. The wyvern did not move an inch.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the mana signature and the giant eye that occasionally took in the sights, Terry might have believed that he was being pranked. Another possible layer to the mind game¡­

    Terry grumbled: ¡°I already hate this whole prophecy and future scrying schtick.¡±

    ¡°Screw this¡­¡± Terry placed his hands on his face and took a deep breath. Whatever comes from the wyvern-thing, I¡¯d rather have something real to fall back on. Terry smiled with bitter reminiscence. ¡°Something I can always rely on.¡± Terry formed a fist and began circulating mana in a familiar pattern.

    With grim resolve, Terry punched his fist into the smoky fog and circulated his mana according to the ice-aspected resistance training¡­

    Half-a-second later, a blood-curdling scream echoed high up in the night¡¯s sky.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Terry laughed with mad despair. He ignored the slowly freezing tears of pain running down his face. Terry examined his fist, which had almost been frozen solid in an instant. He observed the thawing process when his remaining blood and mana entered his injured hand. ¡°...hahaha¡­¡± Terry chuckled with tears in his eyes while he retrieved the wand that Samuel had sent him to Tiv.

    Well, that was a shit idea. Terry closed his eyes. He ignited the Heal and Cure Wounds imprints in the wand to assist his own healing. His hand was injured too badly to only rely on his own regeneration. Lesson learned.

    ¡°Still.¡± Terry clenched his teeth and stared at the deceptively beautiful fog in front of him. Subconsciously, Terry channeled some mana into the divine hammer inscription at his legs. The overwhelming pain from his frozen hand made it difficult to summon the sheet of mana. ¡°The sheer grit that was the Divine Hammer.¡± Terry chuckled drily while trying hard to ignore the pain. ¡°Good concentration practice.¡± Terry smiled weakly.

    ¡°A few more primers left in the wand¡­¡± Terry inhaled deeply and mustered his resolve. ¡°Primer regeneration was roughly¡­¡±

    You know, you don¡¯t even know if this works. No one ever said resistance training could reach that kind of level. Terry¡¯s intrusive thoughts pointed out.

    ¡°Devon¡¯s did,¡± muttered Terry with closed eyes.

    Only in combination with an insane ritual from an ancient deathcult. You don¡¯t quite have Devon¡¯s background, nor his mana aspects.

    Terry continued his breathing exercise to push away the pain and to calm his nerves.

    Even if this could work, this would take forever. You¡¯d probably die of old age before you¡¯d succeed. There is no ancient deathcult around to patch you up or continue while you¡¯re unconscious.

    ¡°I will return to Arcana,¡± insisted Terry. ¡°I said I would.¡± Terry hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not a liar.¡±

    Did the lizan looneys strike you as the patient sort? Well, I guess they waited around for half a cycle on the vague words of a weird prophecy spirit or something. Still. You might have better chances with the wyvern.

    ¡°I will get to the wyvern,¡± growled Terry. ¡°But it¡¯s correct that resistance training takes time. The best time to start would have been before I even got here. The second best time is now.¡±

    Terry muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll probe the wyvern during the day. The resistance training should be useful for engaging the beast as well.¡± Terry scoffed. ¡°That would be quite the prophesized ¡®Great Mage¡¯ if he immediately gets flicked into the fog and turns into a popsicle.¡±

    A giant let down of a ¡®Great Dark One.¡¯

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry still found these titles ominous. ¡°Hmph. Mind games.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What do you think, Terry?¡± asked the blue-scaled leader of the lizan.

    Terry stalled for time by sketching in his notebook. He sketched the wyvern ¨C badly ¨C and added his estimates for the distance and measurements. He held his notebook in front of him and marked the proportions of the wyvern. He used his estimation of the distance to the wyvern to adjust the proportions to get some numbers. Terry had no real clue what he was supposed to do with these numbers.

    Procrastinating from the inevitable, commented Terry¡¯s intrusive thoughts.

    ¡°Hard to say how big the gap between the wyvern and the fog is,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°Terry, it would be impossible to pass by the wyvern even if there was sufficient space.¡± Blue reminded Terry.

    Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression. Terry knew that he was bad at hiding his thoughts from his face and therefore, he buried his face in his notebook. His thoughts were not very polite and would certainly put a strain on his relationship with the lizans.

    Impossible for you maybe. You and your weird blood suppression thing, which you haven¡¯t explained to me in any way that would make sense. Terry closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Still, different blood doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s possible for me. No idea how a wyvern would react to a human passing by. How territorial are wyverns anyway? Would it see me as a threat? A snack? An annoying fly?

    ¡°Perhaps it would help to get a closer look.¡± Blue looked hopefully at Terry.

    This again. Terry cursed inwardly. In Terry¡¯s opinion, Blue had the annoying habit of frequently switching into cheerleading mode.

    ¡°The great spirits have foretold your victory!¡± Blue clasped his hands.

    There we go, thought Terry sarcastically.

    ¡°Your path is set, your fate is unshakable,¡± insisted Blue without a trace of doubt in his voice. ¡°You will not fail. It is impossible for you to fail in this.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry held back his retort. Failing felt far from impossible to Terry. Involuntarily, he thought back to his days at the Arcana Academy, to the discovery of his aspect impairment. This memory was followed by the year-long search for a spell to cast and eventually, by his experience of being trapped in the dungeon with the ghouls.

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    I made it through all this, didn¡¯t I?

    ¡°Every failure is nothing more than a step to getting it right,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Well, as long as the failure doesn¡¯t mean getting squished or turned into a popsicle.

    ¡°Good point,¡± mumbled Terry.

    ¡°Terry?¡± interjected Blue. ¡°I didn¡¯t quite catch that.¡±

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± said Terry. ¡°Just thinking out loud.¡±

    Weirdo.

    ¡°Heh,¡± exclaimed Terry ¨C amused by his own intrusive thoughts. Not like the lizan looneys are in a position to judge.

    Terry stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going a bit closer.¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement.

    ¡°But not much closer,¡± insisted Terry. ¡°Hmm¡­ Perhaps just testing to see when there would be a reaction from the wyvern.¡± He glanced at Blue and emphasized: ¡°Any reaction, no matter how small.¡±

    ***

    Another night and another time for Terry to hang around up high in the sky. He was lying back on a transfixed tertium slab. His eyes moved from his still frozen hand to the sky above.

    At least the view is great¡­

    Terry tried to distract himself from the pain in his hand. He had been persevering in his resistance training for nearly three weeks. If there was any improvement, Terry could not tell. The fog still overcame his resistance in an instant. It still hurt like hell.

    Terry was getting impatient. He had been scouting the area. He had even spent several days just checking the Elusive Fog of Frost for gaps. Of course, there were none.

    Terry had determined at what distance the wyvern would react to his presence. To his dismay, the wyvern¡¯s senses appeared to be quite sharp. Terry could tell that the wyvern had noticed him even when Terry was still some distance away.

    Sooner or later, I will have to test for the wyvern¡¯s reaction when I get closer¡­

    Terry did not look forward to the experience. A part of him was wondering if he was worrying too much. Perhaps the wyvern would just let Terry through without even turning its head ¨C the wyvern seemed rather languorous after all. However, another part was reminding himself to be cautious. Terry could swear that this part sounded like his accepted mother Isille.

    ¡°Not much room for failure,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°But I will have to cross that bridge eventually.¡±

    I¡¯m sure the impatience has nothing to do with the pain from petting the abominable fog every night¡­

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry huffed and adjusted the position of his nearly frozen hand to hopefully alleviate the pain. The success of this endeavor was marginal at best.

    I wonder how Lori and the others are doing¡­

    Terry took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

    I hope they have made it safely back to Arcana.

    Please let them be safe.

    Initially, Terry had told himself that his nighttime activity was necessary. Get an overview. Look for backup plans. Improve yourself. By now, however, doubts had started to rise. One night, Terry had decided to take a break and he had utterly failed to sleep soundly.

    Terry almost missed the undead horde and the feeling of complete exhaustion, because at that time, Terry had no trouble falling asleep. At that time, Terry had been too busy staying alive for his worrying thoughts to invade his nights. Now, by contrast, Terry was alone in the sky and he had no place to hide from his own thoughts.

    What if the dragonfly construct was destroyed on its way? What if the four-leaved blood tulips never made it to Arcana? If everything has led to failure regardless? What if I never get to see Ma Isille or Pa Bjorln again?

    What if Lori and the others¡ª What if my plan to go to Tiv dragged everyone down? What if they''ve gotten seriously hurt or¡­?

    What if I¡¯ve made everything worse?!

    Terry grimly stared at the heartless stars above. Subconsciously, he gripped his injured arm tighter with his healthy hand. ¡°Fff¡­¡± He inhaled sharply due to the pain.

    Was that intentional? Self-punishment?

    Terry exhaled slowly. ¡°Focus.¡±

    Perhaps you deserve it.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± hissed Terry. He stood up on the tertium slab. ¡°I guess I can use the recovery time for some more rounds with the divine hammer inscription.¡±

    Not as if that is going to be much help with your wyvern date.

    ¡°...¡± Terry ignored his intrusive thoughts and began walking around on small sheets of mana formed with the divine hammer inscription.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you have decided to trust in the words of the great spirits, Terry,¡± said the blue-scaled leader of the lizans. His blue scales were reflecting the light of the moon and stars above.

    Who said I trust your gobbledygook? retorted Terry in his mind.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be avoided,¡± said Terry flatly. ¡°I need to get through there just like you do. I can¡¯t postpone going closer indefinitely.¡±

    And the timing definitely doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the fact that you wondered if your hand is looking more blue-ish than in the past, even when it¡¯s not frozen anymore. Do you think resistance training can have such an effect? Permanent discoloration? If you keep training your resistance against all kinds of aspects, you¡¯ll look like a clown!

    Terry ignored the non-helpful commentary from his intrusive thoughts and watched the giant wyvern in the distance. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll just try to see if I can sneak closer.¡± The wyvern looked so peaceful from a distance. In the night¡¯s weak illumination, you could mistake the giant creature for a mountain of snow.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mana concealment will be helpful, Terry,¡± said Blue. ¡°But the great spirits have foretold your success in getting rid of the wyvern. That¡¯s more than sneaking.¡±

    I¡¯m most certainly not going to get rid of any wyverns today! retorted Terry in his mind. And I have noted that ¡®getting rid of¡¯ is vague enough to possibly mean all kinds of things. From spitting the wyvern to death all the way to getting eaten and causing it to leave due to digestion problems.

    Terry grumbled silent complaints. He caught himself thinking that he was glad that the Preacher in Tiv did not act as a prophet. As a politician, Kipkoi had considerable talent for twisting words and this seemed like an advantage for these prophecy mind games.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Terry was torn on how to approach this. He could approach from the sky in order to be more free in his movements and potentially more concealed. Or he could approach on ground-level in order to keep his own mana use as low as possible. Truth be told, Terry was uneasy about his own lack of understanding of what to expect from the wyvern¡¯s senses.

    I wonder if Siling is as knowledgeable about primordial magical beasts as she is about mana-corrupted beasts¡­

    Not the time.

    Focus.

    Terry double-checked his cloaking. Next, he checked the presence of his most recent dungeon rewards. First, the necklace that adjusted his mana signature to perfectly blend into the surrounding mana. Then, the brooch that allowed him to summon a velvety black cloak and to step into the shadows.

    One last time, Terry bemoaned the fact that the Tiv soldiers had destroyed the enchantment of the concealment ring he had looted from the bandits. Terry would have appreciated another layer of protection from whatever senses the wyvern was relying on.

    Perhaps the dungeon had a point in handing out shady items. Once more, I¡¯m reduced to sneaking around in the dark.

    Terry sighed, clenched his fists and then stepped up into the air and forward. He relied on his cloaked boot mechanism instead of the divine hammer inscription. He reminded himself to stay calm. If it came down to it, his Shadow Step provided a safe evasive ability under the cover of the night ¨C as long as he got back to the ground or had time to summon sufficient footing in the sky.

    Terry placed his hand on the magic brooch and extended the velvety black fabric until it covered his body. He pulled the cloak''s hood above his head and was about to move forward when he felt mana movement around himself. He looked back towards the lizans with surprise. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°A supportive magic, Terry,¡± explained Blue, who was grasping a beaded chain again. ¡°To keep you safe. Healing if your life is threatened. Our fate is tied to yours, Terry. The great spirits are wise, but they also count on us to rely on ourselves. Your success is guaranteed but I¡¯m sure the prophecy was based on us providing assistance as well.¡±

    ¡°Hrrm¡­¡± Terry uttered a dissatisfied growl but decided not to press the point. If the lizans were trying to harm him, they could have done so several times over. He had little patience to worry about more of these mind games and uncertainties when he was about to face a freaking wyvern.

    Terry slowly air-walked towards the giant creature. He could hear his own heartbeat with how fast the blood was rushing through his ears.

    Around here¡­ Terry slowed his steps even further when he was about to reach the range at which the wyvern had reacted to Terry¡¯s presence during Terry''s information gathering.

    Terry was relieved to see the giant eye remain closed and he continued walking forward with bated breath. He had to resist the temptation to take out his notebook and update his estimated measurements.

    Eventually, Terry got close enough to get an idea of the gaps between the Elusive Fog of Frost and the wyvern¡¯s giant body. Unfortunately, there was not much of a gap anywhere. It appeared that the wyvern was crossing partly into the fog on both sides. This meant that the wyvern was resistant against the freezing effect of the magic phenomenon.

    Explains why the wyvern would settle down in this area. Although I¡¯m still wondering what that thing eats around here. The frozen corpses inside the fog? If so, then when does it actually get around to that?

    Terry wrestled down the questions of his inner Academy student and focused on the task at hand. The largest gap Terry could make out was above the wyvern¡¯s body. Therefore, Terry stepped further up into the sky.

    Every step was nerve-racking.

    Just when Terry was about to step above the wyvern, Terry could feel a torrent of wind rushing around him. Reflexively, Terry transfixed a tertium slab in front of him.

    *TANG* Half-a-second later, the giant horned tail of the wyvern crashed into the tertium slab. The wyvern had uncoiled in a whip-like fashion. The tail was blocked by the tertium slab but the flexible tail bent around the end of the slab and its momentum was still carrying towards Terry.

    Terry stopped worrying about remaining hidden and retreated as fast as he could on layers of mana, which he created with the divine hammer inscription.

    Unfortunately, the giant scaled whip was not the only thing that assaulted Terry. The violent wind movement had carried pockets of the Elusive Fog of Frost to Terry and he could feel his body temperature lower at a dangerous pace. The only upside was that these dispersed pockets of fog were not as dense as in their original position and therefore did not have the same intense effect.

    Terry detected two attacks at once. The horned tail had uncoiled another turn and was about to arrive in full swing once more. Additionally, Terry saw the giant jaws underneath him. The razor-sharp teeth were the least of Terry¡¯s worries considering the accumulating mana at the jaw''s center.

    Crap. Terry forgot to breathe. His instincts remained but his mind was already protesting the movements his body and mana were about to take. Terry retrieved a shield and hid behind it while positioning the shield in anticipation of the collision with the rapidly approaching wyvern tail.

    *Tang* Terry felt as if he had run full-burst into a wall. The bad news was that he was sure there were a few broken bones and he was uncertain if his organs were still as separated as they ought to be. The good news was that his instincts had judged correctly and he was being propelled away from the wyvern¡¯s elemental breath ¨C much faster than Terry could have accelerated on his own.

    Terry¡¯s mind was protesting with the backing of his mangled body, but then Terry could spot the gigantic storm of elemental mana where he had been a few seconds ago. This terrifying sensation vindicated the judgement of his battle instincts.

    Nevertheless, Terry hardly felt in a mood to celebrate. He was still flying rapidly through the air and considering Terry''s initial altitude, it would take a while before he would impact on the ground.

    Terry waited intentionally to gain more distance from the wyvern. Afterwards, Terry summoned pairs of gymnastic rings that were linked with elastic rope to slow himself. He had to grit his teeth and hurriedly wrapped the rings around one arm ¨C his other arm did not feel usable at the moment.

    A few Immovable Object spells later, Terry dropped from the sky and rolled violently on the ground. Terry coughed and spat blood. He could not help but sigh at the realization of how familiar this pain in his body and this bloody taste in his mouth felt. He was beginning to feel dizzy and was about to retrieve his healing wand when he sensed another magic activate on himself ¨C the magic that Blue had cast before.

    So much for assured success¡­

    ***

 124 If at First You Donâ€™t Succeed

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 216, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 90 ¨C

    Battered and bruised, Terry sat up on the blanket which the lizans had put on the ground in a large tent. He could still feel the healing magic from the lizans. Even though the effects were beneficial to Terry¡¯s recovery, the strange group spell made Terry uncomfortable. The pleasant feeling of pain relief and improved regeneration was not enough to make Terry forget that he had no idea how this magic worked or the extent of what it did.

    ¡°Thank you, but I should be fine now.¡± Terry muttered weakly and forced himself to not let the pain he was still feeling show on his face.

    ¡°Please rely on us whenever you need to, Terry,¡± implored Blue. ¡°Our fates are tied together. I know you will succeed!¡±

    I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m succeeding, retorted Terry in his mind. He looked down at himself and wearily noted all the signs of medical treatment and the damage to his protective gear.

    ¡°I¡¯d like some time alone now,¡± said Terry. ¡°I need to think about some things.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Terry.¡± Blue walked to the tent¡¯s entrance. ¡°I will be outside if you need me.¡±

    Terry nodded and then pulled out one of his notebooks. ¡°What went wrong?¡±

    Besides everything?

    Terry tapped his pen on the blank page. He scribbled while muttering quietly. ¡°Low chance to sneak by.¡±

    The wyvern¡¯s senses picked me out even though I should have blended into the night and ambient mana quite well. It attacked immediately without any warning sign. No idea if it perceived me as a threat or if it is simply territorial to an extreme degree. In any case, it is a fact that it attacked instead of ignoring me.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry moved his pen to the next page. ¡°Still learned something¡­¡±

    Besides how it feels to be slapped by a mountain?

    ¡°Yes, besides that.¡± He muttered absentmindedly to himself.

    The wyvern did not pursue me. It chose to attack but did not pursue. No clue what this means.

    Terry scribbled in his notebook. Afterwards, he added on the other page. ¡°That elemental breath can¡¯t be dodged normally.¡±

    Block or nothing then¡­ I hope my Immovable Object spell can withstand the breath attack. Otherwise, that would be my last mistake. Ever.

    Terry flipped a page and made a note to find a way to test the interaction of the elemental breath and a transfixed item if possible. He returned to the first pair of pages and continued with his retrospection.

    The cloak was useless in the air because I didn¡¯t have time to transfix a tertium slab to provide a contact surface for a shadow to step into.

    Terry twirled his pen in his fingers. ¡°I never had to use the cloak in the air before¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, if I use the shadow on an immovable object to step into the shadow plane, then what would happen after the spell deactivates? I would lose contact with the shadow when the slab drops. Would it be the same as me lifting my foot on the other side?

    ¡°Probably¡­¡± Terry made a note to verify that before the next attempt with the wyvern. ¡°The root problem was the lack of time to react.¡±

    I¡¯m not really used to the cloak yet, am I? If I have to react quickly, my instincts will never rely on the cloak¡¯s evasive ability. It¡¯s not part of my current reflexes. I would have to train with it for that. Should I though? Or is that a distraction?

    ¡°I could also make sure I am prepared in advance,¡± mumbled Terry while scribbling. ¡°Set the stage.¡±

    Either stay on the ground or transfix tertium slabs along the way¡­

    ¡°What went well?¡± Terry asked himself.

    Well, I survived. That¡¯s something.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± admitted Terry. He exchanged his notebook with another one from his dimensional storage. ¡°I should make good use of my time.¡± Terry retrieved one of his resistance training devices.

    Soon afterwards, Terry was being assaulted by ice-aspected mana while he repeatedly emitted disruption discharges and noted down the positions and shapes of the mana refractors that appeared to work best. Occasionally, Terry would combine his disruption discharge with a run-up burst to further increase the velocity of his discharged mana.

    Terry continued until his mana pool was empty and then exchanged his notebook and pen for the magic necklace that passively consumed mana. Terry put on the necklace and allowed himself to fall asleep.

    ***

    Late in the night on another day, Terry rolled his shoulder and then stretched his other limbs one last time. He wanted to confirm the extent of his recovery before approaching the wyvern again..

    All good¡­ I think. Terry nodded and mentally prepared himself for what was coming next.

    ¡°You will succeed, Terry.¡± Blue spoke encouragingly. ¡°It is impossible for you to fail. Temporary setbacks mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. You will succeed in conquering the beast. The great spirits have¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I would like to concentrate,¡± interjected Terry with a flat tone. He was getting tired of this relentless ¨C and in Terry¡¯s opinion baseless ¨C encouragement.

    Terry let his eyes wander over the stars above and the darkness below. He wrapped his shadow cloak around himself and slowly walked forward. Terry fleetingly glanced down at the cloak''s fabric.

    I wonder how the wyvern¡¯s senses work. I can barely see my lower body with the dark night and the cloak¡¯s color. Perhaps the last time was just a fluke? Perhaps the wyvern won¡¯t notice me this time?

    ¡°Better not to count on it,¡± mumbled Terry. I should stick closer to the ground for as long as possible.

    While Terry was walking, he could feel the magic of the lizans activate on himself again. Even though Terry now knew what the spell was supposed to do, something about this unfamiliar magic made him uneasy. Nevertheless, Terry had to admit that the timely healing had helped tremendously in speeding up his recovery and preventing long-lasting injuries.

    Terry approached slowly with his own senses stretched to his limits. His heartbeat accelerated as soon as he crossed the wyvern¡¯s minimum detection range ¨C the one Terry had recorded during his initial probing.

    *Rumble* The earth quaked slightly and a deep growl reverberated in the area.

    Terry stopped short in his tracks. He could spot a pair of giant aquamarine eyes opening and fixating on him. When Terry sensed mana gathering in the wyvern¡¯s cold eyes, he channeled mana into his cloak and stepped into the shadows.

    Terry found himself in the monochrome world of the shadow plane. He exhaled sharply at the incredible sight of the window-like ground stretching all the way into the horizon. He realized that he had never used the cloak outside in the middle of the night before.

    ¡°Trillll!¡± ¡°Trillll!¡± ¡°Trill!¡±

    A shiver ran down Terry¡¯s back and he looked up into the fading light where the darkness was ruling the shadow plane¡¯s sky. In his mana sight, he could make out a swarm of creatures that were rapidly rushing toward him.

    Terry gritted his teeth and returned his eyes to the ground to follow what was going on outside the shadow plane. His mana sense did not reach beyond the plane¡¯s boundary and he needed visual confirmation. He watched with bated breath while paying attention to the approaching shadow creatures in his mana sight.

    A white wave of vapor rolled over the ground in the normal plane and it was easy to guess that the wyvern somehow had incorporated the Elusive Fog of Frost into one of its abilities. Behind the pulsing wave, all the plants were left frozen solid.

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    To Terry¡¯s horror, there were more waves following after the first one.

    ¡°Great,¡± cursed Terry. His eyes moved between the raging mana ability in the normal plane and the approaching swarm of creatures up in the shadows. ¡°Just great.¡± Terry moved mana to his feet and transfixed his boots to prevent himself from accidentally switching planes.

    Terry retrieved a barrier spear and a foldable tertium cube. He transfixed the spear in the air and then folded the cube around himself until there was only a single opening where Terry could peek through. Before long, the shadow creatures arrived and Terry spotted dozens of oversized dracos ¨C flying lizards ¨C whose scales seemed to absorb the light around them to give them an appearance blacker than any black Terry had ever seen.

    Terry closed the remaining gap in the foldable tertium cube and transfixed it.

    *Krchk* *Tang* ¡°Trill!¡± *Krchk*

    Terry could hear the scratching and attacking noises of the creatures.

    ¡°Seems as if the Immovable Object spell is holding¡­¡± Just when Terry was believing himself safe, he could hear a deep growl in the distance. Even without seeing the source, Terry thought he could feel another pair of eyes on himself ¨C eyes that did not feel less threatening than those of the white wyvern.

    A moment later, Terry could sense an ability similar to the one he had encountered from the shades on the Bulwark. Shadows were invading the tertium cube through every gap. Terry anticipated the next phase of the ability ¨C the inevitable deactivation of his Immovable Object spell.

    Terry tentatively unleashed a focused disruption discharge towards the encroaching shadows. The shadows dispersed, but only for a moment. This was not a viable way to deal with the situation.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t anything ever be easy?¡± Terry groaned.

    Because then everyone could do it, retorted Terry¡¯s thoughts.

    Terry inhaled deeply and retrieved his second barrier spear. His eyes glanced one last time to the ground and to the icy vapor rolling in regular patterns. Subconsciously, Terry began nodding in the rhythm of the repeated waves.

    Terry imagined the figures of his family and friends pushing him forward. All his mana foundation practice. All his training. All his fights. Terry exhaled sharply. ¡°I got this.¡±

    Terry moved his mana and returned the tertium cube to his storage bracelet. Immediately, the dracos charged frenziedly at him. Terry dexterously moved the barriers and slashed while blocking the incoming attacks. Simultaneously, Terry channeled mana into the radiating light inscription inside his gloves. For the first time, the area became properly illuminated.

    Perhaps I don¡¯t¡­ Terry sharply inhaled when noting the number of creatures around himself. These shadow beasts entered a frenzy when they were touched by the radiating light. Terry relentlessly fought back against the clawing and biting dracos.

    Blocking¡­

    Counter-attacking¡­

    Awkwardly dodging without lifting his feet from the ground¡­

    Terry fought fiercely despite his movement impairment. Soon, he was covered from head to toe in blood. Most belonged to dracos, but the fact that Terry''s feet had to be glued to the ground was too limiting and too unfamiliar for Terry to come out unscathed.

    Finally, Terry lowered his head and lifted his foot. In an instant, the world flipped and he returned to the normal plane. Without pause, Terry dashed away from the incoming wave of frosty fog and away from the white wyvern in the distance. Terry outran the vapor and caught up with the preceding wave.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry cursed when he realized that the waves of vapor slowed down the further they rolled. The distance between two successive waves of fog shrunk with time. To make it worse, the moment the waves touched, they would linger in the same place.

    Terry followed the preceding wave while trying to match its pace. As soon as the next wave came too close for comfort, Terry channeled mana into his cloak. Back in the monochrome shadow plane, Terry was immediately faced with a frenzied draco latching onto his face.

    ¡°Trilll!¡± The draco sunk its claws into Terry¡¯s face and bit into Terry''s right eye.

    Terry let go of his barrier spears. He pulled an inscribed dagger from its sheath and used his other hand to rip the draco from his mangled face. Terry slashed the mana blade and bisected the draco. He could feel the blood running down his face. He could hear his own blood rushing in his head. He could taste the blood on his lips. With a flip of his hand, Terry returned the inscribed dagger back into its sheath. Terry reflexively transfixed two tertium slabs to give himself some cover.

    All of this had happened in a matter of a few seconds and Terry was still waiting for the pain to overcome the shock of his injury.

    Terry pulled the barrier spears back to him with his bidirectional attraction gloves and began battling ferociously once more. Little by little, the pain assaulted him. Worse than the pain was the fact that Terry could feel his own battle performance further impaired by his diminished field of vision. He grit his teeth and hurriedly transfixed more protective items.

    Terry used the short respite from the temporary shelter to summon the wand with the imprints for the three fundamental healing spells which he immediately cast on himself.

    Before his transfixed items fell, Terry channeled mana into his helmet in order to summon the helmet¡¯s barrier ¨C a move he was sorely wishing to have performed sooner. Terry made a mental note that the shadow step had the same disadvantage as unanchored dimensional transfers ¨C he had no idea what he was moving into.

    Terry glanced down to confirm the wave rhythm at his current location. A draco tried to exploit Terry¡¯s moment of distraction but was smashed back by a barrier moved with a spear slash. Terry was determined to not let another mistake slip and paid close attention to all the mana signatures around him.

    Terry could not help but sigh at the realization that the characteristics of the vapor waves meant not only that the rhythm would change depending on his position but also that there was no way he could avoid passing through the fog at least once. The lingering vapor when two waves connected formed a permanent half-sphere and Terry had no way to bypass it in the shadow plane because he could not move a single inch from his initial position.

    Terry mustered his resolve and then lifted his foot to step back into the normal plane. He dashed forward and gathered mana for a disruption discharge. He returned his barrier spears into his storage bracelets and moved mana to summon a pair of shields from his storage.

    Terry inhaled sharply and in a quick succession, he punched a dual layered discharge, he equipped two shields, moved his mana in the pattern for his resistance training, and he charged into the fog that was blocking his path. As soon as Terry made contact, he unleashed the disruption pulse he had prepared beforehand and burst his mana beyond his limits to run as fast as his legs allowed.

    Terry could feel the warmth being drained from his body. He realized that the fog was wider than he had initially expected. His shields were not doing much, because the fog was immediately flowing all around them and Terry charged further without pause. The only respite Terry noticed was the moment right after his disruption discharges had collided with the magic fog.

    Terry dropped his shields and began throwing rapid disruption discharges. Discharges from his arms. Discharges from his feet while running. Spherical disruption pulses whenever they were ready. Terry could feel his mana pool emptying at a rate faster than ever before. This would have been worrying in any circumstance, but Terry¡¯s worries were more concerned with the sensation of the blood on his face freezing and the blood in his veins not feeling that much better.

    What seemed like forever to Terry, was in reality less than a minute. A bloody Terry with purple-blue skin and ice-crystals all over his body rushed out of the white vapor.

    The moment Terry became aware that he had passed through the obstacle, Terry stumbled. Before Terry could finish a breath, he felt the healing magic of the lizan activate and offer some relief.

    Yeah, I definitely don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m succeeding¡­

    Terry noted the insufferable itch of his eye regenerating and then he blacked out.

    ***

    The next morning, Terry stepped up into the sky. He wanted to get away from Blue¡¯s incessant comforting and encouragement.

    By now, Terry also had a good reason to give for his examination of the Elusive Fog of Frost. After your skin turned purple-blue from being blasted by some mana ability utilizing the fog, a modicum of interest should be more than understandable and not immediately lead to suspicions of Terry abandoning the quest the lizans had prepared for him.

    ¡°On the bright side, my resistance training seems to have been a good idea,¡± mumbled Terry, who was sitting on a transfixed tertium slab and looked at the milky fog above him.

    Yay, replied Terry¡¯s thoughts sarcastically. Perhaps we should try to avoid being drenched in the stuff next time?

    ¡°Great idea,¡± said Terry with oozing sarcasm. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±

    Because you¡¯re an idiot.

    ¡°Oh, right. That explains it.¡± Terry puffed his cheeks and exhaled through pressed lips. ¡°Okay, what did I learn?¡±

    Not to bathe in stuff that will freeze you?

    ¡°Something is lurking around here in the shadow plane and I need to take that into account when using the cloak,¡± muttered Terry in thought. ¡°Especially when using it at night.¡±

    Terry retrieved his notebook and scribbled.

    ¡°Shields aren¡¯t much use against the fog¡­ Disruption discharges work but only up to a point and only for a moment¡­¡±

    The whole sneaking through thing doesn¡¯t look as if it¡¯s working, does it?

    ¡°What else is there though?¡± Terry shook his head.

    Fight? I mean fight properly? All out attack?

    ¡°Now you sound like Blue.¡± Terry frowned. ¡°Have you seen that wyvern? It could spit me to death.¡±

    Literally even. That elemental breath was worse than the vapor wave. Still¡­

    Terry transfixed the pen in the air and pulled the wand with the fundamental healing spells from his sheath belt. He checked that the primers in the imprints had recovered and then punched his left hand into the fog with clenched teeth and closed eyes.

    A moment later, Terry pulled out his freshly injured hand and mumbled. ¡°I will get through this. I will find a way. No matter what, this too shall pass. No matter what happens, I will find a way¡­¡±

    Terry repeated his mantra for the current days quietly. Eventually, he looked down at his armor that had seen better days.

    Again and again, I was assaulted by fire attacks. I finally have armor to resist fire and now I¡¯m being blasted with ice and frost.

    ¡°If such a thing as fate exists, it¡¯s ironic,¡± said Terry bitterly.

    More than that, it¡¯s an arsehole. Like the dungeon with the Alricks.

    ¡°No point in whining,¡± said Terry. ¡°Remember what Ma Isille used to say: ¡®Less complaining, more training.¡¯¡±

    The memory of Isille reminded Terry that he might never see his accepted parents again, especially if he didn¡¯t get through his current predicament fast. ¡°I will get through this.¡±

    ***

 125 Never Trust a Prophet

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 36 ¨C

    Late in the night, Terry was sitting on a transfixed tertium slab high up in the sky. He wore a grim but calm expression and let his eyes wander over the mesmerizing image of the cold starlight playing with the elusive fog.

    Terry had attempted to sneak by the wyvern more than a dozen times by now. Each attempt had ended in a miserable failure with Terry licking his wounds and making notes on what had gone wrong.

    You know exactly what is wrong, why don¡¯t you admit it?

    Terry looked down at the ground covered in darkness far below where he was sitting. ¡°Because one step too far and there is no going back. Not after that thing tries to pursue me.¡±

    Are you scared?

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Terry calmly.

    And?

    ¡°Heh,¡± exclaimed Terry with amusement. He thought about his role models. The Veilbinder stepping into a separated plane with an ancient immortal and a rampant blood dragon. The Divine Hammer stepping in front of a whole army. His accepted parents stepping up to help people evacuate while facing unknown terrors from the Wastes. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Your stock of food is running low.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± replied Terry.

    Terry had learned from his dungeon experience and he had prepared a lot of food when they had set out for Tiv. However, no matter how much food one prepared, eventually it would all be eaten. Terry involuntarily wondered if the situation somehow adjusted to his food supply or if it was more that his actions changed according to his diminished food supply. Perhaps sometimes only desperate actions allowed him to move forward?

    Are you going to eat the stuff from the lizans next? Do you really trust them? They¡¯re so weird. Especially those aside from Blue. Blue seems alright.

    ¡°Does he?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Or is it just the fact that he¡¯s the only one to whom I can talk to around here?¡±

    Better company than the Alricks in my opinion.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± muttered Terry pensively. ¡°But at least the Alricks were decidedly upfront with their intentions.¡±

    Their intentions being that they wanted to gobble up your brain?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird how unshaken Blue¡¯s faith in me is?¡± asked Terry.

    You mean despite you continuing to be a disappointment? Does their blind trust in you make you feel uncomfortable?

    ¡°That too,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°It¡¯s just so weird¡­¡±

    What did you expect from looneys? If they made sense to you, you might be one step short of becoming one yourself, right? Come to think of it, you¡¯ve been talking to yourself more again lately.

    ¡°...¡± Terry quietly took in the nightly sight all around him. He inhaled deeply and leaned back on the tertium slab. He looked up at the stars in the sky. Terry thought back to the nights in Syn City when he had been stargazing with Devon. ¡°Could be worse¡­¡±

    At least there is no ancient deathcult torturing me every second with resistance training.

    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± grumbled Terry.

    Then again that wouldn¡¯t be too different from what I''m doing with the fog, would it?

    Terry glowered in response to his intrusive thoughts. He took another deep breath. ¡°Only one more thing to try.¡±

    Still afraid?

    ¡°Wastes, yes,¡± replied Terry nervously.

    Worst thing that can happen is you die.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Terry smiled faintly. He thought of the time they had opened the door to the Guardian management hall in the Libra City outpost, the moment he had spotted Sigille¡¯s corpse.

    I wonder if she ever hesitated to step up?

    Involuntarily, the figure of a short dwarven girl with an offended gasp on her face sprang up in Terry¡¯s mind. He had to chuckle at the image of his Senior Sister Thena.

    ¡°No, of course the Divine Hammer didn¡¯t hesitate,¡± said Terry. He wore a contemplative expression and then he sat up on the tertium slab. ¡°But Aunt Sigille wasn¡¯t always the Divine Hammer, was she?¡± Terry sighed. ¡°I should have talked to her more about her past.¡±

    Terry''s thoughts went to his accepted father and Bjorln''s resolve in attempting to save Isille.

    ¡°Better to die trying than to starve in looney company after giving up,¡± muttered Terry with a slight nod of his head. ¡°Better to try while I¡¯m still well fed.¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°I should rest now.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Tomorrow will be a long day.¡± He collected the mana containers he had filled during his recuperation and packed up.

    ***

    ¡°Our fates lie with you, Terry.¡± Blue spoke with full conviction.

    Don¡¯t say it. Terry¡¯s eye twitched involuntarily.

    ¡°Your success is guaranteed.¡± Blue clasped his hands in front of him.

    Damn it. Terry cursed inwardly.

    Shortly after, Terry could feel the magic of the lizans wrapping around him. ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Terry. He walked forward while taking deep, measured breaths. He recalled a quote from the Path of a Mage: ¡®If you let go of your fear of death, what else is there to fear? Go for it.¡¯ Terry had to snicker when he remembered that the quote originated from a vampire.

    ¡°Here goes something¡­¡± Terry muttered and noted the distance to the wyvern¡¯s sensory reach.

    Terry could feel the sun on his face. Today, there would be no hiding attempt. He checked the charge in his mana sublimator. Terry listened to his own heartbeat. He confirmed his stock of darkwater, acid, concentrated-alcohol, and mana cores. Terry exhaled slowly and moved his gaze to the white mountain in the distance¡­

    Doesn¡¯t seem like enough, does it?

    Terry inhaled deeply. ¡°It will have to do.¡± He stepped over the threshold and broke out in a run while maintaining his mana balance.

    A pair of giant aquamarine eyes opened and fixated on Terry.

    Terry did not slow down. He continued running while staring right back at the giant eyes.

    A deep growl escaped the white wyvern¡¯s jaws and the aquamarine eyes glowed with mana. A breath later, a wall of white vapor was moving rapidly towards Terry ¨C the first of many.

    Terry did not slow down. He reinforced the barrier on his helmet and gathered mana into a compressed vortex. Right when the fog was about to hit Terry, he channeled mana into his cloak and stepped into the shadows.

    Terry hadn¡¯t even blinked in the shadow plane, when he was immediately transported back ¨C because he had continued running. Back in the normal plane, Terry unleashed his spherical disruption pulse and charged further into the fog. Once again, he compressed mana for a spherical discharge and simultaneously activated his cloak¡¯s ability.

    What followed was a dizzying sequence of shifts between planes ¨C back and forth and then repeat ¨C until the vapor was finally past Terry and he could freely dash forward in the normal plane. He mentally went over his available mana and retrieved a mana container to get back to a full mana pool.

    Again and again, Terry faced the approaching waves of fog by making use of his spherical disruption pulses and his cloak¡¯s shadow step ability. It was disorienting and nauseating, but Terry persevered.

    I must not slow down!

    Again and again, Terry charged into the deadly fog of frost. He did not allow himself to hesitate or waver in his determination to approach. He had to be fast or there might be creatures in the shadow realm taking note of him, which would only make his task more troublesome.

    As if a giant wyvern was not troublesome enough already¡­

    Even though Terry¡¯s strategy allowed him to reduce the frosty vapor¡¯s effects, he was still freezing after facing dozens of the attacking waves. He cycled mana in the pattern for his resistance training ¨C on top, Terry added a burst and pressed more mana into his mana channels than he was used to. He wrestled down his fears and doubts and continued with hardened resolve.

    Any outside observer would think Terry mad. Leaving aside the questionable decision to charge at a giant wyvern, it looked as if Terry was using a variant of the Flicker spell. An optical illusion, which was decidedly useless against area of effect attacks like the waves of white fog.

    Terry stared at the wyvern¡¯s body that was growing larger and larger the closer he got. He had stopped questioning himself. Isille, Bjorln, Sigille, Matteo ¨C all of them had drilled into Terry to never second-guess during a fight. Better to fully commit to a good or less-than-optimal move than to hesitate or half-ass the perfect move. Terry did not always succeed in applying that particular lesson, but he understood that this time, there was no turning back.

    The earth quaked as the white wyvern raised its head. Evidently, Terry had successfully caught its full attention.

    Terry pressed forward and continued running. To his surprise, there was no new wave of fog rushing towards him anymore. Terry held the gaze of the wyvern with narrowed eyes and never stopped running.

    Terry could see the wyvern¡¯s tail suddenly spin and uncoil. He could hear the air move violently as the horned tail was rushing towards him. Terry had to acknowledge the explosive speed. It was undeniably impressive considering the wyvern¡¯s gigantic proportions.

    Terry stomped onto the ground and abruptly stopped his run. With bated breath he waited until the last possible moment and then stepped into the shadow plane to evade the incoming attack. In the monochrome world of shadows, Terry spent a second focusing on his mana sense while confirming with his eyes on the window-like ground that the wyvern¡¯s tail had passed his location. With that confirmed, Terry lifted his foot and once more dashed towards the white wyvern.

    With another circular movement, the wyvern lashed out again with its horned tail.

    For half a dozen times, the wyvern and Terry repeated their exchange, with Terry repeatedly dodging into the shadow plane at the last second. Terry would have rejoiced at the plan¡¯s success if it wasn¡¯t for the fog of frost that followed the movements of the wyvern¡¯s tail and was much harder to avoid. Terry suppressed the shiver in his lungs and ignored the pain of his lips that had already split from the frost¡¯s effects.

    The white wyvern roared furiously and attacked another time with its horned tail aiming for Terry, who had to escape into the shadow realm again. On the other side of the shadows, Terry cursed when he sensed the flurry of moving mana signatures. He clenched his fists and forced down the desire to turn back and abandon his attempt.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Back in the normal plane, Terry accelerated madly to get away from his previous location that was being targeted in the shadow plane. He could already see the giant tail lunging out for another attack. To make it worse, Terry could sense mana gathering in the wyvern¡¯s jaws.

    When Terry escaped into the shadow plane, he was confronted with the reality of creatures that could observe you from their plane without you being able to notice and he was immediately besieged on all sides by a swarm of black dracos. Terry stopped himself from using his emergency option and instead fought ferociously with two barrier spears in hand.

    A draco snuck up to Terry¡¯s leg and was about to bite into his ankle, when Terry disappeared into the normal plane and bolted away at high speed. Terry rapidly exchanged a spear with a mana container and absorbed mana as quickly as his mana control allowed.

    Terry had to dodge another swing of the wyvern¡¯s tail and fight for his survival in the shadow plane. When Terry returned to the normal plane, he saw what he had been dreading and the elemental breath was forcing him back into the shadow plane.

    More and more shadow creatures were gathering and attacking Terry. All of the creatures were reptiles in appearance but their sizes varied wildly. Unfortunately for Terry, he did not have the time to appreciate the nuances in his enemies while they were trying to rip him apart.

    Terry bemoaned the wyvern¡¯s impressive lung volume and decided to bring out one of his trump cards. He retrieved a barrel of concentrated alcohol and transfixed it in the air. When the elemental breath stopped on the other side, Terry let a fire-aspected arrow drop into the barrel and lifted his foot. Leaving a fire blast behind as a present to the shadow creatures, Terry returned to the normal plane and rushed forward once more.

    Before Terry could run very far, he realized that the elemental breath had hidden another swing of the horned tail that was already approaching and too close for comfort. Terry hurriedly stepped back into the shadow plane, unaware of what was waiting for him.

    Terry had resolved himself to face the lingering heat of his own farewell present, but he was not prepared for what was truly waiting for him. The moment Terry arrived in the shadow plane, the furious eyes of a giant black komodo reptile were already fixed on him and huge jaws were snapping at Terry. Reflexively, Terry lifted his foot¡­

    ¡­and was faced with the horned wyvern tail rushing towards him with no reasonable option to dodge. Terry fumbled when retrieving a septimum shield from his storage bracelet. He was a beat too late¡­

    Completely by instinct, Terry subconsciously cast hands-free. His battle instinct treated the incoming wyvern limb like it would a giant rock projectile. Without realizing it, Terry was doing something he had never even considered before: He cast the Immovable Object spell on body parts ¨C the horns on the wyvern¡¯s tail.

    The Immovable Object spell activated and the wyvern¡¯s tail came to a violent halt with its momentum threatening to rip out its own horns. A roar filled with pain and fury reverberated in the air and the wyvern beat its wings. For the first time, the wyvern attempted to fly. Terry had succeeded in inciting its wrath.

    Terry was still dazed from what had just happened. He had never considered using his spell on body parts because it only worked on non-living objects. His mind raced from the implications that non-living objects could be embedded in living beings. These horns were dead matter just like any ordinary rock.

    True, they were charged with mana, but Terry was already capable of overpowering low-density mana thanks to practicing his mana compression. He had cast the spells on ice spikes and even on simple magic items before. Even though the total amount of mana in the horns was considerable, the giant size still meant that the concentration was low ¨C low enough for Terry to stabilize his own Immovable Object spell structure.

    Terry inhaled sharply and looked at the giant wyvern in a new light. The creature¡¯s gigantic proportions were suddenly not so daunting anymore. On the contrary, all these gigantic, thick scales represented reassuring spell targets.

    A fierce glint entered Terry¡¯s eyes and for the first time in this fight, he jumped up on layers of divine mana and ran through the sky above the wyvern¡¯s transfixed tail. Every few steps, Terry unleashed his ranged Immovable Object spell onto scales and horns in his path.

    The white wyvern noticed its predicament when it failed to soar into the sky. It refused to accept the situation and struggled violently against its restrained tail ¨C to no avail.

    Terry rushed up the wyvern¡¯s tail. The wind was brushing against his face. The feeling of paving his own road along the giant beast was exhilarating and he could not help but grin while running towards the passage that would bring him closer to Arcana.

    While the wyvern refused to cease its violent struggle against the Immovable Object spell, Terry dashed all the way towards the gap that would allow him to escape the Elusive Fog of Frost. As soon as Terry appeared close in the wyvern¡¯s sights, however, the white giant halted its thrashing and gathered mana in its jaws.

    Terry somersaulted in the air and temporarily transfixed his boots to get a secure foothold. He burst his mana and his leg muscles strained with the force of stopping his full charge against the immovable layer in his boots. After taking out most of the force, Terry switched from his boot mechanism to his divine hammer inscription and darted around the wyvern¡¯s jaws to evade the incoming elemental breath.

    Not a second too late, because right after Terry¡¯s abrupt change of direction, the wyvern¡¯s elemental breath was covering the whole area up to the Fog of Frost.

    Terry¡¯s eyes showed resentment. You don¡¯t want me to leave? Are you sure about that?! Fine, have it your way! I will get through regardless! You won¡¯t stop me from getting back to my whaka!

    Terry circulated his mana in a burst technique for speed and agility. He darted around the wyvern¡¯s head while simultaneously transfixing some of the horns and scales on the creature¡¯s upper head. When the creature was unable to dodge or close its eyelids, Terry emptied a whole barrel of acid onto the wyvern¡¯s eye.

    ¡°ROARRR!¡± The wyvern gathered mana in its throat and glared hatefully at Terry with its remaining good eye.

    Terry almost emitted a low growl himself. His own hatred for the creature that had blocked his path for so long did in no way lose against the wyvern¡¯s. He dashed underneath the wyvern¡¯s jaw. He switched to his boot mechanism, cycled a burst technique for raw strength, and then Terry pushed against the wyverns lower jaw while its upper head was still transfixed.

    Step by step, Terry forced the wyvern¡¯s jaws closed. As soon as he had succeeded, Terry activated the Immovable Object spell on dead bone body parts from the wyvern¡¯s lower jaw.

    Once again, the wyvern failed to accept its restrained situation. It struggled, which caused it to be too late to stop its elemental breath attack in time. The blast of mana failed to escape through its jaws and was instead trapped inside its own body.

    Terry pressed on and darted to the wyvern¡¯s remaining eye while making sure to refresh his active spells along the wyvern¡¯s head. Terry stared into the giant eye. ¡°I just wanted to get through. Why couldn¡¯t you just get out of the way?¡±

    The only response Terry got was an attack with the horned tail that had become free once more after the Immovable Object spell had worn off.

    ¡°Bad move,¡± growled Terry. He casually stepped to the side and behind the wyvern¡¯s head.

    The wyvern still failed to fully grasp its situation and the attack that was meant for Terry impacted on its own head instead. The long and heavy horns bore into its skull and a suppressed roar of pain escaped through its shut teeth.

    Terry allowed the wyvern to swing its tail back and then emptied another barrel of acid onto the remaining eye. Without stopping, Terry dashed along the wyvern¡¯s restrained head and towards one of the deep wounds left behind by the wyvern¡¯s horned tail. Terry retrieved a large container of darkwater, kneeled and transfixed the container so that it would pour into the wound, then immediately continued to one of the wyvern¡¯s nostrils.

    The horned tail arrived another time. Somehow the wyvern still managed to aim for Terry despite its blinded eyes. Despite its sharp senses, the primordial creature remained trapped by its primal instincts and once again, it hurt nothing but itself.

    The whole scenario repeated again and again. The white wyvern continued its violent thrashing while only hurting itself. Terry followed up by exploiting all open wounds to add debilitating darkwater, acid, or aspected discharges from his mana sublimator. No gap in the creature¡¯s scales was left unused. The wounds became deeper and deeper, graver and graver.

    Eventually, the wyvern stopped its struggle. In fact, it stopped moving altogether.

    Terry did not trust the sudden change and only stopped his assault on the open wounds when he was convinced that he had reached ¨C and significantly damaged ¨C the wyvern¡¯s brain.

    Terry was breathing heavily, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. His eyes darted around the sky and down the wyvern¡¯s body hanging limply from its transfixed head. He hesitatingly stepped back.

    Moments later, the gigantic white body fell from the sky ¨C the last remaining scales still transfixed in the air because the connected skin was unable to sustain the whole weight of the giant body.

    *Rumble* The earth quaked from the impact of the colossal wyvern.

    Terry swallowed the saliva in his mouth and habitually searched the horizons for any incoming threats¡­ Nothing.

    Terry had won.

    Half in a daze, Terry allowed himself to fall and slowed his descent with the help of his extension coil spring mechanism and the divine hammer inscription.

    Back on the ground, Terry took in the sight of the gigantic corpse. He was not completely convinced that it was truly over, that he could finally move onwards to Arcana, to his whaka.

    Terry was still catching his breath and trying to process what he had just accomplished, when he felt his body pulled up into a standing position by magic taking a hold of him ¨C the magic of the lizans. Terry would have exclaimed in surprise if he had been able to move his mouth.

    ¡°Well done, Terry.¡± Blue was walking towards Terry.

    How did he get so close so quickly? Terry had a bad feeling about this development. He had succeeded in taking down a freaking wyvern. He should get some time to feel elated and instead¡­

    ¡°I have to say though.¡± Blue looked at Terry with cold eyes and sneered. ¡°It took you long enough. I have to admit I doubted the words of the great ancestor at times.¡± Blue moved the beads in his chain through his fingers until they rested on one larger bead. Under his touch, the bead changed its appearance and now looked like a draconic eye.

    ¡°A Great Mage that is able to free our path forward and at the same time one of the biggest threats to our rule back home. Imagine my surprise when I saw you¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes moved over Terry with contempt. ¡°...in all your patheticness, soft skin and everything. What could you possibly have to do with our realm? I was beginning to question the prophecy of the spirits, but you¡¯ve given me another surprise.¡±

    Blue jeered at Terry. ¡°I could have given you an easy death if you were just a useless false messiah, but now, I can¡¯t let you go that easily. Threat or useful tool? It all depends on how you are used.¡±

    Blue clasped the draconic eye and cast another magic on top of his active one. Terry could feel the magic around him contract into a single point and then disperse.

    ¡°You see, the only problem we have with the Great Dark One is not your power, but the way you are going to use it.¡± Blue laughed with hissing noises escaping from his mouth. ¡°So all that is really required is to take away your liberty to use your power at your own discretion.¡±

    Terry blinked and for a moment, he remained stunned. He forgot to move and his mind warned him that this was probably a good thing.

    ¡°Now come, my little Great Mage.¡± Blue turned around and walked ahead. Before he had made a single step, he found his chest pierced by a spear and his head separated by the mana blade of an inscribed dagger.

    ¡°What the Wastes was that about?¡± Terry asked with a deeply furrowed brow. He was sure that there was some nefarious magic at work. He had felt the effect of losing control of his own body and then another magic was cast. This second magic had felt a lot more intense, but then it had stopped without showing any effect. Stopped for no apparent reason.

    Terry swiveled his head in confusion. Spell failure? That seems way too easy of an explanation. Shouldn¡¯t Blue have felt the backlash of a spell failure? Or is that part different with the magic of the lizans? Crap, I hate not knowing what is going on¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes moved down to the blue-scaled corpse of the lizan leader. ¡°Uhh¡­ I should probably move.¡±

    Even if I had a good excuse, I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it to the other lizans.

    ¡°Wait!¡± exclaimed Terry quietly. He kneeled down next to Blue and searched him for anything useful.

    This makes you look like a bandit.

    ¡°I wouldn''t be able to explain it to the other lizans anyway,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°This way I may have a chance to negotiate if I can find anything they value.¡±

    Or that very same thing is going to have them pursue you relentlessly.

    Terry paused his rummaging. ¡°Fair point.¡± He was beginning to feel conflicted.

    I¡¯m pressed for time here. No time for hesitation.

    Terry grabbed what he could find and moved the items to his dimensional storage. He picked up the beaded chain that Blue had clung to. It was obviously a magic item. Without much thought, Terry moved some of his mana into it¡­

    ¡°Hisssss!¡± ¡°Slisss!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Hisss!¡± Terry¡¯s mind was immediately assaulted by a barrage of strange noises and an intense feeling of being connected to something foreign.

    Terry reflexively burst his mana, unleashed a spherical disruption discharge, and threw the chain to the ground with all his strength.

    Coincidentally, the draconic eye impacted on a sharp stone and shattered violently. From the broken eye, Terry could sense a strange evaporation of mana.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry cleared his throat.

    Didn¡¯t you ever learn to never put your mana into strange items you know nothing about?

    Don¡¯t put your mana in that!

    Well, if that was important to the lizans, they probably won¡¯t be happy.

    ¡°Right, I should go.¡± Terry gave one more look towards the giant corpse of the wyvern. He shook his head. ¡°I doubt anyone will ever believe this.¡±

    Perhaps it never happened and you¡¯re just sitting in a dungeon while madly staring at the dungeon walls and cuddling with Alrick. Seems more likely, honestly.

    ¡°As if,¡± scoffed Terry. ¡°The pain was freaking real.¡± He dashed into the passage through the Elusive Fog of Frost, leaving the lizan looneys behind. And my mind couldn¡¯t come up with things this weird¡­

    Further away, a group of lizans that had appeared paralyzed moments before suddenly began moving ¨C groggily and sluggishly. They stared at each other, at their hands, at the surroundings. One of them hissed and then the whole group ran towards the location of Blue¡¯s corpse.

    The lizans paused when they spotted the separated head and body. A grey-scaled lizan stepped forward and snarled. She stomped down hard on the blue-scaled head and Blue¡¯s face turned into a bloody paste. All around, the remaining lizans began hugging each other and exchanged soft hissing noises.

    One of the lizans stepped away from the group and turned towards the safe passage with the dead wyvern. He went down on one knee and moved his fist in front of his heart. He lowered his head and whispered a respectful hiss. Others followed¡­

    ***

 126 Hopelessly Outnumbered

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 37 ¨C

    Terry was running and running. The fog behind him was flying out of view while new fog became visible in front of him ¨C always forcing him to stick to the safe passage he was traversing. Terry had not expected the Elusive Fog of Frost to stretch this far, nor did he expect the safe passage to have this many twists and turns.

    Terry was beginning to wonder if this alleged safe passage was just another mind game by who knows who¡­

    He pushed the thought away. It was too late for such worries.

    In any case, Terry had no desire to spend another day in the middle of this magic phenomenon. Therefore: running.

    No break.

    Just running.

    Running and running.

    Terry was wondering if there was a fate crafter, why did this fate crafter insist so much on cardio?

    The old legends never mentioned how much running is involved. The Veilbinder traveled all across the empires and different realms. How was there never a sentence on getting around? Was everyone a dimensional mage? Was it just not worth mentioning? Am I just unlucky?

    Terry kept his mind occupied with useless thoughts while following the safe passage laid out in front of him. Occasionally, he would retrieve his five-point inscription ring to check his location and to make sure that he was actually making progress. If it had not been for this dungeon reward from his first special encounter, Terry might have gone insane from self-doubt and second-guessing. He would never have traversed the fog as fast as now.

    Finally, no new fog was entering Terry¡¯s field of vision in front and he subconsciously accelerated further. Terry smiled while glancing back to see the Elusive Fog of Frost left behind him.

    Terry¡¯s expression changed drastically the instant his mana sense caught up. He jumped to catch himself against his immovable boots in the air and came to an abrupt stop. Terry leaned backwards and from a handstand flipped back to stay in a crouching position.

    Folks.

    Mana users.

    Many of them.

    Did they notice me?

    Terry looked up and considered if he should step into the sky to bypass whoever was in the vicinity. ¡°Perhaps they could help me get to Arcana quicker?¡±

    Like the last folks that helped us? Perhaps they¡¯ll have some creepy draconic eye and weird magic from another realm too?

    ¡°This sucks,¡± mumbled Terry. He cursed himself for failing to keep his mana cloaking in mind while making his way through the fog.

    I¡¯m relying too much on the reach of my mana sense to give me an early warning. I need to remember that this won¡¯t work in areas like the tunnel with mana-osmotic ore or like here: In magic phenomena that mess with my senses and prevent me from sensing further into the distance.

    ¡°Seems that I caught myself in time¡­¡± Terry was heaving a sigh of relief. If they had not noticed him, this allowed him to carefully consider his approach.

    Just when Terry was relaxing, he could sense several of the signatures break away and head towards him. He also sensed two further back whose mana signatures suddenly disappeared from Terry¡¯s mana sense.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry cursed. He hurriedly considered his options.

    Escape into the sky at the risk of being seen. Also risk losing a potential chance to speed up my return to Arcana. If these aren¡¯t hostiles, it would definitely make me look shady.

    Wait here and risk being attacked. If they are hostiles, I¡¯ll be in trouble.

    Use the cloak and observe who approaches. High chance of them losing track of me, but risk another draco incident and¡ª

    ¡°Wait.¡± Terry paused himself. ¡°Are there still dracos around here?¡± Terry activated his cloak and stepped into the monochrome world of the shadow plane.

    Everything was quiet.

    Terry warily looked around and concentrated on his mana sense. For a fleeting second, he believed that he had caught a flicker of a mana signature in the distance but there was nothing. Terry furrowed his brow.

    Terry was still making up his mind when he detected a flash of crimson along the ground that acted as a window through the shadows and into the normal plane. A figure dressed in a crimson uniform blinked into existence where Terry had been standing not long ago.

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± mumbled Terry. He recognized this crimson uniform. It had been nearly two cycles since he last saw it. ¡°Thanatos.¡±

    Terry cast the Immovable Object spell on the fixed layers inside his boots. He had lost all desire to interact with the people he saw through the window of shadows. He didn¡¯t want to accidentally shift planes. He crouched down and watched the Thanatos forces gathering on the other side of the shadows.

    This makes me feel like a creep.

    Isn¡¯t it creepy how there could always be someone lurking in the shadows? Watching¡­

    I really need to figure out a way to sense into the shadows. Or to get rid of shadows¡­

    Focus.

    Terry reminded himself that this wasn¡¯t the time to brainstorm new ideas. He knew that the soldiers in the normal plane couldn¡¯t hear him, but Terry still stopped talking out of habit. He made sure his mana was cloaked and that he was covered by the velvety fabric of his cloak. The fabric blended nicely into the scarce illumination in this monochrome world.

    Terry watched warily as more and more Thanatos soldiers gathered. He tried to recall the mana signatures he had sensed before.

    A mix of unaspected, multi-aspected, and single-aspected. Several with pronounced aspect gifts. Mana intensity¡­

    Crap.

    Terry couldn¡¯t recall many details, but he could recall enough to understand that these Thanatos soldiers were a cut above the average Tiv soldier he had encountered in the Valkyrie¡¯s prison.

    Sharply outlined mana¡­ Terry thought back to the fizzling mana boundaries that he had sensed from his brother Jorg. The fizziness that he had interpreted as a sign of external mana control impairments.

    Good external mana control. Mages.

    Or worse: mages that also train as mana cultivators.

    I just want to go home. Terry whined silently. Why can¡¯t anything ever be simple?

    Terry continued observing the Thanatos soldiers from the shadows. The fact that they pinpointed Terry¡¯s general location made him uneasy. The finger movements and mannerisms that hinted at ongoing spellwork made him anxious.

    The fact that I can¡¯t sense mana through the shadows is annoying from this side as well. What spells are they casting? I hate this.

    Terry jerked his head up when he sensed mana movement from above. An instant later, the shadows above were contracting and several shadow tendrils were aiming for Terry.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry evaded awkwardly ¨C limited by the fact that his feet were glued to the ground. His hands danced with two inscribed daggers and the mana blades sliced the shadow tendrils apart.

    To Terry¡¯s dismay, the shadows kept reshaping and reconnecting. Terry exchanged his daggers for two short spears ¨C one aspected with fire and the other with brightfire. He slashed at the shadows and noticed that the tendrils didn¡¯t reconnect when buffeted by the illumination of the brightfire.

    Intersection with the light-aspect. Light aspect!

    Terry immediately channeled mana into the radiating light inscription in his gloves and the bright light overpowered the shadows.

    Terry could vaguely make out two figures moving in the shadows.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± The voice of a woman reached Terry. ¡°Or just daft?¡±

    ¡°Has no one ever told you how to behave in the shadows?¡± An older voice arrived. Another woman. ¡°Stop that light.¡± This woman stepped closer and into view. A dwarven woman in crimson uniform, with sun-tanned skin and black tattoos on her face. ¡°I will be less polite if I have to ask again.¡±

    ¡°Is a Shadow Grip spell your idea of a polite greeting?¡± Terry changed his inscription usage to create a stroboscope effect.

    ¡°It¡¯s the politest greeting I have for someone in a place he shouldn¡¯t be,¡± retorted the dwarf. ¡°Restraining. Non-lethal. What more do you expect?¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He realized that a spell like Shadow Bind, which Isabella had used all the time, wouldn¡¯t work here, because the ground Terry was standing on did not accept his shadow. There were no shadows cast on the ground in the shadow plane.

    ¡°This flickering light is annoying,¡± growled the dwarf.

    ¡°Then stop that shadow spell from my back,¡± barked Terry.

    The dwarven woman raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sharp senses, but wrong in one point: That¡¯s not my spell.¡± She turned her head to the side. ¡°Stop for now.¡± Afterwards, she returned her attention to Terry. ¡°If you are worried about your health, then I suggest you stop that light-aspected mana. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t even need to lift a finger to get rid of you. The beasts here will take care of that. They¡¯re not fond of light.¡±

    Terry tried to keep his face from showing a reaction. He involuntarily thought back to how his last usage of the radiating light inscription had ended up drawing a gaze from something dangerous. How his usage of fire had ended up with giant komodos trying to take a bite out of him.

    If that was really the reason why the beast appeared. I¡¯m not going to take a Thanatos soldier at her word.

    Terry stood up and straightened his back. He stopped the radiating light inscription.

    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through,¡± said Terry. ¡°There is no need to concern yourself with me.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± The dwarven woman grinned as if dealing with a child. ¡°Saying something like that only makes you more suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s true,¡± retorted Terry. He was already beginning to miss the spineless imperial censors from Tiv. ¡°I just want to get to Arcana.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s wearing the crest of Arcana Academy,¡± interjected a new voice ¨C male and hidden in the shadows above.

    Terry was becoming increasingly gloomy. It wasn¡¯t the fact that there was yet another person facing him in the shadows. It was the fact that he could sense two new mana signatures and none of them was in the direction from where he had heard the voice.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The dwarven woman was still wearing her grin. ¡°You say that you want to go to Arcana, but are we to believe that you just got lost along the way? That¡¯s quite the detour you are taking.¡±

    ¡°Not my choice,¡± said Terry. ¡°Unfortunate circumstances.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Must be quite the circumstances.¡± The dwarven woman snorted.

    ¡°Involves dimensional transfers,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°Not my choice.¡±

    ¡°Is he seriously giving excuses from children¡¯s stories?¡± A younger human woman in Thanatos uniform stepped into view. She was the owner of the first voice that had spoken to Terry. ¡°The thief that swore he got transported into the warehouse by a dimensional mage?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that story,¡± retorted Terry with annoyance. ¡°But that alleged thief has my sympathies.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop the chitchat, are you going to surrender yourself into our custody?¡± asked the dwarven woman.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± replied Terry flatly. He was feeling irritated. Why can¡¯t anything ever be easy? ¡°I want to get back to my home. I have no business in Thanatos.¡±

    ¡°On the last point, we agree,¡± said the dwarven woman. ¡°However, as in your story from before, you don¡¯t have a choice, do you? I can tell that you haven¡¯t mastered the shadow step. Probably relying on that fancy brooch creating shadow fabric. Pretty and good for keeping you dry from rain, but in the end, that''s just a noble¡¯s toy. Let me guess, you can¡¯t even lift your feet?¡±

    Terry forced himself not to react.

    ¡°You are not very good at hiding your thoughts, are you?¡± The dwarven woman chuckled. ¡°Even if you were, only an imbecile would dodge shadow tendrils like you did¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°Unless they didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Terry replied noncommittally. He briefly glanced at the crimson uniforms on the other side of the shadows. Six humans, five dwarves, three elves, two canans. Together with the group, that was with Terry in the shadow plane, this meant around two dozen opponents. Terry was surprised to find a part of his mind shrugging indifferently.

    Could be worse. Could be thousands of undead. Or a whole wasted swarm of hellspawn.

    Terry had to remind himself that these were folks ¨C intelligent and capable of structured magic. Two dozen low-level skeletal warriors or hellions were very different from two dozen lichs or champion spellweavers.

    Not like I have much of a choice¡­

    ¡°Any chance you could just pretend you never saw me?¡± asked Terry tiredly. ¡°I really have no interest in fighting you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re different: We don¡¯t mind fighting you,¡± sneered the young human woman. ¡°Why would we?¡±

    The older dwarven woman rolled her eyes at the uninvited commentary and then looked back at Terry. ¡°No can do, bucko. We are going to apprehend you. You can choose the easy way or the hard way. That¡¯s the only choice you¡¯ll get.¡±

    Well then¡­ Don¡¯t mind me choosing. Blinding light radiated from Terry¡¯s gloves and Terry unleashed his prepared spherical disruption discharge.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± The Thanatos soldiers were taken aback by the unusual discharge that had no warning body movement beforehand and eviscerated their prepared spell structures.

    Terry circulated mana into his many storage items and a moment later, light aspected items flew everywhere. Some transfixed in the air. Others slid along the window-like ground.

    Thanks for the intel on the shadow plane! See ya! Terry dropped a fire-aspected arrow into an open barrel of concentrated alcohol and then lifted his foot just when a wind blade arrived for him.

    Terry appeared in the middle of the soldiers in the normal plane. Terry¡¯s mana moved at a breath-taking speed and some of the soldiers didn¡¯t even manage to blink before Terry was done with his hands-free parallel casting and dashed away in a burst technique emphasizing agility.

    One of the canan soldiers attempted to move on all fours for the pursuit but discovered that her belt buckle didn¡¯t move an inch. Another soldier wanted to draw his bow but failed to open the quiver. Similar scenes played out with every soldier that Terry had passed by.

    ¡°The Wastes is this?¡± growled an older human. He disrupted the Immovable Object spell on his chest armor and then unleashed a disruption discharge to liberate the other soldiers. To the man¡¯s surprise and immense chagrin, Terry¡¯s highly-condensed spell structures were too hard to hit and very stable. The man''s face flushed from anger and embarrassment when he had to follow up with a second and third disruption discharge.

    A few soldiers immediately soared into the sky and flew after Terry. Several of the soldiers cast buff spells that included Haste and then they all moved in pursuit of Terry ¨C spreading over a wider area to surround him.

    Mages were rushing through the air, underneath the earth, and blinking from spot to spot. The Haste-supported canans ran on all fours with amazing speed.

    ¡°Send a flare signal.¡± The older dwarven woman stepped out of the shadows and addressed the older human men that had used disruption discharges. ¡°And use the signaling device to also alert the outer perimeter.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± The man¡¯s face was still flushed.

    Other Thanatos soldiers stepped out of the shadows. They all displayed various signs of battle or fire damage. Most importantly, they were all wearing faces of suppressed anger and wariness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± said the dwarven woman. She turned to those that had been in the shadows with her before. ¡°Leave the pursuit in the shadows to me. It¡¯s too riled up there now.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry was confronted with the reality of facing intelligent mages instead of mindless beasts. He could sense the soldiers closing in around him. As fast as Terry could run¡­

    Running again!

    ¡­it was asking too much to expect to outrun mages equipped with spells like Blink or Lightning Acceleration.

    Over time, perhaps, Terry could have a chance ¨C assuming that his advantage in mana regeneration was not offset by his disadvantage in mana efficiency due to his lack of appropriate spellwork ¨C but for now, Terry had to accept that his opponents would not be shaken off easily.

    A wall of rock rose up in Terry¡¯s path. Without breaking his stride, Terry switched to the divine hammer inscription and jumped into the air.

    While some of the Thanatos soldiers were still wondering about the spell that created these layers of mana that intersected the metal and light aspects, Terry was jumping higher and higher.

    Lightning bolts and fire spears followed Terry into the air. Terry dodged nimbly and appreciated the newfound movement flexibility in the sky.

    From far behind, a dwarven soldier rushed after Terry through the sky. His eyes were glowing with lightning. Terry continued running and moved mana into his storage bracelet. He had recognized the spell structure for a Paralyzing Tackle spell from the lightning aspect and had no intention of making contact with the shocking dwarf. Terry retrieved a shield and right before he was about to collide with the dwarven soldier, Terry let go of the shield and transfixed it in the air.

    Terry cringed at the noise the dwarf made when he smashed into the immovable object, but Terry forced himself to not look back. In his mana sense, Terry could detect that another soldier had caught the dwarf and was casting healing spells.

    ¡°Just piss off,¡± grumbled Terry and accelerated further. Contrary to his wishes, more and more soldiers met him in the sky and countless spells were rushing towards him.

    Terry transfixed ice spikes, crossbow bolts, and arrows in the air without breaking stride. He only dodged those from the front. He evaded lightning bolts or tanked them while circulating his resistance technique. He did not even move an inch for weaker fire spells and instead relied on his armor and resistance.

    The Thanatos soldiers became increasingly frustrated and taken aback.

    Terry, on his part, became annoyed too. Annoyed that these soldiers did not leave him alone and even more annoyed that they kept circling him at a distance. Terry was already missing the narrow quarters inside the dungeon. Now he was back to struggling with ranged spells and weapons.

    A flurry of wind blades was charging towards Terry from behind. Terry casually summoned a tertium slab from one of his storage anklets and transfixed it behind himself to block the attack.

    More wind blades appeared ¨C this time from all sides. Terry frowned. He aimed his bidirectional attraction on the tertium slab he had previously transfixed and caught the rest of his momentum with his feet against his immovable boots. He unleashed a spherical disruption discharge and transfixed the various scales and protective plates in his armor.

    Before the second wave of wind blades could arrive, Terry was already on the move again. Only this time, Terry was dashing directly towards some of the Thanatos soldiers.

    An elven woman aimed her bow and fired three shots in quick succession. Terry transfixed the arrows as soon as they entered his casting range, which allowed him to nimbly jump around the unmoving obstacles.

    The soldier rapidly dual-casted two spells. A spherical barrier appeared around her and a blast of fire was rushing towards Terry.

    Terry pulled back both of his arms and then violently punched out an intense dual-discharge that dispersed the fire-aspected mana in his path. The elven soldier smiled with relief and satisfaction that her barrier had stood fast but then she realized that Terry had not slowed down in the least. Instead, Terry was throwing out a breath-taking succession of discharges until finally, the elven woman heard her barrier shatter together with her confidence.

    One of the Thanatos soldiers further back lowered his crossbow with mouth agape. It wasn¡¯t the quick succession of intense discharges that caused the dwarf to stare. It was the river-like mana going in circles around the Arcanian. Every discharge flowed back to Terry, which resulted in a mesmerizing scene in the dwarf''s mana sight, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

    Terry arrived in front of the elven soldier. To the elf¡¯s credit, she rapidly switched to close combat and her rapier danced through the air while she prepared another spell. Unfortunately for the soldier, her rapier suddenly became immovable together with pieces of her armor. She was unable to dodge the palm that struck her abdomen with disruptive mana. Her casting was cut short and she felt the pang of spell failure. The next thing she felt was a knee to her chin.

    Terry created more sheets of divine mana and jumped over the elven archer before continuing to dash into the direction with the smallest number of Thanatos soldiers.

    Lightning cracked and an elven man with a blade formed entirely from lightning cut off Terry¡¯s path.

    Terry did not waver and pushed forward.

    The elf was expecting an upfront collision when he suddenly felt himself pulled forward. Terry once again caught his momentum against his immovable boots. He had just finished placing the needles of his skewer box and now he abruptly changed direction and pulled the elf on top of the needles.

    The unaware soldier was injured but healing spells arrived before the needles had even fully left the man¡¯s body again.

    Terry moved mana into his skewer box and his bidirectional attraction gloves. He gathered his small needles and pulled on one of the soldiers whose flight ability seemed less stable than that of the others. He dashed forward and pulled the soldier into the path of several incoming spell projectiles.

    Terry sensed metal-aspected mana condense in various locations. Shortly afterwards, Metal Hammer spells were smashing down towards him. Terry burst his mana and dodged one. He punched out a layered disruption discharge towards the second and it broke. A third and fourth one were already behind.

    Terry found himself in a match of disruption discharges against descending Metal Hammer spells. He knew that this was an imbalanced match. Terry¡¯s mana regeneration against that of many. Terry¡¯s raw discharge of mana against the mana efficiency of proper spellwork. He knew that this could not go on, but the soldiers did not give him a breather.

    Terry dashed downwards to give himself some time. In between jumping from sheets of divine mana, Terry added disruption discharges expelled from his feet, which caused more Thanatos soldiers to stare with mouth agape.

    Terry¡¯s discharges were fast and intense, but eventually, there was a Metal Hammer that was not immediately shattered and Terry felt himself smashed down hard. His ears were ringing. The pain accelerated Terry¡¯s thoughts and he realized that he had been stupid. The next Metal Hammer arrived, but instead of gracing it with a disruption discharge, Terry casually flicked a throwing needle and transfixed it.

    Defend against it as if it was metal not mana.

    The metal-aspected attack shattered when colliding with an immovable object. Under the cover of the shattered mana a small cylindrical object was darting towards two Thanatos soldiers that were flying close to each other. The object transfixed in the air and then a wide shot of darkwater was sprayed onto the soldiers.

    Terry was collecting the container with his bidirectional attraction gloves while bolting away. From several directions, many metal objects of all sizes were flying towards Terry and he recognized spell structures for Move Metal and Enlarge Metal.

    Terry transfixed some of the shards and weapons. He nimbly dodged others without slowing down. He ran past a huge dual-bladed axe until the sun above cast Terry¡¯s shadow on the axehead. The shadow moved and wrapped around Terry.

    The older dwarven woman stepped out of Terry¡¯s shadow and onto the axehead¡¯s surface. Her eyes were glowing from mana use.

    Terry unleashed a spherical discharge to free himself. He burst his mana and was about to dash away again.

    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re smarter than that,¡± exclaimed the dwarven woman. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your mana sense should reach far enough to understand the kind of situation you are in.¡±

    Terry scowled. He knew indeed. He counted nearly a hundred stronger mana signatures encircling him, both in the sky and below. Terry¡¯s eyes darted from side to side. ¡°You could still let me go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still a no,¡± said the dwarven woman calmly. She let her eyes move across the number of injured soldiers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just kill the freak,¡± growled the younger human woman whom Terry had also met before in the shadows.

    Terry had to suppress a derisive snicker when he saw that the woman¡¯s hair and eyebrows had been burned on one side. Terry forced himself to keep his focus and scan the movements around him for an opening. Terry knew he was in deep shit, but he had not given up yet. ¡°Don¡¯t sing it, bring it!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The human woman flushed with anger.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± The older dwarven woman broke out in laughter. ¡°With that attitude, you could make for a fine Thanatos citizen.¡± She moved her appraising gaze away from Terry and to the human woman. ¡°Why would I kill him? I want to thank him. I believe he has taught some here a valuable lesson. ¡®We don¡¯t mind fighting you,¡¯ was it? Don¡¯t bark if you can¡¯t stand the bite! The best fight is one you can avoid.

    ¡°Sometimes even a puppy can show teeth.¡± The dwarven woman grinned at Terry. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me something new today, puppy. Interesting teeth indeed. Unusual, to say the least. Is that the Arcana style of mana cultivation? And that translucent golden mana¡­ That rings a bell, but I can¡¯t quite recall what¡ª You know what, nevermind. It doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this while we are still on polite terms, shall we?¡± The eyes of the dwarven woman became stern. ¡°You could have killed some of these soldiers before but you didn¡¯t.¡± Her eyes glanced fleetingly towards the elven archer. ¡°I appreciate that.¡± She smiled amicably at Terry. ¡°How about we all lick our wounds, have a pleasant stroll, and get you to someone that can take charge of you. You can tell them your story. Surrender and we won¡¯t harm you.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind was in turmoil. He realized that he had subconsciously held back. He had no real reason to kill these soldiers. True, Terry had unpleasant experiences with Thanatos soldiers before, but that did not mean he was out to kill others wearing the same uniform on sight. Nevertheless, Terry did not like the idea of surrendering and yielding to an uncertain fate. He wanted to get back to Arcana and¡ª

    ¡®For purely practical considerations and not due to any high-minded ideals¡­¡¯ The words that the Captain had once spoken to Terry about the military custom of accepting surrender played back in Terry¡¯s mind. He remembered how Megumi had warned that the custom was hinging on the condition that the person yielded early enough ¨C before they had inflicted all the damage they could and invited irreconcilable grudges.

    Terry took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Fine, I surrender.¡±

    Please don¡¯t let this be a mistake¡­

    ***

 127 Helpful Guest

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 38 ¨C

    Well done, Terry.

    Terry was scowling and sitting cross-legged in a small cell. He was wearing a plain shirt and loose pants. They did not even leave him his boots.

    Giant wyvern? Sure, why not? Give me a couple of months. But a group of opponents my own size? Damn it. Why didn¡¯t I think of mages approaching from the shadows? I knew that was a risk. Why didn¡¯t I cloak myself the moment I left the fog? Why didn¡¯t I¡ª

    ¡°Stop it,¡± hissed Terry. ¡°No point.¡± He shook his head. ¡°At least I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    For now. Terry¡¯s thoughts pointed out. Who knows for how long? Perhaps you would have had a better chance to fight until the end?

    ¡°Remember the Captain¡¯s comments on accepting surrender?¡± Terry murmured and thought back to the Thanatos ambush after they had left Syn City and passed through the Bulwark. ¡°If I had insisted on inflicting all damage I could, then they might not have taken me alive. They¡¯re soldiers, not idealists. They have tempers. They¡¯re acting in their own interests.¡±

    One good thing out of this is that they should have brought me further north-east, which should have brought me closer to Arcana¡­

    Terry lifted his hands to his eyes and examined the restraints. The handcuffs they had put on him heavily restricted his mana. Terry remembered the time that Sigille had clicked similar handcuffs around the wrists of Ava after they had finally caught the rampaging dimensional mage in the battle over Syn City.

    On the upside, they don¡¯t seem to be aware that I can still manage to move my mana, albeit at a snail¡¯s pace and only a trickle.

    Terry clicked his tongue. He believed that this remaining trickle had something to do with his level of mana control.

    Big help this is going to be, thought Terry sarcastically. They took my equipment. I can¡¯t even burst with the cuffs. Even if I can cast my Immovable Object spell, what use is it? Should I restrain myself further?

    Crap.

    ¡°Focus.¡± Terry reminded himself. Do what I can before figuring out how to do more. What can I do?

    Terry paused in thought until an idea entered his head. He lowered his hands into his lap. Then he used the trickle of mana available to him to create a thin cloud of mana. He closed his eyes and guided the cloud of mana along the handcuffs and into their lock.

    For hours, Terry just sat there while focusing on his mana. In addition to examining the lock, Terry was extracting all mana he could access and dispersed it around him at a concentration that people with less developed mana senses would not notice.

    Eventually, a small part of the cell door slid to the side and eyes were peeking into the cell. ¡°Clear.¡± A gruff voice echoed.

    ¡°Open it,¡± said another voice.

    Terry opened his eyes and saw two soldiers in crimson robes next to the guard whom he had seen before.

    ¡°What are you going to do with him?¡± asked the guard with the gruff voice from earlier.

    ¡°A member of the Bloody Hall has appealed to get the Arcanian moved to the Proving Grounds,¡± explained the soldier.

    ¡°This one in the Proving?¡± scoffed the guard. ¡°He still smells like his mother¡¯s milk. What kind of show will that be?¡±

    ¡°Not my business,¡± replied the soldier indifferently. ¡°Maybe they need some new fodder.¡±

    ¡°Did I miss something and we¡¯re running out of convicts?¡± quipped the second soldier.

    ¡°Hall business. Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care.¡±

    One of the soldiers approached Terry and unlocked the chain that secured Terry¡¯s foot restraints on the floor.

    Terry took all of this passively. Only his eyes were darting inquisitively all over the place ¨C noting possible spell targets and mana signatures that could belong to useful magic items.

    ¡°Quiet one, isn¡¯t he?¡± joked the second soldier.

    ¡°Not really,¡± exclaimed the guard. ¡°I could hear him mumbling incessantly until a few hours ago.¡±

    ¡°Anything we should know?¡± asked the first soldier.

    ¡°If there was, I didn¡¯t hear it,¡± replied the guard with a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°Too quiet to understand anything. Might just have been gibberish or calls for his mommy.¡±

    Terry suppressed the desire to strangle the guard with the chain between his handcuffs. Even though Terry wasn¡¯t the sensitive type and didn¡¯t give a hoot about what a Thanatos guard might think of him, these infantile insults referencing his mother kept reminding Terry of the uncertain fate of his accepted parents, of the fact that Terry was once again trapped and blocked on his path back to Arcana.

    The soldiers lifted Terry up. From his standing position, Terry could spot more soldiers waiting outside.

    ¡°I like him,¡± quipped one of the soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s better if they accept their fate. Makes our jobs easier.¡±

    ¡°Better for him too,¡± added another soldier. ¡°He should save some energy for what¡¯s coming.¡±

    Amused snorts echoed from the other soldiers.

    ¡°Who made the appeal?¡±

    ¡°No idea. What¡¯s it got to do with us? We just need to get him to his new lodgings.¡±

    ¡°You should feel happy.¡± One of the soldiers caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°At least you¡¯ll be getting a bigger cell. If you prove worthy, you might even get something out of the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯ll just be our citizens getting a show.¡± More snorts and laughter.

    Terry held back his questions and instead focused on taking in the surroundings while they dragged him along. He memorized the number of steps, every fork, every corner, everything that might be useful later.

    ***

    Not what I expected¡­

    ¡°Bigger cell, huh?¡± Terry looked around. The cell was certainly bigger, almost like a small training area at the Guardians. Aside from the change in size, the most significant change was that Terry¡¯s new cell was created from transparent material. An inner room that was completely transparent and contained inside a larger normal room.

    If they were going for creepy voyeur vibes, then they definitely succeeded.

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He would like to test the hardness and durability of the transparent walls and ceiling, but one thing that had not changed is that the soldiers had chained Terry to the floor.

    With nothing else to do, Terry went back to his previous routine of examining the lock in the handcuffs, training his mana regeneration, and preparing a stock of mana spread over the cell. Of course, the mana was inevitably decaying but what else was Terry supposed to do with his generated mana in this situation?

    After waiting for another hour, Terry heard the door to the outer cell opening. Ever since Terry had been brought into this transparent cage, his mana sight did not reach beyond its confines. Otherwise, Terry might have taken note of the dual-aspected mana signature that entered the outer cell ¨C earth and metal.

    The man in a crimson suit walked up to a table on which Terry¡¯s possessions had been placed. He looked at a list enumerating the items in the dimensional storage devices and then picked up one of Terry¡¯s storage bracelets.

    By now, Terry had opened his eyes, but he only saw the man¡¯s back. Otherwise, Terry might have already recognized him.

    The man retrieved a one-handed war hammer from the storage bracelet. ¡°I take it you don¡¯t mind me taking back what''s mine, Arcana.¡± He turned the chair next to the table so that it would face Terry and then sat down.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Finally, Terry recognized the person talking to him. He had met this person before in the Bulwark. Back then, this man had been a squad leader in the Thanatos army. Terry''s war hammer that changed size had originally belonged to this man.

    ¡°Damian¡­¡± Terry muttered with creased brows.

    ¡°Present.¡± Damian smiled. ¡°And I¡¯ve learned of your name since our last meeting. Your name has appeared in a few interesting reports, Terry. Also on some sizable bounties.¡±

    Terry tensed.

    ¡°But relax, that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here,¡± said Damian. ¡°Sure, there are some that would throw you to the cults or ¨C more likely ¨C use you to lure them out, but I have something else in mind.¡±

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Terry tried to recall if the Thanatos soldier in his memory had also talked this coyly.

    ¡°Do you know your crimes?¡± asked Damian with a grin. He was obviously enjoying this.

    Trick question? Terry frowned. ¡°What crimes?¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡± Damian chuckled lightly. ¡°There is the official report of the last incident that has you hanging around a restricted area within Thanatos territory. Some might call it the act of a spy.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± interrupted Damian. ¡°Nor do the people that would press the charge, to be honest.¡± Damian shrugged. ¡°Whatever story you have to explain yourself, it doesn¡¯t matter. There are three things that do matter: First, you¡¯re an unrecognized outsider. Second, you have recorded offenses against Thanatos. Third, you can be of use.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point,¡± sighed Terry. He believed that Damian¡¯s mannerisms had changed since the last time they had met. Terry could not help but note that the man was now wearing a suit instead of a military uniform. The significance of this change in attire, however, eluded Terry for the moment.

    ¡°Do you remember encountering a woman from Thanatos at the Bulwark?¡± asked Damian. ¡°Her name is Beatrice. Dabbles in construct crafting. A preference for the nature aspect. A death whisperer. A general interest in unorthodox magic research. Quite the schemer going by her reputation.¡±

    Terry¡¯s brows lifted up but he did not speak.

    Damian continued undisturbed. ¡°A woman with a lot of influence, both thanks to her connections and her valued abilities as a death whisperer. After all, it would be a shame to waste the Wastes'' perfectly good undead that can be used to fight for us. From what I heard, you have given Beatrice quite the nasty soul scar.¡± Damian snorted with amusement. ¡°The main point is that she has declared the blood debt of the Castellan woman to include you as well. She already hated everyone among the Captain¡¯s group for killing her sister, and then you added insult to injury.¡±

    Damian leaned closer and spoke with a solemn voice: ¡°You owe a blood debt. There are others that consider you a debtor as well. Do you know what this means for you being here?¡±

    Terry frowned. He was digesting the fact that the Thanatos soldier, who had ambushed Lizzy with spirit poison and tried to pressure the Captain into suicide at the Bulwark evidently held a grudge for his role in spoiling her plans.

    ¡®Congratulations, you made her angry.¡¯ Terry¡¯s past thoughts echoed in his mind. ¡®What is she going to do?¡¯

    Me and my stupid mouth.

    I hope the soul wound hurt. Damned pest beetle.

    Terry clenched his fists.

    This isn¡¯t how I imagined my death. How freaking pointless. Her sister was the one joining an ambush on us. How is this Lizzy¡¯s fault?

    Beatrice sent a damned horde on us. How is this my fault? We were just defending ourselves.

    Yes, the poison-aspected blast with the mana sublimator was a bit petty, but come on! Does this damned pest expect us to just lie down and die?

    Blood debts? No room for nuance in why the blood was spilled to begin with or who started it?

    This is bullshit.

    ¡°No need to be all gloomy,¡± quipped Damian teasingly. ¡°True, as an unrecognized outsider with an acknowledged blood debt, Beatrice could simply blow your head off in the streets and no one would bat an eye. True, Beatrice could have your food poisoned or send every one of her servants to gang up on you ¨C no one would think it dishonorable.¡±

    Did he just come here to make fun of me? Terry¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°Is there a point to this conversation?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± replied Damian lightly. ¡°Fortunately for you, I heard about your appearance first and I have arranged for you to be registered in the Proving Grounds.¡± Damian observed Terry¡¯s reaction. ¡°You don¡¯t know what that means, do you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry flatly.

    ¡°The Proving Grounds are your chance to become recognized,¡± explained Damian. ¡°It is difficult, but it¡¯s possible. Most recently, a guest from Tiv has succeeded in being recognized by Thanatos. I believe you even know him. He¡¯s called Palmer. I saw a few of his matches and I have to admit I¡¯m glad that I never had to face this man during my deployment in Tiv.¡±

    Terry was not surprised to hear that the Demonpalm had gained recognition in Thanatos. He still wondered what Damian wanted. ¡°Why? What is the point of being recognized and why do you care?¡±

    ¡°Using dirty means against an unrecognized outsider is fair game.¡± Damian moved his fingers over the one-handed war hammer while talking. ¡°However, a recognized outsider is owed an honorable match. All blood debts are settled when gaining recognition and if any challenger disagrees, they have to follow the rules of combat.¡±

    Damian caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°If you succeed, you have a chance to walk freely in Thanatos¡­¡± He grinned. ¡°Or out of it.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Although the moment you leave Thanatos¡¯ borders, the rules of combat don¡¯t mean much anymore. Beatrice or whoever else has a grudge against you can pursue you to their hearts¡¯ desire unless you are on Thanatos business.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. He finally understood the bait in front of him and it was tempting, but since he still did not get Damian¡¯s angle, Terry remained wary.

    ¡°As for me? You are just lucky,¡± said Damian. ¡°Beatrice is scheming indeed and at the moment, anything that distracts her or spoils her mood is to my benefit.¡± Damian placed the war hammer on the table and straightened his crimson suit. ¡°After my last deployment, the sortition picked me as a member for the Lucky Wing in the Bloody Hall.¡±

    Damian looked at Terry and spoke earnestly. ¡°I cherish the opportunity to effect change for the better in my home. I intend to stay in the Hall. That means entering the Popular Wing before my membership in the Lucky Wing is over. Beatrice is an influential member of a faction that is standing in my way. Anything that makes them look bad, makes me look better in comparison. That is what I see in you. A chance to gain an edge over a political competitor. A chance to win my seat in the Popular WIng.¡±

    Terry felt a headache coming. Politics again? Ugh¡­

    ¡°Let me be candid, I don¡¯t care much for you,¡± said Damian. ¡°You are a means to an end. I¡¯m certainly not an altruist. We have a common interest, that is all.¡±

    ¡°What if I decline?¡± asked Terry.

    Damian stood up from his chair and picked up the war hammer. ¡°By all means, you can try. However, while I¡¯m still new to politics, I know how to force the hand of an opponent.¡± Damian channeled mana into an inscription panel on the wall.

    Terry was expecting some kind of tormenting magic to make him toe the line. Contrary to his expectations, Terry felt his restraints loosen.

    *Clang* *Clang* Terry''s handcuffs and fetters fell to the ground. Terry¡¯s limbs were now free.

    ¡°The Proving Grounds are a place of battle,¡± said Damian solemnly. ¡°It is the choice of the contestants if they kill or not. Right now, you have no status beyond that of an accused outsider and debtor of blood. You will enter the battle arena. What you do there is up to you. If you want to embarrass yourself and prefer to die an embarrassment, then that is your prerogative.¡± Damian sent one last glance back. ¡°If you have nothing better to do than to get yourself killed, then go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry frowned. He did not like being forced into what sounded like a coliseum. He recalled a part of the Path of a Mage when the Veilbinder had been abducted in another realm and forced to fight in an arena as well.

    When I wanted to be like the Veilbinder this wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. Terry inwardly grumbled and complained. At least the Veilbinder was able to make them regret it.

    ¡°Can you get information for me?¡± Terry asked Damian.

    ¡°Depends,¡± replied Damian. ¡°We have no relationship beyond our common interests. If you take the Proving Grounds seriously, it is in my interest to help you. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want to inquire about something back home,¡± said Terry. ¡°And I would like my equipment back.¡±

    ¡°Yes to the former, but no to the latter.¡± Damian slightly tilted his head. ¡°The first proving rounds are without equipment. Don¡¯t waste your time practicing routines that you can¡¯t rely on when it comes down to it.¡±

    Terry had already been prepared for the rejection of his request. ¡°There is some training equipment I could use regardless. The necklace and¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can explain that to my assistant later,¡± interrupted Damian. ¡°I will check the list and decide then.¡± Damian glanced at his watch. ¡°So what do you want to know about Arcana? The situation with the barrier?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry.

    Damian raised an eyebrow but did not speak up.

    ¡°I want to know about a pair of Guardians from Arcana City: Bjorln and Isille,¡± continued Terry. ¡°I want to know their current situation.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Damian smiled and shrugged. ¡°Information gathering in Arcana has become a lot easier since the barrier is gone. This should not be too difficult and if it helps you concentrate on your battles, then fine with me.¡± He turned and left while playfully resting the one-handed war hammer on his shoulder ¨C an odd contrast with his well-tailored suit.

    ***

    Terry was breathing quivering breaths and listening attentively.

    ¡°...succeeded in brewing a life-sharing potion.¡± Damian read from a sheet of paper. ¡°That potion takes a toll and they are still in recovery, but they¡¯re both alive. Not in fighting condition, but alive.¡± Damian moved his eyes from the compiled report to Terry. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t specify the kind of interest you have in that pair of Guardians, this is all rather generic intel. Easy to acquire.¡±

    Terry swallowed even though his mouth was dry. ¡°How¡­ How do I know you¡¯re not lying?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Damian answered indifferently. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not your friend.¡± He walked up to the transparent inner cage. ¡°Move to the back.¡±

    Terry knew that it was pointless to quarrel here and he did as he had been ordered.

    Damian unlocked and moved a sliding part in the cage for passing items through. He flicked a card-like item through the gap before closing it again.

    Terry realized that this was his Guardian card and he picked it up. He sunk his consciousness into the card and his stomach dropped. All of his recorded links had been erased.

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not your friend.¡± Damian spoke with pointed emphasis. ¡°We can be partners, but I don¡¯t trust you. I need you to draw attention from Beatrice and those with her. I need you to take the Proving Grounds seriously. If you perform well, I can help you later, but remember that this is business, not charity.¡±

    Terry swallowed down his anger and took deep breaths.

    ¡°This time, it falls on you to act as a helpful guest.¡± Damian spoke with barely hidden amusement. ¡°Welcome to the Thanatos Empire.¡±

    ***

 128 Rules of the Proving Grounds

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 50 ¨C

    Terry sat cross-legged and with closed eyes in his crystal cell. Like in his previous cell, Terry had picked up the habit of dumping his own mana and surrounding himself with it.

    Terry had to admit that he was not completely sure why he was still doing this.

    Before the Thanatos soldiers had moved Terry into the coliseum barracks, Terry had still been forced to wear mana-restraining handcuffs. Back then, the dumping of mana was a means to store mana for later use, but now?

    Now, Terry did not have to wear the handcuffs ¨C at least not while in his cell. He had been taken to another room once for an examination. They had forced him to wear the restraints before they allowed him out of his cell.

    Terry told himself that without his equipment, his training options were rather limited. Dumping his mana helped to train his mana regeneration. Emptying his pool or forcefully absorbing mana with a full mana pool helped him increase his mana pool size ¨C internal pull and external push. Terry also reasoned that his continued reabsorption and distanced renaturalization of mana should serve as good training for his mana control and his ability to recycle mana.

    But that wasn¡¯t all, only Terry couldn¡¯t explain it yet, not even to himself. Something about the exercise was making his mind itch. Like there was something he was beginning to see but couldn¡¯t make out. Something important. He could feel it. As such, Terry persevered in an exercise whose benefits he did not fully understand.

    *Click* Terry heard the door to the outer cell open. He frowned because the transparent crystal walls of his inner cell blocked him from sensing mana outside.

    Terry opened his eyes and saw Damian arrive in a crimson suit.

    ¡°I went over that list of yours,¡± said Damian. His face appeared more serious than the last time he had visited. ¡°But first, I have a question about your storage devices.¡± Damian held out one of Terry¡¯s storage bracelets.¡± There are items in some of them that we cannot retrieve.¡± He searched Terry¡¯s expression. ¡°This is very unusual.¡±

    Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression. He waited for Damian to continue talking. Even though Terry knew himself to be bad at applying some of the advice he had received over the years, he still remembered to keep his mouth shut when necessary. He would not be one of the people that cracked under a long pause without conversation.

    ¡°Which means, you definitely won¡¯t get them back.¡± Damian shrugged without much concern. ¡°Unless you can explain that to me.¡± Damian placed the storage bracelet back on the table.

    Damian ordered: ¡°Stay in your position.¡± He walked up to the inner cell and opened the little sliding compartment to push an item into the inner cell. ¡°Since the necklace was at the top of your list of items, I had it examined first. To be honest, I could have acquired another device that would absorb mana while you are sleeping, but this is a sign of good faith. I hope you are the type to reciprocate.¡±

    Terry looked unimpressed. It was hard to cultivate good sentiments in return for the necklace. It was his to begin with and Terry did not forget that he was still in a cage. Not to mention that Terry reflexively attempted to move mana to his wrists in order to pull the necklace to him, which obviously did not work because they had also taken his inscribed gloves from Terry.

    ¡°Remember that you are not allowed to wear it in battle,¡± said Damian. ¡°You will have your first battle in a few days. Reciprocate by performing well.¡±

    Terry glowered at Damian. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°Survive if you can,¡± said Damian. ¡°Kill if you want. Lose if you must. Don¡¯t die. As long as you are alive, you have a chance to be of use in the Proving Grounds.¡±

    ¡°Is that all? And then?¡± Terry asked flippantly.

    Damian raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are taking this way too lightly, Terry. Let us ignore the fact that the only reason you are still alive is that I have registered you as a contestant. The Proving Grounds are at the core of Thanatos life. The Proving Grounds are sacred in our lands. The fights are serious.¡±

    ¡°That much thirst for blood sports in Thanatos?¡± asked Terry annoyedly. He had found his spars in Arcana and the combat practice matches in Tiv a useful learning experience, but the fact that the Thanatos Proving Grounds allowed intentional killing made him look down on the whole tradition.

    ¡°Hah,¡± exclaimed Damian. ¡°Outsiders will be outsiders.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Admittedly, carnal entertainment plays a part, but the Proving Grounds are much more than that. They are part of our justice system. Above all, they are the paramount centerpiece of our educational system.¡±

    ¡°Some education,¡± scoffed Terry. ¡°Kill or be killed? Is that the lesson? That could be taught without an audience.¡±

    ¡°Outsiders¡­¡± Damian shook his head again. ¡°You have arrived too late. If you had grown up in Thanatos, you would have visited the arena from the moment you could walk. You would have learned more about the nature of intelligent life than any school could ever teach you. Lessons much broader than battle. You will see.¡±

    Damian stepped back from the inner cell and turned to leave. ¡°Just don¡¯t embarrass yourself too much until then.¡±

    ¡°You said that I could leave if I became a recognized outsider, but how?¡± Terry spoke up.

    Damian looked back at Terry. ¡°Keep winning. The condition is a continuous winning streak. Each defeated opponent counts as a win. A kill doesn¡¯t count extra.¡±

    ¡°What if I refuse to fight?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Outsiders.¡± Damian chuckled. ¡°You will receive a copy of the Proving Grounds¡¯ rulebook. The rules that are of relevance to your question are simple: You don¡¯t have to fight. Neither does your opponent. If you both decide not to fight, then it¡¯s an alliance. Building alliances is a recognized skill too. Leading an alliance is a win. Joining an alliance counts as neutral. Not a win but also not a loss, streaks continue. You will enter the next battle together against another group or individual.¡±

    Wrinkles appeared on Terry¡¯s forehead. These rules did not appear that simple to Terry. There was something about them. Some complexity hidden in their simplicity.

    ¡°It is possible to continue with alliance streaks, but don¡¯t kid yourself.¡± Damian snickered at Terry¡¯s shifting facial expressions. ¡°You will see.¡± He turned to leave and glanced over Terry¡¯s equipment on the table. ¡±We will keep your equipment until you need it.¡±

    Terry stood up and picked up the necklace he had received as a dungeon reward.

    ¡®Remember that you are not allowed to wear it in battle¡¯?

    Are they afraid I would use it to strangle someone?

    Ridiculous.

    Terry placed the necklace on his neck and felt mana being sucked out of him. This much was expected, but Terry had to do a double-take at the amount being absorbed.

    What is¡­

    Terry suddenly became aware of how much mana he had already dumped into the crystalline cage. The mana had slipped under Terry¡¯s awareness threshold because he had become accustomed to it, like a fish to the water it was swimming in. Now, however, Terry realized that the increased ambient mana concentration affected the necklace¡¯s effect. The necklace was absorbing mana to then emit mana matching the ambient mana. The ambient mana density was higher, which required more mana to replicate.

    Terry¡¯s lips rose into a grin. This opened up new opportunities to make his mana regeneration training more efficient ¨C even while Terry was sleeping.

    Okay, I admit it was nice that Damian returned the necklace instead of some other device that might not have a similar interplay. Nice for me. Doesn¡¯t mean I owe him anything.

    Terry was still feeling unreconciled with the fact that he had jumped from one cage to another. From a dungeon to the Elusive Fog of Frost, then from the fog to a series of cells in Thanatos.

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    Terry felt self-satisfaction at the idea of Damian and his colleagues failing to retrieve the oscillating containers Terry had prepared in his storage items. Even Wallace from the dungeon scavengers had been unable to retrieve oscillating items from a dimensional storage. Terry¡¯s notebooks, at least, would be safe from Thanatos inquiry.

    Also some spare money¡­ Which, come to think of it, has once again become entirely useless. What am I supposed to do with Tiv¡¯s vals in Thanatos? Why do I always end up broke?

    ¡°Not like there is a shop around here anyway,¡± interjected Terry in a mumble.

    Terry paused and wondered if the necklace interplay was the reason behind his subconscious obsession with the mana-dumping exercise. After several moments, Terry still felt as if this wasn¡¯t it. The itch in his mind was still there. Something was missing.

    Without Terry being aware of it, Terry¡¯s eyes moved towards the door and the sliding opening for items in the crystalline cage. Terry stared for a while in his mana sight, but still couldn¡¯t place the sensation he was experiencing.

    In the end, Terry gave up and instead examined the visible lock mechanism ¨C one obvious drawback of building the walls with transparent material.

    ***

    Terry was sitting in his cell made from transparent walls and read over the short pamphlet outlining the rules in the Proving Grounds.

    ¡°Repeat encounters possible?¡± Terry crossed his arms. In a series of matches in which killing is allowed? Are the contestants less blood-thirsty than I believed?

    Terry¡¯s eyes kept moving to the rules for alliances. A battle ended when the contestants stopped displaying an intention to fight.

    Although calling it ¡®alliance¡¯ appeared somewhat misleading. There was no rule preventing alliance members from switching allegiance during a match. A fight ending in an alliance only meant that the people would enter the next battlefield at the same time. If an alliance member lost, the alliance was over as well.

    Terry also learned why Damian had said that he should not kid himself. It was possible to win with alliance streaks, but there were at least two rules that made it unlikely. First, only a single member of the alliance could get a win count and they had to announce it unanimously. Second, there was a streak-steal rule in which contestants beginning a fight together have the ability to earn more than a single win ¨C defeating past alliance members would steal all wins they had earned in the alliance.

    Terry sighed with an uneasy feeling. He had a bad premonition that he was overlooking something in the rules. Terry pushed the thought away and then read over the equipment rules.

    The equipment rules were straightforward: You start without any equipment. You can earn the privilege of selecting a piece of equipment after you reach a sufficient winning streak. The catch was that contestants also had to sacrifice their winning streaks in order to get or exchange a piece of equipment.

    Terry clicked his tongue and acknowledged Damian¡¯s earlier statements. Practicing with his short spears would be a waste of time and a dangerous distraction until Terry had earned the right to use them in the Proving Grounds. Terry had to focus on getting through the earlier phase first.

    Still, Terry could not help but complain at the fact that he was unable to continue practicing with the divine hammer inscription. Terry thought he had been making good progress, but his inscription use was still not advanced enough to offer any offensive applications ¨C far from it.

    *Click* Terry heard the familiar sound of the door to his outer cell opening.

    ¡°Greetings, Terry.¡± Damian sat down in the chair next to the table with Terry¡¯s equipment. ¡°Make sure to think over the rules on sponsoring and challenging, because that is where I expect your blood debts to become relevant.¡± His voice was faint.

    ¡°Tired?¡± Terry found it difficult to muster much sympathy. ¡°I believe I can see where these rules are going. People like Beatrice can choose to sponsor contestants with items or personal instruction.¡±

    ¡°Most importantly with equipment,¡± said Damian. ¡°Big change in the game if you consider that many of the convicted criminals that are participating have no equipment of their own they could exchange for. A game changer that many will jump at.¡± He yawned tiredly. ¡°That is a worry for later, however.¡±

    Damian rubbed his eyes. ¡°I suspect you will first need to worry about the lobbying. Beatrice and the others that list you in their blood ledger will coordinate to vote on your opponents.¡±

    Terry had read that the Proving Grounds allowed the audience to influence the opponent selection. He nodded to agree with Damian¡¯s judgement.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much effort they will actually put into this,¡± said Damian with a shrug. ¡°But unless you have the crowd on your side, Beatrice''s faction can make your challenge more difficult, especially if they take this seriously.¡± Damian yawned tiredly once more.

    ¡°What has stolen your sleep?¡± asked Terry with a pointed lack of sympathy. ¡°Guilty conscience? Too many people locked up as battle pawns?¡±

    ¡°Hilarious,¡± retorted Damian sarcastically. ¡°And don¡¯t act as if this arrangement doesn¡¯t benefit you as well. Or would you rather be assassinated on the streets or tried as a spy?¡±

    Terry hated to admit it, so he didn¡¯t. Not out loud at least. Terry¡¯s face still showed his thoughts.

    Damian chuckled at Terry¡¯s petulant reaction and then waved a stack of paper from his storage item. ¡°No, this is what has me up at night. A bill I am promoting in the Bloody Hall that would outlaw several home security systems.¡±

    Terry tilted his head. ¡°Why would you want that?¡±

    ¡°Huaaamm¡­¡± Damian stretched while yawning. ¡°Forgive me, if I¡¯m not at my rhetorical best, but it¡¯s quite simple actually: I want to reduce crime instead of shifting crime to the poorest.¡±

    ¡°Is that supposed to make sense?¡± asked Terry with a dubious expression. ¡°How is preventing people from securing their homes going to reduce crime? Wouldn¡¯t it make crime easier and therefore more profitable and probable?¡±

    ¡°At first glance, perhaps.¡± Damian patted his stack of papers. ¡°The key is to make sure you outlaw selectively. I intend to prohibit systems that are merely crime-shifting and subsidize systems that are crime-avoiding.¡±

    Terry blinked and the fact that he wasn¡¯t following the argument was transparently written on his face.

    Damian cleared his throat and sat up straighter on his chair. ¡°Pardon the jargon. Crime-shifting means that a system only shifts the crime to another target. Imagine a visible defense system. A potential burglar is going to avoid such a house and move on to the next one. The overall crime rate will remain the same unless everyone installs similar systems, which is unlikely to happen since not everyone can afford them.

    ¡°Same problem with a loud alarm. The criminals are just going to escape and move on to the next target. Such systems are shifting crime, they don¡¯t avoid it.¡± Damian held his neck and massaged his sore muscles. ¡°Take a silent alarm, by contrast. A silent alarm informs the authorities. The law enforcers arrive and apprehend the criminal. One less criminal on the streets, ergo less crime.¡±

    Damian shook his head while looking at nothing in particular. ¡°You see the problem with law enforcement is that deterrence hinges on the likelihood of being caught. Tough punishment means little if the clearance rate doesn¡¯t measure up.

    ¡°Of course, there will always be some punks that believe themselves too lucky to get caught and I intend to prove these punks wrong.¡± Damian clenched his fist. ¡°Install silent systems that record mana signatures. Place cloaked tracking spells on the home invader. Bug-sized constructs sneaking onto the criminal. Crime-avoiding systems that, over time, shall make our empire safer.¡±

    Damian searched Terry''s expression. ¡°This might seem laughable to a brat from Arcana¡­¡± Damian rolled his eyes. ¡°...but these systems are a lot easier to get a hold off than a mage capable of scrying to support the investigation.¡±

    Damian stood up from his chair and placed the bill back into his storage item. He summoned a sack made of cloth. ¡°Stay in your position.¡± Damian walked over to the transparent cell and opened the sliding mechanism to place the sack into the cell. ¡°Inside are the balls from your list. I had them only retrieve the ones without imprints but the different materials are all there ¨C  various metals and some made of rubber. That should be enough to facilitate your training.¡±

    Terry''s brow twitched and he tilted his head with a contemplative look.

    Damian misunderstood Terry¡¯s silence as another petulant reaction. He shook his head and decided that he was too tired to deal with Terry¡¯s obstinate attitude. ¡°Remember that you will have your first battle day soon. Don¡¯t waste your life because you can¡¯t accept the situation you are in. I assume you have better things to do with your life. Otherwise, that would be a sad life indeed.¡±

    Damian closed the sliding mechanism and left Terry¡¯s cell without another word.

    Terry blinked and came back to himself. ¡°Huh? What? Oh¡­ The juggling and bouncy balls for my spell practice¡­ uhh¡­¡± Terry returned his gaze towards the sliding door mechanism that allowed others to place items inside Terry¡¯s cell.

    Terry first narrowed his eyes and then closed his eyes tightly. He took deep breaths while concentrating on his mana sense. There it was again. The itchy feeling in his mind.

    Something¡­

    Terry opened his eyes that were glowing bright from mana use. His gaze grew sharp with his mana sight. He jumped up from his seated position and rushed towards the door in the cell. For a few moments, Terry stared without blinking.

    This looks different¡­ Wait¡ª

    Terry gathered the mana around him and pressed it against the cell. His mana sight showed him that there was one location at the wall where the mana became unevenly distributed.

    Mana can slip through here if pressed enough.

    Terry bit his lip. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    But what good is knowing that? And what was that sensation?

    Subconsciously, Terry closed his eyes again and focused on his mana sense, focused on the feeling of the mana around him as opposed to the visual impressions from mana sight. On a hunch, Terry repeated his previous action: He gathered the mana around and pressed it against the cell¡¯s wall near the door mechanisms.

    This¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide. His eyes first fixated on the visible lock mechanism and then at the visible parts on the other side of the cell¡¯s wall.

    Is that possible? How?

    Terry realized that he had felt the outer side of the wall. Even though his mana sight was unable to see anything beyond the cell¡¯s walls ¨C around the point half-way through the wall.

    I felt that screw. I¡¯m sure of it.

    Terry closed his mouth that had hung open.

    Something to do with me still being in control of the mana? It has been naturalized by me. I can still feel it. I can¡¯t sense other mana, but I can still feel through my naturalized mana.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry was sorely missing access to his notebooks. ¡°I can use that¡­¡±

    ***

 129 Legends Abridged

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 52 ¨C

    Space distorted near the camp of the lizans and a tall figure appeared. Glowing blue eyes danced over the mana signatures of the lizans and then rested with shock on the giant wyvern corpse that had become frozen in ice. The lizan woman grabbed her mage staff tighter and the soft skin shining through between the dull black scales turned a shade lighter.

    A loud exchange of hissing sounds washed over the lizan encampment and soon after, the group of lizans faced their visitor with hesitant steps.

    A grey-scaled lizan woman reached out one hand in front of her and put the other hand on her mouth. Her eyes glistened. Further behind, other lizans had fallen down to both knees or began hugging each other.

    The blue-eyed lizan mage walked forward and tried to suppress her warring emotions. Something about her mission had gone off course. She glanced at the giant wyvern carcass. Her eyes returned to her fellow lizans. Luckily, it appeared that she had still made it on time. She had found them. Now she needed to help them. Help them before they would be discovered. Or else.

    When the lizan woman with the dull black scales returned her attention to the folks from the camp, her brain finally caught up with what they were telling her in the native tongue of their realm. Fear and rage flashed through her mana-filled eyes.

    One of the other lizans approached her and held out a beaded necklace of which one larger bead had been shattered.

    ¡°So close, Fate¡­  An ill omen¡­ stroke of luck¡­ or fortuitous?¡± The black-scaled lizan woman closed her blue eyes and subconsciously muttered to herself in the tongue of this human realm. "Fate." She repeated the ominous word that held deep meaning for her ever since stepping on her forbidden path. A word that had become her chosen name. ¡°Both curse and gift.¡± Fate sighed. ¡°But such a twist¡­?¡±

    Fate could not avoid thinking back to the strange dungeon she had encountered weeks ago. Her own realm had only learned of dungeons after the permanent gates to this human-native realm had opened. ¡°Unknown. Strange.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Later.¡±

    The lizan mage gripped her mage staff tightly and walked with determination. She would first finish her mission. Later, there would be time for inquiry and the payment of debts. Later.

    ***

    Terry was sitting in a cell for contestants awaiting their battle in the Proving Grounds. He was scowling at the floor.

    How did I get here again?

    This is bullshit.

    ¡°Positive thinking,¡± grumbled Terry.

    Are you relieved that soon, you¡¯ll get to punch someone to vent your frustrations? Or perhaps you will get punched. Or killed. Relief might not be the correct word.

    ¡°Positive thinking,¡± repeated Terry. ¡°At least this will be a single opponent or a few. Better chances than against several dozen mages from the Thanatos army.¡±

    No rules. Killing allowed.

    ¡°Just like when facing a soldier in combat,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°I¡¯m already lucky they did not immediately execute me.¡±

    Terry exhaled sharply. He unintentionally thought back to the Path of a Mage.

    Why did they abridge the story of the Veilbinder so much?

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a huge tome even when leaving some parts out.¡± Terry answered himself. ¡°That abduction did not have any connection to the major events. It only caused the Veilbinder to be missing for a few months.¡±

    I¡¯m sure the Veilbinder would have rejoiced at his abduction being described in such a manner. Just like you would. ¡®Terry was only missing for a few months.¡¯ No biggie. The world moved on. It¡¯s just Terry.

    Terry shrugged. His intrusive thoughts had a point. While such a situation may be of minor importance in the grand scheme of things, it sure sucked from the perspective of the individual involved.

    Terry knew about the Veilbinder¡¯s arena experience but he did not know any details. The Path of a Mage only mentioned it in passing. After the Veilbinder had gained some notoriety across different realms, he had caught the attention of a powerful magical individual that was organizing blood sports for the entertainment of influential guests.

    The Veilbinder and his companions had just edged out a victory over a ruler from the shadow plane. While the Veilbinder was still lying unconscious and before his companions could reach him, a bunch of otherrealm folks had taken the Veilbinder away. The Veilbinder had woken up in a realm native to the lamias ¨C folks with the upper body of humans and the lower body of snakes. The Veilbinder had been thrown into an arena to fight against other otherrealm warriors with considerable reputations.

    Saint Petra only noted that the lamia realm would never forget the Veilbinder again. Apparently, the Veilbinder had made a farce out of the fights. He refused to engage in the battles and only dodged and evaded. He acted as if the arena organizers were trying to fix the battles, which did not go over well with the gambling guests. In the end, the Veilbinder had somehow managed to stage a rebellion and the arena went up in flames.

    To make it worse for the involved lamias, some of the Veilbinder¡¯s companions had taken the abduction of their unconscious friend from right under their noses very personally. After the Veilbinder¡¯s return, there were a few that made sure to hunt down all related parties, which caused a huge upheaval in the realm¡¯s leadership.

    Saint Petra also recorded that one of the companions had made it a point to seek out similar blood sport arenas and eradicate them from the realms.

    Unfortunately for Terry, the battles were not described, nor were the steps that had allowed the Veilbinder to stage a rebellion and bring down the arena.

    ¡°I guess I could try the fight avoidance approach¡­¡± Terry muttered while daydreaming when he heard the door open.

    ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± barked one of the soldiers.

    While walking down the corridor that led to the battle arena, Terry¡¯s thoughts drifted away from him. Pictures of himself leading an arena rebellion like the Veilbinder had done were invading his mind.

    Terry knew it was silly.

    Still¡­

    Merely knowing something was different from truly understanding something.

    ***

    Terry stepped forward and found himself in a large arena. The floor was simply flattened earth. Terry could feel the sun-warmed earth, small pebbles and the occasional patch of grass under his bare feet.

    ¡°Holy mana¡­¡± Terry could not help but mutter with astonishment when he spotted the thousands upon thousands of eyes resting on him from the audience seats.

    ¡°Whoooo!¡±

    ¡°Look at the rookie!¡±

    ¡°Manaless? Looking to die?¡±

    ¡°That brat is supposed to be from Arcana?! Was that just to create hype?¡±

    ¡°Booo!¡±

    Terry gulped. In addition to his lack of equipment, this was now a second reason for him to feel exposed. Terry had not expected an audience of this size.

    Are so many people in Thanatos the type to enjoy blood sports and death games?

    ¡°Focus.¡± Terry reminded himself. He tried his best to tune out the spectator¡¯s utterances and focus on the approaching figure on the opposing side. A scrawny man with sunken eyes was glaring at Terry. The man was wearing a similar pair of shirt and pants to Terry.

    No equipment. New contestant? Unsuccessful contestant? Or with the confidence to progress without equipment?

    Terry focused on his mana sense. The man¡¯s mana appeared weak at first glance, but Terry could detect an unusually large variation in the emitted mana at times. Terry narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

    Cloaked but imperfectly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to undress me with your eyes.¡± The man jeered loudly.

    Laughing resounded in the audience seats. There was some booing mixed into the laughter as well.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to fight,¡± said the man. ¡°Enough of the foreplay.¡± He held out his hand with its palm pointing to the sky and then curled his fingers repeatedly. ¡°Come.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡± Terry blurted out. A chorus of mixed reactions from the audience assaulted Terry¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Oh? An alliance builder?¡± The man lowered his hand. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    No. Terry¡¯s mind pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m open to it.¡±

    ¡°Gracious.¡± The man smiled thinly. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s shake on it.¡± He held out his hand.

    Now what? Terry was not sure how to go about this. He did not trust the other, but if it avoided a fight, then why not give it a try?

    ¡®Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.¡¯ Terry recalled one of Isille¡¯s favorite proverbs. He reminded himself of the mana signature incongruence. He prepared himself before stepping forward.

    Terry approached his opponent. When Terry was only a few steps away, he held out his hand as well. Just when they were about to shake hands, Terry caught the flicker of mana movement.

    Before Terry¡¯s mind had registered the spell structure, Terry had already unleashed his prepared spherical disruption discharge. In the blink of an eye, Terry¡¯s mana that had been circulating at a relaxed pace through his body accelerated explosively.

    The spherical discharge sliced apart the man¡¯s spell structure before the spell had fully ignited.

    The man attempted to dodge with his own burst of mana. Even though the man had sacrificed his cloaking for his burst, he was still too slow to keep up with Terry¡¯s burst technique acceleration.

    Terry rammed his elbow into his opponent¡¯s stomach. He grabbed the man¡¯s wrist and with a quick half-step to position himself according to Bjorln¡¯s hand-to-hand training, Terry smashed his opponent violently on the floor.

    ¡°E-hurgh. Easy!¡± The man shouted and held up his hands in front of his torso.

    Contrary to his own expectations, Terry stopped and eyed the man resentfully.

    ¡°I was just testing you, damn,¡± The man spoke amicably. ¡°You can¡¯t expect others to enter an alliance with a manaless loser, can you? That would be brainless beyond belief! There simply aren¡¯t any manaless in here that aren¡¯t convicts with questionable characters. No manaless is stupid enough to enter the arena for recognition, which means all of them are here without a choice. Damn, even now I can¡¯t sense mana from your body. How do you manage that?¡±

    Terry had maintained his cloaking despite his burst technique. Terry realized that he had done so subconsciously simply because he could.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Testing me?¡± Terry was scowling at the downed opponent. ¡°What if I don¡¯t like being tested?! Not to mention that you picked a peculiar way to test me. An ambush with¡­¡± Terry¡¯s mind had caught up with his mana sense and he recognized the spell of the shadow aspect and his opponent could not have picked a worse spell to piss Terry off. ¡°Shadow Claws?¡± Terry involuntarily recalled the scene of his sister being seized and then threatened with the same spell in Tiv.

    The man was visibly taken aback by the fact that Terry had recognized the spell structure despite his quickened casting. His face quickly melted into an apologetic smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I should have picked a better approach.¡±

    If I had been weaker or less prepared, I might have been seriously injured from that ambush. ¡®Better approach.¡¯ Terry scoffed inwardly. Arsehole.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m convinced,¡± said the man. ¡°I¡¯m certainly open to the alliance idea.¡±

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure anymore.

    ¡°Stop your blabbering,¡± barked a voice from the sidelines. The match overseer glowered at them. ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be more fights today.¡± Terry¡¯s opponent pointed out. ¡°There is no benefit to getting ourselves seriously injured this early in the day, right? I¡¯m liking this alliance idea.¡±

    Terry could not help but think back to the Veilbinder¡¯s story. His childhood hero had frequently managed to turn enemies into companions and sometimes even into friends for a lifetime.

    ¡°Alliance.¡± Terry could hear himself announce.

    ¡°Alliance,¡± echoed Terry¡¯s opponent. ¡°I¡¯m Nash by the way.¡±

    ¡°Terry.¡± Terry was still not sure if this was a good idea. Nevertheless, a part of him wanted to try it. To see where it would lead.

    ¡°Alliance leader?¡± asked the overseer indifferently.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Nash asked Terry with no hint of his previous apologeticness.

    Didn¡¯t I just spare him? Terry tried to reign in his flaring temper. Then again, I¡¯m at zero anyway, so I wouldn¡¯t lose anything. Does it matter? Terry exhaled slowly. ¡°Nash can get the alliance win.¡± Terry had given the point distribution some thoughts between his day-dreaming. ¡°We can alternate who gets the win.¡±

    The audience saw the two contestants off with unsatisfied booing and ridiculing jeers.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s clothes were already charred in many places and fern-like scars covered his body. Terry burst his mana and dashed once more into the barrage of lightning. His mana was circulating at high speed in the pattern of his resistance training. Terry punched out several disruption discharges to ease his way forward but more lightning followed.

    What¡¯s taking Nash so long?

    Terry did not have the leeway to glance back. He could only rely on his mana sense. His alliance with Nash had started rough but the man had fought together with Terry against their current opponent ¨C a woman who had attacked immediately.

    Nash had fallen back, which made sense to Terry, because Nash was able to cast a few long-range spells. Nash had suggested that Terry distract their opponent while he prepared a Shadow Bind spell. Unfortunately for Terry, the woman was a pain to distract. Literally.

    Since I¡¯ve come this far in¡­ Terry ignored the stench of his singed hair and decided to close in completely. Right when Terry had broken through to the lightning mage, Terry could sense Shadow Bind activate.

    Terry silently lamented the fact that Nash¡¯s spell hadn¡¯t arrived sooner. From what Terry could see, the woman relied on finger movements for many of her spells and therefore, a proper Shadow Bind spell would have interfered with her spellwork.

    Better late than never¡­ Terry used the chance to smash a palm of disruptive mana into the woman''s back. He kicked the inside of her knees and locked their paralyzed opponent in a grappling hold. Terry applied pressure and barked: ¡°Surrender!¡±

    Nash stopped his Shadow Bind spell.

    ¡°Cowards!¡± hissed the woman.

    Terry sighed. ¡°We could have formed an alliance. We didn¡¯t need to fight.¡±

    ¡°With scum like you?¡± The woman glanced from Nash to Terry. ¡°Piss off.¡±

    ¡°Surrender,¡± ordered Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­¡±

    ¡°You little¡ª AHHH!¡± The woman screamed when Terry applied pressure on his muscle crusher grip.

    ¡°...but I will if I have to.¡± Terry continued flatly.

    ¡°...fine. I surrender:¡± The woman hissed resentfully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take her word for it.¡± Nash yelled. ¡°In here, she is free to change her mind until we leave with the overseer¡¯s assistants.¡±

    What?

    Terry¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He recalled the rules of the Proving Grounds. ¡®Stopped displaying an intention to fight.¡¯

    Oh mana damn it. A declared surrender isn¡¯t enough? Seriously?!

    ¡°You should cripple her to make sure that she isn¡¯t able to fight anymore,¡± suggested Nash.

    This is¡­ Terry scowled.

    ¡°I said I surrender, let me go already,¡± hissed the woman.

    ¡®Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself.¡¯  Enemy? Terry looked at the woman whom he knew practically nothing about.

    ¡®The time for mercy is when you are in complete control of the situation.¡¯ Terry recalled the words that Isille had once told them after their failed bounty hunt examination.

    Terry took a deep breath. He unleashed another disruption discharge right into the woman¡¯s body. Afterwards, Terry let her go. He retreated three steps and prepared to unleash more disruption discharges if necessary. His eyes were calm, which stood in stark contrast to the feral appearance that all the lightning marks had given him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± shouted Nash. He released a quickened Fire Spear spell.

    ¡°Give her a chance.¡± Terry blocked the Fire Spear with a disruption discharge.

    The woman stood up and glared at Nash. ¡°Not everyone is as dishonorable as you. I said I surrender.¡± She looked at the overseer. ¡°I accept my loss.¡±

    ¡°This way.¡± The overseer for this match pointed her to the exit. After the lightning mage had left, the overseer turned to the two remaining contestants. ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader.¡±

    Terry and Nash both announced their intention to end with an alliance.

    ¡°Alliance leader for this match?¡± asked the overseer indifferently.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Nash turned to Terry casually.

    ¡°We agreed to alternate the wins,¡± reminded Terry.

    ¡°No, you proposed to do that, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the best course of action,¡± objected Nash.

    Terry frowned. He suddenly realized that he had in fact something to lose: time. He can¡¯t quarrel for hours on end if he wanted to return to Arcana quickly. He also needed wins if he ever wanted to leave this damned arena.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯m only missing a single win to earn the permanent privilege to wield my first piece of equipment,¡± said Nash. ¡°That would strengthen our alliance for the next battle and improve our chances.¡±

    Terry had to admit that Nash had a point. Considering the fact that Terry was still at zero and wouldn¡¯t earn the right to wield an item anytime soon, he begrudgingly assented. ¡°Alright then.¡± He turned to the overseer. ¡°Nash gets the alliance win.¡±

    ***

    Terry walked onto the third battle stage of his day. He tried to ignore the stinging sensation of the fern-like scars all over his body. Terry had discovered that there would be no healing between battles in the Proving Grounds ¨C not unless you could heal yourself.

    Terry looked up to see Nash enter. ¡°Wait, where is your equipment?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have it yet,¡± said Nash. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡±

    ¡°Why not¡ª¡± Terry was getting ticked off.

    ¡°Greetings, peasants!¡± arrived the shout of the third contestant, who swaggered into the arena. He was dressed in shimmering combat robes. A large sun and a small golden crow were stitched into the chest area.

    Terry could detect several clusters of mana spread over the man¡¯s body. He had seen similar mana structures before. They had reminded him of mana cores but they appeared less rigid. These mana structures were the sign of a mana martialist.

    Terry furrowed his brow because the man¡¯s combat robes were obviously a non-standard item but Terry could not sense any mana.

    Why would anyone waste wins on such an item?

    Terry could see Nash next to him frowning.

    ¡°If you kneel and grovel at my feet, I¡¯ll consider letting you off with a light spanking,¡± sneered the mana martialist.

    Terry was already in a foul mood and he saw no reason to discuss alliances with such a person. He looked at Nash. ¡°Same as last time?¡±

    Nash visibly hesitated but then shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Terry was already charging at the martialist.

    The man¡¯s eyes showed surprise and he gathered mana for a movement technique. The faint image of a large golden crow appeared from the mana resonance behind the man¡¯s steps. He left a trail of blazing fire behind him.

    Terry had to remind himself that he was not able to step into the air anymore. Instead, he relied on his resistance training and nimble movements to limit the damage he took from the fire. He punched out a rapid succession of disruption discharges to disturb the flames created through mana resonance.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The man was incensed at the lack of caution Terry displayed. He jumped forward and attacked Terry with a flying kick.

    Terry casually stepped a half-step to the side, grabbed the outstretched leg flying at him and rotated his body to hurl the martialist onto the ground. Terry fleetingly thought that Bjorln would harshly rebuke the martialist¡¯s hand-to-hand combat style. Terry still remembered how his accepted father had stressed the difference between body control demonstrations and real combat. Suffice it to say, Bjorln didn¡¯t have a high opinion of flying kicks and considered their applicability rather limited.

    ¡°You dare¡ª¡± Before the martialist had a chance to fully voice his misgivings, Terry had kicked the man in the face.

    Talking in the middle of an exchange. Another no-go. Terry remembered how Bjorln had rebuked him in training whenever Terry so much as separated his teeth before getting some distance. Clench your teeth unless you don¡¯t like them.

    Sure enough, Terry could see that the martialist must have bitten his tongue. He probably cracked a tooth too.

    Should be enough to get the point across¡­ Terry reminded himself that this didn¡¯t have to be a fight to the death.

    ¡°Surrender,¡± barked Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?!¡± The martialist glared hatefully at Terry. ¡°You so much as break a hair on my head and my sect is going to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Surrender.¡± Terry cut the man¡¯s rant off.

    ¡°I am one of the scions of the Blazing Sun Sect,¡± screeched the martialist. He got back up on his feet. ¡°My grandfather is an elder of the punishment hall. If you kneel and beg forgiveness¡ª¡±

    Terry charged at the mana martialist without warning. The man tried to use a technique but before the surrounding mana could enter a state of resonance, a disruption discharge from Terry already flooded the area. Overcoming the disturbance quickly was beyond the man¡¯s abilities.

    After another short exchange of fists and kicks, the man was down on the floor again. His once shimmering robes were now dusty and smeared with dirt.

    ¡°Surrender.¡± Terry glared at the martialist coldly.

    ¡°Never.¡± The man sneered. ¡°Kill me if you dare!¡±

    Seriously?

    Terry sighed inwardly but tried to maintain an indifferent expression. After several exchanges that had left the mana martialist bloody and injured, Terry could not help but glance at the overseer.

    No intervention from the people running the show, huh?

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure how to continue. He had already won, but evidently this wasn¡¯t enough to end a fight in the Proving Grounds.

    ¡°A lowlife peasant dares to¡­¡± The mana martialist moved his bloody fingers over the mess that had once been his beautiful face. His bloody lips contorted into a snarl of fury: ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll die a horrible death!¡±

    Seriously? Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°Just surrender for mana¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat your flesh and drink your blood!¡± A violent red mana emerged from the man¡¯s body.

    Forbidden technique? Terry recalled a chat he once had with his Tiv sparring partner Vicente about mana martialism. Before the man could fully activate whatever he was using, Terry had already arrived with a palm that carried a disruption discharge. He had aimed it for one of the mana clusters that seemed to be the most active.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The mana martialist stared in disbelief at Terry. ¡°You dare to try and cripple my cultivation?! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±

    Terry retreated with a backflip. ¡°What the Wastes is wrong with you? Just surrender already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± screeched the frenzied mana martilist. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll kill you! You and everyone you care about, I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. Another old memory surfaced in his mind. His accepted parents had once remarked that if people tell you who they are, you might want to listen to them. Fine, have it your way!

    A moment later, Terry had broken the martialist¡¯s neck. Terry tried to ignore the excited cheers and gasps from the audience.

    Terry had won, but this victory tasted sour. He did not like the feeling of killing an already defeated opponent, but he also knew that leaving trouble for himself was a stupid idea.

    If this had been a combat practice match at the Guardians, an instructor would have long ago called the match and it might have never gotten that far. Terry once again became aware that the Thanatos Proving Grounds were different.

    ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader,¡± barked the overseer.

    Terry, who had been deep in thought, realized that Nash was still there. He had almost forgotten that he arrived here in an alliance.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Nash in the same tone as after the past two matches.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± returned Terry with annoyance. ¡°What happened to your equipment privilege?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I must have miscounted,¡± replied Nash sheepishly. ¡°It will take a few more fights for me to reach the wins required to earn the privilege to wield my first item.¡±

    ¡°Then we can just go back to alternating, right?¡± Terry held back the desire to go off on Nash.

    ¡°I mean, we could do that, yeah, but that wouldn¡¯t be very rational would it?¡± retorted Nash. ¡°It¡¯s still true that it makes sense for our alliance to focus on strengthening ourselves and if we alternate, then it will take twice as long until either of us can wield an item.¡±

    Terry reminded himself to stay calm and consider Nash¡¯s point.

    ¡°I already have a few wins under my belt,¡± continued Nash. ¡°The quickest way to strengthen us is still to focus on my equipment privilege first.¡±

    Terry had to admit that the argument made sense, but Nash¡¯s behavior still pissed him off.

    ***

 130 Wasting Time

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 66 ¨C

    Terry and Nash had fought together for days. To Terry¡¯s disappointment, there had been no further opportunity to increase the alliance members until now.

    All of their opponents had insisted on fighting. Some appeared to look down on the alliance idea and wanted to prove themselves alone in the arena. Some seemed suspicious of allying with unknown contestants. Most were too full of themselves to consider the possibility of losing to Terry and Nash.

    Beating even their own expectations, Terry and Nash had yet to lose.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Nash vehemently objected.

    Terry was annoyed. ¡°Why? We entered an alliance together too. We don¡¯t have to fight him either.¡±

    In the back, a slumped over dwarf was anxiously moving his gaze from Terry to Nash and back. Their current opponent had immediately offered to join their alliance ¨C evidently, Terry¡¯s habit of offering alliance ends had been the talk among some contestants.

    ¡°Because you can¡¯t just ally with weaklings in here?!¡± Nash shook his head as if this was obvious. ¡°There are unwritten rules. No one wants to see boring matches. The higher your win streak, the higher the chance to meet strong opponents. Same for your equipment. Same for the number of people in an alliance. If he joins and can¡¯t carry his own weight, then we¡¯ll set ourselves up for failure! This is idiotic!¡±

    ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader,¡± barked the match overseer from the sidelines.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?!¡± Terry barked back. These constant interruptions from the overseer had become one of Terry¡¯s pet peeves in the Proving Grounds. He could barely take a moment to think before these annoying watchdogs interrupted with their incessant pestering. ¡°Nowhere in the rules does it say that I can¡¯t try to talk my opponent to death, does it?¡±

    Terry involuntarily recalled how his aunt Sigille had once accepted Vhida as a personal disciple in cookie tasting to skirt around the Tiv restrictions on mana use instruction.

    Terry¡¯s reply invited some snickering from the audience and a stern glare from the overseer.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like the choices, I can always declare a draw,¡± said the overseer with a malicious grin.

    ¡°NO!¡± yelled Nash anxiously.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry looked confusedly from one to the other. ¡°I thought there were no draws.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t,¡± hissed Nash. ¡°A draw just means that everyone gets a loss.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡±

    When Terry thought that Nash had assented to the alliance, he sensed mana instead. Nash¡¯s Shadow Bind activated on their opponent and another chained spell was ready to be ignited.

    ¡°What are you¡ª?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes.

    A shadow at the elderly dwarf¡¯s throat extended and threatened to pierce the very same.

    ¡°Surrender!¡± ordered Nash.

    Terry gathered mana for a disruption discharge, but before Terry could even blink, the dwarf already stammered: ¡°I s-s-surrender!¡±

    ¡°Leave!¡± growled Nash. ¡°Now!¡±

    While Terry was still bewildered, the shadow bind effect was released and the dwarf tripped over himself to run out of the arena. Terry turned to Nash with an angry flush in his face. ¡°What did you do that for?!¡±

    ¡°To demonstrate that someone that weak is just baggage!¡± hissed Nash. ¡°Seriously, which rock did you live under your whole life? Do you believe it¡¯s worth it to drag him along if that is the kind of fight he puts up when it comes down to it? We¡¯ll both face harsher battles and he will surrender the first chance he gets?! You can¡¯t be that dense, can you? This isn¡¯t a playground. If we¡¯re facing the wrong opponent, we die!¡± He continued in a quiet mumble. ¡°Or worse¡­¡±

    ¡°The same goes for that dwarf!¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°And? So what?¡± Nash looked at Terry as if Terry was speaking in foreign tongues. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with us? That dwarf is the same as everyone else. He has either chosen to join the battle for recognition or he has been convicted of a serious crime. What¡¯s it got to do with us? The fact that we let him live and didn¡¯t even injure him much is already a lucky battle for someone at that level. He¡¯s either an arrogant fool or a dead man walking.¡±

    ¡°Even so¡ª¡± Just when Terry had spoken up, he was interrupted again.

    ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader,¡± barked the match overseer.

    ¡°Shut the Wastes up, will you?!¡± Terry discovered to his surprise that he had developed a temper in this forsaken coliseum. ¡°You¡¯re even more annoying than the Alricks.¡±

    Fortunately for Terry, the overseer didn¡¯t realize that Terry had basically called him worse than a ghoul.

    ¡°Alliance.¡± Nash yelled quickly to deflate the overseer before he could display his own temper.

    ¡°Who gets the alliance win?¡± asked the overseer indifferently.

    Nash turned to Terry. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit anymore.¡± Terry grumbled before realizing that he was speaking out loud. This wasn¡¯t the kind of alliance he had thought of when day-dreaming about the Veilbinder¡¯s story. He took a deep breath. ¡°Nash gets the win.¡± He looked at Nash. ¡°Until you get your equipment privilege, then we can switch so that I can earn mine.¡±

    ***

    Once again, Terry stepped into the arena of the Thanatos Proving Grounds. He noted that Nash was abysmally pale even though neither of them had been severely injured in their previous battles of the day.

    What¡¯s going on? Terry wondered silently.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s here.¡± A human man sneered at Nash. ¡°Little Nashie, long time no see. I hope you still know how to behave in front of me.¡± Next to the speaker, two more contestants had entered.

    Three against two? Another alliance? Terry clenched his teeth and darted towards Nash. ¡°Do you know them? What are their abilities?¡± He turned towards their opponents and shouted: ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±

    The leader of the other alliance laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right, we don¡¯t have to. You can just surrender and bugger off with your tails between your legs.¡±

    And, of course, he¡¯s an asshole. Terry lamented in his thoughts. He could sense a slightly cloaked mana signature that contained the air, metal, and poison aspect. The other two contestants were a canine man with a weaker life-aspected mana signature and a human woman whose mana signature carried an emphasized light aspect.

    Vanguard canan. The woman is likely a healer. The asshat seems like the type to give orders from the back. Wait, is that¡­?

    Terry spotted mana from a ring on the hand of the opponents¡¯ leader. It was hard to make out from a distance, but Terry was reasonably certain that the ring contained an imprint of a personal barrier spell variant.

    ¡°Nashie, Nashie, Nashie.¡± The leader taunted. ¡°Am I mistaken, or are you not showing the proper manners?!¡±

    Nash hesitated for a moment with a glance at Terry, but then he shouted: ¡°I surrender.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? No, we don¡¯t!¡± objected Terry with an aghast expression. ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°I surrender!¡± hissed Nash and looked at the match overseer.

    ¡°Oh my.¡± The enemy leader sneered. ¡°It seems someone doesn¡¯t know their place. Nash, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accept your surrender in that case. Not just like that. You know the drill.¡± He looked at his two companions. ¡°Get them both.¡±

    Terry was still trying to process what was going on, but the moment he saw the enemy vanguard and healer get ready for battle, he switched into battle mode as well. Terry focused on the mana movements from the enemy group. An instant later, Terry¡¯s side was slashed by a pair of shadow claws that left behind a deep and bloody gash.

    ¡°Wh¡ª?¡± Terry¡¯s mouth was quickly filled with blood. He held his side and tried to suppress the bleeding while he dropped down on one knee. He could still see the blood dribble from Nash¡¯s shadowy claws. Terry''s blood.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Terry became flooded with rage.

    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right,¡± jeered the enemy leader. ¡°Now, you are free to bugger off, Nashie.¡±

    ¡°I surrender,¡± shouted Nash again.

    Oh, no you don¡¯t! Terry¡¯s mana pressed into his mana channels, into his blood vessels, and into his muscles. He kicked off from the ground while still pressing down on his wound.

    Nash retreated from Terry and tried to use a Shadow Bind spell. However, the two were standing close to begin with and Terry¡¯s burst acceleration was too fast for Nash¡¯s spell control.

    ¡°Back off!¡± shouted Nash. He retrieved a small bottle that had been hidden in his clothes. ¡°Or I¡¯ll use this!¡±

    An item? Terry stopped, not because he was afraid of the item, but because the realization of what the item meant had hit him. Evidently, Nash had already earned the privilege to wield at least one item. ¡°You dung-gobbling¡ª¡±

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    ¡°Oh grow up,¡± spat Nash. ¡°Of course I would get a life-saving trump card first. Back off. I surrender. You should too. If you can. If they let you.¡±

    ¡°Use the bottle!¡± ordered the enemy leader. ¡°I don¡¯t remember allowing you to get an item. It¡¯s good that you chose a consumable though. Use it against the upstart and I¡¯ll overlook your offense.¡±

    Terry would have been eager to find out what was the backstory between these two, but he was too occupied with the fact that he was bleeding out. He could already see where this exchange would go and he charged at Nash.

    ¡°This is your own damned fault!¡± cursed Nash and he hurled the bottle towards the ground. Contrary to his expectations, the bottle never hit the ground and remained immovable a short distance away from the ground.

    Terry smashed his fist into Nash¡¯s face.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Nash yelled. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need to be worried about here. Do you really want to waste your mana and time on me?! Even with your mana pool¡ª damn.¡± Nash gulped when he sensed Terry¡¯s uncloaked mana for the first time. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re not going to last long in this state. I surrender.¡± He glanced at the three enemy contestants. ¡°I surrender!¡±

    A part of Terry screamed that he didn¡¯t care. Even if it meant less chance of surviving the battle, he wanted nothing more than to pulverize Nash¡¯s skull. However, another part of him felt the rebuking glances of his family and friends ¨C of people that would not want him to throw his life away for nothing.

    ¡°Just bugger off already, Nash.¡± The enemy leader spoke haughtily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be accused of entering an alliance with someone like you, so go away. You¡¯ve done well enough, I¡¯ll let you live for the day. Until next time.¡±

    Terry warily noted the match overseer moving to escort Nash out of the training grounds. Nash would be gone unless someone insisted on continuing the battle with him. Terry did not have long to consider his options, because the life-aspected canan was already charging over with bursting mana.

    Terry dodged one claw but when he attempted to pick up Nash¡¯s bottle, he was kicked violently into the stomach. Terry was not used to fighting with only a single arm and with a bloody gash in his body.

    ¡°I surrender,¡± shouted Terry.

    The canan looked at the leader of their alliance.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± said the leader. ¡°You see, surrender is a privilege for those that know how to behave. Like little Nashie. You, however, made the insanely stupid choice to challenge me. Naturally, I¡¯m a reasonable person.¡± He sneered at Terry. ¡°Since you¡¯re alone now, you have to pay the price yourself. Leave behind an arm, and I will accept your surrender.¡±

    Once more, rage welled up in Terry. This time, he could not feel the rebuking gazes of his family on him.

    I believe in choices¡­ Terry swallowed the blood in his mouth. ¡°Piss off.¡±

    Terry was already too dazed to hear the reactions from the audience.

    ¡°Spitting on the kindness of others.¡± The enemy leader shook his head and turned to the canan. ¡°Kill him.¡±

    The canan nodded and charged at Terry once more.

    Terry dodged to the best of his abilities. He even managed to land a well-placed kick into the canan¡¯s knee, but the canan was too muscular and too empowered with his life-aspected burst to take much permanent damage.

    Terry was forced to evade a slash of the canan¡¯s claws and instead took a kick onto the arm he used to press down on his bloody gash.

    Terry rolled on the ground feeling pain all over. Worse than the pain was the realization that the pain was growing more numb with each breath. Terry knew that he was losing too much blood. He was running out of time. He was circulating his mana rapidly, cycling between different burst techniques to buy more.

    Terry laid on the ground and lifted himself up with one arm. He could already sense the canan¡¯s mana signature approach from behind. He heard the battle roar of the canan. Terry¡¯s gaze sharpened on the ground. His hand grabbed the pebbles underneath his palm.

    With a burst of mana, Terry jumped up and dexterously threw a pebble into the canan¡¯s mouth. Before the canan knew what was going on, an immovable pebble combined with his own momentum had ripped a bloody hole into his nape. His spine had been broken in the process.

    The canan collapsed while Terry was dashing to pick up a small item from the ground. Terry was in no mood to take chances with the canan¡¯s life-aspected mana or with the healer around and proceeded to immediately rush back and to stomp onto the vanguard¡¯s head.

    Terry could sense a healing spell target the canan, but he did not sense a successful activation, which likely meant that the canan was beyond healing.

    Good. Terry was covered in blood, but he was smiling madly. He looked up towards the two remaining contestants, who still appeared slightly stunned. ¡°One down¡­ Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª Useless,¡± spat the leader. ¡°Finish him!¡±

    ¡°What?! You know I barely have any offensive spells,¡± protested the human woman.

    ¡°Finish him or I¡¯ll finish you!¡± growled the leader and soared into the sky.

    Terry cursed inwardly when he sensed the leader flying. This meant ranged combat and Terry didn¡¯t even have his equipment with him. Fortunately, Terry had focused on the healer to begin with.

    The light-aspected mage disappeared from sight but despite her camouflage, she was tackled by Terry half-a-second later. Terry snapped her arm in half, which elicited a blood-curdling scream.

    ¡°I surrender! Spare me! Spare me!¡± The woman pleaded with Terry. ¡°He forced us to enter an alliance with him. Please!¡±

    Terry had ignored her earlier pleading, but when she brought up the fact that they had been forced into battling for the leader, he hesitated. Different thoughts echoed in his mind.

    ¡®Do you care for the reason a beast bites?¡¯

    ¡®Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself.¡¯

    ¡®The time for mercy is when you are in complete control of the situation.¡¯

    ¡®Follow the kind of person you want to become.¡¯

    Terry''s thoughts wrestled with each other. Terry¡¯s initial view of the Proving Grounds when he had looked down on the death game aspect and the unnecessary killing still lingered in his mind. He remembered the feeling when he had killed the mana martialist, who had already been defeated. He remembered his own conflicted emotions when the audience cheered the killing.

    DAAAMNN IT! Terry shouted in his mind and decided he did not have time for this. He smashed a disruption discharge right into the woman¡¯s body and followed up with a quick succession of punches and kicks. He did not kill her, but he quickly made sure that the woman was not in a condition to fight.

    Terry sensed the finished priming of a large poison-aspected spell structure. Terry almost spat in disgust because this supposed leader obviously did not care about involving the human woman in the spell as well. This led some credence to the woman¡¯s story, but Terry did not have time to dwell on it. He flipped back onto his one good arm and then unleashed a layered dual discharge from his feet to shred the spell structure apart before the enemy leader could ignite it.

    Seeing the spell structure he had spent so long to prepare eviscerated in an instant caused the enemy leader to quiver from shock, rage, ¡­and fear. He could only calm himself with the reassuring fact that he was airborne and Terry was not.

    After the poison-aspected spell that had required a long preparation time had turned out to be a bad strategy, the enemy leader switched to attacking Terry with Wind Blade spells.

    Terry almost laughed with contempt when he sensed the awkward casting. He was comparing the man¡¯s wind blades with the rapid and powerful casting from the Captain and found his opponent severely lacking in the comparison. Unfortunately for Terry, he was already bleeding out and was not in a position to sneer at anyone.

    The one silver lining for Terry was that he could easily dodge the incoming attacks, but this provided little comfort. Terry was pressed for time. He felt himself weaken with every breath.

    No choice, all out. Terry knew that he needed to get the enemy leader out of the sky if he wanted to have a chance at getting through this. He took a deep breath, cycled his mana, and then he stopped pressing onto his wound.

    The next scenes had everyone in the audience confused at what was going on. It looked as if Terry was grabbing onto air and pulling himself with rapid bursts and with enough force to propel himself further up into the sky. When the enemy leader hurriedly dodged the strange charge of Terry, the audience could see Terry flipping his hands and then stepping onto air.

    Terry was making use of his Immovable Object spell and his stockpile of pebbles to approach the flying enemy leader. His hands and bare feet were already bruised and bloody from violently smashing into the little immovable objects.

    The airborne enemy mage moved mana into his ring and a barrier appeared around him.

    Terry sighed when his opponent stopped moving. He had hoped that the enemy mage would move the barrier against one of Terry''s immovable pebbles and that the barrier would shatter. Terry considered using a disruption discharge when he got a different idea.

    Terry awkwardly moved around in the air and then hurled a little object towards his opponent. The small bottle collided with an immovable pebble.

    *BOOM* An intense violet flame raged at the location where the bottle had smashed into pieces. The flames licked at the barrier and it shattered. The flames continued to assault the enemy mage for a brief period of time.

    Before the enemy leader could recreate the barrier, Terry was already grabbing onto the man''s arm. Terry realized that his opponent had kept another spell active: Metal Skin. It had not protected the mage from the flames, but it was enough to cause Terry further headaches. There was little point in punching metal skin and self-target spells that were shielded by the mage¡¯s own body were notoriously hard to disrupt.

    Terry clenched his teeth and moved his mana. He furiously smashed his fists into the enemy mage ¨C even though the skin felt as solid as soft metal.

    And that wasn¡¯t all that Terry was doing with his mana¡­

    The enemy leader felt like vomiting when he sensed the imprint in his precious barrier ring collapse. The ring was shielded. This was not supposed to happen. The ring was a cornerstone of his battle style. This was disastrous!

    ¡°YOU¡ª¡± The enemy mage was shouting with mad fury.

    Terry used the chance to flick a pebble into the mage¡¯s mouth. He smashed an upwards palm into the man¡¯s chin to close his mouth and pulled himself up to grab onto the man¡¯s head and chin.

    Terry was reminded of his old gymnastic ring exercises, but he pushed the thought away to focus. He flicked two pebbles above the enemy mage and then pressed his feet against them.

    Topsy-turvy, Terry was pushing the enemy mage down. The mage discovered that his metal skin effect did not extend to his palate. An excruciating sensation spread throughout the man''s body as the immovable object was forced further up his head while Terry was pushing him down. He tried to resist but his flying magic was not able to summon the same force as Terry¡¯s mana burst against immovable footing.

    A moment later, the enemy leader was falling from the sky. Terry was not far behind and he landed roughly on the ground. To Terry¡¯s surprise, his opponent was still alive despite the obvious brain damage. Alive, but barely so.

    Terry was about to finish the man off when an empowered fire spear arrived. Terry nearly unleashed a spherical disruption pulse, but he realized in time that the spear was not aimed at him.

    ¡°HAH!¡± exclaimed the woman with glee. ¡°Now the streak is mine!¡± She laughed and then turned to Terry. ¡°Surrender!¡±

    ¡°Wasted¡­¡± Terry felt like cursing again. All this and then he was being asked to surrender by the opponent he had spared before.

    ¡°Surrender, please.¡± The woman implored him. ¡°I killed him, which means that I¡¯ll get the wins he had before. I won¡¯t give that up. The bastard took every single win we earned. You¡¯ll lose nothing if you surrender, but I would lose everything. We¡¯re both severely wounded, but with my healing spells, I can outlast you.¡±

    ¡°We could form an alliance,¡± suggested Terry without being sure if he really wanted it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of alliances,¡± spat the woman. ¡°I¡¯m not being dragged into continuing to battle anymore. If I¡¯m on my own, I can choose to stop after a day. Alliances are a trap to begin with. It¡¯s a game within the game to trap naive outsiders. Continue to ally with everyone and what then? Whom are you going to get wins from? Everyone rots together until the infighting starts? Or a few take the wins, leave, and then the rest is back where they started? No thanks. Surrender!¡±

    A part of Terry wanted to kick her teeth in. The rest of Terry admitted that he was at the end of his rope and that he now had an out. He could surrender. It tasted sour.

    ¡°I surrender,¡± said Terry weakly.

    ¡°Accepted!¡± Without a moment¡¯s delay, the woman limped towards the match overseer.

    ¡°Idiot.¡± One of the overseer¡¯s assistants sneered at Terry. ¡°You¡¯re going to die anyway, why not take out the last one too?¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Terry¡¯s face was ashen and he pressed again onto his wound.

    ¡°With a wound like that¡­¡± The woman pointed at the gash. ¡°You¡¯re not making it through the night unless someone patches you up. If you were able to use healing magic, you would have already used it, no?¡±

    Terry gulped when he remembered that there was no customary healing assistance in the Proving Grounds. It had been his last battle for the day, but that did not mean anything unless there was someone around that would agree to heal him.

    Terry had been injured before in the coliseum, but never this bad. This was the first time after his battles that Terry was at the mercy of others if he wanted to survive the night.

    ***

 131 Repetition and Reputation

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 75 ¨C

    Terry sat leaning against the transparent walls in his inner cell. His face was as pale as the pages in his notebooks. He was still bleeding. He had ripped strips of cloth from his shirt and trousers and tried to stop the bleeding by pressing on the wound. It did not work as well as Terry would have wished for.

    Terry had pleaded with the overseer assistants to at least give him some thread and a needle, but his pleas had only elicited shrugs and questions of: ¡°Why should I?¡±

    Today, Terry had paid the price for indulging in a silly idea and entering a shaky alliance. Terry had also learned that no one in the Proving Grounds felt responsible for giving medical attention. If you die, you die. That was life.

    I¡¯m pathetic¡­ Terry took shallow breaths and cursed himself for his self-indulging naivety. He felt dizzy and did not even notice the sound of the cell door opening.

    ¡°You certainly made a fool out of yourself out there,¡± said Damian wearily. ¡°I hope you realize that. Stay at the back.¡±

    Damian held the wand that Samuel had given to Terry. He opened the small door for sliding items through and then used the wand to cast the fundamental healing spells on Terry.

    Afterwards, Damian placed a bottle of concentrated alcohol on the floor. ¡°Wash the wound and make sure that there are no foreign objects inside before we continue with successive Cure Wounds.¡± Damian closed the opening and waited for Terry to follow his instructions.

    Terry wordlessly grabbed the bottle and disinfected his wounds.

    When Damian continued with the healing, he said: ¡°You know that you would be dead if I hadn¡¯t come here. Perhaps you can try and reciprocate by being less of an embarrassment in the future.¡± He spoke more relaxed when he saw some color return to Terry¡¯s face. ¡°They say the Proving Grounds are a place to prove your own worth, but there is always an advantage in having allies outside the arena. It is true that no one is allowed to interfere in the battles, but after a day of fighting, having allies can be the difference between bleeding to death and getting back up.¡±

    For the first time, Terry felt sincere gratitude towards Damian. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks,¡± said Damian with a frown. ¡°I need you to hold your own in the arena. I hope you understand that if it wasn¡¯t for your ridiculous amount of mana, you would have been beyond saving. Do better. You¡¯re still alive, but you don¡¯t have a single win to your name.¡±

    Terry felt like defending himself, but he held back. Even though he had won matches, the wins had never been counted for Terry. He had pointlessly wasted his time fighting for nothing and nearly got killed in the process.

    ¡°You¡¯re an outsider after all.¡± Damian shrugged. He glanced at the wand in his hands. ¡°Take it as another sign of good faith. You know best how you feel.¡± He slid the wand into the cell as well. ¡°If the available primers aren¡¯t enough to stabilize your condition, I need to get another healing item. I¡¯m not much of a healer myself. Remember that you¡¯re not allowed to use the wand in battles.¡±

    Again, Terry was grateful even though he still resented being locked up.

    ¡°So far, you¡¯re not much of an eye-catcher.¡± Damian clicked his tongue. ¡°You seem more likely to get yourself killed than to get recognized. I doubt Beatrice would insist on killing you personally unless there is a good chance of you washing away the blood debts by becoming recognized.¡± He shrugged with a wary expression. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t tell for certain yet if Beatrice and the others are making a move. There have been a few unusual suggestions for matches ¨C the kind that would give you a high chance of dying before the end of the day.¡±

    Damian observed Terry healing himself. ¡°Perhaps I should consider you lucky, but you somehow managed to avoid that fate even without my interference.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Terry felt endlessly exhausted, but he forced himself to pay attention. He had seen enough politics to know that they could come back to bite him if he failed to understand what was going on. He had to try at least.

    ¡°Your overall performance was mixed and often boring,¡± said Damian. ¡°Your unusual disruption discharges have garnered some interest, but overall your battle style isn¡¯t exactly flashy. There aren¡¯t many that would go out of their way to vote in your interest just for the sake of observing your discharge techniques.¡±

    Damian yawned quietly. ¡°The best thing you have done for yourself was killing the scion of the Blazing Sun Sect. That has earned a significant amount of goodwill from the audience even if they¡¯re not that interested in your battles. It is always an advantage to have the people on your side.¡±

    Terry scowled when he recalled that particular incident. The fact that the audience was supporting him specifically for that made Terry uncomfortable.

    ¡°That brat was a stain on the Proving Grounds¡¯ halls.¡± Damian spoke with contempt. ¡°He relied on his grandfather and sect to bully others into surrendering. That¡¯s shaming the very idea of proving yourselves.¡± Damian scratched his cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for such a rotten soul. I can assure you, the bastard had it coming. He used to kill ruthlessly whenever he had the chance as well.¡± Damian yawned again. ¡°Our dear scion was a torture to watch. You killing him finally released the audience from that torment.

    ¡°The fact that your battles seemed rather boring may have even helped you somewhat,¡± admitted Damian. ¡°People aren¡¯t that eager to see you battle anytime soon, so you can take a few days to get back into shape. However, your last battle was more intense. Everyone can enjoy a good reversal of fate. Your strange spellwork added some mystery. I suspect the number of mana cultivators taking an interest in your battles will grow after that performance. Perhaps there will also be a few eccentric mages following you from now on.¡±

    Damian shot Terry a glance of praise. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you in the Bulwark, I wouldn¡¯t believe that someone¡¯s mana pool could undergo such drastic improvements in such a limited timeframe.¡±

    Sure feels as if I haven¡¯t improved enough. Terry¡¯s partial healing afforded him the questionable blessing of experiencing the pain again without the numbing effect of his body¡¯s shock response. It was hard to feel proud in this state. It was a lot easier to feel lacking in all aspects.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you have become more interesting,¡± continued Damian. ¡°Being boring is only a temporary protection. If Beatrice and the others make a serious move, then flying beneath everyone¡¯s notice won¡¯t work anymore. Do me the favor to remember that I need you to catch Beatrice¡¯s attention. The closer you get to becoming a recognized outsider, the better for that.¡±

    Damian turned around to leave.

    ¡°C-Can I have some new clothes?¡± asked Terry. His tattered clothes were soaked in blood and smeared with dirt. He was feeling filthy.

    Damian glanced back. ¡°No, I think it will do you good to properly remember the lesson of today. If your wounds had been less serious, I would have let you spend the night with them to better etch the feeling into your memory. You¡¯ll be getting a new set of clothes tomorrow. This night is for remembering.¡± Damian tilted his head. ¡°I guess I still haven¡¯t gotten the squad leader completely out of my habits. No matter, remember well.¡±

    ***

    Terry was sitting with his back against his cell and with a gloomy look on his face. One of Damian¡¯s assistants had brought Terry a fresh set of clothes and allowed Terry to clean himself up.

    Unfortunately, the water and change of attire did not wash away Terry¡¯s feeling of shame and disgust with himself.

    I nearly died, and for what? Terry cursed himself. I¡¯m only alive because a former Thanatos soldier won the lottery and now needs me for some political bullshit. Terry shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not the Veilbinder. I¡¯ll never be.¡±

    No shit. The Veilbinder could have healed himself. The Veilbinder wouldn¡¯t have been caught off-guard in the first place. The Veilbinder wasn¡¯t a pathetic excuse of a mage. The Veilbinder¡ª

    ¡°Enough.¡± Terry growled and took a deep breath. ¡°Focus.¡± Terry controlled his breathing. I¡¯m not the Veilbinder. I ought to remember that. Always. But what happened is in the past. What I want is in the future.

    ¡°Home¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself and thought of all the people waiting for him in Arcana, everyone whom he had left behind to worry.

    Terry stood up and recited quietly to himself. ¡°Do what you can before figuring out how to do more.¡±

    Terry picked up several of the training balls that Damian had returned to him. He began throwing the rubber balls with force against the walls and then transfixed them before they hit him.

    Whenever he was too slow or messed up his targeting, Terry did not attempt to dodge and instead allowed the ball to hit him with all the force of his throw.

    For some reason, Terry appreciated the occasional pang of pain. He was not sure why. He only noted that a theme invaded his thoughts no matter how much he tried to focus on his training.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    You messed up, serves you right.

    ''If you value your own life that cheaply, then you can risk it on your own.''

    If you die, you die.

    ''Remember well.''

    Terry took comfort in the familiar routine of training. He began keeping all his available metal balls transfixed in the air simultaneously with the twist of using as quickened a casting as possible, which meant that Terry was forced to reactivate the spells rapidly over and over.

    The goal was to activate a new spell the instant that the old spell expired ¨C without letting the balls drop far. With the number of targets, Terry had to rely on parallel and ranged casting in order to keep hold of everything. With the way the balls were placed, Terry had to push his mana control and mana reach to the limit to avoid spell failures.

    After some time, Terry¡¯s intrusive thoughts became quieter.

    Eventually, they disappeared.

    Terry had become too focused on his training to notice.

    After an unknown amount of time, Terry sat down cross-legged and put on the mana-cloaking necklace from the dungeon. Terry began dumping his mana into the crystal cell, which increased the mana absorption rate of the necklace. Terry continued dumping his mana until he had reached an equilibrium with the necklace ¨C it absorbed as much mana as Terry was regenerating.

    Afterwards, Terry closed his eyes and focused on the sensation from his naturalized mana. He pushed on it. He forced it through the barely noticeable gap in the transparent door mechanism. He could feel a tingling itch from his naturalized mana outside the cell.

    Terry pushed the mana further. It felt strange. Normally, Terry¡¯s mana control was an intuitive and almost natural feeling for him. Like moving another limb. Terry could always sense directly where his limb was relative to his body.

    Controlling his naturalized mana beyond the mana-blocking cage was different. Terry couldn¡¯t directly sense the mana the way that he sensed the mana in other beings or items. That sense was blocked. This new sensation was different and limited to Terry¡¯s own naturalized mana. It became weaker the more the mana decayed and slipped from Terry¡¯s grasp.

    Terry was aware that blocking mana sense was generally understood to also block spellwork and other mana use like activating magic items. If you can¡¯t sense what you¡¯re doing, how are you supposed to shape, prime, or ignite a spell structure? How are you supposed to interact with an imprint, an inscription, or an enchantment? How could you target anything?

    Slowly¡­

    Using his mana in this manner felt extremely foreign to Terry. It felt as if he was relearning how to walk.

    Further and further¡­

    Terry opened his eyes and compared the itchy feeling from his mana sense to what he was seeing with his own eyes.

    I need to remember the feeling. This should be¡­

    Terry memorized the sensations he received from pushing his mana onto different objects. After some time, Terry pushed his naturalized mana around the corner and into the cell¡¯s area that remained hidden from Terry¡¯s eyes. The area where Terry believed at least some of his belongings were stashed.

    ***

    Terry stepped into the Proving Grounds¡¯s arena for the first time since he had nearly died. He was wearing a somber expression. The first thing he did was pick up a few pebbles.

    Terry¡¯s opponent was an elven woman with a pronounced earth aspect gift but with a comparatively weak mana signature ¨C at least in Terry¡¯s estimation.

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s you!¡± The elven woman smiled widely. ¡°I heard about you! Want to form an alliance together?¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°Come again?¡±

    ¡°We could work as an alliance, I¡¯ll act as the rearguard and I can heal if necessary,¡± explained the elf.

    Terry did not really have much enthusiasm for an alliance anymore, but he also didn¡¯t feel like fighting a fight that could be avoided. However, before he could formulate a reply, he could sense a slight mana fluctuation ¨C a cloaked casting.

    Terry dashed forward as a barrage of rock projectiles formed and assaulted him from the sides. Contrary to the elf¡¯s expectations, Terry continued unfazed and all her rocks transfixed more than an arm¡¯s length away from Terry.

    ¡°Shit,¡± cursed the elven mage. She hurriedly cast a spell to raise a stone wall but before she had a chance to finish, an intense disruption discharge arrived from Terry and interrupted her casting. ¡°Stop! I yield! I yield!¡±

    Terry reflexively hesitated when hearing the words of surrender, but he had to remind himself that words were meaningless in the Proving Grounds. Contestants could lie or change their minds. Nevertheless, Terry adjusted his course of action. With a burst of mana, Terry hurled the lightweight elf towards one of the match overseers. ¡°I hate double-faced folks.¡±

    ¡°O-of course.¡± The elven woman suppressed her pained grimace and tried to display a charming smile. ¡°I truly don¡¯t want to fight. Th-think about it. There are more battles to come. We shouldn¡¯t injure each other.¡±

    True, I guess. Terry was not really in the mood for a chat. ¡°If you yield, then leave! Now!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± yelped the elven woman and she departed with one of the match overseer¡¯s assistants.

    ***

    Terry had to do a double-take when he spotted his third opponent for the day.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake,¡± cursed Nash. ¡°I sur¡ª¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Terry had arrived in front of Nash. A disruption discharge followed by a violent fist crashed into Nash¡¯s body.

    ¡°I SURRENDER DAMN IT!¡± shouted Nash. He had attempted to run away but only managed to collide with an immovable pebble.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you that said to not take someone by their word?¡± Terry placed another kick into Nash¡¯s stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to advise me to at least cripple you? Of all people, why would I trust your word?¡±

    Nash glared at Terry with a dark eye and bloody face. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to survive, damn it. You should have surrendered with me, then¡ª How are you still alive? What did he ask from you? You¡¯re no better than me! That bastard doesn¡¯t let anyone go without paying a price.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± exclaimed Terry with a mad look in his eyes. ¡°That ''bastard'' is dead. That¡¯s the price I paid.¡±

    Nash¡¯s mouth stood agape and the blood rushed from his face. His fresh bruises stood out even more on the pale background.

    ¡°Oh that and I nearly died myself, didn¡¯t you hear?¡± Terry punched Nash again. ¡°Or didn¡¯t you care?¡± Despite Terry¡¯s furious words, he was already holding back. He had not used bursts to empower his fighting. He had not attacked lethal points. He was just venting. The fact that Nash had stopped fighting made it difficult for Terry to even do that.

    ¡°I surrender,¡± muttered Nash. ¡°Just let me go. Continuing this fight benefits no one, does it? Take your win.¡± Nash stood up, turned his back on Terry, and quietly left with the overseer¡¯s assistant.

    Terry did not interfere with Nash¡¯s exit.

    ''Repeat encounters possible.'' Did the audience vote to make us meet again? What for? Did they want to see me take revenge? To punish Nash? To goat me into another killing? For another scene like with the scion of the Blazing Sun Sect? Just some sort of twisted blood thirst?

    ¡°Mind games¡­¡± Terry grumbled quietly and clenched his fists.

    ***

    Terry looked down at the quivering opponent in front of him. An immovable pebble was pinning the dwarf on the ground. Terry glowered at the young dwarf. His opponent had thrown everything he could at Terry.

    The dwarf wasn¡¯t weak and he had refused to accept his loss. To make it worse, the dwarf did not only train as a mana cultivator but was also well-versed in life-aspected spells, which included healing, and self-targeted buff spells like Haste and Enhance Strength.

    Fortunately for Terry, the dwarf appeared to be used to wielding a weapon and was not that proficient in hand-to-hand combat. On top of that, Terry had the significant advantage in mana foundation. Eventually, the dwarf had run out of mana and became easy prey for Terry.

    Terry had won, but despite that, he was annoyed. This battle had cost Terry some blood, a lot of mana, and even more nerves. The day was still young and there were more battles waiting for Terry. Everything together caused his mood to run sour despite his win. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to recover much between matches because soon, there would be the overseer with his usual line and then the next match of the day.

    ¡°I surrender!¡± shouted the young dwarf with transparent resentment.

    Terry sighed and thought to himself: Now comes the usual dance.

    Terry had really learned to hate the Proving Grounds. In particular, Terry hated the rule about what constituted the end of a match ¨C the fact that a verbal surrender wasn¡¯t enough. In Terry¡¯s opinion, this rule was even worse than the one that permitted intentional killing, because from Terry¡¯s perspective, it was mostly the former rule that caused the latter to become relevant.

    There was a good reason for Terry to dread this moment in his matches: Ever since his failed alliance with Nash, it was nearly always the same sequence of events that repeated again and again.

    Terry gathered a new stock of pebbles. He glared at the young dwarf. ¡°When you can move, you will go directly to the overseer and declare your intention to surrender. You will not turn around. You will not change your mind, got that?¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± grumbled the young dwarf.

    So you say¡­ Terry braced himself and waited for the immovable pebble that was pinning the dwarf to become movable again.

    Finally, the young dwarf stood up. He turned and walked to the overseer. ¡°I surrend¡ª¡±

    Always the same bullshit, thought Terry and rapidly punched out a disruption discharge to eviscerate the darkness-aspected spell structure the instant it had appeared. A desperate last attempt? This casting was so much worse than his life-aspected spells¡­

    Before the young dwarf could mutter his insincere apology, Terry had landed another blow with enough force to hurl the dwarf in front of the match overseer.

    ¡°I¡­ ugh¡­¡± The dwarf¡¯s face contorted in a grimace of pain and unreconciled resentment. ¡°I surrender. Fuck.¡±

    This time, Terry watched the dwarf depart with the overseer¡¯s assistant. He was scowling at the dwarf¡¯s back.

    Always the same bullshit.

    Deceit and treachery.

    Wasting my time and mana.

    Mana damn it.

    Terry had continued with a winning streak ever since his failed alliance attempt, but he had the feeling that the battles were becoming more difficult. The problem posed by the successive matches on a battle day ¨C without any healing or much chance to rest between matches ¨C was creating unending frustration for Terry when added to the other rules of the Proving Grounds.

    It was as if his opponents insisted on going all out even way past the moment they had lost. They forced all out of Terry in return, which added up over the day.

    Terry could understand that they were unwilling to accept the loss. A loss meant an end to their winning streak ¨C a start from zero again, which was loathsome unless you were already at zero from having traded for item privileges. It was rational to struggle.

    That was why Terry tried to keep a detached attitude. He could sympathize to an extent and he tried to stay rational as well. As soon as the opponent finally accepted their defeat, Terry would stop fighting too in order to preserve his mana. However, somehow, Terry felt as if his overall mana consumption was only increasing the longer he acted like this. At least that was the impression that forced itself on Terry when he looked back at the past days of battle.

    ***

 132 Rational Madness

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 91 ¨C

    Terry sat in his cell and focused on the prickling sensation in his mind. For the past weeks, Terry had made it a point to take time for practicing his mana control beyond the mana-blocking effect of his cage.

    To Terry¡¯s amazement, the sensation became more and more detailed. If Terry closed his eyes, he could still sense the area outside. It wasn¡¯t like eyesight. It wasn¡¯t like his mana sight or normal mana sense either. Whenever Terry had used his mana detection field to detect manaless projectiles or concealed opponents, he had received a rough idea of his mana being disturbed through his mana sense.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry woke up from his state of deep contemplation.

    How did I sense manaless projectiles with my mana detection field?

    Terry crossed his arms.

    It makes sense that I can perceive concealed opponents. The very fact that they are concealed is evidence that they are using mana and therefore my mana should react. A mage¡¯s body creates resistance for mana naturalized by me. Normally, their own mana pool would shield them and they would subconsciously try to wrestle the mana from me.

    It also makes sense for some materials that carry an affinity with mana, or some active or residual mana charge.

    Mana-interference from a magic item? Normal.

    From a mana-osmotic material? Also normal.

    But a plain rock? Terry looked at the pebbles that Damian had allowed him for his training. Afterwards, Terry looked at the balls on the side of the transparent cell. Or a rubber ball? Is it normal that all of them interact with mana?

    Terry shook his head slowly.

    ¡°How did I never notice this before?¡± Terry wondered out loud.

    Because I was too distracted by the direct sensation of moving mana. Or how I could use it. I never paused to wonder why my mana was being disturbed in the first place.

    Terry closed his eyes again.

    But this¡­

    Terry felt a prickling impression of the area outside the cage. He felt everything. The closer it was to Terry, the stronger and with a sharper impression. Weaker and more dull the bigger the distance. Terry also noticed that the mana concentration affected how much detail he perceived.

    It would have been one thing if this impression had been limited to magic items, but it wasn¡¯t. Terry had almost missed the significance of it. At the beginning, Terry had only been focused on finding his magic items. Once found, he had been too excited to notice any open questions.

    Fortunately, Terry had enough sense to not blindly attempt retrieving items at a distance and stopped to give the way forward some more thought. Even if he could interact with his equipment from a distance, how was he supposed to use it without messing everything up?

    As long as Terry was still testing the waters, the tingling sensation continued and eventually, Terry was hit by the realization of how strange this whole sensation was.

    ¡°If only Uncle Samuel and Aunt Brynn were here,¡± muttered Terry with a look of homesickness. After a moment, Terry frowned and grumbled: ¡°If only I had my wasted notebooks.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry tapped his fingers on his upper arms which were still crossed. He mentally went over the examples of mana-interaction with the physical realm that he knew. Until he reached...

    Fire with fire-aspected mana.

    Terry blinked. Involuntarily, he recalled a statement he had uttered a long time ago, on a day Terry would never forget: the day that Terry became a mage, the day that Terry discovered his only spell.

    ¡°Fire-aspected mana burns,¡± muttered Terry. Oscillating mana moves.

    Could it be that simple? Terry blinked. Oscillating mana moves because it interacts with the physical realm? With everything? Terry lowered his head in thought. But interacts how? This tingling itch¡­

    *Click*

    Terry rapidly dispersed his mana outside the cage to thin it out and avoid detection by whoever was entering the outer cell.

    Damian walked into view with an annoyed expression. ¡°Were you aware that you¡¯re carrying around a fiendish item?¡±

    Terry blinked innocently and nearly forgot his intention of being tight-lipped when it came to revealing any intel. Instead, he eloquently blurted: ¡°Huh?¡±

    Damian chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really as green as fresh grass. We only noticed it on closer inspection too. We gave it a closer look because the effects seemed too good to be true. Whoever sold you that small blue crystal egg is not your friend.¡±

    Terry looked at Damian with ill-concealed confusion. ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that Terry realized which item Damian was talking about, but that he remembered Blue, the lizan leader with his prophecy, backstabbing, and items that Terry had picked up from the corpse of the traitorous lizan.

    Damian mistook Terry¡¯s reaction and believed that Terry knew which item he was referring to. ¡°Take it as advice from a business partner. If a magic item appears too good to be true, it is probably a trap. There is no bottomless supply of easily absorbable mana without a catch.¡±

    Damian gave Terry an appraising look. ¡°I figure the only reason that you¡¯re still in possession of your mind is that the effect depends on the user¡¯s mana control. It¡¯s gradual. Even with your mana control though, you would lose eventually. The more mana from that egg in your system, the more intense the influence becomes.¡± Damian smirked. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s your fortune that we picked you up. We¡¯ll return the crystal egg to your belongings, but I wouldn¡¯t use it if I were you.¡±

    Terry did not forget to scowl at Damian¡¯s last remark.

    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re doing¡­ okay,¡± said Damian with a shrug. ¡°If you continue your winning streak through the next four or five battle days, then you can earn your first item privilege.¡±

    Terry reacted. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said if,¡± interrupted Damian. ¡°The audience has a tendency to make contestants earn their privileges. If you had paid more attention to the difficulty shift, you might have been able to guess when your friend Nash earned his.¡± Damian yawned. ¡°Who cares? You need to pay attention now, because I¡¯m not convinced you can make it.¡±

    For once, Terry listened closely. He had to admit that a part of him was offended and eager to prove Damian wrong, but the larger part of him was eager to get advice that might be of help.

    ¡°Did you notice that your battles are dragging on?¡± Damian asked pointedly. ¡°How even beaten opponents never seem to take you seriously? Always trying to get in one last punch that might be their lucky chance to turn things around?¡± He shook his head and snorted amusedly. ¡°I believe I know your problem.¡± Damian retrieved a book, or more accurately: a large tome.

    Terry immediately recognized his first edition of the Path of a Mage.

    ¡°I concede that the Veilbinder is an inspiring figure¡­¡± Damian pulled a chair and then sat down. ¡°...but I find it very difficult to derive any practical lessons from him.¡± He rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°I mean really. Take the Second Great Crisis as an example. What could we possibly learn from that?¡±

    Damian cleaned the fingernails on one hand with the fingernails of the other. ¡°Be lucky? I mean: come across enough weird magic that somehow fits into a greater plan to address your needs. Be industrious? I mean help everyone everywhere to increase your chance of randomly stumbling across powerful magic while saving someone¡¯s kitten from a tree. Or flip it around and make the best use of whatever you have available? Sounds nice, but what kind of lesson is that? Might as well give the advice: Be ingenious!¡±

    Damian crossed his fingers and stretched his arms. ¡°Hardly useful or remotely insightful. Of course it would be great for everyone to be lucky or ingenious, but not everyone is and that has to be your starting point.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. For practical advice, I find this book much more helpful.¡± Damian took out another thick tome. ¡°Step back.¡±

    Damian placed both books into Terry¡¯s transparent cage.

    Terry subconsciously caressed his cherished copy of the Path of a Mage before examining the other book: ¡®c.¡¯

    ¡°Thanatos was famous for his essays even when he was still building our empire, but after he had retired from active duty, he truly dove into developing his own branch of scholarship,¡± explained Damian. ¡°What you have in your hands is mandatory reading for leadership positions in our military. You can consider it the second fundamental pillar of our education system. The Proving Grounds teach us what will happen and the Inquiries explain why.¡±

    Terry reflexively frowned and his distaste for the Thanatos Proving Grounds was very much coloring his initial opinion of The Warlord.

    ¡°The part that you are utterly failing to understand begins on page 359,¡± said Damian with an obvious invitation to open the book.

    Terry inwardly shrugged and flipped to the page. The chapter title read ¡®Rational Madness.¡¯

    ¡°I suggest you give this a thorough read instead of clinging to the inspiration from unattainable legends,¡± said Damian. ¡°If it¡¯s too theoretical for you, we also have evidence to substantiate the theory. I¡¯ve personally always found medical studies of people whose brains have been damaged in battle or accidents fascinating.¡±

    Damian cracked his knuckles. ¡°What you are lacking is what we colloquially call the Punisher¡¯s Brain.¡± Damian caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Your dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is dominating your ventromedial prefrontal cortex, even when it shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is this supposed to make sense?¡± Terry blurted out.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°You can think of the dorsolateral part as a detached decision maker ¨C an embodiment of pure rationality,¡± continued Damian unperturbed. ¡°The ventromedial part, by contrast, incorporates emotions. The latter makes you feel that you want to punish or retaliate, the former analyzes if it¡¯s rational.¡±

    Terry pointedly shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, waiting for Damian to make his point.

    ¡°What do you think happens to people whose ventromedial cortex has been damaged?¡± asked Damian.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± Terry furrowed his brow. ¡°They become more rational?¡±

    ¡°Depends on how you define it,¡± said Damian with a grin. ¡°Many aspects remain functional. Intelligence, working memory, making estimates. Delayed gratification and purely cognitive tasks remain unaffected. The people become more detached, more interested in outcomes than in the underlying emotional motives. If that is your idea of how a rational person ought to behave, then yes.¡± He smirked with amusement. ¡°Only then, you have fallen for the sucker¡¯s trap.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Terry muttered half-interestedly.

    ¡°People with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex become indecisive, and when they finally manage to make a decision, they make bad ones,¡± elaborated Damian in the tone of a lecture. ¡°They show poor judgement when it comes to other people, and they don¡¯t shift behavior based on negative feedback.

    Damian paused for emphasis. ¡°Feedback like being played for a fool. Without that part of their brain, people may know the concept of being played, but they don¡¯t know the negative feeling that comes with it, which is why they don¡¯t shift behavior. Those people are doomed to live the life of complete suckers.

    "Blindly following rational pay-offs ad-hoc without any ego or personal retaliation. That¡¯s what Thanatos calls first-degree rationality.¡± Damian chuckled. ¡°We also call that idiocy.¡± He chuckled some more. ¡°Or RYI: Rational Yet Idiot.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes and read over the title again: ¡®Rational Madness.¡¯

    ¡°If you¡¯re less impressed with dry evidence and prefer a narrative, we also have a children¡¯s version,¡± said Damian patronizingly. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a refugee ant queen that was lucky enough to arrive in her new hiding spot with a fresh batch of eggs.¡±

    Terry wondered if he should be offended at Damian¡¯s condescending tone.

    ¡°Before the eggs had any chance to hatch, the queen noticed that three eggs were already missing,¡± continued Damian. ¡°And she eventually found the culprit ¨C a large beetle. The beetle was large enough to pose a threat but the ant queen had a good chance of victory. Therefore, the queen chose to confront the culprit.¡±

    Damian leaned forward. ¡°¡®But wait!¡¯ said the beetle. ¡®Think about it! If we fight here, then we will certainly destroy more eggs. There is nothing to gain for you. The eggs I''ve eaten are already lost and you can¡¯t bring them back.¡¯¡± Damian shrugged and leaned back. ¡°So the ant queen let the beetle go. It was certainly true that a battle in her hiding spot would be costly for the ant queen. She would have to risk even more of her precious eggs or she might even lose her own life and all of her eggs would remain unprotected.¡±

    Damian scratched his nose. ¡°A day later, four more eggs were gone. Same exchange. Same result. The ant queen let the beetle go, because retaliation was irrational. It would cost too much with nothing tangible to gain.¡±

    Damian pushed his hair back. ¡°The third day, five eggs were gone. The fourth day, six eggs were gone. And so forth. Until eventually, the queen was only left with a single unharmed egg. The next time the queen went into stupor, even that egg was gone.¡±

    Damian changed his voice to display insincere anger. ¡°Enraged, the queen confronted the beetle." Damian shrugged with a sheepish expression. "The beetle pointed out that there was nothing to gain by retaliating now. The eggs were already gone and as long as the queen was alive, she could lay more eggs. Retaliation would only endanger that future.¡± Damian rolled his eyes. ¡°Therefore, the queen departed without a fight.¡±

    Damian clicked his tongue and grinned. ¡°Of course, the beetle was not far behind and followed the ant queen wherever she went.¡± Damian yawned. ¡°Even a child can tell what the ant queen should have done.¡± He pointed his index finger at Terry. ¡°There is another layer to rationality. A second degree and even a third degree. Sometimes, first degree irrationality is rational from a higher perspective. Sometimes, madness is rational. An overreaction or even a self-harming madness is, at times, rational.¡±

    ¡°You mean like your blood debts?¡± retorted Terry skeptically. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, they can be quite stupid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you picked up on that?¡± Damian chuckled. ¡°Yes, blood debts are one natural conclusion, but the way you deal with your blood debts is essential.

    ¡°Rational madness does not include overestimating your own abilities. It also requires correct assessments of others¡¯ reactions to your actions. The point is that if you can make a credible commitment to madness, then it changes the game.¡±

    Damian switched to his patronizing tone again. ¡°Do you believe the beetle would have dared to act like it did if the ant queen had a reputation for mad retaliation?¡± He paused to grin. ¡°If the queen''s reputation for madness protects her, then how is it not rational for her to act mad?

    "Furthermore, odds are odds.¡± Damian closed his eyes for a moment and massaged his neck. ¡°With any process that includes chance, the outcomes alone are not enough to judge a decision. There is always a chance that the ant queen will lose or lose too much, but that doesn¡¯t make her decision to fight irrational. There is more than a single ant queen and there is more than one beetle in life.¡±

    Damian opened his eyes and fixed them on Terry. ¡°All in all, do you really feel prepared to say with confidence that our blood debt tradition has done Thanatos as a whole harm?¡±

    Damian shrugged. ¡°I concede that the principle can be taken too far. I¡¯ve seen more than a single martial sect perish in their thirst for disproportionately avenging even the smallest slights, but that is just another layer of idiocy.¡± He examined his finger nails. ¡°At some point, you have to reassess your priors. If the beetle turns out to be much stronger than the ant queen, then it¡¯s plain madness. Just because madness can be rational, doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s always the case. Also¡­¡±

    Damian yawned. ¡°If the beetle is much stronger, then the discussion is practically moot. The ant queen is already a dead ant walking and only alive at the beetle¡¯s whim.¡± He snickered. ¡°A fan of the Veilbinder should hardly be the one to judge an insect for standing up to impossible odds.¡±

    Damian stood up and returned the chair to the table. ¡°You can tell my assistant about your thoughts on which items to use.¡± He glanced back at Terry. ¡°We¡¯re still in the process of checking all your items."

    Damien pointedly caught Terry''s gaze. "You have some strange equipment. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone carrying that much tertium. I hope you can understand that we are a bit wary, especially after we have already found one fiendish item.¡± Damian searched Terry¡¯s face. ¡°There is also still the matter of those unretrievable items in your dimensional storage.¡±

    Terry tried hard not to let his knowledge of the oscillating containers show on his face. Only Terry could retrieve his oscillating needles or containers, because only he could reclaim and naturalize the oscillating mana. He was in no hurry to clear that up for Damian.

    After Damian had left, Terry returned to his training: Disruption discharges, mana foundation, spellwork.

    When Terry was taking a short break to recover some mana, he could not help but glance at The Warlord. The image of the enraged dimensional mages in Arcana sprang up in Terry''s mind. The speech they had given in front of the Guild after Arcana¡¯s barrier had been sabotaged by the Preacher and his allies. Without being aware of it, Terry connected the different perspectives to the story of the ant queen.

    I guess the Preacher failed to anticipate a Rational Madness response¡­ Terry bit his lower lip. Even if I don¡¯t agree with everything, it might help me understand people that think like that. Perhaps the Preacher would not have incited the wrath of Arcana¡¯s dimensional mages if he had read the Warlord¡¯s inquiries.

    ***

    Terry subconsciously slowed his steps when he recognized one of the contestants facing him. ¡°Again?¡± Terry glanced at the audience and wondered: Is it that they have a thing for having contestants face each other repeatedly or does it have something to do with the number of contestants in each tier or whatever they call it?

    On the other side, Nash frowned next to his dwarven alliance partner. ¡°If you can block him until I can get Shadow Bind working, we can win.¡± The dwarven woman nodded.

    Terry had already dashed halfway across the distance before the dwarf¡¯s earthen walls rose from the ground. Terry lamented his lack of equipment and that he could not simply step into the air. He burst his mana and took the obstacles in a forceful jump, only to be confronted by several rock spears.

    Terry judged the mana concentration that guided the rock projectiles and decided that he did not require a disruption discharge. Instead, Terry compressed his Immovable Object structure further to make the spell structure more intense and stable. His spellwork overwhelmed the earth-aspected mana and the rock spears transfixed in the air. Terry grabbed onto the transfixed rock and propelled himself further towards his opponents.

    ¡°Shit, what are you doing?¡± cursed Nash. ¡°Now I can¡¯t target him!¡±

    Terry was aware of the looming threat of Nash¡¯s Shadow Bind spell. The moment Terry was about to touch the ground again, he unleashed a disruption pulse and immediately prepared the next. On top of that, Terry unleashed a layered disruption discharge towards his two opponents to crowd out the surrounding mana and make it more difficult for them to harvest mana for their spellwork.

    Seeing that Terry was about to reach them, Nash shouted: ¡°We surrender!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed his dwarven ally.

    Terry did not slow down until he grabbed a hold of the bewildered dwarf and flung her towards Nash. He eyed both of them warily with disruption discharges prepared.

    ¡°We surrender!¡± repeated Nash.

    ¡°Why? We can still fight,¡± protested his dwarven ally.

    ¡°I know him, he can take one of us out at least,¡± explained Nash. ¡°The only way to lose as an alliance is if we declare it now.¡± He sent his ally a meaningful glance. ¡°Then we can continue as a team.¡±

    ¡°Ohh¡­¡± exclaimed the dwarven woman and nodded towards Nash. ¡°Okay.¡± She turned to Terry. ¡°We surrender.¡±

    Terry observed them coldly. ¡°Go on then¡­¡± He was not surprised at all to discover cloaked mana movement soon after. ¡°Always the same¡­¡± Terry sighed in his mind and instantly went back on the offense.

    ¡°Ap-Apologies!¡± ¡°We s-surrender!¡± Both Nash and his ally stammered, obviously disconcerted and disgruntled with their failed ambush.

    Terry recalled a passage from The Warlord.

    ¡®Surrender is a privilege granted to those that understand their position. For everyone else, it is an object to be bought with suffering. A cheap surrender to them is an invitation for betrayal and rebellion. A warlord is wise to follow the strategy of forgiving tit-for-tat. A warlord may offer mercy, but if it is rejected, a warlord is to remember to display authority on when ¨C or if ¨C it gets offered again. In such cases, a price has to be paid. A price that increases with each rejection, exponentially with each betrayal. A slap in the face is to be repaid with a cracked skull. Cracking the skull is worth an injury to your fist. Whatever is necessary to bring true understanding of everyone¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Terry heard himself utter.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± stammered Nash.

    ¡°Fine, then. Let¡¯s fight it out!¡± shouted the dwarven woman.

    ¡°No, wait!¡± Nash looked pleadingly at Terry. ¡°We all have more fights today, this is pointless. We surrender.¡±

    ¡°Until all contestants stop displaying an intention to fight,¡± said Terry. ¡°I would have accepted your surrender but you tried to backstab me.¡± He dashed forward and hurled intense disruption discharges at his two opponents.

    Under the effects of mana suppression, Nash and his ally barely managed to activate two spells. Nash equipped himself with a pair of shadow claws. The dwarven woman cloaked herself in rock armor and charged at Terry.

    Unfortunately, for the dwarf, her rock armor did not carry enough mana to protect it from Terry¡¯s compressed Immovable Object spell. Painfully, she smashed with all her momentum into her own immovable rocks.

    Nash did a better job of engaging in close combat. For a while, he managed to put up a fight against Terry, but before long, Nash broke his own fist against an immovable pebble that Terry had left behind. Terry took off towards the recovering dwarven woman while Nash howled with pain.

    Terry flung several pebbles behind the dwarf and then stomped the dwarf against the first. He burst his mana, kicked her feet away, and in the same fluent motion, he elbowed her against the next immovable pebble. Her skull cracked slightly but she was still alive.

    Terry used a burst technique and returned to Nash¡¯s position. He sensed mana movement and a shadow blade suddenly appeared from the ground. Terry was a moment too late and received a shallow slash wound on his chest. An instant later, Terry was on Nash and assaulted him with a barrage of kicks, punches, and disruptive palms. He dislocated Nash¡¯s shoulder. He stomped on Nash¡¯s foot and broke two toes. He rammed his elbow into Nash¡¯s face and cracked Nash''s jaw.

    Terry abruptly jumped back and observed his two opponents. The dwarven woman appeared to have a concussion. Nash looked to be in tremendous pain. ¡°Now, you may surrender.¡± He could see loathing in Nash¡¯s eyes. Loathing¡­ and fear.

    Terry glanced at his own bleeding chest and sighed inwardly. He looked back at his injured opponents. Terry was not entirely comfortable with his new act. It still felt like beating down an already beaten opponent, but as long as a verbal admission of surrender was not the final end of a fight in the Proving Grounds, he was willing to give this new retaliating approach a try.

    If the results were still in question on his first battle day after applying the Warlord''s lessons, Terry had to admit that it was working on the third day. The incessant repetition of the same sequence of events ¨C insincere surrender and ambush or insincere alliance offering and betrayal ¨C had finally stopped. There were even a few battles in which Terry did not have to fight at all.

    Terry''s reputation had changed and some of his opponents surrendered before the battle even started.

    Perhaps I can finally make some real progress¡­ Terry looked forward to the battle day on which he could earn his first item privilege.

    ***

 133 Breaking the Mold

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°You¡¯ve done better,¡± said Damian with reluctant praise. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your performance today. I¡¯ll be watching.¡±

    Okay? Terry was not sure how to respond. This was the first time that Damian had visited him before the battles started.

    ¡°If you make it through the day with your winning streak intact, then I¡¯ll have your first item waiting for you,¡± continued Damian. ¡°I approve of the choice you¡¯ve made for it.¡±

    What happened to discussing this after I¡¯ve earned the privilege? Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°But remember¡­¡± Damian¡¯s tone became stern. ¡°The most important thing is to stay alive. If you die, then you won¡¯t be of use to anyone. So keep your wits about you.¡±

    Duh? Terry shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± replied Damian almost automatically. ¡°Oh, old habits die hard.¡± Damian chortled. ¡°I almost took you for one of my soldiers. I suggest you do better than trying. The last one that fed me a line about trying was called Fernanda and your friend, the Captain, sliced her apart at the Bulwark.¡± Damian looked to the side and shook her head. ¡°Fernanda ¡®tried¡¯ to remember her hardening spell combination.¡± He moved his gaze back to Terry. ¡°Don¡¯t take your cue from Fernanda. Don¡¯t try. Do it.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure I would make for a good soldier. Terry chose to simply nod.

    ¡°Break a leg and try to make it someone else¡¯s.¡± Damian departed and left Terry to his own devices.

    What a strange way to wish someone luck¡­ Terry went back to his breathing exercises and burst technique practice.

    ***

    Terry had won his initial matches of the day without many problems. The opponents overall had a better mana foundation than on Terry¡¯s previous battle days, but Terry hadn¡¯t noticed much of a difference. One opponent had wielded an aspected halberd, but it had not been much use to the opponent after Terry had transfixed it with the Immovable Object spell.

    Late in the afternoon, Terry had only a single match left to reach the number of wins required to exchange for the privilege to wield an item in combat.

    In a room above most audience seats, Damian was looking pensively at an inscribed display that was visible to the audience but not to the contestants in the arena. ¡°I wonder if¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they are not interested enough yet,¡± surmised one of Damian¡¯s confidantes. ¡°Beatrice certainly isn¡¯t the type to forget her blood debts.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡ª No, look!¡± Damian stood up from his seat and pointed. ¡°The votes for the twins! No way that sudden rise is organic, quick!¡± Damian gave a signal to his allies among the audience.

    ¡°It appears to be too late, sir,¡± said an assistant. ¡°The rest period for our man has just ended. The twins are going to be Terry¡¯s next opponent. The margin is so thin, it almost seems natural. If that was manipulation, then it was superbly executed.¡±

    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t have an eye on the twins from the beginning?¡± asked a friend of Damian''s who was also in the lounge. ¡°They¡¯re known cleaners, aren¡¯t they? They could have advanced further already but regularly throw in the towel to never leave the tier they feel comfortable in.¡±

    Damian shook his head and looked at his friend. ¡°The problem is that there are too many to watch all at once. We paid more attention to others because the twins are really too far out for the audience. They are strong individually. They are exceptional at coordinating together. They have the numbers and items advantage. It¡¯s too far out. The audience shouldn¡¯t be that eager to put them against Terry, which means them winning the vote represents a larger manipulation than we expected.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like the Beatrice I know,¡± remarked Damian¡¯s confidant.

    ¡°Will your man be okay?¡± asked Damian¡¯s friend.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± admitted Damian with a frown. ¡°If he can trap the cultivator with his pebbles, then he has a chance to take out the mage quickly. Otherwise, this will be¡­¡± Damian¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± He grit his teeth. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m overlooking something.¡±

    ¡°Beatrice has that effect on people,¡± quipped Damian¡¯s confidant dryly.

    Damian¡¯s friend squinted at the display. ¡°Which arena is the fight supposed to be in again?¡±

    In the audience seats below, an older boy was teasing his younger brother. ¡°Ouch, tough luck for your new crush.¡±

    ¡°Shut your trap, I¡¯m just interested in his mana cultivation,¡± said the younger boy in a defensive tone. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to watch this match.¡±

    The older sibling softened his tone. ¡°Look, I know that you wanted to become a fighter, but with your light-aspected mana that¡¯s¡­¡± He rubbed his brother¡¯s head of hair. ¡°You can always sign up as a healer and prove yourself that way.¡±

    The younger boy slapped the arms of his older brother away and glared at him defiantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be no sissy healer.¡±

    The older boy snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Assassin or scout then. If you save up for enough items, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of items if I¡¯m not allowed to use them in the arena?¡± grumbled the younger boy with a pout.

    The older brother shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch the match. I hope your new crush will survive longer than two minutes¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry was being led through a tunnel into another fighting arena. The moment Terry set foot outside, he felt that something was off.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry realized that there were no pebbles to pick up. The ground looked as if someone had freshly smoothened the earth with no pebble or rock in sight. Terry attempted to dig into the ground with his bare feet, but the earth had evidently been compressed as well.

    Terry did not have time to dwell on it because right at this moment, two human men were entering the arena. Their faces looked extremely similar to each other, but one was a lot sturdier with broader muscles. Their mana signatures weren¡¯t cloaked and plain for Terry to see.

    The muscular one is dual-aspected with ice and fire. The other appears unaspected with a slightly more intense mana signature.

    This just keeps getting worse. Terry frowned when he sensed a magic fingerless glove on each of them. Dense inscriptions, probably more than one inscription woven together in each of them. Terry could not help but recall his own thoughts on choosing an item. Crap.

    The next thing that happened took Terry by surprise: The scrawny one of the two handed his magic glove to the muscular brother, who immediately put it on his free hand.

    ¡°Alright.¡± The muscular opponent grinned widely and punched into his palm. He sneered at Terry. ¡°This is as far as you will go.¡±

    Terry realized that the scrawny opponent was backing away while shaping the spell structure for Haste. Terry dashed forward. The way this match was set up, this wasn¡¯t just a normal encounter. This whole situation seemed targeted at Terry and if that was the case, then it was better to not lose too much initiative.

    Going by the scrawny man¡¯s mana signature, Terry judged that even with the support of Haste, the scrawny man was likely slower than Terry in his bursting state. Nevertheless, it was still better to prevent the spell if possible because once active, it was hard to disrupt.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± sneered the muscular opponent and with a burst of mana, he cut off Terry¡¯s path while also moving mana into one of his gloves.

    Terry felt a familiar pull at himself. The activating bidirectional attraction almost made Terry spit his tongue out. The inscription allowed the sturdy opponent to catch up with Terry.

    Terry dodged the lunging fist and instinctively retreated from the fist in a low evasive movement. A second later, an intense but short fire-aspected discharge was raging where Terry had just been.

    Similar style to Pa Bjorln, thought Terry while switching direction to confront the cultivator once more. But not quite the mana pool to match the style.

    The muscular cultivator continued his assault on Terry and alternated between fire and ice in his discharges. Terry, on his part, started countering with his own disruption discharges to push away the opponent¡¯s discharged mana.

    While Terry and the cultivator were exchanging blows, Terry sensed the successful ignition of the Haste spell ¨C but not on the target Terry had been expecting. The mage among the two twins had not cast the spell on himself and instead supported the cultivator brother. Terry cursed himself for missing this possibility. If he had anticipated this, then he could have disrupted the spell before it was targeted.

    Before, the cultivator had been forced into a continuous burst to keep up with Terry, but now the man only burst his mana whenever he wanted to accentuate his attacks.

    Terry switched his burst technique and his battle rhythm became too unpredictable for the cultivator to react in time. Terry landed a good punch into the man¡¯s kidney. However, just when Terry had intended to follow up, a bolt of lightning was aiming for him from the mage brother.

    The cultivator brother used the chance to retreat and get closer to the mage again.

    Terry¡¯s eye twitched and he realized that the mage had prepared a dual-casting. Terry burst forth and unleashed a layered disruption discharge. Unfortunately for Terry, the cultivator brother countered with his own discharge and at the current distance between them, the mage¡¯s spell targeting was not disrupted. The skin of the cultivator took on a metallic shine.

    Metal Skin. Terry was scowling at the two. I see. As long as the cultivator blocks me from reaching the mage, the mage can focus on strengthening the cultivator, which makes it even less likely that I can reach the mage. Terry¡¯s eyes darted over the pebble-less ground and then back to the cultivator¡¯s magic gloves. Cloth. Chosen specifically so that I cannot transfix them?

    Terry rapidly dashed around the arena and noted how the cultivator always stayed between Terry and the mage. This confirmed Terry¡¯s hypothesis.

    Terry''s probing was interrupted when the cultivator charged at Terry with metallic fists. Terry understood that this was meant to pin him down. He circulated a burst technique for speed and dashed away. However, he soon felt himself pulled back again by the cultivator¡¯s bidirectional attraction inscription. Together with the cultivator¡¯s hastened state, it was near impossible for Terry to get away.

    Terry tentatively burst his mana beyond his limits and, for a moment, he escaped past the range of the inscribed glove.

    *KAZAP* An empowered lightning bolt instantly snaked its way towards Terry.

    Terry had faced enough lightning in his life to recognize an attack he did not want to tank if he had the choice. However, dodging meant abandoning his attempt to get away from the cultivator. Terry clenched his teeth, abruptly changed direction and charged directly at the cultivator.

    Terry dodged the cultivator¡¯s first fist with minimal movement. He leaned slightly to the side to evade the fire rushing from the fist and switched his mana circulation to the mana resistance pattern.

    Terry countered the opponent¡¯s attacks at an angle to redirect the force instead of blocking just like Bjorln and Sigille had instructed him for facing armored opponents. Even though Terry managed to hold his own, he was feeling unhappy with his own performance.

    Perhaps I have become too reliant on the Immovable Object spell when dealing with armored enemies?

    Not the time.

    Focus.

    Terry stepped closer to the cultivator¡¯s body line, feigned a punch and used the opportunity to  grab a hold of the cultivator¡¯s arm. Terry planned to hurl the cultivator away to get a distance advantage for going after the mage. To Terry¡¯s chagrin, he sensed one of the inscribed gloves activate before he could get far.

    Two effects activated simultaneously. Terry felt himself being pulled back by the bidirectional attraction inscription. At the same time, Terry¡¯s left foot felt nothing but air as the earth was reshaped to make Terry trip up.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Terry managed to catch himself and did not fall, but before Terry could react further, he found himself grabbed by the cultivator.

    *KAZAP* An empowered lightning bolt hit Terry in the back.

    Terry felt his blood boil and circulated his mana in the resistance pattern. He ignored the screaming pain. He ignored the uncomfortable sensation of his skin crawling with growing fern-like scars. He suppressed the urge to headbutt the opponent¡¯s face in front of his own. What would have been a good move at other times, was very self-destructive if the opponent was wearing metal skin.

    Instead, Terry jumped up with a burst and then violently swung his legs to put the cultivator off-balance. He earned enough wiggle room to pull his arms above the cultivator¡¯s grasp and then pressed his thumbs into the cultivator¡¯s eyes.

    The cultivator was forced to undo his hold on Terry. He unleashed a quick succession of fists accompanied by fire- and ice-aspected discharges into Terry¡¯s stomach.

    Terry felt himself consumed by pain but he refused to let go before injuring the cultivator¡¯s eyes. Only after he had felt a squish, Terry let go of the cultivator¡¯s head and retreated. He glanced down at his own stomach and it looked about as painful as it felt. His clothes were in tatters and his skin was decorated with alternating burns and frost marks.

    Terry reacted to the sensation in his mana sense and narrowly evaded another lightning bolt. He rushed ahead to finally take care of the mage.

    ¡°YOU SWINE!¡± The cultivator roared with blood running from his crippled eyes. He was still able to pursue Terry thanks to his mana sense, but the loss of eyesight and therefore the loss of visual cues to balance himself slowed him down regardless.

    When Terry got closer to the mage, he thought that it had been worth it. Right until an empowered Kinetic Push from the mage put a stop to Terry¡¯s rapid progress. Terry wanted to curse when the cultivator caught up with him, even more so when the cultivator overtook Terry.

    The mage finished a quickened Cure Wounds spell on the cultivator and one of the man¡¯s eyes recovered visibly. ¡°Stay close while I finish the healing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll skin that swine,¡± growled the cultivator. ¡°Give me my claws and then we¡¯ll fry him.¡±

    ¡°You know the setup for that,¡± said the mage. ¡°No need to rush and expose ourselves. Refreshing your active effects comes first and then I¡¯ll add Enhance Strength.¡±

    Terry was scowling with a dark expression. He felt trapped in this battle and he had a bad premonition that it would only get worse.

    If only I had my equipment. Terry could not help but lament.

    Focus.

    No time for pointless whining. Terry took a deep breath and then dashed forward with a burst technique.

    Again and again, Terry clashed with the cultivator, with neither side coming out with a clear advantage. With the support of the mage in the backline, the cultivator was gaining the upper hand over time, but Terry still managed to hold his own thanks to his mana foundation and burst techniques.

    Terry took some comfort in the fact that the mana pool of the mage was noticeably decreasing, which meant that the mage would soon reach the limits for the number of active spells he could support over the long run.

    Time seemed to crawl to a halt when Terry sensed the activation of the cultivator¡¯s second glove. Terry felt a tug on his mana and that was not all. The ambient mana that had been lingering around from their discharges gathered on the cultivator¡¯s glove as well. Another inscription flared up and the mana darted from the cultivator to the mage.

    Of course, they would have a counter to my advantage in mana foundation. Terry frowned deeply.

    Time returned to its normal speed and Terry¡¯s expression became grim. His mind raged to wrestle as much mana as possible back from his opponents.

    The cultivator¡¯s grin twisted into a confused expression when he sensed his own mana conversion slow down but he did not pay it much mind. It was still enough for the twins¡¯ plan.

    Before Terry knew it, he was now facing a cultivator equipped with Metal Claws. The condensed metal-aspected mana threatened to shred Terry into pieces. Unfortunately for Terry, the condensed mana was not corporeal enough to target with the Immovable Object spell even if Terry had been able to overpower the mana concentration, which he wasn¡¯t.

    Terry was pressured increasingly. He could not block his opponent¡¯s metal-like limbs. He could not inflict damage on the body that was as hard as metal. He could not escape the cultivator¡¯s grasp.

    Terry¡¯s injuries piled up while the cultivator was healed. His own exhaustion was growing perpetually while the cultivator was supported by Banish Fatigue spells.

    Just when Terry thought that this battle could not possibly go any worse, the mage in the rear began unleashing a vast barrage of ranged spells. A barrage of spells fed by Terry¡¯s own mana. Whenever Terry unleashed a disruption discharge to counter a spell or an aspected discharge from the cultivator, some of the mana would be permanently lost to Terry and absorbed by his opponents.

    Terry evaded to the side to avoid a fire spear from the mage and next was faced by a fire-aspected discharge from a different direction.

    The cultivator had begun stepping slightly aside so that he and his twin could both attack Terry from different directions. All the while, the cultivator still made sure to never let Terry past him.

    Eventually, Terry was pushed to his limits and beyond. Another fist of ice arrived and Terry could not avoid it by leaning back because he could already sense the lightning-aspected mana from another ranged spell. Terry¡¯s left arm was still blocked by his opponent¡¯s hand. Terry¡¯s right arm was obstructed by the cultivator''s bidirectional attraction glove.

    Terry¡¯s sight turned first dark and then lit up with starry light as the fist made contact with his temple and then the ice-aspected discharge entered his brain. Lightning sizzled shortly behind Terry and half a second later, Terry was rolling backwards on the ground with the worst headache of his life. He felt as if his brain was freezing over.

    Terry¡¯s vision was still blurry and his mind consumed by pain when he saw the dark outline approach. The next thing Terry felt was a slash across his face and a kick into his side. The disorienting sensation of another tumble over the ground followed.

    Terry burst his mana in a desperate attempt to regain control, but before he managed to get far, a lightning bolt hit him in the side.

    Terry did not even have time to breathe until the cultivator was already on him again. After suffering several kicks, Terry felt himself pulled up by the head.

    ¡°Greetings from Beatrice,¡± whispered the cultivator. ¡°She said to make it painful.¡± The cultivator twisted Terry¡¯s arm and dislocated Terry¡¯s shoulder. Next, the cultivator let go of Terry¡¯s head and violently kicked into Terry¡¯s chest.

    Terry felt the agonizing sensation of rolling on the ground with broken ribs.

    This is it¡­ Terry¡¯s mind turned numb. I can¡¯t get away¡­

    ¡°Oof¡­¡± Up in the audience seats, a young boy was frowning with disappointment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it too hard,¡± comforted the older brother. ¡°The fight was over from the beginning. If a cultivator can¡¯t get close to a mage, then it¡¯s game over for them.¡± He patted the shoulder of his younger sibling. ¡°If you can learn the Blink spell, you can do better.¡± He switched to a more stern tone. ¡°But it¡¯s still not a good idea to challenge a mage skilled in ranged combat. That¡¯s just how it is. A proper mage fighter will always gain the upper hand in the end.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± The younger boy was dispirited.

    Down in the arena, Terry was rolling on the ground again after another painful kick from the cultivator.

    I can¡¯t get away¡­ Terry¡¯s mind was consumed by despair. Pictures flickered in his mind.

    His friends¡­ weeping.

    His family¡­ weeping.

    Until his thoughts reached the image of Sigille¡­ Sigille wasn¡¯t weeping. She was shaking her head with stern disappointment.

    Terry¡¯s face contorted in a painful grimace. ¡°I tried¡­¡±

    ¡®FIGHT!¡¯ shouted the image of Sigille in Terry¡¯s mind. His thoughts reordered to realize that Sigille would be disappointed in him not for losing, but for stopping to fight.

    ¡®Fight!¡¯ ordered Sigille once more.

    ¡®Fight!¡¯ ordered Matteo next to Sigille.

    ¡®Fight!¡¯ ordered the figures of Bjorln and Isille with pleading eyes. Terry¡¯s mind was soon echoing with a chorus of: Fight! Fight! Fight!

    I can¡¯t get away¡­ Terry tried to push himself up while the chorus still rang in his mind. It was then that something clicked into place when he looked at the approaching cultivator and the mage in the back. Terry became very aware of the arena¡¯s boundaries. ¡°You¡­¡± He took a deep breath and his face contorted into a ferocious expression.

    Terry suddenly dumped nearly all his remaining mana into the arena at once. His eyes turned fierce while he pushed himself up. The mana extended to the edge of the arena and began rotating. Many mana shapes sprang into existence and in a matter of seconds, spell slicers were rotating all across the arena.

    Terry fixed his gaze on his two opponents. ¡°You can¡¯t get away either.¡±

    Terry forcefully pushed his dislocated shoulder back into place and slowly walked forward. When Terry had first tried the idea in Tiv, he had been unable to make it work because moving the field together with him had been too hard. Instead of attempting to let the disruption field follow him around like he had done in the past, Terry was now maintaining it at a fixed location.

    With every step, with every rotation of the mana under Terry¡¯s control, the number of spell slicers increased and so did their intensity. Meanwhile, Terry continued placing mana refractors in the area to accelerate the progress.

    For a moment, the only audible sound among the audience were quiet gasps of shock.

    A young boy was the first to get up to his feet with mouth agape.

    Many more followed.

    The sight inside the arena was too abnormal.

    Terry reabsorbed some mana and used it to dash forth in a burst technique.

    The cultivator barely managed to regain his composure in time and moved to block Terry. He wanted to sneer at Terry, but the descending effect of mana suppression suffocated his sneer in an instant.

    Terry performed another mana exchange with the field for a burst. He quickly ducked, grabbed onto the cultivator¡¯s legs and hurled the man above his head.

    The mage tried to attack Terry with a Lightning Bolt spell but the lightning did not make it far before clashing with some of Terry¡¯s rotating army of spell slicers.

    The cultivator first tried to pin Terry down again, but Terry only dodged the man¡¯s attacks with minimal movements while zig zagging to get closer to the mage.

    The pair of twins were scowling at this point. There was all the mana for them to drain and share, but the mage was in no position to use it because Terry¡¯s rotating field of disrupting spell slicers had crippled the mage¡¯s ranged casting.

    After several minutes, the cultivator¡¯s metal claws disappeared. The spell had deactivated because the mage had been unable to recast it.

    Terry continued slowly approaching his opponents. The blood was still trickling slowly down his face from the slash wound Terry had received earlier from the metal-aspected claws.

    ¡°You¡¯re just postponing your inevitable demise,¡± growled the cultivator in a posture of dominating strength.

    Terry did not pay the man''s words any mind. His mind was still echoing with the chorus to fight. He faced the cultivator with grim resolve. He knew that he only managed to equalize the battlefield somewhat.

    As if they had planned to prove the point, Terry saw the twins dart towards each other so that the mage could recast the Haste and Metal Skin spells. Right afterwards, the cultivator charged again at Terry while the mage retreated.

    Terry took some satisfaction in the fact that the spell structures shaping up in the mage¡¯s hands were the same spells again. Evidently, Terry had unsettled their plan and confidence.

    Terry confronted the cultivator with clenched teeth. He felt betrayed by the limitations of his own body. His mana-soaked body was much sturdier and more resilient than a manaless equivalent, but beating down metal-like skin with his bare hands and bare feet still left Terry injured severely. Even though Terry¡¯s mana foundation growing up dwarfed most others, he was still only twenty and the transformation of a body was a time-consuming process.

    Terry was exchanging painful blows with the cultivator when he could feel a familiar itch in his mind. Terry had not paused until now to note how his training inside the cell had evidently improved his ranged mana control, but now he felt something incongruous with his mana sight.

    Terry¡¯s eyes darted all over the arena and back to the cultivator in front of him. Terry subconsciously smiled like a predator looking at prey and he jumped back to the edge of his own ranged casting reach.

    ¡°How dare you look at me like that,¡± growled the cultivator with eyes filled with hatred.

    ¡°You should have fixed your diet before coming here,¡± said Terry flatly. ¡°Drink more water and the like.¡±

    ¡°Did I hit your head too much?¡± The cultivator jeered.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± replied Terry in the same flat tone. His eyes followed a spell slicer that collided with the cultivator¡¯s body.

    The slicer that consisted of Terry¡¯s naturalized mana was obstructed by the cultivator¡¯s own mana but it still passed through.

    That was when the prickling sensation in Terry¡¯s mind appeared. The sensation of his naturalized mana that was beyond his normal mana sight ¨C blocked by the cultivator¡¯s body.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think so.¡± Terry cast the Immovable Object spell on the small object he could perceive through the prickling sensation in his mind.

    The cultivator, who was walking forwards, suddenly stopped with a confused expression that melted into pain and panic. ¡°Wh-what did you do?¡±

    ¡°Fight,¡± replied Terry. He took a run-up, jumped and with both feet kicked the cultivator away.

    The cultivator uttered a spine-chilling scream while his lower body was ripped apart. A bloody something was hovering in the air where he had just been with lots of blood trickling down onto the ground.

    Terry merely glanced at the transfixed kidney stone and instantly arrived on top of the cultivator whose organs were partly hanging out of his body. Contrary to how the cultivator had played with Terry before to make it painful, Terry had no such distracting ambitions. Terry violently stomped onto the cultivator¡¯s windpipe and organs before the mage could rush over with a healing spell.

    The mage stopped his run half-way and stared with horror at the bloody pile that had been his brother. His face contorted and alternated between disbelief, rage, and sheer terror.

    The suffocating feeling of mana suppression had been enough to unsettle the mage¡­

    The sphere of disruption that obstructed his spells had inspired a primal fear in him¡­

    Then his only brother and ally had been killed in front of his eyes¡­

    The mage¡¯s expression settled on terror when he saw Terry walk slowly towards himself. ¡°N-no¡­¡± He ran away. He tried casting a ranged attack spell but once again, the lightning dispersed before it could reach Terry. He hurriedly cast Haste on himself to escape from Terry.

    ¡°Mistake,¡± muttered Terry flatly. He circulated some of the rotating mana outside through his body and used it to accelerate with a burst technique. Even in the mage¡¯s hastened state, the man was no match for Terry¡¯s burst speed. Terry rammed his elbow into the man¡¯s face with the full force of his bursting charge.

    The sudden impact and violent collision together with the angle at which Terry placed it, twisted the mage¡¯s neck. Terry glanced down at the second dead opponent. ¡°Should have gone with Metal Skin.¡±

    Terry slowly walked back to the match overseer while the rotating lake of mana around him decelerated and then drained off into Terry¡¯s body.

    Terry did not see the praise in the overseer¡¯s eyes.

    He did not hear the thunderous applause and cheering from the audience.

    Terry¡¯s mind was preoccupied with the lingering prickling sensation in his mind and the repeating chorus of: Fight! Fight! Fight!

    In the audience seats, a young boy was still cheering his lungs out with pumped fists.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of mana cultivation like this¡­¡± muttered the older brother while thinking about the rotating mass of mana filled densely with spell slicers.

    ***

 134 The Fight for Recognition

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°Do you need a hand with the healing?¡±

    Terry jerked his head around so fast that his ribs shot out a painful reminder of their broken state. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you need a hand with the healing,¡± the match¡¯s overseer repeated patiently. Terry¡¯s battle had been the last for the day under her watch and she had taken it upon herself to guide Terry to the contestant barracks. ¡°It would be a shame to lose you after that performance.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

    ¡°Heh,¡± the woman chortled. ¡°That¡¯s the look of a man growing into the coliseum alright. Here¡­¡± She shaped two spell structures in front of Terry. ¡°The spells are primed, ready, and plain for you to see. Yes or no? I won¡¯t insist.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± muttered Terry in a puzzled tone. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Thank yourself.¡± The overseer grinned. ¡°The more you prove yourself, the more allies you will find. One of the many lessons of the Proving Grounds.¡± Her grin became wider. ¡°More enemies too. Another lesson. That match wasn¡¯t normal. You must have pissed on someone¡¯s leg to invite such attention.¡±

    ¡°Guess so,¡± said Terry. His voice had become louder and more amicable after the relieving sensation of healing spells. ¡°Are you going to investigate this?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± asked the overseer indifferently. ¡°None of the setup violated the rules of the Proving Grounds. If your enemies outshine your allies, then your life will be harder. That applies not only in the arena. Well, you reminded the instigators of another lesson of the Proving Grounds.¡± The overseer smirked. ¡°Plots and intrigue can create an advantage but that is that. It is more difficult to lose with an advantage but far from impossible. In front of power, many plots become meaningless.¡±

    Terry did not feel inclined to join in such an abstract conversation. He felt grateful for the healing, but with the lingering pain of his broken body, ¡®power¡¯ was not a word he associated with himself at this very moment.

    ¡°Alright, they¡¯ll take you from here,¡± said the overseer. ¡°I¡¯m called Yesenia, by the way. See you soon.¡± She left and a group of soldiers accompanied Terry for the rest of the trip.

    Terry had barely settled down in his transparent cell when he heard the familiar clicking sound of the door opening.

    Damian arrived with hurried steps. ¡°Oh?¡± His steps slowed. ¡°I see you have already performed some treatment.¡± Relief was visible on his face. ¡°Are the remaining primers in the wand enough for the task? I brought a good healing potion just in case.¡±

    Terry nodded. ¡°The match overseer offered to heal me.¡±

    ¡°She did?¡± Damian was surprised and then a glimmer of understanding flickered across his face. ¡°I believe she appreciated seeing something new, same as many in the audience.¡± He examined Terry with an appraising glance. ¡°Same as me. Stay in the back.¡± Damian first placed a fingerless glove in the cell and then, with an appreciative nod, he added the healing potion. ¡°You did well today.¡±

    ¡°You mean that I caught Beatrice¡¯s attention?¡± asked Terry with a trace of annoyance.

    ¡°I mean that you survived,¡± retorted Damian. ¡°And yes, you did. I failed to account for the possibility of the arena being prepared against you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I could point out that such tactics are practically never seen, because they don¡¯t have much use. In fact, I can only recall a single incident where someone poured gallons of poison and salt in advance to sabotage a mage that focused on plant manipulation.¡± Damian clicked his tongue. ¡°But I¡¯m not a fan of making excuses. If Beatrice could see it, I should have been able to see it too. I¡¯ll do better.¡±

    ¡®See it¡¯? Terry used the wand from his uncle Samuel to cast another Heal spell on himself. ¡°You mean that the way I relied on the pebbles was easy to sabotage?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± confirmed Damian. ¡°No point in trying to sabotage an earth mage, but with you, the field manipulation practically eliminated your spell use until¡ª What exactly was that?¡±

    ¡°Luck,¡± replied Terry with a dark expression. ¡°I can¡¯t rely on that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope you continue being lucky,¡± said Damian. ¡°But perhaps next time, you could knock out some teeth to use.¡±

    Terry blinked with mouth agape. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? I got a lucky break by sensing the targetable object in the cultivator¡¯s body but what if I hadn¡¯t?

    I¡¯m an idiot¡­

    Okay, at least I learned something.

    ¡°If they have Metal Skin active, you first need to get your opponent talking though,¡± continued Damian. ¡°Worst case, you could knock out your own teeth to use.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Better than getting yourself killed.¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°Do you still want to go with the glove? Or did the Metal Skin convince you to choose the dagger instead?¡±

    Terry noted the casual reference to his items. It was evident that Damian knew about the keen inscription on Terry¡¯s daggers. The mana blade would indeed make it easier for Terry to inflict damage and tear through magic defenses.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the glove,¡± said Terry. ¡°More utility.¡±

    Terry would have chosen the glove even if it only carried the bidirectional attraction inscription. The inscription allowed Terry to gather objects for his spell from a distance and it also acted as a mobility option, especially against flying opponents. If the mage from the last match had been able to fly, Terry would have died. The radiating light inscription was a bonus. The self-mending and inertia-lock inscriptions were perfect for Terry¡¯s current challenge in the coliseum too.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± said Damian. ¡°I personally feel like I¡¯m missing a limb without a weapon at hand. Even the cultivator among the twins you faced usually wields a weapon instead of some magic glove. They changed their equipment specifically to counter you.¡±

    ¡°That.¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°How does that work? How did they know they were going to face me? I didn¡¯t know whom I would face.¡± Terry could not prevent a tinge of resentment from entering his voice. This wasn¡¯t like the combat practice matches in Tiv. These were battles with the risk of death. If there was intel on his opponents, then Terry would very much like to be informed.

    ¡°That¡¯s more complicated than you might think,¡± said Damian wearily. ¡°I did not expect it to be so much of a hassle either. They did not know whom they would face. Not exactly. Beatrice and her allies have joined the voting from the audience. They have also coordinated with the twins to have them finish their earlier matches so that you would be free at roughly the same time. Opponents are matched according to rough tier, availability, and audience preference. Beatrice¡¯s faction covered all three points to set things up.¡±

    Terry frowned.

    ¡°I might disappoint you in how much ¨C or little ¨C I can support you with these things.¡± Damian smiled wryly. ¡°The whole idea was for you to distract Beatrice, not to get distracted myself. I have to focus on my actual work, not on these games. I have to use my time in the Lucky Wing wisely. Unless I make a name for myself and actually get things done, I won¡¯t make it into the Popular Wing of the Bloody Hall.¡± Damian shook his head slightly. ¡°My military career has been successful but comparatively short. I won¡¯t stand out with that. I need to use my lucky chance to prove myself.¡±

    Terry tilted his head. ¡°This whole sortition system sounds so weird. Selecting half of your government at random? How does that make sense?¡±

    Damian chuckled. ¡°Not completely random. Only veterans from a recent deployment are eligible for the lottery.¡±

    ¡°Still weird¡­¡± Terry wrinkled his forehead. ¡°Even weirder actually.¡±

    ¡°Agree to disagree,¡± said Damian with a smile. He pulled up a chair and sat down. ¡°I find other forms of government much stranger. A country is defined by those willing to defend it. Without them, the country ceases to exist. If you¡¯re not willing to defend your country, why should you have a say in running it? You don¡¯t deserve it! You are free-riding on other people¡¯s blood. If you don¡¯t care enough to put your own skin in the game, your opinion is worse than useless.¡±

    Damian adjusted his seating position and then continued. ¡°As for sortition, who do you think should run the country then? Hereditary positions like in the old countries of the Union? The strongest fists like in some of the Union¡¯s martial sects? The winners of a popularity contest like in Tiv¡¯s Assembly?¡± Damian scoffed. ¡°Meaning the most attractive, the best rhetoricians, the best connected, and the most shameless peddlers of untenable promises?¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t the members of the Popular Wing also elected?¡± interjected Terry with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°So?¡± Damian shrugged his shoulders indifferently. ¡°Difference in purpose. There needs to be a way to keep effective politicians in office. That¡¯s what the Popular Wing is for.¡± He cracked his knuckles. ¡°The sortition of the Lucky Wing is to prevent the blood in the Bloody Hall from going stale. New perspectives. All perspectives have a chance.¡± Damian smirked. ¡°How about your own country, Arcana? Magic obliges? Ruled by those with better magic. Strange if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Terry crossed his arms in thought. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make sense to let intelligent people take care of running everything? Intelligent and educated?¡±

    ¡°Sense?¡± Damian guffawed. ¡°In what way? Is it really that different from letting the strongest rule? Or those with the biggest talent in magic? Being intelligent doesn¡¯t make you more deserving of being heard. If you ask me, it¡¯s no different from being strong or gifted in magic.¡± Damian put his hands behind his back. ¡°While education eliminates some blind spots, it also creates a few new ones.¡±

    Okay now everything sounds weird, thought Terry with a frown.

    Damian put his hands in front of him again. ¡°There is only one thing that matters and that is being effective at improving the Empire.¡± Damian smirked. ¡°Talking about intelligence, how about this: Let¡¯s go with your theory about who deserves the job. Give it Terry¡¯s golden stamp of approval. Assume you¡¯ve been right. What if things change? How would you ever prove yourself wrong?¡±

    Terry was still trying to process the question when Damian already continued.

    ¡°The answer is: You can¡¯t if you start from a position of selection bias!¡± Damian spoke with emphasis. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to unlearn wrong or outdated information unless you are giving alternatives a chance.¡± Damian took a deep breath and continued: ¡°That¡¯s why the Lucky Wing is essential. The randomness of sortition is the only guarantee for periodic unlearning. That¡¯s explained near the end of the Warlord¡¯s inquiries.¡±

    ¡°Still sounds weird to me and it might take a while for me to reach that chapter,¡± remarked Terry drily. ¡°Unless you would like to give me some time off from the Proving Grounds?¡±

    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± said Damian. ¡°You know why, but good point. You should focus on training before reading. You need to prove yourself.¡± He stood up and returned the chair to its original position. ¡°As do I. See you when there is something to talk about.¡±

    Terry watched Damian depart and then picked up the inscribed glove from the floor. The familiar fabric made him smile. He pulled the glove over his left arm and tightened the lace to secure it on his forearm.

    Terry channeled mana into the inscription and attracted one of the pebbles on the floor. ¡°Battle aside, this will make training so much easier again.¡±

    I guess I hadn¡¯t realized how big a help the pebbles are in the arena¡­ Terry clicked his tongue and looked down at his tattered robes and bruised body.

    ¡°I should probably clean myself¡­¡± Terry looked to a corner of his transparent cell where fresh sets of clothes and a wash bin with a water catcher were located. After Damian had been convinced that Terry had properly remembered the previous lesson of nearly dying, Damian¡¯s assistant had brought these items over for Terry.

    Terry was feeling conflicted. He wanted to clean himself and get into proper clothes, but he also wanted to continue practicing with the pebbles. Subconsciously, Terry clenched his fist around the pebble in his left hand and began aspecting the pebble with his oscillating mana. Terry used the aspecting technique that Wallace had taught him during Terry¡¯s visit to the dungeon scavengers.

    Terry carefully paid attention to the uneven mana charge and when he judged the timing right, he cast the Immovable Object spell and flung the pebble away. He followed up with a rapid targeting of the bidirectional attraction inscription and a movement of his left arm to further navigate the pebble until the spell fully activated and the pebble became transfixed in the air.

    ¡°I wish I had my notebook¡­¡± Terry grumbled absentmindedly.

    Since Terry had started battling without his equipment, he did not have the luxury to switch between different materials like septimum or octavum in order to influence the activation delay of his Immovable Object spell.

    Terry felt lucky that he had discovered the influence of an imbalanced mana charge with oscillating mana on the activation delay of the spell by accident. However, it was difficult to keep all the results of his experiments in his head. Terry was used to writing things down in order to free his mind up for the next topic without worrying about forgetting something.

    Maybe I could get Damian to temporarily hand over my storage items so that I can retrieve my notebooks?

    But then they might press me to reveal why they were not able to retrieve the oscillating containers.

    Or they might confiscate my notebooks and learn what I know about oscillating mana¡­

    Terry shook his head. ¡°Not worth it.¡± He looked at the transfixed pebble. ¡°Slower delay than before.¡±

    Terry had noticed that there were ways to both lengthen and shorten the activation delay compared to transfixing a plain pebble without any oscillating mana charge. However, this pebble had transfixed slower than it should have been according to Terry¡¯s previous experiments.

    Terry repeated the pebble throw but without the adjustment with his bidirectional attraction glove. The pebble transfixed quicker than the first one. Terry felt a headache coming.

    Other mana activations causing interference?

    Crap.

    ¡°How am I supposed to remember all of this?¡± Terry groaned. He looked at the wash bin. ¡°Time to procrastinate.¡±

    While Terry was cleaning himself up, he dumped his mana into the cell and began feeling around outside the inner cell with his naturalized mana. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the benefit of scouting the area, Terry was now utterly convinced of the usefulness of his recently discovered mana touch. The past battle had demonstrated to Terry that feeling with his mana touch beyond the limits of his mana sight could be a life saver.

    ***

    Terry walked down the hallway with clenched fists. He enjoyed feeling the familiar sensation of the long, fingerless glove that was bound tightly around his left forearm. The inscribed glove that his aunt Brynn had sent him to Tiv reminded Terry what he was fighting for in the Proving Grounds: a chance to get back to his family and friends.

    The darkness of the hallway gave room to the bright sun covering the arena. Terry¡¯s eyes moved curiously over the audience seats.

    Is it just me or are there more seats than in the arenas before? What¡¯s that sound¡ª?

    Terry realized that a large part of the audience had begun cheering as soon as he entered. He blinked dazedly.

    Weird.

    This is new¡­ Terry sensed a mana signature from the second entrance. Focus!

    A woman in the same plain robes as Terry entered. She was carrying a short scepter that was ornamented with a purple mana crystal. ¡°Damn, why is it this one of all people?¡± The woman exclaimed unhappily.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± The audience began chanting with anticipation.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow, but immediately brought his attention back to his opponent. There was still some distance between them and Terry did not want to enter another ranged combat stand-off. He charged towards the female mage.

    Before Terry could reach the woman, she vanished from sight and reappeared at another location.

    Blink. Terry was prepared because he had already sensed the spell shaping. He unleashed a disruption discharge to counter the snakes of fire that were shooting at him from the woman¡¯s scepter.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    Terry was still thinking about how to deal with the mage¡¯s Blink spell when the chants from the audience droned in his ears again. He scrunched up his face. ¡°Oh is that what they mean?¡± He dumped a large portion of his mana into the arena and moments later, the mass of mana was rotating through placed focus refractors and spell slicers were roaming the arena.

    Terry had set up his disruption field once more.

    ¡°Damn it, fine I surrender!¡± shouted the woman before Terry could rush over.

    Terry had to remind himself not to take a contestant¡¯s word of surrender at face value.

    Surprisingly, the woman simply left with the overseer¡¯s assistant without making any fuss. Terry almost didn¡¯t believe that it had been this easy. In half a daze, Terry reabsorbed his own mana with practiced mana control. The process only took a few seconds, much to the disappointment of the audience, who was eager to see more of the disruption field in action.

    ¡°¡°¡°Terry!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Terry!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Terry!¡±¡±¡± The initial disappointment at the short display gave way to enthusiastic cheering.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Terry gave the excited audience one last incredulous look before leaving the arena. ¡°This is new¡­¡±

    This isn¡¯t half bad.

    Terry subconsciously touched the inscribed glove on his left arm.

    ***

    Her dark scaled hands pulled down her mage hood further as she passed the people on the road. Her eyes darted nervously across the soft-skinned humans. If only her magic hadn¡¯t shown her this direction.

    ¡°Fate, you can do this.¡± The lizan woman mumbled to herself. ¡°You have to.¡±

    She knew that she had no choice. Sooner or later she would have to enter the settlements of this realm. There was no other way. The fact that these natives were not taken aback by her lizan appearance told her that this was the right place, even if it hadn¡¯t been for paying her debts.

    The way these humans reacted told her that they had seen other lizans before. Unfortunately, the crowd still made her uncomfortable. She wasn¡¯t used to crowds. Not since the truth had been revealed to her.

    ¡°Fate, you can do this.¡± She tried to encourage herself once more and looked around. Her spellwork only indicated a general direction. Ever since she had learned the scrying spellwork of this realm, she had relied on it. She understood its limitations. It had to be taken step by step. Otherwise, she would never have entered an inhabited settlement, no matter how small or remote it was.

    Fate paused and her mana sense told her that one of the stronger mana signatures was still following her. Her heartbeat accelerated even though she understood perfectly well that these were not the folks whom she needed to worry about. This was just one of the crimson-robed humans she had noticed earlier. Just a guard doing her job.

    Fate turned a corner, channeled mana into her staff, and teleported away while covering her tracks. These soldiers were no threat to her. Her blood was still safe.

    Fate arrived in her new location and was comforted with the assurance of a fresh scrying. Her path was set. Her mission and her debt were both leading her to the same direction. Further into the crimson empire.

    ***

 135 Shifting Thoughts

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 7 ¨C

    Terry stepped into the arena. He was getting used to the cheering in the background whenever he entered. Terry told himself that he should tune the audience out, but he could not hide the smile on his face. It felt good to have people shouting their support for you.

    Still, Terry did not forget his arena routine. He emitted a thin trail of mana and sent it towards the entrances for contestants. The total amount of mana was so tiny that no one in the audience or among the overseer positions detected it. The fact that Terry¡¯s mana appeared unaspected made it even easier to go unnoticed.

    Before the other contestants entered the arena, Terry could already feel them even though the tunnels blocked his mana sense. Terry had picked up the habit of testing his mana touch on contestants whenever he was first in the arena. Not only did it give Terry an early idea of what he was going to face, but it also allowed Terry to learn the way different mana aspects and signatures felt to his mana touch.

    While scouting with his mana touch, Terry additionally collected pebbles from the arena ground.

    Less than a minute later, two elven contestants arrived. A woman and a man. They were both carrying swords and wearing similar martialist robes, only the woman¡¯s robe was white while the man¡¯s robe was black.

    Terry was not surprised by their appearance. With the help of his mana touch, Terry had correctly predicted that there would be two mana martialists and that they each carried two magic items.

    As soon as the two had entered, they immediately split up and circled Terry. The woman performed a movement technique and began dancing up into the air on droplets of water. The man charged forward with his own movement technique that caused a mana resonance to show the image of a jumping giant hare with black eyes and dark blue fur.

    The way they act, the white-robed martialist probably has a ranged technique.

    Annoying.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    Shut up. Terry had already guessed that the coliseum audience was picking his opponents to see his disruption field in action. However, them wanting to see the disruption field did not mean that it was a good move.

    Should I? Terry still felt his thoughts influenced by the audience. He might have been tempted to give the audience what it wants, but he could practically feel the rebuking gazes of Isille, Bjorln, and Sigille. Terry knew what they would have to say about probing the limits of a recently acquired technique in an uncontrolled situation where death was a possibility. No, I shouldn¡¯t.

    Even though it was barely a breath, Terry¡¯s indecisiveness had allowed the male opponent to get half-way to Terry.

    Terry instinctively chose to not meet the opponent¡¯s charge.

    The black-robed cultivator swung his sword at Terry and infused the sword with mana. Before the sharp mana blade could reach Terry, however, the physical blade had been transfixed in the air.

    ¡°Hurgh!¡± The black-robed elf experienced the recoil from his own momentum ¨C both from his charge and the slash with his sword. In this excruciating moment, both of his practiced techniques had turned against him.

    Terry followed up with a burst and a rapid stomp into the opponent¡¯s chest. The black-robed elf flew away while magic activated in his robe.

    Terry glanced at the transfixed sword. Doesn¡¯t look like the sword¡¯s magic is based on regular runes. No idea how that works, but the effect looks similar to the keen inscription. That could have gone sideways¡­

    Terry had judged that his own mana compression would be sufficient to overpower the mana inside the magic item, but he had not accounted for the possibility of the martialist infusing his own mana on top. Luckily, his spell structure had been intense enough.

    Terry casually dodged a blade of water that flew at him from the white-robed woman¡¯s sword technique. Terry smiled mirthlessly when he saw the current location of the woman. He placed his foot against the side of the transfixed sword. Next, Terry channeled a torrent of mana into his own inscribed glove and pulled hard while hurling a pebble charged with oscillating mana.

    The white-robed elf discovered that her movement technique was not prepared to carry the additional force of Terry¡¯s bidirectional attraction inscription. Her droplets were not as strong as the immovable sword that Terry used as an anchor. She was hurled through the air and collided painfully with the immovable pebble. She was forced to the ground rapidly, but she managed to catch herself with an elegant roll. Her formerly white robe had now turned grey.

    Terry grabbed the sword and stopped his spell that transfixed it in the air. He involuntarily paused when he realized that it had never occurred to him before to wield his opponent¡¯s item.

    Focus.

    Terry dashed towards the white-robed woman, who appeared to be the bigger threat at the moment.

    ¡°We yield!¡± shouted the black-robed man. His alliance partner lowered her sword and looked at him without a comment.

    ¡°We yield,¡± repeated the man with a pleading look towards Terry. He was holding his sword arm that looked to be in really bad shape. ¡°Just give me back my sword and we will go.¡±

    The man¡¯s statement caused Terry to tilt his head.

    Wait, can I steal and keep my opponent¡¯s items?

    Huh¡­ Terry glanced at the sword. Nevermind that now. I wouldn¡¯t choose that sword over my glove anyway. Or over my other items. Even if I can keep it, I wouldn¡¯t have the required item privileges to wield it in battle.

    More importantly¡­

    ¡°I have developed a few trust issues here,¡± said Terry. ¡°If you want the sword back, then she¡­¡± He pointed at the white-robed elf. ¡°...will leave first. Then I¡¯ll hand you back your sword. If you leave too, then you can continue in an alliance. If you get any bad ideas, then I¡¯ll make you pay for them and you won¡¯t be able to continue in your alliance.¡±

    The black-robed man glanced at his partner, who looked unhappy. He turned back to Terry. ¡°That sword is important to me. How do I know that you will keep your promise?¡±

    Terry involuntarily snorted. ¡°If you figure that one out, please tell me. I would love to know that trick too.¡± He scrunched up his face.

    Terry¡¯s reaction caused both the mana martialists to giggle despite the tension. To them, Terry sounded like a grumpy grandpa who was fed up with people. They subconsciously stood more relaxed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t like lying. I don¡¯t like these games either.¡± Terry flung the sword up in the air. At the edge of Terry¡¯s casting range, the sword transfixed. Terry moved away. ¡°I¡¯ll step back further for every step she goes. When she has left, you will be closer to the sword than I.¡±

    The black-robed man considered the offer. He knew that Terry had access to the bidirectional attraction glove, but he decided to take his chance. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    None of the three went against their agreement. The two mana martialists left with their items and with their alliance intact. Terry, for his part, had another win to count for himself.

    Terry was surprised that the audience still cheered for his win, albeit more reserved than when they had shouted for the disruption field. He walked towards his own exit while pondering over the match.

    ***

    Terry sat in his transparent prison. At first glance, he was practicing his spellwork. There were transfixed balls and pebbles all around him.

    ¡°Field, field, field¡­¡± Subconsciously, Terry chanted quietly for himself like the audience had done in his last few matches. He was smiling from ear to ear.

    A part of it was the simple joy of being cheered for. Another part was the fact that his recent battle days had been going exceedingly well ever since he had reached the threshold for his first item privilege.

    Terry was not sure which one of the two he was more elated by.

    Or perhaps he didn¡¯t want to admit it to himself.

    There was another reason for Terry to be elated. Beyond the surface level, Terry was using his mana touch to watch the vicinity. After making sure that there was no one in the outer cell and that there was no one except the usual guards in the entrance tunnel outside, Terry went to work again.

    Terry moved his thin naturalized mana to the table and with a rapid rush, he pressed his mana into the dimensional bag.

    Thank mana, it is still set to open mode.

    Terry cherished the dimensional bag that his aunt Brynn had given him as a gift for his first learned spell. He often used it for his most precious items, because the dimensional bag could be set to a closed mode, where you had to put your hand into it in order to retrieve items.

    This feature that was useful to Terry in most cases, would have been disastrous for his current plans.

    Sensing mana and magic with his mana touch still felt weird to Terry, but he had finally been able to activate his magic storage devices that were placed outside the transparent inner cage on a table out of Terry¡¯s sight.

    Ranged activation is a pain to begin with¡­ Terry grimaced from the headache of sinking his consciousness into his dimensional bag from a distance.

    Finally! Terry¡¯s wide grin reappeared on his face when he could feel the item he had been trying to retrieve from the dimensional bag: A dual-imprinted wand.

    Terry took a deep breath and first verified that he could also return the wand to the dimensional bag ¨C and how long it would take. Terry had no desire to find out what would happen if the Thanatos watchdogs discovered what he was doing.

    After making sure that he was able to hide his tracks, Terry continued with his real plan.

    If this works out, I¡¯ll invite Lori to her favorite tea house every day of the year¡­

    Terry¡¯s brow showed deep wrinkles from concentration. He felt gingerly with his mana touch, not daring to be reckless. If the main imprint collapsed, then Terry would have to think of a new fallback plan.

    Even though Terry increasingly enjoyed his recent appearances in the Proving Grounds, he was not under the delusion that his path would continue that smoothly. After all his recent experiences in Tiv, in Arcana, and now in Thanatos, Terry did not feel like leaving his fate entirely up to an arena whose setup was out of his own control. Terry wanted to wrestle at least some control back for himself.

    Terry mustered his resolve and then finally ignited the imprint accompanied by the pulse generator. The spell structure of Liquify Earth rushed along the carved directional lines and Terry had to try and catch up with the moving spell structure to take control of it and adjust the targeting. The spell was of no use to Terry on its current track. Terry needed to guide it around the walls of the room and then towards the stone that held the transparent cell in place.

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    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Terry had failed to capture the moving spell structure in time. Adjusting the spell targeting by only relying on the sensations from mana touch was simply too unfamiliar. Terry felt as if he was forced to sprint while walking on crutches.

    Terry exhaled sharply and then inhaled deeply. ¡°No one said this was going to be easy.¡± He decided to pause his targeting practice for another precaution: Terry wanted to feel the difference in charged primers. He needed to be able to tell how many charges were left.

    Ideally, Terry never wanted to return the wand back to the dimensional bag unless it was fully charged. Otherwise, people would be able to detect that something was off if they were familiar with the wand. After all, the primers did not recharge inside the dimensional storage.

    One step at a time¡­ Terry mumbled to himself and continued with his plans.

    ***

    Terry entered the arena.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    A slight smirk played on Terry¡¯s lips but his eyes remained focused on the other arena entrance.

    Something about the sensation from his mana touch was irking Terry, but he could not put his finger on it.

    A tall elven woman entered with her mana completely cloaked. As soon as she laid her eyes on Terry, they filled with hatred and her face contorted into a snarl.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    Why not?

    Terry unleashed his disruption field in the arena. The fact that he could not sense the woman¡¯s mana meant either a magic item or a mana user with enough mana control for proper spellwork.

    If she is a mage, then I would have to disrupt her anyway, right? Terry tried to ignore the part of his mind that wanted to ask if the audience had perhaps influenced his decision making.

    I knew it! Terry felt vindicated when he sensed spell structures appear and evaporate.

    What was that? Terry narrowed his eyes while slowly circling around to the woman. Blood-aspected? Frenzy perhaps?

    Terry subconsciously began bursting his mana. He had learned to be wary of mind-affecting spellwork and magic abilities. He dashed forward with an accelerating burst technique.

    When Terry was close, the elven woman pulled a small push dagger and struck at Terry.

    If this had been a spar, then Terry would have grabbed the dagger-arm and tried to disarm the woman immediately. At worst, he would get a small scratch, but he would be able to finish the match quickly. However, something caused Terry¡¯s instincts to ring the alarm bells. He jumped back and distanced himself from his opponent again.

    Something¡­ Terry¡¯s eyes fell on the oddly glossy blade of the push dagger. When he saw the dagger¡¯s shine, he remembered the smell from up close.

    Three different memories sprang up in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Terry¡¯s group had failed the bounty hunt examination. Isille was reprimanding them with a glare¡­

    Lizzy collapsed on top of the Bulwark and contorted in pain. Purple lines appeared on her face¡­

    They were walking through Tiv to gather the ingredients for the potion to save Isille from the reaper¡¯s touch. To pass the time, Miguel explained how to distinguish different poisons by smell¡­

    Terry glowered at his opponent. He wondered if poison on a dagger still counted as a single item, but in the end, it did not matter at this time.

    What mattered was that Terry changed his approach.

    Instead of putting the emphasis on speed, Terry now circulated a burst technique that made it difficult to predict his movements. Instead of charging straight at the elven woman, Terry circled her and slowly moved closer.

    Terry waited for the best possible moment to step close. When the moment for the confrontation had finally arrived, Terry followed through rapidly and resolutely. He attacked from the perfect angle. He changed his burst technique for the final step. He combined his physical attack with the Immovable Object spell targeting the push dagger.

    Terry¡¯s eyebrow twitched when he sensed a flicker of light-aspected mana disturbing the activation of his spell.

    For an instant, Terry was wondering how this mana had managed to obstruct his spell so effectively, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Even though Terry¡¯s spell had not activated, whatever the elf had done, had broken her concentration.

    Terry successfully disarmed the elven woman. The hatred in the woman¡¯s eyes was not diminished by her worsened position in this fight. In the following exchange, Terry could have sworn that the woman had even tried to bite him.

    Terry repeatedly had to beat his opponent down, but she refused to surrender.

    ¡°Mana damn it, just surrender!¡± exclaimed Terry with frustration.

    ¡°...¡± All the response he got was a glare filled with pure hatred.

    ¡°¡°¡°Kill!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Kill!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Kill!¡±¡±¡± The audience had made up their minds about what they wanted to see.

    ¡°Yeah no,¡± grumbled Terry. He had discovered that he did not feel like acquiescing to the audience¡¯s wishes in all aspects. He looked around the arena and his eyes landed on the unsheathed push dagger.

    Terry wrestled the push dagger¡¯s sheath from the badly injured opponent, who was still refusing to yield the match. Afterwards, Terry walked to the push dagger and picked it up carefully. His nostrils reacted to the scent of what Terry assumed to be poison.

    Terry tentatively cast his Immovable Object spell on the dagger. The dagger transfixed without a problem.

    Okay then the obstruction was something she did before.

    It wasn¡¯t a spell.

    I think. Terry furrowed his brow.

    For a moment, Terry indulged in the sight of his disruption field and the countless spell slicers slithering around the arena. He had to remind himself that this advantage was limited to places like the coliseum ¨C places with a limited area where the opponent can¡¯t leave certain bounds.

    With a deep breath, Terry took the dagger and walked slowly towards his opponent. He pointed the dagger. ¡°If you don¡¯t surrender, I will test whatever you have here on you.¡±

    When Terry was only a few steps away, the elven woman suddenly flared up with mana and all her wounds were healing with incredible speed. During the healing process, the deeper wounds were covered by a golden liquid.

    ¡°REALM TRAITOR!¡± Angry shouts washed over the arena.

    Terry, too, had realized the nature of the person standing in front him: The elven woman was a channeler of the Bright Lady.

    ¡°That explains why my spell did not activate.¡± Terry muttered to himself. ¡°Not just light but holy. Mana disturbing.¡± Might also explain why she looks at me as if¡ª What¡¯s going on now?

    Terry was surprised to see more than a dozen soldiers in crimson armor step into the arena.

    ¡°Stop your disruption field,¡± ordered the overseer, who had stepped close to Terry. It was the same woman that had introduced herself as Yesenia to Terry before. ¡°The match is over. You have won.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± Terry reabsorbed his mana and while doing so, he held the sheathed push dagger up. ¡°Can I keep this?¡±

    ¡°Everything you take in the Proving Grounds is yours,¡± said Yesenia. ¡°Excuse me, but I have something to do.¡± She walked towards the elven woman.

    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± screeched the elven woman with overflowing hatred. She wanted to rush at Terry, but the soldiers obstructed her.

    ¡°You should worry about yourself, cultist,¡± spat Yesenia. ¡°You have hidden well until now, but this time, you have lost it. You should know that you are not welcome in our empire. We do not tolerate realm traitors.¡±

    ¡°Faithless scum!¡± screeched the channeler of the Bright Lady. ¡°Murderers!¡±

    Yesenia scoffed. She turned to the audience. ¡°Is there anyone here that would stand up for the realm traitor?¡± She pointed with a hand at the channeler. ¡°Otherwise, I will enact the judgement immediately.¡±

    Terry, who was standing next to one of the overseer¡¯s assistants near his exit, was raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°I take that as a no,¡± said Yesenia approvingly. ¡°As it should be. Realm traitors stand alone.¡± She flicked her hand and in less than a breath¡¯s time, the elven woman had imploded into a bloody pulp.

    Terry gulped. The spellwork had been very quick, but he had been able to sense it. Terry did not recognize the spell structure, but he was certain that it was at least a master-level spell. The fact that Yesenia had cast such a spell with such familiarity told Terry something about the overseers at the Proving Grounds.

    Above all that I should not snap at them ever again. Terry cringed when he remembered how he had talked to some of the overseers in his first battles in the coliseum.

    ***

    Terry entered his cell and was surprised to meet Damian waiting for him.

    ¡°Well fought today,¡± praised Damian.

    Terry smiled and then wondered why he felt happy at being praised. He recalled what his pa Bjorln used to say about the opinions of others.

    Why do I care about his opinions? Am I starting to respect him? Terry was looking dubiously at Damian.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that¡ª nevermind.¡± Damian refrained from commenting on Terry¡¯s facial expression and instead held out one of Terry¡¯s inscribed daggers ¨C sheath included. ¡°Here, you have earned the privilege to use it in battle from now on, which also means that you are back to square one with your winning streak.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± muttered Terry and he happily received the dagger.

    He had wondered which item he should pick next. He felt like he was lacking too many.

    He would have loved to take the healing wand with him, but the risk of breaking or losing it was too high.

    He wanted a protective item ¨C not only for himself but also for his inscribed glove ¨C but he could not justify using up a spot for a non-magic shield. His barrier spear would have been great but without a storage item to place it in, the spear also represented an encumbrance and losing access to one hand.

    The dagger and sheath, on the other hand, took only a single spot together ¨C Terry had confirmed that multiple times with the rulebook and Damian. The keen inscription also offered a way to attack with mana, which the barrier spear, for all the blade¡¯s quality, did not offer.

    Terry felt a lump in his throat when he realized that this inscribed dagger was not the one he had taken initially from Alrik¡¯s secret dungeon and then carried all the way to Tiv. No, the handle showed less signs of use. This was the dagger that Lori and Jorg had gifted him after his return to Arcana.

    Terry grabbed the dagger¡¯s handle tightly and swore to himself: I will return to them.

    ¡°Here, you can have this too.¡± Damian spoke up again and held out another item.

    For a moment, Terry panicked at seeing the storage bracelet.

    Is this a trap? Did they notice what I was doing with the storage bracelets? Some kind of bait to see my reaction? What if¡ª

    ¡°I don¡¯t have all day.¡± Damian slapped the storage bracelet into Terry¡¯s free hand. ¡°I can understand the suspicion. It¡¯s a healthy habit to remain skeptical of people bearing gifts, but this isn¡¯t exactly free. I believe you are succeeding at your task and I would like you to up the ante.¡±

    Terry realized that Damian mistook his reaction for general suspicion and wariness. Terry hoped that his current feeling of relief was taken in a similar vein.

    ¡°I told you that we needed to check your items before I can return them,¡± continued Damian. ¡°These are the ones we consider harmless for you to have.¡±

    Another moment of panic welled up in Terry. Please don¡¯t be inside.

    Please don¡¯t be inside.

    Terry hurriedly checked the storage bracelet. Oh, thank mana!

    Terry was relieved to find that the earth manipulation wand that Lori had crafted for him was not inside. His fallback plan for escaping the Proving Grounds would have fallen apart otherwise.

    Terry had already confirmed that there was a mana-obstructing layer in the floor of his transparent cage as well, which meant that the wand¡¯s Liquify Earth imprint would be useless to Terry from the inside.

    ¡°We¡¯ll hold onto that mana sublimator for now,¡± continued Damian. ¡°Some of our crafters have shown an interest in studying the inscription.¡± He caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°If you get recognized, I¡¯ll try to get it back to you. In the arena, it would be useless anyway. Ammunition requires separate item spots.¡±

    It dawned on Terry that this was probably the reason why he had not encountered ranged weapons like bows or crossbows in the arena before.

    ¡°I have to do a trip for my own work, which means I won¡¯t be able to play item nanny for you during that time,¡± said Damian sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t try to sneak in more than you are allowed to. Don¡¯t get distracted. It¡¯s possible that you earn your next item privilege before I return. Pick an item from the bracelet.¡±

    Oh that¡¯s why he¡¯s doing this!

    Terry hurriedly checked the storage bracelet again and frowned. ¡°Any reason why the divine hammer inscription is not inside?¡±

    ¡°Because that qualifies as a distraction,¡± replied Damian calmly.

    ¡°I told you I can use it for mobility,¡± stressed Terry.

    ¡°Which would require two inscribed items unless you want to start hopping around on a single leg.¡± Damian pointed out. ¡°Besides, from what I have seen, you can get around fine. If it comes down to it, you also have your glove. You should have already noticed that airborne mobility is limited in the arena. You should worry about other things first.¡±

    Terry entered the inner cell and was back in his transparent walls. He absentmindedly sunk his consciousness into the storage bracelet and checked his items.

    Maybe if I earn the privilege for more items I could take the storage bracelet and then the barrier spear becomes more workable?

    Involuntarily, Terry thought of a previous conversation with Damian.

    A conversation about crime avoidance. A conversation in which Damian had mentioned, among other things, tracking spells and surveillance constructs. Terry paused and looked at his storage bracelet with increased suspicion.

    Great. Another thing to worry about¡­

    Terry sighed and then began retrieving his items from the storage bracelet one by one. He carefully examined the items with his fingers, eyes, mana sight, and even with his mana touch.

    He did so for even the most innocuous tertium pieces.

    After a while, Terry retrieved a foldable tertium cube.

    Huh?

    Terry tilted his head and stared at the tertium cube. ¡°What are these?¡± Terry¡¯s fingers traced tiny indentations in the tertium surface while his eyes followed. There were many of them located in small clusters all around. Terry could not recall anything that would have left marks like these.

    To Terry¡¯s bewilderment, it also looked as if these were placed on the inside of the folding marks, meaning that whatever had caused them had been inside the tertium cube.

    ¡°Eww.¡± Terry blurted out when his fingers had touched something sticky. ¡°Is this¡­ chocolate?¡±

    ***

 136 The More You Prove Yourself

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 24 ¨C

    Terry stepped into the arena. The image in his eyes overlaid with the mana he had felt earlier and confirmed his suspicions. Even if it had not been for the similarity in mana signature, the shimmering combat robes were enough to tell Terry that this was going to be annoying.

    Sun and a golden crow again¡­ Terry felt a headache coming.

    ¡°Finally.¡± The young mana martialist smirked and looked at Terry with contempt. ¡°I already killed the other one. Now all that is left is you to regain face for the Blazing Sun.¡±

    ¡°¡®Other one¡¯?¡± Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°That shadow-aspected creep,¡± elaborated the mana martialist.

    Nash? He didn¡¯t even touch the scion, did he?

    He was already half-assing the alliance from the beginning. Perhaps even waiting for a chance to take me out. If anyone had a reason to kill him, it would have been me.

    Terry was surprised but he did not feel particularly disturbed at the thought of Nash¡¯s death.

    ¡°If you have come to avenge the other pest beetle from your sect, I would like to point out that he insisted on dying,¡± said Terry grumpily. ¡°He had already lost. He refused to surrender. He dared me to kill him. He even threatened me.¡± And those I care about but I¡¯m not going to give you any ideas. Terry cut off his thoughts before speaking them out loud.

    ¡°Who asked you to win?¡± retorted the mana martialist coldly. ¡°How dare you lay your hands on a member of the Blazing Sun Sect! You should have listened! You have only yourself to blame!¡±

    Have it your way. Terry dashed forward and unleashed his spherical disruption field.

    Naturally, Terry understood that the mana resonance of mana martialists was different from spellwork. After all, there was no spell structure to destroy for breaking a mana resonance. Even so, Terry had already confirmed that the disruption field made it more difficult for mana martialists to trigger a resonance effect.

    The mana martialist darted around by relying on a movement technique. The fact that his technique did not create resonance in the surrounding mana visibly annoyed him. He pulled a bladed whip from the inside of his combat robes and whipped it towards Terry.

    The metal blade at the whip¡¯s tip snaked towards Terry. With a red glow, the whole whip caught fire.

    Terry suppressed the reflex of trying to cut the whip with his keen dagger. He still remembered the nuisance of blocking flexible hellion spikes and the mana tendrils from the hellspawn champions. Instead, Terry dodged while taking time to compress his own prepared spell structure to increase the mana intensity and structural stability.

    Terry did not worry about his opponents using weapons. Contestants frequently resorted to weapons when confronted by Terry¡¯s disruption field that impaired their long-ranged magic.

    More often than not, Terry was happy whenever his opponents arrived with weapons. It would be even better if they arrived with armor, but Terry had not encountered anyone wearing proper armor pieces.

    No matter if it was armor or weapons, Terry had the perfect way to counter them.

    Terry stopped dodging and the whip''s bladed tip was transfixed in the air. Terry did not know how long his compressed spell structure would hold against the whip¡¯s own mana, which was why he did not dare to waste time. With an intense burst of mana, Terry arrived fast in front of the martialist and drew his own dagger.

    The mana martialist found himself pressured to let go of his whip whose blade was still transfixed in the air. Before long, the man was covered with painful cuts from Terry''s keen mana blade.

    Terry was in no mood to play around and paint himself as an easy target in the arena. His slashes were aimed at spots that hurt and debilitated. He had to admit that it felt liberating to finally have a proper weapon again. Something to cause real damage quickly.

    Terry finally stopped when he was sure that the opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to put up much resistance anymore. ¡°Surrender!¡±

    ¡°Surrender you mother!¡± spat the martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    What is that even supposed to mean? Terry scowled at his opponent and placed a kick into the man¡¯s stomach. ¡°Surrender.¡±

    ¡°Kill me if you dare!¡± growled the martialist. He stood back up with shaky legs.

    Terry took a deep breath and spoke flatly. ¡°Fine.¡± He walked forward and just when he was about to cut his opponent¡¯s throat¡­

    ¡°YOU DARE!¡± An indignant roar rolled over from the audience seats. A figure in shimmering robes decorated with a large sun and golden crow flew up into the sky. "Cease your insolent attack!"

    Was there mana in that shout? Terry tilted his head in confusion. He had felt a reflexive pull to obey the order and was not sure where it had come from. Before Terry had much time to think about it, his attention was drawn to the flurry of crimson all around the coliseum.

    ¡°Greetings, elder from the Blazing Sun Sect.¡± Yesenia, who acted as the match overseer, stepped forward. ¡°I ask you to return to your seat. Perhaps you haven¡¯t read up on the rules of the Proving Grounds, but any outside interference in battles is forbidden.¡±

    ¡°Hand him over!¡± The elder pointed at Terry.

    Yesenia looked at the elder coldly. ¡°Did I stutter? Return to your seat!¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± growled Yesenia unfazed.

    The elder from the Blazing Sun Sect flared his mana and let everyone get a sense of his power. ¡°Do you really want to suffer for the sake of an outsider? Hand him over and no one will get hurt.¡±

    ¡°You must have gotten hit on the head too much,¡± sneered Yesenia coldly. ¡°''For the sake of an outsider''? We stand here in the Proving Grounds ¨C the most sacred institution of our Thanatos Empire. And you are defiling it with your interference. Are you tired of living?!¡±

    ¡°I want him dead,¡± growled the elder.

    ¡°You are free to join the battle for recognition,¡± replied Yesenia sternly. ¡°If the audience wills it, you will meet eventually.¡±

    The elder scoffed with indignation. ¡°How many lives here is that outsider worth?¡± The elder flared his mana once more and many of the surrounding audience members fainted.

    Yesenia smiled mirthlessly and then she shouted to the audience. ¡°Did you hear that, Thanatos? You have been threatened. What is your response?¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Fight!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Fight!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Fight!¡±¡±¡± The audience shouted in unison. Even some of the half-fainted people yelled as loud as their lungs allowed. Every Thanatos citizen glared defiantly at the delegation from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± exclaimed Yesenia with satisfaction. ¡°Thanatos doesn¡¯t bow to threats!¡± She cast her own magic and flew up into the sky. Other soldiers in crimson joined the overseer. More soldiers entered the audience ranks to surround the remaining members of the Blazing Sun Sect delegation.

    ¡°Mad Empire,¡± cursed a martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    *Clap* *Clap* *Clap* Another figure in crimson stepped out of the shadows while clapping. ¡°A proud day for Thanatos. This almost brings a bloody tear to my eye.¡± The statement drew attention to the crimson iris at the center of his forehead.

    Yesenia could not help but smirk when recognizing the unexpected guest. ¡°General Eli, it is our honor.¡±

    ¡°The honor is mine, overseer.¡± Eli smiled at her. ¡°Visiting the Proving Grounds is one of the few pleasures that makes a retreat from the frontlines worthwhile.¡± He moved his gaze to the elder from the Blazing Sun Sect. ¡°I was enjoying the match until your interference. That has me rather irked. I consider you irksome.¡±

    ¡°YOU¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut the wastes up!¡± Eli slapped the elder from the Blazing Sun before the martialist could defend himself. A corroding palm imprint remained on the elder¡¯s face and the skin melted away painfully. ¡°The Sky River Sect has just crumbled before Thanatos and it is just the last of many. You dare to put on a show with just your puny Blazing Sun Sect? Where do you get the gall, I wonder?!¡±

    Eli glared with disdain at the elder. ¡°I had no need to show my presence here. The overseers are more than capable of dealing with the likes of you. The reason I have shown myself is only because your blood isn¡¯t worth a single drop of theirs.¡± He addressed the soldiers without moving his gaze away from the sect elder. ¡°Mark their mana signatures and faces. If any of them ever steps into Thanatos again, cripple their cultivation and hang them out for their ¡®friends¡¯ from the other martial sects to find them.¡±

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    The sect elder flinched in pain from the corroding palm and retrieved a healing item.

    ¡°If you dare to heal that mark, I will cut off your head,¡± threatened Eli.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave,¡± said the elder submissively. All of his bluster had vanished with the realization of what kind of power he was facing.

    Terry¡¯s opponent moved to join his sect members, but before the martialist had made it far, an intense Metal Hammer spell rained down from the sky and squashed the man into paste.

    Eli had cast the spell while keeping his eyes on the elder of the Blazing Sun Sect. ¡°It was you that sealed his fate when you interfered and tainted the sanctity of our Proving Grounds. Remember that.¡±

    Eli spoke firmly while observing the mana martialists, but his voice was amplified and could be taken as a warning to whoever else might have harbored thoughts of meddling from the outside. ¡°If you have blood debts to settle with a contestant, then wait your turn.¡±

    Standing under the sky filled with these imposing characters, Terry was reminded of his own relative insignificance. It brought back past memories. Of the time when he had sensed a huge poison-aspected spell in the battle against Willow¡¯s faction in the Libra Outpost. At the time, Terry had only been able to count on Amelia the Spellcrusher to stop the poison spell from being unleashed.

    Not much I can do about it. Terry had already decided to not take his own insignificance to heart. One step at a time.

    Terry had become desensitized to the blood and death around him, too, and he did not care much about these insane martial sect members to begin with. He picked up the whip and searched for the overseer¡¯s gaze. ¡°Can I keep this?¡±

    It may not be rope ¨C one can never have too much rope ¨C but I¡¯m sure a magic whip can be useful too¡­

    Terry was entirely oblivious to the fact that the martialist delegation from the Blazing Sun Sect took his actions as an intentional insult to injury.

    ***

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    The audience seems to be excited. ¡®Wolf¡¯? Terry sent the audience an incredulous glance. Are they blind? He looks like a leopard.

    Terry and his opponent looked each other up and down. The felan mana martialist had swaggered boisterously into the arena.

    So this is a felan? Terry found his eyes subconsciously following the swinging cat¡¯s tail behind the mana martialist. Ah right, the Captain said that the felan realm entrance is located inside one of the martial sects in the Free Factions Union.

    ¡°You are basking in the presence of me, the great¡ª Wait, are you the one that offed the scion of the Blazing Sun?¡± asked the felan martialist.

    Ugh¡­ Terry was already tensing up at more trouble brewing. ¡°Yes, why? Are you planning to avenge him?¡±

    The felan martialist pulled back his lips. ¡°Nah, the guy was an asshole.¡± He stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders.

    Terry noted the mana radiating from the felan¡¯s belt. He could tell that it was a magic item, but he was not sure what kind of crafting style would lead to such a mana signature.

    ¡°I¡¯m Rafael.¡± The felan martialist introduced himself. He smirked. ¡°But you can call me Fenrir if you want.¡±

    ¡°Why would I want that?¡± Terry blurted out with a raised eyebrow.

    Rafael looked slightly disappointed. ¡°If you¡¯re not scared of the martial sects, we might become friends.¡± He grinned and punched his own palm. ¡°But to judge a person¡¯s character it is best to exchange fists first, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Terry tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Not really?¡±

    ¡°Just humor me.¡± Rafael grinned a toothy grin. ¡°I consider myself a traditionalist.¡± He baited Terry with his clawed palm. ¡°A civil match to exchange pointers never hurt anyone. At least not if done right.¡±

    What a weird character. Terry shrugged and prepared himself for a fight. He unleashed his disruption field, much to the audience¡¯s delight.

    Rafael¡¯s grin twitched. ¡°Well that was set up faster than I expected.¡± He tentatively tried moving his mana through his martialist cultivation points. ¡°More annoying too.¡± He showed more of his sharp teeth. ¡°Nice.¡± He stepped in a circle while slowly approaching Terry. He moved his hips slightly while his tail swayed from side to side. ¡°Alright, first round like real men. Fist to fist!¡±

    Uhh¡­ Terry was not surprised to see a mana martialist preferring close combat but something about this opponent was not quite what Terry was used to.

    Terry cycled his burst techniques and confronted the felan martialist head-on. Only after a few exchanges did Terry notice that he had subconsciously refrained from using his keen dagger. He also realized that his opponent had not extended the sharp claws Terry knew the felan had.

    Terry became aware of what had felt different than the other matches. This felt like a sincere spar ¨C the first in a long row of death game matches. Terry involuntarily recalled the matches with Vicente in Tiv. Although Rafael did not appear to be quite at the same level as Vicente and closer to Terry¡¯s current level. The felan¡¯s martialist cultivation allowed him to keep up with Terry and his burst techniques.

    They exchanged pointers in close-combat techniques for several minutes until Rafael jumped back and distanced himself.

    ¡°You have that immovable spell, right?¡± Rafael unexpectedly spoke up again. ¡°Pebbles and all. How quick can you cast that?¡±

    Terry subconsciously frowned. This was the kind of information he should normally keep to himself. Then again, he could just ask anyone that has seen my matches, right? Terry relaxed. ¡°Fast enough, why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I myself have a bit of a timing problem,¡± admitted Rafael. ¡°In fact, I already lost a match because of it.¡±

    Terry moved his eyes from side to side, and back to Rafael, unsure of what the felan was getting at.

    ¡°How stable is your spell?¡± Rafael continued with his questions. ¡°Can your transfixed pebbles block powerful attacks?¡±

    Okay this is definitely getting into dangerous intel territory¡­ Terry frowned again.

    Rafael relaxed his fighting stance and scratched his chin. ¡°Honestly, since I¡¯m back to zero, I don¡¯t really care about the match, but maybe I¡¯m lucky here.¡± He put his hands behind his head. ¡°Meaning we¡¯re both lucky, of course. From what I heard, you suck at damage output but you¡¯re excellent at defense, or at obstruction at least.¡± He glanced around at the mass of rotating spell slicers. ¡°Immovable stuff and spell disruption.¡±

    Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression while thinking the felan had a point. He had repeatedly noticed his lack of good means to inflict damage quickly, especially at range.

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of the opposite,¡± said Rafael. ¡°I¡¯m great at inflicting damage, but my timing is¡­ uhh¡­ It has lots of potential.¡± He grinned another one of his toothy grins.

    Is he proposing an alliance? Terry was not sure how he felt about that idea. His last alliance had been a disaster. In contrast to Nash, Rafael hasn¡¯t tried to ambush me though¡­ not yet.

    ¡°Can I test my attack against one of your immovable thingies?¡± asked Rafael.

    Terry narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°If by attack you mean a mana resonance technique, then I would have to retract my disruption field. I¡¯m not sure I like that idea.¡±

    ¡°You can ask any member of the audience, my attack will take longer than you need to put up your domain¡­¡± Rafael was scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be eager to confirm that. They¡¯re like a bunch of gossipping seamstresses.¡±

    ¡°If your immovable object can resist my Heavenly Wolf Slash, then it¡¯s your win,¡± said Rafael.

    Terry blinked while the felan¡¯s words repeated in his head. ¡°Heavenly¡­ ¡®wolf¡¯?¡±

    Rafael looked unamused. ¡°How come this part is always the same? You hairless ape-folk are learning azure dragon scriptures or eternal phoenix steps and no one is batting an eye, but have a felan wanting to learn from the Heavenly Wolf and everyone acts as if it¡¯s turning black to white.¡±

    Terry involuntarily burst out laughing. ¡°So-sorry. My bad. You¡¯re right. You have a point.¡± He was still chuckling when he retracted his disruption field. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that attack of yours, but can you aim it at a pebble?¡± Terry hurled a pebble towards another corner of the arena, where it transfixed in the air.

    ¡°I¡¯ll shred your little pebble,¡± said Rafael boisterously. He continued in a quieter voice: ¡°...and probably the wall behind it.¡± He sent a glance to Terry. ¡°Can you keep that pebble up for a while?¡± He extended his claws and gathered mana from his cultivation points.

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Terry was curious how this would go. How big is that timing problem of his?

    Terry could detect the beginning of an intense mana resonance after more than a minute of Rafael¡¯s concentration. It took two more minutes until the image of a large white wolf appeared. Another minute passed by before Rafael¡¯s claws began glowing and the white wolf opened its mouth to bite.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael slashed his pair of claws. One went side-ways and the other was an uppercut.

    Why is he shouting?

    Oh wow¡­ Terry subconsciously whistled at the intensity of the flying mana blades that were accompanied by the image of a large white wolf charging. The distrustful coliseum contestant in Terry had to wrestle down the curious Academy student in order to be prepared for any potential backstabbing.

    Terry¡¯s worries proved to be unwarranted. Rafael¡¯s attack did not suddenly change direction and instead continued towards the immovable pebble. One of the mana blades from each of Rafael¡¯s hands collided with the immovable pebble. These both broke apart during the collision. The remaining blades passed by the immovable pebble and impacted on the arena¡¯s wall.

    *BANG-Krchk!* *BANG-Krchk!* Large sections of the wall were sliced apart and deep crevices were left behind.

    That¡¯s some damage alright. Terry thought to himself.

    ¡°Alright, you win.¡± Rafael nodded while looking at the unharmed pebble that remained transfixed in the air. He moved his gaze to Terry. ¡°If you¡¯re up for an alliance, you still get the win.¡± He retrieved a piece of paper from his belt. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you are one win short of another item. I would suggest you use this.¡± He pressed the paper on another location on his belt and moved his claw in a specific pattern.

    Terry could see a mana layer gather on the piece of paper. Afterwards, Rafael flicked the paper to him. Terry received the paper while paying careful attention to mana movements. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡±

    [This is a communication talisman.] Rafael¡¯s voice appeared in Terry¡¯s mind. [Should be helpful to coordinate in case you agree to an alliance. Gather mana at the center of the paper if you want to transmit your thoughts back to me.]

    [HELLO?] Terry did as instructed.

    [SHH! No need to shout.] Rafael snickered. ¡°So, how about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fight, yield, or nominate an alliance leader,¡± barked the match overseer.

    ¡°Unnecessarily rough and rude, but that¡¯s the gist of what I was wondering too,¡± commented Rafael drily. ¡°Alliance. Terry is the leader.¡±

    ¡°...okay.¡± Terry overcame his reservations and agreed.

    A part of Terry was still intrigued about winning with alliances.

    Another part was just looking forward to having someone else to talk to aside from Damian. Terry had started wondering if his increased attention to Damian¡¯s opinion was related to the fact that for a long time, Damian had been the only person with whom Terry had held proper conversations.

    Most importantly, however, Terry saw value in the alliance, because if everything was true, then Terry and Rafael would complement each other¡¯s abilities.

    ***

 137 Time to Shine

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 29 ¨C

    [So we can use this to coordinate?] Terry focused on the communication talisman while following the soldiers back to his cell. [And you created it just like that? With that belt?]

    [Are you already impressed with how amazing I am?] The boisterous voice of Rafael replied in Terry¡¯s mind. [That¡¯s right, your granddaddy is amazing.]

    ¡°My what?¡± Terry was having second thoughts about his new alliance. Something about this felan character was strange.

    [One of the reasons I¡¯m looking for an alliance is that I can¡¯t afford to lose the belt.] Rafael¡¯s voice sounded more sincere all of a sudden. [Which is not that easy if I ever want to get out of this place.]

    That statement piqued Terry¡¯s interest. The contestants that joined the Proving Grounds on their own volition could normally drop out after a battle day if they so wished. They were entitled to do so.

    If, however, the contestants had entered an alliance, then they could only drop out as an alliance and this required that all of the alliance members were entitled to leave.

    Of course, there were special cases like Terry. People that have joined voluntarily on paper, but that were more or less forced to do so because of the consequences of leaving the coliseum before earning recognition.

    Over time, Terry had figured out that there were a number of contestants that seemed to be afraid of Thanatos blood debts or of other parties coming for them. When Terry¡¯s thoughts reached this point, he recalled the incidents with the vengeful contestant from the Circle of the Bright Lady and then later with the Blazing Sun Sect..

    Active bounties on my head.

    Channelers with a grudge.

    Blood debts in Thanatos.

    And now an insane martial sect on top.

    Great.

    Just great. Terry held his forehead while walking and sighed. When did I become so popular? I almost miss the time when the only ones that wanted a piece of me were the ghouly Alricks.

    [Hello? You still there?] The voice of Rafael arrived in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Terry regathered his thoughts to get back to the topic that had caught his interest. There was another group of contestants that were not able to leave the Proving Grounds at their own discretion. [Are you a convict? Sentenced to the Proving Grounds?]

    [Convict sounds so sinister.] Rafael sounded playful. [I prefer to think of myself as an entrepreneur with a momentary lack of fortune.] An oddly hollow chuckle. [And I have not been so much sentenced to the Proving Grounds as I thought it would be an absolute crime to not let the people bask in my glorious presence.]

    [Uh-huh, but you still want to leave? Did I get that right?] Terry interrupted with his own thought transmission.

    [Naturally, I am a busy person.] Rafael replied without any trace of shame. [No matter how much the audience is craving for my antics, I can¡¯t just withhold myself from the outside world forever.]

    Terry took a deep breath. [You do realize that an alliance would mean neither of us can leave until both of us can?]

    [Sure thing, but even if there is a slight mismatch in the required wins, we can still increase our streaks and collect more privileges.] Rafael sounded completely sure of himself. [Alternating the wins between us until the topic actually becomes relevant. If you want out before me, I can simply exchange my streak for privileges and then surrender without losing anything and with new privileges under my belt. Besides¡­]

    Rafael¡¯s voice took on a mischievous tone. [There are more things to be gained. I find myself at a distinct lack of tradeable items after a recent mishap. It is only fair that my opponents share some of their wealth in exchange for the enviable privilege of witnessing the Heavenly Wolf.]

    Terry felt conflicted.

    On the one hand, this felan was a convict. He was also exceedingly strange at times.

    On the other hand, Terry himself had nearly been charged with some bogus crime for appearing at the wrong location at the wrong time. That memory caused Terry to be somewhat skeptical of Thanatos justice. The felan had also been quite upfront and honest as far as Terry could tell.

    Terry furrowed his brow. [What did you do to be sent here?]

    [Nothing much. They found me in a house that wasn¡¯t mine.] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived with a joking tone. [These overzealous guards were too stubborn to consider that I have been brought there by a freakish accident and not due to my own volition. The smooth skinned monkeys were holding the fact against me that I was in the process of liberating a few items. Boneheaded bunch.]

    [Liberating items from a house that wasn¡¯t yours?] Terry rolled his eyes. A thief? Could have been worse I guess.

    [Pure altruism on my side,] replied Rafael. [These items would have been so much happier with me. The telos of an item is to be used and not to collect dust on some shelf. The best item should go to the best user and who could be better than my glorious self? Ah by the way, what¡¯s your lodging area like?]

    For the first time, Terry considered that his lodgings might not be the norm. [An outer cell and an inner cell.]

    [So you are a convict too? No matter, I won¡¯t hold it against you.] Rafael spoke teasingly. [We¡¯re all victims of a faceless injustice system, right? But I was more wondering about the mana situation.]

    Terry glanced at the sheet of paper that acted as a communication talisman. [The inner cell blocks mana.]

    [A pity, but not a deal breaker.] Rafael spoke contemplatively. [It just means that we can only start coordinating after you have left the cell.]

    As Terry had surmised, the communication talisman would not work if the mana was blocked. Even the strange mana martialist items still relied on mana as a fundamental energy.

    Terry replayed Rafael¡¯s words in his head and paused. [Wait, do you mean that your situation is different?]

    [Quite different, I believe.] Rafael said wryly. [Nothing to block mana, but they have reinforced the shit out of everything. If I hurled Heavenly Wolf slashes as quickly as I can, I would still be busy for an unrighteous amount of time.]

    Terry¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when he arrived at his cell. [I¡¯m going to be cut off soon.]

    [See you in the arena for our glorious ascension to victory!] Rafael¡¯s bragging thought transmission arrived.

    Terry puffed his cheeks with a helpless look in his eyes. [Right¡­]

    The first thing that Terry looked at after he had entered his cell was a foldable tertium cube with traces of melted chocolate on it.

    Terry was not sure what to think anymore. He was longing for his notebook from the bottom of his heart. He felt his thoughts growing increasingly muddled without a place to collect thoughts to revisit later.

    Terry had been certain that there was something weird about the tiny indentations on the tertium slab. Terry had racked his brains for anything that would explain the strange damage. He vaguely remembered that he had been inside the cube with a bar of chocolate while running away from undead.

    Or from elementals.

    Probably both.

    The biggest obstacle for Terry was that his mind had been muddled from exhaustion and lack of proper rest at that time too.

    Despite the odds, Terry had managed to recall that he had been forced to use disruption discharges because a few death mages had aimed spells inside the tertium cube.

    Together with Terry¡¯s recent realization that his oscillating mana was interacting with the physical realm ¨C somehow ¨C Terry had formulated a bold hypothesis.

    What if my mana is really related to the force aspect? Terry still carried the image of the battling Valkyrie in his mind. Perhaps this had been one reason for his train of thoughts.

    Alas, Terry had tested and falsified his hypothesis. For hours, Terry had flung his disruption discharges ¨C much more intense than anything Terry had managed during the chocolate incident. Nothing. Not the slightest trace of anything remained on the tertium surface.

    After his failed experiment, Terry wondered why he would ever get the idea of the force aspect into his head. The working theory from Samuel in which oscillating mana was an intersection of the life and space aspects matched so many of Terry¡¯s experiences and discoveries while the force aspect explained nothing.

    Nothing except a bunch of tiny indentations that might have been there since long before the chocolate incident.

    ¡°I miss them,¡± muttered Terry in a sorrowful voice. He thought of his family and friends. The single most constant thought in Terry¡¯s muddled mind were the pictures of the people he wanted to see again.

    Perhaps I¡¯m just grasping at anything to occupy my thoughts and prevent them from going to¡ª Terry stopped himself from recalling his days in the dungeon filled with ghouls. He took a deep breath. ¡°I will get through this.¡± Another breath. ¡°I managed to get to this point.¡±

    ¡°I will leave this behind me eventually.¡± Terry clenched his fists. ¡°I will get back to Arcana.¡±

    Terry began practicing his disruption discharges while making sure to reabsorb as much emitted mana as he could.

    ***

    [Rumor on the grapevine is that our opponent will be a canan cultivator with a taste for blood.] Rafael¡¯s voice arrived in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Terry was following the Thanatos soldiers to the arena where he would fight his first battle of the day. [What grapevine? I thought the matches were decided ad-hoc by the audience?]

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    [Exactly! The audience decides based on a pre-selection. I have a fan among the coliseum guards ¨C bless his discerning eyes. The pre-selection for the first match is known in advance. Another fan is quite good at gauging audience sentiment. By the way: Never piss off the audience. I don¡¯t believe there are many that can handle that. The matching is less predictable for the follow-up matches due to timing constraints and the dependency to earlier matches.]

    [Got it.] Terry creased his brows. ¡°I think.¡±

    [That canan fella seems to be a piece of work. Blood and fire-aspected. So with every burst¡ª]

    [He goes up in flames supported by the regenerative abilities of the blood aspect and flies into a frenzied rage?] Terry made an educated guess.

    [Yeah. Apparently, he has quite the body count to his name. Not limited to inside the coliseum either, which is probably why he has one of the longest sentences among the current contestants in the Proving Grounds.]

    Terry raised an eyebrow. [How does the sentencing work? Like in prisons?]

    [Do you really think now is the time for that?] Rafael¡¯s voice was a mixture of surprised amusement and irritation. [Why would you even care?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± muttered Terry quietly. The inner Academy student in him shrugged. [Old habit I guess.]

    [If you say so.] Rafael¡¯s voice sounded skeptical. [Generally, coliseum sentences deal with win streaks. The required win streak depends on the individual abilities and the crime. The worse the crime, the more you have to put your life on the line. You might also be able to reduce it by paying reparations.]

    Terry wondered about the ¡®individual abilities¡¯ part and was about to send another question through thought transmission when his own mana feelers sensed something from the arena.

    Terry sensed something from two of the entrances. His mana touch was giving him early warning about what he could expect. [Our opponent is dual-aspected in blood and fire. Seems like you were right.]

    [Are you already in the arena?] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission was tinged with astonishment and wariness. [How do you know? The soldiers don¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to get me there. What¡¯s going on?]

    [I¡¯m not there yet, no.] Terry replied. [I just know.] He did not feel like explaining his secrets to a person whom he barely knew. The memory of his failed alliance in the Proving Grounds was still vivid in Terry¡¯s mind.

    [I¡¯ll take your word for it,] replied Rafael.

    [Do we need a plan?] Terry mentally went over possible mission objectives.

    [You keep the murdering berserker off my back until I can swoop in with my glorious claws.] A boisterous thought transmission arrived from Rafael. [Who needs more planning than that?]

    Terry rolled his eyes but did not disagree.

    Two minutes later, Terry walked into the arena. In an instant, pebbles were darting into his palm thanks to the bidirectional attraction inscription.

    The next to enter was Rafael. He swaggered into the arena and clapped his hands above his head to incite the crowd. He winked towards Terry. [Time to shine.]

    The last to enter was the dual-aspected canan. His eyes radiated blood lust.

    Terry found it hard to imagine this was a sentient folk. This opponent appeared more like a feral beast. The impression intensified when the canan burst his mana and moved down on all fours.

    The canan wheezed with an open jaw. Saliva was running down the sharp canan teeth. The canan¡¯s burst caused his body to be surrounded by crimson fire. Overcome with bloodlust, the canan charged at Rafael.

    Terry flicked several charged pebbles and dashed into the canan¡¯s path.

    Howls of mad fury reverberated over the area when the berserker found its path blocked by immovable pebbles. The canan struggled and his murder-filled eyes settled on Terry.

    Terry continued blocking the canan unfazed. A year ago, Terry might have been intimidated. Now, however, Terry only shrugged inwardly. The blood-thirsty canan appeared almost cute when compared to the hellspawn Terry had encountered in the Valkyrie¡¯s prison less than half a cycle ago. Terry would never be able to forget the sight of staring into a veil tear and down the horrifying maw of rotating teeth from a behemoth champion.

    [My turn!] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived.

    Terry sensed the accumulation of powerful mana and darted out of the way.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael¡¯s glowing claws cleaved through the air and intense mana blades were flying away from them, accompanied by a mana resonance of a large white wolf.

    The mana blades cut mercilessly through the canan.

    One of the mana blades clashed against an immovable pebble and shattered.

    [Either I improve my aim or you need to deactivate your spell before it hits.] Rafael mentally spoke to Terry. [This kind of spoils my swagger.]

    Despite having lost one flying blade, the attack was still powerful. Even the berserker¡¯s improved regeneration was not enough to recover after being cleaved apart.

    [I can place the pebbles so it¡¯s easier for you to aim,] replied Terry. [No need to lift the obstruction unless there is no other option.] He looked over the cheering audience. [This went well.]

    [One attack, one kill. That¡¯s my style.] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission sounded very self-satisfied.

    Rafael did a victory lap around the arena. ¡°These claws were made for this!¡± He wiggled his fingers with extended claws. ¡°It has been my honor to enact justice on behalf of all the berserker¡¯s victims.¡± He performed an exaggerated bow towards the audience. Then he abruptly stood up straight again and clenched a fist. ¡°This is how justice should be! Swift and efficient! That¡¯s my claw!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    Terry noted that there were a few cheers for ¡®Terry¡¯ mixed in as well. He could not help but smile. It felt good to be praised. Even if it was only by an audience of strangers.

    ***

    ¡°Greetings, how is life?¡± A woman in crimson uniform stepped into the overseer''s office.

    ¡°Yana?¡± Yesenia grinned. ¡°I thought you might make a visit. If even the General can afford leave of absence from the frontlines, then there was bound to be someone that noticed your abysmal record in taking vacations. Knowing you, that someone might have received a few bruises as thanks.¡± She picked up a chessboard from a compartment in her desk. ¡°Up for a game? Like old times?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I can relax for some time.¡± A challenging glint entered Yana¡¯s eyes. ¡°As long as we can exercise a bit later.¡±

    Yesenia chuckled. ¡°Are you still not over our last spar?¡±

    ¡°As if.¡± Yana sat down opposite of Yesenia. She frowned at the chessboard and rotated it 180 degrees. ¡°I don¡¯t need your handicap. I¡¯ll take black. This is your place, you go first.¡±

    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve managed to hold onto your stubbornness.¡± Yesenia smirked and shook her head. She picked up a pawn and placed it on its new position on the board.

    Yana protested again: ¡°You can play E4. I don¡¯t need a handicap.¡±

    ¡°I play white, it¡¯s my turn and I can play however I want to.¡± Yesenia winked at her. ¡°Quit your babbling.¡±

    ¡°And you dare to call me stubborn.¡± Yana rolled her eyes. She looked over the board and pondered her move.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yesenia asked. ¡°If even a workaholic like you managed to make it to the city, then things must be really relaxed at Tiv¡¯s border.¡±

    ¡°Sure is,¡± said Yana. ¡°Freakishly so. As soon as we had confirmation that the rumors were true, our battle zone practically fell silent. Surreal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Valkyrie after all,¡± remarked Yesenia. ¡°The old cooperation order from Thanatos still stands if the Valkyrie is still alive. No one wants to question the Warlord¡¯s insights, especially not on this particular point.¡±

    Yana played her move. ¡°Things have gotten even more complicated. According to our intel, the Valkyrie is trying to get an audience with Arcana¡¯s magic sovereigns. It might be that Tiv will be absorbed into Arcana.¡±

    ¡°That would require Arcana to adjust its barrier¡­¡± Yesenia moved her next piece. ¡°...if they can repair the barrier that is. It¡¯s been quite some time and the barrier still isn¡¯t up again. I honestly expected more from the sovereigns.¡±

    ¡°You might change your tune if you had heard the reports of the sovereigns active in the battle in Arcana¡¯s north,¡± muttered Yana. ¡°They¡¯re as awe-inspiring as their reputation. However, the fact that there are so few appearances of the magic sovereigns and the lack of progress on the barrier are both open points of investigation.¡± Yana shot Yesenia a challenging look. ¡°On the topic of Tiv, you seem to be missing one possibility. Arcana could accept the citizens without accepting the territory.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± dismissed Yesenia. ¡°Arcana¡¯s stances on vampires and cultists are too different from Tiv¡¯s for that to go over well. They might accept some, but definitely not all.¡±

    Yana returned her gaze back to the chessboard. ¡°Arcana could also accept Tiv¡¯s territory without extending the barrier. A separate jurisdiction with its own rules.¡± She moved one of her pieces forward.

    ¡°Sounds like an unjustifiable pain to manage,¡± commented Yesenia. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be the first time that the sovereigns are taking up a troublesome role for the sake of duty and with little benefit.¡± She quickly responded on the chessboard before looking seriously at Yana. ¡°So? Why are you really here?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Yana smiled mischievously. ¡°How do you figure?¡±

    ¡°I know you.¡± Yesenia shook her head with an amused expression. ¡°Even if someone forced you to finally take a vacation, you would sneak out some paperwork or find another way to take your work with you.¡± Yesenia raised her brows. ¡°Which means, this is more than a friendly visit. It¡¯s strange enough that General Eli appeared in the city out of nowhere and it¡¯s even stranger that you are now in my office. General Eli might have considerable nostalgia for the Proving Grounds, but I don¡¯t remember the same from you. So? Out with it.¡±

    Yana snickered. ¡°Just checking if you¡¯re still as sharp as I remember you to be.¡± Her face became more serious. ¡°You¡¯re right. When we investigated the rumors of the Valkyrie¡¯s mysterious reappearance, we discovered that she had spent a considerable amount of time looking for someone. It just so happens that we know where that someone is.¡±

    ¡°I take it you are trying to decide if it is a good move to do the Valkyrie a favor?¡± surmised Yesenia.

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s complicated,¡± said Yana with a wry expression.

    ¡°When is it ever not?¡± Yesenia shrugged.

    ¡°Not to the same degree, I assure you,¡± said Yana. ¡°The person we are talking about appears exceedingly strange. Incongruous information. Points that make no sense. Pops up in locations that seem both random and yet somehow significant. Locations that span vast distances, which could only be covered with spatial transfers in that time frame, but according to our intel, our person does not have direct access to space magic.¡± Yana clicked her tongue and shook her head. ¡°At the same time, we have reports that our person wields specific anti-dimensional skills that, to our knowledge, can only be explained by a combination of space and anti magic.¡±

    Yana tapped her finger next to the chessboard while moving her eyes over the pieces. ¡°An abnormal mana foundation that would predestine anyone to become a renowned mage, but our person follows an unreasonable specialization in mana cultivation and to an eccentric level at that, with completely novel versions of well-studied mana cultivation techniques.¡±

    Yana moved her hand through her short hair. ¡°Most importantly, the person has connections to powerful people in more than one empire. Known associates in Tiv: political players, infamous Guild rookies, influential Guardians, old nobility, even one of the retired Nine Blades.¡± She wrinkled her forehead. ¡°Close ties to at least two instructors of Arcana Academy, one of which is featured very prominently in our briefings on Arcana.¡± Yana caught the gaze of Yesenia. ¡°In the list of notable people to avoid confrontations with. Our person also seems to have a relation with one of the Council families.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± interjected Yesenia with considerable interest.

    ¡°Antelias. But¡­¡± Yana lifted a finger. ¡°Apparently, the family name has been rescinded.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rare,¡± muttered Yesenia with surprise.

    ¡°Even rarer without a significant misstep that would explain it,¡± said Yana. ¡°Our target of interest dropped out of Arcana Academy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Yesenia tilted her head. ¡°...possible? I¡¯ve never heard of that before.¡±

    ¡°We have been unable to get an explanation that makes sense,¡± admitted Yana. ¡°Arcana Academy is not easy to investigate. There are vague rumors of an aspect impairment but every sensor we put on our person remains unable to confirm it. There are also isolated rumors that our person was simply spoiled and lazy, but every other report we get indicates that the person is assiduous to an almost obsessive degree.¡±

    At this point, Yana smiled with satisfaction. She realized from Yesenia¡¯s expression that she had succeeded in catching Yesenia''s interest. This was a good result, both for Yana¡¯s work and for her ongoing chess competition. ¡°There are several bounties on our person. Nearly as spread as the bounty posters are the dead bodies of bounty hunters. It appears limited to Tiv territory, but it¡¯s practically all over the place. There are even simultaneous incidents at different locations. Varied styles of death.¡±

    Yana placed her hand under her cheek while maintaining eye contact with Yesenia. ¡°Initially, we chalked it up to coincidence or to opportunism during the retaliation for the barrier. With recent developments, however, the emerged pattern appears more methodological. Systematic and intentional. Bounty hunters that are pursuing that specific bounty are taken out one after the other. Someone is hunting bounty hunters.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a single person.¡± Yesenia pointed out. ¡°More like an organization.¡±

    Yana nodded. ¡°Or an operative with background support.¡±

    ¡°An operative? Of the magic sovereigns?¡± Yesenia furrowed her brow. ¡°Because of the Council connection? Are you worrying that the mana cultivation and the cut family ties could be a cover? That would be problematic if handled without delicate care.¡±

    ¡°Precisely so,¡± agreed Yana. ¡°We need to make a decision.¡±

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± asked Yesenia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy,¡± rebuked Yana. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know whom I¡¯m talking about by now. I need to keep an eye on him.¡±

    Yesenia smiled a lob-sided smile. ¡°An eye you can have, but as your general has pointed out recently and correctly: The Proving Grounds are a sacrosanct institution. I won¡¯t overlook any meddling from the outside.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± acknowledged Yana. ¡°So what else can you tell me?¡±

    ***

 138 Rising Rookies and Soulless Contestants

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 44 ¨C

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Terry exclaimed quietly while navigating the Liquify Earth spell structure around the corner. He had grown very frustrated with adjusting the wand¡¯s targeting.

    The directional mana lines that Lori had carved into the wand were suited for all reasonable scenarios.

    Unfortunately, Terry¡¯s use case was entirely unreasonable. Who would ever think of having to use a wand remotely and target around a wasted corner? All without a visual from mana sight?

    Terry quickly moved the ignited spell structure to a spot he wanted to target. A spot that should anchor one of the visible pillars in the transparent walls of Terry¡¯s cell. One of the pillars near the cell¡¯s door.

    Terry opened his eyes and waited for a sign of spell failure¡­ It didn¡¯t come.

    Uhh¡­ Terry blinked. Now what?

    Terry slowly stood up and walked to the area where he had ¨C presumably ¨C liquified the stone underneath. Terry tapped his foot on the floor. It didn¡¯t feel different. Next, Terry pushed against the cell. It felt as solid as ever.

    Terry frowned. He considered bursting his mana and putting his all into it, but he knew that soon, the door to the outer cell would open and someone would escort him to the arena for another day of battles.

    ¡°I need to think this through,¡± muttered Terry. He sat down again and prepared to clean up after himself. As soon as the wand had recharged its spell primer, Terry returned it back into the dimensional bag on the table outside.

    ***

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    The mana resonance of the white wolf howled and stood ready to pounce.

    Terry meanwhile was focused on blocking their dwarven opponent. The man was covered in tattoos, or more accurately: body inscriptions. Terry had heard about this form of unorthodox mana use from his aunt Sigille before, but this was the first time that Terry saw it with his own eyes.

    From what Terry had seen, the body inscriptions allowed the dwarf to transform parts of his body into different materials.

    Unfortunately for the dwarf, the steel transformation was of no use in overcoming Terry¡¯s immovable pebbles. The dwarf was trying to navigate the obstacle course that Terry had prepared. The dwarf cleverly made use of his short stature and his partial transformations into water. However, whenever the poor dwarf had made some progress, Terry was already waiting for him.

    You have my sympathies. Terry could see himself in the dwarf. I know how it feels to lack a good long-range attack method. If I had to face a combination like the Immovable Object spell and the Heavenly Wolf Slash, what would I do?

    The dwarven fighter glanced with despair at his weapons. Two magic one-handed axes were hanging uselessly in the air. Terry had taken them out early and never allowed his Immovable Object spells on them to deactivate ever since. Terry was proud of his progress in compressing his mana and his extended reach in spellwork.

    He didn¡¯t even get to use his magic items. Once again, Terry sympathized with his dwarven opponent. He probably fought hard to earn the privilege to use them too.

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael shouted with gusto while swinging his glowing claws.

    The dwarven man went down on his knees and crossed his arms in front of himself. His whole body turned into steel to face the approaching slashes leading the image of the giant white wolf. His steel defense wasn¡¯t enough and blood was spilled.

    ¡°You should have never dared to face the Heavenly Wolf!¡± Rafael swaggered over.

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it?¡± interjected Terry. He looked at the dwarven contestant that had been gravely injured. ¡°He just gave his best. No grudges over this.¡±

    Rafael turned around with noticeably less swagger. ¡°Maybe there were no grudges before, but what about now?¡± He pointed with his eyes to the bloody pile of dwarf on the ground. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever teach you to pull out trouble at the roots?¡± He glanced at the audience seats and mumbled: ¡°Not to mention what they want to see¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Terry.

    ¡°Just do it¡­¡± A hoarse whisper escaped from the injured dwarf. ¡°I won¡¯t make it through the day like this. I should have never tried to become recognized.¡± His voice carried defeat. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡±

    Terry moved his right hand over the bracelet at his left wrist. Terry and Rafael had achieved many victories together in the arena and Terry had traded his win streaks for more item privileges. Before Terry was fully aware of it, he had already retrieved a wand from his storage bracelet.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Rafael.

    Terry channeled mana into the healing spell imprints and cast them on the injured dwarf. ¡°Something.¡± He looked at the surprised opponent. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me something new.¡± Terry looked the dwarf in the eyes. ¡°Thanks.¡± Terry meant it.

    The dwarf, who had been given a new lease on life, did not know how to react and therefore, he just announced loudly. ¡°I surrender.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the idea?¡± Rafael poked Terry with a finger. ¡°Not only are you wasting charges but you¡¯re going to piss off the aud¡ª¡±

    Loud cheers erupted from the audience with a few hisses and booing mixed in. The overall sentiment appeared to be positive.

    ¡°...nevermind,¡± said Rafael with a shrug. He removed his attention from Terry and spoke up loudly. ¡°Keep your axes. Know the greatness of the Heavenly Wolf!¡± Afterwards, Rafael began clapping his hands rhythmically over his head while swaggering around the arena. ¡°No one will stop the Rising Rookies!¡±

    The who? Terry raised an eyebrow.

    [You¡¯re under thirty, right?] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived in Terry¡¯s head.

    [Yes, why?] Terry let his eyes wander over the roaring audience who were captured by Rafael¡¯s antics.

    [Because if you weren¡¯t, I would have to think of another name.] Rafael grinned and pumped his fists into the air. He faced the audience and shouted: ¡°We will RISE!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡±

    ***

    ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡±

    [This is going to be annoying.] Terry sent his thought transmission to Rafael.

    [Mage with support?] guessed Rafael.

    [Two mana martialists,] replied Terry. [One of them I can¡¯t place, but the other signature feels familiar. It might be someone from the Blazing Sun Sect.]

    [Good, I¡¯m looking forward to exchanging a few pointers!] Rafael¡¯s boisterous voice echoed in Terry¡¯s head.

    [Whoever came from the Blazing Sun Sect should feel confident.] Terry pointed out.

    [Unjustified confidence if they are up against the Heavenly Wolf,] bragged Rafael.

    Terry could practically see Rafael¡¯s toothy grin that accompanied the felan¡¯s thought transmission. He rolled his eyes. [The mana structures of the other martialist are odd. The mana feels strangely cold. Ice-aspected but something else on top. I would also bet that it¡¯s a vampire.] Terry walked for a while in silence without any response.

    [If that¡¯s who I think it is, then this could be slightly challenging.] Rafael¡¯s posturing arrogance had diminished significantly. [I¡¯ve heard that the Third Scion of the Blazing Sun Sect is a sword brother of an inner sect member of the Singing Moon Sect.]

    ¡®Singing¡¯? Terry involuntarily pictured a martialist dancing around and singing in the arena.

    Weird.

    Or is it just a reference to the sonic aspect?

    Like Instructor Palmer? Or Rosheen¡­ A cold shiver ran down Terry¡¯s back when he recalled the excruciating pain from the sound-aspected Resonance spell that had attacked the nerves inside his teeth. Let¡¯s hope not.

    [But as long as it¡¯s you, that sworn brother shouldn¡¯t pose a problem¡­] Rafael sounded thoughtful. [Make sure to break whatever he¡¯s bringing quickly. I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t be as unaffected as you.]

    Huh? Terry thought that he was missing something. Unfortunately, he and his escorts had already arrived at the arena. There was not much time for elaboration.

    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± growled a man who was wearing a shimmering robe with a symbol of a sun and golden crow.

    Why would they exchange item privileges for non-magic martialist robes? Terry could not help but wonder. Not only the Third Scion, but the other man was also wearing a martialist robe. His was embroidered with a large moon covered in fog. Even the vampire did the same. What for? They¡¯re hardly more help than the prisoner¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Got it.¡± A pale and white-haired man responded to the martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect. The vampire pulled the black shamisen ¨C a three-stringed instrument ¨C from his back.

    [Ugh. It¡¯s them, alright. The Third Scion and his bosom buddy.] Rafael¡¯s voice transmission sounded wary, much in contrast to what he was saying out loud. ¡°Kneel in front of me and I might forgive your offenses!¡± The felan rolled his shoulders and stood intentionally wide-legged. He leaned back his head and curled his lip to show a part of his teeth. ¡°Run off if you know who is standing in front of you.¡±

    Terry felt a bit of whiplash at the remarkable difference in tone between the voice transmissions and the outward posturing.

    ¡°It seems you have eyes but do not see,¡± sneered the Third Scion of the Blazing Sun Sect. ¡°I¡¯m here to wash away the shame of my sect.¡± He glanced at Terry and then smirked at Rafael. ¡°I also know who you are.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Rafael¡¯s voice oozed with arrogance. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you know me? My feats are as grand as they are unforgettable. But you seem to forget that I do not tolerate anyone messing with my brothers. You pick a fight with him¡­¡± Rafael gestured at Terry. ¡°...and you¡¯ll earn destruction at my claws.¡± Rafael extended his sharp claws. ¡°Know that the Heavenly Wolf won¡¯t stop at your little Blazing Sun Sect.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic,¡± spat the mana martialist with the shamisen in his hands. ¡°Do you even have the right to invoke the Heavenly Wolf? You¡¯re just a loose cultivator that has found some fragment of the Heavenly Beast Scriptures. The Heavenly Wolf Slash is meant for sword cultivators. They¡¯d be the first to kill you for bastardizing their technique.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°They can try if they are tired of living,¡± scoffed Rafael. ¡°If they send one, I¡¯ll kill one. If they send a hundred, I¡¯ll kill a hundred. Now scram!¡±

    ¡°Big words for a little thief that had to flee to Thanatos to escape the wrath of the Thunderous Palm Sect,¡± interjected the Third Scion with a jeering expression.

    Rafael¡¯s eye twitched but he maintained his arrogant posture. [Fuck, they really know me. Terry, get ready to jump the creep.]

    ¡°I hear they¡¯re still looking for you,¡± continued the Third Scion. ¡°Whatever you stole must have been quite precious. If you hand it over, I¡¯ll consider leaving you an intact corpse. However, first things first.¡± He glowered at Terry. ¡°Hand over your life. If you do it yourself, it will be much less painful.¡±

    Terry spoke up for the first time. ¡°Is insanity a prerequisite for joining the Blazing Sun Sect? You¡¯re all giving off the same lunatic vibes.¡±

    [Nice one,] praised Rafael. [Ready?]

    [Ready.] Terry stood like a coiled spring. I believe Rafael might be rubbing off on me. I¡¯m not sure how I should feel about that.

    Terry dashed forward and towards the martialist from the Singing Moon Sect. In an instant, the area was flooded with Terry¡¯s mana that began rotating and compressing itself through funnels of refractors.

    ¡°For that, I¡¯ll have you eat your own tongue,¡± growled the Third Scion. He flipped his palm and a sword appeared in his hand. With a movement technique that evoked the mana resonance of a golden crow spitting flames, he raced forward.

    ¡°Here little monkey!¡± Rafael used his own movement technique to face the Third Scion.

    Terry hurled a handful of pebbles towards the Third Scion just to be sure. Five pebbles became immovable at once and cut off the scion¡¯s path. Simultaneously, Terry channeled mana into his bidirectional attraction inscription and pulled at the shamisen in the vampire¡¯s hands.

    The vampire scoffed and with a rapid circulation of mana through his cultivation centers, the instrument was frozen in place. A second later, the vampire¡¯s thin fingers strummed over the shamisen¡¯s strings. His fingers danced rapidly over the instrument and an enchanting tune resounded over the area.

    Okay? Terry was aware that something magical was going on, but he simply didn¡¯t feel any different. He quickly glanced back to see that Rafael was standing around in a stupor. Even the Third Scion seemed dazed, albeit to a much lesser degree than Rafael. It looked as if the Third Scion might wake up any moment again.

    Terry inwardly shrugged and continued forth with a rapid burst technique.

    ¡°What?!¡± The vampire was dumbstruck at the failure of his martial technique. ¡°This isn¡¯t possible!¡± The fact that disturbed the vampire the most was that he had intentionally focused the brunt of the attack on Terry because he had heard about Terry¡¯s mana pool size. Despite suffering the majority of the assault, Terry did not show any sign of being affected. This left the vampire deeply distraught.

    The vampire was forced to continue his tune if he wanted to keep the attack going. The attack was building momentum with each note. One wrong note and he would have to start from the beginning. However, now he had to face an angry opponent charging at him and Terry was approaching rapidly.

    Terry pulled his keen dagger and slashed towards the vampire. The vampire stopped the martialist technique that transfixed the shamisen and instead grabbed it with both hands. The vampire¡¯s reflexive action to protect his instrument and weapon turned out to be a mistake because Terry had never stopped channeling mana into the bidirectional attraction inscription.

    *Trhhm¡­* The vampire missed a note.

    ¡°Hhhh¡­¡± Rafael wiped some drool from his mouth and jolted awake. He barely dodged the sword of the Third Scion in time. ¡°How dare you attack your grandpa!¡± [Terry, good job! But why didn¡¯t you transfix the crow¡¯s sword?]

    [I¡¯m working on it,] said Terry. The Third Scion¡¯s sword was evidently of higher quality than the swords that Terry had encountered before. The mana concentration inside was higher. Terry pressured the vampire while thinking of a solution. [I have an idea.]

    Terry feigned an attack on the vampire¡¯s jugular vein.

    The vampire martialist did not seem used to close combat and his lack of experience caused him to completely miss Terry¡¯s true intention.

    *Krrchk* The strings of the shamisen were torn apart. Before the vampire could digest this indignity, he was kicked hard into the stomach by two feet.

    Terry used the force of the kick to propel himself closer to the Third Scion.

    Terry¡¯s mana reach had improved significantly and he felt confident in transfixing items in a radius of up to five meters from himself, but the more he had to compress the spell structures the more trouble Terry had at a distance.

    Since this magic sword required a higher mana intensity to overpower the sword¡¯s mana and stabilize the Immovable Object spell on it, Terry moved closer.

    ¡°Hhrck?!¡± The Third Scion suddenly smashed head-first into his own sword.

    Rafael grinned and followed up with a quick succession of slashes from his claws. None of them triggered any mana resonance. [Can you keep them occupied for long enough?]

    [Won¡¯t know until I try,] replied Terry. [Go for it. I believe my mana disruption field obstructs the Third Scion¡¯s resonance enough for me to keep up in close quarters, and the vampire seems too out of it to be of much help to the Third Scion at this point.]

    Terry felt with his mana sense that the vampire was fumbling with whatever mana technique he was attempting. Terry did not know if the vampire wasn¡¯t very familiar with those techniques, or if it was due to the mana suppression of the disruption field, or if the vampire had simply been spooked by Terry¡¯s resistance to his attack.

    Doesn¡¯t really matter.

    Terry held off the disarmed Third Scion while Rafael was charging his attack.

    The Third Scion¡¯s face flushed from fury and indignation. ¡°This isn¡¯t over!¡± He distanced himself from Terry and pulled something from his robes. It was a piece of paper with calligraphy that radiated mana. ¡°It¡¯s a shame to waste it on riff raff like you but no matter¡­¡± He channeled mana into the piece of paper and leered at Terry while the paper instantly burned to ash in a purple flame.

    Terry had been busy placing immovable pebbles to block the two opponents from disturbing Rafael in his attack preparation. He could vaguely feel a sinister aura around the mana that had been left behind after the paper talisman had disappeared.

    Did I place too much trust on my disruption field? Terry was disconcerted by the fact that the weird mana seemed unaffected by the spell slicers.

    The sinister mana suddenly condensed into a purple beam of light and shot towards Terry¡¯s chest.

    Terry responded by punching out a layered disruption discharge.

    The purple beam of light dimmed but did not disappear.

    Terry reflexively used the last moments before impact to try and dodge while simultaneously slashing with the mana blade of his keen dagger.

    The purple beam followed Terry¡¯s movements and accelerated.

    The keen dagger caused the beam to flicker but it still managed to hit Terry¡¯s chest.

    ¡°HAHA!¡± The Third Scion broke out in gleeful laughter. ¡°Serves you right for shaming the Blazing Sun Sect!¡±

    Okay? Terry was not sure how to react. He realized that something was supposed to happen but he honestly did not feel any different.

    For lack of a better idea, Terry simply chose to continue with what he had been doing all along. He placed immovable pebbles to block his opponents while trying to minimize the chance of disrupting his own spells with the rotating spell slicers from his disruption field.

    ¡°Im-Impossible¡­¡± The Third Scion muttered in disbelief. ¡°What kind of monster are you?¡± Only after several breaths did he manage to regain his composure and started throwing his all into the fight against Terry again.

    Alas, the Third Scion¡¯s efforts were to no avail. After a few tense minutes, the giant white wolf charged and cleaned up the battlefield.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡±

    Afterwards, the two mana martialist opponents were lying dead on the floor.

    ¡°Never mess with the Rising Rookies!¡± Rafal shouted with a roar that could rival any great cat: ¡°RISE!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Rise!¡±¡±¡± The audience responded in kind.

    [What the Wastes was that?] Terry was still taken aback by what had transpired. Both the weird music and the paper talisman with the purple light beam concerned him.

    [What do you mean?] Rafael didn¡¯t stop animating the audience.

    [What do you mean ¡®what¡¯?] Terry stared at Rafael. [First that weird instrument and then whatever that scion threw at me.]

    [Oh that.] Rafael didn¡¯t seem concerned at all. [I told you that as long as it¡¯s you, you would be fine. That Third Scion was too much of a smoothbrain to realize why you were immune to the Singing Moon Scripture. He wasted such a precious artifact, the idiotic cheapskate. Even I would hold onto that kind of talisman and not trade it for cultivation resources. Such an amazing trump card and the damned ape takes it with him to his grave.]

    Terry¡¯s mind played back the part where it would take an idiot to not realize what was going on. [Let¡¯s assume that I¡¯m an even bigger idiot and need some explanation.]

    For the first time in this conversation, Rafael moved his attention from the audience to Terry. [Those were soul attacks. The Singing Moon Scripture enchants the soul and traps the victim in illusions. The Third Scion activated a single-use item that damages a soul. Or captures a soul. Who cares about the details? Something of that nature.] Rafael looked at Terry as if the rest should be obvious.

    [And?] Terry was oblivious to the obvious.

    [Are you for real?] Rafael raised his eyebrows.

    [Yes,] insisted Terry.

    [You¡¯re soulless, dude.] Rafael stared incredulously at Terry. [Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you?]

    Terry stared right back at Rafael.

    [I always forget that you hairless ape-folk can¡¯t normally see souls.] Rafael placed his finger on his chin. [When I first came here, I was taken aback by all the roaming greebles with no one batting an eyelash at those pestering nuisances. In our realm, nearly half of all felans have soulsight and we naturally keep our realm clean of pests.]

    Greebles are real?! Wait, more importantly¡­ ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡± Terry noticed that he had been speaking out loud from the shock. [What do you mean ¡®soulless¡¯?]

    [Just what it sounds like, man.] Rafael returned his attention back to the audience. [You don¡¯t have a soul. No need to sweat. That¡¯s normal. Like ten percent or so of my folk are born soulless.]

    [What?!] Goosebumps rose on Terry¡¯s skin. Having no soul didn¡¯t sound right to him.

    [Seriously, buddy, it¡¯s no biggie.] Rafael shook his head while swaggering over the arena. [Souls are not that great anyway. I mean look at me drooling like an imbecile because of some creep that learned the banjo. Sure, a soul can theoretically be used to cling to life after your body is gone or even for reincarnation, but who ever really gets to make use of that? Who wants to exist as some bag of bones? Or go through all the trouble of possessing another body and starting from scratch with your cultivation?]

    Terry was still staring with a horrified expression.

    [Seriously, dude.] Rafael glanced back at Terry. [If I were you, I would be more concerned about the lack of a tail than about the soul thing.] He glanced at his own tail that was swinging and helping him keep his balance. [It¡¯s a complete mystery to me how you hairless ape-folk can walk on two legs without tipping over.]

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Wait, was that what happened with the lizan? Was that spell from Blue targeting my soul as well¡­? For a moment, Terry¡¯s distress about his lack of a soul was pushed aside by finally seeing an answer to a question that had bothered him for a while.

    Soon after, Terry and Rafael had to leave the arena so that the next battle could start. Terry followed the overseer¡¯s assistants in a thoughtful daze.

    I¡¯m not a felan and I¡¯ve never heard of humans being born soulless before. Terry frowned.

    Having their souls stolen, yes, but born soulless?

    Is it just that I¡¯ve never come across that topic?

    Terry¡¯s mind raced to come up with other possible explanations until he remembered Dargones the Magebane. What if it¡¯s a spandrel? A trait that accompanies being single-aspected in oscillating mana?

    Terry¡¯s frown deepened. How would I even know? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever met anyone else with my mana type.

    Terry¡¯s eyes moved over the walls of the tunnel. Would it even matter? Terry involuntarily nodded. YES! At least it would mean that I was born like this as opposed to¡­ The idea that someone might have secretly stolen his soul creeped Terry out intensely.

    Focus!

    Terry took a deep breath. The day wasn¡¯t over. If he had to lose his mind over this recent discovery, then he would have to do so later.

    Or not¡­

    Thinking about fighting in the arena helped Terry calm down. No point in dwelling on things outside my sphere of influence to begin with.

    Terry took another deep breath. Still¡­

    Yikes.

    I wonder what Lori and Jorg would say¡­ Terry snickered. Shrug and joke about it most likely.

    Siling would definitely crack a joke that she won¡¯t be able to catch my soul then and act all sullen and disappointed.

    Uncle and¡ª No, focus.

    Fight first.

    Pointless thoughts later.

    A pebble whose spell had worn off fell on Terry¡¯s head. He caught it on its way down without thinking. Moving his fingers over the pebble, Terry felt tiny indentations. His mind was too preoccupied with other thoughts to think much about it.

    ***

    Over time, the success of the Rising Rookies made Terry forget his distress over being soulless. Terry felt more and more at home in the arena and he wondered when he would finally earn his status as a recognized outsider and return to Arcana.

    As soon as Terry saw his opponents, he dashed to the opposite corner and set up a disruption field around them.

    ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Field!¡±¡±¡±

    Rafael used a movement technique to position himself behind Terry.

    ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°Wolf!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°We yield!¡± shouted one of their opponents. The two immediately moved towards one of the overseer¡¯s assistants. Evidently, they had no desire to fight Terry and Rafael.

    ¡°Smart.¡± Rafael grinned from ear to ear.

    Terry retracted his disruption field but kept a wary eye on the two opponents. This was the fourth match in a row in which their opponent¡¯s had surrendered without a fight and it wasn¡¯t the first day like this.

    If things keep going like this, then perhaps I can really become a recognized outsider in one or two more months¡­ Terry indulged in day-dreaming while their opponent¡¯s left the arena.

    The biggest advantage of their current momentum was that they could continue their battle day quickly. The more opponents surrendered without a fight, the more wins they could earn on a single battle day.

    Is it really worth it to exchange for more equipment? Terry felt impatience flare up inside of him. He wanted to return to Arcana.

    However, Terry reminded himself to stay cautious. He knew his own shortcomings. He knew that he required items to make up for them.

    ***

 139 Forced Against a Wall

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 68 ¨C

    [Shit, I have bad news.] Rafael¡¯s voice arrived in Terry¡¯s head. [Perhaps alternating wins was not the best idea this time. If my sources are correct, we¡¯re probably going to lose our current streaks.]

    [What¡¯s going on?] Terry replied with a look of confusion. He had barely left his cell when Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived.

    Terry was not sure what Rafael could be worried about. The alliance from Rafael and Terry had performed incredibly well. As far as Terry could see, they were only getting stronger and better prepared with time. The audience loved them too.

    [Remember when I mentioned a recent mishap that caused me to lose all my items?] Rafael replied with a thought transmission. [That mishap was a wall in the arena, a contestant called Xuan. I¡¯ve heard whispers that someone is very intent on placing that wall in our path again.]

    [What¡¯s a wall?] Terry subconsciously slowed his steps. [And what does it have to do with items?]

    [A wall is what people call contestants that are defensive nightmares,] grumbled Rafael. [They¡¯re streak killers. Even if they cannot beat you, they can force a draw, which might as well be called a double-loss. They¡¯re like little pests that eat everyone¡¯s progress.]

    [What¡¯s the point?] interjected Terry. [They¡¯re not getting ahead like this either, are they?]

    [Not everyone gives a shit about recognition,] reminded Rafael. [Many walls are hired or in the business of snatching items. Some take bets. Others offer deals. Sacrifice an item if you want to win. You get the drift. Xuan is the worst of the worst. It¡¯s sacrifice items or you¡¯ll be dragged into a never ending battle until you starve.]

    Terry raised an eyebrow and thought back to the time he had been running from an undead horde for days on end. [How much mana does Xuan have?] Terry found it somewhat difficult to believe that he would lose out in a fasting competition.

    [Xuan is a lizan.] Rafael replied in a lamenting tone. [Slower metabolism. From what I know, he¡¯s also a refugee from the Soaring Mountain Sect.]

    Terry waited for Rafael to elaborate.

    [There is a legend about the Soaring Mountain Sect that some of their members have waited in ambush buried underneath the earth for years before they struck,] continued Rafael. [They¡¯re experts at surviving without nourishment. That¡¯s not even the worst of it all.]

    Rafael cursed. [The worst of it all is that the Soaring Mountain Sect is notoriously prejudiced when it comes to accepting newfolk. And they accepted Xuan in spite of that. Rumor has it that Xuan has an innate physique that makes him perfect for their martialist cultivation.]

    Rafael grumbled a deep sigh. [Let¡¯s hope that my sources are wrong. Otherwise, this will be a really shit day.]

    ***

    [Fuuucck¡­] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission did not bode well.

    *Bam* *Bam* *Bam* Heavy footsteps caused the ground to shake.

    Terry looked at the massive black-scaled lizan standing opposed to them in the arena. [That¡¯s Xuan, I take it.] Terry had seen a few lizans by now, but he had never seen any as large, nor with such thick scales and such sharp horns.

    Terry noted how deep the footprints of the lizan were. He must be incredibly heavy.

    [Fuck damn it! I¡¯ll never make it out of this mad empire in time.] Rafael looked outwardly composed but his thought transmission betrayed his distress.

    ¡®In time¡¯ for what? Terry raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask, Rafael stepped forward to speak to Xuan.

    ¡°You again? Are you stalking me?¡± Rafel¡¯s tone was excessively irritated.

    Xuan¡¯s cold, red eyes focused on Rafael. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Rafael growled. ¡°You already scammed me out of my items, what more do you want?¡±

    ¡°¡®Scammed¡¯?¡± Xuan rolled his eyes. ¡°From what I remember, you offered them yourself. I always thought that mana martialists are the mind over body type, but I stand corrected. Perhaps if you had joined a proper sect, you would have learned some proper discipline.¡±

    ¡°Horseshit discipline!¡± spat Rafael. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. What do you want? Is it the Thunderous Palm Sect that sent you?¡±

    ¡°You talk too much,¡± said Xuan coldly. ¡°This isn¡¯t about you.¡± Xuan set his gaze on Terry.

    Great¡­ Terry stepped forward cautiously. He circled around to his usual position with Rafael.

    Xuan did not show any inclination to move himself.

    [Don¡¯t bother.] Rafael told Terry through thought transmission. [Our usual combination won¡¯t work. I¡¯m sorry but the Heavenly Wolf is not enough to get through this wall. I¡¯ve tried before.]

    ¡°What do you have against me?¡± Terry asked Xuan curiously.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Xuan indifferently. ¡°I just want something from you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry asked with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°First of all, your inscribed glove.¡± Xuan pointed at Terry¡¯s left arm.

    ¡°Piss off,¡± exclaimed Terry in a low voice.

    Xuan shrugged. ¡°Your call. You can hand it over now or later. I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t ask for more if you wait for longer.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just a single item, I can satisfy you,¡± said Rafael. From a gourd at his hip, he summoned the sword that had belonged to the Third Scion. ¡°You can have this if we can stop this match right now. We surrender.¡±

    [We do?] Terry asked nervously. He was still unable to get a good idea of the situation.

    Terry did not know Xuan, but he also did not know Rafael all that well. The memory of his previous alliance and the day that Nash had also proposed an immediate surrender was still painful in Terry¡¯s mind. He thought that Rafael was different from Nash, but he reminded himself to be careful. For all Terry truly knew, Rafael might be working together with Xuan.

    Terry hated being forced to second-guess his companion.

    [Trust me on this,] implored Rafael. [Unless you can whip up an attack with a lot more bite than my Heavenly Wolf Slash, we are trapped here until he lets us go.]

    ¡°Thanks for confirming that you still have some valuables,¡± said Xuan. ¡°But no, I need his items specifically.¡± He nodded towards Terry. ¡°For every item I take from him, I¡¯ll get another item of equal value. Your sword can¡¯t compete with that offer.¡±

    Terry¡¯s curiosity turned to wariness. ¡°Whose offer is that?¡±

    ¡°One of the crimson devils,¡± said Xuan with a shrug. ¡°They¡¯re all the same to me.¡±

    [¡®Crimson devils¡¯?] Terry hoped that Rafael could elaborate.

    [Xuan holds a grudge against Thanatos for catching him,] explained Rafael. [From what I could find out, there was a confrontation near the Lich Kingdoms between a scouting Thanatos platoon and the Soaring Mountain Sect. Xuan and some people from Thanatos all walked away with grudges. Xuan made the mistake of entering Thanatos territory for his revenge. For the resulting carnage and collateral damage, Xuan was eventually caught and sentenced to the Proving Grounds.]

    ¡°If you hate Thanatos, then why would you help any of them?¡± Terry asked pointedly.

    [Because he¡¯s a wall, d¡¯uh.] Rafael almost rolled his eyes at Terry.

    ¡°For the same reason anyone does anything,¡± said Xuan matter-of-factly. ¡°It benefits me. I¡¯m stuck in hell, so the only deals to be had are offered by devils. So it goes.¡±

    Terry thought over both answers he had received. ¡°You can force anyone to a draw but you don¡¯t have the confidence to win your way out of the arena, is that it?¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°Instead of trying to fight seriously, you are aiming for comfortable stagnation?¡±

    [Shh, what are you trying to do?] Rafael¡¯s panicked voice transmission arrived. [Don¡¯t anger him or¡ª]

    ¡°What the hell do you think you know?!¡± growled Xuan. ¡°I had my reservations about doing the devil¡¯s dirty work, but if you insist: I¡¯ll take that keen dagger in addition to that glove now.¡±

    [...fuck, see that¡¯s what I meant!] Rafel¡¯s thought transmission carried a reprimanding tone. [The more we piss him off, the worse it will get.]

    Fuck that. Terry viscerally reacted to the idea of handing over the inscribed glove and the inscribed dagger.

    One was a gift that his aunt Brynn had personally crafted for Terry.

    The other was a gift that his siblings had offered him as an apology for the dungeon disaster.

    Terry often took comfort in the presence of these items when he entered the arena. It made him feel as if his family was still with him.

    The idea of losing even one of these items made every cell in Terry¡¯s body rebel. Without a fight?!

    [How about this, you hand over the items and I reimburse you with my share of the items we earned previously?] offered Rafael. [It sucks that he has it out for you personally, but if you sell the scion¡¯s sword, you can¡ª]

    [No.] Terry stared at Xuan and clenched his fists. ¡°Not without a fight.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you have a spine,¡± sneered Xuan haughtily. ¡°I wonder how long you will be able to keep that attitude up.¡±

    [Yeah, me too¡­] Rafael¡¯s voice transmission arrived with a sigh. [Alright, buddy. I¡¯m with you, but make sure to not get defeated. If we get split up, who knows how long it will take to meet in the arena again?]

    Terry felt the urge to apologize for his stubbornness, but the words of his aunt Sigille still echoed in his head. I¡¯m not sorry. I still intend to be stubborn.

    Terry dashed forward to test his hypothesis about Xuan¡¯s powers. First, Terry unleashed his disruption field around Xuan.

    [Careful, he¡ª There we go¡­] Rafael cut his warning short because Xuan was already unleashing his first ability.

    Terry sensed waves of mana being emitted from Xuan. Evidently, this ability was not disturbed much by Terry¡¯s disruption field. The spell slicers crossed the waves but without any significant effect.

    As soon as the first wave hit Terry, he was violently smashed into the ground and the air was pressed out of his lungs. Terry felt as if a giant beast had begun sitting on his chest.

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    This¡­

    LIke that fish-scaled channeler in Tiv¡­

    Terry burst his mana and, with much effort, he stood back up. He slowly stepped forward as sweat gathered on his brow.

    Tentatively, Terry hurled a pebble but before the little rock could fly very far, it was smashed into the ground by the increased gravity around the lizan.

    Terry could sense that the waves weren¡¯t spread evenly and that the distance between peaks became more spread out with further distance. Like the inverse of the wyvern¡¯s elemental ability¡­

    Terry¡¯s mind raced to sort through the different sensations of his opponent¡¯s abilities. He could already confirm that the field-ability was getting worse the closer he got.

    Terry lunged back his arms and punched out an intense dual-discharge. The mana reached his opponent, but the result did not inspire much optimism in Terry.

    Terry had learned a bit more about mana martialists from Rafael. He had learned that the squishy mana structures were referred to by many names ¨C cultivation points, acupoints, meridians ¨C and that one of the most important ones was often called dantian.

    Similar to how channelers were very protective of their channeling anchors, mana martialists were very protective of their dantians. Damaging the dantian would cause their powers to be crippled ¨C often permanently. That was why the scion of the Blazing Sect had completely flipped out after Terry had targeted the squishy structure.

    Terry was near certain that he had located Xuan¡¯s dantian, but there were several layers of protection around the location.

    By Terry¡¯s estimation Xuan must have unusually high mana control for a mana martialist, because the mana concentration in his thick scales was very uneven and most of his free mana that wasn¡¯t bound in the squishy structures was gathered to shield the dantian.

    Terry had still wanted to try but after his probing, he did not have much confidence in breaking through to the dantian with a disruption discharge.

    Perhaps if I can get closer? Terry considered his options. Breaking through the gravity field ability would not be an easy feat. Wait, crap the shield is flexible. Terry noticed how the protective mana around the dantian showed slight movements. What little hope Terry had held before, was diminishing further quickly.

    Still¡­

    There was one thing that allowed Terry to hold onto the slimmest glimmer of hope. The memory of the final battle against the giant wyvern was still vivid in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Only five meters.

    Perhaps four. Terry burst his mana beyond his limits.

    [Hold your mana, Terry, he¡¯ll be coming to us.] Rafael¡¯s voice transmission. [I¡¯ve been at the receiving end of his abilities before.]

    Right¡­

    I¡¯m not fighting alone. Terry reprimanded himself for not confirming things first with Rafael. Even though they had teamed up for a while, Terry was still not completely used to the idea of fighting in an alliance again. A sliver of suspicion remained and so did the desire to confirm things for himself.

    Still.

    If Rafel is right, then¡­ No matter.

    I need to know. Terry¡¯s mind was made up.

    The mana waves around Xuan changed and his massive body levitated slightly above the ground. The field changed again and the colossal lizan rushed forward like a cannonball.

    Terry was first confronted with the fact that the gravitational field moved together with Xuan. Terry might have admitted to a pang of envy if he wasn¡¯t so busy with being crushed and forced down to his knees.

    ¡°Uff¡­¡± Terry cycled his mana and forced himself to lift his head to get a better view of the incoming Xuan.

    [Do you need a hand?] Rafael asked with concern. [If you¡¯re uncertain about being able to dodge, I can interrupt my attack preparation. That lizan hits like a mountain. Trust me. Don¡¯t take any chances.]

    [It¡¯s fine.] Terry made no attempt to dodge. ¡°I hope.¡± Wishful thinking again.

    When Xuan was only three meters from Terry, Terry¡¯s surrounding mana suddenly reshaped into a dozen spell structures and in an instant, the compressed spells targeted dozens of scales and horns on Xuan¡¯s body.

    Xuan forcefully collided with his own body parts. His red eyes showed surprise and then settled on battle-lust while he held Terry¡¯s gaze.

    Terry on his part was forced to burst his mana beyond his limits to stand against the oppression from the gravitational field. He held the lizan¡¯s gaze with defiance while his blood vessels became slightly visible from the strain.

    ¡°You have no right to look at me like that,¡± growled Xuan with a flicker of hatred. He could feel his own thick scales obstructing his movement. The indignity of having his own body turned against him inspired his battle lust, but it was the look in Terry¡¯s eyes that truly incensed him.

    ¡°Spoiled and sheltered in Arcana. Who do you think you are to look at me like that?!¡± Xuan¡¯s eyes became slightly bloodshot. ¡°The first thing I remember was having to fight for my life in this rotten realm. I was a child thrown into a foreign realm with no one else to count on. It took half a dozen years before I even met another lizan.¡±

    The hatred in Xuan¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°You want to fight against me? You?! A brat that had everything handed to him on a silver platter? You probably never had to fight for anything in your whole damned life.¡± Xuan snarled. ¡°Coming here to prove something as if it meant anything. I¡¯ll show you to look at me like that!¡±

    Okay, next life, you get to grow up in the Greenhouse and I never have to meet Instructor Pelliana. Terry did not bother to reply and saved his breath to resist the gravitational pressure.

    You get to discover your aspect impairment and you get to wake up in random dungeons and you get to find your aunt murdered on the floor and¡ª

    Thinking of his aunt caused Terry to recall all of his family and friends. No!

    No deal.

    I wouldn¡¯t trade with anyone.

    I am lucky, despite all the shit that keeps happening.

    What¡¯s it got to do with you? I owe them. I don¡¯t owe you.

    I don¡¯t owe you my surrender. Terry reinforced his spells on Xuan¡¯s body and then jumped back to where the pressure was less intense.

    Looking at the enraged lizan, Terry thought back to his time in Tiv¡¯s Chara Settlement and also in Syn City. Terry¡¯s own riled up emotions settled down as soon as he recalled Devon and the tortures Devon had to suffer under the ancient deathcult.

    Comparing fates like that¡­ Terry exclaimed quietly: ¡°Pointless!¡± He clenched his fists and the pictures of his family sprang up in his mind. I owe them!

    I have to return!

    I owe it to them.

    I owe them a win! Terry glared at Xuan with the same look of defiance that had incensed the lizan before.

    [Ready!] Rafael¡¯s voice transmission arrived in Terry¡¯s mind. [I don¡¯t have anything stronger than this.]

    Terry repositioned himself. [Go!]

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael shouted loudly and swung his glowing claws. The mana resonance created the image of a giant white wolf. ¡°AWOOO!¡± The wolf howled and charged with bared fangs at the trapped lizan.

    Terry was impressed by Rafael¡¯s attack. It was by far the most intense Heavenly Wolf Slash Terry had seen so far. It was evidence that Rafael really meant it. Terry¡¯s slight suspicion that his companion might be working with Xuan evaporated with the sight and he anxiously observed the attack clashing with Xuan¡¯s defenses.

    Terry watched with bated breath as the mana blades pushed through the lizan¡¯s gravitational field and collided with Xuan¡¯s thick scales¡­

    ¡°Mana crap¡­¡± Terry involuntarily exclaimed in a completely dispirited voice. All of his previous defiance had crumbled. The most intense Heavenly Wolf Slash that Terry had ever seen had barely managed to cause a slight scratch on the lizan¡¯s scales. ¡°What the Wastes is that body of his?¡±

    [I told you¡­] Rafael¡¯s voice betrayed his own disappointment even though his outer appearance was composed. [That is a wall I cannot break. Unless you can come up with something more powerful, we¡¯re at his mercy. Damn it¡­] Rafael¡¯s voice was resigned and unreconciled. [All the sacrifices. All the risks. A whole sect at my tail and now I won¡¯t even make it there. FUCK!]

    [We can keep trying,] said Terry with shaken resolve. [Until we get a different idea.]

    Rafel looked to the heavens with closed eyes. [I don¡¯t see what that¡¯s going to help. I can already tell how this fight is going to end. The only question is how many items he will demand. I can¡¯t give up the belt. I just can¡¯t.] Rafael found some determination in his desperation. [Okay, fine¡­] Rafel looked back at Xuan and charged his next attack.

    Something more powerful¡­ Terry grimly stared at Xuan. I got nothing. I can¡¯t even come close to matching the Heavenly Wolf Slash. He shook his head. Focus. I need to block Xuan from disturbing Rafael.

    Xuan, who had been incensed by Terry, was using his own mana to break free of Terry¡¯s spells. Terry¡¯s spell structures were incredibly stable and Xuan¡¯s own mana control hinged on his rigid martialist cultivation that made it difficult to move the mana in novel ways. It was not easy for Xuan to get rid of the Immovable Object spells on his scales. Despite the situation, Xuan was too furious to submit to his fate and wait for the spells to deactivate on their own.

    The same pattern repeated several times. Rafael unleashed a powerful attack that didn¡¯t even injure Xuan. Xuan rose into the air with the goal of crushing his opponents and Terry blocked the mountain-like lizan short in his tracks. The stalemate continued for hours.

    Eventually, Terry got another idea. The next time that Xuan was soaring into the air and charging towards them, Terry gritted his teeth and pushed further into Xuan¡¯s gravitational field ¨C closer to Xuan.

    Xuan accelerated in order to smash Terry into a pulp before he could activate his Immovable Object spell. Unfortunately for the lizan, he had severely underestimated Terry¡¯s spell control and the resulting casting speed. Xuan had been prepared to collide with his own scales again, but this time, Terry had targeted the scales at Xuan¡¯s back instead of at his chest and limbs.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± The first scale that Terry had transfixed was ripped from Xuan¡¯s body. The immense force of the Soaring Mountain Sect¡¯s signature move worked against the lizan. His own mountain-like body broke his own defense.

    ¡°NOW!¡± Terry set up more Immovable Object spells to obstruct Xuan¡¯s arms and darted back.

    [Now or never!] Rafael used a movement technique to position himself so that he could target the exposed part of Xuan¡¯s sheer impenetrable body. ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡±

    Xuan glared at them coldly. The pain and shame from losing a scale had dampened his anger and returned his mind to a proper battle state. He realized how foolish his attack pattern had been against Terry¡¯s spellwork. He used all his strength to twist his body and move the exposed area out of the way of the attack. Terry had only been able to transfix a few scales and there was still some wiggle room for Xuan to move.

    The flying mana blades hit Xuan¡¯s back and fresh blood splattered from the part where the attack had intersected with the scaleless skin.

    Perhaps we have a chance? Terry was not sure what to make of the result of their combination. It was certainly something but it was not enough to gain a lot of confidence.

    Rafael sent Terry a thought transmission. [As good as it feels to finally see some blood, this is¡ª]

    [I know.] Terry interrupted Rafael¡¯s thought transmission with his own. He dashed forward to make sure that Xuan wouldn¡¯t be able to block the wound further but he soon realized that Xuan was putting his all into reinforcing the gravitational field. Every step closer to the lizan was pure agony. Terry burst his mana beyond his limits and continued, but the changing gravity forced him to readjust his balance and he was not able to move rapidly.

    Damn it.

    Out of desperation, Terry punched out a succession of layered disruption discharges. He knew that the spell slicers didn¡¯t seem to affect the gravitational field much, but he was running out of ideas.

    Before Terry could reach Xuan, he already saw the lizan move his freed arm in front of the wound. The loose scale was falling to the ground. It pressed deep into the ground due to the heavily amplified gravity. When Terry moved his eyes up, he caught the gaze of Xuan, who was staring at him with a new expression.

    Crap. Terry did not try to decipher the changed look in Xuan¡¯s eyes and instead retreated.

    One chance lost¡­

    Terry took a deep breath at the edge of Xuan¡¯s gravitational field.

    For another hour, Terry and Rafael continued pestering Xuan with the Heavenly Wolf Slash.

    Xuan, on his side, had stopped charging at them. If he moved, then he only did so slowly and without the signature move of the Soaring Mountain Sect. He never moved his arm away from his missing scale. He never again exposed the wound to the attack of his opponents.

    [I have one last idea,] declared Terry to Rafael. [If we can damage his¡­ dantian, was it? Then we have a chance.]

    [You know where his dantian is located?] Rafael sounded uncertain. [Even so, he would never leave that exposed. My Heavenly Wolf Slash¡ª]

    [Isn¡¯t a pure mana attack, I know,] interjected Terry. [Your slash interacts with the physical realm and therefore gets blocked by his scales. Let me try something¡­] Terry reestablished a disruption field of rotating spell slicers. He took a long time to prepare the field and then he attempted to compress the rotating net of spell slicers ¨C with Xuan¡¯s dantian as the focus.

    Xuan could sense that something was going on but he was still too wary to move quickly.

    Terry hoped that his compressed disruption field would demonstrate a similar behavior to his compressed mana before a spherical disruption pulse, that it would behave like the mana vortex during a demon ascension that Terry had originally taken inspiration from. He hoped that the spell slicers would accelerate and perhaps be enough to overcome the mana protection of Xuan¡¯s dantian.

    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± Terry could not help but shout in dismay when his plan did not work out.

    It was difficult to control the spell slicers and compressing the established field was beyond his current abilities. The amount of involved mana was far beyond what Terry had to deal with for a disruption pulse.

    To make it worse, Xuan was still moving, albeit slowly. The few spell slicers that managed to hit the region of Xuan¡¯s dantian were unable to break through the defense, much less to damage the dantian.

    Helplessly, Terry and Rafael were forced back into a stalemate with no hint of one party being able to overcome it.

    At first, Terry thought that the overseer might stop the match and announce a draw, but he discovered that the Proving Grounds did not care about how long a match might take. As long as the contestants demonstrate the willingness to fight, the battle would continue.

    Xuan made sure that the overseer understood his intention to continue at all times. He never dropped his gravitational field for long. As soon as Terry and Rafael would stop pestering him, Xuan retaliated.

    Soon, more than a day had passed in the arena.

    ***

 140 Liberating Insights

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 70 ¨C

    Terry and Rafael were trapped in the arena battle with Xuan. While Terry was still feeling okay without sleep or food, he could already see that Rafael was doing less than well.

    [What were you talking about when you said that you wouldn¡¯t make it in time?] asked Terry.

    Terry and Rafael had begun using their time to exchange information. Initially, they had tried to come up with ideas to overcome Xuan, but eventually, they had settled for getting to know each other better. This was the first time that they had a chance to chat for longer periods, because the fights were usually more short-paced and they could not communicate with the talismans when Terry was in his cell that blocked mana.

    [Remember when the Third Scion talked about me being hunted by the Thunderous Palm Sect?] asked Rafael. [I got into a fight with one of their young masters and, long story short, their young master is dead and I came into possession of a valuable entrance ticket that was intended for him.]

    [Entrance ticket?] Terry raised his brows. [To what?]

    [A secret realm with an inheritance site by a powerful senior,] explained Rafael. [The site is supposed to open at the end of the Setting Sun and is rumored to contain vast riches, amazing cultivation resources, and even some named artifacts of legend.]

    Terry tried to recall what he knew about the secret realms of mana martialists, which admittedly wasn¡¯t much.

    He only remembered a few references from his uncle Samuel. When they had investigated the interaction between oscillating mana and space magic, Samuel had explained that secret realms are applications of space folding to create small pockets hidden from sight and unreachable by non-magical means. There was naturally some spellwork that would achieve similar effects for less cost.

    Samuel had also briefly mentioned inheritance sites in a conversation about dungeons, but only insofar as to compare the inheritance sites of mana martialists to artificial dungeons ¨C with challenges and often with an intelligent spirit or soul in charge to substitute for the lack of a dungeon core.

    Nothing in Terry¡¯s memory explained how such sites related to an entrance ticket. [How does the entrance ticket work?]

    [It teleports you and whomever you are touching inside the secret realm where the inheritance site is located,] explained Rafael.

    [Wait, if you have a teleportation device with you, why are you still here?] asked Terry with narrowed eyes.

    [If I still had it, I wouldn¡¯t be here,] grumbled Rafael. [When I was arrested, it was too early and the ticket wasn¡¯t usable. I barely managed to conceal and hold onto my belt but all my other possessions were taken from me. I hoped I could escape and retrieve the entrance ticket in time, but¡­]

    [Could we exchange some items for the ticket and then escape from the arena?] asked Terry. He didn¡¯t know where the secret realm was located, but the senior should have been a mana martialist and their lands were in the Free Factions Union. Further north and closer to Arcana.

    [I wish,] grumbled Rafael. [Even if they don¡¯t know what it is, they wouldn¡¯t just hand it to a prisoner. I can exchange for some items, but only stuff that they know inside out. They¡¯re not going to return items to me that they don¡¯t understand.]

    Terry recalled how his mana sublimator had been confiscated and taken away for research. He frowned.

    [And I believe someone suspects that it¡¯s valuable,] sighed Rafael. [It has been moved since I¡¯ve been arrested. It¡¯s not with my other possessions.]

    [How do you know?] asked Terry.

    [I know,] stressed Rafael without elaborating on the details. [That ticket is the fortunate encounter of a lifetime. I¡¯ve made sure I can track it.]

    The stalemate in the arena continued for three more days.

    At that point, Terry could tell that Rafael was at the end of his rope. The felan didn¡¯t show it and kept up his usual posturing act, but Terry could sense the weakness in his mana signature.

    Terry was forced to make a decision. He had progressed smoothly through the arena with the help of Rafael and his Heavenly Wolf Slash, but now there was a battle where Terry was not able to continue as before. If Terry insisted on continuing this starvation match with Xuan, then the alliance with Rafael would be over. No matter if Terry or Xuan persevered in the end, Rafael would have long starved by then.

    Terry clenched his fists and inhaled deeply. He moved his fingers over the inscribed glove on his left arm and then over the keen dagger at his hip.

    ¡®Follow the kind of person you want to become.¡¯ Terry felt himself taken back to the time he had been crying in his room at Arcana Academy, the time that Samuel had spoken to him about the Path of a Mage.

    Terry exhaled sharply and then loosened the laces from his bidirectional attraction glove. He held out both the glove and the keen dagger. ¡°We surrender. They¡¯re yours.¡±

    Xuan crossed his arms. ¡°I know you have a healing wand. I¡¯ll take that too.¡±

    Terry didn¡¯t quibble and retrieved the wand that Samuel had sent to him when he was in the Libra Outpost. ¡°If you step back, I will place everything on the floor. We will leave and then you can take them.¡± Terry wanted to make sure that he would be able to retrieve the items in case Xuan played any tricks. He had a rough idea of the difference in speed between himself and the lizan.

    Xuan moved his gaze from Terry to Rafael and back. Afterwards, he retreated to one of the walls.

    Terry¡¯s eyes were drawn to something left behind on the floor. He walked over and then placed the glove, the dagger, and the wand down on the ground. In exchange, Terry grabbed the loose scale from Xuan, which was the object that had drawn Terry¡¯s attention. He took the scale as a memento of their fight.

    Now, I have a reference of what I need to break.

    The scale was heavier than Terry expected. He clenched his fist around it.

    Terry and Rafael walked out of the arena. Xuan kept his word. The lizan left with Terry¡¯s items as compensation for letting them go.

    [Perhaps this is fate¡­] Rafel¡¯s voice transmission contained sorrow. [I was never meant to make it to the inheritance site. I¡¯d be lucky to even make it out of the Mad Empire.]

    Terry clenched his fists and followed the overseer¡¯s assistants out of the arena.

    ***

    General Eli was skimming through some of the many documents on his desk. The crimson eye on his forehead looked up. ¡°Report, Yana.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t get any less confusing,¡± said Yana and handed over a stack of papers. ¡°We¡¯ve tried to put him under surveillance but the vague information from the scryers contradicts the information from our invisible scouts on site.¡±

    Eli received the new documents and raised his head to look properly at Yana. ¡°He knows that he is being watched then. He detects the scouts and adjusts his behavior.¡±

    ¡°That would explain the discrepancy, but he is in a mana-containment cell.¡± Yana creased her brows. ¡°If he can detect invisible people outside the inner cell, that just adds to the contradictions. The scryed information is too vague for our needs, we need eyes. I¡¯m thinking that a scout from the shadows is our best option.¡±

    Eli fingered through the documents and spread them out on the table. While his normal pair of eyes was looking at Yana, his crimson eye was scanning the contents of the reports. ¡°That will take time. The shadow plane is too big of a strategic risk to lift the general lockdown within the first four perimeters around the city. There is a strict limit on the number of shadow licenses that can pass. I¡¯m not free to watch him personally and I think it¡¯s safe to assume the other license holders are equally busy, which means we will have to apply for an additional exception. That will take time, but it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make the preparations,¡± declared Yana.

    ¡°Knowing all this¡­¡± Eli gestured over the documents. ¡°...what is your opinion on the matter?¡±

    ¡°I trust Yesenia¡¯s instinct,¡± said Yana. ¡°She said if he is really hiding spells and if he is only pretending to be aspect-impaired, then he deserves an award for his acting performance in the arena.¡±

    Eli was still holding Yana¡¯s gaze while his crimson eye was fixed on a specific sheet of paper. ¡°He nearly died in the arena according to the reports. The one who saved his life was one of our own.¡±

    ¡°Damian, a recent veteran that has been selected for the Lucky Wing,¡± said Yana. ¡°We have looked into him more closely too. There are no indications of Damian having any connection to Arcana. There was a chance encounter between Damian and our person of interest during Damian¡¯s scouting deployment in Tiv¡¯s northwest.¡±

    ¡°And yet somehow, this Terry left enough of an impression on Damian to make him go out of his way to move Terry to the Proving Grounds.¡± Eli pointed out.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had our eyes on Damian with more success than with our person of interest,¡± said Yana. ¡°It¡¯s just a political ploy to distract one of the people looking to settle a blood debt. Opportunism and coincidence from the looks of it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said Eli noncommittally. ¡°Some reports from the soldiers that took Terry into custody are still¡­¡± He left his voice hanging in the air.

    ¡°...under investigation, yes,¡± continued Yana. ¡°There are a few whose testimonies seem rather taciturn. It¡¯s possible that they don¡¯t want to deal with the paperwork or that they are reluctant to share the full account for another reason. Either way, I will make sure that we will get what we need.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Eli and returned his full attention to the documents on his desk.

    ***

    Rafael¡¯s clenched paws were shaking. [FUCK! And we were so close to getting through this battle day, FUCK!]

    Terry didn¡¯t even bother to remind Rafael not to shout through voice transmission.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Terry had already been mentally prepared for who was going to walk through the arena entrance. He had already sensed the familiar mana signature.

    ¡°What will it cost us?¡± Terry asked with resignation. He looked warily at the lizan mana martialist in front of him and Rafael.

    ¡°The glove,¡± said Xuan.

    Terry moved his hands over the corset glove on his left hand. He retrieved a different item from his storage bracelet. ¡°This whip should be valuable.¡± It was the weapon that Terry had picked up from a dead member of the Blazing Sun Sect.

    ¡°I want the glove,¡± repeated Xuan.

    Terry had feared that Xuan would insist. The person offering to match the value of items that Xuan takes from me is probably aiming specifically for those I actually care about.

    Rafael shot Terry an apologetic look. [Sorry, if I¡ª]

    [Don¡¯t mention it.] Terry shook his head. [I¡¯m their target.] He mentally added. And without the Heavenly Wolf Slash, I might not have even come this far, certainly not this quickly. Not with my reach problems and the lack of powerful attacks¡­

    ¡°This glove looks different,¡± remarked Xuan while Terry was taking his glove off.

    ¡°It is different,¡± said Terry. ¡°This glove has only been imprinted with the Gravitational Attraction imprint. It¡¯s far less valuable than the one you took from me before.¡± Hope welled up in Terry. ¡°Are you sure that you don¡¯t want the whip instead?¡±

    Terry had anticipated that he would have to meet Xuan again in the arena. If Xuan was backed by Beatrice who was looking to settle the blood debt with Terry, then repeated encounters were inevitable. Terry already knew that Beatrice was capable of influencing contestant match-ups to some degree.

    ¡°Yes, I want the glove.¡± Xuan immediately destroyed Terry¡¯s hopes.

    Terry had chosen his equipment according to the situation. He did not wear anything he could not afford to lose. He had hoped that he could offer equipment he did not care about, but from the looks of it, Xuan would always pick the item most important to Terry¡¯s fighting style.

    Soon after, Terry was being escorted back to his cell, now with one less item to remember his home and loved ones, one less item to fight in the style he was accustomed to. Terry took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

    [Why are you so calm?] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived. [If this keeps happening we¡¯re going¡ª]

    [I know.] Truthfully, Terry had been far from calm after their first encounter with Xuan. It had felt as if he could already see where all of this would lead.

    Item privileges were useless without good items to use. Worse than useless. The privileges they had already earned meant that Terry and Rafael would be paired against stronger opponents and without the corresponding items, they were even worse off than a fresh contestant.

    Terry had hammered uselessly against the walls of his transparent prison after he had been brought there. Losing the glove, dagger, and especially the wand had left Terry unnerved. He still had some healing items, but those were consumables. He still had a second inscribed glove from his aunt and another keen dagger, but could he afford to use them? The moment he was placed in the arena with Xuan, he might lose them forever.

    Terry had tested his weapons and ideas on the single scale from Xuan that was in his possession. His keen dagger had barely been able to scratch it when Terry forced as much mana into the dagger as it allowed. The high quality blades on his inscribed barrier spears had not fared any better.

    Terry was not sure if darkwater or acid were workable ¨C the diminished stock he still possessed was outside his reach, because Damian had not returned them to Terry. They were in the storage bracelet that was on the table in Terry¡¯s outer cell.

    Terry knew of their location, because he regularly attempted to sabotage his inner cell with the help of the Liquify Earth spell from Lori¡¯s crafted wand. Terry knew the contents of the storage bracelet very well.

    However, even if Terry found a way to get to the containers, he knew that it was futile. The gravity field around Xuan would block that kind of attack before it could even reach the lizan.

    [Is the entrance ticket you spoke about usable for more than one person?] asked Terry.

    [Up to ten or so, why? I told you I can¡¯t trade for it, even if we had more valuables to trade with.]

    [I know,] said Terry calmly. [I¡¯m at my cell, talk to you later.]

    The soldiers brought Terry into the transparent inner cell and locked it behind him.

    After the soldiers had left, Terry picked up the scale he had taken from Xuan.

    After his first encounter with Xuan, Terry had felt overcome with despair. He could see where this would lead and he didn¡¯t see a way out. His escape preparations might be coming along but he was still missing both an essential piece and, above all, time.

    Terry had thought that he could survive in the arena, but after running into a wall, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Without his items, another situation like with the pebble-less battlefield could easily break Terry¡¯s neck.

    Despite it all, Terry had discovered an unexpected glimmer of hope on the tough lizan scale. It wasn¡¯t the weak marks that had been left behind by his keen dagger and barrier spear. It was the backside of the scale.

    Terry had only noticed the tiny indentations right before he had to leave for the current battle day. Now that he was back in his cell, Terry immediately went to pick the heavy scale up.

    Terry narrowed his eyes and tried not to glance at the entrance to the outer cell. Thanks to his mana touch, Terry was able to keep tabs on what was going on outside his field of view. He had noticed invisible mages sneaking around occasionally, then more frequently, and now less frequently again.

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the change.

    Perhaps something important was going on in the city and they tightened security? Terry thought back to the incidents with the Blazing Sun Sect. From the overseer¡¯s way of address, that three-eyed person was a general of Thanatos. It could be that there was something¡­

    Terry still decided to wait before doing anything that could invite unwanted attention. He carefully guided his mana outside the transparent cell. He pushed a thin layer of mana with his mana touch. His reach had increased enough that he could feel around outside his cell freely.

    After making sure that he had a way to sense outside, Terry sat down to examine the scale more closely. He placed the unfolded, chocolate-smeared tertium cube next to it.

    It looks similar¡­ Terry¡¯s heartbeat accelerated. But it¡¯s not the same.

    Tiny indentations.

    What does it mean?

    Terry got the gnawing feeling that he might have encountered similar marks before. Once again, Terry longed for his notebooks. If he had noticed them before, he would have written it down. Unfortunately, the notebooks remained unreachable in his dimensional bag on the table outside.

    Damian¡¯s assistant had returned Terry¡¯s crafter¡¯s pendant to him, but the dimensional bag was still considered prohibited goods because of the unretrievable items inside.

    Of course, Terry knew that the unretrievable items were his metal items that Terry had aspected with oscillating mana ¨C containers and throwing needles. In contrast to Terry, the people from Thanatos didn¡¯t know that. They only knew that there was something strange, which is why they kept the dimensional bag out of Terry¡¯s reach even though the bag was considered less valuable than the crafter¡¯s pendant.

    What do I know? Terry¡¯s eyes moved from the scale to the tertium cube.

    I know that my mana isn¡¯t force-aspected and that it doesn¡¯t apply force on objects, even at high concentrations. I¡¯ve tested and falsified that hypothesis.

    ¡°But something is happening,¡± muttered Terry quietly.

    My mana is interacting with the physical realm. My mana touch that works even on mana-less items made from non-mana interactive materials is clear evidence of that.

    The oscillation in my mana could be evidence too.

    Terry¡¯s eyes returned to Xuan¡¯s scale and he picked it up.

    As tiny as the indentations are, they are deeper than anything my weapons accomplished.

    Not as deep as what Rafael managed with the Heavenly Wolf Slash but deeper than anything I¡ª

    Terry moved the scale closer to his eyes. ¡°Why at the back?¡± Terry¡¯s fingers moved over the indentations at the back of the scale.

    Only at the back.

    The back of the scale would have been facing Xuan¡¯s body.

    There is no way that any of our attacks caused this.

    Terry glanced at the unfolded tertium cube. ¡°Inside.¡± Given the location of the melted chocolate, Terry was sure that the indentations were placed at the surface that had been facing inside of the folded cube.

    Inside is assuming that the indentations were really created when I was hiding from the undead and elementals. What if they weren¡¯t?

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What if they were?

    Encountering these indentations once could be a coincidence, but twice? Or more?

    Terry slowly shook his head.

    Assuming that the tertium cube was damaged back then, what do these two have in common?

    Terry looked at the scale and the unfolded tertium cube.

    What happened?

    Terry pondered while letting his eyes wander over the interior of his cell. Subconsciously, Terry stopped his gaze at one of the many pebbles in his exercise collection. ¡°Balance¡­¡± But there was no oscillating mana charge. And my aspecting experiments didn¡¯t cause any damage as far as I can tell and¡­

    Terry¡¯s mouth opened when an idea came to his mind. ¡°Spell.¡± No mana charge but an active Immovable Object spell. Terry moved his fingers over the back of the scale. ¡°Spell slicer.¡± The damage is where my spell slicers hit first.

    Terry furrowed his brow. I¡¯ve never heard of disruption discharges doing anything aside from disrupting. Even if there was something special about oscillating mana, there would have to be a general rule as well.

    I¡¯ve disrupted plenty of spells and I¡¯ve never seen¡­ Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide. He recalled the difference in behavior with his oscillating needles. He exclaimed in a whisper: ¡°Naturalization.¡± What if there is a difference between disrupting someone else¡¯s spell and disrupting your own?

    How many mages learn disruption discharges? How many mana cultivators learn some spellwork? How many people ever see the need to stop their own spell with a disruption discharge? Terry¡¯s mind was racing.

    He himself mostly relied on disrupting his spell in combination with his crafted items. A triggering mechanism for his anchored throwing needles. Terry frowned. I never noticed that before though. It¡¯s possible that my anchored needles with the imprints weren¡¯t naturalized like when I cast the spell from scratch but¡­

    How many mana cultivators use single-aspected disruption discharges?

    Normally, the instructions are kept separate for aspected discharges and disruption discharges. The former revolves around the refractors for separating aspects and the latter around the focus refractors for creating spell slicers.

    There normally is no need to separate aspects for a disruption discharge¡­

    Terry inhaled slowly and stood up. Is it possible¡­?

    ¡°I need confirmation.¡± Terry picked up a tertium slab and transfixed it in the air. Afterwards, he punched out a layered disruption discharge.

    *Clang* The tertium slab fell to the floor.

    For others, it was very difficult to disrupt Terry¡¯s spellwork because his compressed spellwork was highly stable and because it was small which made it hard to hit. For Terry, however, it felt as simple as flipping his palm thanks to his accuracy with mana as well as the intensity, velocity, and sharpness of his spell slicers.

    Terry picked up the tertium slab and examined it closely. After some time, disappointment settled in.

    Another failed experiment.

    Another hare-brained idea¡­

    Terry was about to throw the tertium slab into a corner when he paused. He glanced at the unfolded tertium cube with the chocolate stains.

    Wait a second¡­

    Terry did not remember the situation back then too well because his brain felt kind of foggy from sleep deprivation at the time. Nevertheless, Terry was able to place himself into the situation and think about what he would have done. ¡°Definitely not try to¡­¡± ¡­disrupt my own spell. Not purposefully.

    Terry transfixed the tertium slab again. Once more, Terry prepared a layered discharge. This time, however, Terry adjusted his aim to avoid the ignited spell structure. He intentionally aimed the spell slicers at another part of the immovable tertium slab so as to avoid disrupting the spell.

    The tertium slab remained hanging in the air and Terry moved closer to examine it.

    ¡°Mana¡­¡± Terry felt his pulse quicken and his breathing became erratic. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡®A shift to a colliding plane.¡¯ Terry recalled the words from Samuel when his uncle had voiced his theory of oscillating mana as the intersection between the life and space aspects.

    Nothing to do with force.

    Something clicked in Terry¡¯s agitated mind.

    Everything to do with the shift.

    No, not shift¡­

    Shifts! Terry gulped and calm determination settled in his eyes. That¡¯s why it¡¯s moving. That¡¯s why¡­

    ***

 141 Breaking Through

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 85 ¨C

    ¡°The spear,¡± said Xuan.

    Terry had tried to avoid using expensive items. In fact, he had tried to avoid using items in general. He kept some in his storage bracelet, but did his best to not use them in battle. He had already learned that Xuan always knew which items Terry had used in the battles before.

    Unfortunately, sometimes, Terry couldn¡¯t avoid it. Sometimes, Terry needed a magic weapon to get through his other battles. Whenever Terry could, he would gather equipment from his opponents and try to use them, but often, Terry had no idea how to use them properly. Consequently, Terry¡¯s own items still made their appearances.

    ¡°Which spear?¡± asked Terry while trying to keep his expression blank. He hadn¡¯t used a spear in his battles today.

    ¡°Whatever spear you have with you,¡± said Xuan indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t try to get smart with me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll take the storage bracelet with all its contents.¡±

    Still have to try¡­ Terry spoke up: ¡°Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want your items, not the stuff that you collected from other contestants,¡± stressed Xuan.

    Terry threw his imprinted barrier spear on the ground. This was the first piece of magic equipment he had bought from the money he had earned hunting non-magic animals. He had given the second imprinted spear to Calam before they had gone to Tiv.

    Xuan frowned slightly. ¡°More valuable than that fire-aspected spear but¡­¡±

    ¡°I still have the whip,¡± reminded Terry.

    ¡°No,¡± growled Xuan.

    [Terry, this isn¡¯t good.] Rafael appeared composed on the outside but his voice was weak. [We¡¯re meeting him way too often.]

    [I know,] said Terry. He sighed and reminded himself in his thoughts: Focus. He addressed Rafael through thought transmission: [I have an idea but I¡¯m not there yet.]

    [Oh?] Rafael raised his eyebrows.

    [I¡¯ll explain when I¡¯m sure,] said Terry. [Until then, can you tell me more about that entrance ticket?]

    ¡°Oh and¡­¡± Xuan spoke up loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t try to come here without items or, you know, someone might have to die before we leave the arena.¡±

    Rafael¡¯s expression darkened. Sooner or later, Terry would run out of items from his original equipment. [Maybe it¡¯s best if we break off the alliance when we face another opponent.]

    Terry was taken aback. [I want to get out of here.]

    [Just like everyone else around here,] grumbled Rafael. [Why are you¡ª?]

    [I mean that I want to get out,] stressed Terry. [I want to get back to Arcana. You can help me get there quicker and I can help you claw back a chance to get what you want. If you are willing to risk it¡­]

    They didn¡¯t have much time to chat. It had been their last match of the day and they were being ushered back into their cells.

    As soon as Terry was back in his transparent cell, he dispersed his mana to check for people watching. When the air was clear, Terry threw the scale he had taken from Xuan up and transfixed it with the Immovable Object spell.

    Time for training¡­ A fierce glint entered Terry¡¯s eyes.

    ***

    Yesenia looked up from the chess set. ¡°How long are you going to stay in the city anyway?¡±

    ¡°Not much longer,¡± replied Yana. ¡°The frontline with Tiv might be off limits until the situation with the Valkyrie and Arcana has settled, but there are other battles to be fought.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯ll be deployed next?¡± asked Yesenia. ¡°Supporting the march into the Union up north? Defending the south from the Wastes?¡± She smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t see you as the type to linger around the Lich Kingdoms in the east.¡±

    Yana rolled her eyes. ¡°No idea yet. I¡¯ll stick to General Eli. It has served me well so far.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± said Yesenia and smiled. ¡°If you choose to retire from active duty, you could probably move directly into the Popular Wing given the renown of your division.¡±

    ¡°Boring,¡± exclaimed Yana with a grin. She picked up her pieces. ¡°I¡¯ve no desire to retire yet. First, I¡¯ll get my own division and then I¡¯ll get my name into our military history.¡±

    ¡°Lofty ambitions,¡± said Yesenia. ¡°I believe you can do it.¡± She finished setting up her pieces. ¡°But if you have to leave soon, what are you going to do about Terry? You haven¡¯t clarified his situation yet, have you?¡±

    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t,¡± said Yana while shaking her head. ¡°We have applied for a temporary shadow license for one of our scouts.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡± Yesenia snorted with amusement. ¡°The bureaucracy has crept into many corners again. It¡¯s been too long since the Hall has cleaned up the administrators. I wouldn¡¯t count on the application going through before the Rising Moon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Yana. ¡°I have someone here to take care of it after we¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the latest intel?¡± asked Yesenia curiously.

    ¡°Confusing is what it is,¡± grumbled Yana. ¡°The scryers are saying he¡¯s practicing disruption discharges.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s confusing about that?¡± Yesenia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Terry seems to rely a lot on them.¡±

    ¡°You know as well as I do that he is placed against a wall in the arena,¡± reminded Yana. ¡°Our person and the felan have faced the lizan wall basically every second day. At the rate he¡¯s losing items, he¡¯ll be fighting ass-naked in the arena soon. Why would he calmly train something as fundamental as disruption discharges?¡±

    ¡°If his skillset is not an act, then Terry doesn¡¯t have much choice, does he?¡± retorted Yesenia. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Terry is aiming to break through Xuan¡¯s dantian. From what I have seen, the man has some fighting spirit. Commendable. If he manages to survive long enough with that attitude, he has a good chance to earn recognition eventually.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Yana leaned in closer. ¡°Do you know what else the scryers said?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no fan of unnecessary suspense,¡± remarked Yesenia drily. ¡°If you want to tell me, do it. If not, just play your game.¡±

    ¡°They said that his disruption discharges are getting worse.¡± Yana emphasized the last word strongly. ¡°The longer he practices, the worse he gets. Who does that? It¡¯s like he¡¯s taunting us with intentionally bad acting.¡±

    ***

    Terry dreaded the words that would come next. He had been forced to use it in the previous match. It seemed inevitable now. Terry took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. It wasn¡¯t time yet. He was getting closer, but he wasn¡¯t ready.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the spear,¡± announced Xuan in a haughty tone.

    [Terry, I¡­] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission was quiet and low-spirited.

    Terry threw his inscribed barrier spear on the floor. Now, he was only left with one from the pair that his accepted mother had sent him to the Libra Outpost.

    [Are you sure about the entrance ticket?] Terry asked Rafael. His eyes were still staring at Xuan resolutely.

    [Yes, it will become usable after the current moon has passed,] replied Rafael.

    Which means after tonight. Terry clenched his fists.

    Xuan jeered at Terry. ¡°Whatever happened to your spine and fighting spirit? I remember you spouting some bullshit the first time and now look at you! Do you still believe that you have the right to lecture me?¡±

    Terry mustered his resolve. If they met Xuan again too early, then what he was about to do would be a very bad idea. He knew it. However, Terry refused to simply let go of his lost equipment. He told himself that it was because the equipment would increase the chances of his other plan, but deep down, Terry was aware that the attachment to the gifts from his family and his resentment for the person that took them played a significant role in his behavior.

    ¡°How about a bet?¡± Terry heard himself say.

    ¡°Here we go¡­¡± Rafael muttered under his breath and he squared his shoulders to appear more confident than he was.

    ¡°A bet?¡± Xuan stared coldly at Terry. ¡°I can take everything I want from you. I don¡¯t see a need to bet. Besides, what could you have left to bet with?¡°

    ¡°If I don¡¯t bring items to the arena, there is no chance for you to get them.¡± Terry pointed out. ¡°Even if Rafael and I die, you will never get the items or the chance to continue your deal with your devil.¡±

    Xuan¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°And as for what I have left to bet, how about an authentic crafter¡¯s pendant from Arcana?¡± Terry spoke firmly. ¡°That is worth more than all the items you took from me so far combined.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to stop me from simply demanding the pendant?¡± asked Xuan.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t bring it, you can¡¯t get it, no matter how much you demand it,¡± stressed Terry firmly.

    ¡°I could just insist on you handing it over,¡± retorted Xuan. ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, that would be a problem for you.¡± He moved his eyes to Rafael. ¡°Or more likely for him first.¡±

    ¡°Problem your head!¡± hissed Rafael. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of dying?!¡±

    ¡°Are you so sure that you would like it if only I am left?¡± added Terry with grave determination. ¡°That deal you have with someone from Thanatos is quite lucrative for you. However, that is only true as long as I play along.¡±

    ¡°Your words make some sense,¡± admitted Xuan. ¡°Then what is the nature of the bet you propose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring the crafter¡¯s pendant and you bring everything you took from me before,¡± said Terry. ¡°The winner takes it all.¡±

    ¡°Arrogant fool.¡± Xuan¡¯s red eyes became even colder. ¡°Do you really believe you have the slightest chance to win against me?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the pointless blustering?!¡± interjected Rafael. ¡°Either you accept or you don¡¯t. If you¡¯re too much of a coward to even agree to this much¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± barked Xuan. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll accept. Not only will I have you offer that crafter¡¯s pendant to me, I¡¯ll have you beg me on your knees to take it.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and clenched his fists. We¡¯ll see about that¡­

    ***

    Two days later in the audience seats of the Proving Grounds. ¡°Do we have to keep watching these?¡± A boy asked his little brother. ¡°It¡¯s pathetic. Hitting the same wall over and over again. How many times has he surrendered by now? So boring. Why does this even keep happening? What is everyone thinking? Pick the same match all the time? So boring.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The younger boy pouted and ignored his older brother.

    ¡°He had a good run, but unless the felan can whip something up, they¡¯re done,¡± continued the bigger boy. ¡°¡®Rising Rookies¡¯, yeah right. They had a good combination but I guess this is it. Xuan is unmatched as a wall in this tier.¡± He shot his younger sibling a look of sympathy. ¡°I told you if a cultivator can¡¯t get close, they¡¯re done for. How could someone like that be a proper fighter?¡±

    ¡°Rafael isn¡¯t doing too well either, is he?¡± retorted the young boy. ¡°Weren¡¯t you impressed with the Heavenly Wolf Slash before?¡±

    The elder boy rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, of course. As an offensive ability, it¡¯s impressive. However, look at the guy now. A one-trick kitty and if the one trick fails, then he¡¯s out.¡± He puffed his cheeks and blew air through his pressed lips.

    ¡°So suddenly, even the mana martialist isn¡¯t a worthy fighter anymore?¡± The younger boy took offense. ¡°You¡¯re just following the¡ª¡± The boy stopped mid-sentence. ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡±

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    Terry stepped into the arena with determined eyes. Around his neck was the crafter¡¯s pendant. His gaze met the one from Rafael as the felan walked into the arena as well. Next, Terry caught sight of Xuan.

    ¡°Did you bring my pendant?¡± asked Xuan in a mocking tone.

    Terry ignored the snub of calling the pendant his already. ¡°Did you bring my items?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I brought my little toothpick and the rest,¡± sneered Xuan and held out the keen dagger he had taken from Terry before. Xuan was grinning with sharp teeth. ¡°Did you bring my pendant?¡±

    Terry moved his hand to lift the pendant into view for a brief moment. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start,¡± growled Xuan. The arena ground quaked slightly as he moved forward. A moment later, he had already unleashed his gravitational field ability.

    Contrary to Terry¡¯s expectations, Xuan did not go on the offensive at all. The lizan was waiting for Terry to make a move.

    I guess he doesn¡¯t want to lose another scale.

    Scale¡­

    Terry thought back to the scale he had taken from Xuan in their first battle. The scale that had acted as Terry¡¯s guiding post for what he needed to break. For one final time, Terry recalled the scene of the deformed scale back in the cell and he took courage from the memory.

    [Make sure to preserve your mana, but if you see a chance, take it.] Terry instructed Rafael.

    [Got it,] acknowledged Rafael. [Just a quick reminder, buddy, I still have no idea how you want to get past his defenses.]

    Terry smiled mirthlessly. He stretched his fingers repeatedly. When he had still been in the Arcana Academy and dreaming about which spells he might learn one day, many of his favorites had been from the space aspect.

    Spatial blades, in particular, were often described as unstoppable in the physical realm.

    Unstoppable¡­

    Terry clenched a tight fist. He dashed towards Xuan with an instinctive burst technique. He grit his teeth to withstand the increasing pressure of the gravitational field without slowing down. He persevered until he was close enough to target Xuan.

    In the blink of an eye, Terry had transfixed dozens of scales and horns on Xuan¡¯s body.

    First objective clear.

    Terry retreated and took a deep breath.

    Xuan was staring coldly at Terry. He didn¡¯t even bother to move his mana to attempt and get rid of the active Immovable Object spells. The spell was only a nuisance if one wanted to move. Why would he need to move? His defenses were impenetrable. All he needed to do was to wait until his opponents gave up under the torment of hunger.

    Terry placed several mana refractors along his knuckles and outside of his body.

    It had taken a while for him to get everything right. Many times, Terry had cursed at the lack of his notebooks.

    Eventually though, Terry had figured it out. He was still relying on the basic idea of spell slicers like in disruption discharges, but what he needed to do now was different.

    At Terry¡¯s current level, it was only possible if the target was fixed in place. Fortunately, that was exactly what the Immovable Object was shaped for.

    Terry lunged back his arms and together with a burst technique for explosive strength, Terry unleashed discharge after discharge.

    Sharp spell slicers were rushing forward at astonishing speed. They hit the refractors that Terry had placed one after the other.

    With every refractor the spell slicers passed, their intensity grew and their trajectory was slightly altered.

    Until all of the spell slicers hit the exact same spot.

    A spot on Xuan¡¯s forehead.

    The look in Xuan¡¯s eyes shifted between contempt, surprise, and ridicule. He had prepared for an attack on his dantian but unexpectedly, the Arcanian had chosen to attack his head instead. He snorted with derision. In contrast to his dantian, his head was not a vulnerable target for attacks located purely in the mana realm. Even for physical attacks, Xuan had little to worry about. The protection at his head was the toughest on his whole body.

    Terry did not care about what was going through Xuan¡¯s head. He was completely immersed in the process of hurling disruption discharges, sensing the trajectory and impact of the spell slicers, and reclaiming his discharged mana. His mind was racing with all the different things he had to keep track of.

    Maintaining the active spells to trap Xuan.

    Reenforcing any mana refractor that had decayed or changed shape.

    Adjusting his own discharges to hit different refractors so as to impact on the exact same spot from different directions.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± In the audience seats, two boys were glancing at each other. ¡°Has he lost his mind?¡±

    For hours on end, Terry was hurling intense disruption discharges without ever disrupting a spell. While some audience members were impressed with the fact that Terry managed to keep this up for so long without any hint of slowing down or running out of mana, it still seemed undeniably pointless.

    ¡°What a farce,¡± spat Xuan. He inwardly shrugged and closed his eyes to meditate. If his opponent intended to make a clown of himself, so be it. The only worry at the end of Xuan¡¯s mind was that Terry displayed an astonishing amount of mana. Xuan intended to conserve his own mana for as much as possible. After all, he had no idea if the mad Arcanian would finally snap and let his felan companion die to have a shot at victory.

    After eight hours of ceaseless disruption discharges, Xuan opened his eyes and subconsciously emitted a growl. ¡°Annoying.¡± He was beginning to get a headache.

    The longer the match lasted, the more people left the audience seats. In the first match between the Rising Rookies and Xuan, there had at least been a few interesting developments, but this match felt entirely stagnant.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said an older boy. ¡°We can come back tomorrow if they¡¯re still at it then.¡±

    The younger boy seemed reluctant but eventually gave in. ¡°...but I want to be here early.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± agreed his elder brother and yawned. ¡°If you insist.¡±

    Terry did not care what the people in the audience thought of him. The days that he was getting excited for their cheering were lost together with his items.

    Terry was tired of playing their game. Tired of being played and used for other people¡¯s plans or amusement. He kept his eyes fixed on Xuan and continued his discharges.

    It was only during sunrise on the next day that Xuan was beginning to realize that something was wrong. His head was throbbing with a splitting headache. Never before had he felt anything like it. He stared at Terry with disbelief.

    Terry could not be bothered by Xuan¡¯s gaze and continued as before.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Realization dawned on Xuan and in a panic, he moved his mana to try and get rid of Terry¡¯s Immovable Object spells. He had no clue what was going on but he was smart enough to understand that his headache was related to whatever the Arcanian was doing.

    Terry harrumphed coldly when he sensed Xuan¡¯s attempts. He dashed forward into the gravitational field to make sure and feed more mana into his compressed spell structures.

    No matter how frenziedly Xuan tried to disturb the spells, Terry was faster. Even if one of the spells was disturbed, the next spell would activate at the same location before Xuan had any chance to react.

    Terry had finally realized the nature of his oscillating mana, or at least the core of it. It was as Samuel and Ser had surmised, only with a slight twist. It was a false assumption that his Immovable Object spell relied on a single shift to another plane.

    From what Terry could gather, the spell worked differently. There was significance in the fact that it required oscillating mana to cast the spell.

    What if oscillating mana appears to move because it interacts with the physical realm?

    What if the conditions for the Immovable Object were understood incorrectly?

    What if the object wasn¡¯t shifted as a whole?

    What if¡­

    Terry¡¯s mind had been set ablaze by what he had discovered about the interaction between the Immovable Object spell and a spell slicer created with oscillating mana. The spell slicers had caused physical changes in the transfixed object but only if the spell was active.

    This indicated that it was a mana reaction and not a physical interaction. The theory that Terry had come up with related to the way the shift worked and how his naturalized mana acted as a bridge that facilitated the effect.

    The Immovable Object spell does not merely shift an object to another plane. It shifts all physical particles of an object to another plane. What if this wasn¡¯t a single shift? What if each particle is shifted individually but all of them collectively?

    Terry had his epiphany when he had to explain the effect of oscillating spell slicers on an object under the Immovable Object spell.

    Oscillating mana appears to move because the mana latches onto physical particles. Oscillating mana can create the Immovable Object spell because it allows the shifting of all particles together.

    What if the particles weren¡¯t shifted to the same plane? What if the collective shift is only facilitated by the common mana naturalization? What if the relation of one plane to the other is set by the impression of the oscillating mana when the spell activates?

    What if the impression can be adjusted by disturbing the balance of oscillating mana? For example, with an intense oscillating spell slicer?

    Of course, Terry had realized how daunting it was to apply this in practice. Even if his hypothesis was true, using this as a means of attack was like using the smallest chisel in the world as a weapon.

    To make it worse, this tiny chisel even consumed mana and it required both concentration as well as preparation.

    Despite the drawbacks, Terry was determined to take what he could get. If this was a new tool, then he intended to find a way to make it work.

    The growing terror on Xuan¡¯s face told Terry that his new tool was indeed working.

    ¡°Unstoppable¡­¡± Terry subconsciously muttered. ¡­shift.

    After two more hours, Xuan was crying tears of blood. He did not know what was going on, but he had never felt as much pain before in his life. It was as if something was drilling into his brain. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had felt this threatened. His days of comfortable deals had left him unprepared and now the unexpected danger to his life left the lizan shaken. ¡°I SURRENDER!¡±

    Terry stopped his disruption discharges with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°I want my items.¡± He deactivated some of the Immovable Object spells but only on one of Xuan¡¯s arms. He kept the ones on Xuan¡¯s other limbs, torso, and head active.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Xuan used his free arm to throw over the keen dagger. ¡°I¡­¡± He gulped and did not dare to look Terry in the eyes. ¡°I did not bring any others.¡±

    Without being aware of it, Terry had already transfixed Xuan¡¯s free arm again. He collected his keen dagger and glowered at Xuan. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Mana refractors were popping up in the area again and the sight terrified Xuan.

    ¡°You already sold most of the items, didn¡¯t you?¡± interjected Rafael, who was now wide awake again. He added a thought transmission for Terry. [Nicely done. No idea what you did, but it was nicely done.]

    ¡°You¡­¡± Terry could read enough from the look in Xuan¡¯s eyes to know that Rafael had hit the mark. Terry¡¯s cherished equipment was already gone.

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± stammered Xuan. ¡°I can bring the rest if¡­¡±

    ¡°YOU DARE!¡± Terry was overwhelmed with rage. He lunged out his arms and began unleashing disruption discharges towards Xuan¡¯s forehead again.

    ¡°NO, PLEASE NO!¡± pleaded Xuan. ¡°I did not know! I did not know!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Terry prepared more mana refractors and gathered an immense amount of mana at his fist. He lunged out and¡­

    [Spare¡­ him¡­ please¡­] A foreign voice echoed in Terry¡¯s head. The enunciation was slow and slightly off. Terry was so surprised that he subconsciously stopped.

    [Please¡­]

    [I beg¡­ you¡­]

    [Don¡¯t¡­]

    Terry was taken aback. His anger was still present, but now he became deeply aware of the sight in front of him. The sight of the cowering lizan mana martialist whose eyes were filled with deep fear.

    Am I really that scary?

    Terry swallowed his anger.

    I¡¯m tired of this.

    I want to leave.

    What¡¯s done is done. Terry spared one last look for Xuan. ¡°Leave! Have fun rotting in the arena, but at least you¡¯ll be comfortable making deals with your devils, right?¡± Terry stared coldly at Xuan as his spells deactivated.

    Xuan ran towards the arena¡¯s exit. He swayed and it was clear that he had problems with his balance.

    Up in the audience, two boys were staring at each other. ¡°What happened?!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Do you mind sharing what you did there?¡± Yesenia was escorting Terry for a part of the way back to his cell. ¡°Why did Xuan surrender?¡± She thought it unnecessary to point out the terror in the lizan¡¯s eyes when he had escaped the arena. ¡°From what I could gather, his dantian isn¡¯t located¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡± Terry shook his head. He did not feel much elation at his victory because the main purpose behind it was to get back his lost equipment and this plan had failed miserably.

    Yesenia understood the hint and stopped asking. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to keep some secrets if you want to survive in the Proving Grounds. You¡¯re growing.¡± She paused and tried another question. ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± She searched Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°You have killed in the arena before. You seemed truly infuriated. I would have bet that you would take Xuan¡¯s life. What made you reconsider?¡±

    Involuntarily, Terry frowned. He didn¡¯t know either. There was no reason to do as the strange voice had asked. Xuan had lied. Xuan had taken Terry¡¯s equipment and cooperated with one of Terry¡¯s enemies in Thanatos. Xuan had repeatedly threatened their lives, and with as cruel a death as starvation at that. At least for Rafael, this fate would have been inevitable if Terry hadn¡¯t drawn Xuan¡¯s attention and given in.

    Perhaps because he gave us a way out? Terry thought gloomily. If he had insisted on continuing the earlier matches, Rafael would already be dead. He might have done so for selfish motives but¡­ Terry¡¯s frown deepened. I don¡¯t know.

    Yesenia observed Terry¡¯s changing facial expressions. ¡°If you can¡¯t speak about it, that¡¯s fine too.¡±

    Terry glanced at her silently. Why does she make it sound as if I¡¯m keeping a secret? I just don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Take him from here.¡± Yesenia ordered two of her assistants. After they had taken Terry away, her expression contorted into a scowl. ¡°Operative? Perhaps I¡¯ve been wrong¡­¡± She walked to her office with hurried steps.

    Inside the security of her office, Yesenia took out a small crystal from her desk. She infused it with mana and started the recording.

    ¡°You told me to inform you about anything unusual about Terry.¡± Yesenia slightly nodded her head. ¡°Today, they broke through the wall. That¡¯s not the unusual part though. The way he did it.¡± She creased her brows and shook her head. ¡°It was not what I expected and it was not anything I can explain.

    ¡°However, the main reason I¡¯m sending this sound transmission to you is because there was some outside involvement¡­¡± Yesenia¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It was subtle, which means skilled magic, but I believe there was a sound transmission from outside. A sound transmission intended for Terry¡­¡±

    ***

    Late in the evening, Terry was looking around the transparent inner cell. The floors were clear because he had already collected all of his belongings into his available storage bracelet.

    Terry pressed his mana further through the slight gap where the cell¡¯s door was located. He confirmed with his mana touch that there was no one in the vicinity. The stationed guards were patrolling.

    At a distance, Terry used his mana to retrieve the wand that Lori had gifted him from the dimensional bag on the table in the outer cell. He activated the wand¡¯s imprint for Liquify Earth and caught the spell to direct it to a specific location underneath the transparent cell¡¯s door mechanism.

    Terry burst his mana and pushed against the wall near the door. With the softened earth below, there was now some wiggle room, albeit miniscule. Terry pressed several pebbles against the wall and transfixed them to maintain the wall and door in their current positions.

    Terry guided his mana through the tiny gap that had been opened through his pushing against the wall and cast his empowered Immovable Object spell.

    In the past, Terry would have thought this action meaningless. What use was the Immovable Object spell in this kind of situation? Should he restrain himself further?

    Terry took a deep breath and double-checked the spell charges in all his active spells.

    Fifteen minutes at least.

    Terry nodded to himself and then repositioned himself in front of the door.

    If my estimation is right, I should be done around sunrise. He grimaced. I better be or this will be very difficult to explain.

    If I notice anything off, I need to adjust before it¡¯s too late.

    Still, this isn¡¯t like Xuan¡¯s scale. It isn¡¯t actively protected by someone else¡¯s naturalized mana, I should¡­

    Terry inhaled deeply. Nothing to do but try.

    Terry lunged back his fist and stared at the transfixed door mechanism. From then on, a rapid and endless succession of intense disruption discharges shot through the night.

    ***

 142 Breaking Out

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    In the twilight of the approaching dawn, Fate grabbed her mage staff and followed the path that her magic revealed to her. She knew that there was still a soldier between her and her destination, but she could not see the person. Even though the guard was hidden, Fate confidently aimed her spell according to her latest scrying.

    *Thud* The sound of someone falling to the floor echoed quietly in the hallway.

    Fate refrained from using a spell to force the unconscious opponent into view. If someone came along, it would be better for the downed guard to remain invisible. Assured that she was now alone in the hallway, she approached the entrance to the cell.

    Fate exhaled softly. ¡°Mission first.¡± A complicated expression entered her eyes. ¡°Debts¡­ Why? Why did it have to be¡­ that person¡­ again?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Debts¡­ resentment¡­ only increasing¡­¡± Her dark-scaled hand pushed the door open.

    Unexpectedly, Fate¡¯s active magic predicted movement in another location. Not in the hallways. Much further away. In a different cell.

    A cell Fate had planned to visit next.

    Fate stared at the direction with blue eyes that radiated the light of mana use. ¡°That person¡­¡± She clenched her sharp teeth and forced herself to concentrate on her mission.

    Fate walked into the open cell and she finally laid eyes on one of the future pillars of rebellion. A key pillar of liberation from what her magic had shown.

    A pair of shaken red eyes met hers.

    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± Xuan glared suspiciously at the sudden visitor. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor while trying to recuperate from his injuries. He had already been feeling vulnerable after his loss to Terry.

    This unfamiliar guest made Xuan uncomfortable. His blood felt warmer, which only increased his wariness. Something in him was reacting to the sight of the lizan woman. Something beyond instinct.

    Fate almost replied in the native lizan tongue. However, she recalled in time that this prince had been evacuated from their native realm before he had any chance to properly learn their language.

    Fate had already learned that she had not been the first one to discover the truth. All of her current efforts were based on those that came before. Their sacrifice made her mission sacred in Fate¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Your realm needs you,¡± said Fate in the common tongue shared by the humans, elves, and dwarves of this realm. ¡°Your tribe needs you.¡±

    ¡°Scram,¡± growled Xuan. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    A spell by Fate had silenced Xuan in an instant. Her magic showed him a condensed version of the truth ¨C impressions, scenes, emotions, thoughts. An overwhelming sensation. A truth that could reframe everything and change how you look at your own history, your own self-image, your own future¡­

    At least, if you were a lizan of recent generations.

    Xuan¡¯s eyes were shaking from the crushing revelation. He stood up slowly and clenched his fists. He felt the warm sensation of healing spells activating on himself. He had not noticed Fate casting but he knew it was her who was healing him. ¡°Is it¡­ true?¡±

    ¡°I fear it is,¡± replied Fate softly. ¡°Daunting¡­ prospects. Still¡­¡± Fate took a deep breath. ¡°I understand if you¡­¡± She gazed deeply into Xuan¡¯s red eyes. ¡°More comfortable here¡­ In our home¡­ Only death for those like us.¡± She sighed. ¡°I have burdened you with the truth.¡±

    Xuan stepped forward. He did not know why he was suddenly thinking of Terry but he was. ¡°I¡¯ll fight.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± said Fate. Her eyes wandered to some items within the cell. Items from which she could sense the strands of karma, a significant complication in one¡¯s fate.

    Even more so for one fated to lead a liberation.

    Fate¡¯s eyes proceeded to the deformed scale on Xuan¡¯s forehead. ¡°There are debts to be paid.¡± She turned her head to gaze at something unseen in the hallways. ¡°We have to go now.¡±

    ***

    Terry took one last breath to calm himself. ¡°All or nothing.¡±

    He stared at the gap he had created through meticulous efforts throughout the night. The transparent cage was pressed forward and held in place by immovable pebbles.

    Terry had managed to break a few obstructing bars completely, but his primary aim had been something else.

    He had succeeded in damaging parts of the key mechanism with unstoppable shifts ¨C Terry¡¯s combination of the Immovable Object spell and oscillating spell slicers. Terry had focused on shifting vulnerable unshielded parts to damage the shielding in others.

    Finally, Terry had exposed a centerpiece. Terry had spent many weeks staring at the lock mechanism that remained visible through the transparent walls. He had gambled his all on this one central piece.

    Terry pressed his mana into the dimensional bag outside. He retrieved the bracers from his equipment and forced his mana into the imprint inside. Terry was more familiar with handling this imprint than he had been with the Liquify Earth wand before his escape plans. He had guided this spell many times before.

    Terry caught the directed spell structure and moved the ignited spell towards the exposed mechanism.

    As soon as the Shape Metal spell found its target, Terry¡¯s mana surged through the centerpiece and changed its form.

    *Click* *Click* *Click*

    Terry exhaled sharply and lightly pressed against the cell¡¯s door¡­

    The door gave way.

    Terry walked out of the inner cell with determined eyes. He sent a thought transmission. [Get ready.]

    [Wh¡ª Terry, is that you?] Rafael sounded half-asleep.

    [I¡¯ll come to get you,] said Terry. [Get ready.]

    [Okay¡­? Wait, you sending sound transmissions means you¡¯re out of the mana-blocking cell? Are you serious?!] Rafael¡¯s voice was becoming more and more excited. [FUCK YEAH! I¡¯ll get ready! I was born ready! YES!]

    [I have to concentrate now.] Terry was quietly putting on his equipment.

    What is left of it anyway¡­

    Terry was scowling while remembering the items he had lost to Thanatos and to Xuan. He put on his familiar armor.

    I should not put on my Academy bag for now. That would give me up immediately.

    Terry mentally took stock of which items he was able to rely on.

    My volcanic mushroom leather armor with all its pieces, including the coil spring and pearl mechanisms. One inscribed barrier spear. Two keen daggers. The one glove I have left from Aunt Brynn, with both the bidirectional attraction and the radiating light inscription. The only other glove I have left is my old glove with the Blinding Flash imprint¡­

    Terry paused.

    The Blinding Flash glove was among the first magic items he had ever purchased but he was now holding something else: the silvery bandages with the divine hammer inscription.

    Terry wrapped two of the bandages around his legs like he was used to. These were the rolls that his aunt Sigille had personally given to him.

    Terry felt a rush of gleeful defiance well up in him when he remembered how Damian had insisted on keeping the divine hammer inscription out of Terry¡¯s reach.

    After Terry was done wrapping the inscriptions around his legs, his hands were clinging to another roll with the same inscription. This was one of the bandages that Dhruv had given to Terry in Tiv after the battle against Willow¡¯s faction.

    Terry smiled weakly and decided to place this third divine hammer inscription around his right forearm.

    The Blinding Flash glove can¡¯t be used for the strobe light effect combination. The imprint would probably collapse if I attempted to use it that quickly in succession. The flash on its own seems redundant with the radiating light inscription¡­

    Terry nodded to himself.

    Or maybe I just like the idea of Aunt Sigille watching over me today¡­

    Terry shrugged and continued his equipment check.

    The necklace from the dungeon that helps cloak my mana. The magic cloak for stepping into the shadow realm¡­

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Wait.

    Terry recalled his past experiences with stepping into the shadows without checking the vicinity first. He circled his mana into the cloak and discovered that it wasn¡¯t working. He could still change the form of the velvety black fabric, but he was unable to step into the shadows.

    ¡°Good to know¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself.

    Terry tentatively tested his divine hammer inscriptions. To his pleasant surprise, he discovered that his reach for summoning layers of divine mana had increased. Evidently, his training with mana touch had some synergy with the targeting of the inscription.

    Aunt Sigille had planned for it the other way around, but this is great too.

    Terry remembered when Sigille had explained some of her thoughts for training with the inscription during their stay with the dungeon scavengers. Sigille had mentioned that training with the inscription might have benefits for Terry¡¯s casting reach.

    ¡°Still as fragile as before though¡­¡± Terry frowned subconsciously at the brittle layers of mana he summoned. If Sigille had been here to see him wearing his habitually dissatisfied expression, she would surely chuckle.

    Terry¡¯s mood was lifted when he realized that using the inscription from his arm did not take much experimenting to reach a familiar level. Brittle, to be sure. But it only took him a dozen attempts to get the hang of it. His outstanding mana control and mana sense were invaluable for transferring his past experience with the divine hammer inscriptions on his legs to the usage from his arm.

    ¡°Ready¡­¡± muttered Terry. He focused on moving his mana outside the cell to scout ahead with his mana touch. Terry could sense the location of the patrolling guard. He had to decide if he should move out into the tunnels or wait for the guard here.

    Terry sunk his consciousness into his dimensional storage once more. Oh wow. That¡¯s from forever ago. I didn¡¯t know I still had that.

    Terry made up his mind. He wrapped himself in the black velvety fabric from his magic brooch and stepped up to wait for the guard near the ceiling.

    ***

    A soldier in crimson uniform was passing a hallway when he caught a whiff of smoke from one of the cells. He rushed to the door. ¡°The snot-nosed brat? Did one of his debtors come to settle the score?¡±

    The guard frowned. ¡°If Damian learns that anything happened to his prize pony, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± He hurriedly unlocked the door to the outer cell. His gaze was immediately drawn to a flaming glaive on the floor. The fire-aspected blade on one side was singeing a wooden chair.

    The soldier subconsciously relaxed because this appeared more like an accident than an assassin coming to settle blood debts.

    The soldier was familiar with Terry and he knew that the glaive was among the possessions of the Arcanian. It was possible that Damian had stored the weapon in one of the Arcanian¡¯s cheaper storage items and that the enchantment had expired. which caused the item to appear. The soldier remembered that the storage anklets of the Arcanian had seemed close to expiration.

    While the soldier was still trying to see through the smoke towards the inner cell, Terry had already lowered himself. He pressed a cloth drenched with anesthetic on the guard¡¯s nose and mouth. Simultaneously, Terry pushed a dart filled with more anesthetic into the guard¡¯s neck. Under Terry¡¯s stranglehold and the huge dosage of sleeping poison, the guard collapsed silently.

    I should add Miguel to the list of people I have to invite to the teahouse¡­

    Terry was thinking useless thoughts while he collected his glaive back into his storage bracelet and put out the fire to avoid inviting more attention. He closed the door and dragged the Thanatos soldier into the inner cell.

    He looks familiar. Wasn¡¯t he among the people that initially brought me here?

    Oh well, who cares?

    After stripping the soldier of his uniform and picking up all other items that appeared useful, Terry gagged and tied the man up. He reshaped some metal to block the door of the inner cell from the outside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Terry wore the crimson uniform loosely above his own equipment. He scouted ahead with his mana touch and stepped into the hallways outside the cell that had trapped him for so long.

    This way¡­ Terry had a rough idea of the tunnels from the first time he had been brought here and from all the times he had been brought to the arena. His next objective was to get to Rafael¡¯s cell.

    A part of Terry was lamenting the fact that he did not know where his mana sublimator was stored. Another part was itching to retrieve his notebooks and take notes on all his recent discoveries. Terry had to suppress both parts of himself. He had to focus.

    Noiselessly walking in the air thanks to his long-missed boot mechanisms and the Immovable Object spell, Terry progressed through the tunnels.

    Whenever his mana sense or mana touch warned him of approaching people, Terry picked another path to proceed in the same general direction.

    ***

    Terry mustered the resolve for his next plan of action. According to what he had heard from Rafael, the felan¡¯s cell was physically impenetrable. If even the Heavenly Wolf Slash failed to break through, then Terry had little hope of succeeding this way, much less succeeding while remaining unnoticed.

    Even though Terry had a powerful physical attack in his Unstoppable Shift combination, it was the equivalent of trying to cut a hole into a stone with droplets of water.

    Terry had to suppress a snicker when he remembered how Instructor Palmer had once used a similar metaphor to describe using disruption discharges against stronger aspect beings.

    ¡®It¡¯s possible but not the most efficient of plans.¡¯

    ¡®...you might be able to make it work.¡¯

    However, Terry knew that this would not work for the current situation. The clock was ticking. It would take far too long for him to get through anything of significant width with the Unstoppable Shift.

    The only way to free Rafael was to get the key, which meant¡­

    I¡¯ll have to take my chances.

    Terry had his mana sense locked on a specific mana signature. It was the guard that kept closest to Rafael¡¯s cell. [Short stature, metal- and earth-aspected, slightly leaning to the left when he walks. Does this ring a bell? Is that the one with the key?]

    [YES!] Rafel¡¯s thought transmission betrayed his excitement. [That dude is one of the key-bearers!]

    Terry nodded.

    Should I attack the guard as well? I still have some sleeping poison left, but not as much as I used for the previous guard¡­

    Should I use the bidirectional attraction glove to steal the keys when he¡¯s passing by? No, they¡¯re probably secured to the belt¡­

    I could try approaching him and acting as a Thanatos guard myself. I have the uniform¡­

    But I¡¯m terrible at acting. If it was outside maybe, but as a Thanatos guard stationed here, he might be suspicious of an unfamiliar face in their uniform. There is also a risk that he would recognize me from the coliseum. The uniform is good to remain inconspicuous at a distance, but up close? No.

    Forget it. Terry exhaled sharply. Set up the trap and fight. If I drag him into Rafael¡¯s cell, it doesn¡¯t matter if he wakes up at some point.

    Terry used his cloaked boot mechanism to step up to the ceiling close to a corner. He pulled the light-absorbing fabric from the magic brooch around himself. In a matter of seconds, he had transfixed a handful of metal rods in the air and covered them with one of his spare combat robes from his stay in Tiv.

    This should be enough to catch attention¡­

    Terry waited to see if the guard would react to his uncloaked spell casting, but eventually, Terry had to accept that the guard¡¯s mana sense didn¡¯t seem to be particularly sharp. Therefore, Terry hurled a metal ball into the tunnel that intersected with the hallway in which the guard was standing.

    *Clang* *Clang* The metal ball impacted on the floor and then continued rolling noisily. *Trrrzzzzzzz*

    Terry could sense the guard approaching. He pressed himself close to the ceiling, kept an eye on the transfixed clothes in the badly lit tunnel, and waited with bated breath.

    The guard turned around the corner and spotted the combat robe. ¡°Hold th¡ª¡±

    While the guard¡¯s attention was on the harmless bundle of cloth and metal rods, Terry dropped from the ceiling. After the well-tested combination of a drenched cloth and a dart filled with anesthetics, Terry softly laid the unconscious guard on the floor. He gagged the guard and then stripped him of his crimson uniform and items.

    Among the items was a keyring with several keys.

    Good. Terry took a moment to examine the keys. Afterwards, he heaved the unconscious guard onto his shoulders. He already knew that there was no one in the hallway at the moment, because he had never stopped feeling around with his mana touch.

    [I have the key, don¡¯t make any noise while I enter.] Terry warned Rafael that he could expect a visitor soon.

    [YES!] Rafael replied instantly. [Damn, buddy, if we really pull this off, I¡¯ll name my firstborn kitten after you. If you decide to join me in the secret realm, you¡¯ll get first dibs on any treasure!]

    [No need.] Terry frowned. [And not the time. Let¡¯s first get out of here before discussing anything else.]

    Terry pushed a thin amount of mana into the keyhole for Rafael¡¯s cell. His mana touch had become a lot more sensitive with his training. He didn¡¯t dare to use more mana in case there was an alarm system for fiddling around with the locks.

    The only reason that Terry even attempted to use his mana touch was that there were way too many keys on the guard¡¯s keyring and he couldn¡¯t be sure if there was an alarm system for wrong keys either.

    With all of Damian¡¯s talks about silent alarms, it didn¡¯t seem out of the question that the Thanatos guards had a way to notify others in case someone threatens them to open a door. A second key that would open the door but also send an alarm seemed just like the kind of thing that people like Damian would come up with.

    This one¡­ Terry had finally found the correct key. There was only a single one whose shape seemed to match. Perhaps I was too paranoid.

    If they had an alarm key, there should be at least two matching keys. I guess not everyone in Thanatos is as mindful as Damian.

    Terry unlocked the door and entered while bringing the unconscious guard with him. Inside, Terry could see a table with a few items in one corner. Straight ahead was a larger door. Terry placed the guard down and walked towards the inner door.

    There was a wheel that appeared to move several large bars. The wheel itself was secured by another lock with a keyhole.

    Once again, Terry used his mana touch to get an idea of the required key. He was relieved beyond belief when he had verified that he had a key matching the lock. [I¡¯m getting you out now.]

    Terry unlocked the wheel and then hurriedly spun the wheel to unlock the massive inner door.

    *Click* The bars had reached the outermost position and the massive door became movable. Terry pushed on the door and it slid slowly to the side.

    ¡°Buddy!¡± A wide-grinning felan with leopard spots greeted Terry. Rafael immediately pulled Terry into a bear hug. Then his eyes caught sight of the unconscious guard, who had been stripped and looted. ¡°You come bringing strange gifts. I don¡¯t have a naked smoothskin for you.¡±

    ¡°Funny,¡± said Terry drily. He handed over the crimson uniform he had taken from the second guard. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you wear this. If someone sees us from a distance, this might avoid some unwanted attention.¡±

    While Rafael changed clothes, Terry pushed the unconscious guard into the inner cell and locked it again.

    ¡°The smoothskin was a bit too short.¡± Rafael looked at the way his crimson pants ended slightly too far above his ankles.

    ¡°Our disguise would only survive a cursory glance anyway,¡± said Terry. [We should switch to sound transmission again.]

    [Got it.] Rafael collected the few items on the table.

    [Where to next?] asked Terry. [Where is the entrance ticket located?]

    [Don¡¯t worry, I know where to go.] Rafael¡¯s nose moved slightly. [There.] He pointed. [However, I should warn you. You have done me a huge favor, so I¡¯m going to be straight with you. If my suspicions are correct, then we¡¯ll have to break into a secure facility right after we break out of this one.] He grinned. [The good news is that there might be other items to compensate us for our troubles. I¡¯ll definitely try. It¡¯s your decision if you want to join me.]

    [I¡¯m in,] said Terry. [There is a countdown ticking until they discover our escape and as far as I see it, the entrance key is our best bet to get far away quickly.] He added only for himself: I sure hope the entrance key teleportation really works.

    [You made it this far, you should take the lead. I¡¯ll point out the direction.] Rafael scratched his head. [I¡¯m more the type to make a big entrance and not really suited to sneaking around.]

    Terry held back the desire to retort. [Let¡¯s go¡­]

    ***

 143 Breaking News

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°Lady Beatrice!¡± a man dressed in the clothes of a butler entered the room and waited at the entrance.

    A woman with a light scar on her face lifted her head. ¡°What? You know I don¡¯t like to be disturbed in the morning. I have many meetings to attend to later.¡±

    ¡°There is an irregularity with one of our targets in the Proving Grounds,¡± said the butler.

    Beatrice pushed her pen and documents aside. ¡°I assume there is more to it if it cannot wait until the daily briefing. Give me the short version.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the Arcanian,¡± began the butler.

    Beatrice¡¯s eye twitched. The Arcanian again.

    Originally, Beatrice had not cared about Terry. After she had learned about the death of her sister during her deployment in Tiv, Beatrice had only wanted to settle her blood debt with Elizabeth Castelan.

    When Beatrice had discovered the relation between the Castellan woman and the famous Captain of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, Beatrice had thought she could aim higher instead.

    Who would have thought that not only had Beatrice failed to achieve either of her goals, she had even earned herself a nasty soul wound?

    Beatrice was used to succeeding in her plans, but she was far too rational to let a single foiled plan shake her composure. There were always possible unknowns that only came out during the execution. However, the sheer indignity of having her soul injured by an opponent she had never even accounted for did sting her pride severely.

    Beatrice understood the risks of unorthodox spellwork, but it was not easy to exploit the vulnerability in the spell that was channeled through the soul. That is why Beatrice had judged the risk of remaining in close proximity to the Captain and the sensory abilities of her freakish scout much bigger.

    Who would have thought that the Arcanian brat that tagged along would carry a completely unknown item and would be willing to waste a whole mana core for a single shot?

    Beatrice gritted her teeth when thinking about the mana sublimator. One of her new opponents in the Bloody Hall ¨C a man called Damian ¨C had recently submitted the device for research and he had earned himself a few notable allies with it.

    ¡°First¡­¡± Beatrice interrupted her butler and pulled another stack of papers from her desk. ¡°Did we already figure out how Terry won the last match?¡±

    ¡°No, Lady Beatrice,¡± said the butler. ¡°I¡¯m afraid none of our sources in the Proving Grounds have any idea yet.¡±

    Beatrice let out an irritated growl. Initially, she had thought of Terry as a fly, an annoying fly he might be, but a fly nonetheless. When she had first seen Terry in the arena, the fly had already grown so much bigger than she had remembered it from the Bulwark.

    Beatrice still remembered her own feeling of incredulity when she had sensed the Arcanian reveal his mana for the first time.

    Even so, Beatrice had thought she could easily deal with Terry in the arena, but somehow the brat always weaseled through. It felt as if the pressure was increasing on herself instead.

    Whenever she blinked, the brat¡¯s mana pool had grown bigger.

    Whenever she took a breath, his casting speed improved.

    Whenever she slept, he would come up with something unheard of.

    Beatrice had gotten unnerved after seeing Terry¡¯s disruption field and whatever he had done to take out her hired cleaners.

    Beatrice had been taken aback when she learned that General Eli might be paying attention to the Arcanian.

    When Terry had founded an alliance together with the felan mana martialist, Beatrice had wasted a lot of time and money to put a stop to their progress in the arena. She had thought that the problem would solve itself from there, but then the Arcanian whipped up something unheard of again.

    Something no one could explain to her.

    Beatrice hated facing unknowns. At this moment, she did not think of Terry as a fly anymore.

    ¡°Report,¡± ordered Beatrice.

    ¡°One of my sources about the Arcanian¡¯s activity has not sent a message today,¡± said the butler.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Beatrice raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°He always sends a message,¡± stressed the butler. ¡°Always at the same time. He gets paid for each message. He would never miss a chance to get paid.¡±

    Beatrice narrowed her eyes. ¡°...send someone over to investigate, but be discreet.¡± When the butler turned around to leave, she stressed once more: ¡°Discreet, you hear me. It is possible that General Eli¡¯s people are related to the information blackout. Whatever you do, do not step onto the general¡¯s toes.¡±

    Beatrice lowered her gaze and muttered to herself. ¡°A single annoying youth isn¡¯t worth this much.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± asked Rafael in a whining tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have another helmet and there is no good reason to run around with a scent mask,¡± said Terry. ¡°I can wear my helmet. Most people have only seen me without my armor. Together with the Thanatos uniform¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, but¡­¡± Rafael looked with disgust at his paws full of wet soil. ¡°Most of the smoothskins couldn¡¯t distinguish one felan from another and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that most folks here can tell the difference between tiger stripes and leopard spots,¡± refuted Terry. ¡°And felans are rare enough to begin with. At least make sure to hide your spots. Once this is all over, you can take a proper bath¡­¡± Terry paused and smirked. ¡°Or is it that you are afraid of water?¡±

    ¡°Afraid your mother!¡± exclaimed Rafael and slapped his head with the soil to change the appearance of his fur. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡±

    Wow, I can¡¯t believe he fell for such a stupid taunt¡­ Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression but not very successfully. He averted his face and pretended to observe the surroundings.

    In a way, this was true. Terry was responsible for scouting ahead with his mana sense and mana touch to make sure that the path was clear. ¡°At the rate they are moving, there should be a gap we can exploit in about two minutes¡­¡±

    Terry confirmed again that his own mana was fully cloaked and then handed his magic necklace to Rafael. ¡°Take this. The mana around here appears unaspected, which means this is more useful to you than it is to me.¡±

    Rafael eyed the magic necklace suspiciously, but decided to trust Terry. After he put it on, he exclaimed. ¡°Buddy, what the hell?¡± He was about to take it off again. ¡°This thing is sucking my¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mana, yes,¡± said Terry. ¡°Passive effect to conceal your mana signature. It emits a mana signature to match the surroundings. I¡¯ve mastered the first two stages of cloaking my own mana to hide my mana signature. Unless you can do the same, take the necklace. The direction you have pointed out leads to an area with many folks. It won¡¯t be as easy to avoid detection from now on.¡±

    Rafael lowered his hands and nodded with a somber expression.

    ***

    ¡°Second Elder!¡± A woman in yellow combat robes barged into the meditation hall. ¡°Our tracking device indicates movement! At the current pace, they¡ª¡± The woman calmed herself. ¡°We might be able to exploit an opportunity before Thanatos can interfere. We might be able to retrieve¡­¡± She stopped herself. Even though she was extremely agitated, she did not dare show impropriety in front of the Second Elder.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± An old man opened his eyes after waking from deep contemplation. ¡°Are we certain that we are tracking the right target?¡±

    ¡°The elders from the Blazing Sun Sect have assured us that this is the thief we are looking for.¡±

    The second elder nodded. ¡°Prepare a squad of enforcers. We¡¯ll have to ask the guest elders from the Northern Stride Sect to borrow their airship. Pay what they demand.¡± His eyes grew fierce. ¡°We have to teach the thieving rat that the Thunderous Palm Sect is not easily bullied. Otherwise, everyone might get the idea to step on our heads.¡±

    ¡°I will relay your orders!¡± The woman agreed hurriedly. If they were able to retrieve the entrance key, then she would be one of the possible candidates to use it. Her eyes were gleaming with anticipation.

    ¡°Oh and do not forget to inform our contacts in the Blazing Sun Sect,¡± added the Second Elder. ¡°They might be of use, but make sure that we get a headstart. Wait before you pass the news.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡­¡±

    ***

    [Stop.] Terry held up his hand.

    [What is it?] Rafael replied with his own thought transmission.

    Terry closed his eyes and concentrated on his mana sense. [People moving swiftly around the contestant area.]

    [You mean that¡­?] Rafael¡¯s expression darkened. [Already?! Shouldn¡¯t we have more time?]

    [I guess we¡¯re not that lucky¡­] Terry took a deep breath. [No matter. We can only move forward.]

    [Do you think they¡¯ll have a way to track us?] asked Rafael worriedly.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    [I checked all my items several times over and I inspected yours too.] Terry pondered. [If they have a way to track us, then I¡¯m not able to detect it. We will see how they move. Normally, one would expect fugitives to flee the city as quickly as possible.]

    Terry moved his eyes towards their real destination. He glanced at Rafel and whispered. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t expect that we¡¯re moving further into the city instead. If their movements indicate differently, then we¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    ¡°I know that Thanatos has people trained in different tracking methods,¡± remarked Rafael. ¡°Even if they have not been actively tracking us, it¡¯s only a matter of time until they pick up our trail.¡±

    Terry nodded. Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t utilize mages with the means to scry the present. Otherwise, this will be a really short escape. Terry shook his head. No. We¡¯re not that important. They shouldn¡¯t waste their resources like that¡­

    ¡°We cannot control what they¡¯ll do, only what we are doing. Let¡¯s just continue.¡± Terry looked ahead and glanced once more at Rafael. ¡°Are you sure that we have to go there? It seems like we¡¯re heading towards the richest district of the city¡­¡± Terry added in his thoughts: Which probably means private security on top of the regular patrols.

    ¡°Absolutely sure,¡± replied Rafael with full confidence. ¡°I could find my way to the entrance ticket from anywhere.¡±

    ***

    Fate frowned. The blue eyes underneath her hood radiated mana luminescence¡­ and worry. ¡°Not here¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Xuan impatiently. His worldview had been expanded, and now the confines of the tunnels and streets in Thanatos seemed all the more suffocating to him. He felt unbearably claustrophobic. He felt eager to get away. Impatient to get moving and focus on the real battle ahead.

    ¡°Remember why you are alive,¡± said Fate. ¡°Remember¡­ how you¡­ nearly died.¡± She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Fate¡­ fickle.¡± She shook her head. ¡°There are debts to be paid.¡±

    ¡°I want to see the others,¡± said Xuan.

    ¡°They¡¯re close,¡± said Fate. ¡°Have to be¡­ cautious.¡± She looked around with confused eyes. ¡°So much more entangled¡­ twisted¡­¡± Her gaze grew sharp. ¡°There are others at work here.¡± She tightened her hold on her mage staff. ¡°Others¡­ magic that reveals¡­ interference¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to see the others,¡± repeated Xuan with more emphasis.

    Fate looked calmly at Xuan. After a moment of pause, she nodded. ¡°Fate is¡­ not to be forced¡­ We¡¯ll get them first.¡± Her eyes showed determination. ¡°We¡¯ll try again afterwards¡­ Debts to be paid.¡±

    Xuan subconsciously glanced at his storage ring. The ring contained the few items he had taken from Terry that were still in his possession. The possessions of the Arcanian that had inspired Xuan¡¯s rage in the Proving Grounds.

    The Arcanian that had forced Xuan to beg for his life, an indignity Xuan had thought he would never live down. An indignity that paled compared to what Xuan had learned since then.

    Thinking about the others of his tribe, the warden wyvern, the initiate¡­ Complicated thoughts flashed through Xuan¡¯s red eyes.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± Terry blurted out quietly. He and Rafael were hidden on a roof and peeked down. While Rafael had led Terry, the number of pompous buildings in the vicinity had increased with time. Each one of the mansions was gated off and many guards were patrolling inside the fenced areas.

    Terry could not help but sigh inwardly. This would have been so much easier if Damian¡¯s bill regarding security systems had been implemented already. I would much rather face a bunch of crime-averting silent alarms than a whole garden of crime-shifting guards and defensive mechanisms.

    Terry paused when he realized how he had progressed from being an innocent prisoner due to a freakish dungeon incident to an aspiring full-out criminal.

    Involuntarily, Terry remembered the time he had first purchased his Gravitational Attraction glove. Terry had to solemnly promise to the distrustful city guards in Arcana City that he wouldn¡¯t use the imprinted glove for pick-pocketing. He even had to provide character references before he had been able to finalize the purchase.

    Technically, I¡¯m not using the glove¡­ I already lost it to Xuan. Terry thought defensively. I never made any promises about the bidirectional attraction glove from Aunt Brynn.

    Come to think of it, is it even stealing if we are just retrieving something that belonged to Rafael?

    The entrance ticket was his before they took it from him¡­

    Then again, Rafael does seem to have a pair of sticky paws himself. Terry glanced at his felan companion.

    No matter. I need to get back to Arcana. The teleportation from the entrance ticket is the best chance I have¡­

    Terry stared grimly down at the large mansion where the entrance ticket was supposed to be.

    I can only hope that we can retrieve it without casualties. I don¡¯t suppose the guards would just step aside if I explain my situation?

    Probably not¡­ Terry sighed. Definitely not, but¡­

    Terry thought back to the two books in his dimensional storage.

    The Warlord would clearly advise Terry to proceed decisively. If violence couldn¡¯t be avoided, then he should kill quickly and mercilessly.

    Terry knew that it was the rational choice.

    There was not any room for half-assing a situation like this. If his situation in Thanatos had been uncertain before ¨C after all, he had never been sentenced officially ¨C then now, there were definitely several crimes he had committed on Thanatos soil.

    Decisive action to leave the Thanatos Empire was the rational choice.

    However, Terry¡¯s thoughts kept returning to the second book in his dimensional storage, the Path of a Mage.

    There was a short story told about how the Veilbinder had once extracted a hostage. The Veilbinder had plenty of spells to reach his target, but then something went wrong. A small mistake by the hostage and their position was exposed. The Veilbinder could have stopped their position from being leaked by killing decisively.

    The Veilbinder didn¡¯t.

    The Veilbinder gave the enemy soldiers a chance. They didn¡¯t know what their master had been doing. The Veilbinder told them the truth. To all of them.

    Unfortunately, the soldiers didn¡¯t believe the Veilbinder. Everyone stood against the Veilbinder despite his honest words.

    In the end, there were only two people left standing: The Veilbinder and the hostage. A bloody battle. An insane risk. An entirely unnecessary risk if judged by the Warlord¡¯s standards.

    ¡®They deserved a choice, even if they ended up choosing wrongly.¡¯

    Terry recalled the quotes from the Veilbinder that Saint Petra had noted down in the Path of a Mage.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter that they didn¡¯t believe me. I didn¡¯t know that before. Anyone of them might have chosen differently. That would have been a death on my conscience. My conscience is clear. I would do the same again.¡®

    Terry remembered Damian¡¯s evaluation of the Veilbinder.

    ¡®Lucky.¡¯

    ¡®Industrious.¡¯

    ¡®Ingenious.¡¯

    Lucky¡­ Damian has a point. Terry frowned while paying attention to the guards moving below. I wonder if the Veilbinder would have said the same if he had received a permanent injury in the battle?

    Probably.

    If he had lost the hostage?

    Maybe¡­

    They¡¯re just doing their jobs¡­ Terry bit his lip.

    Another image sprang up in Terry¡¯s mind: a scar-faced elf fiddling around with a safe in a storage facility in Tiv.

    ¡®Do you care for the reason a beast bites?¡¯

    Terry lowered his gaze when pondering over the words from Clarence, the elf that had assisted the Preacher in Tiv. A dry chuckle escaped from Terry¡¯s lips. That could also apply to me, couldn¡¯t it?

    What point is there to my explanations? My motivation?

    If I draw my weapons on the guards, what do my reasons matter?

    ¡®Maybe it doesn¡¯t fucking matter?! The critical point is: It bloody bites! When you bare your fangs, then you have entered the world of beasts.¡¯

    Terry took a deep breath and shook his head. He didn¡¯t know what to think anymore.

    ¡°We could simply barge through,¡± suggested Rafael. ¡°I think we can take them if we catch them off-guard. We only need to get to the entrance key and then we¡¯re out of here.¡±

    ¡°How can you even be sure that it¡¯s there?¡± asked Terry. ¡°The walls seem to be prepared to block mana¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Okay that actually makes sense, if that is where they store their valuable magic items.¡± Terry blinked and furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that painting a giant target? They should prepare the whole building if they want to avoid drawing attention.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, little Arcanian, do you have any idea how freaking expensive something like that is?¡± Rafael stared at Terry as if he was looking at an idiot. ¡°Buddy, I don¡¯t know much of anything but even I know that much.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but how can you be sure that the entrance key is there?¡± Terry tried to change the conversation.

    ¡°I know,¡± stressed Rafael. His nose wiggled slightly. ¡°Trust me, buddy.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry nodded. Not like I have any better ideas.

    ¡°So how shall we go about this¡­?¡± It was clear that Rafael was becoming antsy and impatient.

    Terry¡¯s lips parted but before he spoke, another image flashed in front of his mind. It was the back of an aged, dwarven woman that was staring down an army.

    ¡®I believe in choices.¡¯

    The memory of his aunt Sigille helped Terry to resolve himself. ¡°Hear me out, can we¡­¡±

    ***

    Yesenia held her face in her hands and calmed herself. She lowered her hands again and looked at the messengers. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Arcanian that has escaped. There are two more escapees.¡±

    ¡°¡®Two¡¯ more?¡± Yesenia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Two? Who aside from Rafael?¡±

    ¡°The lizan cultivator from the Soaring Mountain Sect: Xuan.¡±

    Yesenia closed her eyes. Her mind worked hard to find an explanation that made sense. First the outside interference during the match. Now this?

    Could it be that they had been allies to begin with? Could it be that all their earlier matches were staged? Perhaps to pass items to Xuan? There would be countless simpler ways to achieve that.

    Was the final match and Xuan¡¯s admission of defeat real or not?

    Yesenia involuntarily recalled her conversations with Yana and what she had to say about Terry.

    Exceedingly strange.

    Incongruous.

    At this point, Yesenia felt inclined to wholeheartedly agree, which made her remember Yana¡¯s theory that Terry might be an operative of the magic sovereigns.

    ¡°What are our scryers saying?¡± Yesenia brought up another question.

    ¡°They can¡¯t get a good reading, unfortunately¡­¡±

    Yesenia¡¯s inquisitive eyes moved from person to person, waiting for one of them to elaborate.

    ¡°They are claiming there is at least one other reader and an exceedingly masterful one at that. They also complain that there are currently too many factors pulling into different directions. Too many shifts in fate. Everything is changing rapidly. Too fast to pin anything down with certainty. They have trouble even scrying the present. Any future precognition is out of the question.¡±

    ¡°Prepare a priority message to Yana,¡± ordered Yesenia gravely. ¡°And try to get a hold of the shadow they planned to use here.¡± She stepped towards the door. ¡°Then find me in the contestant lodgings. I want to see their cells myself.¡±

    ¡°We have already made the preparations to pursue the escapees.¡± One of Yesenia¡¯s assistants spoke up while walking next to her.

    ¡°Good¡­¡± Yesenia¡¯s forehead showed deep wrinkles. ¡°...but keep a distance for now. If possible, I would like to learn about what they are trying to do here.¡±

    ¡°Should we assign priorities?¡± asked the overseer.

    Yesenia walked silently for a minute. ¡°Prioritize Terry¡ª no wait¡­¡± Yesenia ordered her thoughts again. ¡°Prioritize Xuan. Xuan¡¯s crimes weigh the heaviest. Terry hasn¡¯t even been charged with anything officially.¡± She paused and moved her eyes along the hallways. ¡°And if Yana¡¯s theory is right, then there is a chance that the Arcanian came here for Xuan. I just can¡¯t see why¡­¡±

    Yesenia narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly. ¡°...and I still have trouble believing that this was all an act.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°But even so, it seems like too much of a coincidence.¡±

    Yesenia looked intently at her assistants. ¡°Prioritize recapturing Xuan. Try to catch them alive if possible. However, there is only one among them that I want to see alive without question: Terry. I have questions for the Arcanian and given everything that happened, I have to take the theories seriously. We have to be careful. Very careful.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± One of the assistants grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve just received a message and this might get more complicated than we thought.¡±

    ¡°Of course it had to be that way¡­¡± Yesenia groaned with annoyance. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°After the last incident, we have put some eyes on the Blazing Sun Sect, like you ordered us to do.¡±

    Yesenia put a hand to her forehead, already anticipating the next words of her assistant.

    ¡°They¡¯re on the move¡­¡±

    ***

 144 Breaking In

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    Terry clenched his fists and took a deep breath. He was more nervous than on any day in the Proving Grounds. Most days, Terry felt comfortable holding his own in a fight, but his current plan required something else. Something he hated.

    Persuasion.

    Deception.

    Deceptive persuasion.

    Terry would have loved to follow the Veilbinder¡¯s example, but he was very aware that he wasn¡¯t the Veilbinder. If push came to shove, Terry had not the slightest delusion about his ability to come out ahead after a fight against all hostiles in the city. He was simply not a powerful mage of legend, nor did he see himself as such.

    Be that as it may, Terry did not feel comfortable ambushing and sneak attacking the manor¡¯s guards either. Terry sincerely wanted to follow the Path of a Mage. In contrast, Terry felt very much conflicted about the path pointed out in the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries. Thanatos was definitely not the person that Terry wanted to be in the future.

    Between the two paths, Terry had to find his own. The rest was an exercise in improving his chances.

    Terry knew that he lacked the skills of a thief. He suspected that Wallace from the dungeon scavengers might have found a way to infiltrate the manor and steal the entrance key undetected, but Terry himself had no such confidence.

    Terry suspected that even if their prison break had not been discovered already, they would not have much time. One thing was certain: People would come after them. Terry could not say how quickly they would be able to trace their steps, but they would come sooner rather than later.

    Objective one: create chaos. Create a situation of uncertainty and ambiguity.

    Terry searched through a lot of memories while trying to come up with a plan that allowed him a chance to get what he wanted without straying from his chosen path for the future. He found that the missions when he had accompanied Sigille and Matteo were a great source of insight, as were their stories about missions they had done before.

    After reading through The Warlord¡¯s Inquiries, Terry had learned the vocabulary to put their implicit lessons into an explicit phrase: influence, the psychology of persuasion.

    If there was no time to convince everyone, then the next best step was persuasion. When Thanatos described it in his essays, Terry felt that this was just another form of lying, but together with the real life examples from Sigille and Matteo, the picture subtly changed.

    In many missions, there was a strong time pressure and too many people in the way. No time to convince everyone. No desire to kill everyone. Persuasion, deception, and intimidation were in between.

    Terry still did not like it, but it seemed better than to kill outright. He had already resorted to intimidation when he had to deal with the imperial censors in Tiv. He resented lying and he was aware that he was bad at it, but perhaps persuasion was a workable compromise.

    The only thing that gnawed at Terry was that he could not help but think of Minister Kipkoi when thinking through his plan. He had not forgotten the Preacher¡¯s style of using a truth to tell a lie. Terry did not like recognizing the Preacher in himself.

    Focus.

    Terry shook his head, observed the surroundings, and mentally counted downwards to get the timing for his spell expirations right. Meanwhile, he tried to assure himself of his plan again.

    There was something they called Social Proof and how it influences people¡¯s desire to not act out and misinterpret a situation. In ambiguous situations, people are more likely to jump on the chance to have someone else step up and interpret the situation for them. Someone else that can be blamed. Avoiding responsibility and, perhaps more importantly, avoiding embarrassment in case you have interpreted the situation incorrectly.

    Ergo: chaos. Objective one.

    Terry nodded to himself. He recalled how Bjorln had once taught him and his siblings to deal with situations where they required help from bystanders.

    Disambiguate the situation and remove the uncertainty by explicitly calling people out and state the situation in clear terms. Allow them to share responsibility instead of taking it all on themselves.

    Terry smiled slightly because the image of Samuel¡¯s face had sprung up in his mind, specifically the praising look that Samuel carried whenever a student applied new knowledge. Only Terry was not sure how Samuel would feel about Terry applying the lessons from the Warlord onto old guidance from Bjorln. He grit his teeth and forced himself to focus again.

    Objective two: build influence. If I can get one of the guards to back me up in front of the others, I¡¯ll have Social Proof covered even more. I have the Authority point of influence covered with my Thanatos uniform. If I can make it seem as if I have helped them, I can play on the Reciprocation aspect as well.

    If I can influence them, I can get them to move out of the way. We only need to get our hands on the entrance ticket.

    Terry tried to ignore the warning voice in his mind that pointed out possible critical failures in his plan.

    If the entrance ticket failed to work¡­

    If Rafael used the ticket for himself and abandoned him¡­

    ¡­the voice sounded like Isille¡¯s.

    No choice. I have to make do with what I got. I see no better path.

    Terry had reached the count he had been waiting for. Let¡¯s hope I can keep a straight face.

    Technically, I¡¯m only telling the truth. Only, I know it¡¯s misleading.

    A misleading truth.

    I hate this.

    Terry walked slowly towards the manor. He suppressed the desire to simply call out to the guards.

    One lesson that had appeared in Sigille¡¯s stories was that people felt less wary towards you if they were the ones to approach you first. The Warlord didn¡¯t include such a point on trust but he did include a section about positions of strength in a negotiation and how the initiator starts with an inherently weaker position, because they appeared to be pressured more by the status quo.

    Let¡¯s hope I won¡¯t mess up.

    Terry steeled his face, or hoped to do so at least.

    With firm steps and straight posture, Terry walked in front of the mansion¡¯s wide fence. He stopped and looked around without any effort to hide himself or his actions.

    Before two minutes had passed, Terry had already caught the attention of the guards.

    ¡°Can I help you, soldier?¡± A woman approached Terry from the security guards.

    Probably the security manager.

    Terry turned to look at the woman¡¯s face. He narrowed his eyes and after an intentional pause, he replied. ¡°Depends. Have you seen anyone suspicious lingering around this district?¡± Terry could read wariness on the woman¡¯s face and he continued before she could speak. ¡°Late in the night or early in the morning?¡±

    The added details caused the woman to consider the question more seriously. She waved two of her colleagues over and then inquired from Terry: ¡°Suspicious how?¡±

    Using the truth to tell a lie¡­ Terry involuntarily frowned. Fortunately for Terry, his reluctance increased the impression of him having something important on his mind.

    ¡°There has been a prison break during that time frame,¡± said Terry slowly and in a flat voice. ¡°There is reason to¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the uniform of the Proving Grounds.¡± One of the security guards interrupted and pointed at Terry.

    Terry was taken aback. He had not realized that there were differences in the crimson uniforms among the Thanatos soldiers. To him, they all looked the same. Again, Terry was lucky that the security guards could not tell the real reason for his scowl and his moment of silence. To them, Terry appeared like a soldier disgruntled with being interrupted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt,¡± barked the security manager. She glanced at Terry¡¯s uniform. ¡°An incident in the Proving Grounds? What is going on?¡±

    Terry was inwardly happy that his specific attire worked in his favor and that it gave him some additional credibility. The security manager took Terry¡¯s slight smile as a sign that he appreciated the reprimand for the guard that had spoken out of turn.

    Be taciturn. Say as much as necessary but as little as possible. Less opportunity to mess up. Lead them into an interpretation but let them arrive there themselves. If possible. People like to be right and affirmed. Terry reminded himself of the Warlord¡¯s lessons.

    ¡°You are correct,¡± affirmed Terry. ¡°Some incarcerated combatants from the Proving Grounds have escaped.¡±

    The security guards glanced at each other. The woman in charge nodded and another security guard spoke. ¡°We haven¡¯t noticed anything of note since midnight. If I may ask, what makes you think that¡ª¡±

    ¡°That the fugitives might linger around here?¡± Terry forced himself to interrupt to not lose control of the conversation. ¡°It is reasonable to assume that they are trying to leave the city but there is a chance that the prisoners have some unresolved business here.¡±

    The guard that had been about to pose his question closed his mouth and considered Terry¡¯s question instead. His expression contorted in thought and then he looked at the manager. ¡°Is it possible that¡­?¡°

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Terry had no idea what the security guard was thinking, but he was curious to find out on the off chance that it could help him build a story.

    The security manager did not fail to notice Terry¡¯s display of interest in his facial expressions. She cut off the security guard with a look.

    ¡°Can you tell us the name of the escapee?¡± The security manager asked Terry.

    ¡°Escapees,¡± emphasized Terry. ¡°It is confirmed that there is more than one.¡±

    ¡°A large-scale incident would warrant more activity,¡± remarked one of the security guards with skepticism. ¡°Why is there only one soldier looking around here?¡±

    ¡°For the manhunt, yes, but that would happen outside,¡± interjected another guard. ¡°This just seems to be the devil¡¯s advocate play. I remember that from my own deployments. One of the officers played the role of the devil¡¯s advocate to insure against unlikely scenarios. Nine times out of ten it¡¯s a small waste of resources. The tenth time it offers a defense against being accused of carelessness. Nothing is worse for a military career than the armchair critics with the benefit of hindsight¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold it for now, we¡ª¡± The security manager interrupted her subordinate only for herself to be interrupted by loud rumbling.

    *BOOM* *BOOM* BOOM* The earth quaked. Screams and shouts reverberated through the area.

    Terry averted his face from the security guards in order to hide his facial expression. Crap. Did I underestimate the height?

    Terry was well aware of the reason behind the unfolding mayhem. By my count, it should be¡­ There!

    ¡°Careful!¡± shouted Terry and jumped up into the sky on layers of divine mana. He covertly transfixed a shield at an angle while making sure that it looked as if he was simply blocking without spellwork.

    *TANG* A giant boulder impacted on the shield, and was broken apart by the collision with an immovable object.

    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± exclaimed one of the security guards.

    ¡°Where did this thing come from suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Nice shield arm!¡±

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    Terry secretly deactivated his Immovable Object spell and returned to the ground with shield still in hand. ¡°Looks as if¡­¡± He let his voice trail off while rocks of various sizes were raining down from the sky all around them.

    Terry had transfixed these rocks earlier and he had carefully chosen the locations where they would drop. He wanted to cause havoc and chaos, but without any casualties if possible. He just needed a story.

    To Terry¡¯s dismay, he was now discovering that he had spent so much time worrying about the timing of everything that he might have neglected to properly take into account how the height at which he transfixed the boulders would influence the force upon impact. The damage he was causing was beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Looks as if your worries have been correct.¡± The security manager continued Terry¡¯s line of thought for him. She sent a meaningful glance towards one of the security guards while more were running over.

    I hope they won¡¯t notice that these are coming down straight from the sky. Terry was worried about the apparent lack of curved trajectory of his prepared projectiles. Luckily, the security guards did not notice the oddity.

    ¡°Earth magic,¡± muttered one security guard in a somber tone. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s assume it is, just to be safe,¡± said the security manager and her expression darkened.

    ¡°Do you have an idea of the attacker¡¯s motive?¡± asked Terry. He did not have to fake his interest, because whatever they had in mind could help Terry build a story. ¡°Specifics would help.¡±

    One of the guards spoke up unwittingly. ¡°Well, there is an earth mage among the prisoners in the Proving Grounds who¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this concerns particulars of our employer,¡± interrupted the security manager. She continued with pointed emphasis: ¡°Particulars which we are not at liberty to discuss.¡±

    The security guard that had spoken up before paled and nodded hurriedly. ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°We are thankful for your warning.¡± The security manager addressed Terry. She glanced at the rubble that remained from the boulder. ¡°As well as for your help, but we have business to attend to.¡±

    Seems as if there are some stories to tell in that mansion. Figures that someone living here would have a few enemies. Let¡¯s hope they¡¯ll be somewhat distracted by their imaginary threats.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Terry cleared his throat to continue with a firm voice. ¡°You might want to evacuate the people first.¡± He looked around. ¡°Someone that is willing to cause such a scene in the middle of the city¡­¡±

    Once more, Terry left his voice hanging. He knew that the only reason he and Rafael were willing to risk it was because they would be pursued anyway and that, if everything worked out, they had a quick way to escape with the entrance ticket.

    Taking these aspects away, it would take a madman to start trouble at a center of Thanatos power. An irreconcilable grudge. A fearless lunatic. A powerful aggressor.

    The security manager smiled thinly. ¡°The thought has already crossed my mind, thank you.¡± There was no gratitude in her voice.

    She reminds me of Tiana when we first met. Terry noted how the woman appeared irritated when Terry suggested to her what to do.

    No matter, I can only hope that they will move the inhabitants to another location.

    Terry walked away while outwardly observing the unfolding chaos in the vicinity. In truth, Terry was paying close attention to the mana signatures of the security guards and everything related to the mansion that held the entrance ticket, the key to their escape from Thanatos. He was relieved when he sensed people evacuating the main building.

    Terry nearly flinched when he recognized one of the faces running by. It was a man he had seen among the audience in the Proving Grounds. Fortunately, the man simply passed by Terry without paying him any heed.

    Terry calmed himself. No one here knew him in his regular equipment. They did not know his armor. They did not know that Terry relied on the divine hammer inscription. Most importantly, no one here knew that Terry occasionally utilized boulders when the situation called for it.

    Terry involuntarily pictured one of the ghouly Alricks pointing fingers at him and telling on him and his boulder style. He quickly pushed the silly thought away. He continued counting and spreading his mana for his mana touch.

    Terry frowned when he noticed a rock falling down right towards a pair of boys looking stunned. He quickly dashed over. Terry did not run directly towards them. Instead he passed by them and the rocks instantly transfixed in the air above their heads with all of their previous momentum lost.

    Terry continued running without stopping. He made sure that his projectiles from the sky did not cause any casualties under his watch.

    Thanks to his initial choice of target locations, Terry did not have to interfere much, but he had to run a lot for the times he did interfere, because he had spread his projectiles out so as to cover a wide range instead of drawing attention to a specific building.

    Whenever Terry had to take action, he made sure to not destroy his own cover by utilizing the pretense of using a shield to block.

    When his counting had reached the number for the next phase, Terry accelerated and circled back to the mansion.

    That one should come right about¡­

    Now!

    The largest of all the boulders so far was falling down right towards the mansion, specifically towards the area that prevented mana from leaking outside. The area where the entrance ticket must be located.

    *BOOM* *KRCHK* *Wroom*

    Terry reflexively grimaced at the destruction. If I had been better at compressing my mana, I would have been able to give them more time to evacuate.

    If anyone else could have heard Terry¡¯s thoughts, they might have cursed him to death. The mana foundation and spell control he had displayed during his hurried preparation for this unfolding scene was objectively an extraordinary feat.

    Even a part of Terry felt proud at how far he had come since he had begun learning magic. As always, however, that part was overruled by the discrepancy between who he was and who he wanted to be.

    With an unsatisfied expression on his face, Terry rushed into the sky on layers of mana he summoned with the divine hammer inscription. He could already see the elastic robe from one of his old imprinted gymnastic rings hanging in the air. He had given them to Rafael so that the felan would be able to lower himself safely.

    [I have good news and bad news.] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission reached Terry.

    Together with the thought transmission, Terry received a bad premonition. Terry caught the elastic robe of his paired rings and used the bidirectional attraction inscription from his glove to attract the ring and return everything back into his dimensional storage before the item could raise questions.

    [The good news is that there are plenty of valuables here.] Rafael did not bother hiding the greed in his voice.

    [Leave them,] said Terry. [We only want to get out of here.] Terry had a bad feeling.

    On the one hand, Terry understood the logic behind looting what he could to increase his chances.

    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t like the feeling of attacking others to steal from them. It was one thing when the item originally belonged to one of them ¨C like the entrance ticket ¨C but it was different with the other items.

    [Yeah, that brings me to the bad news.] Rafael sounded sheepish. [The entrance ticket doesn¡¯t seem to work yet.]

    Terry felt his stomach plummet when his bad premonition came true. His mind raced from the implications and the whirl of mana signatures all around him. He was now close enough to see Rafael. [Do you have the ticket?]

    [Yes, but it¡¯s not working yet.] Rafael frowned. [I figure it might have something to do with the distance. It needs to charge. It should be usable soon though.]

    [Leave everything else.] Terry ordered firmly. [We¡¯ll have company soon.]

    [All the more reason to clear out the place and use the stuff to hold the others off!] protested Rafael.

    Terry sighed in frustration. He could already make out some familiar mana signatures. [What¡¯s more important? Getting out of here and into that secret realm or to fill your pockets now?]

    [Both.] Rafel replied without missing a beat.

    [Stick to the story we prepared before,] stressed Terry.

    He involuntarily recalled the first lie of his life, back when Jorg, Lori, and Terry had accidentally blasted a hole into the wall in Lori¡¯s room. The two childish faces of his siblings had emphasized the importance of sticking to a story.

    Terry pushed the memory of his family away. [We are Thanatos soldiers. They won¡¯t notice the missing entrance ticket in the chaos, but if you clear the place out, we would be at a loss to explain the situation. The longer we can avoid a fight, the better our chances to get out.]

    [I still prefer my idea of fighting them with their own artifacts,] grumbled Rafael. [More style to it. Fine, buddy. You got me out, I¡¯ll follow your lead. I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.]

    Terry suppressed a snort and thought: Me too.

    [Jump down and look around,] ordered Terry. [Remember, we are looking for the culprits. Do not avoid the security guards. Let me handle the talking.]

    Rafael and Terry landed on the ground. Terry observed the vicinity and made sure to place himself between Rafael and the approaching security guards. Before the security guards could speak up, Terry already addressed one of the familiar faces. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to know more about your employer¡¯s particulars.¡±

    ¡°Who¡ª?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the soldier that tried to warn us before.¡±

    The guard looked at Terry. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything. You have to speak to our superior.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± said Terry. ¡°Or rather someone will. I still have something I need to do.¡± He spotted one of the guards looking up towards the breached room and then narrowing his eyes with suspicion. Terry addressed the soldiers quickly: ¡°The whole room is a mess. From what I could see, there are many valuables in that room.¡±

    The suspicious guard had not expected Terry to bring up the topic of the room¡¯s contents himself.

    ¡°If I were you, I would get someone to check the damage and see if anything is missing,¡± continued Terry. ¡°I can¡¯t judge that for you. I only saw that the room was filled with valuables.¡± He caught the gaze of the familiar face among the guards. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your employer¡¯s situation, but it is my impression that the attacks are more intense around here. I hope you managed to evacuate in time.¡± Terry hoped that his change of topic would catch on.

    ¡°Yes, we¡­¡± The security guard whirled his head to another direction. ¡°Sorry, I just received a message.¡± He looked at an item on his belt. After a moment, he turned to Terry. ¡°We have noticed a few suspicious fellows.¡±

    Terry averted his face and pretended to look for something. Really?! Wow, okay? Who? He lifted his head again and spoke with sincere interest. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°On the other side of the street,¡± replied the security guard. ¡°They are not our¡ª They might not be behind the earth magic assault but they could be involved. They¡¯re a bunch of mana martialists who are keeping their distance but seem to have their eyes on our mansion.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He spoke to Rafael: ¡°Pass on the news.¡± [No idea what¡¯s going on, but if you see a chance to hide and lay low, take it. Inform me as soon as the entrance key becomes usable.] Terry turned to the security guard again. ¡°Lead the way, but we shouldn¡¯t scare them into running. I have questions.¡±

    ¡°We all do,¡± growled one of the security guards. ¡°Someone has to pay for all the damages.¡±

    ***

 145 Wielding Influence

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    Terry sensed the mana signatures and slowed down. Them again?

    ¡°Anything wrong?¡± The security guards turned around to look at Terry, who had slowed down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Terry replied honestly.

    It was good when his acting role and his real thoughts overlapped. Despite all the lessons he could draw from the Warlord, the Preacher, or even from the Divine Hammer, Terry at his core resented deception, even if it was a deceptive truth.

    After a moment of contemplation, Terry begrudgingly decided to wield the truth again.

    Misleading as the truth might be¡­

    Terry swallowed his own misgivings with the whole act. ¡°I recognize the mana signature of these martialists. They¡¯re¡­¡± Terry paused when he sensed yet another familiar mana signature approach. [Rafael, what are you doing?]

    [The path was blocked by enemies from the Thunderous Palm Sect,] cursed Rafael in a thought transmission. [They even brought some of their wrinklefaces. As great as I may be, I won¡¯t be able to get through there without putting in some sweat and you said I should avoid using the Heavenly Wolf Slash.]

    [Yeah, because it would give away your identity in a second,] reminded Terry. [Okay, I have an idea. I don¡¯t sense any particularly strong signatures on this side.]

    [The Thunderous Palm Sect must have a way to track me.] Rafael pointed out. [Which means we don¡¯t have much time.]

    ¡°Did you inform the others?¡± Terry asked Rafael as soon as the felan was close enough.

    Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°No¡­¡± [What¡¯s the idea?]

    [Just play along. State everything except for why they¡¯re here.] Terry instructed. [Leave out the specific sect.]

    ¡°The path is swarming with mana martialists, even some elders,¡± said Rafael without missing a beat.

    Terry frowned and returned his attention to the security guards. ¡°As I was about to say, I recognize the signatures of the mana martialists on this side. These martialists cultivate the techniques of the Blazing Sun Sect.¡±

    [Aha! That¡¯s why they¡¯re weaker than the ones from the Thunderous Palm Sect,] interjected Rafael. [They¡¯re being played for fodder! They probably had less time to mobilize and these are whoever was close already.]

    ¡°Why would the Blazing Sun Sect cause trouble now?¡± asked one of the security guards. ¡°Is it possible they¡¯re unrelated to the earlier attacks?¡±

    ¡°Then why would they encircle this place?¡± retorted another security guard.

    ¡°There was an incident with the Blazing Sun Sect in the Proving Grounds not too long ago.¡± Terry pointed out.

    ¡°Oh right, I heard about that!¡± exclaimed one of the security guards. ¡°They tried to put on a show of strength, only to be humiliated by the overseers and then their dignified elder even got his ass whooped by General Eli.¡±

    ¡°The martial sects are very sensitive about losing face,¡± muttered another security guard. It was the familiar man that had backed Terry up earlier.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why they are targeting this district in particular?¡±

    ¡°Why would they target this estate specifically, though?¡± Terry asked the glaring question before anyone else could.

    ¡°This¡­¡± The familiar face among the security guards furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t remember him being acquainted with the martial sects, but I¡¯m not privy to all details either¡­¡±

    ¡°These particulars of your employer,¡± interjected Terry. He did not want to give the security guards too much time to order their thoughts on the question. ¡°There were a few martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect in the Proving Grounds recently. Is it possible that one of them made contact with an enemy of your employer there?¡±

    Terry could see the light flicker in the eyes of the security guards as if they had realized a possibility. He pressed the point. ¡°Could they be related to the prison break?¡± He let his gaze wander over the security guards. ¡°But that would mean that the other party has something to catch their interest and make them move.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps this isn¡¯t just about face.¡±

    Terry caught some of the security guards glancing back at the room that contained the valuable magic items and decided to play into whatever they were thinking about. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have up there, but if I were you, I would be concerned on more than one account.¡±

    Terry remembered the encounter with the security manager before. ¡°Of course, I have no intention of telling you how to do your job.¡± He moved his head and looked towards the direction of the Blazing Sun Sect signatures. ¡°I just want to focus on mine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling our jobs might be related,¡± said the familiar face among the security guards. He turned to his colleagues. ¡°Our superiors will take some time until they are back from escorting the others to safety. If it¡¯s true that these mana martialists are here to target our estate, then this will get ugly.¡±

    ¡°I could ask for assistance from the neighboring estates,¡± proposed another security guard. She was looking towards two large buildings in the area. ¡°I have some friends there and I¡¯m sure they have a stake in bringing the situation under control quickly to minimize further damage. If I ask them to, they will dispatch some of their security forces.¡±

    The man in charge nodded. ¡°Good idea. Spread the word around, so that others do the same. The faster we get this resolved, the better.¡±

    Several security guards hurried off into different directions to gather more forces.

    One of the remaining guards shook her head. ¡°The lady of the house sure has bad timing to be out the whole day. It won¡¯t be fun to explain the situation to her later.¡±

    ¡°No point in lamenting the circumstances, we need to get the job done,¡± reminded another guard.

    ¡°Any suggestions on how to go about this?¡± The security guards asked Terry.

    [Not bad, buddy,] praised Rafael silently.

    ¡°If a fight can be avoided, that would be best,¡± said Terry pensively.

    [What are you doing?] exclaimed Rafael with a thought transmission. [They¡¯re hanging on your lips. Just tell them to kill the pests!]

    [Let me handle this,] replied Terry irritably. He spoke for the guards. ¡°We can tell them to leave for now. If they refuse¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, we can¡¯t be certain yet,¡± muttered one of the security guards. ¡°But if they¡¯re refusing to leave, then it¡¯s obvious that they have come with ill intentions.¡± Several others nodded.

    [Hello? World to Terry? What¡¯s the idea?] Rafael complained. [They just served us a golden opportunity. We just had to grasp it! Why didn¡¯t we?]

    [Are you familiar with martialists?] replied Terry calmly.

    [You do realize I am one, buddy?] Rafael sounded confused.

    [Nearly all the people I have met from martial sects are borderline bonkers, taking rational madness to an insane level and this goes doubly so for the people I¡¯ve met from the Blazing Sun Sect.] Terry summarized his thought process. [What do you think they will do if some security guard tells them to ¨C what do you usually call it? ¡®Scram¡¯?]

    [Naturally, they¡¯re going to puff up their egos and¡­ Oh, I see. Nice.] Rafael grinned a toothy grin but quickly recomposed his face to not show any agitation.

    [This way, they¡¯ll get into a conflict directly instead of us appearing as the instigator.] Terry elaborated with a strained expression.

    Terry was getting a headache from trying to remember all the different lessons on influence and applying them in practice. He was desperately looking forward to getting out of Thanatos and somewhere he could simply speak honestly and freely, without weighing every single word and thought before daring to express himself.

    Not long afterwards, Terry could hear the confirmation of his prediction in the form of battle noise and war cries.

    ***

    ¡°What the Wastes is going on here?¡± One of Yesenia¡¯s assistants arrived together with several soldiers from the Thanatos Proving Grounds.

    ¡°Seems like our fugitives have gone on a rampage, but why here?¡±

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    ¡°I had wondered if our scryers had misread the situation when they declared that they were moving here, but what the heck? I guess they were right. Why here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know and that¡¯s not important right now,¡± said Yesenia¡¯s direct subordinate. ¡°Remember the overseer¡¯s orders. Most of our people are trying to recapture Xuan. Our primary target is the Arcanian. The overseer has emphasized that under no circumstances is Terry allowed to die.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Yesenia¡¯s assistant. ¡°But when the overseer contacted me after inspecting the contestant lodgings, she made that point very clear.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Repeatedly even. Something in the cells of the escapees appears to have distressed our overseer even more than the prison break itself.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt but¡­¡± One of the soldiers pointed. ¡°These look like the beginnings of some huge ass mana resonance attacks.¡± He looked questioningly at Yesenia¡¯s assistant. ¡°Are we just going to let that fly? Ignoring the damage to the city and the risk to the civilians? Given the orders¡­¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡± Another assistant from the Proving Grounds spoke up. ¡°What were Lady Yesenia¡¯s exact words? Was the order just to not kill the Arcanian or¡­?¡±

    ¡°She wants to see Terry ¡®alive without question¡¯,¡± stressed Yesenia¡¯s assistant. ¡°That was her exact phrasing.¡±

    ¡°Mana be damned,¡± cursed one of the soldiers. ¡°Does this mean, we have to¡­? Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°What crawled into your boots to prick you?¡± teased another of the soldiers. ¡°These shitstains are damaging the city and showing no inkling of respect for Thanatos. Getting paid to beat up a bunch of arrogant martialists sounds like a good deal to me.¡±

    ***

    Terry braced himself to block the incoming combination attack from two mana martialists. Inwardly, he was cursing at not being able to rely on his mana disruption field for the risk of exposing his identity.

    Before the martialist attack could even begin to form a resonance, one of the martialists was assaulted by a spell and froze into a white statue.

    ¡°What is going here?!¡± barked the leader of the security guards. The woman who managed security of the targeted estate had returned.

    ¡°Why are we fighting in the middle of the street? Why are you all positioned so far away from the mansion? And¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed at Terry with suspicion. ¡°What is he still doing here?¡± Her eyes darted around for someone to demand answers from. ¡°Was he the one that dragged you into this?¡±

    ¡°No, boss!¡± Several of the security guards protested instantly. ¡°These martialists started the attack!¡±

    ¡°They had their eyes on the mansion!¡± ¡°They were plotting something!¡± ¡°They¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± barked the security manager while casting a lightning-aspected spell that caused sizzling bolts to rain down on the martialists. When she realized that some of the mana martialists were completely unfazed by her attack, her expression darkened.

    ¡°Reporting, these martialists are from the Blazing Sun and Thunderous Palm Sects.¡±

    ¡°Thunderous Palm Sect¡­¡± The leader of the security guards was scowling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?! Before I wasted my mana!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The man shrunk back.

    ¡°Curses¡­¡± The security manager was scowling at the battles around her. More and more of the private guards in the vicinity were joining the fray but the number of mana martialists kept increasing as well.

    Her eyes darted back to Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on but I don¡¯t trust you. Stay away from the mansion and stay away from¡ª¡± Her eyes whirled around to a giant mana resonance of a golden cauldron forming in the sky. ¡°Shit. Everyone, defensive formations!¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m not sure they will be able to handle this.¡± Terry subconsciously blurted out.

    ¡°Thanks for the unwanted advice!¡± hissed the security manager. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for people pointing out problems without providing solutions. So unless you have something useful to add, keep your damn mouth shut!¡±

    Terry forced himself to not roll his eyes. Once again, he was glad to not work as a soldier, or as a security guard for that matter.

    I was just trying to help you¡­

    Okay, maybe ¡®help¡¯ is the wrong word to use, considering I was indeed the one who dragged these guards into this.

    Terry observed the accumulation of fire- and lightning-aspected mana in the sky warily. The mana resonance of a golden cauldron was rapidly heating up.

    I haven¡¯t seen any of the security guards use anything that would be able to block this level of attack. Should I use the Immovable Object spell to block?

    I feel bad enough about dragging them into this. If I let them die even though I had the means to prevent it¡­

    ¡°Damn, if only Lady Beatrice hadn¡¯t left this morning,¡± cursed the security manager under her breath.

    Lady¡­ ¡®Beatrice¡¯? Terry¡¯s ears perked up. In an instant, he felt a lot less compassionate about the people in the estate.

    Terry reminded himself that these security guards were still only doing their job, but he couldn''t help but look at them differently when recalling the face made of vines that he had seen on the Bulwark. The nature-aspected death whisperer that had ambushed Lizzy with constructs and spirit poison. The Thanatos woman that had tried to get Terry killed in the Proving Grounds.

    While Terry was still feeling conflicted, he remembered words that his aunt Sigille had said after the battle in Syn City. ¡®A soldier pawns their innocence when they accept the chain of command. From then on, their innocence depends on the master they have chosen.¡¯

    Terry also recalled the scene of his cousin Matteo standing against Sudden Death from Tiv¡¯s Guild. ¡®The only master I accept is my own conscience.¡¯

    Back in Tiv, Terry had mostly related Matteo¡¯s words to his cousin¡¯s elemental possession, but since then, Terry had seen enough to understand the true weight of the words. If you followed the wrong orders, or the wrong people in general, then that reflected on you as well. All of it.

    I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ Terry felt intensely conflicted.

    These security guards weren¡¯t like the prison guards in the Valkyrie¡¯s dungeon. Not necessarily. They weren¡¯t like the imperial censors in Tiv or like the people from Willow¡¯s faction that chose to protect Anand and Willow. They certainly weren¡¯t like the Preacher¡¯s Devout Division.

    They were just people employed by an enemy. They might have been complicit in their employer¡¯s bad acts, but Terry couldn¡¯t know for sure. For all Terry knew, some of them might have only started their job this morning.

    More importantly, Terry was painfully aware that the situation would have played out the same, even if the employer had been someone else. Terry was not sure if he should adjust his actions now that he had learned about the true owner of the mansion.

    At least I smashed Beatrice¡¯s home¡­ A petty thought sprung up in Terry¡¯s mind. He got a light chuckle out of the situation thanks to it. That makes me feel better already.

    ¡°Is there anything funny?!¡±

    Terry realized that the woman managing security for the estate was glaring at him. Me and my honest face. Damn it.

    The security manager moved her hand to her sheathed dagger. ¡°I knew there was something wrong about you. And now¡ª¡±

    *Hong* *Krchkhs* *Boom* *Sizzle* Countless spells and mana-based attacks impacted on the golden cauldron. The attacks tipped the mana resonance object over and deflected the cauldron¡¯s attack right in time.

    Terry and the security guard leader could see a group of Thanatos soldiers rushing into the area to fight against the stronger mana martialists from the two martial sects.

    ¡°These are uniforms from the Proving Grounds,¡± remarked one of the security guards.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have a reason to be here unless¡­¡± The security manager muttered and subconsciously glanced at Terry. She hurriedly moved her hand away from her dagger while she was reinterpreting the previous encounters with Terry as well as Terry¡¯s recent chuckle. ¡°Sorry for doubting you, Sir. And my gratitude for the assistance you and your men have provided.¡±

    Terry quickly averted his face to not show whatever expression he was showing naturally. ¡°Sure, we need to get this under control. These martialists seem to take Thanatos lightly. They ought to be taught a lesson. We still have to consider the fugitives as well.¡±

    ¡°We have reason to believe that they are aiming for the valuables in our estate,¡± another security guard spoke up to inform their leader.

    Terry hoped that his face did not show how happy he was that one of the security guards acted as the source of a theory that Terry had planted himself. The more social proof to back the idea, the better.

    [This is bloody great!] A self-satisfied thought transmission from Rafael arrived.

    [Don¡¯t relax yet.] Terry was more reserved in his satisfaction. [These Thanatos soldiers are from the Proving Grounds. There is a high chance that they are here for us, which means that our show will probably end sooner rather than later. What is the situation with the entrance ticket?]

    [The damned thing is still taking its time,] grumbled Rafael. [What now?]

    Terry¡¯s mind raced with different ideas. [Why not turn falsehood into truth?] He tried hard to not let his lips curl up, but a slight smile was playing around his lips in spite of Terry¡¯s efforts.

    To cover his smile, Terry quickly raised his hand. He hoped it would give him a thoughtful appearance. [What do you think would happen if a group of hostile mana martialists were to get a glimpse of a room full of valuable magic items?]

    Terry had to admit that the thought of getting back at Beatrice had played a part in choosing an idea to go with. [Why don¡¯t we try to move the battle line a bit closer to the mansion?]

    ***

    ¡°This¡­¡± Fate was clutching her mage staff. Behind her were Xuan and the rest of the lizans she had gathered from this realm of lizan fugitives and unknowing victims.

    Fate¡¯s breathing became agitated from what her magic had revealed to her. There were debts to be paid but she was unable to determine the price. It distressed her. All she could determine was chaos and battle, crimson and fire. The revelations were disconcerting.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Xuan.

    A grey-scaled lizan woman stepped next to Xuan and Fate. She did not understand the common tongue of this realm but she knew what information Fate had been attempting to scry. She was also one of the lizans whom Terry had met inside the Elusive Fog of Frost.

    ¡°Battle¡­¡± Fate pointed towards the smoke rising in the distance. ¡°He¡¯s there¡­¡± She added several hissing sounds to translate the information for the rest of the lizan. ¡°Paying debts¡­ Danger¡­¡± She looked at the lost prince. ¡°May have to risk everything¡­¡±

    Xuan clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He could practically feel the gazes of the other lizans on him. He knew that they were not of a single mind. Not anymore.

    Some were scared. Others were too proud to let it go. For some reason, they paid heed to his words and he might very well be the deciding voice in the decision. Xuan had long cultivated the Soaring Mountain techniques but never before had he felt as heavy as on this day. The truth weighed heavily on his shoulders. As did the lives of all the others.

    Xuan shook his head slightly. Seeing this, Fate¡¯s eyes betrayed a flicker of disappointment. The eyes of the grey-scaled lizan showed the same reaction.

    However, contrary to their expectations, Xuan spoke firmly. ¡°If I just leave it at this, if I don¡¯t pay him back in full for what he has done, it will follow me around forever.¡± He had finally made up his mind. ¡°With the path ahead, I can¡¯t afford any mental demons to cloud my mind.¡±

    Fate¡¯s blue eyes shined brightly and she translated the prince¡¯s opinion for the others into the lizan-native tongue. The lost prince could not tell, but there was pride and anticipation in her hisses.

    The reactions among the lizans were varied but most showed resolve and satisfaction. A few even lifted their right fist to their hearts and lowered their heads.

    ¡°Caution warranted nonetheless¡­¡± Fate spoke up and began another scrying. ¡°Have to find¡­ the correct path¡­¡±

    After many minutes of silence, Fate finally spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll have to move first¡­ To guide our fate¡­ Where we will be most useful¡­¡± She looked at Xuan. ¡°Taking chances here. Prepare the items.¡±

    Xuan nodded and moved his consciousness into his storage item.

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Fate suddenly frowned. ¡°Someone is coming¡­ We need to change location.¡± She rapidly cast a group teleportation spell to avoid the unknown pursuers.

    ***

 146 Guiding Fate

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°Hrgh¡­¡± Muffled sounds of struggle were echoing in the tunnels within the Proving Grounds.

    Two Thanatos soldiers looked at each other and communicated their intentions with hand signals. They quietly unsheathed their swords and slowly walked around the corner.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± The soldiers stared with horror at the sight of a woman drinking the blood of another Thanatos soldier.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The vampiress lifted her head. She grinned with pointy canines and licked the blood from her lips in a lascivious display. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡± Blood gathered around her to form an elegant dress. ¡°Come my dear.¡± She softly moved her index finger over the chin of her victim.

    ¡°Yes, mistress¡­¡± The enthralled woman gazed lovingly at the vampiress.

    ¡°The Bloody Duchess from the Lich Kingdoms¡­¡± The soldiers were clenching their weapons tightly. ¡°How did you escape your cell?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± The Bloody Duchess shrugged. ¡°Must be all the good karma I¡¯ve accumulated by giving pleasure to others.¡± Next to the Duchess, her thrall glared hatefully at the Thanatos soldiers whom she had considered comrades as little as an hour ago.

    The Bloody Duchess smacked her lips. ¡°Your karma on the other hand¡­¡± A trail of blood twirled around the Duchess¡¯s fingers. ¡°Must truly be awful¡­¡±

    She smiled enchantingly. ¡°Outnumbered¡­¡± More armed thralls appeared from a tunnel in the back. ¡°And not to my taste¡­¡± The Duchess shook her head at the two male soldiers. All of her thralls were women. Some of them had even transformed into vampires already.

    ¡°You go and inform the overseers.¡± One of the soldiers stepped forward while speaking to his comrade. His tone was heavy. ¡°It has been an honor, friend.¡± He flung himself into the fight with mana bursting beyond his limits. ¡°RUN!¡±

    The other soldier bolted away with bloodshot eyes¡­

    In another tunnel, a tall, black-scaled lizan was reading the newly entangled threads of fate. Her blue eyes were glowing brightly. ¡°One more to pave our path¡­¡±

    Fate clutched her heart and mage staff. Sometimes, she did not like the twists of the future that she saw.

    Her mission had been to collect her blood, which included finding their lost prince. If it had not been for the debts they had accumulated along the way, Fate would have never considered freeing any more of the prisoners. However, her magic had revealed three knots of probability to significantly increase their chances to successfully encounter the other person on this day.

    Fate would not lose sleep over the first woman she had freed, but this second one¡­ ¡°Undead. Menace. Curse.¡± Her own native realm had never seen vampirism before. Fate only hoped that it never would.

    Fate cast a sequence of spells to break the locks for the last cell she had to open according to her magically enhanced insights. She had unsealed most of the protections when a powerful mana signature emerged from behind her.

    Fate rapidly switched her casting to move out of the way. She noted that the range of teleportations appeared to be obstructed and immediately cast a divination to figure out a way to bypass this limitation.

    The glow in Fate¡¯s eyes intensified and she stared at the hidden assailant while deflecting the next attack with the help of her guiding precognition. She successfully redirected the arcane attack spell and it impacted inside the cell behind her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± A woman dressed in a crimson uniform rose from the floor of stone. Yesenia¡¯s eyes were cold, but even her rage could not hide her surprise. ¡°Lizan?¡±

    Whatever Yesenia had surmised before, this was not the intruder she had expected. No one would associate such intricate spellwork with a lizan. In fact, Yesenia had barely ever heard of a lizan using spellwork before.

    The lizans were newfolk and consequently did not have as much time as elves or dwarves to familiarize themselves with the magic studies of this human-native realm. Taking this into account, it indicated that the lizan in front of Yesenia was an extremely talented mage.

    Yesenia searched the lizan¡¯s expression, but the foreign face was hard for Yesenia to read. Was this lizan connected to the earlier prison break as well? Why the pause between the incidents? Was she connected to Xuan? Was she connected to the Bloody Duchess? What was going on?

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to interrogate you thoroughly.¡± Yesenia crushed a sphere in her hand to reinforce her seal on the space. She had already confirmed that the lizan in front of her was a dimensional mage, which forced her hand. She had to use the expensive single-use item. Yesenia could not take any chances.

    ¡°YOUR OPPONENT IS ME!¡± An intense sword slash accompanied by droplets of water rushed towards Yesenia. A tall elven woman dressed in martialist combat robes slowly walked forward  while holding onto a thin sword.

    Yesenia summoned a shield of blood and frowned. She could sense that when the droplets of water evaporated, they interacted with the spatial seal Yesenia had been trying to reinforce. Her eyes moved from Fate to the new arrival. She recognized the mana martialist. ¡°The Librarian of the Skyriver Sect? It seems you have escaped too¡­¡±

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m trying to escape?!¡± The Librarian glowered at Yesenia and her crimson uniform. ¡°If I don¡¯t pay the Mad Empire back today, I won¡¯t call myself an elf anymore.¡±

    The Librarian fleetingly glanced at Fate. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or why you have helped me, but I hope that you can help my surviving disciples as well.¡±

    A group of elves and humans arrived together. Most of them were dressed in martialist combat robes. Among them was a pair of elven sword cultivators that walked close to each other ¨C an elven woman in white and an elven man in black.

    ¡°I still have something I must do,¡± said the Librarian with resolve. She did not know how many of her disciples remained imprisoned in the city, but she refused to let a single one behind while she was still drawing breath.

    ¡°Teacher, we¡¯ll stay with you!¡± A pair of elves rushed forward. The man drew his sword, only to see it flying towards the cell next to them an instant later. Many other swords suddenly escaped from their owners to fly off in the same direction.

    ¡°I was too late,¡± cursed Yesenia and immediately made preparations. She retrieved a potion and gulped it down before sending a message to the other overseers. This situation was getting completely out of control.

    ¡°Now this is a surprise¡­¡± The hoarse voice of an aged man arrived from the cell. A man with a clean-shaven face and with wild grey hair walked out while countless blades were rotating around him. He threw his destroyed shackles to the floor. The man grinned and a dagger was flying in front to pick something from his teeth.

    ¡°Magnetism? No¡­ Metal intent?¡± The Librarian raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are¡­¡±

    ¡°One of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters.¡± Yesenia cursed quietly. She resolved herself for an intense fight and for a very long day. ¡°You won¡¯t leave this building!¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡± The Blademaster grinned. ¡°But while you are busy with me, who is going to guard the cells of my subordinates?¡± He channeled mana into a storage item and countless metal blades darted away into the tunnels.

    ¡°Thank y¡ªyou?¡± The Blademaster was looking for the lizan woman that had freed him, only to discover that his benefactor had already teleported away. ¡°Oh well. I figure the best way to express my gratitude is to do what I do best.¡± He moved his eyes to Yesenia and looked at her as if he was looking at prey. ¡°I wonder how the all-out strength of an overseer compares to a Thanatos general?¡±

    Yesenia held his gaze without fear. ¡°You should be more worried about yourself.¡± She circulated her mana rapidly and prepared chained spellwork. Before she could ignite her spell structure, another sword slash arrived and she had to switch to defend herself.

    ¡°Your opponent¡­¡± The Librarian growled. ¡°...is me.¡±

    An elven man in black martialist uniform took hold of his own sword among the many flying blades. With annoyance, he tried to wrestle back control of it. After he had finally succeeded, he looked at his white-robed companion. ¡°Let¡¯s find our martial sisters and brothers.¡± The elven woman nodded.

    ***

    *RAAANNGG* *RAAANG* *RAAANGG* A loud alarm sound had started blaring in the City of Proving.

    Oh boy.

    Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression while dodging a martialist¡¯s attack. He circled a burst technique and then rammed his push dagger into the side of his assailant.

    A look of shock flashed in the man¡¯s eyes, who had never expected Terry to switch gears so quickly. They had exchanged several moves and Terry had appeared evenly matched so far.

    Another moment later, the man¡¯s face contorted in a green grimace. The poison on the push dagger had activated.

    ¡°Yikes,¡± exclaimed Terry while glancing at the push dagger.

    I guess that channeler from the Bright Lady planned to let me die a painful death.

    Terry exchanged the push dagger for the three-pronged sai he had bought in Tiv. Terry struck the sai¡¯s central prong into the eye of the Blazing Sun Sect member to give the man a quick death.

    I haven¡¯t used the sai in Thanatos before, so this should be a safe weapon¡­ Terry glanced around. I should reserve that poisoned push dagger for stronger opponents.

    Hmmm¡­. Terry pondered over what course to take.

    The mana martialists evidently had a way to track Rafael, which was bad. One good news was that from the looks of it, they had not figured out Terry¡¯s identity yet.

    Terry tried his best to look busy without putting himself into danger, but if he wanted to influence the battle around him, he had to move occasionally. Now that he had successfully dealt with his latest opponent and was free again, Terry had to make a decision.

    This is really turning into pandemonium¡­

    Terry furrowed his brow. He believed that the Proving Grounds had discovered their disappearance much earlier. However, the alarm was only playing now. Something had changed, only Terry didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°I appreciate that you¡¯re staying to fight with us.¡± A security guard approached Terry, who only recognized the woman vaguely as one of the people that had gone out to call for more forces from the surrounding estates..

    ¡°That¡¯s the signal to gather at the Proving Grounds, right?¡± asked the security guard. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on there.¡±

    Terry quickly ordered his thoughts to say as little as possible. ¡°Whatever is going on there, we can¡¯t just ignore the situation here. Perhaps they have discovered something about the escapees?¡±

    Terry averted his face. If that was the case, they would send a signal to come here though.

    Not daring to stay around the chatty security guard any longer, Terry darted to another opponent.

    [Rafael, move to the left quickly.] Terry sent an order through mental transmission.

    [What? I¡¯m kicking ass over here!] Rafael was using every opportunity to kill martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect. His efforts were appreciated by the security guards, who were setting up most of the opportunities.

    [One of the elders is coming your way.] Terry shared the impression he got from his mana sense.

    [Let the old farts come!] Rafael boasted. [I¡¯ll tear them all apart!]

    Rafael appears to be enjoying himself too much. Terry rolled his eyes. [That¡¯s not the point. The elder is in a fight with the Thanatos soldiers. The real Thanatos soldiers, remember? The ones that can expose our identities and put us into deep shit? These are the people we have to avoid.]

    [Got it.] Rafael quickly changed tune and moved according to Terry¡¯s instructions.

    [One more street, then you¡¯ll have the greatest buffer of other people fighting in their path.] Terry¡¯s mind raced with all the different sensory inputs.

    He prepared a shield and tackled another mana martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect to the ground, who was then immediately finished off by a pair of security guards. Meanwhile, Terry was scanning all the mana signatures as well as using his mana touch to scout possible escape routes in the tunnels underneath the city.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Crap¡­¡± Terry muttered under his breath. [I think one of the Thanatos soldiers may be coming over to me.] Terry was not entirely sure, but one of the mana signatures from the soldiers was making a suspicious beeline for his location.

    Could it be a coincidence? Terry wondered. Could it be that they¡¯ve mistaken me for a real soldier? Can I take the risk? What if I¡¯m wrong?

    That would mean that they have a way to track me. Why would they be able to track me but not Rafael? Why would they pay more attention to me?

    Screw it.

    Focus

    Terry grit his teeth. [What is the situation with the entrance ticket?]

    [I wish it was better,] grumbled Rafael.

    [I¡¯ll have to accelerate our plan then.] Terry darted through the battle area and picked a fight with several mana martialists at once. He was increasing the distance towards the approaching Thanatos soldier while also getting closer to Beatrice¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°YOU DARE!¡± A martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect was particularly offended by Terry¡¯s actions that ignored his presence.

    [Such a shame to let all these precious artifacts go to these knuckleheads¡­] Rafael lamented but did not object.

    Terry dodged the incoming attacks with ease. It was a shame that he was not able to rely on his disruption field to disturb the mana resonance from the mana martialists. Regardless, Terry was able to evade most attacks from the average martialists by simply stepping into the air on layers of divine mana.

    Terry grinned while reveling in his long-missed aerial mobility.

    Lightning cracked and suddenly the martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect was right in front of Terry.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry attempted to dodge but the mana martialist had a movement technique that allowed him to move in the air as well.

    Worse, the lightning-based cultivation and techniques gave the martialist an edge in speed.

    Terry had underestimated the man because of the man¡¯s mana signature, but evidently there was more to martialist cultivation than could be read from mana amount and intensity alone.

    Terry did not have time to dwell on his mistake and instead changed burst techniques.

    He knew that he should avoid using disruption discharges. He knew that he should avoid his commonly used equipment like his last remaining barrier spear. He knew that he was outmatched in speed.

    Terry chose to face the martialist head on and used his own punch to face the incoming palm of lightning. An intense shock of lightning traveled from the martialist¡¯s palm towards Terry¡¯s arm upon contact.

    ¡°What?!¡± The mana martialist was shocked by how little Terry was fazed by the lightning in his attack.

    The man¡¯s shock transformed into horror when he himself felt his own arm crack from the forceful collision with Terry¡¯s fist. Unfortunately for the man, his palm attack did not allow him to quickly pull his arm back. The only way left for the man to limit the damage to his arm was to stop his movement technique, but that would mean dropping from the sky.

    To the man¡¯s credit, his shock and horror did not impede his battle instinct. He did not hesitate to stop his movement technique and braced for the consequences.

    The force from the impact pushed the man away instead of breaking his arm even further.

    Terry was focused on the timing of his burst technique cycle ¨C from resistance training to explosive power to physical recovery and back to speed. He did not have the mental space to pay much attention to the reaction of his opponent.

    As soon as the mana martialist was out of the way, Terry bolted away to get closer to Beatrice¡¯s estate.

    This could have gotten much worse. Terry reminded himself to not get careless.

    There are many here that are faster than me.

    Many that are stronger than me.

    I have to be careful. If I had not been able to switch my burst focus, I could have been in real trouble.

    Involuntarily, Terry glanced at his right forearm where he had wrapped his third divine hammer inscription. I owe Aunt Sigille so much.

    Terry darted forward until he finally arrived in front of Beatrice¡¯s mansion with the breached treasury. Naturally, all the mana martialists he had pissed off along the way, were still pursuing him. Before they could arrive, Terry approached some of the security guards, who had remained close to the mansion. ¡°Get ready, I believe the martialists are making a move on the mansion.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± One new face among the security guards raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who are you? Get¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up, he¡¯s a soldier from the Proving Grounds.¡±

    ¡°He warned us before as well. Get ready to fight.¡±

    ¡°Look! Over there! They¡¯re already coming!¡±

    ¡°Bastards!¡±

    Terry averted his face to take in the sight of the approaching enemies and, more importantly, to not let the security guards see his own expression.

    Terry and the security guards confronted the attacking mana martialists. They were holding them off until Terry performed another aerial maneuver to goad a familiar opponent from the Thunderous Palm Sect into the air.

    Terry noted that the martialist had found a way to heal his injured arm, but Terry wasn¡¯t really looking to continue the fight. He only wanted to guide the opponent¡¯s gaze towards a room in the mansion behind him. It was much easier to see inside from their new position in the sky.

    Terry could not help but curl his lips when he saw his plan working. One moment, the mana martialist was staring hatefully at Terry. Next moment, the man¡¯s eyes were opening wide and greed could be read on his face. Another moment later, the man had already broken several jade tokens, which Terry assumed were communication talismans.

    Shortly after, loud explosions were reverberating all around.

    [The wrinklefaces are getting serious.] Rafael remarked in a thought transmission.

    Terry grinned because he could sense that the Thanatos soldier whom he had been worried about was getting entangled again.

    [Heads up, buddy. I believe I just saw an elder from the Blazing Sun Sect. It seems that their old farts are starting to arrive as well.] Rafael sounded wary. [The Thunderous Palm Sect might be here for riches and to regain face, but for the Blazing Sun Sect, it¡¯s possible that there will be some people on a real vendetta. As idiotic and unbearable as the scions were, there is a slight chance that their families still had a sliver of affection for the little shitheads.]

    Terry¡¯s grin vanished. Not because of the possibility of danger, but because of the reminder that everyone whom he had killed or whose death he had caused could have people mourning them. From his past experience with the Preacher and Bright Willow, Terry knew that even the people whom he abhorred might be loved deeply by others.

    Terry remembered how his accepted parents had once talked about people wearing different faces depending on whom they are interacting with ¨C if they considered you superior, equal, or inferior. Sigille had said something related, about people like Willow wearing one face in public while acting differently when no one was watching. Sigille had also talked about people¡¯s different frameworks for interpreting actions.

    Everyone has their own story to tell¡­

    Terry involuntarily thought of Harrison and how some Guardians had confronted Terry when he had returned to the Libra Outpost.

    I guess I¡¯m becoming the villain in an increasing number of stories.

    Terry took a deep breath.

    I wonder how people like the Veilbinder managed to become so universally loved? Even if the Veilbinder always lived true to his principles, there must have been many that¡ª

    Terry recalled the story of the Valkyrie and how he had found her imprisoned in a dungeon.

    Is that just hindsight taking over? Seeing the grander picture over personal stories?

    Is it that the stories of those who saw him as a villain get lost over time? Or never spoken out loud?

    From the stories, the Valkyrie appeared universally loved too and yet, there was a whole group of people plotting to get rid of her and going so far as to imprison her for two centuries.

    Terry frowned. Focus. He clenched his fists. No matter what stories others tell, I promised that I would get back to my family.

    I promised.

    Focus¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that? Terry subconsciously turned his head towards a direction he had scouted with his mana touch. A location inside Beatrice¡¯s mansion.

    [Go¡­] A strange foreign voice arrived in Terry¡¯s head.

    Terry furrowed his brow. [Rafael, did you say something?]

    [No, buddy, why? What did you want me to say?]

    Terry looked around. Perhaps I imagined it? He glanced back towards the direction he had scouted.

    The sensation from Terry¡¯s mana touch triggered the memory of his perception when the security guards evacuated the inhabitants of the mansion. Right, I never saw them leave and they definitely didn¡¯t come back, which means these tunnels must lead some¡ª

    *BOOM* The battles near the mansion intensified.

    Terry made up his mind. [Rafael, come back here. I believe I found a chance to leave.]

    [Aye! I can wet my claws some more on the way.]

    Terry frowned slightly. According to his mana sense, Rafael was moving slightly slower than the stronger signatures from the martial sects, who were drawn in by the allure of valuable magic items. Even worse, Terry could sense more Thanatos soldiers approaching as well.

    Terry considered his words and then addressed one of the security guards. ¡°This will get ugly. If your employer has something in there that they cannot afford to lose, you might want to come up with something better than to just stay here and fight.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    Seeing that the security guard failed to arrive at the conclusion Terry desired, Terry continued nudging him. ¡°If I were you, I would think about moving the items according to priority. At this rate, I would not be confident to prevent everyone from entering and leaving.¡±

    ¡°Move where?¡± mumbled one of the security guards. ¡°The treasury is already broken. The rest of the mansion is even less fortified.¡±

    Terry was getting impatient. Or rather, the things he sensed with his mana sense were putting a lot of pressure on his timing. ¡°Do you have a way to covertly move items away? If so, I would recommend you go about it fast.¡±

    Fearing that he had come off a little too strong, Terry followed up with his second idea. ¡°Also if you have an ice mage that can summon real ice, I might be able to buy you more time.¡±

    Up above, one mana martialist managed to use a rapid movement technique and enter the treasury while the security guards were still pondering what to do. Terry suppressed a smile, because this was exactly what he needed to motivate the security guards.

    ¡°Get the manager!¡± One guard issued a command and then looked at Terry. ¡°She¡¯s the best ice mage we have available.¡±

    ¡°As long as they can summon real ice, that¡¯s okay.¡± Terry tried his best to not break out in a scowl. He would have preferred someone less strong and less wary to assist him in his idea. Unfortunately, Terry was not sure if the security guard had understood what he was saying and Terry was too hesitant to repeat the point because it might invite suspicion.

    Terry watched two of the security guards assault and stop the martialist thief.

    ¡°Have some of our own carry away the most valuable items.¡± The guard continued issuing orders. ¡°It¡¯s fucking annoying that some of them cannot be placed in storage items without prepration. Be quick.¡± He handed over a key. ¡°Use the evacuation route.¡±

    At least one part is working as I had hoped.

    Terry¡¯s expression lit up. He paid close attention to the security guard who had received the key for the tunnels. Terry could not afford to lose track of the person¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°Damn it, these greedy cockroaches!¡± The security manager arrived and glowered at the martialists who were closing in. She turned to Terry. ¡°My men said that you have an idea that might help?¡±

    ¡°Can you summon a wall of ice from there to there?¡± Terry pointed towards different locations. ¡°And from there to here?¡± He looked back at the woman. ¡°They have to be connected.¡±

    The security manager creased her brows. ¡°I can, but¡­¡± Her face showed a flicker of irritation. ¡°Why like this? And do you realize how many Blazing Sun Sect members are on the scene? Whatever ice we summon won¡¯t stand unmelted for long. The mana expenditure would not be worth it.¡±

    Terry had to pause because of the first question. The real answer was that this was a way for him to allow Rafael in while blocking the direct route for most of the powerful mana martialists and Thanatos soldiers. Obviously, Terry could not say that. After a moment of thought, Terry decided to use the second question as a way to avoid the first.

    Be vague and perfunctory.

    As much as necessary, as little as possible.

    ¡°I have a way to make sure the ice wall will hold¡­¡± Naturally, the Immovable Object spell.

    Terry weighed his words. ¡°...but it can only be used in a specific manner.¡± True, technically. Only the specifics I outlined go beyond the specifics of the spell.

    Terry noticed a hint of wariness on the face of the security manager. He realized that he could not admit to his spellwork. He needed a cover story for the effect. ¡°I have a magic item¡­¡± True again.

    Technically.

    Unrelated, but true. I do have magic items.

    Terry swallowed his misgivings about using two unrelated truths to create a misleading implication.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± The security manager decided to give Terry a chance. The assistance of Terry and the other Thanatos soldiers from the Proving Grounds had already proven very valuable. With a powerful movement of mana, she prepared her chained spellwork.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if the ice is thin,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°It just needs to cover the area. You can conserve mana by keeping it as thin as possible. As long as it¡¯s at least half a finger¡¯s width, there is no problem.¡±

    Some of the wariness in the security manager¡¯s face disappeared. She appreciated the helpful elaboration. If it allowed her to avoid expending more mana than necessary, then that was an indicator of Terry¡¯s good intentions. If Terry wanted to cause trouble for her, he would surely not have pointed that out.

    *Ksingg* In a melodious sound, a huge but thin wall of ice appeared.

    Impressive!

    Oh shit¡­ Terry did not expect the security manager to be that quick in her casting.

    Now, he had to clamor for retrieving a magic item that could work as the cover story for how he was making the ice wall impenetrable.

    Crap crap crap¡­

    Obviously, Terry couldn¡¯t just whip out an aspected glaive. He had to find something believable.

    Lori¡¯s or Jorg¡¯s wand? No.

    Terry¡¯s consciousness was racing through his storage items.

    Perhaps I can get by with pretending that I¡¯m wearing it? Like the divine hammer inscription?

    Wait¡­ Terry¡¯s mind settled on the items he had taken from Blue after the lizan prophet had shown his true colors and died at Terry¡¯s hands.

    Small blue crystal egg?

    This seems¡­

    Powerful.

    Terry vaguely remembered that Damian had once referred to such an item.

    Fiendish item!

    Terry resolved himself. No matter, I don¡¯t intend to really use it.

    I just need a story.

    Terry summoned the small blue crystal egg and made a show of touching the ice wall with it. Secretly, Terry was casting an empowered and strongly compressed Immovable Object spell. He hid the compressed spell structure at a location where the ice wall was sunk in the ground.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± The security manager was first staring at the intense mana signature radiating from the little egg and then towards all the powerful attacks that were impacting on the thin wall of ice without leaving so much as a scratch. She felt her mouth run dry and she looked at Terry more seriously. ¡°Impressive. Thank you for your help.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± muttered Terry absentmindedly. He was happy that the plan had worked, but he still had to pay too much attention to everything happening to be sincerely relieved.

    No time to relax yet.

    [Nice!] Rafael was now able to dash over more freely. [We should team up like this more often! I¡¯m having a blast!] After a pause, another thought transmission arrived in a less happy tone. [These magical items though¡­ Are you sure I can¡¯t just take one or two dozen?]

    Terry felt increasingly tired. [Focus on our priorities. We need to buy time until we can use the entrance ticket. If we can get into the evacuation tunnel, we even have a fallback plan. Making our escape from there seems a lot easier.]

    [Fine¡­]

    ***

 147 A Plan Works Until It Doesnt

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    [What now?] Rafael had arrived next to Terry.

    [Now, we need another distraction.] Terry stepped a few meters away.

    While the security guards thought he was trying to get a better look of the situation, Terry secretly transfixed a part of a guard¡¯s armor for a brief moment.

    The guard stumbled over his own feet, which caused him to be just one moment late for stopping a mana martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect, who was now escaping with a handful of magic items from the treasury.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The remaining security guards were clamoring to protect the property of their employers.

    ¡°The ice wall bought us time, but it¡¯s not enough.¡± The security manager had run up to Terry. She was scowling. ¡°Why are there only so few soldiers here? Shouldn¡¯t they have sent some reinforcements by now?¡±

    ¡°There seems to be more than one battle going on,¡± replied Terry matter-of-factly. This was his honest evaluation.

    Terry was nearly certain that the Proving Grounds had long since noticed their escape. If they had only sent out the soldiers that were currently fighting here, then that meant they had another situation that took priority.

    This was Terry¡¯s explanation for the blaring alarm that rallied troops to the Proving Grounds. Whatever was going on there demanded more of Thanatos¡¯s attention.

    Must be some situation¡­ Terry could not help but be curious.

    On the one hand, Terry was happier the less attention he got from Thanatos. On the other hand, he could not imagine what would be so much worse for the order in Thanatos than the rampaging mana martialists here. Especially considering the elders of the sects that were barely held in check by the real Thanatos soldiers and stronger security guards.

    ¡°Yeah, or someone in charge thought that the private forces should show blood first.¡± The security manager sounded displeased. ¡°There are some in the Hall that believe a step up in private security justifies them drawing away public enforcers. This¡­¡± She harrumphed angrily.

    Terry involuntarily thought of Damian and wondered if the former Thanatos squad leader would be counted among these people from the Bloody Hall.

    ¡°Can we extend the ice wall?¡± asked the security manager while casting spells to fend off another batch of mana martialists.

    Terry swallowed back his instinct to reply without consideration of his words.

    Of course, he could cast the Immovable Object spell again, but his current goal required him to get some freedom of movement. ¡°It might make more sense to secure the room directly.¡± He looked at the security manager. ¡°Can you create a closed area of ice around it?¡±

    The woman quickly looked over the remaining support structures of the mansion. ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do that first,¡± said Terry. He appeared to look around. ¡°You, with me!¡± Terry pointed at Rafael. Even though it looked as if Terry had just randomly pointed at the nearest Thanatos soldier, Terry had naturally known which person in Thanatos uniform was closest to him.

    The security manager called over a pair of subordinates as well and then took the lead. ¡°This way!¡±

    Terry noted that the security manager did not in fact lead them to the treasury. He inwardly praised the woman¡¯s instinctual wariness. He could not help but feel a pang of guilt well up once more. He knew that the woman¡¯s wariness was more than justified. In fact, her initial reaction to him had been the most accurate. He had to remind himself to focus.

    ¡°I believe I can create ice walls connected here and here¡­¡± The security manager let her voice trail off.

    It took a second for Terry to realize that the security manager was asking for his confirmation. Then he remembered how he had made a show about his magic item and how it only worked under specific circumstances.

    His face quickly displayed a thoughtful expression, an entirely honest demeanor, because now Terry had to come up with something again.

    ¡°Can you adjust the angle to let it connect there as well?¡± Terry threw out a random request for change.

    The security manager nodded. She prepared her spellwork while also preparing a dual-casting and instructing her subordinates. ¡°One last blast at my command.¡± When she had finished preparing her ice wall spells, she ordered: ¡°Fire!¡±

    Her own lightning spell sizzled through the air to mow down several mana martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect while her subordinates focused their attacks on the closest members from the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    After their attacks had flown out, the security manager ignited her chained ice wall spells and the side of the building was covered in thin transparent walls of ice.

    Terry immediately stepped forth to tap the fiendish crystal egg against the ice as a cover for his Immovable Object spell.

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± A mana martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect had rushed forth to retaliate after the security guards¡¯ barrage. He stopped short in his tracks and stared hatefully at Terry through the transparent ice. ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± The man frenziedly began attacking the ice¡­

    With no success. The ice wall stood immovable and impenetrable.

    Terry cursed inwardly and informed Rafael with a thought transmission: [I believe they have recognized me now.]

    From the corner of his eyes, Terry could see the Blazing Sun Sect member crush a few jade tokens. Terry turned back to the security manager and hoped that the martialist¡¯s exclamation had not been heard by the security guards.

    Fortunately, the guards appeared uninterested. Either they didn¡¯t hear the martialist¡¯s exclamations over the noise of battle and the blaring alarms in the distance, or they had not thought the words noteworthy.

    Terry spoke with honest relief: ¡°This should hold them off for a while.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Another security guard entered. It was one of the guards that had begun moving magic items away. ¡°We could use a few more hands.¡±

    [My paws are itching to help.] Rafael¡¯s thought transmission arrived in Terry¡¯s mind.

    [No, remember our priorities,] warned Terry. [If they ask us for help, fine. But remember that we are supposed to be soldiers. From what I heard earlier, there also seem to be some disagreements between the public enforcers and private security forces. I also had another security guard comment on our continued presence here.]

    Terry continued pensively: [I take this to mean that it¡¯s already unusual for us to stay here and help them. We should avoid standing out further. While it makes sense for us to be interested in enforcing order, in putting down the martialists, and in capturing escapees, it would seem weird if we are too interested in the items, who owns them, who takes them and so forth.]

    [...fine.] Rafael grumbled unhappily. [All this stuff is making me feel stifled. All this who knows what and thinks what about whom or what what what. I¡¯m more the claws out and fight type of felan.]

    [We¡¯ve gotten this far,] reminded Terry. [And for the record, I share your feelings. This stuff is giving me headaches too. I can¡¯t wait to be out of here.]

    Terry caught the gaze of the security manager, who was looking at him. He was not sure what she was thinking but if he judged her expression correctly, she was pleased with something. Her eyes showed slightly less wariness once more.

    Perhaps because we haven¡¯t volunteered? Because we don¡¯t seem that eager to get close to the items?

    ¡°Some of the items are delicate,¡± continued the security guard who had asked for more hands. ¡°If we carry them, we can¡¯t fight when something comes up.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to it then,¡± said Terry and moved to walk out of the room. He paused in the doorframe and turned back. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about the particulars of your employer.¡± He could see the security manager frown. ¡°I¡¯m not asking about the details and I¡¯m sympathetic that you have your own problems, but our job here hasn¡¯t changed.¡±

    Terry paused to let his words carry some weight while he ordered his thoughts.

    Technically, all true.

    Our goal here hasn¡¯t changed in the least.

    We still need to buy time.

    After his pause for emphasis, Terry continued: ¡°Do you think there is any particular item that a fugitive with a connection to your employer would have his eyes on? Or anything particularly valuable that such a fugitive could use to buy the assistance of that many mana martialists?¡±

    The security manager continued to frown but her expression became pensive as well, which Terry took as a sign that she was seriously considering his question.

    Oh shit. Terry jerked his head around. ¡°Someone is coming. Someone strong.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone so much as crack the ice yet,¡± remarked one of the security guards.

    ¡°Not from there.¡± Terry had to concentrate to sense the intense but thin and incredibly fast movement of mana. ¡°Lightning.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes darted through the room. He glanced at Rafael. They¡¯re coming for him. He quickly moved his eyes away and over the room in thought.

    They must have an idea of the situation. Even if they¡¯re arrogant, they should have realized by now that physical attacks won¡¯t break the ice.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Do they think that lightning will be able to cross? I don¡¯t believe my Immovable Object spell allows the ice to conduct electricity.

    It¡¯s either that or¡­

    Terry jerked his head back to look at a load-bearing pillar in the room. He imperceptibly moved a thin trail of mana inside the pillar to find what he had feared: metal.

    ¡°Get away from the pillar, now!¡± Terry ordered in an authoritative tone. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The security guards were confused but followed the order regardless. The guards here had already become accustomed to Terry and to respecting his words.

    The security manager displayed a reflexive irritation at being told what to do, but even she had developed a certain level of trust and reliance. Even if she didn¡¯t trust Terry¡¯s character or intentions, she at least took his words and suggestions seriously.

    *KAZAP* *KRCK* Lightning blasted from the pillar and a part of it exploded as two people manifested out of thin air. They were wearing the yellow-black robes of the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    Thanks to Terry¡¯s early warning, the security guards had their spells primed and ready to fire. Several attack spells flew out to greet the sect elders.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± One of the sect elders stepped forward and unleashed a palm strike. Most of the attack spells were ripped apart by a burst of lightning. Another strike and a fist of lightning flew forward towards the security guards and Terry.

    Terry and the security manager stepped forward. While the security manager protected her subordinates with an ice spell that guided the lightning away, Terry had transfixed his shield.

    Terry was relieved to find that his understanding of the Immovable Object spell had not been mistaken. As long as the spell structure remained out of reach and stable, the spell would hold and block physical interactions like force or the conductivity of electricity.

    Terry had seen his spell being interrupted or disturbed by magic before, but aside from disruption discharges and invasions of foreign-naturalized mana, this mostly related to special aspects.

    The holy aspect that seemed to disturb magic in general. The nullification aspect that erased all mana. The void aspect that represented a half-paired aspect with oscillating mana: death for life. The shadow aspect that permeated everything and transcended all planes. The abyssal aspects like hellfire and netherfrost that both interacted directly with life and mana.

    While Terry was reasonably sure that he got the inner workings of his oscillating mana and Immovable Object spell right by now, he could not rule out any shenanigans related to the strange means of the mana martialists.

    Fortunately, he had managed to block the attack without exposing himself.

    ¡°You will not escape,¡± growled one of the elders.

    Terry wanted to curse because the elder had fixed Rafael in his gaze. Terry hoped that the security guards would not catch on because of this.

    ¡°Hand it over and we can consider leaving you an intact corpse¡±, growled the other elder.

    Terry took his chance and he muttered in a voice barely audible for the security manager and her subordinates. ¡°That confirms that they are here for an item.¡±

    Terry hoped that they would interpret the elders¡¯ statements in relation to the mansion and not in relation to Rafael.

    Please don¡¯t pay attention to the fact that we¡¯re not even in the treasury.

    Please don¡¯t pay attention to¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ve just called more of my forces here,¡± said the security manager with cold eyes.

    Terry was relieved to see the irritation on her face. He was willing to bet that she would not react well to the imposing attitudes of these mana martialists.

    With intense loathing in her eyes, the security manager addressed the sect elders: ¡°If you leave now, I won¡¯t have to spit on your corpses later.¡± She retrieved and swallowed a pill whose effects Terry did not know. A moment later, her mana flared up and she cast several attack and debilitation spells near-instantly.

    [I like that woman!] praised Rafael. [She would fit in well in the Union¡¯s martial lands.]

    [I think she is Thanatos through and through,] replied Terry. [She doesn¡¯t seem crazy enough for the martial sects.]

    [Buddy, I¡¯m offended,] joked Rafael.

    [No, you¡¯re not.] Terry suppressed the desire to roll his eyes. [You¡¯re not even from a sect, right? What did the vampire from the Eternal Moon Sect call it? ¡®Loose¡¯ cultivator? That means unaffiliated, right? Anyway, we should focus. The security manager might be able to hold her own, but I don¡¯t believe she can take on both of the elders at once.]

    Terry narrowed his eyes when he sensed another abnormal movement of mana.

    Astonishingly, this mana was even faster than the lightning before. Even more fleeting.

    Terry could sense something pass through the defense of the immovable ice. An instant later, a person in crimson uniform appeared in the room with a flash of light.

    A short glowing blade in reverse grip left a thin trail of blood on one of the elders, who had failed to dodge in time.

    ¡°Ooh, who do we have here?¡± The newly arrived Thanatos soldier confronted the two mana martialists. ¡°You can¡¯t just jump ahead like that. I called dibs on collecting the teeth from all your sects.¡± He glanced at Terry and ordered. ¡°You stay here.¡± The man that acted as one of Yesenia¡¯s assistants did not sound friendly at all.

    [Something about this soldier makes my paws get wet, but I can¡¯t get a reading on his strength.] Rafael inquired from Terry. [What do you think?]

    [I think we¡¯re in deep shit.] Terry was impressed with Rafael¡¯s battle instincts that seemed more developed than Rafael¡¯s mana sense.

    In contrast to Rafael, Terry knew exactly where the feeling of unease came from. The man had locked down his mana signature near perfectly even while facing the two elders. That indicated a level of mana control and confidence that was more than enough reason to be wary.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked one of the security guards, who had noticed Terry¡¯s awful expression.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry reminded himself to consider his words carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this person.¡±

    ¡°Him?¡± The security guard looked at the Thanatos soldier. ¡°I don¡¯t either¡­¡±

    Terry was very relieved to hear that and averted his face slightly in order to not show it.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the uniform of the Proving Grounds.¡± Another security guard joined the conversation.

    Terry resolved himself. [I think we¡¯ll have to take a risk here, Rafael. Follow my lead.] He frowned without hiding his real feelings. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this person and there were some uniforms stolen during the prison break.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him either,¡± added Rafael without missing a beat. He even added a low growl for emphasis.

    The expressions of the security guards listening in darkened.

    ¡°It¡¯s fishy that he appears here alone,¡± remarked one of the guards.

    ¡°And that he arrived here right after the other two.¡±

    ¡°He did attack them though. He seems to be battling on our side.¡±

    ¡°Or he just wants us to put our guard down. He hasn¡¯t inflicted a serious injury.¡±

    The security guards broke out in a tumult.

    ¡°FOCUS ON THE FIGHT!¡± shouted the security manager.

    The security guards immediately concentrated again on their supporting spellwork.

    Terry noticed one of the security guards observing him in a strange manner. He mustered his courage and decided to go one step further to preempt any potential suspicion. ¡°I don¡¯t like what he said before. Why did he address me specifically?¡±

    The security guard appeared first taken aback and then bewildered, which Terry interpreted as a good sign.

    Terry¡¯s eyes darted around to look for a possible story. An angle that allowed him to get out of the situation. His eyes lingered on the immovable ice wall. ¡°Oh¡­ Perhaps.¡± He did not realize that he was speaking out loud.

    ¡°Perhaps what?¡± echoed the security guard.

    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s here for the¡­¡± Terry sent the security guard a meaningful glance and then moved his eyes towards the immovable ice wall. He knew that this security guard had been there when he had made a show of using the blue crystal egg to reinforce the ice so as to turn it unbreakable.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The security guard caught onto Terry¡¯s meaning. He quickly rushed to some of the others, who then used a communication device.

    ¡°You should leave,¡± said the security guard after his return. ¡°The manager said that if he follows we can try to give you cover, but not for long.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Terry quickly reacted. He pointed at Rafael and ordered: ¡°You come with me.¡± He muttered seemingly to himself. ¡°If the walls fall, things can only get worse.¡±

    [This is hilarious,] commented Rafael, who was following Terry towards the exit.

    ¡°I said¡­¡± Light flashed in the room while the Thanatos soldier barked: ¡°...you stay here!¡±

    A shield weaved from shadow blocked the path of the light-based spell. ¡°What gave you the impression that you are the one in charge here?!¡± The security manager spoke coldly.

    ¡°You¡­?¡± The Thanatos soldier was visibly taken aback. ¡°Ignorant fool, you¡ª¡±

    *Kazap* Lightning cracked from the martialists and a roar reverberated in the air: ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±

    Before the lightning could arrive in front of Rafael and Terry, another spell had blocked it. The source of the spell was the Thanatos soldier from the Proving Grounds. ¡°As much as it annoys me, I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± The overseer¡¯s orders had been clear. Yesenia¡¯s assistant could only sigh at the disappearing backs from Rafael and Terry. He muttered under his breath. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, Arcanian.¡±

    Terry and Rafael were already out of the door and down a few stairs.

    ¡°This way¡­¡± Terry had firmly locked onto the mana signature from the security guard that carried the key to the evacuation tunnels. He had long ago scouted the building with his mana touch too. He knew the shortest path to get to their target.

    ¡°HOLD!¡± Two security guards were guarding a heavy door. ¡°Wait, I know them.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± said Terry. One hundred percent true.

    Terry continued quickly: ¡°Your boss is currently fighting an unknown enemy, who appears to be after an item in my possession. Your boss engaged the enemy to allow us a chance to escape with the item before they can get their hands on it.¡± Terry hoped that his vague reference to the item would lead them to conclude that it was one of the items of the mansion and that they would let them pass.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like the boss at all,¡± exclaimed one of the guards suspiciously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen them work together outside before,¡± said the other.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± snapped the suspicious guard. ¡°We¡¯ve already carried away the items that fit into our storage items. At least those that haven¡¯t been snatched by these lunatics outside. I don¡¯t see you carrying anything.¡± He challenged Terry. ¡°Of those remaining, the ones valuable enough for our boss to give a shit are not that easily placed into a dimensional storage.¡±

    [Want me to claw him?] Rafael sent Terry a thought transmission.

    ¡°...¡±  Terry clicked his tongue in annoyance. Neither the guards nor Rafael knew who among them evoked this reaction. Terry was about to speak when he sensed a familiar mana signature. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him?!¡± Terry pointed.

    ¡°Ask whom?¡± The suspicious guard was taken aback. Terry was pointing at an empty corridor. Fearing that this was just a ploy to distract them, the guard was about to lash out, but then he could hear footsteps.

    A short moment later, another security guard arrived.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± The new arrival was the guard who had asked for more hands to carry items before. He was looking at Terry and Rafael. ¡°I¡­ guess that works too. If you can fight when it comes down to it, we can focus on carrying the rest of the items.¡± He looked at the other two guards. ¡°What are you waiting for? The next batch is going to arrive. Open the damn door.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The suspicious guard seemed unhappy but he opened the door regardless.

    Terry felt immensely relieved that this latest obstacle had been cleared through lucky timing. The thick door opened and Terry could see the figure of a man in a butler¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°Something strange is going on in one of the side tunnels,¡± said Beatrice¡¯s butler. ¡°We need at least five more to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡­¡±

    When Terry, Rafael, and some security guards with items were walking into the tunnel, Terry felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

    Unfortunately, a new weight fell down when Terry noticed the gaze of the butler on himself.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The butler¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re the Arcanian!¡±

    Shit. Terry rapidly circulated his mana and coordinated with Rafael. [Time to fight!]

    In the blink of an eye, Terry¡¯s thinly-spread mana from his mana touch contracted and several dozen spell targets had become immovable at once. The guards¡¯ weapons and armor transfixed. The door, which one of the guards had tried to close quickly, had become immovable as well.

    [Fight for real!] Terry unleashed a disruption discharge to eviscerate any spellwork the guards and butler had prepared and dashed into the tunnel while setting up a small disruption field between himself and the security guards.

    [Gloves off¡­] Rafael was less squeamish than Terry and did not aim for non-lethal means. He sunk his claws deeply into the chest of the butler. ¡°...claws out.¡±

    [Don¡¯t!] Terry stopped Rafael while kicking the legs away from another guard at the door. [Get in the tunnel! Behind the door!] He glanced at the butler and threw the injured butler out of the tunnel towards the immobile soldiers. ¡°Tell Beatrice to eat shit.¡±

    ***

 148 Settling Accounts

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    Terry deactivated the Immovable Object spell on the door and began pulling on it with his bidirectional attraction inscription without slowing down.

    As soon as the door was closed, Terry activated his compressed spellwork to lock the door for good. He would have liked to steal the key and use that but he did not have the time to rummage through the guard¡¯s pockets.

    Rafael had caught up to Terry. ¡°There¡¯ll be more of them.¡±

    Terry swiftly placed a tertium slab behind them and transfixed it to serve as a second line of defense from their back. He glanced at Rafael. ¡°Can you collapse the tunnel behind us?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Rafael smirked and reflexively switched to voice transmission for his less boastful thoughts. [I can¡¯t guarantee that it won¡¯t come down on us, buddy.]

    [Don¡¯t worry about it.] Terry moved his mana through his storage items. ¡°I can handle that.¡±

    They ran forward along the path that Terry chose based on his mana touch scouting. When they came to another fork, Terry stopped. ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Give me one more second¡­¡± Rafael moved his mana one last time through his acupoints. ¡°Ready!¡±

    ¡°There!¡± Terry pointed and rapidly darted around the tunnel to place a few immovable tertium pieces and make sure that the tunnel collapse was isolated where they wanted it to be.

    ¡°Heavenly Wolf Slash!¡±

    Why does he always shout that name with the attack? Terry¡¯s eyelid twitched.

    If the other security guards were close enough to hear us, this would immediately spoil all plans to influence them and avoid a fight.

    Fortunately, Terry could not sense anyone in the immediate vicinity.

    *RUMBLE*

    ¡°Good¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself while retrieving most of the tertium pieces he had placed and transfixed before.

    Afterwards, Terry turned to Rafael. ¡°We can slow down for now.¡± [If I sense anyone, I¡¯ll warn you. We can try playing Thanatos soldier again. What¡¯s the situation with the entrance ticket?]

    Rafael frowned. [It feels different from earlier, but it doesn¡¯t seem to work yet.]

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Can you show me?¡± He had never actually seen the entrance ticket. He wanted to trust Rafael, but deep down, Terry heard a warning voice repeating the inquiries from the Warlord.

    Trust but verify.

    ¡°Sure, brother.¡± Rafael did not hesitate and retrieved a folded piece of paper from his belt. He held it forward for Terry to examine.

    As soon as the piece of paper was removed from Rafael¡¯s belt, Terry sensed the mana inside.There was a single mana-infused character on the paper that Terry did not recognize.

    Terry furrowed his brow. His acute mana sense allowed Terry to confirm a number of things.

    It¡¯s really doing something with the space aspect¡­ That would fit with the teleportation.

    There is a barely noticeable mana flow from the entrance ticket towards Rafael¡­ That could be the means to transport more than one person.

    It appears to be gathering and compressing mana¡­ That would fit the charging theory.

    Terry was satisfied with confirming the existence of the entrance ticket. The thing that left him worried though was the rate at which the mana in the paper was changing. He looked at Rafael. ¡°From what I can sense, I believe that we have to hold out for at least another hour.¡± Terry examined the paper again. ¡°Probably around two.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Rafael blinked at Terry. ¡°Uhh¡­ How?¡± He held the paper close to his own face again. ¡°How do you figure that?¡±

    ¡°Rate of change of the mana inside,¡± explained Terry. ¡°Normalized by time. I¡¯ve tracked how the mana changes over several breaths.¡± Terry was already only paying half attention to the conversation. He had begun scouting further ahead with his mana touch.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a freak, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rafael stared at the paper and Terry. ¡°I can barely sense a difference across several hours and you mean to tell me that you¡¯re sensing a difference from one breath to the other?¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡± Terry gestured for Rafael to quiet down. [Someone¡¯s coming. Let¡¯s start running. Try to look¡­] Terry puffed his cheeks. [I don¡¯t know. Panicked? Somber? Grim? Distraught? We¡¯ve just been sent down here and there was a battle that collapsed the tunnel. Whatever fits that.]

    Inwardly, Terry cursed at his fate that forced him into this continued charade.

    ¡°HOLD!¡± A group of security guards were glaring at them.

    One security guard spoke up. ¡°I know them¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit,¡± barked the woman in charge of their group. ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to be in these tunnels.¡±

    ¡°Your boss is currently holding off an enemy,¡± interjected Terry. ¡°The tunnel has already collapsed. I know that you were in the process of moving some of the valuables but with the primary tunnel like this, you won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Zip it,¡± barked the guard in charge. ¡°Let us worry about the tunnel. Let the boss worry about herself. I want to know why you are here.¡± She practically stabbed her index finger downwards to point at the floor.

    Terry began reciting his misleading truth about the unknown assailant aiming for an item in his possession. With the additional social proof from the other security guards that spoke up for him and corroborated parts of his story, Terry was optimistic about getting through this without a fight.

    Unfortunately, that was when things changed.

    Terry could see the woman in charge pause mid-sentence with her attention seemingly somewhere else. Before Terry could interpret the subtle movement of mana around her, he could already see it on her face.

    Some form of voice transmission!

    [Fight!]

    Terry and Rafael dashed forth like coiled springs loosened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Terry stopped Rafael from tearing out the throat from one of the security guards. He himself had been focused on setting up a disruption field and transfixing the guards¡¯ equipment.

    The security guards grimaced under the combined effects of mana suppression, seeing their spellwork eviscerated, and being unable to draw their weapons.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight you,¡± stressed Terry. He held the gaze of a security guard that had spoken up for him earlier. ¡°We just want to be left alone. If you attempt to block us, we have no choice but to¡ª¡±

    ¡°SCREW YOU!¡± roared the security guard. ¡°I¡¯LL END YOU!¡±

    ¡°Thanatos doesn¡¯t bow to threats!¡± growled the rest in unison.

    Of course, you¡¯d say that¡­ Terry sighed inwardly.

    He could already sense how they were trying to cast spells and disrupt Terry¡¯s own spellwork.

    Even though Terry hated it, there was no real way around it anymore. For a moment, Terry could hear the voice of his aunt Sigille again: ¡®If something tries to kill you, kill it back.¡¯

    Terry drew his two inscribed daggers and finished off the guards in a decisive and fluent sequence of slashes.

    Rafael was staring at Terry. ¡°What did you hold me back for? You did not seriously believe they would just say ¡®okay then¡¯?¡± He wiped some blood from his own chest. ¡°You even got blood all over me.¡± He examined Terry more closely. ¡°What¡¯s with that expression of yours? This isn¡¯t even your first kill of the day.¡±

    ¡°I wish I was strong enough to avoid these,¡± said Terry while moving his eyes over the fresh corpses. I just want to go home.

    ¡°Okay¡­?¡± Rafael was already down to rummage through the guards¡¯ pockets. ¡°Pity. They must have already handed over the good stuff to someone else.¡±

    ¡°If they have some means of communication to the rest of the estate, then¡­¡± Terry mustered his resolve. ¡°Only fights from now on.¡±

    I hope we don¡¯t meet the security manager again. She¡¯ll be pissed.

    Terry clicked his tongue. Well done, Terry.

    Arrive with one blood debt, leave with a hundred, give or take!

    Just another normal dungeon-sponsored trip to a foreign empire!

    Crap.

    Terry returned his keen daggers to their sheaths at his hips.

    He retrieved his last remaining barrier spear. The inscribed short spear that his accepted mother Isille had sent him when he had been stuck in Tiv. Terry clutched the spear tightly in his right hand and closed his eyes.

    A sliver of mana circulated first through the divine hammer inscription on his arm and then to the barrier spear.

    The aunt he had lost and the mother had tried to save.

    I¡¯ll go home. Terry took a deep breath. Watch over me¡­ He opened his eyes. ¡°Gloves off.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mind calmed down.

    On this day, whenever he had been standing still for too long, his mind had grown listless. Whenever he had to confront his own lack of ability, his mind had become unsettled. Torn apart by the difference between his ambition and his reality.

    ¡®Follow the person you want to become.¡¯

    Terry pictured the Veilbinder, but another image emerged in his mind as well. The image of himself among his family.

    Forget it. If they insist on fighting, I¡¯ll fight.

    Terry resolved himself.

    I don¡¯t know who they are. I don¡¯t know why they chose to work here.

    I don¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯m not strong enough to care.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    If they insist on fighting, they¡¯ll die. Welcome to the world of beasts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Terry. Despite all his self-assuring thoughts, he did not want to linger around the corpses from the security guards. He did not take any of their items either.

    Terry and Rafael slowly walked forward. Terry continued spreading his mana over the area to scout for invisible opponents.

    Perhaps we should stay here? Hunker down until the entrance ticket becomes usable?

    Terry¡¯s resolve to fight did not clear up the problem of how to best go about it.

    On the one hand, Terry knew from his dungeon experience that much of his battle style was significantly more effective in narrow quarters.

    On the other hand, the ease with which Rafael had collapsed the tunnel behind them was not a comforting thought.

    [Come¡­] A strange voice echoed in Terry¡¯s head, which made Terry flinch involuntarily. He glanced at Rafael, who was definitely not the source of the voice.

    Terry became wary. He recalled the lessons on detecting mind influence and checked himself.

    He mentally went over everything he had done recently. True, there were a few things he had done for the first time, but he could justify them based on his character as he understood himself.

    Terry frowned slightly. It feels weird to try and examine yourself as if you were a third party or a character in a book.

    I don¡¯t sense any strong compulsion or deviations in my emotions.

    Terry shrugged. I don¡¯t think any mind mage worth worrying about would rely on strange voices. If you were to put a voice into someone¡¯s head, wouldn¡¯t you try to make it less strange? More tempting? More persuasive?

    Terry shook his head. I must have imagined it. He focused his attention back on his current situation.

    If we go, then they might set up a trap for us in advance¡­ Then again, if we remain here, they might also prepare a full on assault or work to collapse the tunnel.

    Terry recalled how the prison guards in the Valkyrie¡¯s dungeon had plotted against her behind her back.

    I¡¯d rather go out fighting than to have the ceiling come down on me¡­

    I could set up an immovable cube and then we could intentionally collapse the tunnel around us to prevent anyone from coming here?

    Terry frowned. What if the entrance ticket doesn¡¯t work though?

    He recalled the death mages from the undead horde when he had fled in the Wastes. What if they cast magic inside the cube?

    Terry nodded to himself. Better to remain on the move. As long as I can sense them before they sense us, we have an advantage. Speaking of¡­

    Terry tightened his grip on his barrier spear. [Heads up, Rafael. We¡¯ll be meeting someone soon. Prepare your attack.]

    [On it.] Rafael moved his mana through his acupoints.

    Terry paid close attention to the sensation from his mana perception ¨C both mana sense and mana touch. He glanced at the tunnel. [Try not to bring the whole earth down on our heads.]

    [Who do you think I am?] protested Rafael. [My Heavenly Wolf Slash will carve through the enemy! No deflection possible.]

    Terry prepared a few immovable items just to be sure.

    ¡°I suggest you back off,¡± shouted Terry grimly.

    [Buddy, what are you doing?] Rafael was flabbergasted.

    [Giving them a choice,] replied Terry flatly. He might not be strong enough to avoid killing, but given he and Rafael already had time to make preparations, Terry thought he could afford this much.

    Terry heard whispers in the tunnel and spoke up once more: ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to conceal yourselves. I already know that there are five of you.¡± He could sense one of their mages interrupt some spellwork. ¡°Your employer and I are not on friendly terms, but this has nothing to do with you. Leave us alone and we¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth, Arcanian!¡± An indignant shout echoed through the area. ¡°Lady Beatrice has already ordered us to kill you without mercy.¡±

    ¡°Of course she did,¡± sighed Terry. It didn¡¯t take long for them to inform their mistress. Terry clenched his fist. ¡°You may have forgotten that you have a choice, so allow me to remind you: Just because you have received an order, does not mean that you have to follow it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Arcanian? Little Terry?¡± sneered a voice from the tunnel. ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    Unexpectedly, the question made Terry pause.

    As uncomfortable as his situation was at the moment, the danger paled to what he had gone through in the past year as far as Terry saw it.

    The battles in the Proving Grounds had him trapped in a limited area and without his equipment.

    The hellspawn hive, the undead horde, and the giant wyvern were much more intimidating than a few security guards.

    He even had a potential way out with the teleportation of the entrance ticket.

    He only needed to hold on.

    There was only one thing about the current situation that appeared more daunting than Terry¡¯s past experiences: killing folks. Increasing his blood debts. Becoming the villain in even more personal stories.

    While Terry was still ordering his thoughts, a jeering voice arrived again: ¡°Too late for regrets! You¡¯re not weaseling out of this one! Today you will die!¡±

    Well then¡­ Terry shrugged inwardly. ¡°You first¡­¡± A statement that served both as a reply to the hidden guards and as an order to Rafael.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Rafael grinned a toothy grin. ¡°Just tell me when.¡±

    Terry and Rafael dashed forward. As soon as Terry sensed the successful priming of offensive spells up ahead in the tunnel, he instructed Rafael: ¡°Now!¡± Simultaneously, Terry flicked many of his old throwing needles and transfixed them near the ceiling at various locations in front of them..

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± The mana resonated and created the after-image of a large white wolf that barely fit into the tunnel. The wolf howled and stormed towards the enemies.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± ¡°I thought the felan¡¯s attack takes longer to charge¡ª Damn it!¡± ¡°Block! BLOCK! SHIELDS¡ª AHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡°You bastards!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ kill you.¡±

    Terry could sense that three of the enemies had been killed outright. One had managed to barely evade in time by transforming into a puddle of water. Another had relied on an item to block but was still injured heavily.

    ¡°UAAAHH!¡± With a battle cry, the uninjured security guard charged forward, seemingly impatient to attack and unwilling to give Rafael another opportunity for a Heavenly Wolf Slash.

    ¡°Urhg¡­¡± The security guard stopped his charge with incredulous eyes. His whole body was in pain and blood was flowing from everywhere.

    He stared behind himself to discover small needles transfixed in the air and dripping with blood. His blood. He had failed to notice the needles during his impulsive charge and now it was too late.

    His muscles had been torn. His bones had been shattered. His organs had been pierced. All by his own furious charge.

    The last thing the man saw was the silhouette of someone dashing past him.

    Terry arrived in front of the last remaining guard, who was in the process of trying to heal herself.

    ¡°No!¡± The security guard channeled her mana into her wrist band and several fire arrows were rushing from the item towards Terry.

    Terry instantly created a barrier with his magic short spear. He moved the barrier towards the front so that he had enough room to lunge out with his spear and pull his arm back for a thrust. He blocked the fire arrows with the magic barrier and then accelerated with the help of a burst technique.

    The security guard did not expect Terry¡¯s sudden shift in speed. She barely caught the sight of Terry¡¯s barrier disappearing. The sight of the detached look in Terry¡¯s eyes. The sight of the spear tip aiming for her forehead. Darkness. Eternal.

    Terry pulled his arm back. He had to put a foot on the woman¡¯s corpse to pull the spear out from her head. Without turning around, he spoke to Rafael. ¡°If you want to loot, you have a minute. I suspect that they were just here to confirm our location, which means someone already knows where we are, which means that there will be more next time. If we can reach another fork before then, that would be best.¡±

    ¡°Buddy, this is great.¡± Rafael picked several items up from the dead security guards. ¡°When I teamed up with you, I was only thinking about your spell and disruption field, but I¡¯m beginning to like your mana sense even more.¡±

    ¡°Mhmhm¡­¡± Terry did not pay much attention to Rafael and was instead retrieving the needles from his skewer box. He channeled mana into the inscription at the back of the cylinder and the needles were all returning to it. Terry tried to ignore the fresh blood dripping from them and continued retrieving his other throwing needles.

    ***

    ¡°Terry! We know you¡¯re there!¡± Some people were shouting. At this point, Terry did not know if they were Thanatos soldiers or security guards. They had already encountered both groups in the tunnels. ¡°Surrender yourselves!¡±

    [This is actually really funny.] Rafael¡¯s voice transmission sounded incredibly amused.

    Terry paid close attention to his mana perception. While his mana sense was locked onto all the nearest hostiles, his mana touch was focused on the immediate vicinity. He did not want to become a victim of overconfidence. They had played a trick on their enemies, but Terry could not rule out the possibility that this was just bait.

    Terry and Rafael had encountered and killed several small groups in the tunnels until they finally managed to arrive at a fork.

    After Terry and Rafael had reached the fork, Terry had suggested they intentionally leak some of their mana ¨C just enough to be picked up by one of the enemies¡¯ mana sensors and only for a brief moment so as to make it seem like an accident.

    In the end, this wasn¡¯t hard to accomplish since Rafael was still relying on the magic necklace that Terry had earned in the dungeon inside the Elusive Fog of Frost. Rafael only needed to remove the item for a brief moment of time when Terry judged that their enemies were close enough to sense them.

    Now, Terry and Rafael were safe in one path while their enemies were talking to the nothingness in another. [Do you mean how they are talking to air? Or how they are asking for surrender even though it¡¯s perfectly clear they want to kill us?]

    [What are they up to?] asked Rafael.

    [Move two steps back,] instructed Terry. He had used their earlier trick to also get a gauge on the range of the enemies¡¯ sensor. He made good use of the knowledge by making sure that Rafael could charge his attack undetected.

    [I¡¯m ready.] Rafael was full of confidence.

    Terry had tried giving the security guards and Thanatos soldiers whom they had encountered in the tunnels a chance, but all of them had insisted on fighting and on trying to kill them.

    By now, Terry had run out of patience and goodwill.

    Today was different from when he had surrendered to Thanatos soldiers before. Beatrice was intent on settling accounts. Terry had already left corpses and mayhem behind. Last but not least, Terry was feeling more confident in his chances today.

    [Now!] Terry gave the sign and then he dashed forward together with Rafael.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡±

    In their practiced combination, Terry and Rafael made short work of their enemies.

    Rafael was in the middle of looting when Terry jerked his head around. He sensed rapid mana movement. Intense. Vaguely familiar.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry hurriedly transfixed several tertium slabs.

    *TANG* *TANG* Thorny roots were colliding with the immovable metal.

    ¡°We have to move!¡± Terry pulled Rafael up. [The lady of the house has returned.]

    Terry¡¯s earlier confidence was shaken by the arrival of Beatrice on the scene. If there was anyone in Thanatos that wanted to see Terry dead at all costs, it was Beatrice. Well, her and the mana martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    She¡¯s quick.

    Terry and Rafael bolted into another path. Terry had chosen this path because there was another fork not far away. The vine spell appeared long-range.

    He was hoping that Beatrice only managed to find their location through the deaths of her subordinates. He was confident in his own mana cloaking and the magic item from the dungeon, but he could not entirely dismiss the possibility that Beatrice had unorthodox detection means at her disposal.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± a furious roar echoed through the tunnels.

    Yup, she¡¯s pissed. Terry continued running.

    We could bring down the tunnel but¡­

    Terry rejected the idea. He still remembered the abilities that Beatrice had displayed on the Bulwark in Tiv. There were plenty of ways for her to come out ahead in a tunnel collapse, especially with her nature-aspected spellwork.

    Terry passed a tunnel where he had sensed an exit. Rafael was following him with complete trust. The reason that Terry had chosen not to exit the tunnel system was that he knew this would not improve their chances.

    Outside, Terry would not be able to utilize the Immovable Object spell to the same degree of effectiveness. While his divine hammer inscription would allow him more mobility outside, the additional number of enemies waiting there made the increase in mobility seem far from enough.

    Terry instead led the way into a tunnel that was empty and did not contain any mana signatures. Rafael followed him without questions. The felan had come to rely completely on Terry¡¯s instructions in their battle today.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Terry subconsciously slowed down when he sensed a slight mana distortion.

    ¡°Buddy?¡± Rafael searched Terry¡¯s expression for an explanation.

    [Finally¡­] The strange voice spoke in Terry¡¯s head again, which had Terry deeply disconcerted. [Pay¡­back.]

    Payback? While Terry was still bewildered at what was going on, several dozen mana signatures appeared in their path.

    Matching the mana signatures were the physical bodies of lizans.

    ¡°Xuan?!¡± exclaimed Rafael. [FUCK!]

    Terry had suspected that Xuan had been facing him in the arena at Beatrice¡¯s behest, but he had not expected that she was able to use him outside of the Proving Grounds.

    Worse than Xuan, was the intense mana signature from the black-scaled lizan in front. She was grabbing a powerful mage staff and her blue eyes were entirely focused on Terry.

    ¡°Pay¡­back.¡± Fate spoke slowly. The common tongue of this human-native realm still did not come easily to her lips.

    Her. That strange voice was hers! Terry¡¯s mind raced, trying to remember all the instances he had heard the strange voice.

    Sparing Xuan.

    Entering Beatrice¡¯s mansion.

    Entering the tunnels.

    Terry¡¯s eyes swiveled and he finally spotted the other lizans. With horror, Terry realized that he had seen the other lizans before. These were the lizans that had followed Blue. The followers of the lizan prophet that had tried to harm Terry. The lizan leader whom Terry had decapitated after killing the giant wyvern in the Elusive Fog of Frost.

    All of Terry¡¯s thoughts concluded in a single word: Trap!

    ¡°RUN!¡± Terry and Rafael bolted away before the lizans had a chance to speak another word.

    Terry grit his teeth. Beatrice on one side. The lizans on the other. The collapsed tunnel in the back.

    The only other path was the exit that Terry had dismissed before.

    ***

 149 Unrecognized Outsider

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    Fate was completely taken off-guard by Terry¡¯s flight. Her blue eyes quivered while staring at the location where the human had still stood a moment before.

    ¡°I should have known this would happen,¡± cursed Xuan. ¡°He thought we¡¯re here to get revenge.¡±

    Fate woke up from her daze. ¡°Why¡­? Want to¡­ pay¡­ back¡­ debts. Terry¡­ benefactor.¡±

    Xuan grimaced at Fate¡¯s unfortunate choice of words and tempo. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the difference between paying back a debt and payback later. He must have thought that I¡¯m here to cause trouble and that you are here to avenge the initiate. Terry doesn¡¯t know that the initiate was your enemy¡­¡± He glanced at the other lizans. ¡°...or that they were being controlled to lure you out. He doesn¡¯t know that he accidentally ran into a trap that had been prepared for someone else.¡±

    Fate¡¯s eyes were already glowing brightly from her parallel spellwork. ¡°Fate¡­ entangled.¡± Her slit pupils dilated and she jerked her head towards an intense mana signature approaching from the side. She tightened her grip on her mage staff and glanced at Xuan. ¡°You take¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get his items back to him.¡± Xuan understood what Fate was trying to say. With a pang of guilt, he muttered. ¡°...the ones that are left.¡± He bolted away to follow Terry.

    Fate used the lizans native tongue to instruct the other lizans. Most of them ought to accompany and guard their lost prince.

    Afterwards, Fate channeled her mana and teleported into the neighboring tunnel with a fire spell primed and ready.

    *KA-PFff* Flames licked all across the tunnel. Vines sprang up to guard against the spell but were incinerated in an instant.

    ¡°AHh¡­¡± A woman dressed in a formal crimson suit screamed and jumped back. She glared hatefully at the black-scaled lizan that had ambushed her without warning. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Fresh burn scars were still visible on Beatrice¡¯s face and body. She quickly cast her own spellwork to treat her injuries.

    ¡°I¡¯m Fate.¡± Fate¡¯s blue eyes glared threateningly at Beatrice. ¡°You¡­ not allowed¡­ harm the benefactor.¡±

    Fate unleashed a rapid chain of spells to assault Beatrice. Her revealing magic had already shown Fate that there was only one way to deal with this Thanatos woman.

    Fate had originally planned to help and escort Terry personally, but it seemed that this was not the fate in store for either of them. Her magic had revealed that Terry was not one to be transported against his will. If he resisted her teleportation, she could not bring him along. Begrudgingly, Fate had to accept that the threads around her benefactor had become entangled in another way yet again.

    Beatrice was desperately defending herself while being pushed to her limits against this unknown opponent. She did not understand what was going on, but a gnawing feeling told her that she had the Arcanian to thank for her current predicament.

    As if destroying her estate and inviting others to steal her possessions had not been bad enough. Now, Beatrice even had to fight frantically for her own survival. She could only curse Terry silently in her mind.

    ***

    [Prepare the Heavenly Wolf Slash!] Terry transmitted a thought transmission in order to maintain his regular breathing for their mad dash to the tunnel exit. [We don¡¯t have a key.]

    [Got it. Here, I don¡¯t believe this will do me much good from now on.] Rafael flicked the magic necklace from the dungeon to Terry. [I don¡¯t like the thing sucking my mana.]

    Terry stored the cloaking necklace back in his dimensional storage. He had to agree with Rafael. They were past the possibility of sneaking around. From now on, they would have to fight to buy the last bit of time.

    All or nothing!

    Terry¡¯s eyes turned fierce.

    [Remember, buddy, if I use the Heavenly Wolf Slash to crash the exit, I won¡¯t be able to use it for whatever is waiting right outside.] Rafael warned grimly. [If I get entangled with small-fries, I won¡¯t be ready to confront the big guys. You know my¡ª]

    [I got it.] Terry spoke with the resolve to go all out. [Leave it to me.]

    [Alright, brother.] Rafael grinned a toothy grin. [Let¡¯s put up the show of our lives! Let the Mad Empire remember the Rising Rookies for all eternity!]

    Even though Terry had often rolled his eyes at the exaggerated boasting of his felan companion, he had to admit that Rafael¡¯s words served to take the edge off the situation.

    The martialist spin on the situation inspired a feeling of awe and excitement as opposed to pure grimness. A chance to stand up and defy the heavens as opposed to being trapped in a desperate situation.

    Let¡¯s do this!

    Terry could already see the massive door that represented the exit. He made sure to match the pace of Rafael.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael roared and slashed his glowing claws across the air.

    The intense mana blades were accompanied by a powerful mana resonance. The giant white wolf dashed and ripped the massive door apart, together with some of the surrounding walls.

    The wolf did not stop at the wall and several mana martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect that had waited in ambush were ripped apart.

    Terry accelerated with a burst technique and dashed through the cloud of dust while leaving a few immovable items behind to protect Rafael and give him cover to move forward. Terry already knew the positions of everyone outside thanks to his mana perception. Before the dust had a chance to settle, Terry had already arrived in front of his first opponents.

    ¡°What¡ª?¡± The injured martialist had no chance to react before a spear pierced into his skull.

    Without pause, Terry darted towards the next pair of opponents.

    The martialists discovered to their horror that their cherished weapons refused to yield an inch.

    One of them had the sense to let go of his transfixed sword and punched with bare fists, only to have his fist collide with an immovable spear.

    From underneath the spear, Terry dashed forward with two keen daggers dancing around the air. The blades of mana were so intense that they were glowing even outside of mana sight.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± A mana martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect rushed forward with a movement technique. ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±

    Terry darted into the sky on layers of divine mana that disappeared as soon as his feet left them.

    The Blazing Sun Sect member used a forceful jump technique to follow Terry into the sky only to find a pair of immovable throwing needles in his path.

    Before the martialist could even feel the pain from the sudden holes in his body, Terry had already changed direction and simultaneously, Terry¡¯s barrier spear rushed into the martialist¡¯s back from below. Terry had intentionally left the spear behind to use it in combination with his inscribed glove.

    Terry rammed full-force into the martialist, he retrieved his short spear from the dying man¡¯s back and then watched the martialist being propelled right onto the immovable needles once more.

    ¡°Terry!¡± More mana martialists appeared.

    Terry turned around to face them while nimbly dodging their attacks. When they charged at him, Terry evaded to the side while placing transfixed throwing needles into their path.

    As soon as one of them had fallen for the trap, Terry darted back to finish off the impaired and injured opponent.

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± A powerful flaming fist was charging towards Terry.

    Terry casually transfixed his septimum bracer right when the fist was arriving.

    No matter how powerful the opponent¡¯s fist was, it only served to break itself when colliding with an immovable object.

    While the assailant was screaming in pain, Terry switched burst techniques and smashed his palm upwards against the man¡¯s chin. In one fluent motion, Terry used his other hand to slash a keen dagger across the man¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Terry!¡± Furious shouts were carried over from a mixed group of security guards and Thanatos soldiers.

    Terry sensed several spell centers in the area and mentally counted the time until the entrance ticket should become usable.

    He rapidly punched out disruption discharges to eradicate all the spell centers before the spells could activate.

    Instead of reharvesting his discharged mana, Terry immediately began circling it around the area. In a matter of seconds, torrents of mana were gushing from his body into the surroundings, only to immediately reshape themselves into mana refractors and a swarm of rotating spell slicers.

    Terry adjusted his disruption field to leave a mana-less gap with him and Rafael at the center. It was a necessary adjustment. Terry could not afford to have the ticket¡¯s teleportation fail due to the interference of his oscillating mana.

    While Terry was concentrating on maintaining a hold on all of his expelled mana, the enemies closest to him were taken aback by the feeling of intense mana suppression when all the mana in the area already had an owner.

    For many of the mana martialists, this was the first time that they seriously looked at Terry. Right at this moment, Terry completely let go of his mana cloaking and his mana signature lit up like a bright star in their mana sight.

    *BOOM* *KAWAMM* As if to accompany the thunderstruck feeling of the martialists, loud explosions were reverberating in the distance as the unmistakable sounds of an intense battle rang over from the location of the Proving Grounds.

    [Stay below me!] Terry instructed Rafael.

    [I don¡¯t think I can whip out a powerful attack soon, but a weaker¡ª] reminded Rafael.

    [Don¡¯t! I still got this. Focus on preparing the strongest attack you can muster!] Terry continued counting mentally. [I get the feeling we will need a trump card. I¡¯ll hold them off for now.]

    He darted around the area while strategically placing immovable tertium slabs to block potential large scale attacks as well as to provide cover and limit the enemies¡¯ movements.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± One of the Thanatos soldiers from the Proving Grounds was fed up with trying to wrestle mana from the area and from seeing his long-range attack spells eviscerated in the rotating field of spell slicers. He was charging over while relying on magic boots to step into the air.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Terry dashed forward to confront the man in the sky. He flicked several pebbles and then dodged behind one of them.

    The soldier¡¯s line of attack was blocked by the immovable pebble and his shift in movement caused a slight delay, which Terry immediately exploited by transfixing the steel caps on the man¡¯s magic boots.

    Terry flicked his wrist to hurl an item while thrusting his other arm forward with his barrier spear.

    To the soldier¡¯s credit, he was quickly adjusting his body to dodge even though his boots had become immovable. Unfortunately for him, there was a throwing needle transfixed right in the path where he reflexively leaned his body.

    The man decisively grabbed forward to catch Terry¡¯s spear, only to see Terry let go of the spear without hesitation.

    The soldier tried to pull his arm back but realized too late that the spear had transfixed.

    The last thing the soldier felt was a pair of mana blades entering his lungs.

    Terry retrieved the spear and stared down at the rapidly increasing number of opponents around him. He continued counting. ¡°Not much longer.¡±

    He could already sense the beginnings of a mana distortion.

    I should try to stick as close to Rafael as possible.

    As an additional precaution, Terry also increased the inner gap of his disruption field.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± A furious mana martialist dressed in the robes of the Blazing Sun Sect charged over with the flickering image of a golden crow behind him. ¡°YOU KILLED MY¡ª!¡±

    The man impaled himself on a pair of immovable throwing needles.

    Before the martialist was able to recover, Terry was already in front of him.

    ¡°Who cares¡­?!¡± growled Terry while blocking the martialist¡¯s punch with an immovable bracer and proceeding to pierce the martialist¡¯s heart with his spear.

    Terry¡¯s own thoughts continued ringing in his head: Who cares why a beast bites?

    Welcome to the world of beasts.

    Terry¡¯s mana perception and mana control were pushed to their limits.

    He had been emitting mana much quicker than he was regenerating it. His own mana pool ran dangerously low and he could only compensate by reharvesting mana ad-hoc. Whenever he needed mana for a burst, spell, or targeted disruption discharge, he reclaimed mana from his disruption field.

    Terry¡¯s swarm of spell slicers grew denser and denser, blocking and obstructing all magical attacks.

    Terry¡¯s fortress of immovable items to block long-range physical attacks stood unbreakable and undisturbed. Terry was carefully guiding his spell slicers around the Immovable Object spell structures by placing the mana refractors and moving his mana accordingly.

    Whoever dared to rush through the disruption field found themselves suffering in many ways. They experienced the suffocating feeling of mana suppression. Their mana sense was overwhelmed. Their own mana circulation was disturbed.

    Whoever dared to test their prowess against the immovable objects quickly found their own strength lacking and came to regret it with howls of agony.

    Whoever dared to overlook even the tiniest pebble found their swift charge ending abruptly and with nothing but pain and injury as their reward.

    Whoever dared to rush through the remaining gaps in the immovable fortress was still grappling with their own diminished state and senses when Terry already appeared in front of them with weapons in hand, layers of divine mana underneath his feet, and a fierce look in his eyes.

    ***

    Xuan stared at the fluctuations of space around Rafael and Terry. For a second, his red eyes contained a flicker of greed. ¡°Fortuitous encounter¡­¡± However, he quickly managed to recompose himself.

    This was in the past. This could not be him anymore. Xuan had to be better than this for his future.

    Xuan stared at Terry. The Arcanian that had once dared to lecture him in the Proving Grounds.

    The upstart that had once defeated him against all odds.

    The hidden benefactor that had unwittingly sprang a trap for Fate, that had managed to kill an initiate and thereby liberated some of his tribe as well as allowed Xuan a chance to learn the truth, all before Xuan had even met him.

    Xuan quietly exclaimed the name he would always remember from this day forth: ¡°Terry¡­¡±

    Xuan glanced at the lizans fighting off the mana martialists and Thanatos soldiers in his vicinity.

    He balled his scaled hands into fists. He realized that he would not be able to return Terry¡¯s items today. There was no chance to properly explain himself. There was no room to resolve this issue completely on this day.

    Xuan resolved himself for another course of action. ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    *KACRACK* Lightning cracked loudly. ¡°RAFAEL! DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡±

    ¡°TERRY! YOU¡¯RE NOT LEAVING HERE ALIVE!¡± Countless mana resonance images of golden crows appeared all around and the temperature went up several degrees from their combined martialist techniques.

    All of the mana martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect and the Blazing Sun Sect charged forward frenziedly.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Xuan¡¯s red eyes flashed with unrestrained ferocity and he himself burst forward with rapidly circulating mana.

    Xuan¡¯s massively heavy body soared into the air. He gave his all to unleash the strongest gravitational field he could muster while rushing right into the center of mana martialists.

    Within Xuan¡¯s path, everyone fell from the sky like dead flies.

    Martialists, Thanatos soldiers, and security guards were all pressed down into the ground.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± An elder from the Blazing Sun Sect stared incredulously while resisting the gravitational force. Shortly after, he was crushed into paste by a mountain-like body and the massive momentum of Xuan¡¯s charge.

    ¡°Insolent!¡± An elder from the Thunderous Palm Sect glowered at Xuan¡¯s back.

    ¡°We can¡¯t get distracted now,¡± reminded another martialist in black-yellow combat robes. ¡°Forget the fool from the Soaring Mountain Sect. We have to stop the thieving cat or we will lose our chance to send more people to the secret realm.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± The elder crushed his artifact and with its additional burst of power, he unleashed his strongest attack of the day right towards Terry and Rafael.

    ¡°Shit, TERRY!¡± Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, a man in crimson uniform was cursing loudly. ¡°I hate this Arcanian!¡± Yesenia¡¯s assistant burst his mana beyond his limits and rapidly cast two spells at once.

    His first spell blocked the lethal attack from the Thunderous Palm Sect elder. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the overseer¡¯s order¡­¡±

    The second spell allowed the soldier to teleport in a ray of light to stop the two fugitives from escaping.

    ¡°TERRY!¡± A woman from the Blazing Sun Sect rushed forward with pure hatred in her eyes. ¡°YOU KILLED MY FIANC¨¦!¡±

    Inside the gathering mana of the entrance ticket, Terry was hurling an item and then transmitted his signal to Rafael: [NOW!]

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± Rafael unleashed his charged attack. One mana blade flew out for each of his claws. The mana resonance of a white wolf followed.

    The mana blade ripped apart the container that Terry had thrown out earlier.

    Next, they cleaved through the woman from the Blazing Sun Sect, who emitted a blood-curdling scream.

    Only the ray of light in which the overseer¡¯s assistant teleported continued undisturbed through the grid of intersecting mana blades, right until it collided with the dark liquid in the air.

    ¡°AHH!¡± The overseer¡¯s assistant materialized in the middle of the descending darkwater. He clenched his teeth against the agonizing sensation.

    While his equipment and body were corroding under the debilitating effects of darkwater, he was trying to cast a healing spell¡­ ¡°Terry! N¡ª¡±

    The soldier¡¯s concentration was disturbed painfully when Terry¡¯s fist smashed into his face and unleashed a disruption discharge right into his brain.

    Terry had paid close attention to all of the stronger mana signatures. Of course, Terry would pay attention to weak-seeming mana signatures of people he knew to be strong. This naturally included the Thanatos soldier with light-aspected spellwork whom Terry and Rafael had encountered before.

    This Thanatos soldier had toyed with two of the sect elders without ever losing his mana cloaking. Terry had suspected that the light-aspected magic would allow the man to avoid the Heavenly Wolf Slash, which was why he had sacrificed his last container of darkwater as a way to counter the light-aspect.

    ¡°TERRY! I¡¯LL MAKE YOU PAY!¡± A furious shout reverberated over the area. The source was a woman at the center of at least a dozen security guards. The security manager of Beatrice¡¯s estate appeared about as livid as Terry had expected her to be.

    Just when the security manager was about to direct her prepared attack spells, an unconscious body dropped right in front of her. To the security manager¡¯s horror, she recognized the battered body as belonging to her employer. ¡°Lady Beatrice!¡± Her lapse in concentration caused her spells to fail.

    After dropping Beatrice¡¯s body, Fate arrived in the middle of the fighting lizans and prepared to evacuate all of them, including their lost prince. Her brightly glowing eyes focused on the two figures at the center of everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Terry¡­ May fate be with you.¡± She moved her eyes away and concentrated on saving her tribe. ¡°Pay¡­ back¡­ when fate allows.¡±

    ¡°Almost¡­¡± Rafael exclaimed excitedly. ¡°We¡¯re almost ready, brother!¡±

    Terry was too busy to get excited.

    He had to maintain all of his Immovable Object spells that immobilized opponents.

    He had to throw needles to block and injure enemies.

    He had to place tertium slabs to block attacks.

    He had to constantly scan the enemies for equipment he could transfix.

    He had to make sure that none of his oscillating mana or Immovable Object spells was too close to interfere with the entrance key¡¯s teleportation.

    Terry did not even have the leeway to make sense of what the hell was going on with the lizans and Xuan, much less why some of the Thanatos soldiers sometimes appeared to protect him.

    Terry¡¯s mind was entirely preoccupied with making sure that he and Rafael would finally be getting out of the Mad Empire.

    ¡°YES!¡± Rafael shouted gleefully when the entrance ticket finally fully activated. He quickly grabbed hold of Terry so that they could both make their escape to the secret realm.

    Terry was heaving a sigh of relief, only to fall into despair when he sensed the appearance of another powerful mana signature.

    ¡°Terry, you¡¯ll have to stay!¡± A woman stepped out of the shadows. The scout tasked by Yana and General Eli had feared that she would be too late, but fortunately the slow-moving gears of bureaucracy had not completely sabotaged her mission. In an instant, several shadowy tendrils were rushing from the scout towards Terry.

    Terry reflexively hurled out a septimum shield to block. However, the shadowy tendrils not only bypassed the shield. One of the tendrils even wrapped around the transfixed shield and shortly after, the Immovable Object spell was disturbed and deactivated.

    Time seemed to slow down for Terry while he stared at the incoming attack.

    He knew he could not burst his mana or the teleportation would fail.

    He knew his Immovable Object spell would not hold long against shadow-aspected attacks.

    He knew that he should not use the spell too close to the teleportation center.

    He knew that this was an opponent he could not defeat.

    Under the back-breaking pressure, Terry was automatically thinking of his all-out sparring sessions with the Divine Hammer.

    Layers of translucent golden mana appeared in front of Terry.

    Before Terry¡¯s conscious mind had a chance to catch up with the actions of his body, Terry was already channeling all of his mana into the three wraps of divine hammer inscriptions on his body.

    The created divine mana represented the intersection between the light and metal aspects. The glow pushed back the shadows ever so slightly.

    ¡°What?!¡± The general¡¯s scout was taken aback. She had not expected the Arcanian to whip up a defense that carried the light aspect. This was not included in the intel that Yana had prepared for her.

    Even though her shadowy tendrils managed to pierce through, they were weakened in the process.

    Even though the layers of divine mana appeared fragile, they re-appeared as quickly as the eye could see.

    There was an intense race between the shadows and the light that radiated from the divine mana.

    For each instant that the divine mana blocked the shadowy tendrils, Terry had a chance to prepare the next layer.

    Each sliver that the light weakened the shadow gave Terry an edge.

    While the General¡¯s scout was rushing to reinforce her spell, Terry was pressing his mana into the three divine hammer inscriptions without pause.

    Even though Terry¡¯s creations were fragile, the speed at which he could use even a single inscription was something to behold.

    Terry appeared almost in a trance with his full concentration on nothing but the divine hammer inscriptions.

    All around, Terry¡¯s items dropped from the sky because he was not maintaining and prolonging the Immovable Object spell anymore.

    His spell slicers moved into the distance and faded into nothingness because Terry was not actively pulling and guiding the mana anymore.

    No matter how fast Terry¡¯s inscription usage was, there was a limit to what he could accomplish.

    Every broken layer of divine mana was a step forward for the shadow-based attack.

    A step that Terry had no way to undo because he had no way to push the shadows back. Even though Terry had become very familiar with summoning the divine mana, he had not been able to move his creations yet.

    Terry¡¯s mind ground to a halt when he felt a pull on himself. He subconsciously smirked with his eyes still fixed on the shadowy tendrils that were only a few inches away from reaching him.

    An instant later, the surroundings shifted as the entrance key activated and both Rafael and Terry were teleported away.

    They had left behind a massive amount of Terry¡¯s mana and a chorus of outraged shouts. ¡°¡°¡°TERRY!¡±¡±¡±

    While most of the people present were still in a daze, Fate used the chance to finish her own dimensional transfer spell and she disappeared together with Xuan and the other lizans.

    ¡°The General won¡¯t be happy,¡± cursed the scout.

    ¡°The overseer will be furious,¡± cursed the overseer¡¯s assistants.

    ¡°How are we going to account to Lady Beatrice for this?¡± lamented some of the security guards.

    They all looked around for a chance to vent their frustrations. Their eyes settled on the mana martialists that had invaded the Proving City. These outsiders were in for a world of pain.

    ***

 150 Trapped

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°YES!¡± Rafael balled his fists and pumped them in the air.

    ¡°We made it¡­¡± Terry was more reserved in his exclamation. More relieved than cheerful. He inhaled deeply and looked up. The sky was an odd shade of yellow. There were several small moons visible in it.

    Okay, definitely not Thanatos anymore. Good, but this place feels so strange¡­

    Terry tentatively bursted his mana. Better to get this test out of the way early. After all, the secret realm was supposed to be a folded space. Who knew how it would react to a burst of oscillating mana?

    Fortunately, Terry did not see the space implode on himself. Nothing happened. However the folding of the space for the creation of a secret realm worked, it did not work by the same mechanism as a dimensional transfer or spatial lock.

    ¡°Is it possible to teleport out of this realm?¡± Terry wondered out loud.

    ¡°Why would you ask such a question?¡± Rafael rolled his eyes. ¡°There are treasures waiting for us. What kind of idiot would want to leave before looting such a treasure trove?¡±

    Terry inwardly grumbled. The kind of idiot that just wants to go home. Me. I¡¯m that kind of idiot.

    ¡°Come!¡± Rafael waved for Terry to come over. ¡°The entrance ticket is pointing this way.¡±

    ¡®Pointing¡¯? Terry raised an eyebrow.

    Seems like the ticket has other uses than simply acting as an unanchored dimensional transfer device.

    Terry followed Rafael slowly, eager to first regenerate his mana for whatever was waiting ahead. His eyes darted around and he was trying to get his bearings in this secret realm.

    He could make out that the moons in the sky were of a magical nature.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense also informed him that there was a much higher ambient mana density than in Thanatos.

    The density alone reminded Terry of the Wastes or the deeper floors of a dungeon. However, in contrast to the Wastes, the mana here did not feel as invasive. Terry guessed that the mana here would not easily lead to mana corruption. In contrast to a dungeon, Terry did not get the sensation of mana suppression either.

    Terry tentatively focused on harvesting mana from the surroundings, similar to how he would reclaim his own mana after a discharge.

    Terry was not aware of how strange his act of naturalizing mana from a distance would seem to someone with lesser mana control.

    While making the ambient mana his own, Terry mentally compared the sensation and changes in his mana pool to what he was used to outside the secret realm.

    The results caused him to furrow his brow.

    Is it due to the density?

    Or could it be that the mana already has an owner after all¡­?

    Terry was not sure what to make of the results. By his estimate, his actively focused mana regeneration was slightly slower than usual.

    Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide when he became aware that he was now able to fulfill a long-cherished wish¡­

    Finally!

    Terry retrieved one of his notebooks together with his practice pen.

    Finally!

    Terry was half-way to sitting down before he remembered Rafael¡¯s presence. He awkwardly shouted out: ¡°Ehh¡­ Do you mind if we take a break first? I, uhh, want to recover some mana and verify a few things.¡±

    And take notes!

    So many notes!

    Terry could not wait to finally get everything out of his head and onto paper, afraid that he would forget anything important about what he had learned during his stay in Thanatos.

    ¡°Break?¡± Rafael¡¯s face switched from surprise to something sour and finally settled on acceptance.

    To Rafael, Terry had appeared a freak that never lacked mana.

    His second instinct was the worry about someone getting to treasures before him.

    In the end, however, Rafael had come to trust Terry¡¯s senses and if Terry wanted to verify something, then it might be worth knowing. They were not the only ones in the secret realm after all.

    Rafael acquiesced: ¡°Fine¡­¡± He pulled at the crimson Thanatos uniform. ¡°I¡¯d like to get out of this garbage anyway.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t just dawdle at the door, I¡¯m not that fragile,¡± scoffed Yesenia, who was recovering from her injuries and the after-effects of magic stimulants.

    ¡°I see the situation hasn¡¯t dampened your cheerful attitude,¡± said Yana with a roll of her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they¡¯ll try to pin on me, I did the best I¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± interrupted Yana. ¡°Even General Eli has given you his full support. In fact, you will probably be commended publicly. You managed to put down the Librarian and contain the situation with the Blademaster.¡±

    ¡°The Bloody Duchess got away,¡± cursed Yesenia. ¡°As did many others, including¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an overseer in the Proving Grounds. It¡¯s not your job to secure the prisons to begin with,¡± reminded Yana. ¡°As much as you like to call me a workaholic, you would do well to take a look at yourself and not take more onto your shoulders than is appropriate. This wasn¡¯t your job. This wasn¡¯t your failure.¡± Yana shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not really clear if it was anyone¡¯s failure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always someone¡¯s failure,¡± interjected Yesenia cynically.

    ¡°You know as well as I do that failure gets diluted by the number of related parties.¡± Yana winked at Yesenia. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and don¡¯t blame yourself. No one of us could have guessed the involvement of¡ª We are still investigating the origin of the lizan mage, but we¡¯ve failed to come up with anything.¡±

    ¡°What did you come up with then?¡± Yesenia sat up more straight, unreservedly showing an interest.

    ¡°A mess,¡± replied Yana with some frustration in her voice. ¡°I assume you are familiar with Beatrice.¡±

    ¡°Everyone following politics in Thanatos is,¡± affirmed Yesenia.

    ¡°Apparently, Beatrice had a deal with some of the workers at the Proving Grounds as well as some of the public enforcers.¡± Yana sat down in a chair beside Yesenia¡¯s bed. ¡°It is difficult to get hard evidence. After the debacle, people are tense and hesitant to admit to even the smallest of faults. Anyway, we have found enough to put a few pieces together.¡±

    Yana lifted a finger. ¡°Occasionally some personal belongings from prisoners would go missing during transport. Not many. Mostly those deemed interesting, unorthodox, or suspicious, not necessarily very valuable.¡±

    Yana rubbed her chin and continued: ¡°One of those items was taken from the felan Rafael. The item was stored at Beatrice¡¯s private estate. That item was precisely the teleportation device that Rafael and Terry used to escape from the city.¡± She held up two fingers. ¡°The item held significance to the Thunderous Palm Sect, which is why they were tracking Rafael.¡±

    ¡°Is that why they appeared the moment that Rafael was out of prison?¡± Yesenia was scowling. ¡°Bloody idiots. Beatrice too. If we had been aware of the item, we would have been able to exchange it for something of use. If they had not obstructed us and caused chaos, none of this would have¡­¡± She huffed angrily.

    ¡°Yes, and with the Thunderous Palm Sect rolling, the Blazing Sun Sect saw an opportunity to avenge their scions and their lost reputation,¡± added Yana. ¡°Both sects probably thought they were using the other.¡±

    ¡°How does the lizan mage fit in?¡± asked Yesenia.

    ¡°Not clear,¡± admitted Yana. ¡°She was definitely the party that freed the Librarian, the Bloody Duchess, the Blademaster, and Xuan.¡±

    ¡°Xuan?¡± Yesenia creased her brows. ¡°But not Terry and Rafael?¡±

    ¡°Terry was the one that freed Rafael,¡± said Yana. ¡°The Arcanian broke out on his own.¡±

    Yesenia bit her lips while remembering the sight from Terry¡¯s cell. A shudder ran down her spine. She could still not explain what she had seen there. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°That is another point of uncertainty,¡± admitted Yana. ¡°We can see the process but not the means. He was in a magic containment cell. What we are seeing doesn¡¯t make any sense. While the cell was not as fortified as the one of the felan, Terry had never shown anything close to the physical power to just break through.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t break through,¡± blurted Yesenia. ¡°He somehow broke the lock.¡±

    ¡°Which was covered, reinforced, and with all critical parts shielded,¡± continued Yana slightly unnerved.

    ¡°Outside help?¡± asked Yesenia.

    ¡°If there was, then our scryers can¡¯t detect it,¡± said Yana. ¡°And as always with our person, everything is¡­¡± Yana clicked her tongue. ¡°...contradictory.¡±

    Yana rubbed her forehead and continued: ¡°If there was outside help, then why the need to break the lock in such a manner? If he had the strength to break the fortified pieces, why not break through the walls of the inner cell directly? If he was able to somehow get around the magic containment cell, then why¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see our problem.¡±

    ¡°So what are your plans for Terry?¡± asked Yesenia. She leaned back in her bed again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much anymore,¡± said Yana. ¡°Since the Arcanian is not in our hands, we can¡¯t offer him to the Valkyrie, so that point is moot. Even if Terry really is an operative of the magic sovereigns, the information isn¡¯t useful to us at this point.¡±

    Yana caught Yesenia¡¯s gaze and then added: ¡°The only open question right now is if Terry will be deemed a recognized outsider in Thanatos or not.¡±

    Yesenia raised her brows and showed some displeasure. ¡°He has not finished proving himself yet.¡±

    ¡°I remember someone saying that if Terry manages to survive long enough, he will earn his recognition eventually,¡± retorted Yana. ¡°Well, our person is still alive. Even if his performance in the Proving Grounds was incomplete, his performance outside is currently the talk of the whole city.

    ¡°It is undeniable that the Arcanian was at the center of the chaos and somehow managed to exploit everything to his own benefit.¡± While speaking, Yana smiled appreciatively as if judging a sports performance.

    ¡°Of all the escapees from the Proving Grounds, Terry might not have been the strongest, but going by the evidence, he was the only one breaking out without direct outside help. Not only did the Arcanian manage to hold his own against all the people wanting him dead, he even managed to inflict a significant blow to one of his blood debtors in the process.¡±

    Yesenia listened and then exhaled sharply. She lamented. ¡°If my assistants had known that Terry had a means of dimensional transfer, they could have¡­¡±

    ¡°Our scout said something similar. Complaining about insufficient information.¡± Yana shrugged. ¡°No matter. Locking down space is costly and we don¡¯t know if it would have worked given that there were a few players capable of breaking spatial seals.¡±

    ¡°You mean the lizan mage and the Librarian?¡± asked Yesenia.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the Arcanian himself,¡± reminded Yana. ¡°Reportedly, Terry wields specific anti-dimensional skills too.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for what happened. No one else blames you either. No one that counts for anything anyway.¡±

    ***

    After Terry had finally gotten all of his thoughts out on paper and felt comfortable with his mana supply, he and Rafael were ready to move.

    Both of them had removed the Thanatos uniforms, but only Terry cared enough about the clothes to return them to his dimensional storage. Terry had to chuckle at his increasing hoarding habits and also because it made him recall the Captain¡¯s grumblings whenever Devon had destroyed or lost his own clothes again.

    Terry retrieved his messenger bag from the Arcana Academy and returned it to its reserved space among his equipment. Afterwards, they set out to follow the direction indicated by the entrance ticket.

    ¡°There are people there,¡± said Terry. ¡°Mana martialists according to the mana signatures.¡±

    ¡°Ehh, anyone from the Thunderous Palm?¡± asked Rafael.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± replied Terry. ¡°Their mana structures look different.¡±

    ¡°¡®Mana structures¡¯?¡± Rafael stared inquisitively at Terry. ¡°Do you mean their cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Kind of,¡± said Terry. He did not bother to explain the difference between what he would consider mana cultivation like the one his aunt Sigille and him practiced and the martialist cultivation that Rafael and the martial sects relied on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this will be fun,¡± assured Rafael. He stretched a bit before continuing.

    After a while, the two could hear the sounds of an argument.

    ¡°Kneel down and admit your wrongdoings, then I can let you go!¡± A martialist in blue robes spoke haughtily while raising his head to look down at his opponent.

    ¡°No, YOU kneel down and admit YOUR wrongdoings, then I can CONSIDER letting YOU go!¡± Another martialist in brown robes retorted in a tone that was even more haughty.

    ¡°If you scram now, I can leave you an intact corpse.¡±

    ¡°It seems you have eyes but do not see¡­¡±

    ¡°What a strange place,¡± muttered Terry. He and Rafael were watching from an elevated area that was above the different groups of martialists.

    ¡°I know, I love it!¡± exclaimed Rafael with a wide toothy grin. ¡°Let¡¯s spread our names!¡± He squared his shoulders.

    ¡°For that I will drink your blood and eat your flesh!¡± shouted one of the martialists below.

    Rafael jumped down right into the middle and drew his lips back. ¡°Before anyone is going to eat, you should first prove to me that your teeth are sharp enough!¡± His lip curled further up to expose his own canines.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Terry felt a headache coming. ¡°Why¡­?¡± All he wanted was to get home.

    Who even are these people?

    You don¡¯t even know what conflict they have or who is at fault!

    JUST WHY?!

    Flabbergasted, Terry stared at Rafael butting heads with the other mana martialists.

    ***

    Several people were tied up and on their knees at a fair distance from the City of Proving in the Thanatos Empire. These people were all injured and nearly naked. In front of them were the tattered remains of their martial uniforms.

    To everyone with mana sight, these people appeared close to manaless except for a few whose mana was still leaking from their bodies uncontrollably.

    A scar-faced man with dark grey robes approached one of the crippled martialists that were kneeling on the ground. ¡°To think that the heavens would finally answer my pleadings.¡± He drew his sword.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The sect elder from the Blazing Sun Sect tried to recognize the face.

    ¡°Someone like you probably has too many lives on their conscience to remember a pair of inn-keepers¡­¡± The scar-faced person stepped closer and glared hatefully at the sect elder. ¡°But these ¡®ants¡¯ that you and your young scion stepped on were my parents.¡± His blade flashed and decapitated the sect elder. ¡°May their souls finally rest in peace.¡±

    While the scar-faced man disappeared, others were already approaching.

    A veiled woman wordlessly killed two of the young martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    A pair of martialists in dark green robes gagged an elderly couple among the crippled martialists and forcefully took the couple away.

    More and more ¡®friends¡¯ from the martial lands came over to settle their own grudges with the crippled mana martialists.

    The powerful martialist cultivators that had once lorded over those weaker than themselves were now helpless and could only accept their fate. They had lost against the Thanatos troops and even though they had threatened the Thanatos forces with retaliation from their sects, it was to no avail.

    Thanatos did not bow to threats.

    A man in a crimson suit walked towards the city while taking in the sight.

    Damian was wondering what he had missed during his absence from the Proving City. Public displays of punishment were not rare, but this many martialists being humiliated and practically sentenced to death indicated that something large had happened.

    ¡°Damian! You won¡¯t believe it!¡± One of Damian¡¯s friends rushed over together with an assistant.

    ¡°Try me,¡± quipped Damian with a smile.

    ¡°You see them?¡± His friend pointed towards the crippled martialists.

    ¡°I¡¯m not blind yet,¡± replied Damian drily.

    ¡°They are in their current state for destroying and looting an estate in the high district, guess which one?¡±

    ¡°If this is your lead-up to telling me, it was mine, I will punch you,¡± said Damian with creased brows.

    ¡°It was Beatrice¡¯s,¡± replied his friend with a wide grin. ¡°Heavy damage. The lady herself has been severely injured as well. And that is not even the best of it!¡±

    ¡°I hope Beatrice recovers eventually but I certainly won¡¯t be wishing her a quick recovery,¡± commented Damian flatly.

    ¡°Beatrice is under investigation!¡± exclaimed his friend. ¡°Nothing major, but apparently something she did was related to the mayhem that happened and someone high up has gotten annoyed.¡±

    Damian smirked with unrestrained schadenfreude. ¡°Great, then I can drop the play in the Proving Grounds. There is no need to keep Terry around anymore either. I wonder what I could do with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Uhm, there is other news,¡± interrupted his friend. ¡°Terry is, uhh, gone.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®gone¡¯?¡± Damian blurted out.

    ¡°Well, your Arcanian has escaped the Proving Grounds and he was apparently at the center of all the mayhem.¡± His friend scratched his head. ¡°He managed to flee the city with some kind of teleportation device.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Damian did not know if he should laugh or cry. ¡°People know that I was more or less Terry¡¯s sponsor in the Proving Grounds. If Terry is behind the damage, then won¡¯t people come to me to look for answers?¡±

    Terry had certainly fulfilled Damian¡¯s original purpose for the Arcanian: Beatrice would be out of the political picture for a while.

    However, Damian had never expected to be implicated in such a mess as a result.

    ***

    Terry subconsciously frowned at the hundreds of martialists gathering and bickering in the area. It seemed as if these people could not walk two seconds without getting into a fight with each other or showing off.

    There appear to be at least a dozen different entrances to the inner areas.

    Terry noted the locations of all the mana signatures.

    He reflexively kept a distance to the familiar cultivation signatures that represented members of the Blazing Sun and Thunderous Palm Sects. Even though the members at this location should have never seen Terry¡¯s face, it did not hurt to be safe.

    Terry was looking forward to a few peaceful days before seeing Rafael off and finding his way back home.

    Huh? What¡¯s¡­ Terry thought he could sense something familiar. Darkwater?

    It appeared and disappeared so quickly that Terry had no way to be sure. With the increased range and sensitivity of his mana perception, Terry¡¯s conscious mind could not keep up with everything everywhere at once.

    Before Terry had been able to confirm his instincts, his attention was already drawn to a signature of lightning and fire close to where Terry had sensed the darkwater before.

    Cloaked but imperfectly and probably with the help of a magic item.

    Lightning-aspect.

    Fire-aspect¡­ but with something different mixed into the fire.

    Terry furrowed his brow. Something about this appeared vaguely familiar but Terry did not recollect sensing this exact mana signature before.

    Or is it like when I returned to Arcana and had trouble recognizing the mana signatures of Lori, Jorg, and the others at first?

    Who would¡ª?

    ¡°This is great!¡± Rafael slapped Terry on the shoulder. He had been swaggering over the area, mingling, boasting, and sparring with a few of the other mana martialists.

    Terry was jolted from his thoughts and turned to Rafael. ¡°Something about the people here. How come everyone is so¡­?¡±

    Terry halted before blurting ¡®weak¡¯. This would be a sure way to start another fight with one of the many martialists around. It was also not quite true, not quite what Terry wanted to articulate. ¡°...how come I don¡¯t see any, uhh¡­¡±

    Terry tried to remember the words that Rafael had used before. ¡°¡®Wrinklefaces¡¯? There aren¡¯t any sect elders around, are there?¡±

    ¡°Naturally not,¡± said Rafael and rolled his eyes. ¡°What kind of legendary senior would want their heritage to go to an old fart with one foot in the coffin already? The entrance ticket only works on those with a bone age younger than thirty years.¡±

    ¡®Bone age¡¯? Terry raised an eyebrow at such a weird term, but decided to let it go.

    So the inheritance trials are a test of potential instead of strength? Okay, makes sense¡­

    For some reason, Terry found himself frowning. It was less the specific revelation and more the fact that this was the first time he had heard of this aspect of the entrance ticket.

    ¡°What are you planning to do now?¡± Terry asked Rafael.

    ¡°Rumor has it that more entrances will appear and that each leads to different trials and rewards,¡± said Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait until one entrance picks my fancy and then I¡¯ll test my luck.¡±

    Terry nodded while looking over the large stone structure that led to the inner sanctums of the inheritance site. ¡°Can I ask you something else?¡±

    ¡°Out with it, buddy!¡± Rafael grinned widely. ¡°There are no secrets among brothers!¡±

    ¡°When you sparred with that one earlier.¡± Terry indicated with his chin. ¡°Why did you use that weird hand slap to block the sword?¡±

    Terry hesitated to call it technique. It had been completely ridiculous. If Bjorln or Isille ever saw Terry using something like that, they would certainly chew his ears off.

    ¡°For style, of course,¡± said Rafael with another roll of his eyes. ¡°Winning isn¡¯t enough. You have to win with style to crush the opponent¡¯s spirit. Why punch if you can slap him to death? Why use two arms if you can win easily with one?¡± He grinned. ¡°The pinnacle of style is to kill with a look. To block a sword with nothing more than a finger. To take control of your opponent¡¯s weapon with a casual pinch. Got it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­?¡± Terry creased his brows.

    He remembered how his aunt Sigille had once talked about the mental aspect of battle and how it could influence the outcome of a fight. If he considered this to extend beyond the scope of a single fight. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Terry thought over his experience in the Proving Grounds, the importance of reputation and what Thanatos had written in the Warlord¡¯s inquiries. Terry eventually nodded with more than a bit of hesitation. ¡°Yes¡­ I think.¡±

    Terry suddenly became aware of many mana signatures moving at once. Moving into their direction. He narrowed his eyes and warned Rafael. ¡°I believe we¡¯ll be getting company.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Rafael squared his shoulders and spoke loudly: ¡°Let¡¯s see who wants to lose now.¡± However, his boastful attitude quickly collapsed when recognizing a few of the faces. [FUCK! It¡¯s them! Who let them in?]

    Instinctively, Terry positioned his back towards the stone structure in the distance to have a secure back. Rafael wordlessly stepped behind him.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± A haughty man in white-golden robes addressed Terry. ¡°I have business with that one!¡± He pointed at Rafael.

    Terry was surprised at the lack of a response from Rafael, but did not turn around. ¡°Good to know.¡± He did not say anything else and merely observed all the mana martialists gathering in front of them.

    Terry was already mentally preparing himself to fight. From what Terry had seen of mana martialists, it would lead to a fight one way or another, so why bother expecting anything different?

    ¡°How dare you act arrogantly in front of the Young Master!¡±

    ¡°Our Young Master has asked you a question, you insolent brat!¡±

    ¡°YOU!¡±

    The voices of outrage were silenced when the haughty man that had first spoken raised his hand. ¡°It appears you do not know who I am. Pardon me for I am lacking in manners. My name is Shen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Terry,¡± grunted Terry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, you miscreant!¡±

    ¡°Country bumpkin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Shen cut off his entourage and returned his gaze to Terry. ¡°I apologize for their rudeness.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. This was going differently than how he had expected.

    [Don¡¯t be lulled into his pace. He¡¯s probably just wary of you!] Rafael warned with a thought transmission. [He¡¯s way more dangerous than the people we met in the Proving Grounds.]

    ¡°Did he bring you here, Terry?¡± Shen pointed at Rafael.

    ¡°We came here together, yes.¡± Terry did not let his attention slip and he remained ready for combat.

    ¡°Are you aware of his reputation?¡± asked Shen pointedly. ¡°He does not have many friends in this place. None, actually.¡±

    ¡°He has one,¡± said Terry firmly.

    ¡°Does he?¡± Shen chuckled. ¡°Are you sure that you want to make an enemy out of everyone here for the sake of a loose cultivator with even looser principles?¡±

    ¡°I know him, I don¡¯t know you,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°And what¡¯s a few more enemies?¡±

    Terry was surprised how his voice and words sounded so much like the martialists. He did not like the idea of them rubbing off on him, but there was truth in what he had said. At this point, the list of Terry¡¯s enemies appeared to be increasing beyond his control no matter what he did, so why bother?

    ¡°I wonder how long you can keep that attitude up.¡± Shen smirked. ¡°No matter what background or friends you have outside to give you such confidence, we are already in here. Many things can happen with no one outside the wiser. A year is a long time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to stay that long,¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°What an ass.¡±

    ¡°Ignorant fool.¡±

    ¡°Truly a country bumpkin showing off his ignorance.¡± A clamor broke out among Shen¡¯s group.

    Shen chuckled. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t truly understand where you are, Terry. Whatever background you have, it can¡¯t be much if you don¡¯t even know this little bit.¡± A menacing glint entered his eyes. ¡°This secret realm will stay closed for exactly one year.¡±

    A year? A whole cycle?!

    Terry narrowed his eyes, trying to read Shen¡¯s facial expression.

    ¡°Perhaps your ¡®friend¡¯ might have forgotten to mention it.¡± Shen sneered. ¡°Only those with a ticket will be able to leave at that time.¡± He opened his arms. ¡°The number of people leaving this secret realm alive will not exceed the number of entrance tickets. We¡¯re in a life-and-death competition. Win, and soar above the heavens. Lose, and crumble to dust.¡±

    Terry was thunderstruck. Somewhere between hearing the words and reading the expressions of everyone, he had started to believe what he was hearing.

    While his mind was shaken, Terry had not noticed the mana signature in his back slipping away and dashing towards one of the entrances into the inner sanctum.

    Terry dazedly glanced around to see the disappearing back of Rafael and Shen¡¯s words echoed in Terry¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Closed for exactly one year.¡¯

    ¡®Only those with a ticket will be able to leave.¡¯

    ¡®The number of people leaving this secret realm alive will not exceed the number of entrance tickets.¡¯

    Terry clenched his fists and fury welled up in him to drown even the feeling of frustration that was threatening to crush his heart.

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 5, Self-Made Fate ¨C

 Arc 05 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Beatrice: human woman, former soldier in Thanatos, death whisperer, enthusiast for constructs and unorthodox forms of magic, plotted against Lizzy and Megumi on the Bulwark

    Blue: deceased, lizan man, initiate from the lizan native realm that was supposed to bait and eliminate Fate

    Fate: lizan woman, powerful mage that utilizes spellwork including divination, scrying, and unachored dimensional transfers

    Nash: deceased, human man, prisoner in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, shadow-aspected

    Yesenia: human woman, former soldier of the Thanatos army, overseer in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, friends with Yana

    Rafael: felan man, mana martialist, unaffiliated cultivator, relying on the Heavenly Wolf Slash, sticky fingers

    Xuan: lizan man, mana martialist, member of the Soaring Mountain Sect, same lizan tribe as Fate, grudge against Thanatos

    The Librarian: deceased, elven woman, mana martialist, member of the Skyriver Sect, from the Free Factions Union, former prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

    The Bloody Duchess: human woman and vampiress, from the Lich Kingdoms, escaped prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on healing, Terry¡¯s former mentor, Clarity¡¯s current mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on rituals and applied spellwork

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): deceased, dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille, former Guardian (Tiv), former scavenger, accepted sister of Matteo, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Matteo (Elemental Fury): human man, possessing elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, accepted brother of Emaldine, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion and for dealing the deathblow to Bright Willow

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion, possessed by lightning elementals

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    Naer (Roy, Weran): elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage, true mage (archmage proper)

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, former Guildhead (Tiv) that was active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), former Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Diwa (The Mage Supreme): human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, killed by Megumi at the Bulwark

    Damian: human man, former soldier of the Thanatos Empire, current representative in Thanatos¡¯s government (Lucky Wing of the Bloody Hall), dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan (The Brave Iron Giant): Old noble in Tiv, war companion of the Hope, Tivius, Korra, and Diwa

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: deceased, human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), lead the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death, killed by Matteo

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, former Guardian (Tiv), specializes in mana crafting, former direct disciple of Sigille (honorary)

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex: human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Matteo, grudge against Apex

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: three human siblings, two deceased (male and female mana cultivator), one survivor (female mage), Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Rachel: human woman, Guardian instructor (Tiv) focusing on spellwork

    Palmer (The Demonpalm): human man, former Guardian instructor (Tiv), mana cultivator, specializes in the sonic aspect, known for hunting demons, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving to Thanatos

    Tara: canan woman, former Guardian (Tiv), direct disciple of Sigille, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving back to her native realm

    Thena: dwarven woman, sister of Jee, student and aspiring disciple of Sigille, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment

    Clayson: dwarven man, bodyguard and friend of Thena, mana cultivator

    Clarence: elven man, Kipkoi¡¯s childhood friend and helper, thief and assassin

    Derek: human man, direct disciple of Palmer, permanently crippled mana pool, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion in Tiv, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Rosheen: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing a sonic-aspected spell and remaining hidden, Guardian companion of Derek, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Isabella: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing the Shadow Bind spell, former Guardian (Tiv), wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, considered moving to a conclave of the Magic Liberation Front

    Harrison: deceased, human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (unranked), second Guardian companion of Terry in Tiv, killed by Terry during the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Wallace: elven man, dungeon scavenger, aspect archer, expert in hiding his mana and picking magical locks, like a father to Matteo, father of Emily

    Emily: elven woman, like a little sister to Matteo, daughter of Wallace, aspiring druid, disciple of Dhruv

    Bigsby: human man, dungeon scavenger

    Dee: human woman, dungeon scavenger

    Borf: dwarven man, dungeon scavenger

    Anand: human man, necromancer, dimensional mage, expert in elementals, former mentor of Matteo, willfully caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals and triggered a calamity in the lands of the Four Towers in the Free Factions Union that also led to the death of Sigille¡¯s husband, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death

    Anem: human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous)

    Eli: human man, crimson iris at the center of his forehead, General of the Thanatos Empire

    Yana: human woman, soldier in the Thanatos army, acts as right hand of General Eli

    Clarity: human woman, student in Arcana Academy, prot¨¦g¨¦ of Pelliana

    Patricia: human woman, specializes in shadow-aspected magic, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Hope (The Valkyrie): elven woman, force-aspected, Tiv¡¯s most well-known hero and mage

    Yujin: human woman, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army

    Claude: human man, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army, special forces that guard the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon

    Tivius: deceased, human man, Founding King of the Tiv Empire, married to Korra

    Korra: human woman, Founding Queen of the Tiv Empire, married to Tivius

 151 Patience Lost

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 6, Heretical Style ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 97 ¨C

    Terry stared at the entrance where Rafael had disappeared. Terry¡¯s mind understood that he was now trapped in this secret realm and that he would have to remain here until the realm opened up again.

    Even worse was that Terry required one of the magic tickets to leave the realm. Even though many people were able to enter with a single ticket, only a single person could leave with it. If Terry did not find another way out, he would have to acquire one of the magic tickets from the many mana martialists. Otherwise, he would be stuck in this secret realm.

    Terry¡¯s mind understood, but it was still hard for him to accept. All the effort he had gone through to get out of Thanatos and closer to Arcana. All the risks he had taken and now? Trapped again.

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure if his flight from Thanatos had been worth it. He remembered a saying from the Warlord: ¡®Frequently, there are no solutions, only trade-offs.¡¯

    At this moment, Terry was only sure about one thing. He was pissed. Pissed at Rafael for withholding the details about the secret realm. Pissed at himself for being too trusting yet again.

    ¡°...what a bumpkin.¡±

    ¡°Useless fool.¡±

    ¡°Sure knows how to pick friends, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    Slowly, Terry¡¯s mind registered the berating comments from the mana martialists around him. He felt the urge to lash out and punch someone. His gaze settled on one of the mana martialists.

    ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± barked the bald martialist.

    For several breaths, Terry just glowered at the martialist in silence.

    ¡°Are you itching for a beating?!¡± The martialist didn¡¯t take Terry¡¯s gaze kindly.

    Terry inhaled deeply like his accepted parents had often instructed him to do in order to clear his mind and stay focused. He turned around while ignoring the martialists. He moved to follow Rafael.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, you better run!¡± jeered the bald martialist.

    ¡°How dare you leave without permission!¡± Another martialist had been incensed.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± Shen motioned for his group to calm down and addressed the departing Terry. ¡°If you are looking to settle scores with your ¡®friend¡¯...¡± He emphasized the word with derision. ¡°...you¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±

    Terry stopped in his tracks and glanced back at the man in white-golden robes.

    ¡°The same entrance does not guarantee that you will end up in the same place,¡± explained Shen. ¡°Some trials accept multiple contestants, but from what I know, the first trials are individual. An entrance can therefore lead to multiple trials. You¡¯ll get teleported to wherever your trial takes place.¡±

    Terry only nodded in reply and then continued walking to the same entrance regardless. He ignored the posturing of a few indignant martialists that were offended by Terry¡¯s lack of respectful demeanor.

    ¡°Who do you think you are?! Can¡¯t you see that our princess has already chosen this entrance?!¡±

    Terry ignored the newest batch of arrogant martialists right in front of the entrance and just kept walking.

    ¡°You dare!¡± A mana-charged fist was rushing towards Terry.

    Terry casually lifted his arm and fleetingly transfixed his septimum bracer. He did not stop. He did not so much as spare a glance towards the martialist that was howling in pain after the collision with an immovable object.

    The man¡¯s screaming attracted even more attention from the surrounding people.

    Terry ignored the others that were now also trying to pick a fight. He was focused on the entrance and carefully examined the mana distortion in his mana sight.

    I guess that¡¯s the teleportation field?

    Terry used his mana touch and scouted beyond the teleportation field to discover that the entrance tunnel continued behind it.

    I wonder where¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, dipshit!¡±

    Terry could sense someone flaring their mana and rushing towards him. Terry inwardly shrugged, burst his mana, and stepped into the range of the teleportation field.

    ¡°You! What¡ª?¡± The person that had been charging at Terry had been teleported away as soon as he had entered the range of the mana distortion.

    Terry, on the other hand, was still standing where he was. He glanced back for a moment to examine the change in the mana distortion and then continued further into the tunnel.

    Terry was unaware of the bewildered stares he had left behind.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The bald cultivator from Shen¡¯s group stiffened. The martialist that had attacked Terry and ended up with a mangled arm was not any weaker than himself.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± asked another man.

    ¡°It seems that this Terry is not that simple,¡± muttered Shen pensively. He looked at his entourage. ¡°This is why you should be careful about whom you provoke. Gather intel properly first. You never know how many crouching tigers and hidden dragons are lurking here.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but what just happened?¡±

    ¡°How did he just bypass the first trial?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ***

    Terry followed the tunnel until he saw an exit from which he could see sunlight.

    Weird.

    Terry paused in his steps. From outside the inner sanctum, there had been no indication of open areas. Terry would have seen something like that when he had stepped into the sky.

    Mana distortion.

    Terry noted the slight curving of mana near the exit.

    ¡°Does not look like a gate though.¡± Terry muttered and cautiously walked closer. Looks just like at the entrance.

    Terry burst his mana and walked through. He arrived on the other side of the exit and glanced back.

    I guess that was another teleportation field.

    Then what¡­

    Terry looked forward and found himself in a brightly-lit oasis underneath a strangely colored sky.

    I wasn¡¯t teleported.

    Okay¡­

    Terry tentatively cycled a burst of mana into his head and through his eyes.

    If this is an illusion, then this is beyond my ability to dispel¡­

    Terry frowned and stepped into the sky to look around. He looked towards where the structure of the entrance should be and he could see nothing. The exit was still visible but only from some angles.

    ¡°Is this something achieved with the folding of space?¡± Terry wondered out loud. ¡°Or did I unwittingly walk through a dimensional gate while I was in the tunnel?¡±

    Does it matter?

    ¡°No.¡± Terry subconsciously muttered a reply to his intrusive thoughts. ¡°I have to move.¡±

    Do you? You¡¯re trapped anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see about that,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Perhaps I can find a spatial barrier to break out of. Or an exit.¡±

    Wishful thinking again.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Terry let his eyes wander over the oasis below. ¡°What else is new?¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve made it this far.¡±

    Right into another prison? Well done.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Terry sarcastically. He exhaled sharply. ¡°If this realm opens in another year, then I just need to stay alive until that time and then I can move on.¡±

    ¡®Just¡¯ stay alive. Just that.

    You don¡¯t have any rations from Arcana left.

    You don¡¯t have your healing wand.

    You¡¯re trapped with a bunch of battle-addicted lunatics.

    Oh, and you don¡¯t have a ticket, which means the realm re-opening has nothing to do with you.

    ¡°Crap,¡± exclaimed Terry. He closed his eyes and raised his head to let his face feel the comforting warmth from the strange sun up above. ¡°I need to get a ticket then.¡±

    Terry opened his eyes and looked down at the oasis once more. ¡°I wonder if there is any food here.¡±

    Definitely, but most of it might be located in the storage items of others.

    Terry was scowling. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± His eyes arrived on the small water surface from the oasis. ¡°I should gather some water and fill up a few of my empty barrels if I can. I don¡¯t know how well the water catchers will work here. Only¡­¡±

    Only this is obviously not normal water, continued Terry in his thoughts.

    Intense mana signature, almost like a mana potion but slightly different.

    ¡°Emphasized aspects. Multi-aspected, not unaspected¡­?¡± Terry muttered in thought.

    Terry emitted a thin layer of mana to scout ahead and then darted towards the water of the oasis on layers of divine mana.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Back on the ground, Terry crouched down and examined the mana-infused water with surprise.

    ¡°This¡­ seems oddly familiar.¡± Terry recalled some vague memories from his early childhood as a Seedling in the Greenhouse in Arcana City. Memories of taking specially prepared baths that felt great.

    Despite the nostalgic feeling, Terry first retrieved a metal rod to probe the bright blue water. The last mana-infused water that Terry had encountered had turned out to be intensely acidic after all.

    Fortunately, Terry did not hear a sizzling sound this time. The oasis water was different from the orange water near the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon.

    For a moment, Terry simply stared at the bright blue water in front of him. It was beautiful.

    Clear.

    Deep.

    Terry frowned. He had difficulties identifying the individual mana aspects.

    Primarily life and water.

    Nature¡­

    Terry pushed his own mana into the water.

    Fire¡­

    Traces of earth and lightning¡­ Others, still.

    Terry subconsciously moved his right hand into the water.

    The slightest bit of light and¡­ Even the poison aspect?

    Terry briefly felt the instinct to pull back his hand, but the more rational part of his brain reminded him that such a tiny amount of poison-aspected mana would not be able to harm even a manaless person, much less someone with his own sizable mana pool.

    Terry felt a warm and slightly prickling sensation from the skin that was submerged in the water. It felt comfortable. More than that, Terry felt that he could absorb mana from the liquid.

    This shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not like this.

    Terry pulled his hand out of the water and observed the surface with intense suspicion.

    The mana is quite dense and tied to the liquid. It shouldn¡¯t be this easy to absorb and naturalize. It¡¯s not really unaspected either. It reminds me of Matteo¡¯s mana signature with the different aspects mingling but not mixing.

    Converter spells?

    Terry could only think of a single explanation. He tentatively moved his hand into the water again and focused his mana perception on the liquid touching his hand. He could vaguely make out that the mana was changing before coming into contact with himself.

    Does this mean the mana inside is actually unaspected and somehow adapts to the person touching it? Spellwork? Or the unorthodox means of the mana martialists? Or something completely different?

    What¡¯s the reason for the initial mana aspect composition then? It also doesn¡¯t seem the same everywhere¡­

    While Terry¡¯s bad premonition was still in the process of manifesting, he already heard an outraged shout.

    ¡°You dare peeping in my bath!¡± The shrill voice of a woman pierced the heavens.

    Terry glanced up from his hand to see the shape of a human woman. Terry let his mana sight wander over the cultivation points and meridians to get an idea of the threat-level of whom he was dealing with.

    ¡°Are you done ogling?!¡± hissed the woman contemptuously.

    Terry focused less on mana and more on his actual sight to find that the woman was practically naked and she was glaring at him with cold fury. She was holding a robe in front of her with one arm and pointed with her other hand at Terry.

    I guess she might have been in the water below. Hard to tell with this water, especially if it adapts to the person inside.

    Terry did not care to mingle with the enraged woman whose mana signature revealed her to be a mana martialist. He stood up to leave and circle the oasis lake.

    ¡°Where do you think you are going?!¡± an indignant shout rang from behind Terry¡¯s back.

    ¡°Away,¡± replied Terry without looking at her.

    With a flash of a water-aspected moving technique, the martialist woman arrived in front of Terry, now fully clothed.

    Are there martialist techniques that hasten getting dressed? Terry¡¯s mind blurted useless thoughts while he dismissively moved to step around the woman.

    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving without paying a price!¡± The woman raised a white folding fan in front of her and unfolded it. There were sharp claws at each of the fan¡¯s leaves. ¡°Gouge your eyes out first, then you may think about leaving.¡±

    Terry blinked. How about no? ¡°No, thanks.¡± He continued walking.

    The woman¡¯s face contorted into a snarl and she flicked her fan. Ice-aspected mana rose around her. ¡°You have sullied my body with your eyes, don¡¯t even think about leaving without paying the price.¡±

    ¡°I have what?¡± Terry stopped involuntarily out of sheer bewilderment. His face transformed into a scowl and he spoke with intense irritation: ¡°What does that even mean? What¡¯s wrong with you?! What ¡®price¡¯? Can I get a refund? Who even asked to see you? Sullied my butt.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± The woman¡¯s face was flushing from anger.

    Terry didn¡¯t care anymore. He had run out of patience and he did not even remember where it went or what it had looked like. He continued without holding any of his thoughts back: ¡°What kind of idiot starts bathing naked outside in the middle of an overrun folded space?! Surrounded by who knows who or what? Who does that? Put up some wards for mana¡¯s sake. Wait for a friend to keep watch, why don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°This oasis is my reward for clearing my first trial,¡± gritted the woman through her teeth. ¡°I absorbed the heavenly energy to wash my meridians. There was no one else supposed to be here. I thought I was alone!¡±

    ¡°You were mistaken then!¡± Terry barked back. ¡°That water was interesting to me, so I took a look. I didn¡¯t even realize you existed. If you hadn¡¯t called out to me, I wouldn¡¯t even have known that you weren¡¯t properly dressed. Why do that, for mana¡¯s sake?! Couldn¡¯t you have put on some clothes first? Who calls out to strangers while being practically naked? That¡¯s on you, weirdo.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± shrieked the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose fault it is. The fact remains that you have seen me! Lay down your life as compensation!¡±

    Terry raised his eyebrows, shook his head, and started walking again without further comment.

    ¡°You damnable fellow,¡± gritted the woman. She channeled her mana into the folding fan and dashed forward to slash at Terry.

    However, before she could get closer than five meters, her cherished weapon was torn apart. She stumbled and lost her balance. She was dazed by the backlash from her interrupted movement technique.

    Terry, who had fleetingly transfixed parts of the folding fan¡¯s metal skeleton, arrived in front of the woman and punched her in the face.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The woman¡¯s eyes flooded with tears while blood ran down from her broken nose. ¡°You dare touch me?! You! My face! Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s unrighteous to strike someone in the face?!¡±

    Terry stared at her as if she was an idiot. ¡°What kind of bullshit is that? If you attack me, of course, I will fight back seriously. What kind of fool would spare the face of an assailant? What for? What kind of fight would that be?¡±

    His own combat instructors had always emphasized the head as a potential target for impairing, killing, or guiding the attention of an enemy.

    Potential for knock-outs.

    Damage to a person¡¯s senses. Causing visual impairments by causing the eyes to tear up. Causing a loss of balance by striking the ears. Affecting the blood-flow in the brain. Intense pain. Disorienting with concussions. Using their dodge reflexes against them with feints and combinations.

    Terry thought back to the hand-to-hand combat lessons with Bjorln and the weapon training sessions with Isille. Both of them had always emphasized efficiency when it came to combat.

    They had also always drawn clear lines between friendly spars, spars without healers around, and real combat.

    Terry had judged the woman¡¯s attack as the opening to real combat. He was feeling confident, which is why he had already held back by not drawing a weapon and killing her. Terry was beginning to think the woman was not aware of what she had started.

    ¡°Did you think this was a friendly spar?!¡± Terry snapped at the woman. ¡°You spouted bullshit about crippling my eyes and laying down my life! You drew a weapon over a pointless squabble! Don¡¯t do that if you want to be treated better!¡± He was getting tired of this exchange and turned to leave again. ¡°Looney weirdo.¡±

    ¡®Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself.¡¯

    ¡®Pulling out trouble at the roots.¡¯

    Terry¡¯s thoughts played back the things he had heard in the past. As soon as he sensed movement from behind himself, he snapped. He undid his mana cloaking and intentionally flared his mana. He pointed his finger at the woman and roared: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move before I have left!¡±

    ¡°Y¨Cyes,¡± stammered the woman with fearful eyes.

    The timid reaction paired with the bloody and snot-covered face caused Terry to feel awkward. He averted his eyes and accelerated to leave the area. He grumbled to himself: ¡°I hate this place already. It¡¯s no wonder these martialists are all batshit bonkers. Their insanity is spreading through behavior. They¡¯re starting to drive me insane, too.¡±

    A part of Terry¡¯s mind reminded him that he had wanted to collect some water from the oasis. Terry grimaced at the thought. He felt less inclined to consider this as potential drinking water now that he had learned that it was basically the bathwater of a crazy person with anger issues.

    From another corner of Terry¡¯s mind, a memory of himself running into a lake surfaced. It was the time when he had escaped from the ghoul-infested dungeon in Tiv when Terry had first met the undying mage Devon.

    Terry glanced at the oasis water.

    Don¡¯t drink the water. Body of standing water. No drinking from standing water. Unhealthy.

    Crazy person fluids. No drinking. Icky.

    Terry snickered to himself at the weird memory and continued walking. ¡°I should find some place to camp. I can test the water catchers while looking for food.¡± He glanced one more time at the oasis water.

    Perhaps I can make use of the mana-infused water for my own training?

    I should give it a try later¡­

    Terry circled the oasis¡¯s body of water until he judged that he was far enough from the choleric martialist. He examined the flora in the area.

    Looks like palm trees but with an abnormal amount of mana. Some shrubbery.

    Terry retrieved an empty barrel from his dimensional storage and attached a few water catchers at its top.

    While waiting for drinkable water to be collected, Terry was moving his consciousness through his storage items. Even though he knew that he did not have any more rations from Arcana, there might be some food in there somewhere. After all, he had taken some items from the Thanatos guards in the Proving Grounds.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry frowned. He had found some food in his dimensional storage, but he didn¡¯t like it as an option. These were rations from the dead lizan prophet Blue, the food that the lizans had been eating and offering.

    It should be possible for me to eat this, but who knows what they¡¯ve put in there?

    Terry exhaled sharply. ¡°Okay fine, I¡¯ll do some basic poison testing.¡± He sniffed one of the lizan rations.

    No strong smell¡­ good.

    I¡¯ve not eaten anything for more than eight hours, so I don¡¯t have to wait.

    Terry broke off a piece of the rations and rubbed it against the inside of his wrist. He waited for a dozen minutes until he was satisfied.

    No burning, itching, or numb sensation¡­ Also good.

    Terry proceeded with a similar test by briefly touching a corner of his mouth with the piece of food.

    More waiting with no adverse reaction.

    Terry proceeded through the necessary tests with their respective waiting period. Briefly touching his tongue and mouth.

    Waiting.

    He placed a bit of food inside his mouth for a few minutes without chewing or swallowing.

    Waiting.

    Chewing the food once and then spitting it into his hand again.

    Waiting.

    Finally, Terry swallowed the piece of food and prepared himself to consume nothing but water for the next few hours. If he was unable to detect any adverse reaction even then, he would eat a small portion for his last test.

    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Terry retracted the mana he had spread out to scout while he was testing the available food. He jolted his head and narrowed his eyes. ¡°The crazy lady left.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Spatial transfer. Huh.¡±

    A time limit for the reward?

    Terry moved his widely-opened eyes over the area.

    If this place enforces time limits with unanchored spatial transfers, doesn¡¯t this mean that I can stay as long as I want?

    ¡°Huh.¡± Terry subconsciously grinned.

    Focus.

    Terry reminded himself to stay sharp and not to indulge in fantasies. He observed the amount of water that had been gathered in his barrel to get an idea of how long it would take to fill it.

    Naturally, Terry documented the findings in one of his notebooks.

    Afterwards, Terry slowly walked into the water of the oasis ¨C with his equipment on. While others might have to worry about the difficulty of swimming with full equipment, Terry could simply walk through water at any depth with the help of his Immovable Object spell and the fixed layer of his boot mechanism.

    Terry focused on absorbing the mana from the body of water. It felt unnaturally easy. He tentatively used the mana for his spellwork and mana cultivation. It felt pleasant.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry¡¯s expression became pensive. He remembered his time with his siblings in the mana crystal mines of Arcana. ¡°Perhaps¡­?¡±

    Terry attempted to naturalize the mana from the water at a distance and then absorbed the fresh mana into his full mana pool. He grinned again.

    I can use this for an external push to my mana pool! This is great for increasing my mana pool size!

    Terry retrieved two mana containers from his dimensional storage. He began filling them while using the water¡¯s mana to replenish what he had lost and to add an external push on top.

    Terry looked around towards a couple of mana-infused berries he had sensed from some of the shrubbery. ¡°I should test them too, later. It would be great if I could find more food. Even better, if they have some uses besides nourishment.¡± He absentmindedly looked at the water in which he was standing.

    I should make sure to keep my mana pool at least half full, preferably with long-naturalized mana. Just in case.

    Terry raised his head to gaze at the strange sky. ¡°If this area supposedly only allows a single challenger at a time, then this would be a good place to get some rest as well.¡±

    I should perhaps set up camp in an immovable cube in the sky though. Just in case.

    ¡°Just in case¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself. ¡°Am I getting paranoid?¡±

    No, of course not.

    I¡¯m only locked into a battle asylum with a whole batch of two-faced pest beetles with the emotional maturity of toddlers and too much mana to spare for tantrums.

    What¡¯s there possibly to be paranoid about?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure the sarcasm is helping the situation,¡± grumbled Terry to himself. He returned his attention to his mana foundational training in the oasis¡¯s water. He had some time to kill until he could continue with the food testing. He intended to make good use of whatever time he had.

    ***

 152 Contagious Behavior

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 5 ¨C

    Terry was standing in the oasis water on transfixed boots. He involuntarily burped. ¡°Oof¡­ I feel so full.¡±

    Terry had not left the oasis area. He had looked around meticulously and gathered information. He had learned and confirmed many things. Most important of all, he was alone in the area ever since the female martial cultivator had left.

    Terry had a good idea, why no one else had arrived. As if to prove the point, Terry sensed a mana distortion. Before he could feel the all-to familiar tug on himself, Terry gave his mana a quick burst.

    ¡°Annoying but predictably on time,¡± scoffed Terry.

    Evidently, the will left behind in the secret realm was judging Terry to be a contestant here for his reward. To Terry¡¯s annoyance, the will wanted to enforce the time limit by using an unanchored spatial transfer to throw Terry out.

    Naturally, Terry felt disinclined to have either his peace or his training disturbed.

    Whatever is guiding the actions here, does not seem too smart. It does not distinguish me from the woman that had been sent here after a challenge.

    Whatever it is, it does not seem to have proper intelligence at the level of folks. That seems very different from a dungeon. More like a set of individual simple decision makers instead of an integrated whole.

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± muttered Terry while trying to assimilate the last bits of mana from the oasis. He enjoyed the peace and retreat from all the battle lunatics in this secret realm. Even though Terry had to resist the periodic spatial transfers, this was the most peace and quiet he had experienced in what felt like forever.

    Terry had used the time to order his thoughts and to examine every inch of the area. He had discovered a few mana-infused fruits, beans, and strange plants. From Terry¡¯s initial tests, they were all edible.

    Even better, the berries seemed to have mana channel strengthening and mana flow smoothening effects. The beans even helped with curing wounds.

    Terry had not discovered the magic effect of all the strange plants, but he was already happy with what he had found.

    Terry took a bite from one of the lizan rations and enjoyed the feeling of warmth that came with it. He did not understand how these rations worked, but he could feel that they had a beneficial effect on his physique.

    Perhaps these rations could explain why the lizans appeared so strong even without any mana¡­

    Initially, Terry had been very concerned about the food situation, but as it turned out, with the mana from the oasis, he did not have to eat much. The mana could substitute for food if Terry wanted.

    Nevertheless, the additional effect from the lizan rations had piqued his interest. Terry had often felt betrayed by the weakness of his physical body in the Thanatos Proving Grounds. Even though Terry knew that his physique would change drastically under the influence of his mana with time, it had always felt as if it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Time¡­¡± Terry allowed his eyes to wander over the area once more and sighed. He sighed because of the diminishing effects from the oasis water.

    ¡°If only I knew how this worked¡­¡± Terry spread out his mana in the oasis. The amount of oasis mana he was able to assimilate had slowed down with time, as if the source of compatible mana had dried up.

    ¡°No, not dried up,¡± muttered Terry with a wrinkled forehead. ¡°A constant trickle remains.¡± If Terry had to compare it, he would use the analogy of a mana pool. The mana pool had bottomed out, but the mana regeneration was still providing a constant supply of new mana to absorb.

    ¡°Still, this was a nice surprise.¡± Terry took a deep breath. His mana pool had improved significantly with the help of the oasis training. With his regular mana foundational training, Terry would have needed at least twice the time for half the benefit.

    ¡°I have to go though¡­¡± Terry spoke quietly with no one around to hear him. If he had learned one thing about himself the past two years, it was that he could not stomach waiting around, not like this.

    Not alone.

    Too much time with his own thoughts.

    Too much time to worry about his family and friends. Too much time to remember that he didn¡¯t know where they were or how they were doing.

    Good job, Terry. If your whaka are in danger right now, you are really making a difference. Big help you are.

    Too much time to become painfully aware that he had been transported by a dungeon not once but twice already.

    Looking forward to a lifetime full of dungeon shenanigans. Perhaps Devon and I should create a support group or something¡­

    Too much time to remember that he was soulless, apparently. Too much time to worry what this meant.

    Perhaps my soul, at least, is roaming outside somewhere. Admittedly, it¡¯s probably together with some creepy looney feeding it bugs and broccoli or some shit.

    Not like I¡¯m able to do anything about it. I''m pretty useless, am I not?

    Too much time to remember that, in all likelihood, he was trapped. Trapped for another year.

    Or dead before then. I''m trapped with a bunch of personified anger issues and walking pest beetles ready to explode. Trapped because of my own naivety, one might emphasize.

    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah.¡± Terry mocked his own intrusive thoughts. He glanced down at the water. ¡°One last thing to check one last time.¡±

    Terry inhaled deeply and then dove into the water and rapidly descended until he could see the bottom of the oasis lake. He had done so before, but he wanted to see it again before he left.

    Terry let his fingers wander over the hard rock that was underneath the lake.

    Tiny inscriptions. Barely perceptible.

    Terry sensed different activation levels from different layers of inscriptions. He did not know what it meant, but he knew what it reminded him of.

    Dungeon.

    Terry furrowed his brow. He found it hard to reconcile what he was sensing with what he had discovered before.

    He had trouble believing that a mana martialist would be able to create such inscriptions, no matter how distinguished a senior it might have been. This kind of inscription system was something else.

    However, Terry also had difficulties to see this whole secret realm as anything but man-made. There were many reasons. First among them was that a dungeon wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to allow Terry to cheat the reward system. Also¡­

    This symbol¡­

    Terry¡¯s fingers traced a washed out symbol on the rock. It looked like a dark purple circle with a circular gap inside. The symbol reminded Terry of something that his brother Jorg had once mentioned.

    Enough.

    Terry placed his feet on the rock and pushed himself upwards. He continued dashing up with the help of his boot mechanism and his Immovable Object spell.

    Back on the surface, Terry walked onto shore and sat in the light of the strange sun to dry. He retrieved several books from his storage items. These were the books that his uncle Samuel had sent him to Tiv. Books about dungeons, which Terry had never quite gotten around to reading.

    Terry flipped through the indices of the books to find the page number for what he was looking for.

    ¡°Historical dungeon diving¡­¡± Terry read out loud and then flipped to the page indicated in the index. He skimmed the page until he found a relevant passage.

    When dungeons first appeared, the items that are now able to support a pioneering dungeon dive weren¡¯t commonly available yet.

    The primary dungeon problem is not a question of power but of logistics. The modern solutions to this problem are, of course, dimensional storage devices and transport magic. However¡­

    ¡°Yadda yadda yadda¡­¡± Terry continued to skim the text.

    A secondary problem is one of navigation. We call it secondary, because while important, it merely serves to accentuate the primary problem. A dungeon of unknown depths and layout requires a solution to the supply problem. Getting lost and losing time on one floor is just a different version of the problem faced by an uncertain number of additional floors.

    ¡°One of the earliest forms of improving pioneering efficiency by optimizing navigation were the dungeon marks¡­¡± Terry read out loud. ¡°Magical marks that could be sensed even through the dungeon interference and allowed potential backtracking as well as loop detection.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Terry pondered. He had never seen a dungeon mark in person before, which meant that he couldn¡¯t be sure. Even so, the strange mark at the bottom of the oasis added to the feeling of contradiction that Terry felt in this strange secret realm.

    No matter. The other inmates in this asylum are probably going to kill each other sooner rather than later and then I¡¯ll see if the bodies disappear like they would in a dungeon.

    Terry closed the books and returned them to his dimensional storage once more.

    ¡°I should have a few more minutes before the periodic transfer arrives again.¡± Terry looked around. He was certain that there was no other exit.

    Even though it seemed as if he was in an open area, Terry had already confirmed that he could not leave it. He had stepped into the sky and wandered off, only to realize that he had never gotten very far. Either the space was somehow stretched after a certain distance from the oasis or there was some kind of rubber bounce effect that had Terry move backwards a step for every step he made.

    Terry did not have any clue how that worked. He only knew two things. First, he could run for an hour, turn around, and the view did not look much different as if he had never taken a single step. Second, his bursts with oscillating mana did not prevent whatever was happening. Or maybe Terry wasn¡¯t able to maintain his bursts long enough to break though. Terry had no way to falsify that hypothesis.

    ***

    Lots of mana martialists were mingling in a large area.

    ¡°Did you hear? More people have disappeared without a trace.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that they¡¯re not simply taking part in the trials?¡±

    ¡°I heard someone say they heard screaming and then when they checked out the area, there was nothing there. Creepy.¡±

    ¡°Some people were desperately looking for their sect members earlier. I don¡¯t believe they would do that if¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nonsense of the weak-minded. Perhaps they just overestimated their abilities.¡±

    ¡°Right, my thoughts exactly. However, did you hear the rumors about some of the people here? It seems like some real black horses have arrived.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the Outcast from the Ironbark Fist Sect?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that even someone with heretical cultivation has been spotted. Some people were whispering that it could be the daughter of the famous Heretic from the Lands of Four Towers.¡±

    ¡°Horseshit. The Heretic from the Martial Tower was killed. All of his family and his direct disciples were put to death.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps one escaped! You don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Shh, I don¡¯t think we are supposed to talk about the heretics.¡±

    ¡°What about¡ª Ahh? Who dares?!¡± Some of the martialists retreated from a spot in their middle.

    A moment later, Terry appeared out of thin air. He had been transported there directly from the oasis.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve!¡± grumbled a tall-grown man.

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was already missing the peace and quiet of the oasis.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m speaking to you, numbnuts.¡±

    ¡®Numbnuts¡¯? Ugh¡­ Terry immediately walked away towards the direction where he was sensing the least amount of lunatics.

    ¡°Oi!¡±

    ¡°Ease up, he probably wasn¡¯t eavesdropping and just arrived here from the trials.¡±

    ¡°Idiot, of course he did, but so what? If he earned some rewards, he might as well hand them over. If he appeared here alone, that¡¯s his own fault. He can only blame his own bad luck.¡±

    ¡°How do you know he¡¯s here alone?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? He isn¡¯t even wearing a proper sect uniform.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what is this outfit?¡±

    ¡°He must be blind to run around with stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Is he wearing a helmet? What a wuss.¡±

    When they were all indignant that Terry was still not paying attention to them, one of the impatient mana martialists decided to finally make a move. The martialist used a fist-technique to strike Terry in the back.

    Unfortunately for the reckless martialist, Terry had transfixed the protective septimum plate on his back.

    The martialist howled in pain and fury. Terry on the other hand was simply relieved that he could rely on his equipment again. This felt so much better than the battles in the Proving Grounds. He counted his blessings that he had recovered his equipment back from Thanatos.

    Some of it at least¡­

    Terry subconsciously smiled while turning and slashing his keen dagger to retaliate against the mana martialist.

    Terry sensed a stronger mana resonance of another martialist who was trying to save his comrade. Terry swiftly released a mana disruption pulse to interfere with the resonance and accelerated with a burst technique.

    An instant later, Terry held the injured mana martialist in a stranglehold with his keen dagger pressed against the man¡¯s neck. He was staring sternly at the second mana martialist that had tried to protect the first.

    ¡°Friend, I admit that my brother has done wrong to offend you, but no harm has been done, right? You still have your possessions and your health. I ask you to let him go.¡±

    Terry almost choked on his own spit. ¡°No harm done, huh?¡±

    Mana damned lunatics.

    Terry glared at the martialist. ¡°You make it sound as if trying and failing to inflict harm was the same as never having tried in the first place.¡± Terry was already feeling his barely recovered supply of patience running out. ¡°What kind of bullshit logic is that supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Insolent bastard.¡±

    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡±

    ¡°Friend, please¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not your friend,¡± interrupted Terry irritatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. I don¡¯t want to know you. I want nothing from you. Go away.¡±

    ¡°Now listen,¡± the mana martialist was speaking with anger. ¡°You hold my martial brother in your arms. If you think that I will overlook¡ª¡±

    Terry rapidly moved his keen dagger and the blade sunk into the body of the man he held hostage ¨C a non-vital but painful spot. Immediately after, Terry returned the blade to the neck of his hostage who was screaming in pain. Terry glared at the mana martialists in defiance. ¡°You were saying?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you to overlook anything,¡± interjected Terry coldly.

    ¡°If you leave now, I can forget your insolence.¡±

    ¡°Shut your damned face hole already,¡± snapped Terry. ¡°I never asked you to forget anything. In fact, I would be annoyed if you did, because then I¡¯ll have to do it all again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± hissed one of the martialists.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± replied Terry dismissively.

    ¡°We¡¯ll kill you for what you¡¯ve done,¡± emphasized the leader of the group. ¡°Now unhand my junior.¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡± challenged Terry. ¡°You already said that you¡¯d kill me. I don¡¯t see much room for further escalation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re lacking imagination,¡± retorted the leader of the martialist group. ¡°If you hand him over, only you will have to die. If you don¡¯t hand him over, then you¡¯ll suffer nine familial exterminations. We¡¯ll eradicate nine of your generations!¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow without letting go of his hostage. ¡°What does this crap even mean?¡±

    ¡°Idiot.¡±

    ¡°Bumpkin.¡±

    ¡°It means,¡± began the leader in a frigid tone. ¡°That we¡¯ll look for nine generations of your blood relations. Your parents, your¡ª¡±

    ¡°Blood relations?¡± Terry couldn¡¯t help but erupt in loud laughter. ¡°Good luck with that. I barely know who my blood-related parents are, but at least one of them is in Arcana¡¯s Council of government. Are you going to travel to Arcana and assassinate a Council member? That¡¯s funny.¡±

    The leader of the martialists could not suppress a twitch in his facial expression and was at a momentary loss for words.

    Terry had to admit that he enjoyed berating the martialists. After having to mull over every word in Thanatos, it felt liberating. It felt good to vent his frustrations. He hated being trapped in a place with nothing but lunatics. The least he could allow himself was to show his hatred honestly.

    Venting aside, however, the longer Terry held onto his hostage, the more awkward he felt. It made him feel like a villain again.

    Would a great person do this? I don¡¯t know¡­

    ¡°Leave me the hell alone,¡± barked Terry. He removed the blade from the man¡¯s neck and was about to push him forward.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± were the first words that escaped from the hostage¡¯s mouth.

    Terry pulled the hostage back and sunk his keen dagger into another non-lethal but painful area.

    Perhaps I could be a good person?

    ¡°Bastard,¡± coughed the hostage together with a mouthful of blood.

    Terry stabbed the man once more, still avoiding lethal areas.

    Well, I¡¯m alright I guess.

    ¡°Piss the fuck off,¡± growled Terry and pushed the hostage into the group of mana martialists.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Terry could sense some of the mana martialists flaring up, but by now he had taken a rough measure of their mana signatures. He did not feel particularly threatened. While these people weren¡¯t exactly weak, they did not measure up to some of the older martialists with whom Terry had to deal with in Thanatos.

    Terry had some degree of confidence that he would be able to escape at least.

    ¡°Hold it,¡± ordered the leader and then glared at Terry. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±

    Terry thought back to the outward posturing he knew from Rafael and how often it had been contradicted by the thoughts transmitted quietly. ¡°Indeed, but I admit that I may be overestimating your intelligence.¡±

    Even Terry was surprised at the insult that had involuntarily escaped from his lips. At some point, I need to really get back to regular breathing exercises. In here more than ever. Anyway¡­

    ¡°You little¡ª¡± The leader was furious.

    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± rang the commanding tone from another location. ¡°This one is ours to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned and he rolled his eyes in annoyance. He recognized one of the mana signatures from the new group.

    ¡°Is he the one that disturbed you, Princess Sheila?¡± asked a giant boulder of a man.

    ¡°Yes, Senior,¡± replied the exhibitionist woman whom Terry had met in the oasis. A gleeful glint entered her eyes as she looked down on Terry.

    ¡°Haha, seems like we don¡¯t even have to make a move,¡± jeered the leader from the previous group.

    ¡°You better leave now, I don¡¯t like you breathing away our precious air,¡± threatened a tall-grown woman from the princess''s group.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The first group was outraged but they held their tongues. Surprisingly, they did as they had been asked and left.

    I guess they recognize the group with the lunatic nudist. Terry shrugged inwardly.

    Terry could sense that this new batch of martialists was stronger, but on the flip side, there were fewer people to deal with. More importantly, Terry already knew that their young princess or whatever wasn¡¯t that strong.

    If the woman in question knew what Terry was thinking, she would spit blood in anger. Her sect did not allow anyone under twenty-five to take up a spot for the secret realm. She was among the youngest that had been permitted the chance to enter. She was heralded as a genius in her own sect.

    ¡°You have angered the Young Princess of the Icy Dew Mountain.¡± The tall-grown woman announced in a voice that resembled a death sentence.

    ¡°That should make us even,¡± retorted Terry drily. ¡°Your exhibitionist princess has angered me too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of that!¡± shrieked Sheila.

    ¡°¡®Exhibitionist¡¯?¡± The face on the boulder of a man darkened. ¡°It seems your sins are even graver than I thought.¡± He made a step forward and pointed a large warhammer towards Terry. ¡°Our young princess has stated that you have shown her disrespect. What do you have to say for yourself?¡±

    ¡°That your young princess was ignorant of my thoughts, else she would feel worse than disrespected.¡± Terry spoke snarkily.

    Terry had to admit he felt a pang of pleasure when he saw the words sink into the heads of the martialists. Before they got a chance to fully digest and react with the outrage that was inevitable, Terry added: ¡°Cut the bullshit. If you want to make a move, do it. That¡¯s what I have to say. And you¡­¡±

    Terry glowered at the princess from Icy Dew Mountain that went by the name of Sheila. ¡°Are you turning into a stalker now? I don¡¯t like you. Go away.¡±

    ¡°Insolent.¡± The boulder of a man was quivering from indignant anger. He circulated his mana through his acupoints and charged at Terry. He lunged out with his two-handed warhammer while a mana resonance of a white furry monkey¡¯s paw appeared to be stomping down.

    The mana in the hammer. I wonder¡­

    Terry decided to not directly cast the Immovable Object spell. Instead, he swiftly drew the septimum throwing needle from his left leg strap with the sheath inscription. Terry angled the throwing needle so that the tip would impact on a certain spot of mana and then transfixed it.

    All of Terry¡¯s thoughts and actions happened in a single breath and to others it looked as if he was casually using a simple manaless stiletto dagger to block the large war hammer. Terry¡¯s own hand was shielding the Immovable Object spell structure from the view of everyone else.

    *Bang* The warhammer violently smashed against the immovable object and unleashed an unbelievable recoil onto the mana martialist who suffered injuries both from the force as well as from the backlash from his forcefully interrupted technique.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The mountain of a man was now a lot paler. His arms were numb and his mana circulation was disturbed. ¡°...managed to block a high earth tier artifact?!¡±

    Interesting, I guess there are advantages to this way of blocking as well. Both the recoil and¡­

    While the martialist was still unaware of what was going to happen, Terry was already grinning with satisfaction at the change in mana inside the war hammer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± The man was still dazed from what had happened. Even if his attack could be blocked, surely, it would have to take more effort than a casual lift of the hand with a tiny dagger. ¡°Impossible.¡± He channeled his mana into the hammer once more, eager to prove his own suspicions wrong.

    To the man¡¯s horror, the head of his cherished hammer was suddenly falling apart.

    ¡°Whoever crafted that hammer, did a shoddy job of it,¡± said Terry matter-of-factly. Even though Terry was no expert in the crafting techniques of the martialists, he understood enough about mana crafting to sense a weak spot in a magic formation. The essentials were not that different from trying to spot a weak link in a magic shielding and Terry had plenty of experience in that.

    Naturally, Terry¡¯s thoughts were biased by the current outcome. The weakness that seemed easy to spot and exploit to him, was nothing like that for others. The vulnerability required a tremendous force focused on a single spot right at the peak of the mana flowing through the hammer. Both of the conditions were provided by the attack itself while Terry only had to choose the location of impact.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± the tall-grown woman drew a transparent sword and charged towards Terry. She did not use a martial technique for her charge.

    Weird. Magic glass? Space aspect? Interesting.

    Terry prepared a backup measure in the form of his Shape Metal imprint and a block of metal while trying to transfix the sword directly with the Immovable Object spell. To Terry¡¯s relief, the spell successfully activated an arm¡¯s length in front of him. Terry unwittingly grabbed forward to touch the glass sword and examine it more closely.

    To the observers, it looked like Terry had caught the sword between two fingers and this had brought the tall-grown woman to an abrupt stop.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± The woman tried to pull back her sword with all her might and was immensely distraught by the fact that it did not move so much as an inch.

    ¡°I thought the spatial thorns were unblockable?!¡± Sheila exclaimed with shock.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself, oblivious to the woman trying her all to pull the sword out of his grasp. He was focused on recalling the information from the crafter¡¯s reference that his aunt Brynn had gifted to him in Arcana.

    Not quite normal glass, but a version that is very compatible with space-based inscriptions or enchantments. Isn¡¯t this supposed to be quite fragile? Is it only the weird mana layer coating it that prevents it from breaking? If so¡­

    While still keeping his left hand on the blade, Terry reared back his right arm and punched against the blade¡¯s side while unleashing a disruption discharge into the transfixed object.

    Normally, his unstoppable shift combination was practically useless in a normal battle. The mana expenditure and required time made it impractical. A single shift did not cause much of a dent, but if the space magic on this glass sword was anything like spatial barriers, then a single shifted part should be¡­

    Terry tentatively stopped his Immovable Object spell after a single unstoppable shift.

    *Klirr* The entire glass blade broke apart into countless pieces.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± The tall-grown woman stammered while her eyes moved incredulously over the bladeless sword handle that remained in her hand.

    Like a spatial barrier. A single breach causes the whole thing to shatter.

    Terry smiled at having his theory pan out. His smile seemed like a predator¡¯s to the group of martialists.

    ¡°Monster,¡± exclaimed Sheila with horror-filled eyes.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± shushed the last companion of the Icy Dew Mountain''s princess, the strongest among them all, who had not made a move yet. The man with sunken eyes stepped forward. ¡°Everyone come back here.¡± He turned to Terry. ¡°My name is Zhang. These three are my juniors. Senior, I can only apologize for their lack of respect.¡± He addressed his sect members. ¡°You three, apologize right now!¡±

    ¡°Junior Chun apologizes to Senior for her insolence.¡± The tall grown woman stepped forth and lowered her head. Her eyes still seemed empty from shock.

    ¡°Junior Barnes apologizes to Senior for his insolence.¡± The boulder of a man apologized next.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Sheila was called in daze and woke up only when she felt the scolding gaze of Zhang on her. She spoke weakly. ¡°J-junior Sheila apologizes for her insolence.¡±

    Zhang added. ¡°Respectable Senior, please don¡¯t take their offenses to heart.¡±

    ¡®Senior¡¯? What the¡­

    Terry tried to hide his bewilderment from his face. Naturally, he failed spectacularly and his facial expression clearly displayed that he thought the man¡¯s statements ridiculous.

    Zhang was scared that Terry would not let it go and hurriedly added: ¡°Of course, we are willing to recompense you.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Recompense how?¡±

    ¡°Give me your storage rings.¡± Zhang ordered his sect members.

    Terry remembered one particular point of his current predicament. ¡°Do you have an entrance ticket?¡±

    Zhang¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Senior, please take mercy on us. We already don¡¯t have enough tickets for everyone in our group to return home. Giving up a ticket means giving up a life. Please Senior, anything but that.¡±

    Terry frowned, which caused the man to panic.

    Zhang hurriedly put together a storage ring with plenty of items and some to spare with the hopes that this would appease Terry. ¡°Please, have a look.¡±

    Terry cautiously accepted the ring and sunk his consciousness into it without letting down his guard.

    Mighty mana, look at all this¡­

    While Terry was still taken aback by surprise, the group of mana martialists fled as quickly as their feet would take them.

    ***

 153 Scores to Settle

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 5 ¨C

    ¡°Mana-crazed lunatics, the lot of them.¡± Terry grumbled to himself while walking away from the entourage from the Icy Dew Mountain.

    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± reverberated a shout in a familiar voice.

    ¡°What?!¡± roared Terry. He turned around with an ill temper. He knew that this was another cultivator from the Icy Dew Mountain because he had already sensed the man¡¯s mana signature.

    Terry glared at the man. This person in blue robes had not been part of the earlier group. ¡°What in the bloody Wastes is it now? Did I breathe the wrong way? Did I blink too much? What is it? What could it possibly be this time? What¡ª?¡± Terry stopped himself.

    Looking at the person more closely, he seemed indeed vaguely familiar.

    Come to think of it, that voice? Wasn¡¯t that the asshat that attacked me when I was about to enter the inner sanctum? I guess he got his arm healed again.

    Good for him, added Terry sarcastically.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, the man wasn¡¯t alone and was instead accompanied by two additional people: a man and a woman. Contrary to the Icy Dew Mountain martialist, these two evidently had a way to hide their mana signatures.

    I should get into the habit of emitting detection pulses again, or better yet, use my mana touch scouting to maintain an active detection field at all times. Terry reminded himself. The mana cost isn¡¯t that high anymore.

    Terry thanked the discovery of his mana touch sensation and his improved sensitivity that significantly reduced the required mana density. The fact that he was getting increasingly good at naturalizing mana at a distance helped as well.

    Their hidden mana signatures meant that Terry was not able to detect their cultivation styles. However, given their outfits, that would have been superfluous. To Terry¡¯s immense chagrin, he recognized the shimmering combat robes. A large sun and a small golden crow were stitched into the chest areas. A symbol that Terry had seen many times and never had anything good come from seeing it.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

    ¡°Heh.¡± The woman from the Blazing Sun Sect chortled at Terry¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one that killed the scions and¡ª¡± The martialist from the Icy Dew Mountain pointed at Terry.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± The man from the Blazing Sun Sect demanded from Terry. ¡°Did you kill members of our Blazing Sun Sect?¡±

    Terry¡¯s brain reflexively fell into his habit during the Thanatos escape ¨C trying to come up with a misleading truth¡­

    Screw it.

    Terry was too damned tired of it all. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± His tone was oozing with irritation and annoyance. ¡°The first of the lunatics was refusing to yield and was literally asking to be killed. It kind of went downhill from there.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve lost count at some point.¡±

    The man from the Icy Dew Mountain laughed gleefully. ¡°Now you¡¯re dead, Terry!¡± He turned to the Blazing Sun Sect members. ¡°I told you I could lead you to him. Should I lend a hand or¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he had already been punched with a rapid fire-fist technique by the woman from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    ¡°Scram before I forget myself, worm,¡± growled the woman.

    ¡°Wh¡ª?¡± The man spat a mouthful of blood. ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t lie, I swear!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear her telling you to scram?!¡± The man from the Blazing Sun Sect growled at the man. ¡°Did you believe that we would do your dirty work for you? Do you believe we would let it slide that you tried to use us to settle your own grudges?¡±

    The other man paled. ¡°No, no, of course not! My apologies. I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Scram!¡± The woman placed a kick into the whimpering man¡¯s chest.

    The battered man suppressed his fury and hurriedly bolted away as quickly as his legs took him.

    Terry remained on the side with an expression that shifted between incredulity and amusement. He felt the gaze of the two martialists on him. ¡°And? What now?¡±

    The pair in shimmering combat robes glanced at each other. Their eyes betrayed their own amusement.

    ¡°You seem awfully calm,¡± remarked the man.

    Terry shrugged without comment. The nonchalant reaction caused the woman to snicker.

    ¡°Now, we can go our separate ways,¡± said the male martialist calmly. ¡°We just wanted to see your face with our own eyes, so that we can remember it.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow and blurted out: ¡°Well, that¡¯s new.¡±

    ¡°Which scions did you kill?¡± interjected the woman.

    ¡°No idea,¡± replied Terry with another shrug. ¡°The first one I met didn¡¯t give me a name or number, only the scion title and something about his grandpa. The other one was apparently the Third Scion, friends with a vampire."

    Terry creased his brows and tilted his head. "I don¡¯t remember killing any more scions, but hard to say, because the others from your sect didn¡¯t exactly introduce themselves properly. They mostly greeted me by demanding my death and such pleasantries. Come to think of it¡­

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡± asked Terry curiously. ¡°This is already among the longest exchanges I¡¯ve had with one of your sect ever since the first lunatic.¡±

    ¡°Could have been the Ninth Scion,¡± said the woman to the man.

    ¡°The scions are simply wastrels leeching off the sect,¡± said the man to Terry. ¡°They¡¯re a waste of resources. If any decently talented inner sect member had access to the kind of resources they had, they would be much further in their cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t oversell it, brother,¡± chided the woman. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t tarnish our sect in front of outsiders.¡±

    ¡°You should remember that my gratitude for liberating the sect from these useless parasites is offset by the fact that you have killed our sect members,¡± added the man for Terry. ¡°The next time we¡¯ll meet may be a lot less friendly.¡±

    ¡°Alrighty then,¡± replied Terry and puffed his cheeks. ¡°Can I go now?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a reply and started walking into the sky. He had about enough from being approached by these people consecutively.

    How did they all find me so quickly?

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened while stepping further up on layers of divine mana.

    My equipment is cloaked. My mana is cloaked. The ambient mana is unaspected, so my oscillating mana should not stand out. Even if I¡¯m not wearing the concealment necklace at the moment, they shouldn¡¯t be able to detect me based on my mana signature.

    ¡°Wait, did the little pest beetle call me by name before?¡± Terry stopped abruptly. ¡°How? I¡¯ve never introduced myself to him¡­¡± Terry¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ¡°And how did he know that I have some history with the Blazing Sun Sect¡­?¡±

    Terry was glowering and the more he thought about it, the more he tensed up. Eventually, he did what he had hesitated to do the past few days. He retrieved the paper communication talisman from Rafael.

    [Why?] Terry sent a thought transmission.

    He received no reply.

    It¡¯s possible that Rafael isn¡¯t in this area or that he¡¯s occupied with something. Terry thought about possible excuses for Rafael. Wishful thinking again.

    ¡°Okay, screw it.¡± Terry continued his ascendance into the sky to get more distance from the battle-toddlers throwing tantrums on the ground.

    While walking, he continued muttering to himself. ¡°I know that Rafael had a way to track the entrance ticket. It¡¯s not out of the question that he had a way to track the communication talisman he gave me as well. I hate this shit.¡± Terry glowered at the strange sky above. ¡°I miss being around people I can trust.¡±

    I miss my family and friends.

    Focus.

    Terry began to focus on his breathing and stepped further up into the air. Eventually, he noticed that his steps became distorted through some unknown space magic again. He was walking without moving.

    ¡°Alright, time to settle down.¡± Terry retrieved a tertium slab and transfixed it as seating for himself. He sat at the edge and let his feet dangle down.

    Terry observed what was going on below with mana-filled eyes. He didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. In every corner of the area, there were fights going on. Terry¡¯s mana sight took in all the different mana resonance and cultivation signatures.

    Unintentionally, Terry became absorbed in his mana sight, engrossed in classifying all the different mana structures he sensed in the cultivators as well as examining the various mana resonance techniques.

    Terry didn¡¯t even pause to note how far his mana sense and mana sight had improved compared to the past. The whole area was spanning more than ten kilometers in all directions and his sense was covering the majority of it.

    At this point, the bigger limitation for Terry were not his senses, but his inability to efficiently filter through what he was sensing. Naturally, it was easier to pick out the stronger mana signatures and the more intense resonances.

    By contrast, the signatures that were more common stood out less. Both in terms of strength as well as of mana composition. Terry could sense many groups of cultivators with similar mana structures ¨C sects and other martialist factions, presumably.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Whenever something unfamiliar popped up, Terry first noticed it subconsciously. There was a delay until something like that surfaced in his conscious awareness and then an additional delay until he could focus his senses to pinpoint the signature.

    Terry tilted his head. He had sensed a mana signature disappear completely. He circled more mana into his eyes and finally saw a group of martialists with two people in the middle. One of them was lying on the ground.

    ¡°Dead¡­¡± muttered Terry flatly.

    He felt curiosity welling up in himself.

    Then he was wondering if this was the appropriate reaction to seeing someone being ganged up on and killed.

    Not like I know their characters or histories.

    No idea who was at fault or who started it or what for.

    How am I supposed to know what to feel then?

    ¡°At least there was some semblance of fairness in the Proving Grounds,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°Not always, but generally.¡± He groaned with annoyance. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve jumped from bad to worse?¡±

    He waited for a few minutes in silence.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Terry still saw the corpse lying on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected.¡±

    Yes, I do.

    I expected the body to disappear.

    Why though?

    Because of that discoloration that might or might not have been a dungeon mark?

    Because of the discrepancy in my mana harvesting speed?

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± replied Terry to himself.

    Perhaps I¡¯m developing some weird dungeon paranoia?

    Abduct me once, shame on me. Abduct me twice¡­ nevermind.

    Terry felt himself once more captivated by all the mana resonance techniques and spent several minutes like this.

    ¡°Oh right,¡± exclaimed Terry suddenly. He retrieved his concealment necklace and put it on. The magic item instantly began sucking Terry¡¯s mana in order to mimic the ambient mana in the vicinity.

    I just want to watch. I¡¯d rather not get any more attention.

    Terry began dumping some of his mana into the surroundings and spreading it out. He made sure not to increase the mana density near him too much. He had no intention of going to sleep and relying on the necklace for his training at this time. Instead, he wanted to practice his grasp on his mana.

    Terry pushed his dumped mana away from himself until he had reached the end of his range in all directions. Then, he began pulling and circling his mana outside himself ¨C always having to reclaim and naturalize it in order to not lose control of it.

    Terry had discovered that this process of moving and maintaining control of his mana was a lot more difficult if his mana was spread thin. The denser he packed his mana, the easier it became, which is why he wanted to train with low density.

    The hours ticked by while Terry was training this way in the sky with closed eyes.

    [Rafael? Can you hear me?] Terry sent thought transmissions every now and then.

    He never received a reply.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry¡¯s expressions darkened increasingly whenever some mana signatures moved towards his direction or even right underneath his location.

    By Terry¡¯s guess, at least some of these people were specifically looking for him. The suspicion forced itself on Terry because there were too many from the Blazing Sun Sect, and by now, even from the Thunderous Palm Sect for it to be a coincidence.

    Terry had walked a long distance away from his last interaction with one of the martialists, which meant that if they were looking for him and still getting close, then they had some way to track him.

    However, from the fact that they weren¡¯t able to locate him accurately in his sky shelter, Terry guessed that they relied on a rough pointer.

    As if someone was pointing them towards me without them actually being able to sense me¡­

    Terry clicked his tongue and scowled at the communication talisman. [Rafael? We have to talk.]

    No reply.

    Terry let his consciousness wash over the input from his mana sense again.

    ¡°No wonder, Devon was a bit off the whole time,¡± mumbled Terry. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like to have his range. It¡¯s a miracle he was still able to accurately pick out familiar mana signatures. It would be an even bigger miracle if he wasn¡¯t distracted by weird signatures all the time.¡±

    Terry recalled how Devon had immediately reacted as soon as unfamiliar mana signatures had entered the Chara Settlement. Back then, Terry had mostly been impressed by the fact that Devon had memorized all the mana signatures in the settlement and instantly picked out the arriving looneys.

    The rest of Terry¡¯s attention had been eaten up by how bonkers the looney abyss worshippers had been.

    Now, Terry had to appreciate how impressive the instant reaction to the new signatures had been. These signatures weren¡¯t all that different from other people in the settlement, which meant that for Terry right now, they would go under in the vast sea of similar signatures.

    Terry tried to focus his attention on each individual person he could sense¡­ but it was a futile effort.

    Too many people. Even more than at the entrance to the inner sanctum. All of them were moving around. It was like counting the members in a colony of ants. Before you knew it, you would have counted the same ant half a dozen times and missed another completely.

    Not a problem of my mana sense per se, is it?

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure yet how he might resolve this problem. He wasn¡¯t even sure if there was a good solution. As far as he could see, this was less a challenge of skill or conscious thought and more a challenge of subconscious instinct.

    He already had the mana sensitivity, but he still required practice, or rather experience, with filtering and prioritizing his perceptions.

    ¡°Hard to focus if everywhere around there are huge mana resonances to distract my attention.¡± Terry sharply exhaled some air.

    Still, I have to find Rafael.

    I have to figure out if he is intentionally ignoring my transmissions.

    A complicated glint entered Terry¡¯s eyes.

    Maybe I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t know. But I would at least get some¡­ confirmation or something.

    Terry spent his days and nights up in the sky, trying to keep his distance from the martialists.

    From what he could make out, there was currently no exit and more and more martialists were piling in. Terry guessed that at some point, the trials would continue, but not yet. For what the secret realm mechanism was waiting, he did not know.

    Terry was happy to see that the items the Icy Dew Mountain people had given him included some reference books for materials and martialist classifications.

    For consumables, Terry did not want to rely entirely on the books and proceeded to examine a few of the bottled liquids personally. He was watching the area until his gaze was drawn to one ongoing fight between a group of martialists.

    Terry was expecting to see an impressive orange phoenix made of fire, which he had seen many times before during the past days. It was always an interesting sight, which is why his attention had been drawn to the spot.

    Only there was no phoenix.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry squinted. A moment later, he saw a martialist dash right into the spot that Terry observed. An orange mana resonance of a blazing phoenix was surrounding the woman the moment she arrived.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Terry was stunned. It was one thing to detect a mana resonance when it was building, but this had been something else.

    Perhaps the lizan food is turning me into the next prophet?

    ¡°Not funny,¡± muttered Terry pensively.

    He closed his eyes and tried to make out a similar sensation another time. Once again, he spotted an area before a martialist appeared with a resonance.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry stared blankly.

    His mind was trying hard to come up with possible explanations that wouldn¡¯t invoke precognition or future sight. He didn¡¯t even know the spell structure for those, how would he possibly get something like that?

    Looney lizard food, perhaps? Next thing you know, you might be baiting innocent mages to fight giant wyverns and so forth.

    ¡°Nope, not entertaining that idea,¡± hissed Terry. Eventually, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Aiming?¡±

    In spellwork, many spells had to be aimed or targeted. The same was true for mana-crafted items.

    ¡°And yet¡­¡± Terry bit his lip. Something seems different.

    Some of the resonances I¡¯m familiar with I still never detect before they appear.

    ¡°No separate aiming in the mana realm required?¡± surmised Terry.

    Some of the resonances I detect in advance. I only detect them for some of the martialists. If I had to point out a notable difference between the martialists where I can detect it and not¡­

    ¡°The stronger they are, the less I detect in advance,¡± mumbled Terry. He tried to recall his fights with mana martialists relying on mana resonance techniques.

    There were a few, where I thought it stupid that they followed through with their attack.

    Terry scratched his head and then crossed his arms in front of himself.

    Was it stupid? Or were they unable to stop the technique?

    With spell targeting, it¡¯s a matter of skill that determines how quickly and accurately the targeting goes.

    Are some of these resonance techniques like spells that cannot be readjusted once ignited? Or like the charge from the juggernaut champion in the dungeon where I met the lizan?

    Fast perhaps, but not agile? Strict. Rigid. Inflexible.

    ¡°Not just the techniques,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Might also depend on the skill of the person using it.¡±

    ***

    Terry whipped his head around and stared. At the location where he had sensed a mana distortion before, he now saw a large altar rise up.

    The first of many.

    ¡°Choose your trial. If you miss the chance today, you will have to wait for the next round.¡± A voluminous voice droned from far up high ¨C even higher than Terry was. ¡°You will have to defend your altar until the light extinguishes to reach the next stage.¡±

    Terry could see the first cultivator climbing onto the platforms in front of the altars and then the battles broke out one by one.

    Terry¡¯s attention, however, was drawn to something else. To one of the first mana signatures to appear next to an altar whose back was against a large rock structure. It was the altar furthest from Terry.

    ¡°You little pus weasel,¡± growled Terry. [Rafael. I know you are here. Answer me! Why?]

    No reply.

    [Why did you not tell me that I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this secret realm?] Terry continued firing his thought transmissions. [I know you¡¯re in range of the talisman. Speak!]

    [Rafael.] Terry clenched his fists. [Explain yourself. I want to hear your reasons.]

    Subconsciously, he had already stood up on his transfixed tertium slab.

    It¡¯s possible that he lost his belt and doesn¡¯t receive messages from the talisman anymore¡­

    ¡°There is a difference between possible and probable.¡± Terry told himself. ¡°I¡¯ll see when I¡¯m there.¡±

    Terry collected his tertium slab and then dashed towards Rafael and the altar. He relied on his divine hammer inscription to remain in the sky and keep his distance from the fighting mana martialists.

    ***

    ¡°Damn these bastards,¡± grumbled a man in blue robes. ¡°These cowards from my own sect. These pricks from the Blazing Sun. This Terry¡ª¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± an eerie voice rang from everywhere at once.

    The man whipped his head around and changed into a fighting posture. He was currently alone in a valley slightly hidden from the rest of the area. He had wanted to be alone after being humiliated several times in public and chose this spot because it was secluded.

    ¡°Who is there?!¡± demanded the man.

    ¡°That name you mentioned, repeat it!¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are, to¡ª¡± The man broke out coughing. To his horror, he saw a sludge of black blood escape from his own mouth.

    ¡°Repeat it!¡±

    ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± The man tried circulating his mana to recover.

    ¡°Heeheehee, I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Quicker blood flow means quicker breathing.¡±

    The man suddenly collapsed to his knees. ¡°P-poison?¡±

    ¡°There is no antidote for what you have been inhaling, heeheehee.¡±

    The man in blue-robes mustered his last bits of strength and tried to run away, only to find his feet trapped by some black liquid, viscous and sticky.

    ¡°That name,¡± insisted the eerie voice.

    ¡°You mean Terry?!¡± A faint hope sprang up in the weakened man. ¡°I, I can bring you to him, I know where to find him, I¡ª Hurhg!¡± Black liquid flew up from the ground and trapped the man completely. The man struggled, unable to breathe and slowly decomposing in his liquid cocoon.

    ¡°Not necessary.¡± Black liquid rose to form the shape of a person. ¡°I can find the hag¡¯s brat myself. He won¡¯t get away here.¡±

    Vicious walked closer to observe the death throes from the martial cultivator, just like he had watched the others before him.

    When the man died, there was a slight flicker of light rushing through the liquid cocoon.

    ¡°The Pond is truly smiling upon me.¡± Eric grinned viciously. ¡°So much easy prey, and on top of it all, two grudges to resolve for the trip of one. Heeheehee¡­¡±

    ***

 154 Clashing Rookies

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 16 ¨C

    Terry stood high up in the sky and observed the altar below.

    [Rafael, why?] Terry sent his thought transmission. His eyes were glued to the felan with the leopard appearance that was fighting below.

    The mana resonance of a giant white wolf rampaged through a group of martialists that challenged Rafael for possession of the altar.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible he doesn¡¯t hear me.¡± Terry muttered to himself.

    Is it though? Why don¡¯t you test that?

    Terry hesitated. He knew that now, right after a heavenly wolf slash, Rafael would be the most vulnerable.

    For a time, Terry simply continued observing the battle between Rafael and the other martialists, engrossed in their fighting as well as his own inner conflict.

    Rafael fought well even without the availability of his heavenly wolf slash. In the Proving Grounds, Terry rarely had a chance to observe the felan like this. In their Rising Rookies team-up, they had always planned around each other¡¯s strengths, which meant that Terry was in charge of buying time for the powerful mana resonance technique.

    Terry¡¯s eyes glanced towards the light on the altar and estimated the time until it would extinguish according to the change of mana intensity he had observed so far.

    I guess I have an advantage when it comes to accurately gauging the remaining time¡­

    Terry couldn¡¯t rule out that there were mana martialists with keen mana senses, but from his own experience, their mana sense was at most as developed as those of the average mana cultivator, which paled in comparison to an average mage.

    Terry watched Rafael engage in close-combat while recognizing the familiar mana flow for a heavenly wolf slash preparation.

    ¡°He seems to be doing quite well in charging the attack even when having to fight,¡± observed Terry. ¡°Not to its full strength, but still.¡±

    It¡¯s possible that the difficulty for charging the attack increases non-linearly with increasing power.

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± mumbled Terry pensively.

    He watched the giant white wolf devastate Rafael¡¯s enemies once more and then glanced at the altar¡¯s light.

    He was not surprised when some of the more patient martialists that had lingered around the altar without making a move suddenly charged forward.

    These martialists love to show off, but there are also many that love to hang back and exploit another¡¯s battle for their own benefit. Hoping for others to wear out an opponent and then jump in to take the spoils.

    Terry had to think of his own flight from the undead horde and how he had baited it into clashes with other beasts from the Wastes. This was the lesson on opportunities from Tuara, the dwarven leader of the Stonewardens from the Veilbinder¡¯s time.

    One enemy is a challenge. Two enemies is an opportunity. I guess they¡¯re not all idiots. Their timing is still off though. There is still time before the challenge comes to a conclusion.

    Terry inhaled deeply and then sent another thought transmission. [Rafael, I want an explanation.]

    When no reply came, Terry finally mustered his spiteful resolve. He intentionally waited until a moment where Rafael was pressured heavily. [RAFAEL!]

    Rafael messed up his evasive maneuver and suffered a light wound on his shoulder.

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened. [Rafael, you better have something to say.]

    No reply.

    [LEFT!] Terry¡¯s thought transmission caused Rafael to become distracted with his attention involuntarily shifting towards the wrong side. The staff from one of his opponents smacked his ankle and Rafael had to scramble to get into a better position to defend.

    [You could hear me the whole time, you¡­] Terry swallowed the insults in his mind. Instead, he used two more opportunities to successfully sabotage Rafael¡¯s fight. Terry was skilled at identifying inopportune moments in the flow of battle.

    [FUCK OFF!] roared Rafael in Terry¡¯s mind.

    Then another roar came, but this time from the felan¡¯s lungs. ¡°This one¡¯s mine! I didn¡¯t want to use this, but you miscreants leave me no choice!¡± He crushed a little spherical object that instantly created an intense mana shield to surround him on all sides.

    ¡°Fire¡¯s breath, the damned cat used an artifact,¡± cursed one of the martialists.

    ¡°Must have picked it as a reward for the first trial.¡±

    ¡°Did he know there would be a battle royale at the beginning of the second trial?¡±

    ¡°Are you daft? These tombs always have something like that.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how powerful a barrier this really is!¡± Several of the mana martialists refused to give up and unleashed their attacks against the spherical barrier. However, none of them was successful in breaching it.

    Even at a distance, Terry could see why.

    A layered barrier. At least one layer carries the space aspect. They won¡¯t be able to get through that with power alone. It does not seem to be pulsing with different aspects though. Static. Structured. Wait¡­

    Terry could now make out that there were three layers.

    The outermost layer had been breached, but was then recreated.

    The second layer appeared stable but not impenetrable.

    The last layer was one of space.

    The recreation costs mana and that has to come from somewhere, there has to be a time limit for the whole thing. Terry glanced at the altar¡¯s light. Rafael¡¯s battle sense still seems to be better than his mana sense.

    [Why?] Terry sent his thought transmission to Rafael. He repeated it when there was no reply.

    [Oh, grow up, Terry!] came the exasperated reply from Rafael. [Why would I tell you everything? You used me and I used you. We used each other to survive Thanatos. That¡¯s all there is to it. I even gave you a chance to back out before we hit the estate. What more do you want from me?]

    Terry could not say he was surprised, but deep down, he was left disappointed. [So much for all your talk about buddies, brothers, and whatnot.]

    [Get over yourself,] scoffed Rafael. [Even brothers have to compete for resources, especially in a treasure trove like this place. There can be only one at the apex. Why shouldn¡¯t it be me?!]

    ¡®Why shouldn¡¯t it be me?!¡¯ The words echoed in Terry¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± muttered Terry with another look at Rafael¡¯s protective barrier. In his mind, the image of Rafael and the way he looked at the felan had already changed.

    First layer is like a normal barrier, not much stronger than the one I encountered at the demon advancement in the aspect being hunt when I was in Tiv.

    Second layer appears like a stronger version of that but more rigid. When penetrated at a single spot, it would shatter.

    Third layer is a spatial barrier.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t it be me¡­?¡± Terry had already made up his mind even though it was still racing to come up with a solution to the second layer. All his past experiences flashed in front of him in an instant. From one moment to the other, everything clicked into place.

    Charge.

    Terry swallowed a pill that the martialist reference book called ¡®bones of iron¡¯ and chugged a pair of martialist potions for bodily resilience. He turned in the air, dumped a large portion of his mana, and then dashed down head-first towards Rafael.

    He pulled his mana behind him¡­

    In front, he created a sequence of focus refractors in his path.

    Terry had never tried this before, but he could already sense the dense army of spell slicers shape up behind him. He knew he needed an unstoppable shift. A small one would suffice, but it had to go through one layer of physical material as a medium to breach the second layer.

    Terry had a few thin tertium slabs, but he did not have time to sequentially batter it with disruption discharges and he needed many shifts to get through even the thinnest material.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    That was why Terry added an impromptu adjustment to the fundamental idea of his disruption field. What he could not achieve with the initial discharge, he could create with repeated pulling and refocusing. After watching the martialists and their predictable attack trajectories, a straightforward charge seemed like a natural fix to his movement problem. Terry was not able to move his rotating disruption field around quickly, but moving his mana in a straight line? That was doable.

    The only challenge was that this adjustment did not allow for reusing the same mana refractors for extended durations, which meant that it was a tremendously inefficient use of mana. Fortunately, Terry was able to handle the mana loss for such a brief period of time.

    Some of the mana martialists began sensing a change in the surrounding mana. A faintly suffocating sensation caused by Terry¡¯s strong pull on mana.

    Eventually, the first of the martialists raised their gazes into the sky. Like a thick wall of lightning in their mana sight, the countless spell slicers were crushing down from the heavens. At the front of the spell slicers, Terry charged with an intensely focused expression. Pulling and re-accelerating the mana behind him took a lot more out of him than he had anticipated.

    Terry grit his teeth and abruptly accelerated with a burst technique that pressed mana into his muscles way beyond his limits. He pushed himself on layers of divine mana that he had to repeatedly recreate to get a good footing to accelerate further.

    Terry turned in the air and placed a small thin tertium slab underneath his feet. He used the Shape Metal imprint to reshape the tertium to become even thinner while still retaining some thicker areas to be targeted with his Immovable Object spell.

    He prepared to slow his descent at the last seconds with the help of his equipment. He knew he could not slow down too much or the timing with the spell slicers in tow would be off.

    This is going to hurt.

    Terry braced himself for the impact and placed one of the magic healing beans from the oasis into his mouth.

    As soon as he was near the barrier, Terry kicked both of his feet and swallowed the magic bean. From his feet, he unleashed a dual discharge right onto the first layer of the artifact¡¯s barrier. In the same motion, Terry rammed the tertium slab against the protective shield with another burst of mana.

    The first layer broke. Terry could feel the tertium bend and give underneath, now sticking closely to the shape of the artifact¡¯s barrier. It compressed in parts to be even thinner from the force of impact.

    Most of all, Terry could feel pain as if his knees would break out of his legs any second now, as if his thighs would rupture from the forceful impact.

    Through grit and ingrained reflexes, Terry managed to press on. He was able to both transfix the tertium slab as close to the barrier as possible and then adjust his position with the help of the movement pearls in his armor.

    These beans are even more effective than I thought.

    Terry was hastily stuffing his mouth with more of the magic beans that would help take care of his ill-treated legs. He was still chewing when the army of sizzling spell slicers impacted on both the barrier and the transfixed tertium slab.

    Another drawback of the disruption rush: aiming was less than precise. Even though Terry could make some last adjustments by positioning and shaping the mana refractors, the time was way too limited for him to take perfect aim. Of course, this meant that much of the spell slicers ¨C and therefore the expended mana to create them ¨C was wasted.

    Fortunately, this drawback mattered less in Terry¡¯s current goal. He did not have to hit exclusively the tertium slab anyway. Some of the misaimed spell slicers would make sure that the continuously regenerating first layer would never stand for long.

    Terry felt relief from pain as soon as he had swallowed the second mouthful of magic beans. He made sure to recast the Immovable Object spell whenever he feared some of the spell slicers would threaten to disrupt the active spell.

    Terry was still swinging around a rotational axis he had created with the help of the septimum pearls in his armor when the bombardment of spell slicers on the immovable object showed an effect.

    Tiny indentations appeared on the transfixed tertium slab, like infinitesimal droplets of rain hitting golden sand. The successive spell slicers hit the same areas over and over again until finally, one unstoppable shift pierced into the second layer of the barrier.

    And with a loud noise, the second layer of the barrier shattered!

    Terry hastily transfixed his boot mechanism to get a good jumping point.

    Crap, now the second layer is recreating itself.

    Terry barely had time to curse when his eyes shifted to confident pride. The artifact had attempted to recreate the second layer, but it had shattered again ¨C the shifted tertium was still in the way and did not yield.

    Terry transfixed two different pearls from his armor. The mid-bracer pearls on his arms created a new rotational axis and with the force from his previous jump, Terry¡¯s feet were kicking out towards the third layer of Rafael¡¯s protection.

    With a burst of mana, Terry broke the spatial barrier and his double kick landed straight in the chest of the shocked felan. The spatial barrier, too, tried to recreate itself, but was torn apart by Terry¡¯s mana burst before it had any chance to succeed.

    Rafael¡¯s protective artifact blew up while the felan himself was sliding across the altar¡¯s platform all the way to the edge. Without relenting, Terry dashed forward, his senses extending toward the changes in the altar¡¯s light.

    ¡°No!¡± Rafael was holding onto the altar¡¯s ledge. He was wheezing after getting the air kicked out of his lungs. [Terry, I need this altar! I need to get the scripture! I¡ª]

    Terry transfixed another pearl and kicked Rafael from the platform while relying on the pearl to make sure he himself would not leave the altar¡¯s boundaries. He landed back with his feet on the platform and caught the gaze of Rafael.

    Terry pointedly ripped apart the communication talisman that Rafael had given to him in Thanatos. He hoped to look angry or stern, but he suspected that this was not in his honest eyes. He felt too much disappointment for that.

    Rafael on his part realized that there was no chance for him to earn this altar in this round anymore. He was overcome with frustration and resentment for failing at the last minute. The failure hurt his pride, as did the accusation in Terry¡¯s eyes. He shouted in defiance: ¡°You would have done the same thing!¡±

    Terry opened his mouth, unsure of what to say to that. He felt an immense calm wash over him despite the bustling attacks from other mana martialists. He knew that the light would extinguish before any of the attacks would reach him.

    Would I?

    Terry considered how he had acted in Thanatos in order to get what he wanted. How he had been deceitful even while speaking truths¡­

    ¡­but he had done so towards enemies or strangers, not towards companions.

    Could I ever do that to my own companions?

    Terry involuntarily recalled the time he had not informed his sister Lori and the others about the blood-aspected signature that turned out to be the blood tulip they had been searching for. True, it had been to avoid pulling them further into danger, but it was not honest, or at least not entirely upfront. He had burst his mana to remain behind, to take away the choice they would have surely made, the choice that would have put themselves in danger.

    Would I?

    Terry felt the familiar pull of a building unanchored spatial transfer targeting himself when another memory sprang up in his mind.

    Follow the kind of person you want to become.

    Terry subconsciously smiled. He may not know exactly who he was, but he knew what he wanted to become and he was dead certain about what he never wanted to be. His eyes were still resting on Rafael as he finally replied quietly but firmly: ¡°No.¡±

    Leaving behind the echo of his voice, Terry vanished from the altar whose light had been extinguished. His timing had been impeccable. From the moment of his crushing descent all the way to the end of the altar¡¯s challenge, barely more than a minute had passed.

    ¡°The mantis is stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind itself,¡± muttered one of the martialists that had been left behind.

    ¡°Great! My only problem is which oriole won,¡± grumbled another.

    ¡°No point in whining. Did you see that? That artifact blocked all of our attacks combined but shattered in an instant from that person.¡±

    ¡°What was that? Two kicks? What the hell?¡±

    ¡°There was also some kind of ethereal attack, at least I couldn¡¯t make out what the mana actually did.¡±

    ¡°I think I saw that person before, he blocked an all-out attack from that giant from the Icy Dew Mountain. Easily even. Like it was nothing at all.¡±

    ¡°For real?¡±

    ¡°I saw it too! He even caught a spatial thorn with two fingers.¡±

    ¡°Okay now I know you¡¯re just bullshitting.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Rafael¡¯s stifled roar finally escaped from his lungs.

    ¡°Oh, right, shouldn¡¯t we get some payback from the felan?¡±

    ¡°I never liked these realm invaders.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, there are other felans here and some of them could snap our necks with the flick of a claw. Don¡¯t drag me down with you just because you don¡¯t know how to hold your tongue.¡±

    ¡°We may not be able to do anything against the other felans, but this one is fair game, no?¡±

    ¡°True, no point in meddling with someone unfathomable, but I do feel like venting.¡±

    Rafael¡¯s expression darkened. He could try to run, but knowing some of the people here, another approach would be more promising. ¡°¡®Unfathomable¡¯?¡± He sneered. ¡°Parlor tricks, nothing more. Terry is no stronger than I am.¡±

    ¡°Could have fooled me,¡± jeered another martialist.

    ¡°Yes, I was caught off-guard,¡± huffed Rafael testily. ¡°Just like you all. We have all been left behind. We have all fought honorably and while we fought, Terry came to snatch away the spoils.¡±

    ¡°Honorably, sure.¡± One of the martialists grinned.

    ¡°Right, upstanding cultivators like us would never think of waiting for a chance to ambush those engaged in fair combat,¡± added another with a hearty chuckle.

    ¡°No matter how we got here,¡± interjected Rafael. ¡°We have all been left behind while Terry went ahead. Even if we manage to get through the altars in the next round, the rewards will hardly measure up to the first round of winners. We¡¯ll be left with second pickings.¡±

    ¡°As if,¡± scoffed another martialist. ¡°Finding a treasure first doesn¡¯t mean anything, the ability to hold onto it is what counts.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± agreed Rafael quickly. ¡°So if you want to improve your chances, I might be able to help. I¡¯m familiar with his parlor tricks. All I¡¯m asking for is one specific item. I don¡¯t care about anything else. So how about we make a deal?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Heeheehee.¡± Vicious gleefully laughed to himself. Around him, more than a dozen martialists were lying dead on the ground.

    These martialists did not all die by Vicious¡¯s hands. More than half of them were killed through fire, lightning, and sheer blunt force.

    ¡°I wonder if the bitch even realizes how badly I got her.¡± Eric was practically ecstatic with the situation. ¡°I love my new abilities, although¡­¡± He frowned playfully. ¡°¡­their limited area is a shame. I hope the pond will remedy that in the future.¡± He grinned. ¡°All these young geniuses should certainly earn me something spectacular.¡±

    Vicious licked his lips and they created waves as if someone had touched a water surface. He changed into a fluid form of dark viscous liquid and inhaled slowly. ¡°Haaah. I couldn¡¯t have chosen better timing.¡±

    ¡°If she fails, she dies. If she succeeds, she still dies.¡± Vicious¡¯s fluid surface rippled from his anticipation. ¡°The Pond is gonna have its pay. I may not even have to lift a finger any further, but it would be a shame to lose the opportunity for some fun.¡±

    Eric glanced around the area once more. A bout of dark water carried over the bodies to him. He greedily examined the storage items from the deceased martialists. ¡°So many muppets to collect the treasures for me. The Pond appreciates your service.¡± He sneered. ¡°¡­and your souls.¡±

    After Vicious was done harvesting his spoils, he looked at the altar again. ¡°I should thank whoever broke Arcana¡¯s barrier and these vengeful Arcanians. Without the chaos, it would have taken so much longer to reach the Pond¡¯s next level. Heeheehee, I may even thank the Valkyrie when this is over. Without the chaos ending, I might have missed the best chance to switch locations and eat up these two particular muppets.¡±

    Eric involuntarily shuddered and ripples moved across his skin. Thinking about Terry had reminded him of Sigille. ¡°I hope that self-righteous decrepit hag will turn in her grave when I send her nephew to the eternal pond.¡±

    ***

 155 Heretics Antics

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 16 ¨C

    After the altar¡¯s spatial transfer, Terry found himself alone in a small cavern.

    ¡°Welcome, challenger of the trials.¡± An androgynous voice echoed from the walls.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry whipped his head around to find a translucent projection of a person in martialist robes. Terry wasn¡¯t sure if this was supposed to be a woman or a man, but the lip movements matched the words from the voice.

    ¡°You have successfully cleared the first stage of this trial. You have earned the right to choose between wealth, power, and knowledge. Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Terry muttered skeptically. His eyes were darting all over the cavern while he spread his mana to scout with mana touch.

    ¡°Your time here is limited, choose quickly or miss the chance.¡± The voice repeated.

    The walls are obstructing mana sight, but there are some¡­ Terry focused on the prickling sensation from his mana touch. ¡­gaps.

    ¡°Your time here is limited, choose quickly or miss the chance.¡± The voice insisted.

    ¡°FIne,¡± exclaimed Terry with slight annoyance at the repeated pestering. ¡°Knowledge, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You have chosen knowledge, we will now impart the most fitting cultivation technique from our master to you¡­¡± After a pause, the translucent figure flickered suddenly. ¡°Your acupoints are unable to accept what we have to offer.¡±

    Well, no shit. Terry snorted. I¡¯m not a mana martialist. I don¡¯t have any of your acupoints.

    ¡°It seems we do not possess a compatible cultivation technique to impart,¡± continued the translucent projection. ¡°As an alternative, you may choose one of the techniques available in the Hall of Knowledge yourself, so that you can learn it whenever you are ready. Even though this will be less effective than our master¡¯s direct impartation, you are now able to choose among more techniques.¡±

    One of the walls where Terry had detected gaps with his mana touch was sliding upwards. It revealed a room full of palm-sized pieces of jade.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry walked closer.

    ¡°Choose one and you will proceed to the next stage of the trial. Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance,¡± stressed the voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Terry¡¯s gaze wandered over the many different jade tokens. ¡°What am I even supposed to do with these?¡±

    I should have chosen wealth. Terry grumbled in his mind. He subconsciously turned to the projection. ¡°How do I¡­?¡± Why am I even turning around, that thing won¡¯t care if I make eye contact or not. He cleared his throat. ¡°How do I know what is inside?¡± He pointed at a jade token. ¡°I don¡¯t know these symbols covering them.¡±

    ¡°Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance.¡± The voice repeated.

    ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± muttered Terry with sarcasm. He tentatively injected some of his mana into the first jade token.

    [Shifting Shadow Steps.] A voice rang in Terry¡¯s mind and then a sequence of images flashed one by one, displaying different circulations of mana accompanied by body movements.

    Terry hastily removed his mana to get the strange feeling out of his mind.

    I guess the mana martialists have discovered their own way to communicate things like that. Runic inscriptions suggest their own use. The martialists have found something else.

    ¡°Okay, while it does seem pointless, I might as well play along.¡± Terry shrugged. He knew he would not be able to use any of these, but perhaps he could give one of them to his aunt Brynn as a souvenir or something. The mana-crafting enthusiast might find these jade tokens a curiosity.

    Terry dumped some of his mana into the room. He was eager to test if he could use these jade tokens without touching them. He had been forced to learn how to use magic items from a distance to escape from his cell in Thanatos, and now he was curious if this was also possible with martialist items.

    I guess so¡­ Terry thought to himself while more names and images flooded into his mind from a jade token he had pushed his naturalized mana into remotely.

    ¡°Then this shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± Terry spread his mana and then sank his consciousness into the jade tokens one by one, only for as long as required to hear the technique¡¯s name.

    They sure like to give grandiose sounding names. Mighty this, dragon that, what the Wastes.

    How is anyone supposed to know what kind of level these techniques really are?

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry involuntarily rolled his eyes.

    Worse is that the names often don¡¯t even hint at what they¡¯re for.

    ¡®Ethereal Phantom Steps¡¯? Great, I¡¯m just going to assume that the focus is invisibility? Or speed? Or an ethereal state? Or what?

    I¡¯m glad they don¡¯t call spells like that.

    ¡°¡®Steps¡¯ at least indicates movement,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°¡®Slash¡¯ implies attack, so that¡¯s something.¡±

    Terry fell into a rhythm of quickly examining each of the jade tokens until one caused his expression to cramp. He reversed his direction until he had reached the reason for his pause.

    [Heavenly Wolf Slash of the Heavenly Beast Scriptures, complete sequence and accompanying movement technique.]

    Is this what Rafael is looking for? Terry puckered his lips. Well, pettiness is as good a reason for me to choose as any other, I guess. He picked up the jade token with the heavenly wolf slash moveset.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The androgynous voice echoed in the area.

    Terry could sense the beginnings of a mana distortion. He turned around to leave the Hall of Knowledge.

    When his eyes fell on the back of the sliding wall at the top, Terry¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Another mark?¡± He blurted out involuntarily. He felt the pull from an unachored spatial transfer on himself. ¡°No, wait.¡± He reflexively burst his mana to resist the pull.

    As soon as Terry had broken the spatial transfer, he regretted it. ¡°Oh crap.¡± The sliding wall was coming down and he rushed through it into the original cavern without caring about the purple mark on the wall anymore. ¡°Crap crap crap.¡±

    Back in the cavern, Terry looked around with panic. There was no translucent figure anymore, which only increased his growing anxiety.

    ¡°Please,¡± begged Terry. ¡°Please tell me I didn¡¯t just get myself trapped in here.¡± He looked around frenziedly. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡±

    You could engrave one of the walls as your gravestone before you starve.

    Here lies Terry.

    An idiot.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± hissed Terry.

    ¡°Welcome, challenger of the trials.¡±

    Just when Terry was getting started with really berating himself for his stupidity, the androgynous voice echoed from the walls again.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry scratched his cheek. ¡°Hi? I¡¯m so glad to see you again, believe me.¡±

    ¡°You have successfully cleared the first stage of this trial. You have earned the right to choose between wealth, power, and knowledge. Your time here is limited, choose quickly or miss the chance.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Terry¡¯s face stiffened.

    Could it be?

    Really?

    Terry began laughing incredulously. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this. Knowledge! Ah crap, no, I wanted to pick¡ª¡± Wealth.

    Terry inwardly lamented while the translucent projection rambled once more through the problem with directly imparting a technique to him. Soon after, he stepped into the room with jade tokens for the second time. He immediately searched for the mark and moved his fingers over the strange symbol.

    If this isn¡¯t a dungeon mark, then what is it?

    ¡°Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± grumbled Terry. He was about to pick up the first of the jade tokens ¨C he didn¡¯t really care about them anyway. Before touching the jade, his eyes were drawn to the sliding wall instead.

    ¡°Heavy,¡± muttered Terry. Together with the mechanism that moves it, this will probably create a lot of force.

    There was little doubt that any of the challengers in this secret realm would be squished into paste if they tried to hold off the wall.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry bit his upper lip. Could it be?

    Terry placed a tertium slab right underneath the wall and transfixed the slab. Afterwards, he picked up the second jade token.

    ¡°Very well.¡± While the voice echoed, Terry could also hear the sound of the wall impacting on the tertium slab. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He walked back into the original cavern. As the seconds ticked by, Terry was getting anxious again.

    Here lies Terry.

    He died while trying to collect jade tokens he didn''t even have a use for.

    A true idiot.

    ¡°Welcome, challenger of the trials.¡±

    ¡°Thank mana.¡± Terry blurted out. He stored the second jade in his dimensional bag together with the first.

    ¡°You have successfully cleared the first stage of this trial. You have earned the right to choose between wealth, power, and knowledge. Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance.¡±

    Terry tentatively picked up another one of the jade tokens. He was half-waiting for the familiar ¡®very well¡¯ but nothing came this time.

    ¡°Alright then, don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± Terry swiped all of the jade tokens into his dimensional storage.

    Seriously though, I¡¯m not sure Aunt Brynn would have a use for all of these. They would just collect dust and take up valuable space that could be used for constructs or something.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll meet Vicente again.¡± Terry replied absentmindedly to his intrusive thoughts. He did not know many martialists and at this point, his sparring partner from the Libra Outpost in Tiv was the only one he was on friendly terms with.

    I think your hoarding habits are growing a bit out of control.

    ¡°As long as there is still space in my storage for more rope, it should be fine, right?¡± retorted Terry while seeing up the next iteration with the projection.

    ¡°Your time here is limited, choose quickly or miss the chance,¡± interjected the androgynous voice.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Is it though?¡± quipped Terry cheekily. He could practically feel the reprimanding glares from his family and he reminded himself. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t get cocky.¡±

    When the voice asked Terry for his choice again, he replied in high spirits: ¡°Wealth, please.¡±

    Another wall slid up and to reveal a long hall with all kinds of weird plants, crystals, and other materials.

    ¡°Nice,¡± exclaimed Terry with wide eyes only to narrow them in a skeptical frown a moment later. The only problem is I barely know any of these. While he believed to recognize some of the items from the reference book he had received from the Icy Dew Mountain¡¯s people, most of the collection was a mystery to Terry.

    I guess they¡¯re valuable, so I can probably sell them at least.

    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes were glued to a pill that radiated an intense life-aspected mana signature. He moved closer to examine it. ¡°Most likely a healing item.¡±

    ¡°Your time here is limited. Choose quickly or miss the chance.¡± The voice reminded.

    ¡°Good point, first things first.¡± Terry transfixed another tertium slab to block the second wall from sliding down again. He was still keeping the first wall blocked as well.

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Terry was searching through the hall without picking up any of the items. Eventually, he found what he had been looking for: another mark. He traced the mark pensively. ¡°I wonder.¡±

    ¡°Your indecisiveness has cost you your chance,¡± rebuked the voice sternly.

    ¡°Huh? Oh I guess I¡¯ve been taking too long.¡± Terry burst his mana to resist the pull from the unanchored spatial transfer. A trace of nervousness remained in Terry, gnawing at his calm until he could finally hear the translucent projection speak again.

    Terry picked up the life-aspected pill and was glad to find that the translucent projection didn¡¯t react. Not long afterwards, the second hall had been picked clean by Terry as well.

    ¡°Power,¡± announced Terry loudly and the last wall where he had sensed a gap with his mana touch slid up to reveal another hallway full of items.

    ¡°Weapons, jewelry, some armor¡­¡± Terry walked through the hallway while examining the items. ¡°Huh, these look familiar.¡± He stopped in front of a piece of paper that carried a strange mana-infused symbol. ¡°Like that thing the Third Scion from the Blazing Sun Sect used. Different symbol, but probably a similar single-use talisman.

    ¡°And this¡­¡± Terry moved to another familiar object. It was a carved sphere that surrounded a weird mana signature. ¡°That seems similar to the thing that Rafael used to create the barrier. A protective artifact?¡± Terry shrugged and instead of taking any of the items, he was looking for another of the purple marks.

    He discovered one close to the wall at the far end. ¡°Okay, what now?¡± Terry looked around and clicked his tongue.

    The only question is if I can afford to take all of the items, or if I need to leave one to make sure I can trigger the spatial transfer after making a choice. What would happen if I¡¯m stuck here without any items? Would it just send me away? Would the countdown trigger?

    ¡°Let¡¯s stick to what I know.¡± Terry retrieved all of the items except for one of the paper talismans. Afterwards, he allowed the translucent projection to run through the usual procedure.

    Finally, Terry picked up the paper talisman.

    ¡°Very well,¡± echoed the androgynous voice.

    Terry felt both relief as well as a mischievous sense of glee when he sensed the unachored spatial transfer targeting him.

    ***

    ¡°What are you all waiting for?¡± A martialist engaged in a fight was pleading with some bystanders.

    ¡°The doors won¡¯t open until we have reduced our numbers!¡± added another fighting martialist.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡±

    ¡°Why else would we be stuck here?¡±

    ¡°Who cares?! Can¡¯t you see that abominable cultivation?!¡±

    ¡°Right, the attacks she threw out before should not carry these aspects. Heretic!¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­?¡±

    In a group of eight martialists, the majority stood to confront a woman in simple black combat robes whose hair was bound in a tight ponytail.

    ¡°Come here, or are you suddenly scared?!¡± Apex glared at the martialists in defiance. She had already beaten back four of them at once and she was determined to fight to her last breath. Her prideful gaze didn¡¯t change even when she coughed out a clot of darkened blood. She had been severely injured, but not by these people. No, her wounds originated from an earlier ambush before the altar¡¯s trial.

    ¡°The energy on her, isn¡¯t that the same energy that we found when our junior disappeared?¡±

    ¡°If she did anything, I¡¯ll kill her¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a tease! Come then!¡± goaded Apex. She held up her fists. ¡°If you think I will succumb to the likes of you just because I¡¯m a little injured, you can consider your mistakes in the next life!¡±

    ¡°I know who you are!¡± exclaimed one of the bystanders.

    ¡°Who gives a shit?¡± spat Apex. ¡°Talk with your fists or don¡¯t talk at all!¡±

    Fighting broke out once more, now with even more martialists joining the fight against Apex. Powerful mana was building when several martialists coordinated their attacks. It was right before their powers were unleashed that Terry appeared out of thin air.

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± Terry was flabbergasted to find himself besieged by an intense assault the instant he arrived. He instinctively retrieved a septimum shield to transfix and block.

    I hate unanchored transfers!

    The spiraling mana impacted on the Immovable Object and perished. Terry emitted a low growl and he could not keep the irritation from his face. He glared at the people that had attacked him. To his surprise, he recognized a few of them.

    A man in white-golden robes that had introduced himself as Shen as well as one of his companions.

    The sister from the pair of martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect that had not immediately attacked Terry. They had not introduced themselves to Terry by name.

    Even two of the people from the Icy Dew Mountain ¨C their princess Sheila and the strongest martialist from the princess¡¯s entourage that went by the name of Zhang, a man with sunken eyes.

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened and he growled: ¡°Is this supposed to be an ambush or something?¡±

    ¡°Eeek.¡± Sheila yelped when she saw Terry glaring at her.

    ¡°Oh no.¡± Zhang, who was standing next to the Icy Dew Princess, cursed.

    ¡°Who are you supposed to be?!¡±

    ¡°Why did you interfere? Are you with that¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen cut the man off. ¡°Look at¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oy! Who asked you to butt into my fight?!¡± A furious shout arrived from Terry¡¯s back.

    Terry was already preparing to block any potential attack when he spotted the black-clothed woman. ¡°Apex?¡± He blurted out. ¡°Wow, you look like¡ª¡± Shit. Terry finally regained enough sense and bit his tongue in time to not finish his thoughts out loud.

    Apex involuntarily stopped when being addressed by name. ¡°And who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confused,¡± muttered one of the martialists that had attacked Apex. ¡°Do they know each other or not?¡±

    ¡°Who is ¡®Apex¡¯?¡± asked another.

    Terry turned to face the other martialists again. ¡°Okay, what is going on here? What¡¯s this about?¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you are in a position to ask questions?!¡±

    ¡°Step aside or you¡¯ll be next!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s collaborate again!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Zhang hastily. He moved an arm in front of his charge and made sure Sheila also stepped back from the battle. Afterwards, he nodded towards Terry. ¡°We will not raise a hand against this man.¡± He looked at some of the others. ¡°I would advise you to not do so either.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?!¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish,¡± replied Zhang indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s your life to throw away.¡±

    ¡°Terry, we meet again.¡± Shen spoke up with a friendly smile. Many of the martialists were immediately paying attention to the man in white-golden robes. ¡°If you are still looking to settle scores with Rafael, I might be able to¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± said Terry grumpily. As far as he was concerned, his situation with Rafael was settled. He had already vented and he did not want to pay the felan any further thought. He needed to focus on getting back to Arcana. Everything else was a distraction.

    ¡°It seems you have a strange group of friends.¡± Shen raised his chin towards Apex. ¡°This one is even more hated than the last one.¡±

    ¡°Who is friends with him?¡± spat Apex. ¡°I don¡¯t know any Terry.¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°Apex is right, we¡¯re not friends.¡± Who would want to be friends with a lunatic battle junkie? I haven¡¯t forgotten how she rampaged in Syn City. How she pestered Cousin Matteo. Still¡­ She did fight on our side in the battle against Willow and Anand. Terry resolved himself. ¡°I have something to repay Apex for though¡­ kind of.¡±

    ¡°You keep calling her ¡®Apex¡¯,¡± remarked Shen. ¡°That¡¯s not her name.¡±

    Terry blinked and he blurted: ¡°Appy then?¡±

    ¡°OY!¡± Apex shouted angrily and then her brow furrowed as if she was on the verge of remembering something.

    ¡°That¡¯s Aparicia, a daughter of heretics and a heretic herself,¡± explained Shen amusedly. ¡°By all accounts, she is supposed to be dead. Her cultivation lineage was the reason for a purge in the Martial Tower. Siding with someone like that will not earn you any friends.¡±

    ¡°Like hell it will,¡± growled another martialist. The man glared at Terry. ¡°Step aside or I¡¯ll show you your grave.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sing it, bring it,¡± retorted Terry defiantly.

    ¡°That¡­!¡± Apex pointed at Terry with a flash of recognition in her eyes. ¡°You were with the old hag!¡±

    Shen held back the martialist in front of Terry. ¡°We don¡¯t know how this trial works, but there was a slight rumble just then. There might have been movement in the passages. Perhaps now is not the right time for this.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight,¡± agreed Terry.

    ¡°What if I still want to fight, huh?!¡± demanded Apex angrily.

    Terry looked at her incredulously. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in any condition to fight properly. What is this¡­?¡± Terry examined the mana aspects in his mana sight. A version of fire and lightning, but also¡­ Darkwater? Something else in it as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why!¡± spat Apex. ¡°Thanks to the little shitstain, I had to choose a recovery item as a reward.¡± She pointed at the other martialists. ¡°I need something else and they might have it. The fact that they attacked me first is just another reason to crush them.¡±

    Terry felt a headache coming. Perhaps I should just forget what happened at the Libra Outpost.

    Lunatic.

    Terry was not sure how to deal with such an unreasonable person. He was getting used to killing people like this, as frustrating as it might be. Wanting to repay this kind of battle maniac was turning out to be even more frustrating. Terry vaguely remembered that his aunt Sigille had teased Matteo about his troubles when dealing with Apex in the past. He was seriously considering getting out of the way to let all the crazies duke it out.

    ¡°Impudent beast,¡± sneered one of the martialists that had attacked Apex earlier. ¡°Do you really think someone like you would be able to stand against all of us? Do you even realize what kind of cultivation I have achieved?¡±

    ¡°You have reached major accomplishment in idiocy and pointless talks,¡± sneered Apex. ¡°I can help you take the last step towards reaching eternal peacefulness too, if you want.¡±

    Terry could not help but snicker when he saw the martialist¡¯s facial expression.

    ¡°Stop squirming and fight, you little coward!¡± challenged Apex.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Terry stepped back to block the fight between the two. He had realized something that might resolve the situation. He looked at Apex. ¡°What exactly do you need?¡±

    ¡°I want an aged Cleansing Firestalk Bamboo.¡± Apex pointed at the others again. ¡°If they hand it over¡ª¡±

    ¡°Insolent!¡±

    ¡°Kill her!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have such a thing.¡± In contrast to some others, the duo from the Icy Dew Mountain Sect replied calmly.

    ¡°Why would I trust your words?!¡± Apex scoffed. ¡°Hand over your storage items if you want to leave.¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously think you are in a position to make demands?!¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± Terry held out an orange-colored bamboo. He had quickly searched through the items he had taken from the Hall of Wealth to look for something with the appearance of the plant.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Apex stared at the bamboo that Terry had taken out casually.

    ¡°You actually have it?¡± Shen¡¯s mouth stood agape.

    Terry threw the bamboo towards Apex. ¡°Can we stop the quarrels and act like adults now?¡±

    ¡°What else do you have?!¡± one of the martialists stepped forward. ¡°Hand it over!¡±

    ¡°I guess not.¡± Terry rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Hold it.¡± Shen spoke up. He looked around with suspicion. ¡°One person is missing. Where did the core disciple from the Blazing Sun Sect go?¡±

    ¡°She went this way.¡± Terry pointed towards one of the ostensibly blocked entrances. ¡°Shortly after I arrived.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re idiots?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t like an honest answer,¡± quipped Terry honestly. He ignored the angry martialists and looked at Shen. ¡°The other passages aren¡¯t blocked anymore. It¡¯s just an illusion. A well-cloaked illusion, but an illusion nonetheless.¡± Terry was certain because he had been scouting with his mana touch as soon as he had arrived in this cavern.

    ¡°Nobody moves,¡± growled Shen in a tone that did not allow being contradicted.

    ¡°Screw you,¡± roared Apex and chose one of the passages.

    As soon as she was through, Terry could feel that the illusion turned into reality, presumably through the movement or transfer of walls. Only a single person could enter each passage. Immediately, fights broke out and the martialists were competing for which entrance to take.

    Merely three people didn¡¯t join the fight and eventually, only these three were left in the cavern. Terry looked at the two martialists from the Icy Dew Mountain. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to offend you again, Senior,¡± said Zhang. ¡°Without knowing which entrance you wish to take, we chose it more wisely to wait.¡±

    Okay?

    That¡¯s new.

    Terry suppressed the desire to snort. He did not like how the continued interaction with these martialists rubbed off on himself. ¡°That¡¯s very considerate. Do you know anything about the passages?¡±

    ¡°We suspect they lead to dao chambers,¡± replied Zhang. He glanced at the princess he was protecting.

    ¡°Dao chambers?¡± asked Terry with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± blurted the princess from Icy Dew Mountain in surprise.

    Zhang shot his charge a reprimanding look and then explained for Terry: ¡°Dao chambers allow for a diluted experience of time. Invaluable help for any cultivator looking to advance in their mastery of techniques.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He did not have a good understanding of martialist techniques, but he had a good theoretical background in spellwork and with this knowledge in mind, there had to be a catch. ¡°Real time dilation is an impossibility. Time can¡¯t be created out of nothing. It cannot vanish into nothingness either.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Zhang searched for words.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mental experience,¡± interjected Sheila. ¡°Your body is in a state of meditation.¡±

    ¡®Meditation¡¯? Terry furrowed his brow even further.

    Less of a time manipulation and more a realistic illusion? Mind magic?

    Terry knew that there were spells that forced the target into a simulated experience, but he wasn¡¯t sure if a different speed of experienced time was possible in these spells.

    Perhaps I should just take a look?

    Terry examined the passages. ¡°If all of these lead to dao chambers, then what¡¯s the point in fighting over which passage to take?¡±

    ¡°Dao chambers can have different qualities, different dilutions of time, different duration limits,¡± explained Sheila. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to tell from the outside though.¡±

    So they were just fighting based on their own hunches? Terry shook his head. ¡°You pick whatever passage you want. I¡¯ll take the last.¡±

    The duo from the Icy Dew Mountain couldn¡¯t believe their ears, but they did not dare decline.

    ***

 156 Consuming Time

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 16 ¨C

    As soon as the duo from the Icy Dew Mountain had departed into the passages of their choice, Terry was left alone in the cavern.

    Terry exhaled loudly in a sigh of growing annoyance. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d miss the ghouly Alricks as company. These battle-crazed martialists are driving me insane. Even being stuck alone in a dungeon would be better than this.¡±

    He slowly walked towards the last open passage. He left his gaze fixed on the illusionary wall.

    Impressive.

    ¡°Perfectly cloaked magic,¡± muttered Terry. Even he with his astute senses remained unable to see the mana at work here.

    If it wasn¡¯t for my mana touch, I might have been fooled for longer.

    Terry¡¯s eyes darted towards another passage. ¡°How did the women from the Blazing Sun notice the change?¡± He shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    Should I? He hesitated to step through the remaining passage.

    ¡°Worked out last time, didn¡¯t it?¡± Terry muttered to himself. With mustered resolve, he retrieved a foldable tertium cube and folded it to cover four sides while leaving the other two open like a tunnel.

    Terry moved the tertium tunnel piece into the passage and then transfixed it with a strongly empowered Immovable Object spell. Afterwards, he jumped through the opening and caught himself in the air with the rest of his equipment. He did not want to touch the floor before examining it first.

    Terry glanced back. His mana touch told him that walls had been moved and collided with the immovable tertium. His sight was being tricked like before by the active illusion.

    ¡°Alright, as long as I keep this spell active, I should be able to return into the main cavern if I want to.¡± Terry averted his gaze from the tertium and focused on the floor.

    If I cannot trust my mana sight, I should reserve more time for scouting with mana touch.

    He walked in the air with the help of his boot mechanism and the Immovable Object spell.

    ¡°Greetings, challenger.¡± A monotone voice rang from the walls.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Terry was dismayed that he had triggered something despite avoiding contact with the floor.

    ¡°The road of cultivation can be long and arduous,¡± continued the monotone voice. ¡°A genius that dies young is no genius at all. Correctly judging your own abilities and limitations is an essential skill. Before you, there are two gates: a gate of life and a gate of death. Back out now and skip the trial. After you have embarked on your path, it will be too late.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Terry ignored the voice while scouting ahead. ¡°What ¡®gates¡¯? Just two tunnels.¡±

    One is narrow and eventually leads to a mana distortion in front of a wall. A teleportation field.

    ¡°Wastes, unanchored transfer again.¡± Terry dismissed that tunnel as a first option.

    The other is wider and longer¡­ He walked forward in the air.

    ¡°You have made your choice,¡± declared the monotone voice. ¡°No more return.¡±

    Terry reacted as soon as he felt the sensation in his mana touch. He rapidly hurled out a pair of septimum throwing needles from his leg straps. The needles transfixed in the air and stopped the moving walls short in their tracks.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± grumbled Terry. He approached the walls and placed tertium slabs to take over obstructing the movable rock. He would rather sacrifice a lot of tertium than any of his septimum equipment. The septimum had a much lower base activation delay for the Immovable Object spell and was also way more expensive.

    After making sure his retreat was secured, Terry continued down the wider path.

    Terry stopped in front of a mana formation inside the floor that was visible in his mana sight. Visible, but barely so. His eyes swiveled suspiciously from side to side.

    ¡°Is this a trick?¡± Terry muttered to himself.

    The illusions before were perfectly cloaked. Why is this magic not cloaked to the same degree of perfection?

    This mana also looks different from the tiny mana inscriptions I saw at the bottom of the lake. It doesn¡¯t look like the inscriptions I know.

    Terry retrieved a pebble from his storage bracelet and hurled it at the floor with the mana formation.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°Alright, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m still not touching that.¡± Terry continued walking in the air and avoiding the floor.

    As soon as he had reached the half-way mark of the mana formation in the floor, something changed. He felt himself pressed into his boots as if gravity in the area had increased or as if the ceiling was casting Kinetic Push downwards.

    ¡°You have done well to recognize the danger, but no matter how great your movement techniques are, sometimes danger cannot be avoided.¡± The monotone voice spoke again.

    Fortunately, Terry¡¯s boots remained immovable and even with the increased pressure, he was at no risk of touching the floor.

    In fact, Terry even had the leeway to test the formations¡¯ effect by throwing pebbles into both directions. The change in gravity appeared to be effective over the whole mana formation, including the half that Terry had already passed.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± exclaimed Terry. He walked forth on the immovable layers of septimum contained in his boots. Step by step. Spell by spell. His footing was always secure.

    In the last quarter of the formation field, Terry nearly stumbled. Not because of the gravity, but because of the faint washed out mark that he had spotted on the tunnel wall.

    Another one of these marks? Terry creased his brows.

    I get dungeon marks. The first dungeon divers placed them during the initial mapping of a dungeon. When dungeons first appeared, there was little choice, because they didn¡¯t have any alternatives.

    What¡¯s the point of these marks though?

    Terry was still getting an incongruous feeling from this secret realm.

    Eventually, he chalked it up to the whole thing simply being too unfamiliar.

    Perhaps my mind is just trying to interpret these in terms of what I¡¯m more familiar with.

    Probably pointless.

    Focus.

    Terry shrugged and finished crossing the mana formation.

    ¡°Now that you have tasted the pain of your foolishness, do you want to escape?¡± asked the monotone voice.

    Terry scrunched up his face.

    How can this realm soul or spirit or whatever be intelligent enough to detect that I¡¯ve crossed the formation field while at the same time, it¡¯s too stupid to detect that I never made contact with the floor and whatever ¡®pain¡¯ it was supposed to inflict?

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why is this thing even still speaking to me? What ¡®escape¡¯? What happened to ¡®After you have embarked on your path, it will be too late¡¯?¡±

    Mind games.

    ¡°Screw this.¡± Terry scowled and continued walking forward.

    After continuing for several minutes, Terry¡¯s mana detection field warned him of incoming projectiles from ahead. His instincts reacted before his conscious mind had a chance to think and a second later, the translucent projectiles were transfixed in the air for Terry to examine.

    Nearly invisible needles, only a slight reflection of the light, like a water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Traces of poison-aspected mana and a liquid coating, presumably poison as well.¡± Terry¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°If this tunnel is human-made, then the creator is a piece of shit.¡±

    Works for me though. He swiped the projectiles into his dimensional storage. One can never have enough throwing weapons. Or blades. Or secret weapons. ¡°Or rope, or boulders¡­¡± Terry¡¯s mutterings stopped. ¡°Even pebbles, I guess.¡±

    My hoarding habit might be getting out of control.

    ¡°As long as there is space in storage, who cares?¡± Terry mumbled and continued walking. ¡°Hard to see needles should come in handy, even if the traces of the poison aspect make them detectable in mana sight.¡±

    If your mana sight is sensitive enough to pick the traces up that is.

    ¡°The smallest setbacks can linger in your soul to form mental demons that will break you apart.¡± The monotone voice interjected. ¡°Negligence and hubris are a cultivator¡¯s downfall.¡±

    Terry halted his steps and looked incredulously at the walls. ¡°Is this supposed to be some veiled hint at the fact that these projectiles were poisoned?¡±

    He rolled his eyes and inhaled sharply. ¡°Is this how martialists educate the next generation? Throw them into an asylum with all the others and then have them jump through lethal hoops while suffering vague ramblings in the background?¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned loudly and took up the pace to get through the tunnel more quickly.

    ***

    ¡°Cultivation means to defy the heavens to begin with! You did well to push through your doubts and¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, zip it already.¡± Terry had enough of the monotone voice monologuing in the background. He was finally at the end of the tunnel and hoped that this would represent the end of whatever trial the creator had cooked up for this section.

    Terry saw a circular platform at the center of stone that was covered in tiny inscriptions. Mana-infused liquid was flowing through countless small lowered areas, all intertwining and swirling around each other to create a complex pattern of mana.

    ¡°Is this supposed to be the dao chamber?¡± Terry mumbled to himself while his eyes and mana darted all around the cavern.

    ¡°Huh, another mana distortion.¡± Terry noted the location. ¡°Should be an exit.¡±

    I wonder if the other teleportation field leads to the same location as this one. Or was the first one a trap?

    Is this one a trap?

    Mind games.

    I hate unanchored transfers.

    Terry grumbled inwardly and examined the central platform more closely without stepping on it.

    ¡°Assuming this is the dao chamber, I should perhaps make some preparations.¡± Terry retrieved a mechanical watch from his storage and placed it on the floor. He noted down the time on it in one of his notebooks.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to get out of this ¡®meditation¡¯ state at will. I also don¡¯t know how much the perceived time dilation will be.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it would work for me,¡± added Terry while retrieving more items from his storage.

    I would rather not have my active spells run out before I can do anything. I would prefer to keep an exit under my control¡­

    Terry had a good grasp of how long his compressed spell structures would be able to stay active as long as no one interfered directly with them. The tertium items were still blocking the passage from closing behind him.

    During his stay in Thanatos, Terry¡¯s spell control and mana foundation had improved significantly, more so even than in previous years.

    While his mana touch discovery and items like the concealment necklace for regeneration training had played an important role in his spell control improvements, the most important factor was probably the fact that Terry had been forced to fight without any items when he had started in the Proving Grounds. There was only his mana foundation, single spell, and body.

    Terry might hate to agree with Damian, but without the distractions of his weapon and inscription training, he had had a lot more time to focus on his mana-related skills.

    ¡®The best technique is whichever one you keep training with.¡¯

    Terry recalled something his mother Isille had said when he and his siblings had started their first day of weapons training, a statement she had attributed to her own father.

    ¡°Yeah well, I still need to cover my weaknesses.¡± Terry retorted to himself. ¡°And I have plenty.¡±

    My defense has gotten a lot better. Otherwise, I would not have made it out of Thanatos.

    My offense still sucks hard, especially at range. If the fight in Thanatos would have been about more than just standing my ground until the teleportation activates, I would have lost miserably.

    ¡°Stupid Thanatos stealing my mana sublimator,¡± grumbled Terry. He missed the item that the elven woman Poppy had sold to him in Tiv¡¯s Chara Settlement. Even though using up mana cores was tremendously wasteful, the mana sublimator had been the most powerful mana-based attack that he had ever had access to.

    Terry prepared a bucket with water and transfixed it above the central platform. He made sure that this Immovable Object spell would deactivate early enough for him to backtrack and recharge the spells that secured his exit into the initial cavern.

    ¡°Time to give it a test.¡± Terry sat cross-legged on the platform.

    Nothing happened.

    Terry puffed his cheeks and looked around. ¡°Oh, right. That would make sense¡­¡± Terry sunk his mana into the platform underneath. Instantly, he felt his consciousness sucked away with his mana, similar to the sensation of scanning the items in his dimensional storage.

    ¡°Congratulations, challenger.¡± A monotone voice echoed directly in Terry¡¯s head and suddenly, Terry found himself in a world of nothing but white emptiness.

    ¡°Creepy¡­¡± Terry¡¯s mental image of himself exclaimed. He examined his equipment¡­ and his body parts. Everything was where it should be. He tentatively burst his mana but it caused no reaction. ¡°This weird space supports the mind magic theory.¡±

    ¡°We have evaluated your performance. You have not hesitated in your path and reached the goal rapidly. You qualify for the highest level of time dilation. A hundred hours of experience here will take only an hour outside. You may train here for up to seven days total.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Terry blurted out. ¡°That would be nearly two years. What¡¯s the catch?¡±

    I¡¯m still not believing that this is real time dilation either.

    ¡°Which technique do you want to train? Please demonstrate it, so that we can adjust the space accordingly.¡±

    ¡°There we go.¡± Terry frowned slightly. If this only works with martial techniques, I¡¯ll have a problem.

    ¡°Once chosen, you may not change the technique to train anymore. Choose wisely.¡±

    Terry crossed his arms and closed his eyes while thinking.

    I could just train my spell, I guess? But what if it doesn¡¯t work with spellwork? Would it allow me to choose something else or would the chance be lost completely?

    Assuming it works, would further spellwork training really be the best idea?

    What else? Discharges? Similar questions to spellwork¡­

    The Unstoppable Shift combination? Would that even be considered as a single technique? Even more uncertain than the individual parts.

    Mana foundation training?

    No¡­

    Terry made up his mind. Deep down, he knew exactly what he wanted to train. He knew what he was lacking. He knew what he had been forced to neglect during the past year.

    Terry retrieved a silvery roll with dense inscriptions from his storage item.

    Martialists are using plenty of weapon techniques, which means that this space should in theory be able to handle item usage.

    In theory.

    Shortly after, Terry was equipped with four divine hammer inscriptions, two on his forearms and two on his legs.

    Terry channeled mana into the inscriptions to summon layers of divine mana. He created them in circles around himself while switching round-robin through his different bandages. He felt a bit nervous at the lack of response from the monotone voice.

    ¡°Are you sure that you want to train this technique?¡± The voice finally spoke. ¡°We are not detecting any mana resonance. Even though this space is not able to fully replicate the real world, it is close enough for anything up to mid heaven-tier techniques. Demonstrate another technique if you want to switch.¡±

    Terry grinned widely and happily waited for the voice to continue.

    ¡°Acknowledged. The space will be adjusted accordingly. All unrelated mana will cease to exist here.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry stared at the nothingness ahead. A feeling of nausea washed over him together with slight disorientation.

    Terry anxiously noted that he was not able to sense mana from his other equipment anymore, not even from his storage items.

    ¡°Oh mana.¡± Terry¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Please let this be mind magic. If I just broke my dimensional storage, I¡¯ll¡ª

    ¡°You may start your training now.¡± A pillar of red light appeared at one location, standing alone in an ocean of white. ¡°You may interrupt your training at any time, but a cultivator should learn to focus. Frequent interruptions will reduce both your insights as well as the time remaining in this space.¡±

    ¡°Reduce the remaining time by how much?¡± Terry asked reflexively before frowning at himself. ¡°I forgot that this thing doesn¡¯t know how to reply.¡±

    Terry stood up and walked to the pillar of red light. He discovered that the pillar was surrounded by a red line drawing a circle around the pillar. The line was shrinking as time passed.

    Terry crouched down and used his finger to point at the end of the line and began counting. After a minute, Terry roughly measured how much the line had moved and tried to estimate how much time the total line indicated.

    ¡°Fits roughly.¡± Terry nodded. ¡°A countdown for the remaining time.¡±

    Terry removed his magic brooch and placed it at a position that showed the time when he had to leave in order to recharge the active Immovable Object spells in the real world.

    Afterwards, he began practicing the usage of the divine hammer inscription. When he noticed that his mana did not seem to diminish in this space, Terry could not help but grin widely.

    ***

    ¡°So much for my smart safety implementations.¡± Terry grumbled and tried to ignore the wetness on his helmet and armor. His bucket solution, that had worked perfectly fine as an alarm clock when napping in immovable cubes in the sky, had proved insufficient to wake him up from meditation.

    He noted that his equipment was still as he had left it here. He was still wearing the magic brooch that summoned shadow fabric. On his left arm, he was wearing only the bidirectional attraction glove and no divine hammer inscription. Just like before entering that weird space.

    The clock he had left behind confirmed that only two hours had passed.

    Terry frowned. If the meditation is that enthralling, I should make sure to block the passage with tertium slabs. At least the opened cube I left at the initial entrance. I don¡¯t like the idea of sitting here without being able to react to anything.

    One more reason to take regular breaks and get back here. Who cares if I¡¯m losing some time in that space? I never expected something like that to begin with.

    How come these martialists seem so fine with sitting around unprotected in such a vulnerable state in a place like this? Their whole attitude is completely¡ª

    ¡°Guess I shouldn¡¯t complain, I¡¯m fine and I¡¯m still on time.¡± Terry dashed through the passage to recharge his active spells. He subconsciously smiled when running on layers of divine mana.

    Two hours outside had been two hundred hours of perpetual training with the inscription inside. He had never lacked for mana. He had never felt tired.

    It was monotonous, to be sure, but Terry found excitement in progress, and sometimes even in failure.

    Whenever Terry had desired for a change, he tried something new with the inscription.

    Another way to channel mana through it.

    Another way to stack or weave the layers.

    All of his creative experiments had ended in failures, but they were all ideas crossed off a list, leaving Terry¡¯s head free for new things to try.

    ¡°Every failure allows me to get that much closer to getting it right.¡± Terry muttered wistfully during his dash.

    ***

    Three days later, Terry was dashing once more towards the original cavern. A sense of pride welled up in him whenever his feet touched the layers of divine mana. They had become much more robust, much less fragile.

    If Terry had to rank his training goals by order of how much he felt he was succeeding, then it would be: range, durability, size, and movement.

    Truthfully, Terry would be unwilling to even include movement at all considering he was still failing utterly at moving even the tiniest layer of divine mana without it falling apart instantly. He had little hope of making any large leaps during the remaining half of the allotted time and was counting instead on incremental progress of the aspects he already understood to some degree.

    Terry knew that he only had three days left, even though the initial duration was promised to be seven. The missing day was the cost of what he was currently doing: interrupting his training whenever he needed to recharge his active spells outside.

    At least I managed to quantify the cost with the help of that timer at the red pillar of light.

    Terry tried to not dwell on it. Perhaps it really was a waste of an opportunity, but he still stubbornly refused to let go of his spells that were securing the passage back into the original cavern.

    Perhaps it was to remind himself that the time spent inside the other space was not real, or diluted, or however that really worked. He was getting used to spending time with himself, even though he had to work hard to not let some of his past dungeon habits resurface.

    Terry held onto his sanity but that required assurances. Assurances that the time flying by was limited to himself. He knew the time alone was a way to return to his family more quickly. That''s what kept him sane. The knowledge that he was increasing his chances. This wasn¡¯t time lost to his loved ones. He did not have to worry a hundred-fold about what might happen to his friends and family in the meantime.

    With the frequent breaks, Terry spent rather a sequence of many weeks in training as opposed to what could have been nearly two years at once. He reserved some time for each break. Taking notes, eating, taking notes, sleeping, taking notes, reading, taking more notes.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Terry peered through the immovable tertium cube and paused. At the center of the cavern that led to the nine passages, a small mana-infused plant was growing.

    Terry was certain that the plant had not been there in the beginning. He cautiously squeezed himself through the opening in the immovable cube and walked towards the plant.

    Unexpectedly, he had to stop after a few steps. The closer he stepped, the more exhausted he felt. He even felt slightly thirsty all of a sudden.

    Terry hurriedly retreated back to the other side of the tertium cube. He reflexively transfixed a tertium slab in front of the opening again. He was feeling increasingly conflicted about leaving this passage open at all.

    ***

 157 Diving Into Madness

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 32 ¨C

    Terry glanced back for one last look at the endless white.

    ¡°...your time is up.¡± The monotone voice echoed in his head.

    Soon after, Terry found himself sitting on a platform in his little cavern again. His eyes first darted towards the dried-up mana-infused liquid that had surrounded the platform before.

    ¡°Not dried up,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Used up? Or pulled elsewhere¡­¡± He lifted himself from his seated position and stretched. He rubbed his eyes and exhaled sharply.

    ¡°As beneficial as this meditation might have been¡­¡± Terry rubbed his eyes a second time and inhaled deeply. ¡°...this was exhausting on a whole other level. No wonder, these martialists are all batshit bonkers. Stuff like this, these ridiculous trials accompanied by platitudes and grandstanding, and naturally all while being imprisoned with other lunatics.¡±

    Terry walked away from the platform. He felt like sleeping for at least two days. Technically, his body had gotten enough sleep. Terry had kept a tight schedule but he had always made sure to get enough food and rest.

    However, none of this accounted for the time inside the meditation space. Even though Terry had not felt any physical tiredness there, a mind can only be awake for so long before screaming for mercy.

    Mana, I really don¡¯t know how Devon was able to stay even remotely sane without ever allowing himself to sleep. I barely held on in a mental simulation and even there, I had to take rest time. I can ask him if he has any tips if I ever get the chance to meet him again. It would be nice if I can visit the Chara Settlement and Syn City after returning to Arcana. Nice, but difficult, unless the bounties on my head disappeared, which seems unlikely.

    I want to nap¡­

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Terry slapped his cheeks. ¡°Spells and research first.¡±

    Terry dashed towards the initial cavern that led to the nine passages. He had spells to keep active, and something important to investigate.

    ***

    Terry stared at the different pieces of wood in front of him.

    When Terry had placed them, they had all looked exactly alike. Now, however, there was a progressive change in them. It might not be that noticeable if he only compared individual pairs that were closest to each other, but it was obvious when looking at the two at the outer edges.

    One looked still fresh, dry perhaps, but freshly cut.

    The others looked grey and, well, aged.

    ¡°Fits the pattern.¡± Terry glanced at a similar line-up of tertium. The piece he had placed directly in the original cavern where that weird plant was growing had become extremely dull. Terry knew that this was what happened after tertium got exposed to the air for an extended period of time. Even though he had never cared about it, he knew that you had to polish tertium if you wanted it to stay shiny.

    Terry had placed different test items at different distances towards the plant and cavern. Wooden logs, tertium slabs, some of his juggling balls, and even some crumbs of the food he had in his storage items.

    All of his tests had yielded the same result: Time was accelerated in the cavern.

    Terry warily pressed his mana into the chamber. The increasing resistance told him that the mana density in the cavern had increased since his last test. Terry had managed to keep his own passage mostly free of the strange mana by blocking it at all times with immovable tertium.

    ¡°Seems like the passage obstructions had another reason than simply to prevent challengers from returning¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself.

    He was trying to make up his mind. He wanted to test something, but the more cautious part of him wanted to talk himself out of it. Eventually though, his cautious self was ganged up on by a curious Academy student and the part of him that desired to grow stronger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over this calmly.¡± Terry told himself. ¡°I know that real time dilation is posited to be an impossibility. The articles I¡¯ve skimmed while being desperate in the Academy library made that clear.¡±

    Terry clicked his tongue. ¡°I know that what¡¯s-her-face from the Icy Dew Mountain claimed this was a mental experience, but was that really the case? Even if it was mind magic, the effect should be limited by the senses of the target, right? Or rather, the processing signals in my brain. Unless that was accelerated for real, how could such a mental simulation be workable?¡±

    Terry moved his gaze towards the tertium slab that was still blocking the opening in his transfixed tertium cube. ¡°And this? My experiments have shown that the mana in there does something to accelerate time.¡± He repeated for himself. ¡°Time cannot be created out of nothing. It cannot vanish into nothingness either.¡±

    The more often he repeated it, the more Terry felt reminded of something else. He never studied it himself because of his aspect impairment, but he was aware that one of the best ways to achieve mana cloaking was to rely on aspect inversion.

    Aspect inversion was a cloaking technique that made use of the paired aspects that off-set each other. Using fire to hide water. Using darkness to hide light. And vice versa. Similar effects could be achieved without aspect inversion but the fundamental idea remained the same.

    Mana ¨C like other forms of energy ¨C can be positive or negative. If you want to hide positive mana, you can wrap it in matching negative mana structures. From the outside, the mana signatures add up to nothing.

    Even some of Terry¡¯s earliest mana crafting lessons with Brynn had already touched on the idea that nothing and nothing were two different concepts.

    ¡°Adds up to nothing,¡± mumbled Terry. He held his hands behind his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean that the individual parts are all nothing.¡±

    He puffed his cheeks. ¡°Theory: The dao chamber is not creating time out of nothing. It¡¯s creating something negative that is paired and offset by something positive in the original cavern. Time dilation for the mental experience and time acceleration here.¡±

    He rubbed his chin. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t come with any other drawbacks, this would be genius. Taking the benefit of time dilation while displacing the drawback.¡± He puckered his lips. ¡°Is it even a drawback at that point? I don¡¯t know what plant this is, but there are plenty of plants that become more valuable the older they are.¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°No idea if that would be workable. Perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence that something is growing there. Or it¡¯s a requirement for the whole process rather than a magic-accelerated greenhouse. It could be tricky to provide all the required nutrients and environment for something to grow like this. I wonder if Bjorln would have an idea¡­¡±

    Cut the crap. His intrusive thoughts barked.

    Terry tried to ignore them.

    You know you are not thinking about gardening.

    You know what this is really about in your head.

    ¡°I know.¡± Terry placed his hands in front of him and moved his thumb over the palm of his other hand.

    What was the biggest frustration in the Thanatos Proving Grounds?

    ¡°Lack of equipment,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Not true and you know it.

    ¡°Lack of long-range attack spells.¡±

    You know that this is simply a limitation of who you are. This frustration is part of you and probably always will be.

    No.

    You know better.

    Terry exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. ¡°Betrayed by the limitations of my own body.¡±

    Yes. No matter how great my mana foundation is, the transformation of a body is a time-consuming process.

    So what¡¯s there to think about?

    Terry involuntarily thought back to his first mana cultivation lessons. To the physical exercise with Bjorln. To the first day that Terry had ever bottomed out his mana pool.

    ¡°Unhealthy,¡± mumbled Terry.

    ¡®A bit of normal aging will do you good.¡¯ Bjorlns¡¯ words echoed in his mind.

    ¡°This won¡¯t exactly be ¡®normal¡¯ aging, will it?¡± asked Terry.

    No one replied.

    Terry¡¯s cautious side made one last-ditch effort: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mess up my future progress? If I take it slow, I can focus on increasing my mana foundation. If I go through with this, the aging will happen at my current level of mana foundation.¡±

    His inner Academy student considered the problem and replied calmly in his thoughts. Only matters if I lose more time than I can gain by the increase in mana foundation anyway. Otherwise, the difference is a drop in the bucket long-term. I¡¯ll still grow older afterwards too. Plus¡­

    Terry nodded to himself. ¡°Plus, I can make sure my mana is filled plenty.¡± He sunk his consciousness into his storage items, moving over all the edible stuff he had taken from the Hall of Wealth and the oasis.

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    If anyone was aware of how Terry considered to use these items, they would want to club him to death. Using priceless treasures as light snacks would make even the martialists question Terry¡¯s sanity.

    ¡°They¡¯re not in a position to judge,¡± grumbled Terry.

    For some reason, he recalled something the monotone voice had said: ¡®A genius that dies young is no genius at all.¡¯

    ¡°Okay.¡± Terry resolved himself. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. Slowly¡­¡± He moved the tertium slab to the side and used his own mana to gather some of the aging mana towards him. A moment later, Terry absorbed the mana into his body and began circulating it¡­

    ***

    Terry stuffed more of the lizans¡¯ rations into his mouth and checked himself in a mirror while chewing.

    ¡°No grey hair yet.¡± He quipped, not sure why.

    He retrieved a strange mango from his storage and used his keen dagger to prepare slices he could bite into. The fruit was unaspected but with an emphasized light aspect.

    Terry did not know its name but was reasonably certain that it was harmless to him. It contained a lot of mana and it served as regular food besides. Both were aspects he could appreciate in his current process.

    Terry had never become so hungry so quickly. He had also never seen his mana drop so quickly without using it actively either. In fact, Terry could not remember ever having his mana regeneration outpaced by his own passive consumption to that degree, even when he was starving and sleep-deprived while fleeing the undead horde in the Wastes to Tiv¡¯s north. He had to stuff himself perpetually to keep his mana pool and stomach as full as possible.

    ¡°Worth it.¡± Terry reminded himself and made a fist. He could feel the changes with each passing day. His bones were becoming denser. His muscles felt more receptive to his commands, and stronger at the same time. To top it off, even his senses were becoming sharper.

    If he continued like this, then even with an injury like the one that he had received from his traitorous ally Nash in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, Terry would be able to survive the night on his own. Back then, his mana foundation had prevented the worst by stopping his organs from failing completely despite the significant blood loss. However, his physical body had not been resilient enough to recover quickly and his mana foundation wasn¡¯t high enough to prevent it from failing indefinitely.

    Terry understood in theory how mana transformed a physical body over time, but he had never been able to tell while it was going on. This was only possible in retrospect when looking back at a longer timeframe. Now, however, Terry was able to sense some of the changes. He suspected that a part of it was the kinds of food he consumed ¨C the weird body-strengthening rations from the lizans and then the high-mana edibles from the Hall of Wealth.

    However, the most important component was the weird mana that Terry was absorbing and the accelerated aging it caused in his body. It certainly wasn¡¯t accelerated a hundredfold like the experience in the meditation space, but Terry estimated a multiplier of at least ten.

    It might be possible to accelerate my body¡¯s aging even further by absorbing more¡­

    ¡°No,¡± insisted Terry sternly. ¡°This is my limit.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Anything more and I wouldn¡¯t be able to nourish my body appropriately. Better to do it slowly but for longer.¡±

    How long? You don¡¯t know if there is an expiration to the teleportation field.

    ¡°A month and a half at most,¡± replied Terry calmly. ¡°The way I¡¯m stuffing myself, my food and mana supplements will have emptied out to a worrying degree by then. I should keep at least some buffer, so that I won¡¯t starve before I can collect more.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Alright.¡± Terry clapped his hands before grabbing the transfixed tertium cube.

    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ Go!¡± Terry simultaneously deactivated his Immovable Object spell and yeeted the tertium cube out of the way before the movable walls could crush it into unusable scrap metal. Not a second too late because the walls didn¡¯t wait.

    After nearly two months, the passage that Terry had chosen was blocked exactly like all the others. He had wondered if he should try to harvest the strange plant but decided against it. For all he knew, the time acceleration near the plant might turn him into a wrinkly grandpa in a second.

    He had also wondered if he could simply leave without caring about his tertium items. However, the strange mana seemed dangerous if not isolated to whatever was going on here. Furthermore, as cheap as tertium might be, Terry did not know when he would be able to restock. The idea of losing a foldable cube made his inner dungeon hoarder revolt.

    ¡°Good as new.¡± Terry appraised the tertium cube he had rescued from the evil movable walls.

    He returned the cube happily into his storage bracelet and then moved to also collect the remaining tertium items that prevented similar movable walls from closing further along the tunnel.

    ***

    Terry stepped into the teleportation field and allowed himself to be grabbed by the unanchored spatial transfer. An instant later, he stood on a field in a wide open plain with plenty of hills and even a few mountains in the distance. He first glanced upwards at the familiar strange sky with multiple moons.

    High chance there will be another spatial distortion that prevents me from leaving certain bounds.

    Terry¡¯s mana sense first registered several mana signatures of people nearby and then something very close to him. ¡°A small fruit tree?¡± He walked closer and picked one of the strange yellow peaches.

    Mostly lightning aspected but a layer of unaspected mana as well.

    Probably far from tasty but beggars can¡¯t be choosers.

    Terry began picking all of the fruits into his storage item without giving it a second thought. He could sense that there were martialists coming over but he did not really care.

    ¡°Hold it right there!¡±

    Terry was already grabbing the last fruit on the tree when a group of martialists shouted at him.

    ¡°Hold it, you idiot!¡±

    ¡°Stop him, the Lightning Heart Peach tree will die if all fruits are harvested!¡±

    ¡°We should just kill him.¡±

    Terry plucked the last fruit with a sense of spitefulness. He could see the tree crumble into dust from the corner of his eyes while he turned around to look at the martialists whose acupoint style he knew all too well.

    ¡°Thunderous Palm Sect,¡± said Terry in a flat tone. ¡°Do you have a problem?¡±

    The martialists were dumbstruck for a moment by the sight of the tree dying right in front of their eyes.

    ¡°You!¡± One of the women was about to attack when another held her back. ¡°If you know our sect, you should have heeded our orders. How are you going to apologize?¡±

    ¡°Apologize for what?¡± asked Terry blankly. He bit into the Lightning Heart Peach. ¡°Eww¡­¡± He reflexively spat out half of the fruitflesh that was extremely sour and prickly on the tongue.

    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± One of the martialists nearly had a mental collapse when he saw how Terry treated the priceless treasure.

    ¡°¡®For what?! This tree was ours!¡± The leader glowered at Terry. If looks could kill, her eyes would have stabbed Terry to death already. ¡°We were going to take it back whole to our sect.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Terry looked around absentmindedly. ¡°How come none of you were close to it then? Seems kind of stupid. If you want to rob someone, just be open about it.¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡±

    ¡°Listen you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Terry walked away.

    Lightning cracked and two of the martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect appeared to block his path.

    Terry had expected as much. He had sensed the early warnings of the movement techniques. Back when he had observed all the martialists in this secret realm from the sky, he had paid special attention to any member of sects with whom he had a hostile relationship.

    ¡°Who permitted you to leave?!¡± The woman glowered at Terry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for permission,¡± retorted Terry indifferently. ¡°If you had truly found the tree first, you would have already taken it into your storage items. So what¡¯s this about? I¡¯m kind of busy.¡±

    ¡°Impudent bastard,¡± snapped another martialist.

    ¡°If we say the tree was ours, then it was ours. Stop yapping!¡±

    ¡°He probably has more of the fruits. I don¡¯t think a tree of that size would only carry a single fruit.¡±

    Terry tried to take another bite of the lightning heart peach while barely listening to the martialists. ¡°Ugh. This stuff is horrid.¡± He could barely force himself to swallow.

    ¡°You fucker¡­¡±

    ¡°He is completely ignoring us!¡±

    ¡°Hand over the fruits!¡±

    Terry glanced at his half-eaten peach and then tossed it at the head of the martialist that had spoken last. ¡°There you go.¡±

    At first, the man could not believe what had just happened. Then he snapped and immediately attacked Terry while the mana resonance of a furious ape covered in lightning manifested behind him.

    Terry felt eager to test the new limits of his physical body, but he reminded himself to not be an idiot. This was a real battle, not a sparring session. He could test his physical limits in another and safer way. He covertly transfixed one of the transparent poison needles he had collected in the last trial. He stepped back and pretended to try and block.

    The man impaled himself with the small transfixed needle and before he could even reach Terry, he was already on the ground and grabbed his heart. He appeared to have trouble breathing. It looked painful.

    ¡°Nasty,¡± said Terry matter-of-factly.

    If that¡¯s the kind of stuff that a supposed senior uses for a mere trial, what do these people do if they really don¡¯t like someone?

    ¡°Junior, no!¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Two more martialists attacked Terry while a third tried to help their poisoned fellow disciple.

    Terry meanwhile used his bidirectional attraction glove to recollect the transparent needle. He saw no reason to lose his calm. In his estimate, there was only one person in this group whom he needed to worry about and it was the woman that had led the conversation for the other side.

    Oh, maybe¡­

    Terry recalled that he had a lot of items whose purpose was unclear in his storage. These were the weapons and talismans that he had collected in the Hall of Power. Some of them were duplicates or parts of a bundle, so Terry could use one to test and see what they would do.

    He dodged a sword and spear by jumping into the sky on layers of divine mana.

    Let¡¯s try this one.

    He retrieved a talisman and channeled mana into it while focusing his attention on the leader from the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    ¡°You dare target me?! You overestimate yourself. Wait, what is¡ª?¡±

    A silver wyvern roared forth from the paper as the talisman vanished into nothingness.

    The wyvern eviscerated the leader together with two of her sect members in an instant. The ground where the wyvern had darted was completely ripped apart as if countless tiny blades had rushed over it.

    Gruesome.

    More importantly, air-aspected.

    ¡°That was total overkill,¡± muttered Terry while looking at the scene below. Good to know what it does though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± A martialist appeared in the sky in front of him.

    Terry retrieved a sword of unknown purpose and channeled mana into it. The sword started flying and, to his surprise, it started defending him of its own accord. Before Terry could do anything further himself, the attacker was already sliced in half.

    Terry examined the flying sword in his mana sight. ¡°Seems sharp but brittle. And by the change in mana, probably a limited number of activations. Pity.¡±

    ¡°What grudge do you have with us?!¡± demanded one of the two remaining survivors. She was missing a leg and bleeding profusely.

    ¡°A few but what kind of question is that?¡± Terry shook his head while looking down at the two people in yellow-black robes. ¡°Your group attacked me.¡±

    ¡°Senior Laila never attacked you!¡±

    ¡°That one?¡± Terry pointed at the mangled corpse of the leader. ¡°She helped encircle me, even prevented me from leaving. She stood by while those others attacked me. If that doesn¡¯t make her complicit, I don¡¯t know what does. Do you want to claim that if I was about to kill the others, she would not have interfered directly? I find that hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°You could have given us a way out!¡±

    ¡°If we had known you had this kind of background, we would have never attacked you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the lesson you took from this?!¡± Terry exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°The problem is that I had the means to defend myself? Not that you attacked me in the first place?¡±

    He was too furious to continue the conversation and before long, the remaining two people from the Thunderous Palm Sect were dead too. This time, Terry had not relied on any other items than his regular equipment.

    Terry was scowling grimly while he collected the storage items of the corpses. He could already sense more groups of martialists coming over. Chances were that these groups were coming over to rob or kill him too.

    Perhaps he would be able to avoid them¡­

    But did he really want to?

    ***

 158 Prodigal Prodigy

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 77 ¨C

    Terry calmly remained where he was while paying attention to the approaching mana signatures.

    He felt weird.

    Not because he had killed the mana martialists that had transparently tried to rob him, but because he was aware that he was in the process of taking a page out of Apex¡¯s playbook.

    Terry was not sure how to feel about that.

    If I want to leave this secret realm the normal way, I¡¯ll have to get an entrance ticket. I might not be willing to kill an innocent person for a ticket, but if they come to attack me, then why should I avoid them? If I¡¯m lucky, I might get a ticket in the process.

    He stared at the martialists dispassionately, as if examining a mana puzzle in the dungeon.

    Not to mention, I¡¯ll have to stay here for three more seasons. The less walking lunatics there are, the better my chances. Coincidentally, the more threatening my reputation, the better my chances.

    Terry recognized a few of the mana signatures.

    There was Shen with his white-golden robe further in the back.

    There were two of the people from the Icy Dew Mountain ¨C the tall-grown woman and the boulder of a man. They also remained at a cautious distance.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Shen raised a hand to prevent his group from approaching any further. ¡°Something is fishy.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, the sign was clear though,¡± whispered his companion. ¡°A treasure appeared here not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®perhaps¡¯?¡± asked another. ¡°Look at that pool of blood and flesh. I¡¯m getting a bad feeling too. Shen?¡±

    ¡°That person.¡± Shen narrowed his eyes at Terry.

    ¡°The alleged Arcanian? What about him?¡±

    ¡°Something has changed, something is different.¡± Shen muttered in thought.

    ¡°Looks the same to me. I don¡¯t see a difference.¡±

    ¡°No, there is something¡­¡± Shen retrieved a small wooden statue from his storage.

    ¡°What did you pull that for? I thought you already checked his bone age.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get the point of checking in this trial tomb to begin with. Isn¡¯t everyone here bound to be younger than thirty? That¡¯s how the secret realm works, no?¡±

    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Shen furrowed his brow. ¡°We are not getting involved in this fight. Too uncertain.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because, you rot for brains, the point of me collecting information is to act on it,¡± hissed Shen. ¡°That man had a bone age of less than twenty-one when I first saw him. Not even a season later, he has a bone age closing in on twenty-three. You tell me if that warrants caution.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you say that there were regular dao chambers as rewards? How did he get older?¡±

    ¡°Wait, do you suspect he might have faked his bone age to get here?¡±

    ¡°Would explain how he so casually stops attacks left and right.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means but that¡¯s the point.¡± Shen pulled out a chair and settled down comfortably. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We should watch. Take out some wine. Enjoy the show.¡±

    Before long, Terry was surrounded by mana martialists in all kinds of uniforms. He let his mana touch wash over them to add the information to what he already knew from his regular mana sense.

    While moving his mana over some of their items, Terry got another idea for something to try¡­

    ¡°What happened here?¡± a stern-faced woman in dark green robes stepped forth.

    ¡°What a stupid question.¡± A felan woman with the appearance of a golden tiger in black robes sneered from the side. She looked at Terry. ¡°What treasure appeared here?¡±

    ¡°I got a few disgusting peaches if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± replied Terry calmly.

    ¡°Ha! He even answered.¡± The felan woman grinned. ¡°I like him.¡±

    ¡°These are¡­¡± Some people in yellow-black combat robes pointed at the corpses.

    ¡°They attacked me when I didn¡¯t hand over the disgusting peaches.¡± Terry said preemptively.

    ¡°Lies! Our Thunderous Palm Sect is an honorable and righteous sect!¡±

    ¡°Sure, yes, we all know that, of course.¡± The felan woman spoke mockingly. ¡°We are all righteous and upright, aren''t we?¡±

    Snickering washed over the assembled martialists.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The human woman in dark green asked Terry.

    ¡°He¡¯s called Terry.¡± Another martialist shouted.

    ¡°Rude bastard! Who is butting in?¡± The felan woman shouted back.

    ¡°Hom, calm down,¡± said the human woman in dark green robes. ¡°I don¡¯t care who answers.¡±

    ¡°Who cares what you care about, Chalita?¡± Hom barked back. Her yellow-orange fur was moving with the wind. ¡°It¡¯s the principle that matters.¡± More snickering in the background.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± hissed Chalita and turned her gaze back to Terry.

    ¡°Oy, who said our conversation is over?¡± Hom barked at Chalita.

    ¡°Seriously? Now?¡± Chalita rolled her eyes. ¡°If you want to continue our battle, I¡¯m sure this can wait, can¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What and let me stand idly by while you are trying to pull a fast one over us?¡± Hom spread her arms and shook her head. ¡°How would I be able to live with myself when ignoring injustice right in front of my paws.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it has nothing to do with the rumors you heard about the Cleansing Firestalk Bamboo,¡± scoffed Chalita.

    Oh? Terry heard a familiar term. Did someone talk about me handing that bamboo to Apex? Or is it about me having something like that in the first place?

    Hom spoke up: ¡°Why don¡¯t we let our¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough of this bullshit.¡± A large man pushed himself through the crowd. ¡°If you all won¡¯t make a move, I will. This bastard stole our altar in the first round!¡±

    ¡°Yeah and to make it worse something was broken with the second one.¡± More people joined the man.

    Broken? Terry nearly laughed out loud when he thought it might have something to do with his looting of the Halls.

    Rafael must have been very disappointed then¡­

    Speaking of Rafael¡­ Terry spotted a familiar leopard spot pattern in the crowd. To Terry''s surprise, he could not sense any mana.

    The felan was wearing a colorful mask.

    An artifact to hide his mana signature? Is he worried about me tracking him?

    Terry took note of the fact that Rafael was near the people who pressed to attack Terry.

    ¡°Who says you can just touch him?¡± An elven man in green-golden robes stepped in front of Terry.

    ¡°The Outcast from the Ironbark Fist Sect?¡±

    ¡°Is that Terry friends with all the freaks and scum in here?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Terry wasn¡¯t sure how to react to this unexpected defender. He eyed the elf with suspicion. ¡°Are you trying to stand up for justice or something?¡±

    The elf snorted. ¡°We¡¯re not doing these things for justice. We¡¯re doing it for our own amusement. At least the felan is.¡± He nodded towards Hom. ¡°Besides¡­¡± He shot Terry a glance. ¡°I¡¯m expecting to be compensated.¡±

    Why am I not surprised?

    Jumping in for help without being asked to. Isn¡¯t that just another angle at robbery? I guess it¡¯s more kind. Unless he would change his act if there was no attacker. For all I know, he would turn into the attacker if there wasn¡¯t one.

    ¡°Guillermo, you little spoilsport.¡± Another pair of elven martialists stood forth to confront the Outcast. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you have enough on your plate without sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong?¡±

    ¡°How about you worry about yourselves, you twig-armed smoothskins.¡± Hom sneered from the side. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡ª?¡±

    Terry had enough. Even the entrance ticket wasn¡¯t worth listening to these incessant ramblings. He turned to leave.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± hissed the group that had pressed to attack Terry.

    ¡°Away from all this nonsense,¡± replied Terry without turning around. ¡°As far away as possible in this mana-forsaken place.¡± He didn¡¯t get very far before he was blocked by the mass of people. He asked calmly. ¡°Could you please step aside? You¡¯re blocking my way.¡±

    ¡°No shit, pipsqueak,¡± sneered one of the people in his way.

    ¡°Alrighty then.¡± Terry looked over the assembled martialists. ¡°How about everyone that wants to kill me for treasure or revenge or whatever steps over here, while everyone else just backs the Wastes off.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Hom was still grinning at the second half but then frowned at how Terry had ended his statement.

    ¡°Are you refusing our help?¡± Guillermo asked in a low voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± replied Terry, which caused plenty of people to furrow their foreheads in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I think I need it,¡± continued Terry without missing a beat. ¡°Not yet as far as I can tell.¡±

    ¡°Arrogant little prick.¡± The man closest to Terry brought down his elbow on Terry¡¯s head.

    Unfortunately for the man, Terry had quickly transfixed his helmet and while the man was destroying his own elbow, Terry was already letting his inscribed keen daggers dance through the air.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Terry stumbled involuntarily from his own wielding of the blades. Damn my explosive speed with bursts is a lot faster than I expected. I need to get used to this¡­

    In a matter of seconds, a chaotic scuffle had broken out.

    Since the strongest mana signatures had not joined the battle yet, Terry stuck to using his regular equipment and fighting in his own style.

    Terry switched his burst techniques to match whatever situation he found himself in. He successfully relied on his mana resonance precognition for his most lethal setups. Many of the martialists utilized mana resonance techniques that ended in a strict charge along a predetermined path, which tended to end badly if an immovable object was waiting for them.

    After a while, the mana martialists got spooked by the fact that their all out most powerful techniques tended to get themselves injured the worst.

    ¡°What kind of strength is required to block like that?!¡± One of the martialists stared incredulously at the hammer that had most recently been blocked by Terry.

    ¡°Idiot! The Arcanian is a spell slinger. That¡¯s a mage spell, not strength!¡± Another voice informed him. ¡°It¡¯s called Immovable Object or something.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes subconsciously wandered to the leopard-spotted felan in the back. Rafael wasn¡¯t the one that had spoken, but Terry suspected he was the source of the information for the one who had.

    The martialists adjusted to Terry¡¯s battle style by switching to long-range attacks and avoiding straight charges.

    Terry considered unleashing his mana disruption field in order to obstruct them, when he sensed it¡­

    ¡°Heavenly Wolf Slash!¡± The giant white wolf was rushing furiously towards Terry.

    Simultaneously, two other of the stronger mana signatures from the most hostile group positioned themselves to unleash their charged mana resonance techniques and catch Terry in the crossfire.

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened. He could try and block with his Immovable Object spell. He knew that it would hold against the Heavenly Wolf Slash, but he didn¡¯t know if the other techniques had a catch he was unaware of.

    Knock yourselves out, hissed Terry in his thoughts. With a burst of mana, he dashed high up into the air. The fact that he could properly jump onto even a single layer of divine mana brought a smile onto his lips.

    A grim smile due to the fact that he was painfully aware of the origin of the Heavenly Wolf Slash that had attacked him.

    A smile nonetheless.

    The heavenly wolf collided with one of the other attacks.

    The third attack, however, whipped upwards to follow Terry. It had the shape of a black python with a wide open maw.

    I can use that.

    Terry cycled his mana with another burst technique. At the same time, he pulled one of the more aggressive martialists into the air with his bidirectional attraction glove.

    Another martialist was using a movement technique to save his friend, but unfortunately for the both of them, they had entered Terry¡¯s casting range and the would-be-savior suddenly discovered that his own storage ring had become transfixed in the air and was preventing him from moving.

    A second later, Terry was darting over them. The black python that was following Terry crashed into the two martialists, ripped them apart, and vanished afterwards.

    ¡°Die!¡± A man lashed out with his sword.

    Terry moved some of his circulating mana into a talisman he found on a nearby martialist.

    ¡°What¡­? No¡ª!¡± A giant blast of lava flew outwards from the woman with the talisman. It caught the swordsman in the process.

    Terry noted that some of the stronger mana martialists were preparing to join and he shouted: ¡°Piss off! Last chance to leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit full of himself from what I can see.¡± One of Shen¡¯s friends remarked. ¡°Sure, he¡¯s holding his own, but if he was trying to intimidate the stronger ones into backing off, he¡¯s far from qualified.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shen rubbed his chin. ¡°Did you gather the information on that spell they talked about?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied his friend. ¡°Guess who sold it to us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to guess,¡± muttered Shen. ¡°Look, what¡¯s¡­¡±

    Terry made sure to memorize all the people that had refused to step away from the fight. Then he picked another of his magic talismans at random and channeled mana into it.

    A purple translucent skull was summoned and charged forth at the nearest group of martialists. Before they knew what had hit them, only a few of black scarred skeletons remained.

    Damn these are all overkill, aren¡¯t they?

    Terry shook his head. He looked towards another direction with the next strongest opponents and channeled mana into the next talisman.

    ¡°Hey, what the f¡ª?¡± A golden burning lion incinerated half a dozen mana martialists.

    ¡°Bastard.¡± One woman in the middle had barely managed to activate a protective talisman in time. She glared at Terry with hate-filled eyes and then addressed the others. ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t believe he can continue wasting precious treasures like this, I¡ª¡±

    The woman was blasted apart by a panther made of lightning, courtesy of Terry¡¯s next talisman.

    You were saying? Terry suppressed the urge to snicker with spite and instead focused on the other martialists. Most of them had frozen from shock at the sudden intensity of carnage.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Someone asked Rafael.

    ¡°Fight, obviously.¡± Rafael hissed back. He did not move any closer despite his words. He grumbled quietly: ¡°The bloody hypocrite told me not to loot the estate but he himself is completely loaded.¡±

    ¡°No way he has more of these,¡± scoffed a felan man from another corner.

    ¡°Right, even if he has blazed through all the challenges since coming here, he couldn¡¯t have more than a handful of such powerful items,¡± added another.

    False assumptions can be dangerous, you know? Terry retorted in his mind.

    Are they trying to reassure each other? Or egging each other on in the hopes that someone else will make the first move and take the risk?

    ¡°If we spread out, he can¡¯t take us all out at once,¡± suggested one of the martialists.

    Fair point. Terry burst his mana and kicked the martialist that had spoken right into a group of others. Another talisman later, the group had been obliterated.

    ¡°Screw this wastrel! I¡¯m out.¡±

    ¡°Flee!¡±

    As soon as some of the martialists began to flee, many others followed. Rafael was among the first to bolt away.

    A few of them were trying to loot some of the corpses on the way, but found themselves pulled, transfixed, and confronted by Terry. They did not have much time to regret their last burst of greed.

    ¡°Phew.¡± One of Shen¡¯s friends whistled sharply. ¡°How much spirit crystals do you think that man just wasted in a single fight? So much money down the sewer.¡±

    ¡°Preserving your life comes first. These talismans are meant to be used. A dead man can¡¯t spend money.¡±

    ¡°I know a few vampires that would prove you wrong. I¡¯m not questioning the use of talismans but using that level of talisman on that kind of people. Some of them had barely reached the spirit condensation realm. These talismans could have killed even a nascent soul realm expert. Fuck me, if that¡¯s not a waste.¡±

    ¡°Where did he even get these from?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the million spirit crystal question,¡± muttered Shen. ¡°Last time I saw him, we were stepping into the dao chambers. Even if he came out first and then spent every day challenging the trials and joining the treasure hunt in this location, he would not have gotten that much.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he just brought them in?¡±

    ¡°That would imply a powerful background.¡±

    ¡°I thought he was supposed to be from Arcana. Do they even produce our talismans?¡±

    ¡°Who knows¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I have to speak with Rafael on more neutral terms than last time¡­¡± Shen muttered pensively.

    Meanwhile, Terry was collecting the storage items from the deceased martialists.

    ¡°I think my help would have been much cheaper.¡± Guillermo spoke to Terry in an amused tone. ¡°Even the felan would not have asked for that much. You have burned a fortune. Why? To show that you can afford it? That will only paint a bigger target on you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± muttered Terry. He got an idea. ¡°Wait, Guillermo and the other one, Hom, was it?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Hom¡¯s furry ear twitched at hearing her name spoken. She had already been walking away from the battle ground, but now she turned around.

    ¡°I have some questions about this pocket realm,¡± said Terry. ¡°If there is something you are looking for, we might come to an arrangement.¡± He glanced at another location. ¡°Oh and if you could ask the two from the Icy Dew Mountain to come over afterwards, that would be great too. The bean sprout and the chunky chubster.¡± He pointed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember their names.¡±

    ¡°Chun and Barnes?¡± asked Hom, who had walked over. ¡°Are they your enemies?¡±

    ¡°They attacked me before if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± replied Terry calmly. ¡°I just want to ask them a few questions.¡±

    ¡°Not trusting our answers alone?¡± Guillermo remarked with amusement.

    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, everyone in this pocket realm is off their rocker,¡± said Terry wearily.

    ¡°That¡¯s hurtful, you know.¡± Hom grinned with sharp teeth.

    ¡°If you are looking for information, you should talk to the one in gold and white over there.¡± Guillermo pointed. ¡°Shen. That¡¯s kind of his thing.¡±

    ¡°You could have told him that after we made our deal,¡± hissed Hom with playful outrage.

    ¡°So, what are you looking for?¡± Terry asked to go straight to business. He would like to have as little contact as possible with mana martialists.

    ¡°You first, smooth cheeks.¡± Hom waved for Guillermo.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a nature-aspected acorn with¡ª Wait¡­¡± Guillermo changed his mind half-way. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to offer cultivation techniques, too? If so, I would be interested in any movement technique that accompanies metal-aspected fist techniques.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry moved his consciousness over the endless jade tokens he had taken from the Hall of Knowledge. ¡°Do you have something more specific in mind?¡± Or do I just have to guess? He found something with the name ironbark that looked like a close-combat sequence including movement, so he held it out. ¡°How about this?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Guillermo hesitatingly took the jade token. ¡°Holy mana, where did you get this?!¡±

    ¡°Is it no good?¡± Terry asked flatly.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Guillermo calmed himself. ¡°Perfect.¡± He smirked. ¡°More than perfect.¡± He nodded with a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯ll try to answer whatever questions you have.¡±

    Terry looked at Hom next. ¡°How about you? Would you also prefer a technique?¡±

    ¡°Honey, I got all the techniques I can stomach at the moment,¡± replied Hom while waving her hand to decline. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the materials to advance my cultivation. It¡¯s unlikely that you have something fitting but even if you have only heard of anything of use, I¡¯m happy to exchange some information.¡±

    Terry noted Hom¡¯s mana signature. ¡°So something rich in life-aspected mana, fire, and if possible spirit?¡±

    ¡°How do you know about the spirit?!¡± Hom seemed taken aback.

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Spirit aspect.¡± Is she talking about a real spirit? Anyway¡­ He searched his storage and then presented a weird looking potato with orange hairs.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Hom blinked for a few times and then rubbed her eyes. ¡°You actually have it!¡± She snatched the potato from Terry and stored it in her own storage item in a rush. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it loses its efficacy when exposed to the air?¡± Afterwards, she realized what she had just done and quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry about that, I got excited.¡± She stuck out her tongue..

    ¡°Eh, sure.¡± Terry had intentionally not dodged or pulled the potato back. ¡°And no, I didn¡¯t know that, which is kind of my problem. There are a lot of basic things I don¡¯t know, on top of important things about this secret realm.¡±

    ¡°Shoot your questions, you have my attention.¡± Hom grinned.

    ¡°First of all, how does anyone know anything about this secret realm?¡± asked Terry. ¡°Like how? I get that someone might learn of its opening from the entrance tickets, but I got the impression that some people know about what¡¯s going on inside.¡±

    The elven man and the felan woman glanced at each other, before Guillermo spoke first: ¡°This tomb has opened before. In fact, it supposedly opens every twenty or so years.¡±

    ¡°Some claim it used to open less frequently though,¡± added Hom without concern.

    ¡°Why would multiple people come here with a single entrance ticket?¡± asked Terry.

    Hom snorted and laughed. ¡°Are you serious? Oh wow, you are.¡± She shook her head with amusement. ¡°The more people you bring, the more allies you have. You might have noticed that winning something in the trials is only part of the problem. Defending what you won can be the bigger problem.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that you cannot leave without an entrance ticket,¡± said Guillermo. ¡°No one has ever come back without a ticket. However, that¡¯s only a problem if you are not confident in your strength.¡±

    ¡°Right, you don¡¯t need to have a ticket when you come, you just need one before you leave,¡± agreed Hom. ¡°Those with a ticket but without the strength to keep it, they are the ones in real trouble.¡±

    Terry rubbed his forehead and was about to grumble when he noticed something in one of the storage items he had taken from the corpses.

    An entrance ticket.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± muttered Terry absentmindedly.

    ***

 159 I Hate This Place

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 40 ¨C

    As high up in the sky as the secret realm permitted, several tertium items were transfixed.

    A folded cube with an open top was sizzling and smoke was rising up. Two U-shaped tertium pieces were holding a spear in place on which someone had impaled a mana-rich deer.

    Terry was having a barbecue.

    It had been more than two months since he had stopped training in the passage of the dao chamber and arrived in this open area.

    Living creatures had started to appear roughly one month ago. Some of them were harmless, like the deer that Terry was currently roasting. Others were obviously mana-corrupted and ranged from strong-ish and overgrown to magical beasts even Terry didn¡¯t want to go near.

    At this moment, Terry was massaging his temples. Occasionally, he glanced up to see how the smoke fared in the weird space magic that prevented him from going further up.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry tried to push away the headache. He had a lingering feeling that the headache was more psychological and not really rooted in his physical condition.

    Actually, Terry had never felt as healthy as right now. The mana-rich food and body-enhancing rations from the lizans were doing wonders.

    Terry might have chalked the headache up to some aftereffects of the accelerated aging he had put his body through, but deep down, Terry suspected that this wasn¡¯t it either.

    He had consciously chosen to linger around in the sky whenever he could, just to get away from the walking bundles of insanity that were commonly called mana martialists.

    Despite his grumbling, Terry had earned a lot since he had arrived. He had explored the area, gathered food, tested himself in a few trials, and bypassed a lot more. Honestly, the area could have been fun¡­ with the right company. Unfortunately, Terry was stuck with a bunch of battle-crazed pests.

    Thanks to the company, Terry didn¡¯t feel like mingling. Instead, he had continued his observation from the sky to further enhance his mana resonance predictions. He had resolved himself to stay up here to practice his spell compression and divine hammer inscription, particularly the former.

    Terry did not feel comfortable sleeping for long while being surrounded by beasts, only some of whom had the appearance to match their beastly nature. However, he knew that he had to sleep, or risk going insane.

    More insane. Terry¡¯s thoughts interjected.

    Terry had regularly slept. However, at the moment his sleep schedule was limited by the maximum duration of his Immovable Object spell. He wanted at least one layer of protection to keep the crazy out. Therefore, Terry was desperately training to increase his spell compression and thereby improve his spell¡¯s duration.

    No matter how hard he worked, Terry could not avoid descending from the sky forever and he knew it. He had to hunt and collect food. He had to move and stretch and do something or he would go crazy.

    Crazier. Terry¡¯s thoughts interjected.

    After spending virtually six hundred days in a dao chamber and then another thirty days training in the passage for accelerating his aging, Terry had discovered there was a limit to how patient he could be.

    If these martialists are going through things like that on a regular basis, it¡¯s no wonder their thought processes are a bit¡­ strange.

    Terry meticulously kept an eye out for the traces of dao chambers, but he was not sure if he was ready to enter one once more. He was hesitant to use the mental simulation with diluted time again so soon. He wanted to calm down and get some proper sleep before he would subject himself to that another time.

    The reason Terry kept an eye out for the dao chambers was their supposed byproduct: the strange mana with the aging effect that he had noticed near the mysterious plant. Even if he didn¡¯t want to use the time dilation, the accelerated aging of his body was indeed very useful to him.

    Terry had a plan to get through this bullshit tomb. He already had an exit ticket. In fact, he had three. Two from the people that had tried to gang up on him after the incident with the Lightning Heart Peach. One from another martialist that had tried to ambush him while he was hunting a few days ago. He had his exit. Now he just needed to stay alive without going insane.

    Unfortunately, the first part was made more challenging by the fact that the martialists grew stronger too. Even though their numbers were decreasing at an astonishing pace, there were still many left.

    Terry had learned a few things from Hom, Guillermo, and the sect members of Icy Dew Mountain. This secret realm opened every few decades and while the number of entrance tickets remained the same, the number of people that could be transported with a single entrance ticket was increasing with every time the secret realm opened.

    Terry had also learned that no one had ever left the realm without a ticket. Over the centuries, hundreds of thousands had been trapped in the realm, only to vanish without a trace before the realm opened the next time.

    Terry had one more mystery to occupy his mind with: the strange symbols that looked like dungeon marks. He had found two more of them since he had left the dao chamber. He still had no idea what to make of them.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry rubbed his temples.

    ¡°Help!¡± a faint voice forced itself on him.

    ¡°Stupid mana-enhanced hearing.¡± Terry was scowling down from his seat in the sky.

    He knew who had yelled.

    He knew that there would be no help in time if he didn¡¯t go.

    ¡°Why do these idiots keep challenging beasts outside their league?¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°And after luring the beasts to an empty spot?¡±

    Probably because they¡¯re greedy idiots. If they had chosen a suitable opponent, the isolated spot would make sense. If there were others, they would most likely try to snatch the spoils after the beast has been defeated.

    In contrast to before when the martialists were only killing each other, Terry couldn¡¯t really excuse himself with his lack of knowledge about who started the fight or who was at fault. These were folks being threatened by beasts.

    However, this wasn¡¯t the first cry for help Terry had overheard either. The previous incidents were one of the reasons for his growing headache. There was a reason why he had told himself, he would ignore such cries the next time.

    ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Terry stood up. He glanced at the roasting deer. ¡°The food needs some more time anyway.¡± He looked down.

    Best case, I help someone decent.

    Worst case, I get new items.

    Terry frowned at the turn his thoughts had taken and then jumped from his barbecue spot. He dashed on layers of divine mana towards the location where he could sense the person being hunted by a mana-corrupted beast.

    His mood was lifted by the sensation of sturdy layers of divine mana under his feet. It felt liberating to not always follow up for layers that had broken mid-step. He found it hard to describe the exhilarating sensation of darting through the air like this.

    Eventually, Terry saw the back of an elven woman fleeing a giant toad creature.

    First time I see a toad breathe fire¡­ or have claws for that matter¡­

    He hurled several throwing needles that promptly transfixed in the path of the toad. Before the toad had a chance to recover, Terry was already darting around it while trapping it in an immovable chain of metal.

    He could sense the gathering fire breath and forcefully punched the toad¡¯s jaw closed to then pin it with another piece of immovable metal.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Terry retrieved his inscribed barrier spear to pierce through the creature¡¯s eyes and into its brain, but found the toad¡¯s eyes suddenly transformed into stone.

    ¡°Ugh, annoying.¡± Terry decided to not risk damaging his barrier spear. He considered using one of the spears he had found in the Hall of Power, but then decided to go with a different item.

    Terry retrieved the tertium pieces he had ordered in the Chara Settlement. The levered screw mechanism had cracked plenty of tough shells in the past. Terry was confident that it would crack this stony toad as well.

    A dozen turns of the screw attached to a sturdy metal pole used as a lever proved Terry¡¯s confidence right.

    The giant toad had breathed its last.

    Terry was collecting his equipment while keeping an eye and feeler out with his mana perception. He could already sense a bunch of people coming over, most of them with a similar martialist signature to the elven woman Terry had saved. They were evidently practicing a similar technique and therefore probably from the same sect.

    ¡°Hm?¡± While Terry was paying attention to the acupoints and the dantian, he realized that it felt vaguely familiar. He had sensed similar signatures among his opponents in the Thanatos Proving Grounds.

    Isn¡¯t this the same as the elven pair of sword practitioners? The one that asked me to return him his sword. Before I realized that I was allowed to take my opponent¡¯s items¡­

    ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± The elven woman spoke meekly.

    Terry made sure to keep his distance from the elf and instead examined the toad more closely. He still had some space in the dimensional body bags but not much. Even if Terry had space, he wasn¡¯t sure if he really wanted to collect the creature. It didn¡¯t look tasty at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± The elven woman continued speaking quietly. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Suddenly, the elven woman shouted in a shrill tone.

    Terry forced himself to not roll his eyes. The change in the elf¡¯s demeanor coincided with the arrival of the other martialists.

    ¡°Junior, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked an elven man from the group.

    ¡°I had just killed the beast, when this scoundrel appeared to threaten me and take the spoils!¡± accused the elven woman.

    ¡°What a load of crap,¡± muttered Terry and proceeded to cut a piece of meat from the toad. He held it in front of his eyes and examined it both with his mana sight and mana touch.

    ¡°Prepare to fight,¡± the elven man ordered the others.

    ¡°Are you sure? We have to be careful.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense any mana from him.¡±

    ¡°Can we really take her word for what¡¯s going on? I mean she has been known to¡ª¡±

    ¡°SILENCE! How dare you side with an outsider? Even going so far as to accuse your own sect member!¡±

    ¡°What sect? I mean¡ª¡± The man had been punched in the gut by another one of the martialists.

    ¡°We will rebuild the Skyriver Sect.¡±

    ¡°Right, and for that, we cannot afford infighting. This secret realm is a chance, we have to use it to regain a footing and build a foundation.¡±

    ¡°Skyriver Sect?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. He remembered that the three-eyed general in Thanatos had mentioned something about this sect.

    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± snapped one of the martialists.

    I guess these ones aren¡¯t as reasonable as the two I met in the Proving Grounds. Terry wondered. Or maybe the two back then were also insane and I just didn¡¯t interact with them long enough for them to show their crazy.

    ¡°Step away from our junior!¡± The leader spoke in a commanding tone. ¡°And away from the dead beast.¡±

    Terry glanced at the toad he wasn¡¯t even sure he wanted. The meat looked okay from a mana perspective, but since this was the first such creature he had killed, he would have to go through the hassle of carefully testing the meat.

    Nevertheless, the fact that these martialists were practically demanding the creature from him, made Terry surprisingly reluctant to part with it. Honestly, he would be the first to admit that it was nothing but spite.

    Terry looked at the elven woman he had saved. ¡°Is this how you repay someone after screaming for help?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to twist wrong into right!¡± spat the elven woman. ¡°You were trying to steal the beast I hunted!¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyebrow rose up. ¡°I have a question. What¡¯s the plan here? Even if greed is coloring your judgement, surely the simple fact that the beast from which you had to flee was easily killed by me should tip you off that I¡¯m stronger than you.¡±

    ¡°Stop making up lies!¡± hissed the elven woman.

    ¡°Even if you were stronger, that gives you no right to steal from others!¡± The leader of the Skyriver Sect spoke sternly. ¡°Fortunately, we have arrived in time.¡±

    Terry fleetingly glanced at the leader and then returned his attention to the elven woman. ¡°Seriously, you were too weak to deal with the toad, do you really think you can deal with me?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still threatening me!¡± The elven woman whined.

    ¡°Not yet, I haven¡¯t.¡± Terry turned to face the leader. ¡°Take the lying piece of shit if you want, but the toad stays here. Last offer.¡±

    The leader¡¯s face flushed red from anger. ¡°How dare you disrespect our Skyriver Sect!¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that sect crushed by Thanatos?¡± retorted Terry mockingly. ¡°No wonder, if your lack of judgement is anything to go by.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The leader retrieved a sword and coldly glared at Terry.

    ¡°Anyone that wants to back out?¡± asked Terry unperturbed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the man that had questioned the elven woman before. He retreated a step.

    ¡°Cowardly snake,¡± hissed the leader. ¡°You will fight with your sect or you will die at my hands.¡±

    ¡°...fine.¡± The other man appeared unwilling, but drew his own weapon.

    Terry did not wait for the others to make a move and rapidly unleashed his disruption field. He flung out several throwing needles and also placed two of the translucent darts from the trial traps.

    Terry blocked an attack from the leader¡¯s sword with his immovable bracer. He pulled one of the other martialists into the trajectory of another attack and then kicked a third right onto a transfixed throwing needle.

    Terry had gotten used to his purposely aged physical body and the progressed mana transformation. He could face the martialist attacks even without the Immovable Object spell if he wanted. As long as they weren¡¯t able to finish a mana resonance technique, Terry¡¯s body was sturdy enough to break their bones. However, Terry did not allow himself to be careless. He relied on all of his abilities.

    He moved through the sky on the mana summoned with the divine hammer inscription.

    He transfixed the weapons of the mana martialists with the Immovable Object spell.

    He activated their own magic items against them by remotely activating the items before they had a chance to.

    He obstructed their mana resonance techniques with his disruption field and discharges.

    He trapped them into limited movement options with his transfixed items and then finished them off with hidden throwing needles or his keen daggers.

    Terry did not even have a chance to make use of any mana resonance prediction, because his disruption field was too effective and prevented the resonance from building.

    He had just flung a metal chain and transfixed one side around the neck of the elven woman that had started all this. He ignored the terrified look in the elf¡¯s eyes as he kicked with both legs and broke her neck against the immovable chain links.

    ¡°Fuck, I surrender!¡± The man that had wanted to back out in the beginning raised his hands and retreated a few steps.

    ¡°You swine! That person killed your martial brothers and sisters!¡± The leader spat a mouthful of blood and pressed a hand on the hole in his stomach. A hole created by a transfixed throwing needle.

    ¡°I might have killed them, but it was you and that lying piece of shit that really caused their deaths.¡± Terry walked slowly towards the leader. ¡°Your lack of judgement, or morals, or whatever. I don¡¯t know if you were really too stupid to see through what was going on.¡±

    ¡°The victor is right while the defeated is wrong,¡± spat the leader dismissively. He glared at the one that had stopped fighting. ¡°There is no crime worse than abandoning your sect!¡±

    Terry arrived and slashed his keen blade through the leader¡¯s skull. ¡°I¡¯m sure that depends on the sect.¡± He cleaned his blades with the leader¡¯s clothes. ¡°Among other things.¡± He kept his eyes on the last surviving member from the Skyriver Sect¡¯s group.

    ¡°Fuck me, you¡¯re much stronger than you look.¡± The elven man shivered. ¡°Look man, I really didn¡¯t want any part of this.¡±

    ¡°And yet you did join the fight and raised your weapons against me,¡± reminded Terry matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Yes, because I was threatened into it,¡± protested the man. ¡°Look, this wasn¡¯t the first time something like that happened. I knew there was something fishy about the situation and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Did you fight the other times too?¡± Terry interjected with a question. ¡°Did you kill someone even though you knew the situation was ¡®fishy¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The elf bit his lips. ¡°You saw how they were. They were still dreaming about rebuilding our dead sect and that we have to stick together no matter what.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± Terry pointed out. He clicked his tongue. ¡°Alright, leave your storage item and then you can piss off.¡± He could see the man wanting to protest. ¡°You raised your weapons against me. You are going to leave something behind. If something like this happens again, I¡¯m not going to let you off no matter what you say.¡±

    ¡°You killed my whole group and now I¡¯m alone in this place, I¡¯ll be¡­¡± The elven man pleaded with Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t even have an entrance ticket. He was the one that brought us in.¡± He pointed at the corpse of the leader. ¡°If you take my items, you might as well kill me now.¡±

    ¡°Is that a serious request?¡± asked Terry while watching the elven man closely.

    ¡°No.¡± The man backed away several steps with raised hands.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Terry retrieved an item from the leader¡¯s storage. He made a final concession. ¡°Here, you can keep the entrance ticket. I don¡¯t need it. You can also keep the weapon you used, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    The expression in the elven man¡¯s face brightened and he hurriedly moved to comply with Terry¡¯s request and then got the Wastes away.

    Terry collected all the storage items from the corpses and briefly scanned their contents. When his consciousness touched on some venison in one of the storage rings, Terry remembered the food he had left cooking. ¡°Shit.¡± He gave one last glance at the dead mana martialists. ¡°I hate this place.¡± He dashed into the sky on layers of divine mana, hoping that the meat wasn¡¯t too burned to eat.

    ***

 160 Secret Nerd

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 70 ¨C

    Terry looked at the mossy wall with narrowed eyes and whispered: ¡°Impressive.¡±

    If he were to trust his eyes, he would still think this was a normal wall. This alone wasn¡¯t that impressive, honestly, but the fact that even his mana sight failed to pick up anything was enough for Terry to think highly of the illusion.

    No matter how impressive the illusion was, two aspects had tipped Terry off. First, Terry had been following a weak trail of mana that was reminiscent of what he had sensed in the dao chamber cavern. He was already expecting something.

    Second, the prickling sensation in his mind was telling him that something was off. His mana touch wasn¡¯t tricked by illusions, no matter how well they had been cloaked.

    Terry retrieved a cheap spear from his storage bracelet, a spear he was mostly using as a barbecue skewer. He stabbed the spear forth into the illusion.

    Nothing happened. He felt no resistance either.

    Next, Terry retrieved the vampire bat spirit projection ring that the mayor of Syn City had given to him. He circulated mana into the ring and sent the translucent bat ahead to scout.

    Just another tunnel.

    Terry mustered his resolve and stepped into the hidden passage. The passage forked shortly after and he got the impression that he had walked into a labyrinth.

    ¡°Rookie shit.¡± Terry retrieved his five-point inscription ring and relied on his mana touch to scout the different paths at once. Just in case, Terry also documented every fork he encountered and the path he had chosen in one of his notebooks.

    He made sure to never touch the floor with his feet and to always keep the bat spirit projection in front of himself.

    ¡°Welcome, challenger.¡± A high-pitched voice echoed from the tunnel walls. ¡°You have chosen the Trial of Overcoming Fate.¡±

    ¡°Have I?¡± Terry frowned.

    ¡°Overcoming fate means overcoming your own limitations, facing an opponent stronger than yourself and coming out ahead. We will take your cultivation as a baseline and will confront you with increasingly stronger opponents. You can yield, but you only have a single chance to challenge this trial. The more realms you are able to jump and the longer you hold on, the bigger the reward.¡±

    Terry returned the bat spirit ring to his storage item and shrugged.

    If it¡¯s annoying, I can just give up, I guess. Might as well try to see what this is about.

    Terry didn¡¯t care that much about the inheritance of this supposed legendary senior. He just wanted to survive, get out, and return to Arcana.

    It¡¯s not even clear if whatever the reward is here would be compatible with me anyway. For all I know, it¡¯s just going to be some stupid jade token with a martialist technique again.

    Wait¡­

    Terry puckered his lips. ¡°Take my ¡®cultivation realm¡¯ as a baseline?¡±

    I don¡¯t have a cultivation realm. If they are going to judge my strength based on my acupoints or some shit, then¡­ I have none.

    What if they have a fallback for weird cultivation styles? Some of these people mentioned heretical cultivation before, is that what they meant? How might they¡ª Mana?

    Mana.

    The longer Terry thought about it, the more he was certain that the will guiding the trial would fall back on judging Terry¡¯s strength by the amount of mana in his body. He puffed his cheeks and pondered the implications. Before long, he grinned and instantly dumped all of his mana out of his body. He had a lot of practice with this thanks to his disruption field.

    Terry kept his mana naturalized at a distance in case he needed it, but he made sure to not hold so much as a single speck of mana in his body. He was dumping his mana as quickly as he was regenerating it.

    After bottoming out, he watched the tunnel in front of him curiously and waited with bated breath.

    ¡°First challenge.¡±

    Terry could not help but laugh at the brittle earth warrior that rose from the floor. He was delighted to discover that his ruse had worked. Even though the golems were getting progressively stronger, the trial had begun at such a low starting point, that Terry crushed his artificial opponents without much sweat.

    ¡°Perfect achievement,¡± praised the high-pitched voice. ¡°Jumping more than four full cultivation realms is the limit of our trial. Taking the speed with which you passed the trial into account, you have earned an additional reward.¡±

    A blue stone disc materialized in front of Terry.

    ¡°Uh, okay?¡± Terry picked the disc up. He could sense mana from it, but that was all he could make out.

    ¡°Collect three different tokens and you will have proven your worth,¡± declared the high-pitched voice. ¡°You may proceed to the Dao Hall now.¡±

    ¡°I knew it.¡± Terry grinned when the voice confirmed what his mana sense had picked up before. Somewhere in this hidden tunnel system was a dao chamber.

    Only¡­ if I can already sense the time accelerating mana, then I¡¯m not the first one here.

    There might be other entrances or different trials¡­

    Terry retrieved his barrier spear and put on his vampire bat spirit projection ring before proceeding further down the passage.

    It did not take long until he reached the hall connected to dao chambers. He had been right to suspect that there would be company. Just as Terry stepped into the chamber, someone else was leaving it.

    ¡°Apex?¡± Terry halted in his steps.

    ¡°You again?¡± The woman with a tightly-tied ponytail stared at Terry. Her expression turned harsh. ¡°I¡¯m not done here. You can scram now. I intend to continue using the dao chamber.¡±

    The traces of darkwater are gone but there is still that other thing¡­

    Terry was momentarily distracted by examining Apex¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°Oy!¡± Apex raised a fist. A small layer of azure fire surrounded by golden lightning flared up on her knuckles. ¡°Are you going to fight me or not?¡±

    ¡°No thanks,¡± replied Terry indifferently. Truth be told, he wasn¡¯t that eager to step into another time-diluted mental experience. Even though it was admittedly a great help for improving his proficiency with the divine hammer inscription, it was also mentally draining and very risky considering the vulnerable state he would be in during meditation.

    I¡¯m more interested in the time-accelerating atmosphere to improve my physique.

    Terry held Apex¡¯s gaze and waited.

    Apex clearly didn¡¯t expect Terry¡¯s response and eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you moving?! Scram!¡±

    ¡°I have other business here,¡± said Terry without flinching. ¡°I¡¯m not going to compete with you for the dao chamber, but I still have something that interests me here.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?!¡± Apex demanded to know.

    Terry smiled and shrugged.

    Apex stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to put up several wards. If you so much as put a toe into the chamber, you¡¯re going to be very dead.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the unnecessary warning,¡± said Terry without caring much.

    Apex continued glaring at Terry suspiciously while returning to the dao chamber. Before she stepped through the door, she thought of something and looked back.

    ¡°If you see an Azure Spirit Lotus, you better don¡¯t touch it.¡± Apex glared at Terry. ¡°I need that and if you¡ª What?¡±

    While Apex was speaking, Terry had scanned his storage items and discovered there was a light-blue lotus with spirit-aspected mana among the stuff he had looted in the Hall of Wealth. He had thrown it over before Apex could finish her threat.

    Apex was visibly confused at his actions and Terry had to work hard to suppress a snicker.

    I believe I understand why Aunt Sigille enjoyed teasing the battle maniac so much.

    Terry blinked and waited for Apex to continue talking.

    ¡°...why are you giving me this?¡± Apex asked with bewilderment straining her voice.

    ¡°You would have threatened me to give it to you, right?¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°Naturally, but¡­¡± Apex stared at Terry with narrowed eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t seem like that much of a coward before. So why?¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°Perhaps because you helped us in the Libra Outpost.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, I didn¡¯t help you little puffballs.¡± Tiny specks of fire were escaping from Apex¡¯s furious eyes. ¡°That had nothing to do with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whaka Sigille was my aunt,¡± interrupted Terry. ¡°Whaka Matteo is my cousin.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I did not help Matteo!¡± Apex forced through gritted teeth. ¡°The old hag deserved better than¡ª It doesn¡¯t matter! What¡¯s it got to do with you? I did what I wanted. It¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m free to do what I want as well.¡± Terry pointed at the lotus. ¡°So take it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take it!¡± Apex had already stored the lotus in her storage item.

    I need to tell Matteo about this.

    Terry had to suppress another snicker because Apex looked clearly uncomfortable. It was plain to see that she would have been much happier if she could have beaten the snot out of someone to get the lotus.

    Apex eventually clicked her tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t like owing any favors, so here is a warning in exchange. You should be careful outside.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    ¡°If you¡¯re related to the old hag, then the little shitstain is most likely going to come after you if he sees a chance.¡± Apex turned around to leave.

    ¡°¡®The little shitstain¡¯? Who?¡± Terry shouted.

    ¡°Vicious.¡± Apex shouted back before disappearing in the passage leading to the dao chamber, which immediately closed behind her.

    ¡°Vicious.¡± Terry repeated, slightly paler than before. ¡°Eric. Crap.¡±

    Great. As if a bunch of lunatic martialists wasn¡¯t bad enough, now I have to worry about a slimy channeler too?

    Wait, is that why Apex carried traces of darkwater before? Is that why she was injured?

    Should I tell her about the weird mana that still lingers? Or is that her own? She managed to get rid of the darkwater, so perhaps that other mana really belongs to her. If it is her own mana and I comment on it, she¡¯ll probably get pissed again. So¡­

    ¡°Nope,¡± mumbled Terry and followed the trail of time-accelerating mana to locate the perfect spot for his own seclusion.

    ***

    A man in white-golden robes jogged over. ¡°Terry, wait!¡± Shen shouted. ¡°I have a question.¡±

    Terry turned around without replying.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± asked Shen.

    Terry tilted his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m gathering information about the different trials in this area,¡± explained Shen.

    On the one hand, Terry didn¡¯t know why he should share. On the other hand, he also didn¡¯t know why he should care.

    ¡°Just a weird character infused with mana.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°No idea why that would count as a reward.¡±

    ¡°Character?¡± Shen scrambled to retrieve a scroll and unfurled it. ¡°Any of these?¡±

    Terry scanned the scroll and then pointed. ¡°That one.¡±

    Shen inhaled sharply. ¡°Someone left behind sword intent.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Terry had no idea what sword intent was supposed to be, or how that could possibly help anyone with anything.

    I guess me not being a martialist cultivator comes with both advantages and disadvantages here. Sometimes I manage to cheat the trials but sometimes the rewards are complete duds.

    ¡°Thanks, are you still gathering food?¡± asked Shen. ¡°I have some hunted beasts to repay you for the information. Or do you want more of the elixirs? Or some basic books again?¡±

    Terry pondered what he should ask for. He had traded with Shen and some other martialists several times already, but he was still wary of dealing with any of them.

    Asking for a book was quite harmless, but asking for anything Terry would consume was risky. Therefore, he honestly preferred hunting and collecting his own food. At least then he could be sure where it came from and that the food hadn¡¯t been poisoned.

    Even taking someone¡¯s storage items was less risky than a trade, mostly because people didn¡¯t plan for their storage items being taken.

    Terry looked at Shen and decided to pick something he had never chosen before in a trade. He figured there was less risk of Shen preparing a trap if he asked for something unexpected.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take some concentrated alcohol and a¡­¡± Terry had to search his memory. ¡°Constellation Breakthrough Pill.¡±

    It was one of the pills whose description Terry knew from a book. He had tried one before and while its primary purpose was completely useless to someone without a dantian, it was still a pill with tons of easily absorbable mana. This fit perfectly with Terry¡¯s body aging attempts.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Shen took out a bottle and a small box with three identical pills.

    ¡°One is enough,¡± said Terry. He did not expect to get a tip and wasn¡¯t sure how to interpret such an action.

    ¡°Actually, I had another trade in mind.¡± Shen seemed to hesitate. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a battle technique called the Big Dipper Sword. Have you heard of it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Terry rapidly moved his consciousness over the jade tokens in his possessions. He had mostly forgotten all the ridiculous names from the techniques he had collected in the Hall of Knowledge. ¡°...yes.¡± He took out one jade token and held it out for Shen. ¡°The Big Dipper Sword for the two additional pills then.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± exclaimed Shen. ¡°Thank you. See you soon!¡± He sprinted back to his group of followers. He was greeted with inquisitive eyes.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed three things,¡± said Shen with a grave expression. ¡°First, Terry is basically entirely ignorant of the value of the items he is handing out.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s really from Arcana, that would explain it.¡±

    ¡°Or he¡¯s just extremely spoiled and never had to pay for anything.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­¡± A more cautious voice added. ¡°...he is not as simple as he seems and he might have forgotten the value of items he considers beneath himself.¡±

    ¡°That crap again? An elder in disguise? Really?¡±

    ¡°Bah. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone cheating the tomb.¡±

    ¡°Well, what of it, Shen? What was his bone age this time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the second point,¡± said Shen. ¡°His current bone age is close to twenty-five.¡±

    ¡°See?! I told you he is an elder that found a way to temporarily hide his age to step into the tomb  of trials!¡±

    ¡°What do you think, Shen?¡±

    ¡°I think we should not jump to conclusions,¡± replied Shen. ¡°The more interesting point is number three: Terry is an incomparable treasure trove.¡±

    ¡°Why? Because he took out a Cleansing Firestalk Bamboo and the Big Dipper Sword?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the stuff he gave to the Immortal Tigress and the Outcast from the Ironbark Fist Sect.¡±

    ¡°And? Sure, these things are valuable, but not that valuable, right? I mean each one of us probably has at least a handful of items like that in our storage items.¡±

    ¡°And the talismans he used as if they were nothing?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you and I also have¡ª¡±

    ¡°The point is not the value of the Big Dipper Sword technique itself,¡± interjected Shen. ¡°The point is that he had the technique with him. I asked for it specifically. The techniques and treasure Terry handed out before were ideally suited to the elf and the felan. The items themselves might not be of incomparable value, but consider the implications of him handing out all three.¡±

    Shen looked at his group as if he was holding a lecture. ¡°The same with the Cleansing Firestalk Bamboo. He was asked for something valuable, but more importantly, something rare, specific, and nearly random. It would be an extreme coincidence for Terry to be able to fulfill several such requests. Unless¡­¡± He waited for his friends to finish the thought.

    ¡°...unless his storage is filled to the brim with similar items.¡±

    ¡°So the test wasn¡¯t about this technique specifically but about him being able to satisfy a specific request out of the blue?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and to verify the two other points while I¡¯m at it,¡± affirmed Shen. ¡°I would put Terry into the top ten most worthwhile targets in this secret realm.¡±

    ¡°Easy pickings.¡± One of the people in the group grinned.

    ¡°Eventually perhaps,¡± said Shen. ¡°Not now. First, we focus on the tickets. We are still missing some for a few of you.¡±

    ¡°But there is still so much time, do we really need to tackle this immediately?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± insisted Shen. ¡°Now, we can focus on it. When the exit deadline approaches, everyone will scramble for the tickets. That will be the perfect time to go after treasures instead, especially if we can comfortably wait people out. Tickets first.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Welcome, challenger,¡± a deep non-human voice growled. ¡°You have chosen the Trial of Life Preservation.¡±

    ¡°Sure I have,¡± mumbled Terry while absentmindedly looking towards the tunnel. He was scouting ahead with his mana touch.

    ¡°You will be facing increasingly powerful attacks. You can choose to yield after each attack, but you only have a single chance to challenge this trial. The more attacks you withstand, the bigger the reward.¡±

    ¡°No baseline this time, huh?¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this is enough.¡± He transfixed several tertium slabs in front of himself.

    He was fully counting on his Immovable Object spell, but he chose to have two backups. He prepared the barriers of his inscribed spear and helmet, as well as a layer of divine mana in front of himself.

    Terry almost regretted his pointless efforts when he saw the kind of attacks smashing into the immovable wall of tertium.

    Purely kinetic force. Sharp but nothing that would threaten my spell.

    Even though the incoming attacks eventually carried mana aspects too, none of them were a threat to the immovable defense.

    Terry relaxed and waited for the trial to finish.

    ¡°Perfect achievement,¡± praised the deep growling voice. ¡°You have earned an additional reward.¡±

    A green disc appeared in front of Terry.

    ¡°Collect three different tokens and you will have proven your worth,¡± declared the deep voice. ¡°You may proceed to the Dao Hall now.¡±

    Terry picked up the disc and walked through the tunnel that led to another dao chamber. It was the fourth one he had visited since he had arrived in this secret realm.

    Compared to the others, the first one was special in many ways. It was accessible for more than one person at a time and the time dilation was more extreme. Furthermore, there was one important thing that all the later dao chambers had in common¡­

    The moment he sensed the familiar mana signature, Terry could not say he was surprised anymore.

    ¡°Apex.¡± Terry snickered.

    ¡°Again?!¡± Apex stared incredulously at Terry.

    Every single time that Terry had followed the time accelerating mana, Terry had found Apex there. He had encountered other people too, but only when he was revisiting the chambers he already knew.

    From what Terry could detect in the change in mana, he guessed that the dao chambers in the current area were intended for sequential usage. Many people could use them in succession, but the time dilation was weaker for later users.

    Terry had spent some time observing the order of arrival. He had discovered that many of the earliest visitors were people he already knew. Shen, the duo from the Blazing Sun Sect, Guillermo, Hom, even Zhang and Rafael.

    However, they were all second at best. Terry did not count himself because he believed his own approach was different from the martialists. His approach relied on his own exquisite mana sense and the fact that someone else had discovered the chamber first.

    Terry was certain that Apex was always the first to reach the chambers. There was not much doubt, because he always caught her in the middle of it.

    ¡°Are you stalking me?¡± Apex looked at him with a flicker of disgust.

    Terry chuckled. ¡°Not really, but I can see how it might look that way.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Vicious yet.¡±

    ¡°The shitstain is a coward,¡± spat Apex contemptfully. ¡°Even with his newfound powers.¡±

    Terry wanted to ask for details about the powers, but knew better than to simply ask Apex straight¡­ Mostly, because he had asked before.

    Apex had first demanded another item before answering. Afterwards, she had described some abilities in a way that Terry still had no idea what she was trying to convey. When Terry had voiced as much, Apex had gotten angry and challenged him to a fight, which he had declined, much to her confusion.

    ¡°How do you always find these places?¡± Terry asked instead.

    ¡°Do you have some Lifegold Jade?¡± returned Apex with crossed arms and waited.

    Terry searched his storage items and then held up an intensely life-aspected jade stone with golden markings.

    ¡°...¡± For a moment, Apex glowered at him suspiciously and silently. ¡°Hand it over.¡±

    Terry threw the weird jade to her.

    ¡°Stupid question,¡± scoffed Apex. ¡°Same way you do.¡±

    I doubt it. Terry thought to himself.

    ¡°I look at the celestial bodies above.¡± Apex talked while examining the Lifegold Jade. ¡°I look at the geography. The positions of the mountains and the lakes. The moss on the trees. The angles of the rock formations. I calculate the¡­¡±

    While Apex rattled off an endless chain of complicated calculations, Terry stared at her with mouth agape.

    Could it be that Apex is secretly a huge nerd?

    Terry worked hard to keep his thoughts from showing on his face.

    I have to tell Matteo.

    ***

 161 Reeking of Death

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 3 ¨C

    Terry had the sense to not interrupt Apex in her monologue about the intricacies of locating treasures and dao chambers in a folded space.

    I don¡¯t recall her ever speaking that much without threatening anyone.

    Definitely a treasure hunting nerd.

    ¡®Appy, I don¡¯t know why you are so desperate for power, but I always thought you had a brain between your ears.¡¯ The words from his dwarven aunt resurfaced in Terry¡¯s mind.

    While before, Terry had only been slightly amused, now he was wondering what Sigille had seen in Apex. He could tell that the martialist woman had a more thoughtful side and was not only the battle lunatic he had seen before, but what was he supposed to do with this information?

    In the end, this side might also be seen as a symptom of striving for power. Clearly, the woman had issues.

    ¡®The Guild is only for crafters, dreamers, and the insane.¡¯

    ¡®Normal people don¡¯t make it that far. You won¡¯t find a single normal person in the ranking or beyond. Everyone is obsessed in some way or other.¡¯

    Terry remembered the words that Matteo had once said to the elven woman he considered to be his little sister. Back in Tiv¡¯s Guild, Apex had been named one of the ranked rookies.

    ¡°You¡¯re weird, you know that?¡± Apex¡¯s voice reached his ears.

    Terry woke up from his pensive daze to find Apex looking at him. He had stopped listening to her at some point and almost forgotten that he wasn¡¯t alone. He had little contact in Thanatos and ever since coming to this secret realm, Terry had tried his best to avoid other people whenever he could. In his social isolation, his old dungeon habits were dangerously close to resurfacing again.

    Who am I kidding? I¡¯m already talking to myself all the time again. Even if the martialists weren¡¯t driving me insane, stuff like the meditation with time dilation definitely leaves a mark. I¡¯m probably less adjusted than back with the ghouls and¡ª

    ¡°Oy! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Apex yelled and stabbed her finger towards him.

    ¡°I know,¡± mumbled Terry.

    Weirdo.

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Apex narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you making fun of me?!¡± Little azure flames licked around her fingers.

    I hate this place so much.

    Terry sighed inwardly and tried to calm her. ¡°No, I¡¯m just passing through. You can take the dao chamber, I¡¯ll take the other path.¡± He tilted his head and could not help but ask. ¡°How can you stand using dao chamber after dao chamber? Isn¡¯t that¡­ exhausting?¡±

    ¡°Not being a sissy helps,¡± spat Apex. ¡°Without a strong mind, you¡¯ll never make it far.¡±

    ¡°A goal in mind probably helps too,¡± muttered Terry without thinking much and while being completely oblivious to the jab at his own supposed weakness.

    Concentrating on the divine hammer and on getting home to Arcana sure helped me, but still. Even with breaks, I¡¯m not sure if I could stomach another round like the last one.

    ¡°...and what would you know of my goals?¡± growled Apex with cold anger in her eyes.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry could sense that the woman¡¯s attitude had changed instantly. He almost reflexively switched into a combat stance, but thought better of it. ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t care.¡±

    Apex was taken off-guard by his reply. She calmed down and looked at him more closely. ¡°You¡¯re not from the martial sects. What are you even doing here?¡±

    Terry chuckled with a hint of insanity before answering: ¡°Trying to get out.¡±

    Apex searched his expression and after a pause, she continued. ¡°When we first met here, they told you my real name and background, but you didn¡¯t react.¡±

    Terry shrugged. ¡°Why would I? I don¡¯t even know what heretical cultivation is supposed to be. I¡¯ve never heard of a Martial Tower either.¡±

    Apex glowered at Terry with suspicion. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯ve never heard of the Martial Tower? I find that hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°Believe what you wish.¡± Terry retorted with his own patience thinning out at a speedy pace. ¡°I don¡¯t like lying.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Matteo never mentioned¡­?¡± Apex stopped her question half-way.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Terry¡¯s eyebrows shot up. His mind was racing to find something related to Matteo and a Martial Tower.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± barked Apex. ¡°None of your business anyway.¡±

    No¡­ ohh! Terry had a sudden realization. Matteo is from the Free Factions Union, specifically from a region called the Land of the Four Towers.

    Towers. Plural.

    Could one of the four towers be the Martial Tower?

    ¡°You¡¯re reeking of death.¡± Apex remarked suddenly. ¡°I have a proposal that could help you resolve your affliction.¡±

    Terry¡¯s thoughts stumbled over themselves. His theories about Apex¡¯s background and connection to Matteo were pushed to the background while he tried to digest the mentioning of death and reeking.

    Terry barely contained the desire to sniff himself. Admittedly, his continued isolation and frequent battling might have caused a slip in hygiene, but this was probably not what Apex was getting at.

    Probably.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®reeking of death¡¯?¡± asked Terry slowly.

    ¡°Are you trying to keep it hidden?¡± retorted Apex with a scoff. ¡°You feel older every time I encounter you, older than you have any right to be given the time we haven¡¯t seen each other. Something is causing you to lose lifeforce at an accelerated rate. My best guess is you have been poisoned or stung by a death beast.¡±

    Oh, so it¡¯s just that. Terry visibly relaxed when he realized that Apex was mistaking his intentional aging for something out of his control.

    ¡°You should not take it that lightly,¡± warned Apex. ¡°No matter if it¡¯s poison or the magic curse of a beast, these afflictions have a tendency to accelerate exponentially.¡±

    Terry had no desire to reveal the reason for his calmness and he was indeed curious. ¡°What kind of proposal do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Going by the grass outside as well as the angle of the¡­¡± Apex began rambling again. ¡°...there should be a secret path in here that leads to a Spring of Rejuvenation. That would take care of your little problem. Even if it¡¯s a weaker version and fails to outright cure your affliction, it should buy you considerable time.¡±

    Terry crossed his arms in thought. He knew he did not really suffer from one of these afflictions, but his intentionally accelerated aging did indeed come with theoretical drawbacks.

    He had reasoned the loss of lifespan away as something that would be evened out by his increase in mana pool as long as he kept up his mana foundational training, but could he do better?

    Even if he had no reason to worry, what if he could negate the drawback completely? This Spring of Rejuvenation sounded like something to reverse aging.

    But would it also revert the strengthening of my body? If it ends up reverting the mana transformation of my physique, then I would be back at square one.

    Terry wondered quietly before making up his mind.

    I refuse to believe that mana martialists would use such a means of rejuvenation if it carried the risk of losing their power. At the very least, I can give it a try. If it ends up undoing my body transformation, then I¡¯ll stop.

    ¡°You said, you have a proposal,¡± said Terry while carefully observing Apex. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

    Apex bit her lip. After a moment of hesitation, she explained: ¡°The dao chamber in this place is special and particularly suited to my cultivation. If I¡¯m right, I¡¯ll be able to push for a breakthrough.¡±

    Terry waited for her to continue, but after a minute of silence, he felt the need to prod her. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°¡®And¡¯?¡± Apex looked at him as if he was an idiot. ¡°And this area¡­¡± Her words trailed off into silence.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Terry stared at her blankly.

    Apex¡¯s expression flickered between anger, frustration, offense, and incredulity. ¡°Are you making fun of me? Or are you really that dense? Do I seriously have to spell it out for you?¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes darted from left to right and back to Apex. He shrugged. ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be vulnerable during my breakthrough attempt.¡± Apex forced her words through gritted teeth. ¡°This area is secluded but not as protected as I would like. You are the closest thing to a neutral party I know of in this inheritance site.¡±

    Ah. True, everyone else seems to hate her guts¡­ or at least her cultivation. Although her character probably doesn¡¯t help with the whole thing either.

    Terry recalled the situation when he had been transported to an area where several people were fighting with Apex.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident you won¡¯t find the Spring of Rejuvenation without my help,¡± stressed Apex. ¡°So it is in your interest that I stay protected while pushing for a breakthrough. Afterwards, I can show you how to access the secret passage.¡±

    Terry was wondering if he would really require her help to locate the Spring of Rejuvenation. He could not be sure that she would keep her word either. In the end, Terry¡¯s curiosity won over his skepticism and cynicism.

    This was a chance to see a martialist cultivation breakthrough up close. He did not want to miss the opportunity.

    ¡°I agree,¡± declared Terry.

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to absorb the heavenly yang energy here. It is required for my breakthrough,¡± barked Apex while she moved towards a crystal platform at the center of the chamber.

    ¡®Heavenly yang energy¡¯?

    Terry furrowed his brow and concentrated on his mana sight.

    Isn¡¯t this just a mixture of mana? Life, fire, lightning, blood, also¡ª

    ¡°Did you hear what I just said?!¡± Apex yelled at him. Her tone betrayed both exasperation at his lack of a response as well as a hint of unease.

    ¡°Yes, no absorbing mana because you need it.¡± said Terry drily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my mana pool is full anyway.¡±

    Apex did not seem entirely satisfied with the way he had phrased it, but she sat down regardless. She placed a few items around herself ¨C all within reach for easy access. She lit three incense sticks at specific locations and then closed her eyes.

    Terry walked towards the entrance of the chamber and transfixed an unfolded tertium cube just in case. He used one of his previously filled mana containers to replenish his mana pool without harvesting mana from the chamber itself.

    Afterwards, Terry fixed his gaze on Apex, who was now breathing regularly and deeply.

    Is this what meditation looks like from the outside?

    Terry noted the accelerating mana circulation in Apex¡¯s body. At the beginning, it wasn¡¯t obvious, but after a while, he could tell that she was following a specific circulation pattern for hitting her acupoints in a particular order and rhythm.

    She relies primarily on fire and lightning, but also on air to a lesser degree¡­

    The faint trace of the weird mana I can¡¯t place is still there as well¡­

    Terry felt slightly uneasy when he sensed the unknown mana that was still lingering around.

    Is it related to her injury from before? Is it part of her cultivation and it only appeared after I saw Apex in Tiv? Was it always there and my mana sense wasn¡¯t sensitive enough to pick it up back then?

    Either way, not like I can do anything about it. Even if I wanted to ask her, now would not be the right time¡­

    Terry resolved himself to wait and keep an eye out for trouble. Meanwhile, he carefully observed the change in mana around Apex.

    Huh, I believe I sensed something like that before¡­

    Terry realized that he had unwittingly observed a handful of cultivation breakthroughs from afar while he had been gazing down at the martialists from his shelter in the sky.

    Although observed might be overstating it. He had only picked up the change in mana signature with his mana sense, but he had never seen the actual sight with his own eyes before.

    Terry knew that time was accelerated in Apex¡¯s mind. He guessed that whatever breakthrough she was aiming for was related to some insight she hoped to develop in the mental experience with diluted time. He could also make out that most of the items Apex had placed around her were matching her mana aspects.

    Probably to use them after she is done with the meditation. After the insight, there might be a required change in body as well.

    Terry calmly observed Apex and the vicinity for nearly an hour when he detected a change in the way that Apex was circulating her mana.

    The mana slowed down at a specific spot while the mana from the back was rushing towards the same point. As if she was pressing it forward while erecting a dam at the same time.

    Suddenly, Apex tore down the dam to have all her built up energy rush towards a single acupoint¡­

    Terry opened his eyes wide when he sensed a change in the weird mana right at this moment. In an instant, the weird mana was appearing at the same spot that Apex had targeted, interfering with the rest of the mana.

    Terry had still wondered if this was normal when he could see Apex becoming deathly pale. She vomited a mouthful of blood while still keeping her eyes closed.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry sensed Apex¡¯s mana becoming erratic and she appeared weaker and weaker by the second. He felt the urge to dash towards her and use some healing items, but he hesitated. After all, he had no certainty that this was truly abnormal and if it was, if his own interference risked making it worse.

    Terry narrowed his eyes when the weird mana appeared to flash in his mana sight. Shortly after, he could sense another mana signature appear outside the chamber. As if the strange mana had linked with something, only for a creature of darkness to rise up from the floor.

    Vicious.

    Terry realized whom the mana signature belonged to the same moment that Apex opened her eyes.

    ¡°The¡­ little¡­ shitstain¡­¡± Apex forced through bloody teeth. She had collapsed on the floor and was weakly pushing herself up. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ kill¡­ him¡­¡±

    Terry rushed to Apex and placed a few of his recovery items next to her. ¡°I can sense Vicious coming here. I¡¯ll buy us time.¡± He examined her in his mana sight. The trace of weird mana was gone.

    Focus.

    Terry forced himself to concentrate on the problem at hand before worrying about introspection and examining how they had gotten into this situation. He addressed Apex: ¡°Tell me if there is anything specific that would help.¡±

    ¡°Heeheehee¡­¡±

    Terry could hear the idiosyncratic laughter of Vicious from the hallway outside. He quickly retrieved his barrier spear and made sure that the spell blocking the entrance was still charged.

    How did Vicious get here so quickly? Shouldn¡¯t he be forced through the same trials as us to come here?

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened when he thought of a possibility.

    Vicious earned new channeled abilities from the Shapeless Pond. Something to mark people and then to attack them whenever he wants? Including moving to their position?

    Like the spell I talked to Siling about? To move herself to her soul spirit¡¯s location.

    A corner of Terry¡¯s mind was pointing out how overpowered such an ability was in a place like this secret realm. Vicious could simply mark targets and then take them out when they were at their most vulnerable, stealing their rewards in the process.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Terry noted a thin mana invading the chamber from the gaps in the transfixed tertium cube. A determined glint flashed in his eyes. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± He unleashed his own mana to crowd out the mana that belonged to Vicious. Whatever the channeler was trying to do, Terry wasn¡¯t having it.

    ¡°Which muppet is trying to interfere with my fun?¡± Eric asked teasingly. ¡°Apex, Apex, Apex. Whatever happened to fighting your own battles? I know that isn¡¯t you with that mana.¡±

    ¡°Go¡­¡± Apex was glaring hatefully at the blocked entrance while absorbing energy from one of the items she had placed on the ground earlier. ¡°...die!¡±

    Terry was holding back a remark to tell Apex to stay calm and not let herself be taunted into something stupid. He knew that this would be a waste of words and might only worsen her temper.

    Terry had pushed the invading mana out of the chamber and prevented it from entering by blocking it with his own.

    ¡°Come little muppet, speak to me. I know you¡¯re there.¡± Eric¡¯s voice echoed through the tunnel. ¡°I know what Apex is like. You probably thought of killing her yourself already. Why don¡¯t we split her possessions?¡±

    ¡°If you¡­¡± Apex was glowering at Terry with wariness written all over her face.

    Terry just shot her a glance. He shook his head and raised his finger in front of his mouth.

    Vicious evidently doesn¡¯t know who I am. Or at least, he doesn¡¯t know that it¡¯s me that is here. Let¡¯s try and keep it this way¡­

    Terry made sure not to trigger Apex into something stupid. He intentionally distanced himself a bit further and took care to not make any sudden movements.

    ¡°Bitch got your tongue?¡± sneered Vicious. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t whine when you regret your decision.¡±

    Terry could sense the dark water moving in the passage. It accelerated and crashed violently into the transfixed tertium cube that Terry used to block the entrance.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Eric discovered that his attack had failed to move the tertium obstruction even the slightest bit. He was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly recomposed himself and used his fluid body to press through the gaps instead.

    ¡°No!¡± Eric involuntarily exclaimed when he found his way obstructed by something deeply terrifying to him. Something that caused a visceral reaction of loathing and fear.

    The layers of divine mana that Terry had summoned with his inscribed wrappings were the perfect tool to unsettle Vicious¡¯s mind. Nothing like being reminded of painful defeats to shake the confidence out of the cowardly channeler.

    ¡°This is not possible¡­¡± muttered Eric whose fluid body was raging with tiny bubbles. He pushed through the gap once more.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Eric screamed in pain when he was assaulted by a cloud of mana-coagulant powder that Terry had prepared for him on the other side.

    Eric hastily retreated back into the passage and wheezed with quivering eyes. ¡°No. No no no.¡± Ripples washed over his skin like the waves by water disturbed by an intense wind. ¡°No! You¡¯re dead, you decrepit¡­!¡±

    On the other side, Terry was pleased with the effectiveness of the mana-coagulant powder. He had seen his aunt Sigille use something similar against Vicious in the battle over Syn City. He had known that it could work, but he had not been sure if the powder they had purchased when searching for the four-leaved blood tulip would work on Vicious. Even though the powder did not seem as effective as whatever Sigille had used, it seemed to work well enough to buy time.

    The only problem is I don¡¯t have that much of the powder. Most of the powder was with Calam, Siling, and Miguel.

    Terry moved his consciousness through his storage items.

    Worst case, I can use some of the martialist talismans I still have. Although I don¡¯t know how well they will work against Vicious¡¯s abilities.

    Wait¡­

    I¡¯m an idiot. Terry suppressed the urge to slap his own forehead.

    Vicious is a channeler. That means¡­

    Terry focused on his mana perception until his eyes were glued to a location at Eric¡¯s left heel.

    There! That¡¯s where his channeling anchor is! Okay, I can try aiming whatever I have¡ª

    ¡°Heeheehee!¡± Mad laughter interrupted Terry¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°I know who you are, little muppet!¡± Vicious gleefully exclaimed. ¡°You must be the brat from the decrepit hag! Terry!¡± His realization had allowed him to regain his momentary loss of composure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my time with you, Terry!¡± Vicious jeered. ¡°Sadly, I did not get to kill the decrepit hag with my own hands, but I will take pleasure in sending you to the Pond.¡±

    Terry believed he had reached the limit for the anger he could feel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be lonely,¡± gloated Vicious. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending Matteo over soon enough!¡±

    Terry discovered that he had believed wrong.

    ***

 162 Fight to Flee

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 3 ¨C

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sending Matteo over soon enough!¡±

    Vicious¡¯s words were still echoing from the walls and Terry¡¯s blood was boiling from the threat to one of his whaka. His consciousness was racing through his storage. He did not have a good plan, but he did have a whole Hall of Power full of weapons.

    Deep down, Terry understood that it would be smarter to keep up the defense and wait for a chance to strike at Vicious, but the desire to rip the slimy bastard into pieces was growing stronger by the second.

    ¡°Do you have an Apple of Rising Blood?¡± Apex¡¯s question jolted him from his own bloodlust.

    Terry retrieved a crimson-golden apple and threw it towards Apex, who was still recuperating on the platform.

    Apex seems to have used up all of the items, both the ones she had prepared and the ones I gave her. Her mana is still weak. Whatever Vicious did or caused to happen, must have injured her heavily.

    Crap.

    Terry forced his own wrath down. He had promised to protect Apex during her cultivation breakthrough. This was not the time for him to lose it.

    I should really reserve more time for breathing exercises. This whole martialist asylum is not good for my judgement.

    He clenched his fists and prepared himself to block Vicious for as long as he could.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhr!¡± A violent outburst of mana was unleashed behind him.

    Terry reflexively turned to see Apex standing up with bloodshot eyes. Waves of crimson fire were roaring around her.

    Mixed aspects. Blood, life, fire, lightning¡­ Mostly blood.

    Uh-oh¡­

    Terry finally realized what was going on. He had been lulled into composure by Apex¡¯s calm question and had not wondered why she had asked for the magic fruit.

    Forbidden technique.

    Apex was already at the verge of death.

    This is insane!

    Terry had thought his own temper was getting too irritable and flaring up to a worrying degree, but evidently, he still paled in comparison to the real short fuse in the room. He could see madness in Apex¡¯s bloodshot eyes. He even felt the instinctual reflex to retreat from the woman that was burning her life.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Apex screamed and charged towards the entrance.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Terry was forced to drop his divine mana barrier and to stop his spell that was keeping the unfolded tertium cube in place. Not even a minute after he had resolved to focus on defense and buying time, Apex was smashing through the tertium cube and melting it in the process.

    ¡°Heehee¡­ hmph.¡± Eric¡¯s facial expression switched from gleeful schadenfreude to irritation when he was assaulted by a burst of dark crimson flames accompanied by the cry of a phoenix. He hurriedly liquified his body and evaded the flames.

    ¡°Die!¡± Apex reared her arms back with fingers stretched and then pushed them abruptly forward while the image of an orange-golden flood dragon appeared behind her.

    Lightning cracked and darted all over the passage to strike at the dark fluid that constituted Vicious¡¯s body.

    ¡°Crazy bitch.¡± Vicious used a channeled technique to guide a viscous fluid to trap Apex¡¯s feet, only to have the substance evaporated by Apex¡¯s flames in seconds.

    Apex was wheezing at this point but still kept up her relentless assault.

    Right when Vicious was trying to retreat in a dash of liquid, he found his path blocked by translucent golden layers of mana. He managed to break through one layer but found more waiting for him. He hastily spread his fluid body out towards the edge of the passage when Apex¡¯s attack reached him and the barrier of divine mana.

    Oh mana, I hope she maintains a sliver of sanity.

    Terry saw Apex smash through several layers of his barriers while attacking Eric.

    She isn¡¯t exactly calm on normal days and this technique seems to be similar to a burst with blood- and fire-aspected mana. That can¡¯t possibly improve her temper.

    Then again, she didn¡¯t flare up at me for interfering in the fight, so perhaps she has enough sense left to understand the situation we¡¯re in?

    Wishful thinking?

    Terry followed behind the battle between the two ranked rookies while looking for an opportunity to tilt the battle in Apex¡¯s favor.

    Vicious must be the most annoying opponent imaginable. The debilitating effects of darkwater aside, this fluid body is a nightmare in itself.

    Once again, Terry sorely felt the limitations of his only spell. There was no suitable spell target on Vicious, and the channeler of the Shapeless Pond would shrug off whatever item would transfix in his path.

    ¡°Apex, you lost before!¡± jeered Vicious. ¡°Do you really think you have a chance now that you are on borrowed time? Heeheehee¡­¡±

    ¡°Huahh!¡± Apex charged forth once more.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Terry shouted from behind her. ¡°Trap!¡± He had sensed another trace of the weird mana gathering between the two.

    He¡¯s intentionally baiting her.

    Crap, she isn¡¯t listening.

    I can¡ª Apex is going to hate this¡­

    Terry transfixed a small metal buckle on Apex¡¯s shoe and she immediately tripped.

    I hope her ankle is okay.

    Terry dashed past Apex and hurled an intense disruption discharge towards the weird mana. Without pause, he retrieved one of his remaining battle talismans and channeled mana into it.

    A purple translucent skull was summoned and charged forth to pursue Vicious¡¯s mana signature.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Vicious liquified once more to evade the skull.

    Terry could sense a slight movement of the weird mana again when the channeler dodged. The skull kept charging back and forth.

    It¡¯s chasing something. Another trace of the weird mana. It¡¯s flickering all over the place inside the viscous liquid.

    Is that the channeling anchor? Or another weakness?

    Terry realized that Vicious was trying to charge into him.

    Is he hoping that the skull will change targets? That¡¯s not how this talisman works.

    Terry pushed his mana into the divine hammer inscription. He might not be able to use his Immovable Object spell to limit the channeler¡¯s movements, but he still had the barriers summoned from the intersection between the light and metal aspects.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Apex¡¯s shout reminded him of her presence. She was charging towards Vicious and Terry was stuck in the middle.

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry darted up and relied on his septimum pearls to get into a flat position pressed against the ceiling.

    Vicious had managed to wait out the effect of Terry¡¯s talisman but was now confronted by a furious Apex once more.

    In the following fight, Terry used several more martialist talismans. Some to attack Vicious, others to protect Apex.

    To his intense dismay, Apex was either not appreciating the effects of the protective talismans or didn¡¯t regain enough sense to gauge his intent. The shields that were not destroyed by Vicious were blown apart by Apex herself.

    Terry had to defend himself from Vicious¡¯s darkwater attacks. Fortunately, his divine barriers had become a lot sturdier since arriving in this pocket realm.

    Vicious is barely engaging. It¡¯s clear that he is trying to wait for Apex¡¯s steam to run out. I would try the same if I was him¡­

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    With a loud battle-cry, Apex unleashed another resonance technique.

    I don¡¯t think she cares at this point¡­

    Terry was furrowing his brow with a slight frown. He knew that Vicious was biding his time¡­

    ¡­but so was Terry.

    Now!

    He burst his mana and at the same time, the mana he had dumped to set up the scene suddenly contracted into a rotating mass of spell slicers passing through all the traces of viscous liquid in the passage. He simultaneously punched out a layered dual discharge aimed directly at Eric¡¯s channeling anchor.

    ¡°Damn you.¡± Vicious¡¯s channeled abilities were temporarily disturbed and his fluid body wiggled into shape. He did not have much time to curse Terry because his physical body was now directly in the path of Apex¡¯s thunderfire attack.

    Terry on his side did not have much reason to rejoice either. They had landed a good blow on Vicious, but Terry was acutely aware of Apex¡¯s state. A glance at her mana was all he needed to understand that the battle-lunatic was burning her own lifeline. As soon as her forbidden technique was exhausted, she would be in an even worse state than directly after her failed cultivation breakthrough.

    Even if Apex was theoretically able to get the upper hand, there was not enough time for her to get there. Terry inwardly sighed at what he had to do. Not only was he going to lose even more valuable items, Apex would most likely want to punch him later too.

    Screw it.

    Terry hurled a bolas and adjusted his rotating spell slicers before summoning layers of divine mana. Without hesitation, he ripped two more talismans and began retrieving other items.

    Vicious found himself assaulted by a roaring beast of fire and obstructed by a shimmering wall of hexagon crystals.

    Apex stumbled over the transfixed pair of bolas. Her fire quickly incinerated the connecting rope, but in her frenzied state the temporary obstruction was still enough to trip her.

    Once on the floor, she was momentarily blocked by mana from Terry¡¯s divine hammer inscription. Just long enough, for an army of spell slicers to run through her body and disturb her forbidden technique.

    Meanwhile, Terry was moving his mana into a similar sphere to the artifact that Rafael had used in the battle for the altar. In contrast to the felan back then, Terry activated the protective artifact remotely and on an unwitting target.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡± Eric stared suspiciously at the sphere of barriers forming around himself. He had already been injured by Apex and then by the fire from the martialist talisman. He was growing wary of the insane duo confronting him. He relaxed slightly when the sphere didn¡¯t show any sign of hurting him, but then he cursed as soon as he realized that the sphere prevented him from moving.

    As I expected.

    Terry had seen this type of protective artifact in action on the altar when it had been obvious that Rafael was not able to move with it. It felt like a waste to use such a powerful defensive artifact to trap an opponent, but Terry needed time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send your souls to the pond!¡± snarled Vicious hatefully.

    Jokes on you, I''m soulless. No soul to send here..

    Terry tentatively channeled his mana into the Liquify Earth imprint from the wand his sister Lori had made for him. He was not surprised to discover that the spell failed to activate on the mana-infused tunnel walls and quickly switched to his fallback plan.

    In a matter of seconds, Terry had retrieved a tertium slab together with several metal ingots and used the Shape Metal imprint hidden in his armor to create a thin wall of metal that blocked the passage between Vicious and them.

    Terry made sure to push the metal as deep into the walls as possible. He quickly empowered his Immovable Object spell as much as he could and activated it on the metal wall.

    Going by his experience with blocking the path to the dao chamber and hanging around in the sky, the spell would hold for slightly more than three hours unless otherwise disrupted ¨C much longer than any of the protective artifacts or defensive talismans would last.

    ¡°Ba¡­stard.¡± Apex hissed from underneath the layers of divine mana. She was barely conscious and glared resentfully at Terry before passing out. Her forbidden technique had fizzled away before it could cause further damage.

    Apex used her last conscious breath to curse me out. That bodes well for when she will wake up.

    Screw it.

    Terry used his last talisman with a healing effect on Apex. Despite the talisman¡¯s power, it seemed completely insufficient to take care of Apex¡¯s injuries. Fortunately, it managed to stabilize her condition though. He would have liked to use more of his healing items, but consumables like the magic beans required Apex to be conscious to eat them. Furthermore, this was neither the place nor the time for lengthy treatments.

    Terry double- and triple-checked himself and Apex for any traces of the weird mana. He really did not want to see a repetition of this kind of ambush. He rolled Apex¡¯s body onto his shoulders so that her left arm and left leg were now around his neck. Then he darted towards the hidden passage his mana touch scouting had revealed to him earlier.

    A part of Terry was feeling pathetic at having to flee. He had been so furious earlier. The slimy creep had insulted his dead aunt and threatened one of his whaka, and in spite of that, Terry was now running away.

    Another part of Terry knew that it was the right decision. This was not the time and place to finish this battle. The knowledge didn¡¯t help with how he felt, however. What did help was that he knew his family would approve of his choice.

    No matter how much his calmer side was reminding him that this was the best course of action, a slight trace of madness reared its head inside of Terry. He found himself clenching his teeth and swearing an oath to himself.

    Before this secret realm reopens, I am going to end the slimy bastard!

    ***

    Terry darted around the secret tunnel system to get as much distance between them and Vicious as possible.

    According to his understanding of the channeler, there was a good chance that Eric would not pursue them. His aunt and Matteo had always described the man as a sadistic coward, a person who relied on ambushes and who would flee when truly pushed.

    Nevertheless, Terry wanted to err on the side of caution. He was following the path he judged to be most likely to lead to the Spring of Rejuvenation that Apex had mentioned before. Naturally, he was going purely by his mana perception and instinct. Terry had no idea about the complex calculations that the martialist woman used to determine the spring¡¯s location.

    The life aspect is more intense that way, but¡­

    Terry was frowning. The weight of Apex on his shoulders was reminding him that he had to be careful. The tunnel he would reach was not empty. A group of martialists appeared to be attacking something or someone.

    Mana martialists tended to be crazy to begin with, but they also seemed to have an intense hatred for Apex, more intense than could be explained by her own battle-hungry personality that was not too dissimilar to theirs.

    Screw it.

    The Spring of Rejuvenation should be beneficial both to me and to Apex¡¯s recovery. If these martialists throw another hissy fit about heretical cultivation or whatever, I¡¯ll improvise.

    Terry kept his pace while concentrating on his breathing, both for the benefit of his run and to calm his temper.

    What¡¯s this¡­ Oh!

    Terry subconsciously grinned. He had discovered what the martialists were furiously attacking.

    A spatial barrier.

    Perfect!

    Terry accelerated and quickly reached the area.

    ¡°Who the blasts are you?!¡±

    ¡°Get the fuck away if you¡ª¡±

    Terry darted past the outraged martialists.

    ¡°Oy! Are you deaf or something?! I told you to scram!¡±

    Terry stopped shortly before the barrier to make sure he didn¡¯t mistake its nature. The instances of perfectly cloaked magic and illusions had caused him to be somewhat wary of the stationary magic phenomena in this secret realm. To be safe, he paused to examine the barrier instead of rushing through with bursting mana like he had occasionally done in the past.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± A pair of martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect stopped the incensed man. They were the duo that Terry had met before. ¡°Let¡¯s see what he¡ª-¡±

    All conversations were silenced the moment Terry touched the spatial barrier with a finger. His burst of mana caused the barrier to shatter, which left the martialists staring in disbelief.

    ¡°M-monster,¡± whispered one of the martialists he had left behind.

    Terry quickly dashed forward with Apex still on his shoulders. He was beyond happy to discover that the spatial barrier had regenerated directly behind him.

    Even if Vicious was pursuing us, this should put a stop to him. I don¡¯t believe he can crash such a strong spatial barrier¡­

    ¡°Welcome, challenger.¡± A soft voice jolted Terry from his thoughts. ¡°You have qualified for the Trial of Havoc.¡±

    Terry stopped his run and gently put Apex on the floor. He had learned enough about the trials in this secret realm to know that mindlessly walking forward could get you killed even if you were not carrying an unconscious person on your shoulders.

    ¡°You will have to show us the true power you can unleash. You will be presented with a sequence of targets that you will have to break. You can choose to yield at any point, but you only have a single chance to challenge this trial. The more targets you destroy, the bigger the reward.¡±

    Terry, who had only been half-listening to the voice before, began to frown.

    A trial of offensive power?

    Crap.

    He knew his own limitations. Damage output was not among his strong points.

    Then again¡­

    Thinking back to how he had arrived in this trial, Terry regained a bit of hope.

    If this trial is using spatial barriers as targets, then¡­

    He waited while biting his lips. As soon as the small sphere appeared out of thin air, Terry involuntarily exclaimed: ¡°Crap.¡±

    Crap crap crap.

    He sighed.

    Figures that my time of weaseling through trials would come to an end when it really mattered.

    He clicked his tongue and focused on the rest of his mana perception.

    I¡¯m nearly certain that the Spring of Rejuvenation is in that direction. Why would they place that after this particular trial?

    Terry glanced at Apex and recalled the forbidden techniques that the martialists relied on in extreme emergencies.

    Do they expect the challengers to resort to such techniques for a mere trial?

    They¡¯re all insane.

    He rubbed his eyes in thought.

    I believe Apex might have figured a way around the trial, some alternative path indicated by the direction a rabbit wiggles its nose or something. Doesn¡¯t really help when she is not awake to share her insights.

    Terry checked on Apex¡¯s condition once more.

    Stable, but mana damned she is messed up. If she was conscious, I could share some more healing items with her but¡­

    He stood up and turned to face the trial¡¯s target.

    I normally don¡¯t bother with trials that are a bad fit for me, but I might need the Spring of Rejuvenation to awaken Apex. She might resent me for interfering in the battle and canceling her forbidden technique, but still¡­

    Terry took a deep breath and stretched his shoulders.

    If there is anyone in this secret realm whom I would trust to stop at nothing to kill Vicious, then it¡¯s Apex. Dealing with her craziness will be annoying but I¡¯m still pretty certain she hates Vicious more than me.

    He retrieved his inscribed barrier spear, the last remaining of the set that his accepted mother Isille had sent him to Tiv. He fixed the target sphere in his eyes and reared back his spear arm for a thrust.

    Let¡¯s see how far I can get with some good old honest strength¡­

    ***

 163 Honest Rewards

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 4 ¨C

    ¡°Huahh!¡± Terry slammed the glowing keen dagger with both arms into the sphere.

    Finally, a crack appeared on the trial¡¯s target and it evaporated.

    ¡°Screw¡­¡± He was wheezing heavy breaths. ¡°...this. Seriously.¡±

    Another target sphere appeared.

    ¡°Oh for mana¡¯s sake.¡± Terry felt like kicking the wall. Only he knew this to be a bad idea. Mostly because he had recently kicked this damned target sphere and was not looking forward to more bruises.

    Terry had managed to get through five targets easily, with the high-quality blade of his barrier spear, his recently improved physique, and his mana foundation.

    The seventh target had already proved a challenge until Terry had switched to his inscribed keen daggers to make use of the mana blade as well as the guard on the dagger for more powerful attacks.

    He did not require the spear''s reach for this trial and hammering down a mana-infused dagger with both arms was the most powerful attack Terry had come up with.

    The most powerful regular attack at least.

    Terry had considered using his last remaining martialist talismans, but it seemed like a waste, especially now that he knew he was going up against Vicious in the future.

    For the ninth target sphere, Terry had wanted to be clever again. He had shaped a thin layer of metal around the target and then crushed it with his unstoppable shift combination.

    He had barraged the transfixed metal with disruption discharges until the metal shifted into the target and broke it apart.

    This had worked for two more targets, but then it turned out that each sphere required deeper and deeper shifts before it broke apart completely.

    Terry¡¯s unstoppable shift combination was a tremendously inefficient technique to begin with and this increasing distance requirement was a deal breaker for his attempt at cleverness.

    ¡°Not like this was a much better use of time and mana¡­¡± He was still trying to catch his breath. He had assaulted the sphere with powerful dagger strikes for what felt like forever and he had accentuated each strike with bursts of mana.

    How many of these damned things are going to pop up? This is already the twelfth¡­

    Let¡¯s try something else¡­

    Terry searched through his dimensional storage and retrieved one of the many magic weapons he had looted from the Hall of Power. It was a green-blue sword with an unusually wide blade, which he proceeded to examine warily.

    Why can¡¯t they just use inscriptions like any sane mana crafter? Or add a note that explains how the item works if the item cannot suggest its own use?

    It¡¯s ridiculous that one has to use the item to see how it works. What if I blow up the whole cavern with this thing?

    Terry¡¯s eyes danced around the walls. A moment later, he was transfixing several tertium items to make sure there would be no tunnel collapse and that no harm would come to the unconscious Apex behind him.

    Afterwards, he grabbed the sword hilt with both hands and stared at the target sphere.

    First issue, I don¡¯t know what the magic in this thing does.

    Second issue, it¡¯s a sword and I¡¯m not familiar with swords.

    Third issue¡ª

    ¡°Enough,¡± barked Terry and infused the sword with mana, only to suddenly feel the sword sucking mana of its own.

    What a greedy sword!

    He waited for the sword to be charged completely and then slashed at the target sphere.

    *Boom!* The sphere was eviscerated in a storm of green and blue dust.

    Terry¡¯s face stiffened.

    That was complete overkill.

    He clicked his tongue with a frown. ¡°Inefficient too.¡± Even with Terry¡¯s considerable mana pool, the sword had used more than a third of his available mana.

    Terry¡¯s frown deepened when another of the accursed target spheres popped into existence.

    No whining. He chided himself.

    He infused his mana into the magic sword again, only this time, Terry cut off the mana flow at his own discretion. He could still feel the sword attempting to suck more mana but he had enough mana control to prevent this from happening.

    Terry slashed at the target sphere and the target blew apart without shattering sound. He was pleased with the result, only to frown again a second later. He held the magic sword close to his eyes.

    The mana inside looks different now. Does it get damaged if it¡¯s used with insufficient mana?

    ¡°Crap.¡± Terry cursed. Inefficient in another way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first verify this, maybe I¡¯m overthinking things.¡± He continued destroying the target spheres with the magic sword while carefully limiting the used mana.

    ¡°Not enough¡­¡± Terry stared at the most recent target sphere that had survived the latest sword attack. He had evidently used too little mana.

    Terry held the sword up to his eyes again. ¡°Yup, the mana keeps changing.¡± He shrugged. If that is really a sign of damage, then I might as well use it up. That¡¯s the only way to be sure if my hypothesis is correct or not.

    Eventually, the magic sword broke apart. Terry was not sure if he should be happy that his theory had been confirmed or unhappy at having wasted a precious magic item.

    I¡¯m not a sword user anyway, but still.

    ¡°Screw you.¡± Terry cursed at the next target sphere that appeared in his eyes.

    Either I sacrifice magic items or even more mana and time¡­

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Terry paused and thought about his recent toad encounter. Attacks came in different styles. He had been forced to break through tough defenses plenty of times. From turtle cultists over ice elementals to rock-solid toads. While it was hard to see the items like the levered screw mechanism as traditional weaponry, they had certainly served Terry well so far. Most of them were useless in a heated battle but with time and patience?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how physics stack up against you.¡± Terry used his Immovable Object spell to transfix a U-shaped tertium piece as a fulcrum. Afterwards, he used the Shape Metal imprint of his armor to reshape several metal ingots into a long pole extension for his barrier spear. Thus, the short spear with the high-quality blade turned into a long, thick, bladed lever.

    Terry pushed the spear between the fulcrum and the target sphere, so that the blade was pressing against the target while the vastly longer pole was on the other side of the lever¡¯s fulcrum.

    He walked into the air and turned on his head. He used his own body weight and the force from pressing against the immovable layers of septimum in his boots to push the lever further down.

    If one lever was not enough, he could apply multiple levers and transfix an attachment in addition to the fulcrum to maintain the pressure of the metal on the target sphere. He could stack the pressure before attacking with his barrier spear or keen daggers.

    Eventually, a crack resonated in the tunnel¡­

    ***

    Terry glared at the target sphere in front of him. He had lost count of how many he had broken so far, but he knew that he hated this one most of all. There was not the slightest doubt about it.

    Of course, he had thought the same about the last few spheres too. Each one was the most hated until the next one appeared.

    Terry had tried his regular attacks. He had tried his lever-techniques and his levered screw mechanism. He had tried setting up several levers at once and kept them under pressure with other immovable objects.

    However, all the ideas that had worked so far, had failed for this one. The stacked pressure was not enough. An additional push was missing. That was why Terry eventually felt forced to resort to his wastrel habits again. He picked another magic sword from the Hall of Power and charged it with mana. His lever techniques and pressure stacking had already managed to afford him a chance to recover his mana.

    Terry grimaced slightly when the golden blade sucked mana even more greedily than the previous one had done. This time, he did not attempt to obstruct the mana flow. These swords were valuable and he would prefer to not break them all if he could avoid it. His mana would recover eventually, but he did not know when he would get another fortuitous encounter like the three Halls.

    *Ka-SWISH!* A sharp crescent of light traced his sword slash and flew forward.

    Terry was disconcerted by the fact that the damned sword had sucked him completely dry of mana. He was wondering if the mana martialists had any other way to deal with such a tremendous mana requirement.

    Is it that their acupoints and mana structures are capable of providing more mana for such things? A way to optimize short-term throughput? Like many compressed mana pools?

    Terry¡¯s curious mental inquiries were interrupted when he finally saw the accursed target cleaved apart. He waited with bated breaths for another of the damned spheres to appear.

    ¡°Perfect achievement,¡± praised the soft voice. ¡°You have earned an additional reward.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank mana!¡± Terry exclaimed with relief and fell to his knees, completely exhausted. ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±

    A red disc appeared in front of him. It looked similar to the blue and green discs that Terry had earned from previous trials. Only this red disc started glowing brightly.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry stared wearily. I¡¯m not sure this is good.

    ¡°Wait, I feel¡­¡± ¡­something weird from my storage. Terry quickly located the source and retrieved the two other discs that were now glowing brightly as well.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°You have collected three tokens of perfect achievement.¡± A chorus of voices echoed from everywhere at once. ¡°You have proven your worth. Name your weapon of choice!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Terry was stunned into silence but eventually answered. ¡°Short spear.¡±

    The voices remained silent for nearly a minute before a reply echoed from the walls. ¡°Of that kind, we have only inferior quality to offer. The only pinnacle items available are a great sword, a soft sword, a claw, and a staff.¡±

    A pinnacle item sounds valuable. Even if it¡¯s not a spear, I could sell it and equip myself properly when I¡¯m back in Arcana.

    Terry decided that he had had enough of magic swords for the moment. He picked the weapon closest to a short spear: ¡°The staff.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations.¡± The chorus of voices faded away.

    A small staff appeared in front of Terry. It was as thick as a weapon staff should be, but it was as short as a human adult''s forearm.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Terry incredulously picked up the weird staff. He could not detect any mana in the staff either.

    This is even shorter than a short spear''s pole.

    Have I been scammed?

    Is this a prank?

    Terry was almost inclined to fling the staff against the wall. Instead, he reflexively pressed some mana into it to examine the staff with his mana touch. The prickly sensation in his mind informed him that there was mana inside.

    Perfectly cloaked mana.

    He nearly let go of the weapon when the staff suddenly enlarged to the length of his barrier spear. He grabbed the staff tightly and examined it once more in mana sight. Now that the staff was longer, it was possible to make out dense layers of mana inside.

    One, two, three¡­

    Terry saw different layers of mana. One of the layers seemed permanently active. Another flickered with a weakening mana signature.

    He pushed more mana into the weakening mana layer and the staff immediately grew another inch.

    Okay¡­

    Like the Enlarge Object spell but only limited to length and not proportional. A self-target and some kind of mana buffer to maintain the size for a while¡­

    What if¡­

    Terry reabsorbed some of the mana that was powering the second layer and the staff shrunk.

    ¡°The permanently active layer does not accept any additional mana¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself. Perhaps something related to durability? I know that these are among the most popular enchantments for equipment in Arcana.

    ¡°That leaves this one.¡± Terry carefully guided some mana into the last remaining layer inside the staff and it began sizzling with snakes of lightning which caused Terry to reflexively circulate his resistance training pattern.

    ¡°Not bad¡­¡±

    If I manage to attach a spearhead, I can use this like a short spear. It would pair nicely with the barrier spear. I have a few spears from the Hall of Power and¡ª

    Focus.

    Terry reminded himself that he had other things to do first. He was exhausted. He had an unconscious woman to wake up somehow. He had a Spring of Rejuvenation to visit.

    He placed the staff into his dimensional bag and then, with Apex on his shoulders, he walked  towards the intense mana signature he judged to be the magic body of water.

    ***

    ¡°There¡­¡± Terry gently sat Apex down in the shallow mana-infused pool that was apparently the famous Spring of Rejuvenation. He rested her back against the edge so that she was sitting upright. He placed some of his remaining healing items near her so that she could use them when she woke up.

    Terry was not sure how Apex would react after awakening, so he would rather keep some distance. Therefore, he walked to the other side of the shallow pool and sat down as well.

    This feels funny¡­

    Terry had difficulties putting the sensation of the rejuvenating water into words, but the closest he came up with was a warm tickling all over his body, including his intestines, which was truly strange to experience.

    His wariness eased up quickly because he was feeling more energetic with every second inside the magic spring.

    Terry could not help but try and consciously guide the mana into his body. He had done so with the aging mana before and he was curious if it worked with this mana that carried the reverse effect.

    He nearly choked when he accidentally absorbed a bunch of mana that was so compressed it felt practically liquid. He was forced to hurriedly muster all of his mana control to quickly spread the mana out and around his body before the pressure would damage his mana channels.

    Note to self: Be more careful with shit like this.

    Terry had closed his eyes to better concentrate and was carefully guiding the mana around his body.

    I hope there is a limit to this rejuvenation thing. Do I have to worry about regressing back into a child?

    No, even the mana martialists wouldn¡¯t be that insane¡­ would they?

    Probably some vaguely defined pinnacle state of the body or something and I doubt that would take the shape of a toddler. I would guess for me that could be the state before I intentionally started aging my body? Or a year or so before? Who knows¡­

    I should pay attention. If my equipment starts feeling loose, I will jump out of here, no matter how beneficial this water is supposed to be.

    Terry was indulging in useless thoughts while circulating the mana. He knew that this area was sealed by a spatial barrier and required passing a trial with an annoying number of loathsome spheres. To top it off, he had transfixed an unfolded tertium cube at the entrance¡­

    It should be safe to relax.

    Before long, Terry was completely immersed into the circulation of the rejuvenating mana.

    ¡°If you pull crap like this again, I¡¯ll skin you.¡±

    Terry was jolted from his relaxed state by Apex¡¯s angry outburst. He opened his eyes to see her weakly stuffing herself with some of the magic beans that Terry had left next to her.

    ¡°That sounds unpleasant, but I cannot make any promises.¡± Terry held her gaze calmly. ¡°You were acting stupid.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± growled Apex.

    ¡°You first,¡± retorted Terry snappily. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to watch you if you then try to kill yourself.¡±

    ¡°I would have killed the little shitstain if you had not interfered!¡± yelled Apex with indignation.

    ¡°Maybe, but I don''t think so.¡± Terry was surprised at how calm he felt. Perhaps it was the fact that he was tired of shrinking back in front of egomaniac martialists. Perhaps it was the relaxing effect of the rejuvenating water. Most likely, it also had something to do with the fact that Apex would not even be able to hurt a manaless fly in her current state.

    ¡°Even if you had defeated him, you would have gotten yourself killed in the process.¡± Terry talked with utmost certainty. He knew what he had sensed from her mana signature at the time. There was no mistake.

    ¡°There are worse things than death!¡± spat Apex.

    ¡°On that we can agree¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brow. He was beginning to feel like a hypocrite, considering his own temper at the time. If Apex had not flown off the handle first, he might have done something stupid as well.

    Apex snorted and chugged one of the healing potions that he had placed near her.

    ¡°You want to kill Vicious,¡± said Terry. ¡°We can do that together.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡± spat Apex.

    ¡°But I need yours,¡± returned Terry calmly. ¡°My offensive abilities are limited. You¡¯re the only one I trust to go after Vicious.¡± He carefully weighed his words. ¡°And while you might not need my help to kill Vicious, I know I can be of use to you. I can warn you if he wants to try something like that again.¡±

    ¡°Like what?!¡± barked Apex with intense suspicion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a coincidence that Vicious appeared, nor that your cultivation breakthrough failed,¡± said Terry firmly. ¡°I could sense some weird mana in you before and I think it is related to Vicious.¡±

    ¡°If you could sense it, then why didn¡¯t you warn me?!¡± demanded Apex with furious eyes.

    ¡°Would you have believed me?!¡± Terry snapped back. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know then. I had no idea if the mana was yours or implanted. I know better now.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Apex scoffed and glowered at Terry in silence while continuing her own treatment.

    After more than a dozen minutes, Apex spoke again: ¡°You knew of this spring, you shower me with items. You could have left me for dead. Why? Why are you helping me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m helping myself too,¡± said Terry instantly. ¡°I want to see Vicious dead before I leave this pocket realm.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that the little shitstain was here when we first met.¡± Apex pointed out. ¡°You helped before you knew too.¡±

    ¡°I already told you.¡± Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°You helped us when we went after Willow.¡±

    ¡°I did what I wanted!¡± Apex snapped. ¡°That had nothing to do with any of you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m doing what I want too.¡± Terry shrugged with an expression of mild bewilderment. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡± Apex glowered at Terry in silence for some time. Eventually, she growled. ¡°I don¡¯t like owing any favors.¡±

    ¡°Help me kill Vicious and you can call it even,¡± offered Terry.

    ¡°I would kill the little shit stain anyway,¡± hissed Apex. ¡°What do you want from me?!¡±

    Terry was at a loss for a moment. He did not really want anything else from Apex. However, a feeling of curiosity welled up in him once more. ¡°Fine, aside from killing Vicious, I would like an answer to my questions.¡±

    ¡°What questions?¡± Apex asked warily.

    ¡°Shen talked about you when we first met.¡± Terry noted her slight flinch.

    ¡°He called you Aparicia and talked about something regarding heretics. You both mentioned a Martial Tower.¡± Terry paused to order his thoughts. ¡°What did he mean with ¡®heretic¡¯? What happened in the Martial Tower? Does the Martial Tower have anything to do with the Land of Four Towers in the Free Factions Union?¡±

    Terry could already see Apex¡¯s expression darken, but he knew there would not be a better chance than this. He decided to add one more question: ¡°Why were you so obsessed with Matteo?¡±

    ¡°Oy!¡± Apex flared up. ¡°I¡¯m NOT obsessed with him.¡± She clenched her teeth. ¡°I just have to beat him!¡±

    That doesn¡¯t sound as if it was just about Matteo¡¯s strong lightning powers. That¡¯s something else entirely.

    ¡°Why?!¡± Terry shot back before Apex regained the sense to weigh her words more carefully. ¡°What did Matteo ever do to you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing! He even¡­¡± Apex cursed quietly. ¡°If I manage to beat him, then I¡¯ll know that I¡¯m finally ready.¡±

    The Wastes does that mean? Ready for what?

    Terry stared at Apex in silence. He refused to break eye contact no matter how Apex glared at him.

    ¡°Fine,¡± hissed Apex eventually. She was chewing on another magic bean. ¡°But I¡¯m not much for long stories, especially this one.¡±

    Terry waited for her to continue.

    ¡°My father was the head of the Martial Tower.¡± Apex¡¯s eyes glazed over. ¡°He rose from the gutter to become the head of one of the Four Towers. All with his own two fists. With him, the tower rose to completely new heights. Then I was born.¡± Apex was scowling. ¡°I had the wrong meridians for the primary cultivation techniques.¡±

    Is that like aspect impairments for martialists?

    Terry held his questions to let Apex speak.

    ¡°My father refused to let me resign myself to inferior techniques, and that is why he adjusted the cultivation techniques on his own. He practiced on himself first. Despite all odds, he succeeded.¡± Apex¡¯s face contorted in a mixture of a smile and a snarl. ¡°He succeeded at something thought impossible, something unheard of for hundreds of years. He managed to recreate the techniques with different aspects and different physique requirements. He generously offered the cultivation technique to those like me.¡±

    Terry could not help but notice the pain in Apex¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I was happy.¡± Apex shook her head slightly. ¡°I was trying so hard to make him proud.¡± Her voice became somber. ¡°I did not know that each of my successes was only inviting more hatred to us all.¡±

    For a few minutes, she stopped talking. Then she looked at Terry with cold fury. ¡°Some of the martialists see the resonance techniques as something more than a tool. They see the creatures and objects behind the resonance as something sacred.¡± She scoffed. ¡°My flood dragon is supposed to be of water. To force it into lightning is considered a sacrilege. My phoenix is the pinnacle of pure fire, but my fire is tainted.¡±

    Terry could see Apex clench her fist underneath the water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°They hate my existence and the love my father has shown me and those like me.¡± Apex barely suppressed the fury in her veins. ¡°One of my father¡¯s rivals used the opportunity to invite the traditionalists into the Martial Tower. They murdered everyone who resisted. They made a spectacle out of killing my father¡­¡±

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure if Apex¡¯s eyes were glistening or if it was just a trick played on his mind by the slight glow from the water.

    ¡°They wanted to make a spectacle out of executing me too,¡± continued Apex in a growl. ¡°But right when they were transporting me to the execution platform, the whole city fell into flames because of what happened in the Elemental Tower. An army of elementals was attacking everything without discrimination.¡±

    This¡­ Terry was trying to connect the different pieces of information.

    Apex¡¯s eyes became distant. ¡°The treacherous scum that had killed my father and took me prisoner. The people I wanted to kill so badly, but thought unbeatable¡­ My executioners were killed just like that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It would have been one thing if they had been defeated by an old monster, but no. Elementals.¡± She swallowed hard. ¡°When I saw Matteo raging that day, when I saw that he was a mere child not older than I was, I hated him so much. I hated myself even more for being so weak, so useless.¡±

    Apex clenched her fists once more and bloodlust entered her eyes. ¡°I will reach the apex. I will get my revenge. I will retake the tower. I will tear them all apart.¡± She swore to herself. ¡°Matteo is just a measuring stick. Even the tower master of the Elemental Tower had to give his life to stop that demon at full power.¡± Azure flames flickered around her eyes. ¡°When I¡¯m able to defeat the demon I saw on that day, I¡¯ll be ready.¡±

    Terry found his own face cramp up. He had asked, but after hearing the reply, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with this information.

    Apex had been there when Anand had Matteo possessed by elementals.

    The worst thing that ever happened in Matteo¡¯s life and Apex is using it as inspiration. The death of so many innocent people and yet for Apex, it was salvation.

    While Matteo hates every second he remembers of turning into the demon, Apex is unreservedly looking up to the demon that rampaged back then.

    Yup, no. I¡¯m not making any comments. I¡¯ll have to warn Matteo when I see him.

    Terry exhaled sharply and tried to order his thoughts.

    ***

 164 Reaching the Peak

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 7 ¨C

    Terry searched through his dimensional storage and placed all the spears in front of him on the floor.

    Hm¡­ Maybe this one?

    He picked up one of the spears he had looted from the Hall of Power.

    Or this one because it seems easier to remove?

    He placed the first spear aside and looked at another one he had found in a storage ring by one of the martialists he had defeated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Terry shrugged and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He glanced back at the cavern with the Spring of Rejuvenation where Apex was still recuperating.

    Terry himself had stopped entering the water. He already felt younger than when he had entered this folded space, so whatever lingering effects his interaction with the time-accelerating mana had left in his body was gone. Only his improved physique from the mana transformation had remained.

    Terry made sure to mark the location of the rejuvenating spring in his five-point ring in case he wanted to return after visiting more dao chambers, but for now he was stuck with diminishing returns from it. He did not want to waste the precious mana for foundation training. Apex¡¯s recovery took priority. After all, Terry was counting on her for his plan to get rid of Vicious once and for all.

    He could not help but frown when thinking about Vicious. He still remembered his first encounter with the channeler of the Shapeless Pond. The man had attacked Syn City at the behest of a misleading Guild mission most likely issued by the Preacher.

    After the battle over Syn City, Terry had done some introspection on his weaknesses. He glanced at the layers of translucent golden mana that he was summoning at different locations around himself.

    His encounter with Vicious and the soldiers of the Preacher¡¯s Divine Division had been one reason that Terry wanted to master the divine hammer inscription. He had come a long way since he had started, but¡­

    Not enough.

    He clenched his fists. He still had trouble dealing with non-corporeal opponents and he knew it well. His disruption discharges had eviscerated death specters when last he met the ethereal creatures, but going against someone like Vicious with his shapeless body was another challenge entirely.

    Even when knowing the location of his channeling anchor, I don¡¯t feel ready to deal with him. I might be able to buy time and escape but killing him is¡­ Unless I burn through the rest of the items from the Halls, I don¡¯t see it happening. Not without help.

    Terry¡¯s unsatisfied eyes were glued to the divine mana around him. He almost felt as if the intersection between light and metal was taunting him. Ridiculing him for his lack of mastery.

    Not much has changed, has it?

    Back in Tiv, I had to rely on the mana sublimator and monster cores. Now, I¡¯ll have to rely on martialist talismans.

    Back in Tiv, I required Aunt Sigille and everyone else to protect me. Now, I¡¯ll have to rely on Apex to take care of Vicious.

    If only I figured out how to move the mana layers from the divine hammer inscription. Together with the rest of the mana-coagulant powder and the channeling anchor, I might¡­

    ¡°Not helping.¡± Terry hissed at himself. Focus.

    He returned to examining the different spears while practicing with the divine hammer inscription.

    ***

    ¡°What in the heavens are you doing?¡± Apex had left the rejuvenating spring and was staring at Terry with a cramped up expression.

    Trick question?

    Terry blinked innocently at Apex and then looked at the items in his hands.

    In his left hand, he had the weird staff he had won for the three perfect performance tokens. He had extended it by infusing some mana.

    In his right hand, he had a spearhead that he had extracted from one of the magic spears in his possession.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Terry wrestled down his own confusion and tried to explain. ¡°This is a staff.¡± He held up his left hand.

    ¡°Yes, the Third Staff of the Monkey King,¡± said Apex matter-of-factly. ¡°An unbreakable artifact of legend that was rumored to be hidden in this tomb. One of the most valuable¡ª Where did you even get that?¡± She stared at Terry as if he was a strange beast. ¡°And what exactly are you trying to do with it?!¡±¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry glanced at the staff and then blinked at Apex again with an innocent expression. ¡°I don¡¯t use staffs.¡± He held out his right hand slightly. ¡°I use spears.¡± His eyes moved from the spearhead to the staff and he gestured to put the two together. ¡°This one fits.¡±

    By size, by aspect, by magic activation, and even with a magic way to attach it. The only issue is that the spearhead¡¯s blade is roughly a third longer than those on my usual spears. I¡¯ll have to get used to that.

    Terry had been proud of himself for identifying such a good fit to turn the strange staff into something he could actually see himself using in battle.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Apex stared at Terry for nearly a minute.

    Terry became uncomfortable. She isn¡¯t going to try and steal the staff, is she? She doesn¡¯t use weapons as far as I know.

    Apex raised a palm to her forehead. ¡°...and they call me heretic.¡± She exhaled sharply.

    An amused snort? Almost a snicker? Was that something resembling laughter? Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression. That¡¯s a first.

    ¡°If the Thunderous Palm Sect sees that, they¡¯re going to skin you,¡± said Apex without much concern in her voice. ¡°Same goes for a few other sects that venerate the legend of the Monkey King. If you mess with the staff, you¡¯ll be making it to the peak of their shitlist.¡±

    Not like they¡¯re offering me cookies when meeting me at the moment. Terry shrugged. ¡°They can try.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Finally discovered a spine?¡± sneered Apex. ¡°Or just some hot air that needed to get out?!¡±

    Ugh. Here we go again. Terry sighed inwardly but tried hard to not let his annoyance show on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten that you messed up my battle with the little shitstain!¡± Apex glared at him. ¡°Where was your spine then?!¡±

    ¡°Being connected to my brain.¡± The words had left Terry¡¯s mouth before he knew it. He could already see the vein appear on Apex¡¯s forehead again. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this. What¡¯s done is done. Do you really have time to waste? How is your recovery going?¡±

    Apex glowered at him for a few seconds before replying. ¡°I¡¯m fine, or I will be after I manage to break through.¡±

    ¡°Is it a good idea to try this again so soon?¡± Terry asked neutrally. He truly had no clue if it was.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to wait for better ideas,¡± spat Apex. ¡°I¡¯ll manage. I need some time to prepare and get ready. According to my calculations, there should be a few more places in this secret realm that I can use to prepare myself. That has to be enough.¡±

    ¡°Any specific items you need?¡± Terry asked while attaching the spearhead to the extended staff.

    Apex stared at him for a moment in silence again. ¡°...why would you share them with me?¡±

    Again?

    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this too.¡± Terry did not look up. He shrank the staff down a bit and placed one end against an immovable piece of tertium. He shaped some metal to hold the spearhead in place on the other side and transfixed it as well. Afterwards, he infused mana into the staff to force it to grow into the spearhead. Then he raised his gaze to look into Apex¡¯s eyes. ¡°We both want Vicious dead. Helping you means helping myself.¡±

    Apex clicked her tongue and averted her eyes. ¡°Did you get the staff from a meta trial?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± Terry furrowed his head.

    ¡°An additional reward based on your performance in multiple other trials,¡± explained Apex impatiently.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Terry waited for an elaboration for why that mattered.

    ¡°Here.¡± Apex threw something resembling a rubber band to Terry. ¡°You should attach this as long as you are still in this realm.¡±

    Terry caught the rubber band and puffed his cheeks, not sure what he was supposed to do with it.

    ¡°You really have no clue, do you?¡± Apex scoffed. ¡°How did you not get yourself killed already?¡± She shook her head with a grumble. ¡°This type of tomb often puts a spotlight on the winners of meta trials. Definitely a signal in the sky above. Probably a connection to the trial tickets as well. Everyone with a ticket and enough brain cells will be able to feel out your location until the spotlight fades. Blindly walking into the spotlight brings you towards the peak of everyone¡¯s hitlist. Everyone knows that meta trials give the best rewards.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Apex held a hand to her forehead again. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s common sense to take at least some lucky obscuring charms into such a place and to attach the charm as soon as you have put your hands on a pinnacle item. The trial tickets often point to such items. That¡¯s also why only a complete imbecile would intentionally complete a meta trial before the final weeks.¡±

    Well then¡­ I¡¯ve never been called an imbecile before, I believe. Another first.

    Terry wordlessly put the rubber band around the staff and spearhead.

    Green-blue spearhead, bright orange staff, and now a pink rubber band¡­

    Terry looked at the velvety black fabric of his shadow brooch, the brown glossy armor made of volcanic mushroom leather and the few pieces of golden septimum that made up his equipment.  He could only shrug. He was aware of the horrible color coordination but he was not truly bothered by it. Whatever helped him live another day was perfect, no matter the look.

    Terry returned his attention to Apex. He knew why the woman had shared the charm and the related knowledge with him. She seemed neurotically unwilling to accept anything without some kind of exchange. ¡°So? What do you need for your cultivation breakthrough preparation?¡±

    Apex inhaled some air through her teeth which made a quiet squeaky sound. ¡°Do you happen to have any cultivation techniques that resonate with the phoenix? I need to adjust my fire. Otherwise, breaking through within the next season is out of the question.¡±

    ¡°Probably¡­¡± Terry searched his storage items. He pulled out several jade tokens as well as a few manuscripts. He had discovered that not every martialist was carrying jade tokens around. Some of the storage rings he had looted contained books with drawings instead.

    Apex wordlessly picked up the cultivation instructions one by one. She whispered quietly. ¡°These should work¡­¡± She continued until she reached a small booklet that Terry had taken out. As soon as she read the title, her eyes widened and she glared at him intently. She threw the booklet back at him. ¡°Oy! Are you looking for a BEATING?!¡±

    Trick question? Terry tilted his head with a furrowed brow. ¡°No?¡± He glanced at the booklet.

    ¡®Inverted Phoenix.¡¯ Phoenix. Isn¡¯t that what she asked for?

    Terry¡¯s eyes moved from the booklet back to Apex whose face was red from agitation.

    Why is she suddenly pissed again? If she has no use for some of them, she could just speak like a normal person.

    Seeing Terry¡¯s bewildered expression made Apex realize that he had no idea about the booklet¡¯s contents. She placed her hand to her forehead and exhaled wearily. ¡°Clueless imbecile.¡±

    Lovely.

    Perhaps teaming up with Apex isn¡¯t such a great idea.

    Then again, this can hardly be called a team up. More of a loose alliance.

    At least I don¡¯t have to worry that Apex would pull a similar stunt to Rafael. The woman is really wearing her temper on her tongue.

    Terry carelessly returned the booklet to his dimensional storage and then focused on preparing his new favorite piece of equipment.

    Finally some range.

    Finally some proper magic damage that does not destroy the item.

    What did Apex call it? ¡®Third Staff of the Monkey King¡¯? That¡¯s a mouthful. I think I¡¯ll go with king spear for now.

    Let¡¯s see if I can really use the lightning produced by the staff to amplify the magic in the spearhead¡­

    ***

    It had been more than a week since Terry had fled into the area with the Spring of Rejuvenation.

    Today, it was time to leave.

    Terry was following Apex, who had mumbled about some strange moss on the floor indicating an alternative exit.

    ¡°You go first,¡± said Apex. She pointed at a rock whose color stood out on the rest of the wall. She stepped aside and crossed her arms.

    Does she fear that thing to be trapped? Is she hesitant to show me her back when outside? Does she acknowledge that I have better mana sense?

    Terry was wondering about Apex¡¯s motive but did not care to argue. From everything he had seen of Apex, the woman was the type to punch you in the face, not the type to stab you in the back.

    Terry nevertheless pressed some of his naturalized mana into the wall and rock to feel it out with his mana touch.

    Too little inherent mana for a powerful trap.

    There seems to be a layer of mana-osmotic material. I cannot sense signatures from outside.

    No distinct mana lines have been carved. No inscriptions either.

    Feels like a latch mechanism.

    Terry turned the rock and heard a click. He could feel the wall give way and he pushed. A step later, he could see the light of the strange sky. With the mana-obstructing wall out of the way, he was able to sense the distant mana signatures of the martialists and of the magic flora and fauna.

    Terry spread his naturalized mana out to establish his mana detection field just in case. His mana touch did not feel anything and Terry confidently stepped out of the tunnel.

    Instantly, he felt his detection field penetrated from many different directions at once. He reflexively cast the Immovable Object spell many times in parallel to stop the incoming projectiles.

    Crossbow bolts? Too many¡­

    Terry moved completely on instinct while channeling mana into his helmet to summon the barrier visor. He had successfully dodged the remaining projectiles only to hear a shout from behind.

    ¡°Clueless!¡± A fist of azure fire rushed from Apex and incinerated the projectiles. ¡°These are whisper darts. They spread a paralyzing poison even if they don¡¯t hit. You have to burn them!¡±

    Terry evaded the flaming woman while taking account of who was lurking in the area. Now that his detection field had time to spread out further, he was feeling the hidden opponents.

    ¡°Spotlight.¡± Apex glanced at him with a slight look of contempt. ¡°I warned you.¡±

    Yeah. Terry wished he had taken some more time to scout the area before walking out.

    The martialists had probably all seen some signal that told them about the appearance of a pinnacle item.

    They are watching all the exits to rob whoever comes out¡­

    I hate this place.

    Terry was getting pissed.

    He darted around to place several immovable objects as cover from further projectiles. He dismissed the idea to waste any talismans or fragile items ¨C no more prodigal wasting of trump cards until Vicious was dead for good.

    Terry knew exactly where the enemies were hidden thanks to his mana touch. He was about to dash forward when lightning cracked and a flame-covered Apex was jumping forth with azure wings towards one half of the enemies.

    How did she know where to hit them? From the projectile direction? Does she have better mana sense than I gave her credit for?

    Apex arrived back on the ground with a roaring whirlwind of azure fire. She slammed her palms onto the earth and with the resonance of a yellow-golden flood dragon, snakes of lightning erupted from the earth to attack whatever was in range.

    Oh right¡­ Terry finally realized how Apex had known where to attack when he saw the shifting illumination from the raging lightning. Some of them are casting shadows.

    He tried not to dwell on the fact that he had overlooked something so obvious. He reminded himself to not solely rely on his mana perception in the future and prepared to engage the remaining enemies.

    He was about to dash forward but halted half-way.

    Why not?

    Terry retrieved his king spear and took aim from between his immovable objects. With a large infusion of mana, the spear¡¯s pole instantly grew dozens of meters long. The sharp spearhead penetrated right into the belly of an unwitting assailant that had thought himself secure and hidden.

    Damn, I was aiming for his head.

    Despite his silent grumblings, Terry was happy with the range of the king¡¯s spear. He could improve his aim with further practice later.

    Heavy.

    Terry fleetingly transfixed some of the septimum pieces on his forearms to stabilize the elongated spear for a moment. He infused mana into the spear¡¯s other mana layer and lightning danced around the whole pole.

    The king spear had continued growing even after piercing the first martialist and it was impossible for the man to escape from his skewer. The man was already deeply regretting joining the ambush team on Terry when the lightning from the pole hit him and nearly cooked him.

    When the lightning had reached the spearhead, it charged the spearhead¡¯s own mana layers and with a loud crack, a dense net of lightning blasted into all directions, assaulting many other martialists.

    While the martialists were still trying to resist the debilitating nerve-paralysis from the lightning, Terry was busy pushing his own naturalized mana forward on the spear.

    A bit too far¡­

    He pulled some of his mana from the king spear to adjust the pole¡¯s length. As soon as the spearhead was in range for his remote item activation, he forced his mana into a particular mana-carved symbol.

    Terry could feel his mana pulled inside and he only barely managed to satisfy the mana demand from a distance¡­

    The heavens roared!

    In less than a second, a dark cloud had formed in the sky above.

    A thick bright lightning bolt crashed down from the sky to meet the spearhead, joining the lightning from the pole.

    The area flashed brightly as a new net of lightning escaped from the spearhead, less dense but much more powerful.

    The screams of the ambushing martialists were reverberating in a symphony to accompany the cracks of furious lightning.

    Silence fell afterwards.

    Terry himself was stunned by the devastation. He had never activated the magic under an open sky before. Even he had not expected such a level of synergy in his new king spear.

    Between Apex cleaving through the martialists and Terry¡¯s own performance, the air was quickly carrying only a single repeated word from all sides.

    ¡°Flee!¡±

    Terry was still staring at the singed crater of destruction he had created while pulling his mana out of the spear¡¯s pole to let it shrink into its rest state. The unusually long spear blade and the unusually short pole made it seem like a strange sword whenever Terry removed all his mana.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for a battle enthusiast.¡± Apex shot him a curious glance.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry was jolted from his thoughts.

    ¡°With that, you¡¯ll get all the battles you could wish for.¡± Apex pointed at the king spear.

    Oh¡­ Terry¡¯s expression fell slightly. Spotlight.

    Apex scoffed condescendingly. ¡°Clueless after all. Now everyone will know that you were the one to finish a meta trial. All the little shitbirds will come flying.¡± She shrugged as if this was of no concern to her. ¡°Unless you hunt down everyone from the first flock quickly.¡±

    Terry frowned. He could still sense the fleeing martialists that had tried to ambush them.

    ¡°Soft.¡± Apex scoffed once more.

    Terry understood the logic of it. He also understood himself. If he had not been taken aback by the devastation he had caused, if he had not been delayed by his own thoughts or if these martialists had not fled as quickly, Terry would have most likely killed them.

    Now, however, Terry did not feel like it. He told himself that it would be pointless anyway. He might not catch all of them. They might have ways to communicate with others. Above all, Terry had no intention of keeping the king spear a secret. He refused to let such a nice addition to his equipment and combat potential go to waste. He would use it as often as possible, so that he could improve with it.

    Making sure that the entrance tickets couldn¡¯t track the spear inside this folded space was one thing, but letting the spear gather dust in his storage without using it was another.

    ¡°Let them come.¡± Terry spoke quietly. I could use the practice.

    Most of the time, he was hanging out high up in the sky anyway, so he was not too worried unless they had a way to pinpoint his location and reach him.

    Apex snorted with amusement.

    ¡°Thanks for the help.¡± Terry slightly lowered his head in a short nod.

    Apex immediately frowned. ¡°Shut it. They were waiting for me too. The warning wasn¡¯t free either. Do you have a Lightning Heart Peach? I need one.¡±

    For once, Terry actually knew the item she wanted and quickly held out two of the strange yellow peaches.

    Apex quickly took one and glared warily at the second. She hesitated, but then accepted the second peach as well. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave. If you see the little shitstain¡­¡±

    She handed him a sheet of paper that he recognized as a communication talisman. Afterwards, she glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bother me otherwise. I have other shit to do.¡± With this friendly warning, Apex turned around and rushed away.

    ***

 165 I Could Use the Practice

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 27 ¨C

    High up in the sky, Terry performed a few practice thrusts with the king spear. He switched between matching the resizing of the spear to the thrust direction and resizing it in reverse.

    Timed right, this is a great misdirection in combat, going right against the trained reflexes.

    Even Terry had to get used to seeing the spearhead move forward when he was rearing back his arm and going backwards when he stabbed forward.

    An opponent will be even more troubled, especially if they''re not familiar with the spear''s magic.

    He jumped from a layer of divine mana. He thrust his spear forward and infused mana to elongate the pole to match his thrust. He transfixed two of the septimum pearls in his leg armor and swung his spear downwards while continuing to infuse mana. With the added momentum from the spear¡¯s increasing weight, his slash carried the spear¡¯s blade to nearly a half-circle.

    Feeling the momentum reach its end, Terry shifted his Immovable Object spells and retracted his mana from the king spear. He burst his mana and swung the shrinking spear heavily to the side. With his new rotational axis around one pearl at his shoulder and another down near his hip, he spun together with his spear.

    Terry focused on his breathing and then circled his mana into the four divine hammer inscriptions. He paid particular attention to the divine hammer inscription around his left arm to compensate for the slight mana interference from the bidirectional attraction glove he was wearing at the same location.

    He rapidly summoned several thick layers of divine mana in the spear¡¯s path. He had placed the layers at an angle with respect to the spear¡¯s trajectory. With each collision, the king spear abruptly jumped up or down, guided by the slope defined by the divine mana.

    After the slash¡¯s momentum had ended, he shrunk the spear to its resting height which looked more like a strange sword than a spear.

    ¡°Mixed results.¡± Terry was wearing an unsatisfied expression. He was resisting the urge to immediately scribble in his notebook.

    ¡°The impacts were too hard, taking too much momentum away¡­¡± He absentmindedly flipped his king spear from regular grip to reverse grip and back. ¡°...even at slight angles.¡±

    On the one hand, the divine hammer inscription has become a useful tool for deflecting or outright blocking incoming attacks. Great! I need to get more used to it. Make it a habit.

    On the other hand, I cannot use it in the same manner for adjusting the spear¡¯s trajectory. It would probably be better to wield more fragile mana for this case.

    ¡°Ugh, typical.¡± Terry groaned. ¡°I was working my ass off to make the divine mana more durable and sturdy, to the point that it has become automatic and now I suddenly discover a need for the opposite.¡±

    At least I¡¯m getting the hang of controlling the speed and proportions of the spear¡¯s size changes.

    ¡°Next¡­¡± Terry retrieved a U-shaped tertium piece from his dimensional storage and transfixed it in the air. He infused mana into the king spear and placed it on top of the tertium piece.

    Now to practice my lever intuition¡­

    He elongated the spear¡¯s pole and removed the layers of divine mana underneath his feet.

    When he felt himself fall, he elongated the spear.

    When he felt himself rise too far, he shrunk the spear again.

    Mana, this makes it seem like a sad seesaw for lonely people¡­

    Terry pushed the nonsensical thoughts away.

    As soon as he had reached a balance, he fleetingly transfixed one of his bracers and used the anchor to pull back the spear slightly. With the adjusted position relative to the transfixed fulcrum, he was forced to adjust and play seesaw again.

    Terry repeated this many times, sometimes pulling the spear closer to himself and other times thrusting it forward. Afterwards, he added the pull from his bidirectional attraction glove into the mix. He held the spear tightly between his right forearm and underneath his right shoulder while pulling on the spearhead with his magic glove to influence the improvised seesaw.

    When he had enough of the glove exercise, Terry let his Immovable Object spell on the U-shaped tertium piece run out. Then, while he was falling together with the elongated spear, he used his glove to collect the tertium piece.

    Next, Terry used the divine hammer inscription to summon a layer of divine mana in the spear¡¯s downward trajectory. With the fulcrum made of divine mana and the spear¡¯s weight on the other side, Terry found himself propelled upwards again. He rapidly shrunk the spear and then tried to use this repeated exercise to move up into the sky.

    Of course, it would have been much easier and less draining to simply walk up, but as far as Terry was concerned, the point of the exercise was to get a better intuition for the king spear.

    After he had gone through his regular spear practice, he switched to practicing the spear¡¯s lightning abilities. He wanted to get the power output and synergy between the staff of the Monkey King and the spearhead right the next time he had to rely on it.

    Terry had already noted two points that made the lightning practice more difficult. First, the spearhead¡¯s lightning attraction magic appeared to get stronger the higher up it was used. This was a bit worrisome considering his usual training spot was high in the sky.

    Second, the combined effect was less than subtle. The lucky charm that Apex had given Terry was sufficient to block the tickets from tracking the staff¡¯s location, but dark clouds and cracking thunder was hard not to notice. Consequently, he felt the need to switch locations after every training routine.

    In the middle of his training, Terry whirled his head around.

    That faint mana signature¡­

    He clenched the king spear tightly.

    Vicious.

    He was still considering if he should try to pursue this time when the signature had vanished again.

    ***

    ¡°Hold it right there!¡±

    Terry groaned at the haughty tone. He was in the middle of using his self-cleaning knife to dismantle the long-furred panther creature he had hunted.

    He had been reminiscing about the time he had seen the knife on the market in Arcana when he had gone window-shopping with his siblings. He cherished the fond memories from their early hunts as Guardian trainees.

    Things had been simpler then.

    Terry did not appreciate being dragged from his comforting memories back to his current reality.

    ¡°No more running away, dipshit.¡±

    ¡°No matter how fast you are, we are faster.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes. He had known that these martialists were coming. It was not that they were so blindingly fast as they made themselves out to be. He was simply refusing to let his game go to waste. He had hunted such a panther before and its flesh was delectable as long as it was quickly drained of its blood.

    ¡°Oi! We¡¯re talking to you!¡±

    ¡°Forget it. Just kill him. He deserves it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just¡ª¡±

    Terry abruptly stood up and turned around. He had finished preparing the panther corpse and had some time to kill until the blood was completely drained. He stared coldly at the familiar black-yellow martial robes before moving his gaze to some martialists whose outfits and cultivation signatures he did not know.

    ¡°Hand over the Third Staff of the Monkey King and we¡¯ll let you off!¡±

    ¡°Hey, who said that you would be the one to take it?¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Shut up, we¡¯ll deal with him first and then we can negotiate what we do with it. This goes beyond us anyway. We¡¯ll have to consult with the elders of our sects.¡±

    ¡°Horseshit, you just want to take it for yourself. That¡¯s not what we agreed on before.¡±

    Terry equipped the king spear and brought it to a size slightly longer than his usual short spears. He let his mana wander into the spear and reemerge as lightning that cracked around the pole.

    ¡°I know the Thunderous Palm Sect,¡± interjected Terry. He slowly moved the king spear to point at the unfamiliar people. ¡°Who the Wastes are you? Are you really sure that you want to be here?¡±

    ¡°Arrogant!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re defiling the artifact of the Monkey King. It is our duty to rescue it from your grasp!¡±

    ¡°What a noble spin on trying to rob someone¡¯s possessions.¡± Terry sneered. ¡°Full of shit, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The Monkey King was our ancestor, his artifact rightfully belongs to us. We are merely taking back our rightful possessions!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, our Lightning Feet Sect was established by the Monkey King¡¯s direct disciple, the artifact is rightfully ours. Your ancestor was never proven to be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Later!¡± barked the other martialist.

    ¡°Full of shit, like I¡¯ve said.¡± Terry covertly transfixed his septimum bracer so that it would carry the weight of the spear and then grew the spear another arm''s length, giving the impression that the spear¡¯s weight meant nothing to him.

    ¡°Are you sure that you want to refuse our merciful offer?¡± The martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect asked with a menacing undertone.

    ¡°I have met a handful of martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect,¡± said Terry. ¡°None of them seemed merciful to me.¡± He fixed the martialist in his gaze. ¡°All of them are dead now.¡±

    ¡°Just you against all our sects?¡± Another martialist threatened. ¡°You might be able to flee inside this secret realm, but outside, you¡¯re just a fish waiting to be gutted.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± uttered Terry with a lop-sided smile. ¡°Where are your sects then? Are you sure that you can speak for all of them?¡± He undid his spell and pulled the spear back to move into a battle stance. ¡°If they send one, I¡¯ll kill one yadda yadda.¡± He glared at the martialists. ¡°This spear is mine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a staff you heretical swine!¡±  One of the martialists lost it and charged at him.

    Terry rapidly circulated his mana while simultaneously compressing the mana from his detection field. The sudden appearance of his disruption field was tearing apart the martialists¡¯ attempt at a mana resonance technique.

    Terry infused his mana into the king spear. He fleetingly transfixed the elongated spear to allow the martialist to collide with the immovable pole.

    Another martialist was trying to interfere in the fight with a sudden charge.

    Terry adjusted the spear¡¯s position. He held it close to his chest with both arms spread out widely and transfixed one of the septimum pearl¡¯s in his chest armor. He infused his mana rapidly into the pole.

    The second martialist crashed into the flank of the king spear. His momentum pushed the lever on the fulcrum that was the immovable septimum pearl in Terry¡¯s armor. The charge''s force was redirected and the other side of the pole slammed hard against the first martialist¡¯s head.

    Terry tested himself against the martialists. He was trying to get used to the spear, but he did not take any further risks. He did not hold back.

    Before long, the number of martialists had shrunk significantly. The remaining survivors were both panting from being low on mana and struggling with the disorienting mana-sense overload from being surrounded by Terry¡¯s rotating army of intense spell slicers.

    It did not take long for Terry to take care of them. He even recognized a few of their mana signatures from the initial ambush after he had won the meta trial.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die¡­¡± The last survivor spat together with a mouthful of blood. ¡°You cannot stand against all of our sects!¡±

    Terry reclaimed some of his mana in the king spear to shorten it. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. From what I¡¯ve seen in this place, most of you can barely work together for three seconds before starting to betray each other for resources.¡±

    Terry scoffed. ¡°All of your sects? I¡¯m willing to bet that each and every one of your sects is rotting from infighting and probably one good push away from collapsing or splitting apart.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll die¡­ a painful death.¡± The martialist cursed him. ¡°Let me go and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± interrupted Terry with the back of his mind on the input from his mana perception. ¡°More of your sect are coming. Let¡¯s test our hypotheses to see who is right.¡±

    ¡°Bastard¡­¡±

    Just like he had predicted, three more martialists appeared on the battlefield. From what Terry could sense, they were stronger than the first batch of their sect. He guessed that the first group was tricked by the Thunderous Palm Sect to make a move earlier. If they had been able to claim the staff, then this would have given an advantage to the Thunderous Palm Sect in the dispute over the staff after he had been dealt with.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been too late¡­¡± They first glared at him. However, their gaze changed when they saw the defeated people spread around on the ground.

    ¡°I have a Lightning Heart Peach for whoever kills that one,¡± announced Terry and pointed at the person that had cursed him earlier.

    The expressions among the new arrivals froze into a deadpan mask.

    ¡°Senior, be merciful.¡± One of the new arrivals spoke up half-heartedly. ¡°Show some dignity as an elder.¡±

    What ¡®elder¡¯? I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re all older than me.

    ¡°He was the one that chose to gang up on me with others and try to rob me,¡± retorted Terry coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll consider being merciful when I¡¯m out of this mana-forsaken shit hole of a secret realm. For now, I¡¯m trapped in here with you just like you are trapped in here with me. There are consequences to playing around as shitbirds.¡±

    Ugh, Apex might have rubbed off on me.

    The longer Terry maintained the act, the more awkward he felt. He refused to just let this go, but he conceded one more point in order to have his estimation of these martial sects proven wrong. ¡°If no one takes me up on my offer, he gets to live.¡±

    A flicker of hope welled up in the beaten opponent.

    ¡°How do we even know if you really have a Lightning Heart Peach?¡± A man from the martialists spoke up in a calculating tone.

    ¡°M-martial brother?¡± The beaten opponent whimpered but found himself ignored.

    Terry retrieved a Lightning Heart Peach and showed it.

    ¡°And what¡¯s to stop us from simply killing you and taking the Lightning Heart Peach?¡± A female martialist leered at him.

    Terry noted the eager expressions among the other two.

    ¡°R-right, hand it over and you may scram.¡± The beaten opponent switched to an imposing tone and joined the threat against him.

    ¡°What¡¯s to stop you?¡± Terry casually took a bite out of the Lightning Heart Peach. ¡°That would be me.¡±

    The taste was still horrid, but Terry had found a beneficial effect on his lightning resistance when he had tried the peaches before. Therefore, he had learned to push through the disgusting flavor. However, the effect appeared to have diminishing returns with multiple peaches, which is why he wasn''t really clinging to the fruits.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened. She had not expected Terry to waste a precious treasure just to prove a point in front of her.

    ¡°I have another.¡± Terry retrieved a fresh Lightning Heart Peach. He took a second bite out of the first one.

    ¡°He probably has more. I say we slaughter him and check.¡±

    Terry nodded and pointed with the unbitten peach. ¡°I do indeed have more and I increase my offer. Another peach for the person who kills that one.¡± He pointed at the one that had expressed his desire to ¡®slaughter¡¯ him.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    In a quick kerfuffle, many things happened at once. The calculating mana martialist had appeared to hesitate when the woman that had leered at Terry was already cutting through the two other sect members.

    The calculating martialist was quietly cursing about not acting fast enough when he suddenly discovered his own neck being severed as well.

    Terry felt ambivalent about the sight. He had lost most of his compassion for the type of mana martialist that would roam around robbing people. Even so, seeing them stab each other in the backs so casually still made him nauseated. Not physically, but mentally.

    I hate this place.

    Terry pointed the unbitten peach at the corpse of the calculating martialist. ¡°I did not offer anything for that one.¡±

    ¡°No witnesses,¡± said the woman flatly.

    ¡°I¡¯m a witness though.¡± Terry pointed out, waiting for the woman¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°No one would believe your word over mine,¡± retorted the woman with a smirk. She held out her hand.

    Terry briefly considered killing the martialist. She surely deserves it with how she betrayed her sect members. Then again, I was the one who instigated this. That kind of disqualifies me from judging her at this time, doesn¡¯t it?

    Giving up two of these peaches seems a waste. They taste disgusting but from everyone¡¯s reactions, they seem to be quite valuable. To them at least. With no shops around, they¡¯re just mana-rich snacks to me. Disgusting snacks at that. Anyway, I was the one who made the offer.

    Perhaps there are benefits to knowing such a person? A person that can be bought. Better than always dealing with completely unknown lunatics, isn¡¯t it?

    Eventually, Terry threw over two Lightning Heart Peaches. He tried to ignore the slight feeling of disgust with himself. ¡°Take their belongings too. I don¡¯t want them.¡±

    He kept his eyes on the woman until she departed and then went back to his panther meat.

    Going through bullshit trials like this secret realm, trapped with other lunatics, being raised in sects of backstabbing vultures¡­ No wonder they¡¯re all acting like blood-bursting pest beetles.

    Terry had to wrestle down the feeling of pity, because he knew it would come back to bite him in this folded space. He had limited options, no real allies, and plenty of enemies. That was, after all, what these people looking for a chance to kill or rob him were. Enemies.

    He walked around to search the corpses of the original group of assailants for items he could use.

    Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself, I know¡­

    They made their choice. I believe in choices¡­ Did they really have a choice though? Can they be blamed for acting like they are, given the path they had to walk to get here?

    Do you care for the reason a beast bites? No, I don¡¯t if I¡¯m honest. At least not that much. Not enough to sway me here.

    Terry quietly grumbled while all the different perspectives he had heard or read over the years washed through his mind.

    Surrender is a privilege granted to those that understand their position. A cheap surrender is an invitation for betrayal and rebellion¡­ Not like I want to follow the Warlord. I get the whole rational madness and reputation angle but it seems to achieve squat all against battle-crazed lunatics that value life incredibly cheaply.

    The time for mercy is when you have the overwhelming advantage and are in complete control of the situation. I certainly don¡¯t feel in complete control while being trapped in this place.

    If you can¡¯t blame people for their vices, then you can¡¯t praise them for their virtues either. We¡¯re not constructs. We¡¯re folks. We¡¯re supposed to be sapient, not merely sentient. Supposed to be responsible for our actions. Good and bad, all or nothing, constructs or folks. Still¡ª

    ¡°Enough.¡± Terry barked at himself. ¡°Focus. Food, then shelter.¡± He heaved the drained panther corpse on his shoulders and stepped into the sky where he could transfix some slabs to make camp. He would prefer to avoid dealing with more martialists for the time being.

    ***

 166 Different Styles

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 40 ¨C

    ¡°What are we going to do about Terry?¡± One of Shen¡¯s friends asked him.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Shen calmly.

    ¡°Really?! He killed¡ª¡±

    ¡°Someone that did not heed my warning,¡± interrupted Shen sternly. ¡°I told all of you that it¡¯s not time yet. If you are both incapable of understanding that and incapable of trusting my judgement on this, then your fates are your own. It is no stain on my conscience.¡± He brushed something from his shoulder.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing.¡± Shen cut the speaker off. ¡°Our brother let his greed best his judgement. Take this as a warning.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Terry is that dangerous. If we could separate him from the pinnacle item.¡±

    ¡°Not. The. Time.¡± Shen glared at the speaker.

    ¡°There are rumors that Terry is a senior hiding his age.¡±

    ¡°That nonsense again.¡±

    ¡°His age keeps shifting! First he was getting older than he had any right to be, and now he¡¯s younger all of a sudden?"

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he is hiding his true age! Perhaps the artifact is just broken!¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± interjected Shen. ¡°The artifact is fine, but there are indeed several possible explanations for what it showed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are some people claiming that there should be a Spring of Rejuvenation in this place.¡±

    ¡°People can claim many things. No one has seen it.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s in a blocked area!¡±

    ¡°Convenient, isn¡¯t it? I hate these divining fortune tellers pretending to understand the realm by the farts of the insects.¡±

    ¡°He did enter the blocked area though. Allegedly, he used only a single finger!¡±

    ¡°Heavenly horseshit!¡±

    ¡°Until we find Aparicia to confirm if her bone age has changed as well, there won¡¯t be an end to this conversation, so spare it for later.¡± Shen rebuked his friends. ¡°Unfortunately, the Heretic appears quite capable of avoiding our attempts to investigate.¡±

    ¡°But I really don¡¯t understand why we are so hesitant to go after Terry? Even if we are still focusing on the tickets, we have used other opportunities to take treasures, right? The man is alone and carries a pinnacle item. Can it really get any better?¡±

    ¡°There are rumors about Terry being behind the many disappearances. He seems to linger around the spots where people have vanished.¡±

    ¡°Which, again, can have several explanations,¡± reminded Shen. ¡°Terry seems to have no compunctions about using his spoils of battle, nor any reservations about exposing his wealth. Despite that, we have no record of him wielding any item associated with these disappearances.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then why? Why are we ignoring the biggest pig ripe for slaughter in this realm? If we go at it properly, we have a high chance of success!¡±

    ¡°One, because I don¡¯t see why we should waste a sweat when others can do the work for us.¡±  Shen smiled thinly. ¡°Two, because I don¡¯t like wasting time. High chance of success?¡± He scoffed with contempt. ¡°A fool¡¯s game.¡± He held the gaze of the speaker. ¡°True strategy is setting up win-win situations.¡±

    Shen rolled his eyes and shrugged. ¡°And I also have to disagree with your evaluation. You need to pay more attention.¡±

    ¡°We have seen him fight. We have gathered the intel from the felan and others. What is there left to still be uncertain about?¡±

    Shen moved his hair away from his face and gazed at his friend. ¡°Do you think you could beat him? One on one, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Probably. He¡¯s faster than me, but I¡¯m stronger than him. As long as I can get one good attack beyond his defenses, his head will pop like a watermelon.¡±

    ¡°As long as¡­¡± Shen¡¯s lips curled up in a display of condescension. His eyes moved to another person in the group. ¡°How about you? You seemed to nod along before. Do you think you could beat Terry? One on one.¡±

    The red-haired woman paused to think and then nodded with hesitation. ¡°I would have to avoid his blades, but I¡¯m confident in my speed.¡±

    ¡°Avoid his blades¡­?¡± Shen looked at the woman with the same condescension that he had shown the man before. ¡°Only his blades?¡±

    ¡°No, I would have to make sure he doesn¡¯t grab me,¡± replied the woman with a slight wrinkle on her forehead.

    ¡°Because?¡± Shen puckered his lips.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not confident in escaping his grasp,¡± explained the woman. ¡°Terry appears stronger¡­¡± Her voice trailed off.

    ¡°Stronger than you?¡± Shen grinned widely. ¡°That¡¯s precisely it.¡± He looked from one to the other and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m certain that you would both lose.¡±

    The two frowned. The man spoke up with an indignant expression. ¡°He might outlast me in mana, but I would not allow him to drag on the fight. One good hit and¡ª¡±

    ¡°No no no, you are missing the important part.¡± Shen interrupted his friend¡¯s burst of hurt pride. ¡°Look at everyone else.¡± Shen gestured towards the rest of the group. ¡°For each one individually, how do you see their chances?

    Shen lowered his hand again. ¡°Because from what I know about the contenders in this realm, Terry is stronger than anyone faster than him and faster than anyone stronger than him. Think about that for a moment.¡±

    Shen pushed another strain of hair out of his face. ¡°You might have your advantage, but he has more options. He can apparently shift his combat style fluidly. He freely changes and breaks his battle rhythm. This flexibility in itself is something to account for.¡± He sighed with slight frustration. ¡°I would have preferred to deal with such a person outside the folded space in any case, and that was before his unreasonable growth.¡±

    ¡°You mean the pinnacle weapon and the weird golden mana he is using now?¡±

    ¡°Part of it,¡± admitted Shen. ¡°But even more so that his strength and speed have both improved. In the last battles we observed, there were the usual distinct moments when Terry shifted styles. However, compared to the first times we watched him fight, his strength when focusing on speed is higher, as is his speed when focusing on strength.¡±

    Shen looked meaningfully at his two friends whom he had used as examples. ¡°Even if Terry has kept nothing hidden, which is unlikely. Even then, his supposed weak point is getting closer to your strong point and, simultaneously, his own strong point is becoming more pronounced. I would not bet on you even in a two-on-one.¡± He clapped to jolt his friends from their quiet frustrations and smirked with self-satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s why we are not in the habit of betting, but of strategizing.¡±

    ***

    Terry was sitting high up in the sky with several metal ingots in front of him on the tertium slab.

    ¡°No¡­¡± He frowned and removed a metal ring from his king spear.

    The ring fits perfectly but I need it to stick on the pole, so¡­

    Terry reshaped the septimum to be a bit tighter. He placed it against the king spear¡¯s pole and frowned again.

    I don¡¯t know what I expected. Of course, it would not fit anymore.

    ¡°I should have asked Elvis to give me a bunch of notes on possible connectors¡­¡± Terry grumbled and tried to remember what the tinkering elf in Tiv¡¯s Chara Settlement had shown him.

    ¡°Maybe like¡­¡± He reshaped the ring to have an edged inside with alternating raised areas with a consistent tilt in one direction.

    He shaped another piece of metal to hold the first ring in place and then extended the king spear¡¯s pole to force the ring onto the unbreakable staff. He examined the result. His goal was to have the ring fit tightly and without risk of slipping off.

    ¡°Workable,¡± muttered Terry. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to try some kind of clamps, but that would be more annoying when wielding it normally. Perhaps I really need to look into heating the ring up and then letting it tighten around it while cooling down. That would be problematic in other ways though.¡±

    Like when facing enemies wielding fire.

    Terry had thought back to his past trials and battles. He had often relied on creating a lever with an immovable fulcrum for some additional force. He had used it during the Trial of Havoc, against the hellspawn in the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon and even as early as in the battle over Syn City.

    The king spear, with its resizable pole, seemed a perfect fit for levered setups, but Terry did not like always having to retrieve potential fulcrums separately from his dimensional storage. Divine mana from his inscriptions could work but, while sturdy, it was far from immovable. That was why he was investigating the possibility to attach some additional pieces for a similar purpose like the septimum pearls in his armor.

    Terry was filled with gratitude to his past self for purchasing the Shape Metal imprints. He was severely lacking access to good smiths to create his prototypes, and he had many ideas to test. In a place like this, the shaping imprint was truly invaluable.

    Besides identifying the best way to attach additional pieces, he still had to figure out a good mechanism for allowing the spear to rotate. Truth be told, Terry was not even sure if his overall idea was feasible. Whatever mechanism he came up with, the movable parts of the mechanism also had to withstand the applied force.

    He could fortify specific areas and test different structures, but he always had to take the spear¡¯s main purpose as a weapon into account. A fancy lever fulcrum would not be worth it, if it turned the spear into a clunky mess that was unwieldable as a weapon.

    No matter if his efforts were futile in the end, the tinkering was one way for Terry to calm his mind. The more time he spent in this isolated folded space with little but lunatics for company, the more he felt that breathing exercises alone did not quite cut it anymore. His patience was wearing thin and deep down, he feared his sanity was doing the same.

    His mana foundational training and physical exercise helped. Experiments and scribbling in his notebook helped too. The occasional re-read of chapters in the Path of a Mage allowed Terry to get through the worst of his days.

    Something about the book always managed to calm him. Perhaps it was the perspective of someone pushing through a lot of suffering. More likely, it was the cozy feeling of nostalgic connectedness the book brought up for him: the reading time with his siblings, his uncle Samuel, and even the sentiments of his uncle Olgorn whom Terry had never met.

    He tinkered away, lost in his thoughts, and at the center of a thin but widespread cloud of his naturalized mana that was rotating and constantly oscillating through a cycle of decay and re-naturalization.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    He did not know how much time had passed when a bunch of scrap items suddenly manifested all around him and splattered around the immovable tertium slab.

    ¡°Oh right¡­¡± Terry muttered while moving his eyes over all the pebbles and random wood pieces. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I even continued putting these on¡­¡± He moved his finger over the enchanted storage anklets he had bought in Arcana. ¡°...much less why I kept filling them. Habit probably.¡±

    Or dungeon-induced hoarding. Or maybe it¡¯s Thanatos-induced hoarding. One can never have too many pebbles!

    Terry moved some of the scattered items into his storage bracelets before removing both of the cheap storage anklets whose enchantment had finally reached their expiration. The second one might not have regurgitated its contents yet but now that he was examining it in his mana sight, he guessed it would happen within two days as well.

    ¡°No point in carrying these around anymore then¡­¡± Terry gave one last glance at the storage anklets he had bought from the money he had received for selling the mana cores that Matteo and Sigille had gifted to him. They had served their intended purpose. He did not have to rely on scrap items as jumping points anymore. He now had the divine hammer inscription for that.

    Terry indulged in some wistful memories about his travels with his aunt and cousin and then returned his attention to his tinkering. Even if he could not figure out the attachments for positioning a fulcrum, there were other things he needed to work out.

    At the very least, the king spear should have a few tertium attachments for better long-range aiming or for killing momentum for quicker direction changes. When he had fought with an aspected glaive to defend Lizzy on the Bulwark, the ability to completely kill the momentum of the long weapon mid-swing had proven quite useful¡­

    ***

    ¡°...forget it.¡± Zhang refused firmly. His sunken eyes flashed with resolve. ¡°Our Icy Dew Mountain will have no part of this.¡±

    ¡°Foolish!¡±

    ¡°Have you no ambition? There is no better way to advance than¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had our encounters with that man before,¡± interrupted Zhang sharply.

    ¡°So? Now you are scared? Little chicklets?¡±

    A boulder of a man and a tall woman immediately stepped forth from behind Zhang.

    ¡°Insolent.¡± Barnes glared at the martialist that had insulted them. His large and thick stature cast a shadow over the offending party.

    ¡°If you want to see chicken, I¡¯ll gladly peck your eyes out.¡± Chun glowered at the martialist and retrieved a soft sword from her storage ring.

    ¡°Manage your tempers!¡± Zhang chided his sect members sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the lessons of that day. We are not here to fight.¡± He fleetingly glanced at a man in white-golden robes, who was standing silently in one corner, and then fixed the other martialists in his eyes. ¡°In fact, we are about to leave.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And do you have the authority to speak for your whole sect?¡± sneered one of the martialists.

    ¡°I do.¡± Sheila stepped forth to stand next to her Senior Brother Zhang. She caught Zhang¡¯s gaze and nodded briefly before facing the others. ¡°I agree with my senior martial brother. We will not raise a hand against that man.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe we should make sure you don¡¯t leave and tattle?¡± A woman from the crowd postured with threatening eyes.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like to see how that goes for you?¡± A pair of martialists in the shimmering combat robes of the Blazing Sun Sect stepped forth. The man and woman joined the side of Zhang. The woman spoke calmly. ¡°We have no intention of joining your plan either. Are you going to turn against us too? Do you dare?¡±

    ¡°Of course I dare, you¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Well said, sister of the sun!¡± A felan woman with the appearance of a golden tigress in black robes stepped forth. ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to stop us from leaving.¡±

    ¡°Hom? You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let her go,¡± a woman in dark green robes glared condescendingly at the felan Hom. ¡°We don¡¯t need her. We have a high chance of success and there is no reason to split the spoils further.¡±

    ¡°Right, Chalita.¡± the martialists simmered down until an elven man in green clothes joined the leaving side as well. ¡°The Outcast?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had business dealings with Terry,¡± said Guillermo. ¡°I plan on repeating that in the future.¡±

    ¡°Fool! If we take his possessions, what need is there for business?¡±

    ¡°He is defiling the legendary artifact of the Monkey King! He has to die!¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Guillermo interrupted the buzzing crowd. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave. Try to stop us if you dare.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± one of the people from Shen¡¯s group in the back spoke up. The person carried an oversized greatsword on her back. ¡°They¡¯re not going to warn him. They have no reason to do so.¡±

    ¡°Naturally not,¡± said Guillermo indifferently. ¡°May the strongest reach the peak. The heavens will reveal who is truly deserving.¡± He turned around to leave. His eyes lingered for a second on the masked felan with leopard spots that was standing silently in the back.

    Among the group of people refusing to join the plan was leaving, Barnes of the Icy Dew Mountain was approaching Zhang.

    ¡°Is this really wise?¡± asked Barnes. ¡°If all of them work together, then they are sure to succeed. If we join them, we would be able to claim a share. Not the pinnacle item, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your old possessions?¡± Zhang interjected stone-faced. ¡°Lay down your grudge, or this won¡¯t end well.¡±

    ¡°That person isn¡¯t that strong.¡± Chun backed up Barnes.

    ¡°Are you willing to bet your life on it?!¡± retorted Zhang with accusing eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong Terry is, but I do know that he could have claimed your lives if he had wanted to. Remember that when you are whining again about the items you have lost.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t whining.¡± Chun averted her eyes.

    ¡°It took a lot of effort to make up for what we have lost before,¡± reminded Zhang sternly. ¡°We cannot afford another loss like that, especially not from now on. We have made good progress and won our share of treasures, but it means nothing if we are not leaving this realm alive.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Sheila spoke up. ¡°My parents warned me that things will change quickly when the deadline approaches. We have to be careful.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that even more reason to claw at any means to increase our strength?¡± demanded Chun.

    ¡°You mean like the last time you attacked that person?¡± chided Zhang. ¡°I recall that it ended in a severe and rapid loss.¡±

    ***

    Terry was hanging out in his sky shelter and inspecting the remaining items from the Hall of Power. He had initially neglected to check all of them in detail because these martialist items just appeared too weird and unfamiliar. The fact that he had to use them in order to know what they did was not exactly enticing. Then there was the fact that they might break if he used them wrong or with insufficient mana.

    Terry¡¯s discovery of the spearhead¡¯s synergy with the Third Staff of the Monkey King had changed his opinion somewhat. There might be hidden treasures among the bunch.

    He had already inspected some of the weapons in the Trial of Havoc and some more when searching for a spearhead. Now he was taking a closer look at the armor pieces. Most of them were small. Chest pieces that only consisted of a protective heart plate. Shin protectors. Bracers.

    ¡°That looks like the gloves Miguel sometimes wore¡­¡± Terry squinted at an archer glove. He was frowning at the amount of mana leaking from the glove.

    Might be useful, powerful even, but with that kind of leakage, the mana interference with my other equipment would probably be too much.

    Damn, I miss my other bidirectional attraction glove¡­ Terry sighed wistfully.

    He was feeling comfortable with handling both the divine hammer inscription and the glove on his left forearm. He was confident that he could manage the same on his right arm as well. Unfortunately, he had lost the other inscribed glove to the lizan martialist called Xuan in the Thanatos Proving Grounds.

    Terry was less confident in pairing one of these martialist items with the divine hammer inscription. He could surely manage to overcome the mana interference with time, but¡­

    ¡°Perhaps I should focus on mastering my new spear before other upgrades¡­¡± He mumbled to himself with an unsatisfied expression.

    His expression shifted to wary annoyance when he sensed a familiar signature appear below him. ¡°Again?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue. He stood up on his tertium slab and hesitated.

    How did he find me?

    He isn¡¯t wearing the mana-cloaking mask, so I guess he wants to be detected?

    ¡°Okay, fine. If he wants to talk, he better give me a good explanation.¡± Terry packed up his items and jumped down to meet his former coliseum ally.

    ***

    Terry warily spread his mana out and discovered another person further away from where Rafael was waiting.

    Shape¡­ Human. Human woman.

    Terry¡¯s habitual use of mana touch and his mana detection field allowed him to sense with much more detail than in the past.

    Must have concealed her mana signature somehow. But the feeling matches the aspects that¡­

    Terry clicked his tongue. The image of a woman in dark green robes sprang up in his mind. He had encountered a person with a familiar feel to her after the skirmish over the Lightning Heart Peach tree.

    Chalita or something. The one that seemed to have a rivalry with the felan woman called Hom.

    Is she here with Rafael?

    Is she following Rafael? Should I warn him?

    Do I care?

    Terry recalled his impression of the woman from when he had met her.

    Confident. True strength or bluster? She seemed somewhat respected. More likely to be strong.

    Terry weighed his options. He was not looking forward to walking into an uncertain situation but he was curious to know what Rafael wanted. He had accepted that he had been wrong to look at Rafael as a friend. The felan was not a friend, at least not by Terry¡¯s definition of friendship.

    It still stung though.

    Rafael is not like Nash. He could have hurt me many times, but he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°He did attack me though.¡± Terry reminded himself. ¡°The Heavenly Wolf Slash in the peach battle was unmistakable.¡±

    Eventually, he resolved himself. His curiosity had won over his wariness and he descended by repeatedly jumping from layers of divine mana.

    ***

    Terry landed on the ground with some distance to Rafael. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked the felan in a tone more grumpy than he had intended.

    Rafael appeared to hesitate before answering. ¡°Do you have a ticket?¡±

    Terry tried to maintain a deadpan expression but his eyebrow jumped up anyway.

    Is he worried about me being trapped after all?

    Guilty conscience?

    Is he trying to make peace? Did he come offering me a ticket?

    Rafael took the silence as confirmation and continued. ¡°Some smooth-skinned pickpocket managed to steal mine and now I¡¯ll have to come up with another one. I could offer important information¡ª¡±

    ¡°Piss off.¡± Terry exclaimed involuntarily.

    The damned leopard is only here for himself. Unbelievable.

    Not even acknowledging the shit he has done. Not even the slightest hint of an apology. I¡­

    Terry felt his temper flare up intensely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an imbecile!¡± Rafael retorted angrily. ¡°I have information that could save your life. I need a ticket. If you have a spare ticket, I¡¯m willing to let bygones be bygones.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry breathed out quietly. He did not believe his ears. You? YOU are willing to let bygones be bygones?

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s be adults.¡± Rafael continued. ¡°This is serious. Both of our lives depend on it. You¡¯ve pulled some shit, but we can still work together.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Terry suddenly discovered that he did not care about holding his temper back anymore. ¡°ME? I am the one that has pulled some shit? Did I hear that right?¡± He subconsciously made a step towards Rafael.

    ¡°Yes, you!¡± Rafael straightened his back. ¡°You stole my altar from me!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Terry scoffed. ¡°I won, why shouldn¡¯t I? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? You! You leaked information about me. You attacked me with the other martialists.¡±

    ¡°Because you stole my altar!¡± retorted Rafael. ¡°I had it in the bag before you interfered. Not only was I delayed and falling behind, but the whole round of trials turned into a mess.¡±

    ¡°Oh boohoo.¡± Terry flipped Rafael off. ¡°You leaked information even before that.¡±

    ¡°No, I did not.¡± Rafael flinched. ¡°You can¡¯t prove that!¡±

    ¡°Who gives a shit about proving it?!¡± Terry made another step towards Rafael. ¡°You were probably scared about my reaction after you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you, you furless monkey.¡± Rafael squared his shoulders and also made a step towards him.

    If Terry didn¡¯t know how often Rafael¡¯s outward posturing clashed with his silent thoughts, he might even believe the felan. Instead, he snorted with derision. ¡°Oh really?¡± His eyes were fixed on Rafael. ¡°Then why did you run away in the first place? After Shen told me what you should have.¡±

    ¡°Nothing good comes from hanging around that person,¡± snapped Rafael. ¡°You would probably have done something stupid! Just like you are doing now, you idiot. Just listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry. ¡°I thought of you as a friend.¡± He spat the last word. ¡°That¡¯s what made me a real idiot.¡±

    Rafael was taken aback by the word ¡®friend¡¯, but quickly recovered his own righteous indignation. ¡°Oh brother, are you taking me for a fool? You made up some crap about sticking to stories and how we should not take any of the treasures and then you went and took everything for yourself!¡±

    Terry stared at the felan with utter incomprehension. ¡°What the Wastes are you on about? Stories? You mean the estate in Thanatos? Who took everything?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Rafael stabbed his finger forth. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the wealth you throw around. I¡¯d be an imbecile to not connect the dots.¡±

    ¡°You are an imbecile, alright.¡± Terry shot back. ¡°I¡¯ve taken nothing from Beatrice¡¯s estate. These treasures are from the altar¡¯s reward.¡±

    ¡°A likely story,¡± sneered Rafael. ¡°Somehow everyone else only got a single reward. You know what, who gives a shit? Even if your ridiculous claim was true, it would just mean that you stole all of that from me. That¡¯s the shit you pulled.¡±

    Terry was flabbergasted and at a loss of words that weren¡¯t just strings of insults woven together.

    Rafael visibly tried to calm himself. ¡°Now I¡¯m willing to let that be in the past. Everyone is only looking out for their own interests, and I¡¯m not holding that against you. I¡¯m even willing to offer you life-saving information. Perhaps I might even lend a hand. All I want in exchange is a ticket so that I can get out of this secret realm when the time comes.¡±

    Terry¡¯s brain had stopped processing what Rafael was saying and when he realized that both the felan and he were silently staring at each other, he burst out: ¡°Piss. Off. Now.¡± He inhaled deeply. ¡°Before I forget myself.¡±

    ¡°Smooth-brained imbecile,¡± spat Rafael and he glared at Terry. ¡°You deserve what¡¯s coming to you.¡± The felan walked away and then broke out into a run.

    Terry was still focusing on his breathing to calm down when he sensed changes in mana from the location where Chalita had been hiding.

    ***

 167 Bets and Strategies

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 74 ¨C

    ¡°What the¡ª? Crap!¡± Terry sensed a vast movement of mana aimed towards his direction.

    Was Rafael trying to buy time? Did I fall for their trap? What is this? An attack? Should I try to run? Block with the Immovable Object Spell? Use a foldable cube? What if it¡¯s¡ª

    Terry suppressed his conflicting thoughts and resolved himself for a course of action. Better to commit fully to a sub-optimal option than to be indecisive under time pressure. He channeled mana into his magic brooch and stepped into the shadow plane.

    In the strange plane of shadows where light was coming in from the floor, Terry froze. His eyes were glued to a strange circular mark visible at a small hill of pure black. The mark was hard to overlook since it was glowing purple. It looked like the mirror image of the strange dungeon marks Terry had seen before and he suddenly became aware that he had not paid much attention to inspecting the shadow plane when investigating this secret realm.

    The book mentioned that some dungeons require switching planes to navigate, which is why some of the most skilled dungeon pioneers of the time developed advanced marks that are visible in the shadow plane.

    Are these really dungeon marks? What does this mean? What¡ª?

    ¡°Not the time!¡± Terry shouted at himself when noticing the changes in his peripheral vision. The light coming from the floor had diminished. The window-like ground was now showing mostly darkness looming in the normal plane as well.

    Focus.

    Terry crouched down and examined the sight from the normal plane more closely.

    Stone, but only at a distance. There is still some light. Is that magic illumination?

    Did they create a dome? No. More like a tunnel.

    Was this really an attack?

    ¡°Trap.¡± Terry mumbled. He glanced at his feet that had to stick to the ground. He would not be able to flee from this location while in the shadow plane. If he wanted to move, he had to confront whatever Chalita had prepared on the other side or try to wait it out.

    Terry was reminded of his encounter with the Thanatos soldiers after he had dealt with the wyvern and escaped the Elusive Fog of Frost. Him waiting around had not worked that well in that encounter. He was not looking forward to another battle in the shadow plane either.

    ¡°Screw it.¡± Terry made his choice and lifted his foot. He instantly reappeared in the normal plane.

    Tunnel.

    He had no time to properly get his bearings, because he was immediately confronted by sharp pillars of wood growing from the floor and rushing towards his direction.

    Terry transfixed a tertium slab and had the immovable metal block the attack while pushing his mana out to scout the area.

    That wood must have been a martialist technique or some kind of artifact.

    He retreated a few steps from the tertium to get some safety buffer in case the wooden pillars were able to snake around the sides and pierce through the existing gaps.

    There is Chalita. The initial magic that created the trap came from her. That wood though, that came from somewhere else, which means there is more than one person and they have all cloaked their mana.

    I can only rely on mana touch.

    ¡°Fire.¡± Terry braced himself for another incoming attack. Right, I can also sense them when they attack. Their attacks aren¡¯t cloaked. Whatever items they are using might show similar openings.

    Scout ahead with mana touch. Pay attention to attacks and openings with my regular mana sight. Got it.

    *Boom!* Terry felt heat rushing around the tertium cube. He knew that the immovable object would not be affected by the rise in temperature, but it still made him wary.

    They should have some knowledge about my spell, so why¡ª? Crap. The smoke.

    The remnants of the wood-based attack had caught fire. In the closed tunnel of rock, there was nowhere for the smoke to go. Terry involuntarily thought back to his bounty hunt examination. When they had brainstormed ideas for how to deal with the group of bandits, smoking them out had been among the first.

    With a grim expression, Terry retrieved one of his scent masks and paired it with the barrier visor from his helmet. Next, he tried to close the gaps around the tertium cube with the help of his divine hammer inscription.

    He pressed his mana into the tunnel walls to gauge the thickness and weigh his options.

    Liquify Earth would work but would take time and more primers than are charged. Feeding more primers risks damaging the main imprint.

    If I channel enough mana into the king spear while forcing the growth into one direction with the help of an immovable object, it would pierce through. It would help let the smoke escape, but not much.

    Use another item from the Hall of Power? Out of the question. Not before Vicious is dealt with. Not unless there is no other option.

    What is even their plan here?

    Terry had located several of his opponents and he had gained a rough idea of the trap he was in. He glanced at the blocked passage.

    I wonder how they are going to react when they notice the smoke is moving their own way. Suffocating them instead of me.

    He did not have to wonder for long. Shortly after, he could sense mana activity from the other side of his barricade and soon, the sizzling sound of fire being extinguished with water was echoing from the tunnel walls.

    Afterwards, Terry could sense long-range martialist attacks crashing through the passage and colliding with his immovable object.

    They do realize that they are wasting their mana, right?

    He furrowed his brow.

    Do they believe they can outlast me in mana? Especially when it¡¯s in the one application of mana where I can rely on proper spellwork?

    Terry mentally counted the number of opponents he spotted with his mana touch. He made sure to remember their mana signatures and locations.

    Even if they had thrice that number, they would have to think of something else.

    Terry reflexively jumped back and punched out a disruption discharge when he sensed shadow-aspected mana gather on his side of the barricade. He was forced to continue punching out discharges because he sensed an increasing number of martialist abilities targeting him while bypassing the barricade he had put up.

    I guess they have thought of something now.

    Terry silently estimated his chances in outlasting the hostile group when he was forced to maintain a disruption field or to continuously keep up with disruption discharges.

    Not great, but I can hold out a while.

    Terry grit his teeth and glanced at the other direction of the tunnel.

    Trap. Ambush. Or both. If they have any brains whatsoever, then both. The only reason for pushing me with that intensity from one side is to herd me in another.

    He focused on his breathing while recalling what he had scouted in that direction.

    Whatever they have planned must be beyond the range I scouted with mana touch. So there should be at least a thousand meters in which I don¡¯t have to worry.

    Terry made up his mind. He was not sure if it was the smart thing to do, but he was pissed enough to try. He had tried to stay away from these battle-crazed vultures, but they just kept coming. He was so done.

    I hate this place.

    Terry waited for a good moment and then collected his tertium slab back into his storage item before darting away from the ember-filled passage.

    Attacks soon pursued on his heel and so did their creators. The martialists were gleefully following Terry further into the tunnel. Some were even deriding him for his presumed cowardice.

    Terry meanwhile paid attention to avoiding the incoming attacks but also to the locations of his pursuers. He was reminded of the undead horde following him in the Wastes north of Tiv. The reason for this particular memory surfacing was that the pursuers became more and more spread out. Everyone was eager to be first to the kill and increase their claim to the loot.

    Before he had reached the edge of his previous scouting range, Terry¡¯s eyes grew cold. The time had arrived. He continued running while placing subtle mana refractors to leave behind. He burst his mana and jumped to have his feet in the air facing forward. He cast his spell and caught his momentum on immovable layers of metal in his boots.

    You¡¯re all going to regret this!

    Terry reversed direction and furiously burst forward with his king spear in hand.

    A cloud of mana condensed around him and followed him back into the direction where he had come from. With each step, the mana pressed into focus refractors and condensed further. In a matter of seconds, Terry was the center of an intense disruption rush, leading straight towards his enemies.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The first martialist quickly lost her eager expression when she spotted Terry¡¯s ferocious charge. Even the bright glow of mana use did not hide the fierce glint in his eyes.

    The woman was taken aback by Terry¡¯s appearance in her mana sight and this caused a slight delay in her counter-attack. A deadly mistake that he quickly exploited by abruptly accelerating with a switch in burst techniques and extending the king spear to match.

    The second martialist in his path had a better reaction time and she managed to unleash a martialist technique shaping three crescent moons of fire from her curved saber.

    Terry decelerated slightly to let the dense net of spell slicers following him collide with the crescents and eviscerate them. He feinted with his king spear while covertly transfixing the woman¡¯s sword. He dodged underneath her punch, stomped her into the tunnel wall and pinned her into place with a transfixed piece of metal taken from his sheath belt. He left the immobilized martialist behind and bolted away.

    The next sequence of opponents were not as lucky.

    Terry caught the first off-guard by intentionally mismatching the spear¡¯s length with his arm thrusts. The man completely misjudged the timing and received a spearhead into his heart.

    The second managed to evade due to her impressive agility, but was tripped up by a sturdy layer of divine mana obstructing her footwork. The woman tried to block but was completely overwhelmed when Terry switched to cycling a burst technique to accentuate his strength. The spear broke through the woman¡¯s defense, her arm, and her throat.

    Terry did not bother to linger around. He did not fight to loot. He did not even care if they were truly dead or not.

    Not yet.

    He had memorized their mana signatures and would make sure to pay them back.

    He was so done.

    But for now, he forced himself to focus. His priority was to get out of the tunnel. For that, he had to move fast, before his enemies had a chance to group up properly again.

    Quickly!

    Another reason that was pushing Terry towards never stopping for long was the fact that his disruption rush would break down if he did not keep up sufficient momentum. He had to keep a tight hold of his mana and a close eye on his rapidly moving spell slicers.

    Charging ferociously, Terry broke through martialist after martialist without ever halting for more than a few breaths.

    If there had been more time, he might have even felt proud of his performance.

    These seem to be stronger. Still uncoordinated, luckily. They¡¯re really shit at working together.

    Terry infused his mana into the king spear and bashed the lightning-covered pole into the nose of his current enemy. He compressed his spell to overpower the mana in the enemy¡¯s protective heartplate.

    As soon as the Immovable Object spell impaired the man¡¯s movement, Terry switched the spear into reverse grip and extended the pole. He bolted away while using the changing spear length to land one last thrust.

    In his dash, Terry quickly retracted his mana to shorten the spear again. He leaned to the side and channeled mana into the divine hammer inscription. An incoming blade slash was deflected by the divine mana and Terry thrust forward with the king spear.

    His enemy was taken off-guard by the speartip moving slower than Terry¡¯s thrust. In the following moment of panic, Terry used the spear feint to exploit the opening in the man¡¯s posture and his left hand slashed the mana blade of his keen dagger over the man¡¯s chest.

    Before the man had a chance to process the pain, Terry had already passed him. All the martialist could see was Terry fluidly returning the dagger to the sheath belt with his left hand and then the silhouette of his rapidly shrinking back.

    Eventually, Terry had made it close to the end of the tunnel. He was covered in blood. Much to his own surprise, none of it was his own.

    Lucky so far.

    Terry accelerated further and infused mana into the spear. He pushed his own naturalized mana forward along the pole to match the pace of the moving spearhead and follow it closely.

    He retrieved a shield for his left arm and activated the king spear¡¯s lightning layer.

    With a loud crack, the pole¡¯s lightning reached the spearhead and activated its magic. A dense net of powerful lightning escaped to assault all the unfortunate mana martialists whose evasive movements were limited by the tunnel walls.

    Terry rammed shield-first into an injured martialist and finally saw the sky again. He transfixed the shield and stepped to the side to dodge an incoming glaive, whose owner was the women in dark green robes. The woman that had been at the front of all this.

    Chalita.

    Terry engaged the martialist in close combat, quickly rotating through his burst techniques to make his battle rhythm less predictable.

    Now that he was out of the tunnel, he was feeling more confident in his ability to escape. He darted around the martialist on glowing layers of divine mana while covertly placing throwing needles as well as some of the translucent darts he had collected from the trial traps.

    She is good.

    Terry was forced to commend Chalita¡¯s battle sense. Both her ability to avoid his strategically placed immovable objects as well as the way she was wielding her glaive.

    High-intensity mana. Well-protected.

    He dismissed the option of transfixing the woman¡¯s glaive as unfeasible without investing more time than he was willing to spare.

    He momentarily switched to transfixing his septimum pearls and the spear¡¯s resize ability to have Chalita face some of the force that she herself was putting in.

    Unfortunately, it did not show the desired effect. The required full rotation was making Terry too vulnerable to quick thrusts or glaive spins. He abandoned the idea.

    Screw it.

    Terry darted up into the sky on layers of divine mana. He was considering calling it a day and fleeing until he saw Chalita as well as several other of the stronger martialists following him into the sky.

    So they do have some means for aerial movement. I should put up more safety guards when resting up there.

    Fine then.

    Terry continued jumping upwards. He tentatively summoned a barrier of divine mana in the path of one enemy who immediately earned himself a bloody nose and a bad headache from the collision.

    Unfortunately, the others appeared more nimble than his first victim.

    Terry lured the enemies further into the sky and then hurled forward a throwing needle. Simultaneously, he pressed mana into the spear while making sure that his own naturalized mana was matching the pace of the spearhead.

    The spear grew heavy enough that Terry did not trust the divine mana underneath his feet to carry it. He transfixed some of the septimum pearls in his armor and grabbed the pole tightly.

    Right at the moment when he felt the spear tilt, he remotely pressed his mana into the spearhead and added more mana to the lightning layer inside the pole.

    The heavens roared with thunderous fury!

    The enormous king spear tipped over while the vicious lightning strikes were following the trajectory of the spearhead.

    Terry flung more items as fulcrums, used his bidirectional attraction glove for fine tuning and layers of divine mana for abrupt adjustments until the spearhead finally descended to be level with his enemies.

    A sky-shattering crack reverberated over the secret realm and lightning rampaged with the king spear at the center.

    Even Terry was reflexively placing a few immovable items as protection. He had built up a lot of lightning resistance since he had started practicing it in Tiv, but this was way beyond what he felt confident in handling.

    Fortunately for him, it was his enemies that had to fend off the brunt of the heavens¡¯ wrath.

    Too bad for them, Terry had no compunctions about following up as soon as the lightning had dispersed. He pierced their vitals, slashed their weak spots, and kicked the survivors down towards their deaths.

    Few managed to survive the furious lightning.

    Even fewer survived the furious Terry that followed.

    Those with the sharpest battle instincts were able to preserve their lives, but all of them had injuries that would take time and resources to recover. No helping it. They were panting and glowering at the departing silhouette.

    Terry had successfully gotten away.

    ***

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± muttered one of Shen¡¯s friends. His face was ashen. He and the others were using an egg-shaped artifact to observe what had been going on in the tunnel and its vicinity.

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± added another.

    ¡°I did not expect that kind of turnaround.¡±

    ¡°I told you so.¡± Shen spoke in a patronizing tone that seemed well-practiced. ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad that you listened to me?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. The guy is just lucky.¡±

    ¡°If we had joined without holding back instead of secretly sneaking away, Terry would not have gotten away.¡±

    ¡°You should learn to filter your egos through your brains, or my explanations will remain pearls before the swine,¡± chided Shen condescendingly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to throw your lives away at other times, but do not let me suffer because of your delusions. Do not mess this up.¡±

    Shen ignored the offended gazes and turned to the rest of his entourage. ¡°Since we are all well-rested, let¡¯s collect our spoils.¡± He gestured towards the battlefield. ¡°See? Even with Terry getting away, we have won. Easy pickings. Win-win.¡±

    Whatever disgruntlement there had been with Shen¡¯s patronizing attitude was washed away by greed. They immediately spread out to encircle the injured martialists.

    ***

    ¡°...quick¡­¡± Chalita was wheezing. Her dark green robes were tattered and dirty. ¡°We can still get him, we just¡ª Hugh.¡± She stared at the duo that had unexpectedly attacked her from the sides.

    Behind the two martialists, another group appeared, with a man in white golden robes at their center.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid that is not going to happen.¡± Shen let his eyes wander over the long tunnel full of injured and exhausted martialists. He and his followers were staring at the battered group like predators on prey.

    ¡°If all of you had been less incompetent, then things could have been different, but by my calculation¡­¡± Shen grinned coldly. ¡°...it¡¯s more efficient to repossess your items at this point.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Chalita wanted to muster her last bit of strength for a forbidden technique.

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen,¡± said Shen confidently. He crushed a little glass sphere and let the vapor escape. ¡°From what I know, your Withering Zither Steps have a glaring flaw in the third opening. Care to guess what it is?¡±

    Chalita¡¯s face paled, both from blood loss and from having her trump card sabotaged in an instant.

    ¡°My sect won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± Chalita cursed. ¡°You¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡±

    ¡°Why would your sect target us?¡± Shen pushed a strain of hair out of his face. ¡°You died trying to deal with Terry. There will be plenty of witnesses to corroborate that. What does your death have to do with us?¡± His fingernails extended into silver claws and he sunk them into Chalita¡¯s heart. He stared firmly into her eyes to watch her life fade away. ¡°Win-win.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡± Chalita cursed and circulated her mana in a specific pattern she had hoped to never use. An instant later, her eyes lost their sharpness while a sudden bolt of purple light escaped from her glabella.

    ¡°No! Soul capture now! Now!¡± Shen commanded his subordinates, only to realize it was already too late. ¡°This might complicate things.¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Another martialist from Shen¡¯s group shrugged. ¡°She has abandoned her body. Even if she manages to come back, she¡¯ll die here.¡± He held up an entrance ticket which he had taken from Chalita¡¯s storage item. ¡°Without this, she won¡¯t be able to escape to tell her tale.¡±

    Shen¡¯s expression remained dark, but he nodded. ¡°After this, we¡¯ll have to make sure to use the spare tickets well. Put a discreet trade offer out on Chalita¡¯s head. A ticket for whoever manages to eliminate her. We cannot allow anyone to figure out it¡¯s us making the offer. Ideally, they don''t even realize that Chalita is the target.¡±

    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t have proof, what does it matter?¡± asked another.

    ¡°You.¡± Shen glared at the person that had spoken. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in charge of gathering information about her techniques? How did you fail to note that she has a soul flight technique?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later,¡± snapped Shen. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll have to take care of this.¡±

    ¡°Twenty to thirty,¡± declared one of Shen¡¯s friends. ¡°Beyond that, the people were too close to each other, so either that is the limit or we kill everyone.¡±

    ¡°Not the time to kill everyone yet,¡± stressed Shen. ¡°We¡¯ll delay further gratification. The people in the back have the deepest pockets anyway. They sent the fodder to approach Terry first.¡±

    ¡°Some of the fodder seems to be moving again.¡± A woman with a tracking artifact in hand announced.

    ¡°Send one as a distraction while the rest cleans up,¡± ordered Shen. ¡°Make sure to leave a few spear and dagger marks on the bodies. Lightning as well.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ***

 168 Vindictive Hunter

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 98 ¨C

    Terry traced the magic necklace with his left hand. The dungeon reward helped conceal his mana signature while he was waiting at a specific location in a small mountain range. He stared at a concealed spot in the valley. The spot was a few hundred meters from him.

    Terry focused on his mana sight and the feeling from his mana touch until he was absolutely certain. Only then did he prepare a number of tertium pieces and he transfixed them to hold his king spear in place.

    Something had snapped in him. When Chalita and the others had tried to ambush him, Terry had made sure to remember their mana signatures. After he had escaped from their trap, he had been paying close attention to all the mana signatures around, even more than usual.

    First, Terry had gotten increasingly paranoid. Checking, and double-checking every spot with every option available. Afterwards, however, he became furious. This time his fury was not only aimed at himself. It was aimed at the people that had seemingly made it their sole purpose in life to make him miserable in this pocket realm. All these battle-crazed lunatics that would kill folks over a simple treasure and think nothing of it.

    Terry was so done with them. He was done caring about why they acted like they did. Something had snapped in him and he had decided on another path.

    He took another glance at the spot in the valley and repositioned the tertium pieces to adjust the way the king spear was pointing.

    Soon after Terry had escaped from the martialists¡¯ trap, the folded space had changed increasingly. It was not just the behavior of the rampaging magic beasts, but also of the martialists.

    Terry had never sensed so many cultivation breakthrough attempts in such a short time before. It felt as if the whole realm was accelerating and intensifying.

    He stared at the valley again. Down there, he could make out the concealed traces of a cultivation breakthrough attempt.

    Terry knew who it was that attempted a breakthrough. He did not know the man¡¯s name, but he had memorized the mana signature.

    It was one of the people that had tried to kill him and rob his king spear.

    Terry adjusted the spear¡¯s aim one last time. He was about to do something he had never done before. Not without Guardian oversight and approval.

    Terry was aware that he had killed many folks. Some, like Harrison, stung more than others in his conscience, but he was not sorry about what he had done. He regretted lacking the power to walk another path, but given his limitations, he would do it all again.

    Even so, today was different.

    Terry waited for the moment he sensed the critical moment in the martialist¡¯s breakthrough attempt.

    The heavens roared with thunderous fury!

    In the blink of an eye, the king spear had extended all the way towards the spot in the valley. Its blade pierced the blindsided martialist. It was the lightning that followed that unavoidably sealed the man¡¯s fate. The martialist that had been aiming for greater heights fell into the eternal slumber of death.

    Terry¡¯s first thought was that using the immovable object as aiming assistance was indeed proving workable.

    His second thought was that he had slightly misjudged the timing for activating the different mana layers in the pole and spearhead. If the martialist¡¯s instincts had been better, the man would have had a chance to react and escape with his life.

    Only then, did Terry¡¯s mind bring up the fact that he had committed a premeditated murder. It was against a person that had threatened his life before, against a person that would jump at the chance to kill him.

    No matter.

    Premeditated murder. Terry had decided that there was no point in quibbling over terms. Rational self-preservation. Preemptive self-defense.

    It did not matter.

    Terry knew it was justified. The martialist had tried to kill him and rob his possessions.

    Terry knew it was the rational thing to do. The martialist was a threat and at the cusp of getting stronger.

    Despite this knowledge, Terry had to focus on his breathing. His mind wandered back to the closest event he had experienced before. Years ago, Terry had felt slightly squeamish at the prospect of his first bounty hunt. He had volunteered to deal with the bandit guarding their hideout.

    He was exhaling slowly. He was different now. He was tired of waiting for these beasts to make the first move. He was aware of his enemies. From now on, he would be the one looking for opportunities to make the first move to eradicate them.

    Vicious remained his priority, but that did not mean that Terry had to let chances to eradicate other enemies slip. From now on, Terry would hunt his enemies wherever he would spot them in this folded space.

    ***

    A pair of martialists walked into a concealed cave.

    ¡°Are you sure this is a safe spot to break through?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve checked the place several times.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but¡­¡± The martialist sighed.

    ¡°That lunatic Arcanian is getting under your skin.¡± The other pointed out.

    ¡°Of course, he is! Just two days ago, another one was killed and left to rot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think he has pissed off enough sects already. At least get rid of the body. It¡¯s just common sense.¡±

    ¡°Nothing left to lose is what it is. He has killed more than a dozen geniuses of influential sects when he broke out of Chalita¡¯s entrapment. Even Chalita is dead.¡±

    ¡°He could just recompense them, but not if he insists on killing everyone like the last few weeks. That makes it clear that there is no room for negotiation. The Arcanian didn¡¯t even get injured when we went after him. No harm done. There is really no reason to go that far, is there? What a lunatic.¡±

    ¡°Nothing we can do about it.¡± The martialist sat down and prepared the items for his breakthrough attempt. ¡°We¡¯ll get our revenge when we are stronger. Either that or our sects can redress our grievances later.¡±

    The second martialist nodded and walked towards the entrance to keep an eye out for possible threats. After some time, the guarding martialist began to smile because his friend had nearly succeeded and there was still not the slightest threat in sight.

    A crack rumbled in the cavern and the guard jerked his head around, only to see his friend bleeding and on the verge of death. He rushed towards his friend and knelt down in horror.

    ¡°Oh heavens, that¡¯s a lot of blood! How?¡± He stared with wide eyes. ¡°You were succeeding, I¡ª¡± The last thing he saw was a shadowy figure and a flash of bright orange with traces of blue-green.

    ¡°Ugh, finally.¡± Terry pulled back the velvety-black hood and retracted the shadow fabric into his magic brooch. ¡°Took them long enough.¡±

    Terry had noticed one of the pair when the man had been scouting out secluded places and together with the bustling mana signature of the other, Terry had realized what they were up to. He had sensed the two in advance and hidden himself in the shadow plane with the help of his magic brooch. The rest had been a waiting game.

    ¡°I guess my timing wasn¡¯t too bad¡­¡± Terry let his eyes wander over the two corpses. It still sucks that I cannot sense any mana through the shadow-boundary. Lucky guess that¡¯s what it was.

    I would have been fine even if my timing had been off¡­ probably.

    ¡°It would not have been as easy though.¡± Terry reminded himself sternly. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± He knelt down and searched the two corpses for items he could use. ¡°Look what your greed got you in the end, you damned vultures. If you had just left me alone instead of trying to rob and kill me, we might have gotten along¡­¡±

    ***

    On another day, Terry was butchering the latest mana-corrupted beast he had hunted. He was unconcerned about the two concealed mana signatures that were approaching. The signatures matched the duo from the Blazing Sun Sect whom he had met many times by now.

    Terry believed they were siblings, but they had never confirmed it. In fact, they never confirmed anything. They were the most secretive bunch of martialists whom he had met so far. They had not even shared their names.

    There was a time when Terry had considered trading with Shen for information about the siblings, but then he remembered that he did not really give a shit. If they wanted to remain mysterious, that was their own business. There was no need for Terry to go as far as trading items to indulge his faint curiosity.

    The two human shapes were still around the corner with their mana concealed by some kind of artifact. It did not help against his mana detection field.

    ¡°Back so soon, you two?¡± Terry asked without turning around.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Show-off.¡± The man scoffed amusedly without lowering his voice.

    ¡°One of these days I¡¯d like to know how he does that¡­¡± The woman spoke flatly while keeping her eyes on the vicinity, as if she was fearing another person would jump out.

    ¡°I believe it was you two that made it clear these were business meetings.¡± Terry put a slice of meat inside his prepared container. He turned around briefly with bloody hands. ¡°If you want something, you¡¯ll have to give something. Equivalent exchange, was it?¡±

    The two martialists smiled without replying.

    Terry walked to a bucket. The water catcher he had placed had collected enough water for him to clean the blood from his hands. Afterwards, he looked at the two guests and wiped his hands. ¡°So? What do you need?¡±

    ¡°You seem different,¡± the man commented. His eyes flashed with wariness.

    Terry shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m getting really tired of this secret realm.¡± He threw the piece of cloth he had used to wipe his hands on the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for this shit show to be over.¡±

    ¡°First time?¡± The woman smirked amusedly. ¡°Trust me, things will get a lot worse.¡±

    ¡°Back to business,¡± interjected the man. He looked at Terry. ¡°Last time you claimed to have a copy of the Nine Golden Suns?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry briefly searched through his storage items. ¡°I remember that name¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, I have a jade token with that name.¡±

    ¡°Which color is it?¡± asked the woman.

    ¡°Shh, remember to¡ª¡± The man seemed unhappy that the woman had asked directly.

    ¡°Green?¡± Terry replied confusedly. Aren¡¯t they all green? He retrieved the jade token without thinking and examined it more closely. ¡°Oh, some orange in the center. I''ve never noticed that before.¡± He looked up from the jade token to see the two martialists staring at him.

    The woman was first to recover and she puckered her lips. ¡°Well¡­ Thank you.¡± She turned excitedly to her companion. ¡°It¡¯s not a copy.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible.¡± The man muttered in thought. ¡°How can the original be¡ª¡± He stopped himself and evidently remembered that Terry was still there. ¡°How did¡ª Where did you¡­?¡± His expressions darkened but he did not finish his question.

    Terry looked from one to the other, bewildered at their strange reactions.

    ¡°Oh, stop it.¡± The woman slapped the man on the shoulder. ¡°He took the token out right in front of our eyes. He does not even seem to understand the implications. There is no way someone like that would be capable of keeping something like this a secret.¡±

    Terry was not sure but he was beginning to think he was being belittled in some way. He shrugged off the thought, because he truly did not care about their opinions.

    ¡°So do you want it?¡± asked Terry while waving the jade token in his hands. He forced himself to not blurt out that he had no use for it anyway. He suspected the thought showed in his expression regardless.

    The duo from the Blazing Sun Sect shared a glance and then the woman asked with trepidation. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have some mana-coagulant powder?¡± Terry replied without much hope.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The man frowned in reply.

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Terry had already resigned himself to accept the fact that none of the martialists were familiar with the powder that was a common item in Tiv and Arcana. He moved down on his wishlist. ¡°Anything that helps deal with incorporeal enemies. Ice-based talismans might work too. Light¡ª actually the holy aspect would be even better.¡±

    The frowns of the two martialists only deepened.

    The man could not help but point at the symbol of the golden crow on his chest. ¡°Ice-based? You do realize our background, right? Ice isn¡¯t really our forte.¡±

    ¡°What even is the ¡®holy¡¯ aspect?¡± The woman furrowed her brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just another term for light?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Terry refrained from explaining the difference and reminded himself to stay focused. ¡°Anyway, there is a channeler in this realm that I want to kill. His abilities are primarily centered in darkwater.¡±

    ¡°A ¡®channeler¡¯?¡± The duo glanced at each other.

    ¡°Cultist.¡± Terry tried a different approach. ¡°Channeling powers from a creature of a different realm. The Shapeless Pond. He¡¯s sneaking around killing folks all the time.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I thought that was you.¡± The woman seemed honestly surprised.

    Terry scowled at her. ¡°I only hunt those that have tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡°No need to get defensive,¡± interjected the man. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can work something out. What you are describing sounds like a demonic cultivator. What about¡­?¡±

    Terry turned away from the duo and towards another direction. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to cut this short today.¡±

    ¡°What? No, we¡­¡± The woman bit her lip, silenced by the chiding look that the man was shooting her after her initial outburst.

    ¡°We really want to perform this trade.¡± The man spoke with a slight strain in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can come to an understanding.¡±

    Terry absentmindedly glanced at them again. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯ve just sensed a familiar signature approaching and if you linger around, this could become unpleasant for everyone involved.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± The two martialists tried to sense something from the direction that Terry had looked at before. They saw little more than a dust cloud rising up in the distance.

    ¡°Too late.¡± Terry shrugged indifferently.

    ¡°Oy!¡± Apex crashed down from the sky with a flaming martialist technique.

    The duo from the Blazing Sun Sect retreated a few steps at the unexpected entrance.

    ¡°Subtle.¡± Terry chuckled at Apex¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Why are you attacking us?!¡± The woman from the Blazing Sun Sect was glaring at Apex. ¡°Are you looking for a¡ª¡±

    The man interrupted her outburst with a hand. ¡°Priorities.¡± He looked from Terry to Apex. ¡°There is no enmity between us.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Terry uttered with a smile playing on his lips. ¡°Give it time.¡±

    ¡°Why did you interrupt the pipsqueak?!¡± Apex glared at the man and then sneered at the woman. ¡°Come on, what did you want to say? How about you cough up some recompensation for having me suffer through your insufferable whining?!¡±

    ¡°There you go.¡± Terry snickered. He reminded himself that these three were among the few people in this folded space with whom he could have something vaguely resembling a normal conversation with. Considering this important fact, Terry decided to intervene before things got out of hand. He looked at the pair from the Blazing Sun Sect. ¡°I¡¯m busy today.¡± He threw the jade token towards them.

    The woman caught the jade token and then both her and the man stared incredulously first at the jade and then at Terry.

    ¡°You said, you¡¯ll find something that suits my needs,¡± said Terry. ¡°You were insisting on the principle of equivalent exchange before. Now, you can prove how much your word is worth. Consider it an advance. I have other business to deal with for now.¡±

    The duo from the Blazing Sun Sect sent each other a meaningful glance and then bolted away without further delay.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Terry asked Apex.

    ¡°Do you sense the shitstain¡¯s mana on me?¡± returned Apex.

    Terry paused to double-check his initial impression and then replied. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Apex nodded to herself.

    ¡°Are you ready to make another attempt?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°None of your business, nosy shit,¡± snapped Apex angrily.

    As short-fused as ever.

    ¡°We went over this. I¡¯m happy to keep a lookout again.¡± Terry was getting tired.

    ¡°Not why I¡¯m here,¡± hissed Apex. ¡°I want to know if you can detect the shitstain¡¯s mana anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Occasionally the darkwater appears, but never for long.¡± Terry hated admitting that Vicious was able to elude his senses for long periods of time.

    ¡°No, I meant the other mana,¡± stressed Apex. ¡°The one that was in me before.¡±

    ¡°Not on you, no.¡± Terry repeated.

    ¡°But on others?¡± Apex grinned with satisfaction.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Terry understood what Apex was getting at.

    What better way to hunt than to keep an eye on the prey of their prey? We could also set up the bait further.

    ***

    A pale-faced human woman in yellow combat robes and a black sash stepped out of a cave.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± A pair of elven women stopped her. One stocky and the other lanky.

    ¡°What may I help you with, friends?¡± The human replied meekly.

    ¡°Are you sure this is the target?¡± The lanky elf shot the other a glance. ¡°I¡¯d rather not take chances. That uniform belongs to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Her partner cut her off. ¡°And I¡¯m sure.¡± She raised her chin and looked down at the human in front of her. ¡°We know what you really are.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The human woman stammered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure?¡± The lanky elven woman frowned and shot her partner another skeptical glance.

    ¡°Yes, or why would anyone act that timidly? You¡¯d be acting timid too if you had lost most of your strength and were using another¡¯s body,¡± snapped the stocky elf. ¡°Especially when the body is wearing this kind of uniform.¡± She eyed the timid human contemptuously. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you were capable of overpowering a healthy soul. Did the owner of this body get ambushed? Or was it a failed breakthrough attempt?¡±

    The human woman retreated a few steps with fear written all over her face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± barked the stocky elven woman. ¡°There is a bounty on your head, body snatcher! We¡¯ve come to collect it.¡± She flared her mana and stepped forward. ¡°Nothing personal. Strictly¡ª Who¡¯s there?!¡± She whirled around into a battle stance and eyed a ledge above warily.

    ¡°Oh? Your senses are sharper than expected.¡± A purring laughter followed. Shortly after, a felan woman with the appearance of a golden tiger jumped down from the ledge to stand between the human and the two elves. She playfully flicked some dirt from her black combat robes.

    ¡°The Immortal Tigress?¡± The lanky elven woman stepped back nervously.

    ¡°Wait.¡± The stocky elf raised her hand to calm her partner and then gazed at Hom¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know who this is?¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Hom flashed a smile with pointy teeth. She looked at the cowering human. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be doing too well, Chalita. I liked your previous body better. What kind of fight could you possibly put up in this thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t know you, I¡ª¡± The human woman stammered meekly.

    ¡°Oh, come on, whom are you trying to kid?¡± Hom laughed in a purring rumble. ¡°I can understand that you¡¯re trying to deceive these mooks.¡± She pointed at the two elfs. ¡°But¡­¡± She tapped her temple. ¡°Soulsight, sweetie. You¡¯re not fooling me.¡±

    The human woman frowned and straightened herself. Her expression was darkening.

    ¡°Chalita?¡± exclaimed the stocky elf and her face contorted into grim satisfaction. ¡°We¡¯ll get our tickets after all!¡±

    ¡°Will you now?¡± Hom maintained a completely deadpan expression.

    ¡°We know that you have enmity with Chalita,¡± said the stocky elf. ¡°You¡¯re always messing with each other. If that body has been snatched by her, then¡­ I mean, you probably want her dead too.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but what¡¯s it got to do with you?¡± Hom cracked her knuckles.

    ¡°We know that you came to this place with your own ticket. The reward means nothing to you!¡± The lanky elven woman pointed out.

    ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something.¡± Hom extended her claws in a threatening gesture. ¡°I¡¯m the only one allowed to kill Chalita.¡±

    ¡°We just need the corpse as proof to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want to defeat Chalita at her peak.¡± Hom walked a step forward towards the pair of elves. ¡°Not in that pathetic state she is in right now.¡± She intentionally released some of her mana to make the elves feel pressured. ¡°No one is going to kill Chalita. Not today. Not under my watch.¡± She stomped on the ground and roared. ¡°Scram!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The stocky elf wanted to object but didn¡¯t even manage to get a second word out before she had to retreat under an assault from the Immortal Tigress.

    After Hom had chased off the two elves, she returned to Chalita, who was staring skeptically at the felan woman.

    ¡°What?¡± Hom demanded with an amused expression. ¡°You still owe me a fight. I¡¯m not letting you get away that easily.¡± The felan clicked her tongue. ¡°For real though, pathetic. Who would have thought that you would cower before mooks like that?¡±

    Chalita regained her composure and spoke with resolve. ¡°I will recover.¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°I will surpass myself from before and then I¡¯ll show you who is the pathetic one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Hom grinned. ¡°Now, what exactly happened for you to abandon your body and cultivation?¡±

    Chalita shook her head. ¡°I can tell you, but¡­¡± She continued with a slight frown. ¡°Do you happen to have a spare ticket? I first have to settle that topic.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Hom scoffed. ¡°And who said I would help you on that point? I¡¯m not your maid.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ***

 169 Despair Meets Madness

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 39 ¨C

    As so often, Terry was hanging around alone in the sky. His primary focus was on all the bustling mana signatures down on the ground. Ever since he had stopped looking for Vicious directly and instead followed the weird mana traces the channeler had left on his own targets, his hunt had become more promising.

    Unfortunately, Eric¡¯s reputation as a coward had been proven accurate as well. The one time that Terry had been able to catch up to the vanishing target signature in time, the channeler fled as soon as Terry appeared. To make it worse, Terry had been blamed by the dead martialist¡¯s friends, which had led to another handful of dead martialists and Terry being delayed from following Vicious¡¯s tracks.

    Another reason for paying close attention to the bustling below was that everything had turned from bad to worse. Terry had always been bewildered at the martialists¡¯ seeming lack of self-preservation instincts, but even he had been taken aback by the sheer amount of blood flowing in the past days.

    Another large-scale battle¡­

    Terry was sensing two opposing groups of martialists fighting each other to the death. The members of each group shared similar mana signatures, which Terry concluded to mean that these were two different martial sects with each member of one group belonging to the same sect.

    Terry finally saw with his own mana-enhanced eyes why martialists like the Thunderous Palm Sect had risked so much for a single additional entrance ticket. The real trial was not to win a treasure, but to be able to keep it. Most of the time, Terry saw the larger faction coming out as the winners. Numbers mattered.

    Numbers¡­

    Terry could not help but think that this thought process was completely reasonable from the perspective of each individual sect, but that it led to an inevitable horror story when everyone was attempting the same. He was currently seeing that horror play out in all corners of this pocket realm.

    Terry shook his head. It was not just that the confrontations grew increasingly bloody. No, at the end of it all, there was something even more lethal waiting.

    Terry had learned that depending on the type of ticket, several dozen people had arrived with a single ticket. Numbers mattered. However, only a single person was able to leave with that ticket, which meant that the rest were struggling to conquer another person¡¯s ticket.

    No one had survived from one opening of the folded space to the next. Whatever the reason, the martialists equated being stuck in this realm with certain death. Those that still lacked an exit ticket were naturally fighting with increasing ferociousness, back-stabbing, and despair.

    Since the last major incident with Chalita¡¯s trap, Terry had been ambushed countless times by smaller groups. Sometimes the culprits were trying to rob Terry¡¯s king spear, but with growing frequency, their goal was the magic tickets in his possession.

    As of this day, Terry had collected more than forty tickets from the corpses of martialists. He had to grimace wryly when thinking about it. He had generally been trying to stay away from the battle-crazed lunatics and still, such numbers had piled up with time.

    Weird to think that each ticket I carry means life or death for a person in this folded space¡­

    Terry circulated his mana into his divine hammer inscriptions and observed the changes in the structure he had created. His secondary focus was to experiment with the inscription to test a few long-shot ideas.

    He was still trying to figure out how to move his summoned layers of the translucent golden mana. His practice with the unstoppable shift combination of his Immovable Object spell and his disruption discharges had given him an idea he wanted to try.

    Who says I have to move the whole structure at once? Is it possible to add new layers in front and then I drop layers in the back? Wouldn¡¯t that seem like movement too?

    I wish I could ask Aunt Sigille¡­

    Focus.

    Terry had easily succeeded in creating rolling layers of divine mana.

    Three layers created.

    Putting another layer in front.

    Dropping the last layer.

    Repeat.

    Terry ¡®moved¡¯ the layers of divine mana around himself without any problems. This exercise still played to his strengths. Rapid summoning was the one aspect of the inscription use he had mastered the quickest.

    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Terry cursed himself mid-exercise.

    He had belatedly realized a problem with his idea. It was a problem he should have realized the moment he had come up with it. It was a similar problem to another one his only spell had posed. It was the reason why Terry had to invent boot mechanisms and other contraptions.

    His layers of mana were stationary. They did not carry any momentum. They could not push.

    Pushing required real movement.

    Terry scrunched up his face in thought. ¡°Unless I can push by reshaping the layers?¡±

    Which just brings me to another problem¡­

    His use of the divine hammer inscription was based on instantly summoning a specific shape and then maintaining it. He did not know if that was the normal way to use it. He did not have anyone to ask for reference. Not since his aunt Sigille had died.

    New goal.

    Terry switched his exercise and began attempting to change the shape of the layers of divine mana he had already created. Adjusting an already summoned structure of divine mana was a goal he had never tried before.

    He discovered that it was beyond his current means, but after a number of repetitions, Terry found the task less daunting than moving a structure whole. At the very least, the exercise should improve his inscription control. Even if the big breakthrough did not happen, it would provide incremental benefits and new ways for using the inscription.

    I could experiment with different shapes as well¡­

    Terry was immersed in his training until he noticed one of Vicious¡¯s target signatures move towards an isolated area.

    Perfect spot for Vicious to strike.

    Terry lifted himself up and gathered his equipment. If Vicious was going after this martialist, then Terry wanted to be ready to go after Vicious. He used the communication talisman that Apex had given him to send her a quick message that received no reply.

    Then, he dashed through the sky on layers of divine mana.

    ***

    Yeah, I¡¯m not falling for that.

    Terry was staring down at the secluded spot and clicked his tongue.

    Not again. I¡¯ve learned my lesson.

    On a surface level, it appeared as if the person that carried the traces of Vicious¡¯s mana was all alone, but Terry knew better.

    Whatever artifact they are using to cloak their presence is impressive though. Is this another sign of the approaching deadline? People are more willing to employ their hidden cards? To go all out?

    Terry was inwardly thanking his past self for developing his mana touch ability. Even with his exquisite mana sense, he could be blindsided by more sophisticated concealment artifacts. By contrast, his mana touch scouting remained unbeaten so far.

    Even though he knew that this was a setup, Terry was still lingering around. He was uncertain about what to do. The main reason for his hesitation was that he was not sure for whom the trap was intended.

    Terry¡¯s reflex had been to distance himself from the trap, because his mind had automatically jumped to all the other ambushes he had walked into. However, whoever created this particular trap must have intentionally used this particular martialist as bait.

    Why would anyone think that Terry would be lured in by this person? Terry did not know the martialist, nor did he care one bit.

    Whom were they trying to bait?

    The most likely scenario was that they were just baiting other martialists. Terry had seen plenty of martialists targeting others to rob their possessions. He had also seen some that had exploited this greed to lure their victims into traps.

    Terry was beyond caring what these battle-crazed knuckle-brains were doing to each other, but there was one possibility he was unwilling to dismiss out of hand. Vicious had secretly picked off victims from all kinds of factions. What if they had finally caught on to the channeler¡¯s activity?

    From what Terry knew, none of the martialists had a mana sense developed enough to detect the weird mana that Vicious was placing in his targets. But what if they had figured it out another way?

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Or was the martialist chosen as bait just a coincidence? Were they really just throwing out bait for other martialists?

    Terry first sent a message to Apex about the situation and then decided to wait and see.

    The silent stalemate went on for nearly two hours without anything happening. Terry could sense the target getting antsy, standing up, pacing around, abandoning his direction abruptly and sitting back down.

    He could feel the martialist covertly exchanging a small round object with one of the hidden signatures. A short while later, the target suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed pale-faced.

    Terry narrowed his eyes. In his mana sight, he saw the man¡¯s mana growing weaker, but he knew better thanks to his mana touch. Whatever was going on in the man¡¯s body was just pulling the mana inwards and hiding it from the outside.

    Could have been a pill. Something to fake an injury.

    Not falling for that.

    Terry waited for another hour in which nothing happened aside from some of the hidden martialists moving around to gather in small groups with individuals traveling between them.

    Suddenly, all kinds of mana signatures were rushing forth.

    A sphere was rapidly darting half-way towards Terry and then flared up with mana.

    Terry simultaneously sensed a mana distortion around the sphere and felt the pull of an unanchored spatial transfer on himself. He instinctively burst his mana to block what he assumed was a forced location switch with the sphere.

    A golden disk appeared underneath Terry and created an intense suction force that left Terry unconcerned despite its strength. Even if his layers of divine mana weren¡¯t sturdy enough to resist, his immovable boots definitely were.

    Terry shrugged off a barrage of magic artifacts until one appeared that created a large transparent cube of light-blue mana with him at its center.

    This feels familiar¡­

    He was reminded of the times he had scouted the edge of this folded space. The sensation came with a bad premonition that immediately turned into a damning realization when Terry tried bolting away.

    His steps felt normal, but he was seemingly running in place.

    Space distortion.

    Terry tentatively burst his mana to try and overcome whatever space magic was causing the effect, but he discovered that it did not help. Just like he had guessed for the edge of the pocket realm. However the effect worked, his oscillating burst did not break it.

    Terry quickly hurled out an old throwing needle. He wanted to curse when the metal moved as if it was moving through thick glue.

    His inner Academy student and battle-experienced coliseum contestant were racing with each other to point out that this distortion limited incoming attacks as well. He knew which kind of attacks would follow before he even sensed the first speck of lightning-aspected mana.

    Before the barrage of lightning and laser-focused light had any chance to threaten Terry, he had already surrounded himself with immovable tertium slabs.

    ¡°This damned turtle!¡± Now it was the martialists¡¯ turn to curse.

    ¡°A cockroach is what he is. How are we supposed to kill him now?¡±

    ¡°We even went into debt to borrow so many expensive artifacts and this is the result?!¡±

    Terry was peeking through the tiny gaps he had left in his immovable fortress. Many of these martialists were wearing masks.

    ¡°Do you have anything we can use to get through?¡± One of the unmasked martialists was asking a man in a fox-mask and black-golden robes.

    ¡°Costly.¡±

    Terry had to do a double-take, because what he was hearing did not match what he was sensing with his mana touch. The voice did not match the mana signature he knew to be there.

    The masks. There would be no need to bother with stuff like this if their goal had been to deal with Vicious.

    The artifacts. There would be no justification to waste such expensive resources if their target had been a random nobody.

    This was a trap for me, only it did not go as they planned.

    Let¡¯s spoil their fun further.

    The little shits.

    ¡°Shen.¡± Terry called out to the man in the fox-mask. ¡°Piss off.¡±

    For a moment, there was silence.

    ¡°To whom might you be speaking?¡± The man in the fox-mask replied.

    ¡°To you, Shen.¡± Terry sneered with disdain. ¡°No matter if you change your appearance, alter your voice, or cloak your mana, I recognize you. All of you.¡±

    ¡°Believe what you wish.¡± The man in the fox-mask retorted, seemingly unconcerned.

    ¡°The bear-mask is the bushy eyebrow from your group,¡± announced Terry. ¡°The owl is the red-haired woman with the scar above her left eye. The cat is the one with a giant sword that is usually dressed in pink. The flat white masks are the group of idiots I met at the beginning, one of whom I stabbed a few times¡­¡±

    One by one, Terry was announcing the identities of those among the masked opponents he recognized before concluding his little speech: ¡°My memory is almost as good as my senses. I will remember you. I will remember what will happen from now on. My list of people to hunt has grown rather short. I can add a few more before this realm ends.¡±

    Again, there was silence, but this time it felt heavier to everyone around. Even some of the co-conspirators had apparently been unaware of each others¡¯ identities.

    ¡°...believe what you wish.¡± Shen repeated.

    ¡°Thanks, Shen. I will do just that.¡± Terry scoffed at the way the martialists tried so hard to keep up appearances. Whatever plausible deniability they were planning to rely on, Terry was not having it. ¡°What¡¯s the plan here? See whose artifacts run out first? So far, you seem to be losing.¡± He noticed a change in Shen¡¯s posture but did not understand which part of his taunt the martialist was reacting to.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just blast him to shreds,¡± yelled one of the martialists in a flat white mask. ¡°I refuse to believe he can continue holding on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, all this yapping is costing us time. The artifact won¡¯t last forever. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°No, wait!¡± An unmasked person shouted. ¡°We can talk this through.¡± The woman looked at Terry. ¡°We just want your tickets.¡±

    ¡°Oh, just that, is it?¡± Terry sneered.

    ¡°You can keep one for yourself,¡± added the woman hurriedly.

    The rational part of Terry¡¯s brain was pointing out that he could spare a few.

    ¡°You have forty-three, so just cough up forty-two and then we will let you go,¡± interjected another martialist in a haughty tone.

    They know the exact number of tickets in my possession? That¡¯s definitely Shen¡¯s intel.

    Terry was still processing the information when the martialists started to quarrel with each other.

    ¡°Why would we let him go? The bastard has other treasures.¡± The shout came from the group with flat white masks.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve had to invest a fortune just to get here. Why let the fat pig go?¡±

    The more Terry heard, the less inclined he was to give these beasts anything, even if it was something he did not really need.

    ¡°Screw you! We came here for tickets. If we can get them without a fight and without sinking ourselves further in debt, then let¡¯s take the chance!¡±

    ¡°In that case, I want to renege the allocation of tickets! Forty-two is not enough. If we leave him one, then our sect wants more of the others!¡±

    ¡°Right, if things change, then we have to¡­¡±

    Terry had stopped listening to the quarreling martialists. He was biding his time until the space-distorting artifact ran out while paying attention to two things in particular: Shen, who was suspiciously silent throughout the quarrel, and the approaching mana signatures of martialists that were attracted by the commotion.

    ¡°What do you say?¡±

    Terry became aware that the woman had asked him a direct question. He could hear the rational corner of his mind point out that he could spare the tickets and if it got him out of this situation, then why not?

    He stared at Shen whom he knew to have a stockpile of tickets. Perhaps Shen didn¡¯t sell his tickets. Perhaps the desperate martialists were unable or unwilling to pay the price. No matter which way, it was obvious that they were unwilling to offend Shen, but they seemed perfectly willing to risk a violent confrontation with Terry.

    It seems my hunt has not left enough of an impression.

    Terry could almost feel the Warlord judge his actions as insufficient and he sternly told the rational part of his mind to shove it.

    ¡°So you all want my spare tickets and are willing to threaten my life for them?¡± Terry roared angrily. There was no reply. Their actions spoke for themselves.

    Has no one ever taught these beasts that you can ask if you want something? Or trade? I know that at least some of them are familiar with the general concepts.

    Something seems off about their actions. Perhaps they are not of a single mind.

    Terry peeked at the bystanders. ¡°And you are all willing to watch idly?¡±

    Of course, you are. Half of you are probably waiting for them to get the tickets so that you can go after them in turn.

    Terry felt madness raise its ugly head inside of him and he laughed out loud. He repositioned the tertium pieces to allow a small gap.

    ¡°These tickets?¡± Terry hurled exactly forty-two tickets outside his immovable fortress. The space distortion made it seem as if they were glued to the air, for all to see, and easily countable.

    Hope and relief joined the greed in the eyes of martialists.

    A blue-green spearhead led by an extending orange pole pierced into the center of the magic tickets. An instant later, a bright flash of dense lightning incinerated all the forty-two tickets at once. The remaining ashes were hanging in the distorted space to taunt the martialists¡¯ greed and leave not a single speck of their hopes intact.

    Terry was still cackling madly from his immovable fortress while despair settled among the martialists, now bigger than ever.

    Forty-two opportunities to escape had just turned into ashes in a second.

    Forty-two more lives were facing certain death.

    ¡°Leave.¡± Underneath his fox-mask, Shen spoke grimly.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± The bear mask replied with bewilderment.

    ¡°Fool,¡± spat the owl mask. ¡°Everyone was targeting Terry before. Now, with all these tickets gone, everyone will look for opportunities to take each other out and thin the competition.¡±

    ¡°Or look for alternative targets,¡± added the cat mask. ¡°Even if they are still aiming for Terry, the battle has already changed. It¡¯s impossible to collaborate like this.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked the group of martialists with flat white masks.

    ¡°You should worry about how to pay your debts instead,¡± retorted the owl mask. ¡°If you don¡¯t, your seal will bind your clans and sects.¡±

    Shen and his group did not pay the others any further attention. None of the martialists dared to object to their departure. Many of the bystanders used the opportunity to distance themselves from the location as well. Everyone was eying each other with distrust and wariness.

    Despair lingered in the air while Terry waited out the space-distorting artifact to face the remaining few martialists.

    Before Terry could dart over to hunt down the martialists in flat white masks, however, a woman was already crushing down from the sky with a torrent of azure flames.

    ¡°Apex?¡± Terry subconsciously grinned. It was not because of Apex¡¯s arrival or the fact that she had landed right at the center of his enemies. No, it was because her mana signature had changed qualitatively. It had become much more intense compared to the last time he had seen her.

    She has succeeded in her cultivation breakthrough. Nice.

    ¡°Which one of these maggots has the mark?¡± Apex ignored the whimpering and empty threats of the martialists she had burned with her martial technique.

    ¡°That one.¡± Terry pointed at one martialist who was trying to sneak away.

    ¡°Good.¡± Apex¡¯s rapid dash was accompanied by the cries of a phoenix. The rapid whiplash from being grabbed by her was already enough to knock the man out.

    At other times, Terry might have been inclined to object to grabbing someone from the street to use as bait. This particular someone, however, had tried to rob Terry a few moments ago, so he really couldn¡¯t care less.

    ¡°I figure we are done waiting for opportunities?¡± Terry had thought of this option before, but he had not wanted to push Apex before her breakthrough. Now, by contrast, he was fine with switching to a more active role again. He guessed that Apex had shared similar thoughts before.

    We have the bait, let¡¯s prepare it.

    ¡°The little shitstain has lived long enough.¡± Apex¡¯s eyes were burning intensely.

    ***

 170 Tempting Evil

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 66 ¨C

    Terry was sitting on a transfixed slab of tertium that created an improvised chair. His feet were solidly on the ground. It was hard to imagine how irritating something minor as not being able to lift your feet could become with every passing second. He was surrounded by blackness with the only source of light being a fading illumination from the ground.

    He glanced down to see a martialist fighting against a group of magic beasts. He would find the man¡¯s strong-willed struggle admirable, if the man wasn¡¯t also a colossal prick whom Terry had thrown to the beasts himself.

    The martialist was wearing a set of yellow-orange robes that were completely tattered. Terry did not remember which martial sect the man belonged to. Something with lightning or thunder, most likely, because it was one of the people professing unimaginable indignation at Terry¡¯s defiling of the sacred artifact of the Monkey King.

    The guy had been part of the people trying to rob and ambush Terry several times. When Apex and Terry had tracked the man¡¯s group down, he had decisively abandoned his companions and left them to die. This had killed whatever pity or compunctions Terry had possessed about their own plan for the martialist.

    Unfortunately for the man, the pair had come specifically for him. The reason was simple: he carried a trace of Vicious¡¯s weird mana. The man had been marked by the cultist as a target.

    Terry was watching the martialist¡¯s desperate battle with indifferent eyes. His only interest was in making sure that the man, who was teetering on the verge of death, did not die for real.

    Terry understood more about Vicious now. He had tracked the strange mana left behind by the cultist for months. He had discovered many of his victims. He had also traded for information with some of his contacts among the martialists.

    Vicious would swoop in to ambush those he could kill easily, but one noteworthy part was that the cultist did kill personally. His victims did not show signs of succumbing to their injuries. They died directly at the cultist¡¯s hands.

    From what Terry had learned of Vicious in this pocket realm, the cultist was collecting more than just items.

    Both Terry¡¯s aunt Sigille and his cousin Matteo had voiced their suspicions that the ¡®faith¡¯ of the Shapeless Pond was in fact a deathcult. Even though it had never been officially acknowledged as such in the Tiv Empire, Terry concurred with Sigille and Matteo.

    Vicious was obviously collecting souls for the Shapeless Pond. That was why Terry and Apex did not allow the cultist¡¯s targets to carelessly die under their watch.

    Terry saw a horned rabbit creature stab the martialist in the calf before the man was able to unleash a martialist technique to hold on a bit longer.

    He might have felt pity if he did not know the character of the martialist. He did not find much kindness left inside himself for those like this man.

    Terry had vowed to kill Vicious before the folded space opened up again. For that, they required the means and the opportunity. As far as means went, Terry and Apex were as strong and prepared as they could be before the time ran out. What they still lacked was a good opportunity.

    They had to bait Vicious out. For this reason, they were controlling the location of the cultist¡¯s targets. They were concealing their own presence while setting the bait to lure Vicious out.

    Terry was not sure yet how he would ever describe his current plan and actions to his family in the future without stepping even further onto the Preacher¡¯s path of deceitful sophistry. Terry did not like lying. He did not like twisting words to conceal a lie either, which was why his intrusive thoughts were always pointing it out whenever he was falling into the habit.

    ¡®Controlling the location¡¯ sounds much better than ¡®abducting.¡¯

    ¡®Setting the bait¡¯ is a nice way to avoid saying that ¡®Apex beats them into a pulp and then we throw them to the wolves until they are barely breathing.¡¯

    Terry knew well that these martialists would kill him for a shiny item without a second of hesitation, so he did not truly feel guilty about using them as bait. Nevertheless, it definitely did not make for a nice-sounding story.

    Terry had to constantly remind himself what these martialists had done and would be happy to do again. Otherwise, he would feel like an absolute arse. He certainly did not feel like a hero sitting here in the dark shadow plane and creeping on a man that was desperately fighting for his life.

    Terry was frowning because he spotted two silhouettes in familiar robes on the window-like ground. He almost rolled his eyes when he saw them trying to attack the struggling martialist instead of attacking the beasts threatening the person.

    ¡°Of course, they would do that.¡± Terry stood up and collected his portable air-bench. He was now able to recognize their faces as well. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you know what kind of person he is.¡±

    Terry lifted his foot and the plane around him flipped. Back in the normal plane, he shouted: ¡°Hold it, please!¡± At the same time, he hurled a shield to block the fiery attack of a golden crow  created with a mana resonance technique.

    ¡°Terry?¡± The siblings from the Blazing Sun Sect paused their attack.

    ¡°Bastards, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Terry whacked his captive bait over the head and then pinned him on the ground with immovable tertium. He pointed down at the trapped martialist and looked at the siblings. ¡°Do you also have a personal grudge with him? Can it wait? I kind of need him alive at the moment.¡±

    The siblings shot each other a glance and then the woman spoke up. ¡°Is this some kind of torture? I did not have you pegged as the type for cruelty.¡±

    Terry suppressed a frown.

    ¡°Save me, please! My sect will repay you!¡± The captive martialist begged.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you to shut it?!¡± Out of thin air, Apex appeared. Her voice immediately caused the captive to whimper and quiet down.

    Terry knew that Apex was using her own artifact to conceal her presence. Some kind of veil that distorted light around her and some weird pill to hide her mana. He raised his hand to calm down the duo from the Blazing Sun Sect, who were not really fond of his ally against Vicious.

    Apex landed a light kick on the captive and growled. ¡°You can only save yourself. Think of yourself as dead, because that¡¯s what you are until I tell you otherwise. We might find someone to take your place among the dead. Continue annoying me and I¡¯ll transition you to permanently dead right now.¡±

    The captive let out a whimper once more.

    ¡°Is this about the demonic cultivator?¡± asked the woman from the Blazing Sun Sect siblings.

    ¡°Deathcult channeler, yes.¡± Terry replied and pointed at their captive. ¡°I really don¡¯t care if you kill him later. That¡¯s between you and him, but for now, we¡¯ll have a use for his life.¡±

    ¡°We were actually looking for you regarding that,¡± interjected the brother. ¡°We have some more items that might interest you.¡± He retrieved several containers.

    ¡°That¡¯s soulstain liquid, I already have that,¡± interjected Apex from the side.

    Terry glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°What?!¡± barked Apex. ¡°I have made preparations.¡±

    ¡°Not that¡­¡± Terry felt tired whenever he was interacting with this woman. ¡°What the Wastes is ¡®soulstain liquid¡¯?¡±

    ¡°A liquid to mark a soul with mana,¡± replied the brother from the Blazing Sun Sect. ¡°Transforms a soul signature into a mana signature that cannot be easily concealed. You seem to be an exceptional sensor, so I figured you could use it¡­¡± He looked at Apex. ¡°But if you already have it¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± interjected Terry hastily and ignored Apex¡¯s scoff. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± The sister of the siblings replied. ¡°You have given us an advance, remember? Nobody likes owing debts.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Terry hoped that his surprise did not show too much on his face. ¡°What are the others?¡±

    ¡°Just sack them and hurry it up,¡± barked Apex impatiently. ¡°I can explain what they are later. Tell your play buddies to piss off. The little shitstain won¡¯t kill himself!¡±

    Terry turned to the duo from the Blazing Sun Sect with a helpless expression. ¡°Sorry about that, but the gist is true. Your presence might scare him away.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The duo handed over the prepared items.

    ¡°One more thing,¡± said the brother. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you have learned about this folded space, but from what we know, the closing date is not always fixed. Our sect elders were guessing that the realm closes slightly earlier every time.¡±

    Terry scowled at this news.

    ¡°I know,¡± said Apex. ¡°The only reliable signs are the flashing celestial bodies.¡±

    ¡°Good, then you should be prepared.¡± The duo from the Blazing Sun Sect nodded and bolted away.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Terry looked at Apex. ¡°What ¡®flashing celestial bodies¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Simple, you see the sky light up in orange, you better piss off before the third flash.¡± Apex replied and was already vanishing with the help of her artifacts. She did not elaborate any further.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I think I would have preferred hearing an explanation from the siblings. Anyway, orange lights. Use the ticket before the third flash. Or something¡­

    Focus. One step at a time.

    Back to the shadows.

    Terry nodded and then used his magic brooch to return to the shadow plane. His eyes instantly narrowed when he spotted a trace of purple light behind a shadow structure.

    He hurriedly switched to the normal plane. He ignored the martialist, who was fighting with magic beasts again. Instead he rapidly dashed to the location roughly matching the source of purple light in the shadow plane.

    When Terry was back in the shadows, he was now in a position to both observe the battle of their bait as well as to examine the strange purple mark. No matter how Terry looked at it, to him it seemed like a dungeon mark.

    But there was something else. There was something about the shape. It seemed like an eye with a vertical slit. The pupil was left dark while the silhouette glowed purple.

    Is it an eye though? Or have I stared into too many lizard eyes when I was in Thanatos?

    Terry could not help but feel something was off with his initial impression. He could not put it into words. Like a vague recollection that was fleeing from his grasp.

    Ever since the day of Chalita¡¯s ambush, Terry had made it a point to periodically search the shadow plane for potential dungeon marks. He had found a few. They did not all share the same shape, but those with the highest mana intensity and outline clarity did indeed have the same appearance. Always the vertical pupil, or something like that at least.

    Terry had searched his library of dungeon-related books for traces of the symbol but had come up empty. Even so, he could not shake the feeling that he should recognize this symbol.

    Terry knew that his days in this folded space were coming to an end. He hoped to deal with Vicious quickly, so that he might have some time to indulge his curiosity about these strange dungeon marks without worrying about a deathcult channeler stalking his family in the future.

    ***

    A tall woman and a voluminous man were walking towards a camp of martialists. Both of them were wearing the same white-blue combat robes.

    ¡°Senior Brother Zhang warned me again to avoid interacting with Shen¡¯s group if possible,¡± said Chun.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do then?!¡± retorted Barnes. ¡°I refuse to simply submit quietly to our fates.¡±

    Chun smiled and watched her martial brother talk heatedly.

    ¡°Junior Sheila seems content to turtle in, but she is not the one lacking a ticket,¡± continued Barnes. ¡°Senior Zhang has done great deeds but he is too cowardly in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Chun. ¡°If there is a chance, we¡¯ll have to take it. It¡¯s either buy a ticket from Shen¡¯s lot or risk offending other powerful sects by trying to rob from the few that are still in possession of their entrance tickets.¡±

    ¡°I doubt Senior Zhang would want us to jump straight to the latter, so we are really following his wishes,¡± said Barnes drily. ¡°If the damned scoundrel from Arcana had not destroyed more than forty tickets at once, we would have more options.¡±

    The two were led to a group of Shen¡¯s friends.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Barnes¡¯ face grew flushed at the demand from the entrance guards.

    ¡°You want to examine our storage items?¡± Chun¡¯s expression darkened as well.

    ¡°Or you can just leave them here directly as compensation.¡± A red-haired woman with a scar above her left eye was smirking at them. ¡°The tickets don¡¯t come cheaply. You should know what your lives are worth.¡±

    If it was not for the fact that they were outnumbered and outmatched, Chun and Barnes might have started a fight right then and there for the indignation.

    After nearly an hour of heated exchanges, the two left the encampment.

    Chun glanced at her martial brother. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to¡ª?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Barnes cut her off. ¡°I refuse to submit to such insults. I¡¯d rather take my chances challenging a ticket holder directly to a match of life and death.¡±

    ¡°That assumes their sects will hold up the bargain.¡± Chun pointed out.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t, I¡¯ll burn their whole sect to the ground,¡± growled Barnes. ¡°Offending sects be damned.¡±

    Chun retracted the ticket in her hand that had been slightly extended to Barnes. She was looking at the ticket with a conflicted expression. In contrast to Barnes, Chun had performed the trade. She had to part with all treasures she had collected in this folded space. Honestly, this whole pocket realm had been a disaster.

    Behind them in Shen¡¯s camp, a woman in pink with a giant sword on her back leaned in to talk to the red-haired woman. ¡°There are a few other groups already following the two for her ticket, but we¡¯ll be quicker. We¡¯ll have it back before sunset, with some additional spoils.¡±

    ¡°Shen warned us to be cautious of Zhang and their Princess,¡± reminded the red¨Chaired woman.

    ¡°Zhang, I understand, but why Sheila?¡±

    ¡°She supposedly has a few life-preserving artifacts from their sect elders¡­¡±

    ***

    Apex stuffed the unconscious martialist into some strange bag that shrunk the person down to fit.

    Probably just a more specialized dimensional body bag like those we used in the Guardians for bringing back beast remains. This one works for living beasts. There are probably good and completely innocuous reasons to have something like that. Like missions to capture living specimens. Probably.

    Terry resisted the urge to ask why Apex had such a bag or where she got it from. He was not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

    ¡°That makes two,¡± said Apex. ¡°Where to next?¡±

    Terry had made sure to only share the details of targets he considered to have less than upstanding characters with his rageful ally.

    ¡°There¡¯s another one¡­¡± Terry concentrated again on his mana sense. He was sifting through the countless mana signatures when he became distracted by another movement. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Terry dashed away to leave Apex shouting curses after him. He was rapidly cycling his mana in a burst technique to accentuate speed above all else. He summoned his king spear in case his legs weren¡¯t fast enough. With enough mana, the pole could grow quicker than Terry was able to run.

    When he was halfway to his destination, Terry remembered to stop cloaking his mana. He was pleased that his prominent mana signature showed the desired effect. Perhaps he would not have to fight after all.

    ¡°The Arcanian!¡± ¡°Terry? Shit!¡± ¡°The rumors? Is he really working with the Outcast?¡± ¡°Run run run!¡±

    Terry¡¯s mana-enhanced hearing picked up the reactions among the flustered group of martialists. He did not bother pursuing them and instead stopped at the heavily injured elven man in green-golden robes, who was left bleeding on the ground.

    ¡°Guillermo?¡± Terry retrieved a few healing items and began first aid.

    ¡°T-Terry?¡± The elf was barely conscious at first.

    Terry fed the martialist a healing bean and bandaged a heavy gash on the man¡¯s torso.

    When the elf had received sufficient treatment to continue healing himself, Terry raised his question. ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡°I had a deal with one of them to trade resources¡­¡± Guillermo was panting weakly. ¡°She lured a bunch of bastards here to gang up on me.¡±

    I could tell that. More than thirty when I came over.

    Terry knew that this ¡®Outcast¡¯ from the Ironbark Fist Sect was strong but with these numbers, it was not just about strength alone. Terry himself had often cursed about lacking good offensive options, but on the flip side, his Immovable Object spell was among the best defensive option imaginable, even more so when paired with his disruption field.

    ¡°Why did you help me?¡± asked Guillermo.

    ¡°We still haven¡¯t finished trading,¡± replied Terry. However, his face showed more kindness than he intended. He was hesitant to admit that he did not want to lose one of the few comparatively sane people to talk to in this battle-lunatic asylum.

    Zhang from the Icy Dew Mountain seemed reasonable, but also very much avoiding Terry since their first encounter. The felan woman Hom was not much of a talker and only rarely came forth to trade. Terry had mostly interacted with Shen, Guillermo, and the secretive duo from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    Shen had been crossed off the conversation list after the recent ambush that had caused Terry to incinerate his spare tickets. There really weren¡¯t many people left on the list.

    Guillermo exclaimed a weak self-derisive chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be in a position to trade much. They stole practically everything.¡± His expression darkened. ¡°They only broke up when one of them got my ticket and betrayed the others¡­ My ticket¡­¡±

    Terry¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t have any spares.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Guillermo broke out in laughter that was eventually interrupted by pained inhalations of breath. ¡°So I heard.¡± He coughed. ¡°I have to think of something. I have to get going. For what it¡¯s worth: Thanks. Your interference allows me a chance.¡± The elf stood up shakily. ¡°However small¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Eat it,¡± barked Apex and held out a pill.

    ¡°But¡­¡± In front of Apex sat another martialist whom Terry and Apex had ¡®recruited¡¯ into baiting Vicious.

    Terry stood slightly to the back and reminded himself of the fact that the woman was among the people trying to rob him after he won the Third Staff of the Monkey King. She had also been very quick to offer to sell out her companions when she was unable to escape.

    ¡°You recognize the pill?¡± demanded Apex.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± stammered the martialist.

    ¡°Then you know that it will allow you a breakthrough,¡± continued Apex impatiently.

    ¡°B-but it will damage my future potential!¡± protested the martialist.

    ¡°You have no future potential,¡± retorted Apex flatly. ¡°You are dead until I tell you otherwise.¡±

    Terry had heard similar threats many times over the past few days. By now they had forced three different martialists into acting as bait. The rough-fisted Apex wasn¡¯t gentle and, honestly, neither was Terry.

    Character aside, these martialists had already been marked by Vicious. The fate that would have awaited them if Vicious had gotten to them first was certain death or worse, so Terry understood that there was truth in Apex¡¯s threats.

    ¡°You can take the pill as a gift, break through, and we see what happens.¡± Azure flames flickered in Apex¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or you join the other two and get to fight the beasts again.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± exclaimed the captive martialist.

    Terry caught a glance from his ally. He knew what she wanted to know. ¡°They¡¯re still alive and fighting. No sign of him yet.¡±

    Their attempts to lure Vicious out had not shown any success yet, which is why they had decided to change their bait. Terry had put forth the theory that Vicious was attracted to cultivation breakthroughs for more reasons than to sabotage and weaken his opponents.

    Terry was not an expert in deathcults or martialist cultivation, but his inner Academy student connected both topics to souls. If there was some kind of qualitative change in a martialist¡¯s soul during a breakthrough attempt, then it would make sense that a cultist sending souls to his leader would show growing interest.

    ¡°Do your best!¡± Apex stuffed the pill forcefully into the mouth of the hesitant martialist.

    Terry quietly placed a few other items next to the captive whose mana was spiraling out of control.

    ¡°What are these for?¡± Apex glared at him. ¡°Why would you waste these precious resources here?¡±

    Terry had to think before coming up with an answer. ¡°We want her to succeed, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t care about her state after she has succeeded,¡± stressed Apex coldly. ¡°The pill should be enough to push her over.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± The captive martialist gritted through her teeth. Her face showed the pain she was in and she hurriedly grabbed one item that could alleviate some of it.

    Terry did not show any reaction. He still remembered the woman¡¯s expression when attempting to have her juniors take her place. If nothing else, he had learned in this folded space how many different masks a single person could wear.

    Apex harrumphed but did not press the topic. ¡°Hide, or do you also want to hold the wimp¡¯s hand?¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes and did not bother to reply. The two quickly vanished from sight and mana sense with the help of their respective magic items.

    From the shadow plane, Terry could follow the woman¡¯s breakthrough attempt. He did not sense the change in mana from here. Luckily, he did not need to. When the woman¡¯s complexion changed first to a warm glow and then to a pale and ashen appearance, Terry knew that their bait had worked. He lifted his foot just in time to hear a certain laughter echo through the cavern they had chosen for the trap.

    ¡°Heeheehee¡­¡±

    ***

 171 Vicious Beatdown

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 84 ¨C

    Vicious¡¯s fluid-like skin was bubbling from sadistic excitement. ¡°Little muppet, it¡¯s time to greet the Pond!¡± He strolled forward to the barely conscious martialist that had abruptly failed her cultivation breakthrough attempt. ¡°Know that your delectable soul will pay for a better world! A world in which I get better powers. Heeheehee¡­¡±

    The heavily injured woman stared with dazed horror at the approaching silhouette of darkness when everything in her sight suddenly lit up with intense flashes of light.

    Terry had stepped out of the shadows and instantly placed layers of divine mana. He had a small wooden barrel in one hand and a fully charged sword artifact in the other. He violently smashed the barrel with a burst of mana onto the ground to let the prepared mana-coagulant powder free. Another flicker of his mana let loose the fierce rampage of storm slashes from the soft sword. The violent wind picked up the mana-coagulant powder and continued towards its target.

    A piercing cry of a phoenix echoed from the cavern walls when Apex appeared and slapped her palms together. Her eyes shifted to an appearance of pure white. The azure flames around her abruptly contracted, paled, and roared forth with the appearance of a bird of prey charging down. The creature of pale flames rushed into the fierce gale and exploded forwards with furious wrath.

    Vicious¡¯s first instinct was to flee. But where? Just like in the terrifying nightmare from his youthful carelessness, the translucent golden layers were blocking all directions but the one he despaired to flee from. The divine mana that had haunted his past, had returned to terrorize his present. With his last speck of composure, Vicious attempted to contract his body and offer less surface area for the attack.

    There was little point. The frenzied flames licked everywhere. The traces of mana-coagulant substance was forced into the channeler¡¯s body and sabotaged his fluidization. The sharp wind edges hidden inside the flames were tearing at Vicious¡¯s exposed body. A deep scream roared forth from the channeler¡¯s burned lungs.

    Terry could smell the stench of burned flesh and hair mixed with blood. His mana touch told him that the cultist¡¯s body was left in pieces. Even so, Terry was scowling with an unsatisfied expression. Their setup and first attack had been a huge success in terms of damage output, yes, but¡­

    A great start, but¡­

    But the accursed cultist had managed to protect his channeling anchor. The pieces they had torn off his body remained connected by the foreign mana that Vicious channeled from the Shapeless Pond. This battle was far from over.

    Vicious on his side was still reeling from the first blow. After regaining control of most of his body, his instincts urged him to charge through the gap in the rock and divine mana, a gap that had been created by the violent attack combination.

    The channeler was left disappointed when new layers of divine mana were speedily created to fill up any gaps and block his path.

    Terry thrust his king spear forward while infusing mana to extend it. He was aiming right for Vicious¡¯s channeling anchor. Next to Terry, Apex was already folding her fingers for her next martialist technique.

    Vicious whirled around and unleashed his own counter ability towards the pair. Two narrow streams of black liquid were rushing towards them while Vicious dodged the spearhead rushing towards him.

    The darkwater streams were blocked by layers of divine mana that Terry had placed swiftly. Lightning snaked around the spear¡¯s pole and rushed along it to reach the magic spearhead. With a loud crack, dense lightning blasted forth from the spearhead to rip into Vicious.

    The divine mana, that had been shielding Terry and Apex, now vanished to reveal the mana resonance of a dark-golden flood dragon that was cracking with lightning and reeking of ozone. The magic phenomenon made of electricity and mana was guided by Apex¡¯s finger movements and it swiftly slithered through the opening that Terry had created.

    Vicious snarled and all color faded from his body. The black viscous fluid began spinning in a violent vortex to defend against the powerful attack. Droplets of darkwater were propelled into all directions, crashing onto the walls and divine mana barriers, sizzling and steaming.

    The flood dragon shaped of lightning snapped its jaws shut around the mass of spinning liquid. Lightning roared and jumped between its teeth to electrocute the channeler of darkwater power.

    The darkwater left behind on the floor in front of Terry¡¯s divine barriers ¨C the blocked remnants of Vicious¡¯s initial attacks ¨C suddenly sprang back to life and darted towards Apex. The channeler had started his next counterattack to disturb the martialist¡¯s concentration.

    Terry barely managed to react in time and he blocked the spurt of debilitating darkwater with another circulation of mana into the divine hammer inscription. Unfortunately, his hurried inscription usage was leaving the divine mana layers less sturdy than at his best. The darkwater was delayed but after accumulating on the surface and reshaping into another cycle of attack, it pierced through and shattered.

    Terry was already working on new layers to fill up the spot, but he could sense that Apex was beginning to change her own attack.

    The fierce-eyed woman with the tight ponytail sharply whipped her head around and slammed her right fist into her left forearm and then forward. Azure flames were following her closed fist and right when it lost contact with her other arm, she opened her fingers and flames roared forth to evaporate the incoming darkwater.

    A successful defense, but not like they had planned it.

    She doesn¡¯t trust me. Not fully. Now her concentration for the flood dragon resonance was broken. Terry was frowning. He was not sure if he should groan in frustration or shrug his shoulders. I¡¯ll have to be the one to adjust.

    Without missing a beat, Terry forced his own naturalized mana into the spearhead to activate the powerful lightning-gathering magic before the resonance was losing its power. He simultaneously activated the pole¡¯s lightning creation magic.

    A sharp sizzling pierced the air when the lightning danced around the king spear¡¯s pole.

    A thunderous boom shook the cavern and the whole mountain around it when the flood dragon¡¯s lightning was absorbed into the spearhead, mixed with the pole¡¯s power, and reemerged as another furious blast of densely packed energy.

    The mass of darkwater that was Vicious was bubbling furiously. He had been caught off-guard. His body was contaminated with some accursed mana coagulant and did not react as quickly as it should. Much of his gathered body had been torn apart. His attempts to injure his two assailants had failed.

    In contrast, Vicious had already suffered several devastating blows. The martialist bitch had never been this prepared. He had never seen the decrepit hag¡¯s brat as this much of a threat either. His instincts were screaming to flee outside. He splashed through the remains of divine mana that had been shattered by his enemies¡¯ powerful attack combination.

    Terry made sure that the cultist did not escape from their grasp and did not flee too far out of their reach. He summoned another divine barrier while both he and Apex continued the pursuit.

    She needs more time.

    Terry was paying close attention to Apex¡¯s mana movement. He had seen her fight, train, and cultivate. Her mana had changed in quality and density when compared to before her recent cultivation breakthrough, but ignoring the absolute intensity and focusing on the relative difference, he believed he had a good grasp on her timing.

    Terry burst his mana and overtook Apex before she would do something reckless or wasteful. He used a martialist talisman and a golden burning lion rushed forward to rip its fiery claws into the fluid-like cultist.

    The edge of the tunnel walls were beginning to melt and glow. Even Terry in his fire-resistant armor was beginning to feel the heat with sweat accumulating on his face behind the barrier visor of his helmet.

    Shortly after Terry¡¯s talisman-summoned fire lion, Apex unleashed another phoenix resonance that left Vicious no room to even breathe. The cultist madly whipped around, attempting to dodge, and to slip through any gap in the divine barriers that the duo¡¯s attacks were causing.

    Terry quietly heaved a sigh of relief when seeing the unreserved attack from Apex. He had been worried that she would break her rhythm again. He was glad that she had a sharp battle instinct, but she did not seem used to working with others. Quite the contrary.

    Honestly, Terry was surprised that the hot-tempered martialist had even agreed to ambush Vicious in this coordinated manner. Despite her agreement, Terry doubted that she would stick to their plan if her battle instinct told her to deviate. Unfortunately, that battle instinct had been trained fighting on her own. She did not seem to trust Terry to cover her properly.

    This might not be a catastrophic problem if they just wanted to give Vicious a beating, but Terry was aiming higher. He wanted to see the cultist that had threatened his whaka eradicated from this world. He refused to let this creature escape this folded space. He wanted to see Vicious dead once and for all.

    Back to the plan.

    Terry stabbed forth his king spear yet again. He relied on his own mana and the pole¡¯s magic for filling the next gap before Apex was ready to unleash her full power once more.

    Their plan was as simple as it was brutal: a relentless assault. An unending beatdown until the despicable cultist had breathed his last.

    Terry had his suspicions that the brutality and straightforwardness was why Apex had agreed to his plan in the first place. He had his doubts that the martialist would have permitted any other way. He did not only choose this course of action to appease his battle-frenzied ally, however. No, for once in his life, Terry preferred this particular battle style over the more cautious approach his accepted parents had trained him in.

    Because Terry honestly thought it was the best course of action. As confident as he was in his mana foundation, he did not want to put his stamina against a channeler with a connection to a god-like entity. His battle against Harrison and other channelers in the Guardian rebellion in Libra City was one thing. Vicious was unfortunately on a whole other level.

    Fortunately, so were the powerful mana resonance attacks of a martialist of Apex¡¯s caliber, even more so after her recent breakthrough. The only drawback was that these techniques were often rigid and inflexible.

    Terry had seen an extreme example with Rafael¡¯s Heavenly Wolf Slash. Even though Apex appeared less constrained in her battle style, Terry had realized that this came at a price. Switching a technique mid-way would cause backlash to a martialist. He had also learned that a seemingly finished technique might still hide some power.

    Just like spellwork, a resonance can be successfully unleashed but prolonged if guided carefully. Relinquishing control of a released resonance before it has run its natural course would cause  it to disperse more quickly. To someone with Terry¡¯s attitude, this constituted an unacceptable waste of mana, especially in a battle against a channeler.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Therefore, Terry¡¯s job was obvious. He would act as the quick jab to give Apex room to act as a powerful cross punch. Back when Bjorln had practiced hand-to-hand combat with Terry and his siblings, he had emphasized the importance of different techniques to work with each other. Each had its place. All weave together into powerful combinations more effective than the sum of the individual moves.

    Terry saw Vicious¡¯s fluid body dance up around the wall to the ceiling and then contract into a dense ball of water. Terry narrowed his eyes and created divine mana layers on the ceiling, fearing that the cultist was aiming to drill a hole into the rock to escape or to avoid the other barriers.

    Contrary to Terry¡¯s expectations, Vicious was preparing to accept more damage from Apex¡¯s latest attack in exchange for a better starting position when the divine barriers had shattered. With the sound of water escaping from a high-pressure container, Vicious rushed forth to escape beyond the grasp of the divine hammer inscription.

    Terry and Apex both dashed forward to pursue and spoil the cultist¡¯s plan. Both discovered their movement¡¯s impaired. The many droplets of darkwater from earlier had gathered together and reshaped into a sticky viscous liquid that was trapping their feet.

    Reflexively, Terry transfixed the septimum pieces in his equipment. With the help of immovable metal transfixed in the air and a burst of mana, he rapidly pushed out of the sticky trap.

    The fierce flare of mana from Terry¡¯s side reminded him that he should give Apex a hand before she might interrupt her current martialist technique for something a quick spell could fix. Without the slightest pause, Terry accurately prepared a sequence of immovable rocks and metal pieces for Apex to continue forward with raw power and without interrupting her circulation of mana.

    Terry burst his mana and took the lead of the duo. He ripped another battle talisman in half. A purple translucent skull was summoned and charged forth at Vicious¡¯s mana signature. This particular talisman was hard to avoid and it required continuous evasive maneuvers by the channeler, which would buy time for them to catch up.

    ¡°The Pond will drown you!¡± Vicious spat curses at them and channeled another mana ability. The fluid body of water suddenly expanded and a giant torrent of darkwater was summoned from deep within his channeling anchor to charge violently towards Vicious¡¯s enemies.

    As intense as the purple skull from the battle talisman was, it faded into nothingness inside the dark flood.

    Terry¡¯s instincts screamed to stop and hunker down to block the mana ability whose touch alone would doubtlessly debilitate. He consciously refused to follow his instincts with close attention to the mana signature beside himself.

    Aspect and timing¡­ Should work out.

    Terry held his breath and hoped his battle instinct was right. He tensed up and prepared himself to react at the last moment if his judgement turned out to be wrong. Instead of hunkering down, he darted up towards the ceiling.

    The thunderous roar from behind himself told him that his mana perception had been on the mark.

    The dark-golden silhouette of the furious flood dragon charged forth and reached the incoming body of black water in an instant. The creature of lightning did not seem to fade or slow down when coming into contact with the darkwater. On the contrary, it accelerated, seemingly draining power from the channeler¡¯s mana ability and ripped through the water with a vengeance. The fierce mana resonance tore into Vicious¡¯s body right when the channeler¡¯s darkwater ability was about to reach the relentless duo.

    Terry rapidly transfixed an unfolded tertium cube, fortified the few tiny gaps with layers of divine mana, and simultaneously used his bidirectional attraction glove to pull his ally up.

    Apex on her part had already jumped upwards to take cover behind the immovable metal.

    The darkwater ability had weakened from the furious mana resonance technique. It crashed against the immovable metal and rushed underneath when the metal and divine mana barriers did not budge.

    Terry ignored the few droplets of darkwater that had managed to squeeze through and were blocked by the shadow fabric created from his magic brooch. He had to focus.

    They had landed another blow on the channeler. Ostensibly, they had won another exchange. However, there was more to the exchange. Vicious had succeeded in keeping them at a distance.

    At the current distance, his divine hammer inscription usage was limited. The layers of divine mana he could summon would not obstruct the channeler¡¯s flight attempts for long. Terry refused to let the creature off the hook with just a beating.

    He could already feel Apex itching to dash towards the cultist. Right through the tunnel that was now drenched in darkwater. Darkwater that would quickly follow the cultist¡¯s bidding.

    Even if Apex relies on a fire-based movement technique to evaporate most of the darkwater, this would¡­ No. Not enough. Time for a quick jab!

    Terry ducked first from behind the cover, sealing the surrounding darkwater with layers of divine mana. He burst his mana and hurled a sequence of rocks through the tunnel towards Vicious.

    Some of the black liquid dripping from the ceiling abruptly changed course and sliced through one of the rocks.

    Nothing happened.

    A second rock was destroyed. Again, nothing happened.

    What Vicious failed to notice was the slight tug on one of the rocks. A slight deceleration created with Terry¡¯s bidirectional attraction glove. When this particular rock was close enough, Terry pressed his naturalized mana into the concealed battle talisman. He remotely activated and guided the talisman¡¯s mana to rush past Vicious.

    A shimmering wall of hexagonal crystals appeared to replace a layer of divine mana that was about to shatter under Vicious¡¯s assault.

    The cultist roared furiously and Terry could sense a thin cloud of mana emitted from his mouth while roaring.

    Oh no, you don¡¯t!

    Terry made sure to press the hostile mana back with his own naturalized mana. He still had no idea what this particular mana ability from the channeler would achieve, but he also had no desire to find out.

    He sensed that Apex had already adjusted her technique. Fortunately, for martialists, there were many sequences of techniques that allowed adjusting parts. Interrupting a technique mid-way was dangerous and wasteful. However, adjusting a sequence by switching one step with a compatible step from the same cultivation style, was different.

    The switch that Apex was performing was turning a first intermediate step into its own lead-up to another sequence. A shift from rapid movement into a delayed charging attack.

    Terry knew that these charges came with a risk. He would like to trust that Apex did not overestimate her abilities and that she would not rush into the darkwater tunnel without being certain that the fire would evaporate the black liquid.

    Unfortunately, he had to take into account Apex¡¯s aggressive personality. When Thanatos wrote that cracking the skull is worth an injury to your fist, he might as well have described Apex¡¯s natural battle temper.

    Apex¡¯s temper had carried her far in life, but Terry needed her in top shape for this beatdown. He would not allow her to get injured this early in the fight if he could prevent it. His mind was racing through the memorized items in his dimensional storages.

    It settled on a container prepared by the siblings from the Blazing Sun Sect. Terry hurled it towards Vicious, not surprised by the darkwater stabbing into it. A bronze-colored liquid leaked out of the container and he prepared the magic sword artifact from their opening and unleashed another violent storm into the tunnel.

    The sword artifact was sucking a lot of his mana. From what he had learned from Apex, the mana structures in the bodies of mana martialists were indeed more optimized for rapid throughput than a regular mana cultivator. Structures like their dantians also acted as something akin to additional mana pools whose level was filled slowly but could be drained quickly.

    Even though Terry did not care much about swords, he did not want to risk breaking the sword and limit his options just yet. His mana control allowed him to supplement his mana throughput. He did not possess a dantian or any of the martialist¡¯s acupoints, but Terry had his own substitute to keep his mana pool filled up for quick access to mana.

    While Terry was readying his king spear with his right hand, his left hand quickly returned the freshly drained mana container back into his dimensional bag. His progress in mana control and mana throughput in general allowed him to absorb mana from his pre-filled containers much more rapidly than in the past. He had already sucked the container dry between hurling the container and seeing Apex dash after the furious gale unleashed by the sword artifact.

    With wings of azure flames, Apex stomped onto the floor. Her silhouette disappeared only to reappear much further into the tunnel. Frenzied flames were left behind in her trail. The bronze liquid from earlier ignited in a mesmerizing light that appeared to let the few darkwater droplets that survived the turbulent wind and roaring flames crystalize and drop to the floor.

    Terry carefully aimed his king spear and transfixed an attachment to make sure his aim remained true at a distance.

    Apex arrived close to Vicious with a fierce flicker of flames dancing in her eyes.

    Vicious was about to spit darkwater on the martialist when he caught a trace of orange extending towards him. He shifted his fluid body to avoid the incoming spearhead of Terry¡¯s king spear.

    Terry grinned viciously and infused more mana into the king spear. The spearhead crashed into the shimmering wall of hexagons. He used a controlled amount of mana to activate the lightning layer in the pole to make sure the barrier would break at exactly the right time.

    Vicious was wary of the king spear¡¯s magic. He interrupted his omnidirectional assault on the shimmering hexagons and the charging Apex. He reshaped his fluid body to avoid a potential blast of lightning. He sneered when the lightning magic activated, only to miss him. He failed to notice the change in the hexagonal barrier at the spot where the king spear had unleashed its cracking energy.

    Terry had carefully chosen this spot. It was not the first time he had used this kind of battle talisman and he had examined it closely in his mana sight. The trick to this barrier was that it was very good at dealing with force distributed over large areas, but it was weak to sharp piercing and any force that was distributed in an extremely imbalanced manner.

    The way that Vicious¡¯s water raged against the shimmering hexagons, the cultist would require an immeasurable amount of power to break it down. In contrast, the spot that Terry had chosen was different. This was the weak spot within the hexagonal structure. This was the place to aim a narrow high intensity attack if you wanted to break through.

    Did Terry want to break his own barrier?

    Yes!

    Behind the shimmering hexagons whose optics and mana intensity obscured what was going on beyond them, a vast mass of mana was being pulled through carefully placed focus refractors, shifting from a rotation into a straight rush along the tunnel.

    Vicious might be slightly out of Terry¡¯s most effective range for the divine hammer inscription, but that was not the only skill he was wielding. His reach for naturalizing and moving mana outmatched his range with the divine hammer inscription by far. As soon as the cultist had shown up, Terry had prepared himself to go all out.

    Right when Vicious¡¯s attention was all on the raging martialist and the receding king spear, an army of intense spell slicers crashed into the dispersing hexagonal barrier. They rushed through new focus refractors that had appeared in an instant and adjusted the armies¡¯ trajectory. All of them were chasing the cultist¡¯s channeling anchor.

    Terry¡¯s practice in aiming his spell slicers for his unstoppable shift combination was paying off. He noted with satisfaction how the disrupting spell slicers found their mark. How they tore through the mana formation that was the source of the cultist¡¯s power.

    A brief shiver ran down Terry¡¯s spine from the sensation of his mana touch through the spell slicers that were passing through the channeling anchor. However, his own fleeting sensation of fright was nothing in comparison to the terror on Vicious¡¯s face when his physical body was forced to emerge from the black fluid granted to him by the Shapeless Pond.

    Vicious had prepared himself for another mana resonance attack from Apex. He had never expected to face a cultivator¡¯s disruption discharge from behind the barrier that Terry had placed himself. No matter how much they had wanted to sabotage his channeling anchor, such a disruption discharge would diminish whatever mana resonance they had prepared, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Eric was quivering with curses when he saw the mass of mana was being moved out of the way much more swiftly than any reasonable person would believe. To further upend the cultist¡¯s expectations, Apex¡¯s continuation of her battle sequence contracted her mana into her own body.

    What followed was an unending barrage of mana-enhanced fists and kicks that rained down painfully from the battle-frenzied martialist. Each blow connected with a spot that hurt and let loose a snake of black-golden lightning. Each contact left behind a lick of white-azure flames to torment the pitiful cultist.

    Terry reminded himself to never underestimate a skilled mana martialist just because their resonance techniques were blocked. Then he darted through the air on layers of divine mana to catch up with the battle. Simultaneously, he redirected his mana from the disruption rush. He had no idea how long his disturbance of the channeling anchor would last. He also had to keep track of their location.

    Not much longer and we¡¯ll be getting close to the exit.

    Terry was noting with satisfaction that Apex had timed her battle sequence perfectly. Right when his own mana was out of the way, her technique resonated with the unclaimed mana. He had barely allowed himself to grin, when something changed in Vicious¡¯s body that caused Terry¡¯s expression to darken.

    The weird aspect hidden in Vicious¡¯s mana abruptly expanded to cover the cultist¡¯s whole body¡­ and then even beyond.

    The weird mana blew up and with it, Vicious¡¯s form grew into something inhuman.

    The earth shook from the force of Apex¡¯s finished battle sequence colliding with the channeler¡¯s last resort. The mountain erupted in bright azure flames and a viciously dancing body of black liquid.

    The exit was suddenly a lot closer after half the mountain had been blown away.

    On the bright side, now I can use the king spear under an open sky!

    Terry did not flinch. He refused to falter. He continued chasing after Vicious, no matter how large the cultist had grown. Right beside him, Apex was doing the same.

    They would only relent when the despicable cultist had breathed his last.

    ***

 172 In the Shadows of Legends

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 84 ¨C

    ¡°Why are we going to these vile scoundrels?!¡± Barnes glared at Zhang.

    ¡°The same reason you went last time even though I advised you against it.¡± Zhang glanced coldly at his junior martial brother.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one that told us to¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you clearly weren¡¯t listening.¡± Zhang controlled his breathing. He knew his junior¡¯s temper well. He could not allow himself to act in a similar manner. One of them had to maintain reason.

    ¡°If that bastard was right, then the cat-masked person was¡­¡± Barnes¡¯s face contorted in fury. He subconsciously grabbed his left arm. Barnes and Chun had been ambushed shortly after they had traded in Shen¡¯s camp. His senior martial brother Zhang had managed to reach them in time for treatment and succeeded in preserving their lives, but most of their possessions had been taken.

    ¡°Most likely one of Shen¡¯s group, yes.¡± Zhang continued walking. ¡°I see no reason to distrust Terry¡¯s words back then.¡±

    ¡°These bastards robbed us right after selling us a ticket!¡± Barnes clenched his fists so tightly that they audibly cracked. ¡°Why would we go back to them?¡±

    ¡°To ask for a ticket.¡± Zhang refused to meet Barnes¡¯ gaze.

    ¡°What?! I¡¯d rather die than¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your call to make.¡± Zhang cut him off. ¡°Your life is not your own, neither is mine. We are all members of Icy Dew Mountain and have to think of its future.¡± His eyes grew distant while he spoke these words.

    ¡°I refuse,¡± hissed Barnes.

    ¡°I told you to be wary of Shen¡¯s group and yet you did not heed my warning.¡± Zhang hissed back. ¡°Now look where that attitude got you. Your Junior Sister Chun and yourself have been impoverished and injured.¡± His words had a sharp bite to them. ¡°The folded space might close in the next few days already and then what?¡±

    ¡°You warned us to stay away, so why are we going there?¡±

    Zhang sighed. ¡°Because I have prepared a means to keep them honest. Shen with all his intel gathering surely knows what I¡¯ll be bringing today. He also knows that with only the two of us here, I am willing to use it.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t we do that in the first place?!¡± demanded Barnes.

    ¡°Because there were better options before.¡± Zhang briefly stared at his junior martial brother and shook his head. ¡°You have to stop acting like a fool all of the time.¡± He continued in a whisper. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what she sees in you.¡±

    ¡°If you have a way to force them, then¡­¡± Barnes did not catch the last words. ¡°Will we be able to acquire enough tickets for all of us?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhang replied with forced calmness. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure we can acquire one. I only said I can keep them honest. I cannot force them to trade.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Barnes crossed his arms, which was an awkward posture while walking. ¡°I refuse. I¡¯d rather die than beg for mercy from these¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the begging.¡± Zhang¡¯s words sounded indifferent, but his fists were clenched tightly. ¡°If that is all that is required of me, then I will lower my head.¡±

    ¡°Bah.¡± Barnes glowered at his senior martial brother with contempt.

    ¡°There appears to be a line,¡± muttered Zhang. ¡°It seems that everyone is discovering that treasures mean little if you fail to leave with them.¡± His eyes were wandering over the different martialists. They lingered on a familiar pair of siblings from the Blazing Sun Sect. After a moment of hesitation, he walked up to them.

    ¡°Can we help you?¡± asked the brother irritably.

    ¡°I just wanted to warn you,¡± whispered Zhang. ¡°If you are trading for tickets here, be prepared for an ambush afterwards.¡±

    The brother and sister both rolled their eyes.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± scoffed the sister.

    ¡°Only an imbecile would not prepare for that,¡± added the brother.

    Barnes¡¯ face flushed and he involuntarily emitted a low growl.

    Zhang might have laughed if the situation wasn¡¯t so dire. He nodded at the siblings. ¡°I had thought you were the type to prepare two tickets in advance.¡±

    ¡°Pickpocket.¡± The siblings were scowling. ¡°One short now, but it seems as if we have wasted our time here.¡±

    Zhang raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°They¡¯re not trading anymore.¡± The sister from the Blazing Sun siblings spoke up. ¡°Only with ¡®friends¡¯ or those willing to sign their clans into servitude.¡± She shrugged. ¡°They might change their minds another day again.¡±

    Zhang¡¯s expression darkened. Bowing his own head to achieve his goal was one thing, but this was beyond what he was willing to bear. He was about to ask another question when the whole earth began quaking.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    A gigantic explosion of azure flames became visible in the sky.

    ¡°The Heretic?¡±

    Beyond the flames an enormous face inside a torrent of black liquid emerged.

    ¡°Fuck me, what¡¯s going on over there?¡± The surrounding martialists broke out in an uproar.

    Another quake, even more intense than the first one, shook the pocket realm. The most eerie aspect was not the strange monster of darkwater, but the fact that this latest quake did not match any other sign visible in the distance.

    A bad premonition caused Zhang to glance up at the sky just in time to notice an orange flash of light.

    *Hong* A deep bell sound reverberated across the pocket realm.

    ¡°Move,¡± muttered Zhang. ¡°We have to move!¡± He grabbed his junior brother Barnes by the arm and pulled him into a mad dash. The fluid monster did not matter to Zhang. He had to reach his two other juniors before the third flash. That was all that mattered.

    ¡°I know that mana,¡± muttered another martialist. ¡°That monster carries the same signature as the traces when our junior disappeared.¡±

    ¡°These are the flames of the Heretic.¡±

    ¡°This heaven¡¯s roar lightning, isn¡¯t that the pinnacle item of the Arcanian?¡±

    Little by little, the intense battle was catching the eyes of everyone. Few were the people that noticed the rumbling from deep below.

    ***

    Terry caught himself from his rapid descent with the help of his divine hammer inscription and his coil spring mechanisms. He had just dropped a heaven¡¯s roar into the center of the ever-growing whirlwind of darkwater.

    The battle against the cultist from the Shapeless Pond had taken a strong turn for the worse ever since they had forced Vicious to use the trump card hidden within the strange mana aspect.

    Terry was almost glad that the cultist had not unleashed this insane ability while inside the tunnel. He might have been able to ward it off with the help of the Immovable Object spell, but without the synergy of the spear¡¯s lightning attack, there would have been no way for him to inflict damage on the cultist.

    Vicious¡¯s real body was floating at the center of a whole lake full of rapidly rotating darkwater. The debilitating fluid was flying and spilling everywhere, inflicting havoc on the whole vicinity.

    Even Apex appeared to struggle dealing a significant blow against this torrent of darkwater. Despite her increase in cultivation, this never seen ability from the Shapeless Pond was taking her all just to contain.

    Terry himself had been fighting entirely on instinct since they had broken out of the mountain. His body and subconscious had taken over because his conscious thoughts had become completely muddled.

    What the Wastes is going on?

    Terry would have loved to focus entirely on the battle against the despicable cultist, but unfortunately, something else had blindsided him shortly after Vicious had released his latest channeled ability.

    Terry had almost tripped when pursuing Vicious outside the mountain, because his habitual mana touch scouting had shown him movements underneath the very mountain they had just blown up.

    Unnatural movement.

    Moving walls.

    A path has been opened.

    Terry did not even have the spare time to acknowledge the fact that the sky had lit up with an orange pulse from the strange magic moons. He knew that this was the first of three to count down the folded space opening and closing off for good. He could only curse at the horrible timing.

    Timing? Coincidence?

    Terry was beginning to feel like a mana battery for all the magic artifacts in his possession which he activated one after the other to throw his everything at the cultist. Even with his astounding mana foundation, he felt incapable of keeping up the pace.

    An elf in green-golden robes darted forward from another direction. The mana behind the man resonated and gigantic arms of steely green wood appeared above him. The wooden hands clenched and the ironbark fists smashed into the darkwater vortex.

    Vicious appeared completely still but the water itself moved his physical body out of harm¡¯s way.

    Seeing the attack from Guillermo, the Outcast of the Ironbark Fist Sect, made Terry aware that the cultist and the movement below the earth were not the only mana signatures worth paying attention to.

    Countless martialists had come rushing towards the scene.

    Some of them were now throwing their attacks at Vicious. Among them were some whom Terry was acquainted with. Guillermo was only the first.

    ¡°Die!¡± ¡°For our junior!¡± Some martialists Terry had never seen before appeared to carry an intense grudge against Vicious.

    ¡°Die!¡± Unfortunately, some of the martialists also had a grudge with Terry. He had to dodge a lightning strike from a group of martialists dressed in yellow.

    This is madness!

    Terry wanted to curse, but instead he used his king spear to exploit the incoming lightning attacks and redirect them to the cultist with the help of the spearhead¡¯s magic.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Martialists were pouring in from everywhere. Terry did not know if they were looking to exploit an opportunity, or if they had given up on leaving this realm and were simply yearning for a glorious death. No matter which way, he did appreciate the ones that were attacking Vicious.

    Bless these battle-crazy maniacs.

    However, the few that instead aimed for Apex or Terry himself were another topic.

    ¡°Heavenly Wolf Slash!¡±

    Terry saw the silhouette of a white wolf tear through a group of martialists from the Thunderous Palm Sect. It was the direction from where he had to dodge the lightning strike before. Not far from the spot, he could see a leopard-spotted felan in a mask.

    Settling old grudges? At least he¡¯s not aiming for me.

    Further away, Shen was observing the battle warily. After some time, he ordered his group. ¡°We¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°But we still have spare tickets to barter with?¡±

    ¡°And with this much chaos, there will be plenty of death and that means treasure waiting for the pickings!¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± barked Shen. ¡°Don¡¯t let greed blind you. We have earned our share. Something is off. We are leaving. Whoever insists on staying has to hand over everything they have earned so far!¡± His tone did not allow any disagreement. Shortly after, the whole group had activated the exit tickets and departed from the folded space.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± A human woman in yellow combat robes and a black sash appeared out of thin air and cursed. Chalita¡¯s face was ashen.

    ¡°You tried.¡± A felan with the appearance of a golden tigress appeared close to Chalita. ¡°But the heavens appear merciless today. It was a long shot to begin with. Their current young master always had sharp instincts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll really die in this forsaken space¡­¡± Chalita clenched her fists.

    ¡°You could still go after the Arcanian if you want.¡± Hom suggested. ¡°Avenge yourself. Might make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Chalita shook her head. ¡°The Arcanian fought honorably. My vengeance is with Shen, not with Terry.¡±

    Hom glanced at the raging battle with the demonic cultivator that commanded an ever-growing lake of darkwater. ¡°No matter. You won¡¯t have to suffer a quiet death. There seems to be a good opportunity to die with glory.¡± She looked at her old rival one last time. ¡°I¡¯ll inform your sect of what happened. I can promise you that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Chalita with a heartfelt tone. ¡°May they find a way to address my grievances and let my soul rest in peace.¡±

    Hom nodded and then activated her own exit ticket.

    The number of martialists was thinning out rapidly. Both from battle and from martialists choosing to leave this secret tomb before they joined the corpses.

    In another location, Barnes was staring incredulously at his senior brother Zhang. ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Take it, that¡¯s an order.¡± Zhang held out an exit ticket. One of two which their group still possessed. The second one was already in the hands of Sheila, their young princess.

    ¡°I refuse, I cannot accept this kindness.¡± Barnes forced out through gritted teeth.

    ¡°This is not kindness,¡± barked Zhang with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Far from it. This is a curse of life. You will leave this realm. You will work hard for the sect. You will grow to reach the apex. And you will stop acting the fool!¡± He forced the entrance ticket into Barnes¡¯ hands. ¡°This is the curse I am ordering you to accept.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Barnes was struggling with himself. ¡°But this is yours, Brother Zhang. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop embarrassing our sect!¡± Sheila hissed at Barnes from the side. She glanced with teary eyes at Zhang, the senior brother that had acted as her bodyguard in this secret tomb. She chose to bow. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang.¡± In her hands she was clasping the storage item that Zhang had given her, which contained all the treasures he possessed. He had only kept the old sword with which he had entered.

    Under Sheila¡¯s chiding eyes, Barnes activated the exit ticket gifted to him by Zhang. Sheila departed in the same instant.

    ¡°Why?¡± Chun asked with a quivering voice.

    Zhang smiled faintly. He did not dare look at her for fear of having his eyes betray his feelings. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the blade that had been his companion for so long. ¡°Would you have accepted the ticket if I had given it to you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Chun instantly. ¡°Because you would have chosen me for the wrong reasons. The ticket belongs to our sect.¡±

    Zhang closed his eyes. ¡°I knew that would be your answer. That¡¯s why it had to be Barnes.¡±

    ¡°Why did you not keep it?!¡± yelled Chun.

    ¡°He will go farther than I ever could,¡± said Zhang calmly. ¡°If he fixes his attitude, he can¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± spat Chun. ¡°Your talent isn¡¯t any worse than his. You¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Our talents may be comparable, but his background will have him overtake me with time.¡± Zhang spoke matter-of-factly. ¡°You know that as well as I do.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s not because¡­?¡± Chun averted her gaze.

    ¡°Because I know that you traded your treasures to secure a ticket for him?¡± Zhang smiled sadly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not that selfless.¡± He flicked the blade of his old companion sword with a finger to listen to its sweet hum. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve grown tired of acting for the sect. Let my death be my final act of selfishness.¡± He circulated his mana and darted towards Vicious. ¡°Let my body be buried next to yours!¡±

    Chun shook her head slowly while clenching her teeth. She drew her own soft sword, the only item still left in her possession. She chased madly after her senior with defiant eyes. ¡°I refuse!¡±

    Not far from them, the siblings from the Blazing Sun Sect had their own farewell. ¡°Go, we both know that you have a better shot to enact our vengeance.¡± The sister ordered her brother.

    The brother only nodded while pressing his right fist against his chest. His solemn gesture was interrupted when Terry suddenly descended from the sky.

    ¡°Are you joining the fight?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I am.¡± The sister forced a cheerful expression and winked at her brother. ¡°See, what else could I ask for? A glorious battle awaits.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Terry handed over a bunch of fire-focused weapons from the Hall of Power. ¡°Use these. If you know anyone else who is trustworthy enough, feel free to share.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± The sister was quickly suppressing her surprise and accepted the unexpected support.

    ¡°Strange person,¡± mumbled the brother.

    ¡°Leave.¡± His sister reminded him with a grin. ¡°I leave our revenge to you. I have a battle to join.¡± With these words, she charged towards Vicious.

    Terry was darting through the sky without pause. He had done a quick trip around the battlefield. He had killed and scared off a few of the people aiming for him and Apex. He had also handed out some of his weapons to martialists that were attacking Vicious. While most of the beneficiaries appeared confused and wary at this sudden gift, Terry assured them that it was purely self-interested.

    Better than me being the only mana battery for these greedy artifacts.

    Terry transfixed the coating of septimum at the king spear¡¯s bottom and then infused his mana into the pole, which immediately extended into the sky while being chased by his naturalized mana.

    Terry grimly observed the battlefield while the heavens roared above from the lightning synergy in his king spear. He directed the furious lightning towards Vicious¡¯s physical body. He was still keeping up with the battle, but his real attention was somewhere else.

    Somewhere below the earth.

    Something is off.

    Terry could sense that all the moving walls were opening¡­ a path.

    A path leading deep down.

    A path for what?

    Terry¡¯s mind was racing to make sense of the different inputs from his mana perception. In the middle of his indecision, the strange marks were bubbling up into his consciousness. The very first association that he had when finding them immediately sprang to the forefront of his mind.

    Dungeon.

    Terry refused to believe that the recent timing was nothing more than coincidence. Vicious had channeled a powerful ability from the Shapeless Pond, a god-like creature from a foreign realm. The folded space had reacted. Deep underground with the movement of earth. High above with the orange flash from the moons.

    Dungeon.

    Terry did not have time to make sense of all the stories about this pocket realm, or folded space, or secret tomb, or whatever people called it. He could not explain everything, but he was beginning to see a pattern.

    He was not surprised at what he sensed next.

    Something was coming up.

    He fumbled for his communication talisman. [We have to push Vicious back underground. Back into the tunnels.]

    Terry did not hear a reply from Apex, but he could see her adjust her attack trajectory. Hoping that this was a sign of acknowledgement, he burst his mana and rushed to inform his other allies among the martialists.

    For his plan, Terry received incredulous stares and skeptical questions he was hard-pressed to answer. He couldn¡¯t very well say that something in this realm reminded him of the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon.

    Terry couldn¡¯t explain, so he did not try. The martialists that trusted him would act accordingly. The others had to make up their own minds. He did not have time to waste.

    To his pleasant surprise, many of the martialists were following his instructions even if they did not trust him completely. They maintained their distance from Vicious but they used their abilities and artifacts to prepare the ground and what was left of the mountain.

    [You better know what you are doing!] Apex¡¯s irritated voice arrived in his thoughts.

    Terry could immediately sense why she was so irritated. The battle sequence she was preparing would leave her unguarded at the end. He cycled a burst technique that emphasized speed and rushed forth to make sure he would be there to protect the momentary gap afterwards.

    A gigantic white-azure phoenix with dark-golden eyes manifested in the air. The mana resonance creature charged into the mass of darkwater. A sky-piercing cry reverberated from the phoenix during its charge. The soundwaves of the shrill cry blasted the darkwater out of its way.

    The black liquid tried to move Vicious¡¯s body towards a safer spot, but a flap of the blazing wings cut off the escape routes until only a single path was left.

    Vicious¡¯s true body was being rushed back into a tunnel close to the location where they had exited the mountain.

    Terry was rapidly summoning layers of divine mana to protect the panting Apex as well as to seal the tunnel exit.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± one of the martialists asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we pursuing the demonic cultivator?¡±

    Terry subconsciously shook his head while staring at the entrance. His mana sight was glued to Vicious¡¯s signature, and to those that ascended from below. Terry half expected to see an army of hellspawn emerge, but instead he sensed a shape and signature that were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

    A four-armed earth giant that was covered in strange carvings was the first to stomp into the darkwater. A blue symbol glowed brightly at the giant¡¯s forehead and chest. The symbol depicted a flame and it was connected to most of the giant¡¯s inscriptions.

    The symbol caused Terry to fall into a daze. He had seen it before. Long ago, in a small classroom for aspiring Guardians wanting to learn about mana curses. This was a well-known symbol from a mana curse that infected constructs. The curse empowered its target and charged itself on ambient mana.

    One of the few known mana curses to infect non-living beings.

    One of the few known mana curses with a beneficial effect, although it represented a trade-off between power and durability.

    One of the few mana curses whose name Terry had known even before the Guardian introduction. This was a curse of legend, a curse from the legend. A magic created by one of the later allies of the Veilbinder, created by the only curse mage among the Faithless Saints.

    Aspiring Soul.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± whispered Terry. Back in the early days of construct crafting, this mana curse had been a game changer. A magic that pushed the tides against the cultists and in favor of the Faithless Saints. A single invocation would spread on its own through all closeby battle constructs to instantly increase their mana throughput and magic resistance. Its only downside was the additional strain on the constructs¡¯ materials.

    Terry felt as if he had stepped into forbidden ground. Into a path of history that was not supposed to linger in the present. A vivid memory of the dungeon marks he had seen forced itself upon him.

    Dungeon. Was I mistaken?

    The Curse of the Aspiring Soul was man-made. Not of dungeon origin. How could it exist in a dungeon?

    Terry subconsciously gulped when picturing the marks he had seen in the shadow plane. He had never seen them before, but they had felt strangely familiar. Confronted with one piece of magic legend, he suddenly became aware why these marks had seemed so familiar.

    He had never seen them before, true.

    But he had read a description!

    It was not a reptilian eye. It was a pair of crescent moons, touching at the tips.

    It was a symbol he should have recognized much earlier, if not for the fact that he had never actually seen it.

    It was the symbol of Dalia¡¯s House after she was granted the status of a dwarven noble. The symbol of the descendants of the first dwarven mage, an ally of the Veilbinder, and one of the Faithless Saints.

    Terry was so dazed by his sudden rush of realizations that he almost missed the trembling figure of Vicious crashing into the layers of divine mana he had created to block the entrance. The cultist was at the end of his ropes and was desperately clawing against the translucent golden mana.

    Terry could see the terror in the eyes of the cultist. The man was moving with his physical body again. He had been smashed into his real self by the army of constructs that were empowered with the Aspiring Soul.

    Something in the cultist¡¯s eyes made Terry believe it was not the constructs themselves that Vicious was terrified of. Soon after, Terry sensed another pulse of mana emerge from the cultist¡¯s channeling anchor. This time, the strange mana only extended to cover Vicious¡¯s whole body and then rapidly contracted back into the channeling anchor.

    Terry saw the light fade from Vicious¡¯s eyes, to leave only a dead terror behind. The mana rushed into the channeling anchor which then collapsed onto itself.

    Terry had his own naturalized mana spread out and even though he could not be certain, he believed that the feeling matched magic he had experienced before. This last activity of the channeling anchor had been an invocation of soul-based magic.

    Terry found it difficult to believe that the despicable cultist was finally dead. Died in such a manner. It felt surreal. Lost in his thoughts, he subconsciously let go of the divine hammer inscription and the barriers dispersed.

    Terry did not even react to the second orange pulse in the sky. He was too stunned by the realizations, his own growing confusion, and the cultist¡¯s abrupt and strange death.

    Terry had sworn to kill Vicious before the tomb would open up again. Both Apex and he had worked hard towards that goal. However, neither of them had expected that someone else would deal the finishing blow. Especially not a construct with an ancient mana curse.

    Exactly what soul magic did the channeling anchor trigger in Vicious¡¯s final moments?

    While Terry was too busy with his own thoughts, nobody stopped the two reckless martialists that thought it would be a good idea to attack the constructs.

    ***

 173 The Real Fight

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 85 ¨C

    ¡°It has a core!¡± The woman slashed at the construct with gleeful greed.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± The man next to her tried to push her away.

    Core.

    Terry was instantly jolted from his thoughts. He examined the mana core inside the earth giant, stretching his own mana sight to its limits to disentangle the exact mana signature from the mana of the Aspiring Soul curse.

    He did not immediately react when the two martialists were slapped hard out of the mountain by a violent rush from the earth giant.

    Before Terry realized what he was doing, he had already transfixed the weapons of the other martialists that were about to charge into the fight.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Who cares? Not like a mana core is going to do us much good without a ticket.¡±

    ¡°The other two are unconscious, do you think they might have a ticket?¡±

    ¡°These weaklings? No.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s with my sword?¡±

    ¡°Ask the Arcanian.¡±

    Terry was still staring at the constructs while concentrating on his mana sight.

    ¡°Oi, unhand my sword!¡± An angry martialist with a bushy beard demanded and pointed at the transfixed weapon in the air.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move closer.¡± Terry did not take his eyes off the constructs. ¡°You¡¯re out of range now, but¡­¡±

    The line is moving.

    Terry could barely make out a faint change in the ambient mana. A change that was spreading from the mountain and outside. He jerked his head and stared into the distance. He pushed his own naturalized mana as fast as he could, yearning to have his mana touch confirm his suspicions.

    This mountain was not the only location with the change in mana.

    It had just been the first.

    Vicious.

    Not a coincidence¡­

    ¡°Oi! Sword!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! What¡¯s wrong with the Arcanian?¡±

    ¡°What range?¡±

    ¡°Idiot, the constructs aren¡¯t attacking.¡±

    ¡°Is that what he meant? Okay, these things are this stupid after all¡­?¡± A slender man was moving closer to taunt the earth giant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Terry muttered.

    Too late. The ambient mana change had spread over the taunting mana martialist and the construct had landed another teeth-crushing slap.

    The man was lucky that he had reacted in time to avoid the worst of the blow. He complained: ¡°I thought you said it was out of range?!¡±

    Terry blinked and faced the martialist. ¡°The range is extending.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out.¡± Apex stepped up to him. ¡°We got the little shitstain, but as much fun as it was, the third flash is looming.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes shot open. He was still trying to make sense of what was going on and he had not expected Apex to change topics. ¡°Wait¡ª¡±

    ¡°As if,¡± scoffed Apex and used her own exit ticket without hesitation.

    ¡°Terry!¡± Another familiar face forced itself into Terry¡¯s view: a leopard-spotted felan. This time Rafael was not wearing a mask. ¡°Look, I¡­ Do you have a ticket? Please! I cannot die in a place like this.¡±

    ¡°Rafael?¡± Terry retrieved his own exit ticket. ¡°I only have this one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Rafael involuntarily inched his hands closer to the ticket, which caused him to pull it back.

    Terry firmly held the ticket in his left hand, now aware of all the hungry gazes focused on his ticket. He reflexively moved his mana into the king spear in his right hand and lightning began dancing threateningly around the spear¡¯s pole.

    ¡°Do you think we can take him?¡±

    ¡°And then what? Hundreds of people. One ticket. We¡¯re past the second flash. Everyone with a ticket and a shred of common sense has already left.¡±

    ¡°Then why is the Arcanian still here?¡±

    ¡°A sadistic streak? Gloating one last time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± spat Rafael with hatred in his eyes. ¡°Come on, use it then? Preaching to me even though you¡¯re just a hypocrite. You¡¯re only looking out for yourself, just like everyone else. So be it, but get out of my face!¡±

    Terry did not even hear the bickering voices anymore. His mind was completely absorbed with his mana perception and his own thoughts. He knew that the clock was ticking, but¡­

    ¡­but he could finally start to see the pieces falling together.

    Or at least he finally had a theory why they had never fit before. Not once during this whole year in which Terry had been trapped in this battle-lunatic asylum, had things made sense entirely.

    Dungeon marks, but no dungeon activity.

    High-level magic, but sprinkled with all kinds of mechanisms and contraptions that ranged from masterful to amateurish.

    Runic inscriptions, but mixed with martialist artifacts and projections.

    Terry remembered a passage from Thanatos¡¯s essays in The Warlord. A passage about the difference between dealing with an individual, a nation, or a clan.

    Terry had never been interested in politics, which was why that particular chapter had failed to really catch his attention, but the current situation had knocked the memory loose.

    Different actors. Different times. Different motives.

    Terry shook his head. He was unsatisfied with himself at not having thought of this sooner.

    Seeing both the Aspiring Soul Curse and the dwarven House insignia finally caused him to catch on. These two were both known as Faithless Saints. They had both worked together with the Veilbinder. However, they had never worked with each other as far as Terry knew. They had been allies with the Veilbinder at different stages and in different battles.

    More than that, the Aspiring Soul Curse had been lost to the ages. How could it appear on constructs that he could swear were of dungeon origin? Even though there was some overlap between the appearance of dungeons in Terry¡¯s realm and the Faithless Wars, the overlap was short.

    This is a dungeon.

    Terry clenched his king spear tightly. This all felt too familiar. The earth giant construct. The sensation from below. The difference in mana harvesting speed. Only¡­

    No. This IS a dungeon.

    If Terry was completely honest, this was nothing but a strong hunch, but the clock was ticking and he did not have time to scribble all possible theories into a notebook. He had one chance to think the situation through and he had to think fast.

    If it is a dungeon, then it must have been one of the first.

    If it is a dungeon, then someone must have done something to it. To change its behavior. To preserve the construct-empowering Aspiring Soul. To fold the space. To¡­

    Why would Dalia¡¯s mark be here?

    As far as Terry knew, Dalia had fought only a few battles in Terry¡¯s native realm. She had spent most of her time leading the charge against the False Gods in the native realm of the dwarves instead. Finding her insignia here, and as a dungeon mark, would imply that she or one of her descendants had come back after the Faithless Wars.

    What would bring two Faithless Saints to one and the same dungeon?

    No, not just Faithless Saints.

    Friends of the Veilbinder.

    The Veilbinder¡¯s last sacrifice.

    At this point, Terry¡¯s pulse had accelerated to a point as if he was in the middle of battle. The Veilbinder and his companions had departed the realm, but only some of his companions had returned.

    Saint Petra had chronicled the Veilbinder¡¯s plan to change the Veil, to strengthen it around the allied faithless realms in order to shield them, to allow them to develop their magic until they could thwart all invasion attempts.

    The Veilbinder had succeeded, which was one of the main reasons why the False Gods had never retaken their realms, even after the threat of the god-slaying mage was no more.

    However, something must have gone wrong. According to Saint Petra¡¯s account, the Veilbinder was supposed to return after binding the Veil. Unfortunately, the champion of mortals was never seen again, to the loss of all the faithless realms and to the sorrow of his old companions.

    If Terry had to wonder what might lead some of these companions to the same location? A location with a dungeon at that?

    Terry was familiar with Samuel¡¯s theory about the nature of dungeons. He had personally seen the Veil tear apart and the madness it inspired in the dungeon covering the tear.

    He had no clue what caused some creatures to inspire dungeon madness, while others didn¡¯t. Canans, lizans, felans were recent newfolk. Even dwarves and elves were originally not native to Terry¡¯s realm. In contrast to hellspawn, these folks did not create a scrambled defense and attack reflex from dungeons.

    It was evident that originating from a foreign realm was not the only criteria by which a dungeon judged a being. Nevertheless, it appeared to play a part.

    Vicious.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Terry believed that it was Vicious that had caused the dungeon¡¯s behavior to change. Specifically, whatever ability the cultist had unleashed as his last resort. The constructs had only emerged then. The dungeon had ignored Vicious¡¯s earlier activity and mana abilities.

    The Realm¡¯s First Line of Defense.

    Terry instinctively raised his king spear to the back and extended it just towards the neck of the martialist that had been trying to make a move on him. He did not even have to move his eyes to know exactly where to point his spear.

    ¡°S-sorry, man. Can¡¯t blame a fella for trying.¡± The martialist backed away with raised hands. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to use your ticket, you could, you know, make a donation.¡±

    Terry wasn¡¯t listening.

    Fact: The dungeon reacted to Vicious¡¯s otherrealm ability.

    Fact: The dungeon started moving at exactly the same time as the first orange pulse from the moons. Or perhaps the other way around. They did coincide no matter which way.

    Fact: The orange pulses were known before. The siblings warned me, which means that these pulses happen around the time this tomb opens for people to exit.

    What¡­? Why¡­?

    Terry got the bad feeling that these orange flashes always signaled contact with otherrealm mana abilities. He was distracted from his thoughts by a change in mana inside the ticket in his left hand.

    I don¡¯t have time¡­ Huh?

    Unexpectedly, he could also sense a change in the king spear in his other hand.

    This is all¡­

    For the past year, Terry had wanted nothing more than to leave this damned pocket realm. To get away from these insane battle-junkies. To return to his family.

    He should be happy that the moment to leave had finally come.

    He should be ecstatic that they had managed to kill Vicious before.

    Victory!

    Everything Terry had asked for!

    He knew it. Even so, Terry did not feel it. His mind was circling around the strange puzzle in front of him. He felt compelled to solve it, if only for the connection to the Veilbinder.

    No one has ever told the tale of what happens after the tomb closes. No one has ever been seen again.

    Orange flashes. Otherrealm mana.

    Dungeon activity. Veil tears.

    The tickets¡­

    Terry thought about the way the tickets worked.

    Many may enter, only one may leave.

    Dungeon.

    Terry could not help but think back to the earliest dungeon pioneers. Before the logistic problem of dungeons had been solved by dimensional storage items and transportation magic, pioneering often required suicidal resolve. No one knew how deep a dungeon might be or what was waiting. If you were not prepared for a one-way trip, then¡­

    Not pioneering, no¡­ This place has been marked and mapped.

    Dungeon.

    Veilbinder. Sealed space.

    Terry remembered the fallback plan the Veilbinder had used during the Second Great Crisis.

    A plane shift. If you are uncertain about beating an opponent, buy time.

    Terry did not like where his mind was going.

    Not at all.

    Tickets. Many may enter, only one may leave. Suicide mission.

    Dungeon. Otherrealm mana. Periodical sealing.

    Crap.

    Terry subconsciously closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    Tomb is right, but not the way they mean¡­

    This isn¡¯t a trial.

    Terry opened his eyes and clenched his king spear tightly. This is a tomb of¡­ ¡°War.¡± A battle bigger than a single cultist like Vicious.

    Whatever was causing the orange flashes in earlier cycles must have come from another realm that had caught the attraction of the Veilbinder¡¯s old companions. Whatever it was, Terry doubted that it was anything good.

    Didn¡¯t the siblings also say something about the realm closing earlier recently? We might have triggered it by forcing Vicious¡¯s hand, but¡­

    Not good.

    Terry involuntarily imagined all kinds of possible horrors spilling into this folded space from who knows where. The dungeon defense weakening with time. Until the first line of defense had been whittled down completely.

    By all common sense, the cold shiver on Terry¡¯s back should have caused him to depart quickly. However, there was a second scene that unfolded in his mind: the folded space unfolding and the horrors marching into his home to threaten the people close to him.

    Terry was desperate to go home, to finally have a peaceful day with his loved ones again. To see his friends and siblings. To apologize. To hug his accepted parents if they were still alive.

    Terry was yearning to follow the person he wanted to become, to stand proud like the Veilbinder, or at least to learn more about what had happened.

    He felt the different parts of him wrestling with each other. He was pushed to hurry by the intensifying mana changes. The ambient mana. The moons in the sky. The ticket in his left hand. The spear in his right.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, it wasn¡¯t the picture of the Veilbinder that stood out the most in his hesitating mind. No, it was not the distant character of legend. It was a smaller character. Literally and figuratively, because it was the familiar image of his dwarven aunt.

    ¡®My kind of family.¡¯

    ¡®If that¡¯s where the fight is, then that¡¯s where I intend to be.¡¯

    ¡®I believe in choices.¡¯

    Terry inhaled deeply and raised his left hand while his gaze followed the crumbled ticket. He saw the mana changing.

    He felt the orange pulse even before he could see it.

    He saw something change in the ticket.

    There was no tugging sensation like with an unanchored spatial transfer since he had not activated the ticket, but Terry burst his mana just in case. He was staring with grim resolve at the evaporating exit ticket in his hand.

    Everyone else was staring aghast at Terry as if he was a strange beast.

    ¡°The imbecile¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard he was mad, but who would have thought the Arcanian was the most insane in here.¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± barked Terry with a flare of his mana. He pointed at two of them. ¡°And step back.¡± He pointed next at the lingering constructs. ¡°Their range is extending.¡± He glared at the martialists that had been slapped away earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll personally push my blade into the next idiot that dares to attack the constructs.¡±

    ¡°Piss off! What are you going to do, huh? We¡¯re all dead men walking anyway.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to give orders anyway? Do you think we¡¯re afraid of you¡ªeeek?!¡±

    Before the martialists had finished his posturing, he found a green-blue spearhead right in front of his eye. The extended orange pole was lying on the Arcanian¡¯s hand without shaking even the tiniest bit, as if it weighed nothing, which caused the shocked man to reflexively shrink back and gulp.

    ¡°Terry¡­¡± Rafael was staring at his former coliseum ally in bewilderment.

    ¡°Here is what I think will happen.¡± Terry pulled back his spear and searched for a few familiar eyes among the sea of lunatics. Guillermo, Zhang, the sister from the Blazing Sun Sect, even Rafael.

    ¡°Something will open underneath us.¡± Terry pointed down. ¡°Deep below. Something will come up. Something bad.¡± He gestured at the constructs. ¡°The dungeon will fight against it, but I suspect it won¡¯t have an easy time.¡±

    ¡°What dungeon?¡±

    Terry swallowed down his frustration at having to explain everything. ¡°You¡¯re standing in it.¡±

    ¡°Has he gone insane?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡±

    ¡°Terry, this is not a dungeon.¡± Guillermo said with some concern for the Arcanian. ¡°The trials are man-made.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are, but that does not change the fact that this is a dungeon,¡± insisted Terry. ¡°It might not have been before, but it is now.¡±

    ¡°Definitely an imbecile.¡± One martialist sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve been to dungeons. Even a child can recognize the difference.¡±

    Terry recognized the man. He had tried to rob Terry before. The only reason that this person was still alive was that he had not bothered to kill him back then.

    He saw that the man was standing inside the changed ambient mana. For a split second, he considered thrusting his spear into the man¡¯s brain to prove the point.

    Fortunately for the man, Terry saw a more appropriate target appear in his sight. It almost felt nostalgic. Only back during Terry¡¯s first dungeon dive, it had been his uncle Samuel that performed the demonstration.

    He slashed his spear while extending the pole right into the unwitting mana-corrupted rat that had attempted to bite and poison one of the martialists.

    ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Insane.¡± ¡°You dare?! I¡¯ll fight you!¡±

    ¡°Look, you knuckle-brains.¡± Terry pointed and after a pause, the corpse of the rat suddenly disappeared. Even Terry¡¯s inner Academy student was not entirely happy to be proven right. The implications weren¡¯t that great for him or his native realm.

    Why don¡¯t these mana corrupted have cores to begin with? Are they not associated with the dungeon? If they¡¯re not dungeon-assimilated, then where do they come from?

    Focus.

    Terry moved his eyes over the martialists. ¡°Have you ever seen that outside a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually back when I visited¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, stuff it.¡± It was the sister from the Blazing Sun Sect siblings that interrupted the martialist. ¡°Of all the possible explanations, which is the most likely?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Has anyone seen this before in this tomb?¡± another martialist asked everyone present. Silence and shaking heads were the only response.

    ¡°Why would there suddenly be a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°And why would something come up? The constructs are already here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, doesn¡¯t this mean that we have to destroy the dungeon and we can go free? It must have been the dungeon that killed our predecessors, right?¡±

    ¡°Wrong!¡± hissed Terry. ¡°The dungeon isn¡¯t the enemy. The real enemy is what the dungeon is shielding us from. The enemy is what is going to come up.¡±

    ¡°Lunatic.¡±

    ¡°Who here has ever seen a veil tear before?¡± demanded Terry. He pointedly raised his hand. ¡°Well, I have. I saw a world of hellspawns on the other side.¡±

    ¡°Now we are doing fairy tales? Well, I once defeated a thousand-men army by farting them to death.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything of value to add, why don¡¯t you save your breath instead of letting it leak out with meaningless drivel,¡± barked Guillermo.

    ¡°Oi, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Guillermo opened his eyes widely, moved a step closer and stared the speaker down.

    The target of Guillermo¡¯s anger cleared his throat, but did not dare to reply again. The Outcast had a reputation of his own.

    ¡°Are you saying that hellspawns are going to invade here?¡± Zhang asked Terry.

    ¡°No.¡± Terry shook his head.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably something worse,¡± said Terry gravely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a behemoth from afar before, what could possibly be worse than that?¡±

    ¡°Something that even¡­¡± Terry stopped himself. He did not feel as if explaining the significance behind the Aspiring Soul mana curse or Dalia¡¯s insignia marks was the best use of his time. ¡°Look, something will come. I suspect that this is a regular occurrence and the reason why the space was sealed off to begin with.¡±

    ¡°The legendary senior set up the trials. It has nothing to do with dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps this would go quicker if we don¡¯t interrupt the Arcanian every three breaths,¡± interjected Zhang drily.

    I believe the trials are newer than everything else. Terry held his thoughts because he knew that allowing the other to control the topic would only make it worse.

    He was already getting tired of this conversation. He was not used to talking for this long anymore. He did not like his conversation partners either.

    Therefore, Terry explained curtly. ¡°Something comes here. The dungeon fights it. This takes a lot of time. The dungeon might even be at risk of collapse throughout. Given that no one ever survives until the next round, I suspect that the dungeon cannot prevent the things from going wild. The surrounding space magic is what¡¯s buying enough time for the dungeon to reseal the veil tear, which temporarily stops the threat.¡±

    ¡°Or, more likely, the dungeon is killing everyone! We should all band together and destroy the dungeon constructs!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s literally the opposite of what we should do,¡± hissed Terry impatiently. ¡°Dungeons don¡¯t work like that. If there is a veil tear, the dungeon doesn¡¯t care about you or me. It only cares about repelling the invasion and tearing the invaders apart. The dungeon is our ally, not the enemy. Destroying the constructs will only worsen our chances.¡±

    ¡°So you say, but where is this tear? Where is this something?¡±

    The question put the finger right on Terry¡¯s own uncertainty and lingering doubt. ¡°Not here yet.¡± He admitted with much less firmness in his tone than before. ¡°I believe we woke the dungeon up earlier than usual.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Guillermo unleashed his mana and a mana resonance of wooden arms crossed above his head. ¡°I only see a single person that chose to be here. I want to hear him speak, not any of you fools. The next one that does not know how to hold their tongue, I¡¯ll personally cut it out in a duel.¡±

    Even Terry was slightly taken aback by the Outcast¡¯s outburst. To his pleasant surprise, Guillermo¡¯s words caused a strong reaction. Not only because of the threat of violence, but also because they reminded everyone of the fact that Terry was different from them. He had possessed an exit ticket, an opportunity to leave, but he had chosen to stay.

    ¡°If I¡¯m right, then our best chance to survive is to coordinate with the dungeon¡­¡± Terry inhaled deeply. He knew that his suggestion would not be very popular. ¡°...which means going down to where the fight is. Joining the first line of defense.¡±

    Terry could see a person, that had been intimidated by the Outcast earlier, mouthing a quiet ¡®Fuck this.¡¯ The faces among the martialists showed clearly that no one liked the suggestion.  Ganging up on a ¡®demonic cultivator¡¯ whom you had a grudge with was one thing. Stalking deep into unknown tunnels with people you didn¡¯t trust and surrounded by looming dungeon constructs was something else.

    And it would be so much worse if Terry was actually proven right.

    Who in their right mind would sign up for this?

    ***

 174 A Message Lost to Time

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 85 ¨C

    Some martialists took courage at Guillermo¡¯s frown after Terry¡¯s suggestion and they dared to speak up again.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling us that something oh-so-terrible is going to come from down there and you want us to go greet it? Are you mental?¡±

    ¡°Is this a scam?¡± Rafael growled with wariness.

    ¡°Madness.¡±

    Terry suppressed his retorts. He had sensed another change and was trying to figure out the source of this new sense of discomfort.

    It felt familiar.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Terry tentatively burst his mana. He could hear a shattering sound in his mind. ¡°Great.¡± He was scowling. Unknowingly, his scowl caused the latest speaker, whom Terry had ignored so far, to flinch and step back. Terry, however, did not pay the martialist any mind. ¡°The dungeon is setting up a spatial lock.¡±

    The martialists just stared at Terry.

    How do I prove a spatial lock to people unfamiliar with space magic?

    Perhaps I¡ª Oh.

    The magic moons in the sky pulsed orange once more. A fourth flash.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Many of the martialists broke out in an uproar.

    One pulse on contact.

    Second pulse on¡­ Terry tried to remember the timing but realized that he had missed the moment of the second flash. He sensed something change shortly after this new orange flash. The feeling of discomfort had returned again.

    Could it be? Terry made a guess about the motivation behind the flashes. Perhaps these were neither of dungeon origin nor from the generations of martialists that had set up the trials. What if this magic had the same origin as the folded space?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about a fourth flash¡­¡±

    ¡°It is likely that no one has ever stayed around to tell the tale.¡±

    Terry resolved himself to test his guess. ¡°How about a fifth?¡± He burst his mana. Another shattering sound.

    ¡°What are you¡ª? Heavens!¡±

    Terry took confidence in seeing another orange pulse emitted from the magic moons.

    A signal that things are about to start. A warning that there is no turning back.

    He would have liked thinking deeper into this, particularly about the different attitudes that such a warning symbolized in contrast to the cruel nature of the tickets¡¯ entrance and exit quota.

    Different actors. Different times.

    Unfortunately for Terry, another realization forced itself upon him. If the dungeon or the mages of the past felt it necessary to enforce spatial locks, then the invaders might be capable of space magic. Capable enough to escape this folded space if left unsealed.

    Sabotaging the spatial lock might open a path for the invaders to breach into Terry¡¯s native realm. Where did that leave him with his spatial lock breaking mana bursts?

    Crap.

    Terry was still cursing in his thoughts when he realized that all the martialists were staring at him.

    ¡°A-are you really an elder that is hiding his age?¡± One martialist meekly muttered.

    ¡°No, what?¡± Terry was brought back to reality by the sheer weirdness of the question. ¡°Where did that come from?¡±

    The martialist cleared his throat and replied. ¡°I thought not. Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Then how did you do that?¡± asked Chun. The tall woman was standing next to Zhang and was suddenly all attention.

    ¡°Is the rest you spoke of true?¡± asked Guillermo with a grave tone.

    ¡°I think so,¡± replied Terry without hesitation.

    ¡°Then why did you stay behind?¡± asked the sister from the Blazing Sun siblings. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your problem. I didn¡¯t think you had any close friends here either. From what I know¡­¡± She glanced fleetingly at the leopard-spotted felan closeby. ¡°...you never wanted to be here in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Who says that the invaders would stop here?¡± Terry spoke honestly. ¡°I recognize¡­¡± He bit his bottom lip. ¡°I recognize the flame symbols on the constructs. They have meaning. The purple dungeon marks scattered around the folded space and its shadow plane. They have meaning. Whatever their creators were worried about, we should all be worried about. All of us.¡±

    Terry could see that his answer wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Both the symbols and the marks are related to the Veilbinder.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡±

    ¡°Country bumpkin. That¡¯s another name for the Godslaying Mortal.¡±

    ¡°What? Why would anyone use such a name for the Godslaying Mortal? Makes him sound like a seamstress. ¡®Veilbinder¡¯? Really?¡±

    The woman from the Blazing Sun Sect stepped to Terry and held out her hand. Terry was not sure what to make of it, but decided to accept the handshake. Unexpectedly, she leaned close to his ear.

    ¡°Annabelle,¡± whispered the woman before stepping back and continuing in a louder tone. ¡°If we are to die together, we might as well do it properly.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second, I still don¡¯t believe this,¡± interjected another martialist.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± barked Guillermo. ¡°A death is a death.¡±

    ¡°If Terry is right, then¡­¡± Zhang could not help but glance at Chun.

    ¡°If I am right, then we do not have much time to prepare,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°The dungeon has awoken early, but probably not by much.¡±

    Exactly one year was the original estimate. Already a few reports about the pocket realm closing sooner every time. Not many days left, even if the dungeon¡¯s early awakening did not mess up the timeline.

    ¡°You¡¯re all mad,¡± said one martialist. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even if something is coming, it just means I¡¯ll have to hide until it¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°No one has ever survived before.¡±

    ¡°Watch me then.¡±

    Terry caught a familiar face among the martialists wanting to leave. It was a woman from the Thunderous Palm Sect. The woman had killed two of her own sect members in exchange for one Lightning Heart Peach each.

    ¡°I offer cultivation resources to everyone that stays to prepare.¡± Terry heard himself say. He glanced at Annabelle and continued: ¡°Artifacts to everyone that is following my plan. Everything I possess and do not use myself.¡±

    Many of the martialists about to leave turned around and stayed.

    ¡°For anyone that dares to accept resources and then backs out, I¡¯ll offer a quick death,¡± added Guillermo loudly.

    Some of the martialists did another turn to get away as fast as they could. Meanwhile, Terry nodded to Guillermo to thank him for the reminder about the characters whom he was dealing with.

    ¡°So, how about the Third Staff of the Monkey King?¡± One courageous martialist asked Terry.

    ¡°That I use myself,¡± replied Terry warily. He felt like he was wading into war with a group of violent overgrown kindergarteners.

    I¡¯ll take what I can get.

    He clenched his fists and raised his head to gaze at the magic moons in the sky. ¡°I have to prepare¡­¡±

    ¡°The cultivation resources?¡± A group of martialists was immediately pestering Terry for the promised benefits.

    Terry focused on his breathing to manage his own temper. His attention was subconsciously drawn to a human woman in yellow combat robes with a black sash around her waist. He could not place the mana signature but something about the woman¡¯s posture seemed familiar even though he did not recognize her face.

    Chalita shrunk back under Terry¡¯s inquisitive eyes. She and the Arcanian were not on good terms after all. However, she desperately needed resources to adjust to her new body. Without them, she would die quickly, one way or another. She resolved herself. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, but hear me out¡­¡±

    Terry brushed his left hand across his mouth as if he was wiping away blood from its corner. Of course, there was no blood, but he reflexively acted to hide some of his facial expressions in order to not let his honest face betray his thoughts.

    It was only when the woman continued talking and explaining herself that Terry realized it was Chalita. He had no idea why her appearance and mana signature had changed so drastically, but it did not matter.

    Once again, Terry had to consciously control his breathing to oppose his rising anger and to refrain from killing the woman for her past attempt on his own life. If he was to kill instead of providing the offered ressources, he would quickly lose his influence over the opportunistic martialists.

    Worse, Terry feared that he sincerely needed every pair of fists he could get. He would very much like to avenge himself, but right now, he had another enemy to worry about. Chalita was strong, or used to be at least. Such a person could be of use.

    I hate this place.

    Terry swallowed his wrath and instead prepared to hand out some of the remaining mana-rich resources he still possessed.

    Chalita could not help but show some surprise on her face. Recognizing some of the items, she almost felt like crying from relief. The sentiment was quickly replaced by a returning and growing ambition. These items would help her recover. She finally saw a glimmer of hope. A rope to latch onto in order to climb towards her revenge on Shen and beyond.

    Not all of the surrounding martialists realized Chalita¡¯s identity, but none of them failed to see the lingering grudge between the two.

    ¡°The Arcanian really means it, huh?¡±

    The expressions among the observers varied. Some were elated to see the promise of benefits fulfilled. Many, however, lost their cheer entirely. They had heard about Terry hunting down those that had ambushed him. They could not help but ponder the implications of the vengeful Arcanian putting aside his personal grudge and even going so far as to share resources with a mortal enemy.

    ¡°He¡¯s serious¡­¡± Grave whispers escaped from some of their lips.

    ***

    Well done, Terry. You threw away your one chance to get away and return to your family. Now you¡¯re stuck for good.

    What if I¡¯m wrong?

    Terry had done his best to convince the martialists to stay and join, but his own doubts were still gnawing at his mind. He tried to focus on the task at hand in order to cling to a semblance of sanity.

    He consciously circulated his mana with closed eyes.

    He carefully moved more mana from his mana pool into circulation. He used his mana control to further compress the mana and he increased the speed until¡ª

    Terry heard a shattering sound and immediately opened his eyes with a scowl. ¡°Another bust.¡± Soon afterwards, he could see the moons pulse with orange light again.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I have to figure out the limits.

    Terry was not looking forward to a fight without bursts. The prospect was like fighting without his limbs. Without his mana bursts for enhancing his physical abilities or shifting through battle rhythms, Terry was¡­

    Just a mage.

    A mage with only a single spell.

    Utter failure.

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Terry subconsciously bit the inside of his cheek to shut up his own intrusive thoughts.

    In addition to my Immovable Object spell, I still have my mana-adjusted body and magic items.

    Even though Terry tried to encourage himself, he knew deep down that he would feel crippled in battle. He closed his eyes for another attempt.

    Thanks to his habitual training, his mana foundation was phenomenal for his age. Even in his balanced state, Terry would be able to hold his own against nearly all of the remaining martialists one against one.

    Fighting one against many, however? Like in some of his other encounters throughout the year?

    Terry did not like his chances. His balanced state did not feel like enough.

    That was why he was frantically testing the limits for how much he could go beyond his naturally balanced state before breaking the spatial seal. He tested different circulation patterns and burst techniques. He needed answers and he had no idea how much time he had for finding them.

    What if I¡¯m wrong?

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have all the time I need,¡± hissed Terry to himself.

    Despite his self-directed snark, he was getting anxious. If he was wrong, then he had lost his one chance to leave this folded space. If he was right, then he had to fight an uncertain battle while being severely handicapped.

    What if I¡¯m wrong?

    The more time passed, the more Terry found it difficult to encourage himself. His mana perception showed continued changes in the pocket realm, but none that would match a veil tear.

    So much for Terry the aspiring clairvoyant.

    Terry, the failed prophet, more like.

    Perhaps you should use that blue crystal egg from the lizan prophet before making further prediction attempts? That would fry your mind though. Whatever is left to fry anyway.

    Just because I managed to predict a few mana resonance techniques, I thought I could predict veil tears? What was I thinking?

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Terry involuntarily let his frustration get the better of him. He accidentally used too much mana. A shattering sound greeted him immediately.

    ¡°Could you stop that?!¡± One martialist exclaimed in exasperation when yet another orange pulse was being emitted from the magic moons in the sky. ¡°This shit is making me lose my peace!¡±

    Terry scowled at the martialist.

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± A familiar face spoke up. It was the elven man from the Skyriver Sect whom Terry had spared. ¡°These flashes are too ominous. It¡¯s disconcerting¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Terry. ¡­and I thought I let you off with a ticket back then. Did you lose it to someone else?

    ¡°Jason¡­¡± The man stepped back warily. He did not like being at the center of the Arcanian¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Tell the others that we¡¯ll have to move soon.¡± Terry closed his eyes again. ¡°The dungeon¡¯s control is getting too close again.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jason happily backed away from him to pass on the message.

    Unperturbed, Terry continued his attempts to discover the restrictions he was forced to accept if he wanted to keep the spatial seal intact. Eventually, after hours of experiments, he had nailed down the exact limits for his mana use depending on his circulation patterns and techniques.

    If the situation wasn¡¯t so frustrating, Terry would have been overjoyed at finally discovering an answer to a question he had held in his mind ever since the battle over Syn City. A question that had earned him a smack from Sigille¡¯s staff for getting distracted in the middle of a burst technique lesson.

    What was it about bursting that altered the interaction between oscillating mana and space magic? Why did Terry¡¯s improved mana foundation not show the same effect as his past bursts even though all absolute measurements like mana throughput or velocity should be the same?

    In the end, he had found the same answer he had already discovered for the effect of an oscillating mana charge on the activation delay of the Immovable Object spell.

    Balance.

    The items Terry aspected with the aspecting technique from Wallace and his dungeon scavengers carried an imbalance of oscillating mana spread throughout the item. The activation delay stood in relationship to the imbalance as well as to the position and mana amount of the Immovable Object spell structure.

    From Terry¡¯s rushed experimentation, it became clear that the relationship for bursts appeared similar. The effect was not hinging on any absolute metric, but in relation to his balanced state and mana pool. His inner Academy student was itching to get out his notebooks and experiment until he derived the exact function, but he knew that this was not the time.

    Knew? Not quite, but Terry believed it was not the right time. He did not really know. He did not know when the real enemies were about to appear.

    In fact, with every passing hour, Terry was becoming less certain that anything at all would appear. The only thing keeping him from losing himself in the derision of his own intrusive thoughts were his practice, his experiments, and all other steps he took to prepare himself and his questionable allies.

    ***

    Terry was standing in a vast bubble of his own naturalized mana. Inside the bubble, spell structures were constantly shaping and vanishing without being ignited. Naturally, all of these spell structures were for the Immovable Object spell.

    An ever increasing number of spell structures rippled like the tide over Terry¡¯s mana. Some of the mana martialists had even stopped their own preparation to stare at him with their mana sight.

    This was Terry¡¯s solution to the mage-side problem of lacking access to bursts. If pressing too much mana along his mana channels for casting caused problems, then he would simply bypass the mana channels by maintaining an external mana pool.

    He already had all the individual skills to make it work. Hands-free and parallel casting with increasing range. Naturalizing, reclaiming, and controlling mana from a distance. His mana foundation and spell control. His discharges and subsequent reclaiming of mana. His range training and mana touch. Every feat linked together to allow his current improvised workaround.

    Unfortunately, there was no equivalent for the physical limitation imposed by a lack of bursts. Terry could bypass his mana channels and externalize his mana pool for his spellwork, but muscles weren¡¯t as intangible as spell structures. He required his mana channels to infuse mana for physical performance enhancements.

    Terry found something meditative in the whole exercise. Preparing the primed spell structure without ever igniting them. Tearing them down without ever targeting an object. The exercise helped calm his mind.

    Even so, the uncertainty was increasingly getting to him, especially because there was a nagging voice reminding him that it was unwise to enter a battle without being properly rested. Naturally the voice sounded like his accepted parents.

    What if I¡¯m wrong?

    Terry inhaled deeply and then whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    Wishful thinking.

    I thought we¡ª

    Terry whipped his head to the side and looked up into the sky where a low-concentration but large change in mana was manifesting.

    ¡°What?¡± Jason noticed his abrupt action and also looked up. Many other martialists followed to do the same.

    A giant translucent silhouette appeared in the sky.

    ¡°Greetings, noble warriors.¡± The projection slowly took the shape of a man in embroidered combat robes. ¡°It is I.¡±

    Terry and many of the martialists scrunched up their faces. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Is this the senior that prepared the tomb? I¡¯ve never seen him before¡­¡±

    ¡°Back when I reigned supreme over the Ten Martial Peaks, I beheld myself as the peak among the heavens and so it was¡­¡± The silhouette paused with significance.

    ¡°Ten Martial Peaks? What¡¯s he on about?¡±

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve heard¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve crushed my enemies and built our Ten Martial Peaks up to its full glory.¡± The projection never stopped to react to any of the mutterings. ¡°But I¡¯m sure your sect elders have told you all about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the Ten Martial Peaks?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I could to prepare the Ten Martial Peaks to continue reigning supreme.¡± The projection made another weighty pause before lowering his head slightly. ¡°I hope that you have not disappointed my expectations. With all that I provided, you as my descendants were set up to rule over the realm eventually. ¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s the Ten Martial Peaks?¡± More and more people were pestering a woman that had vaguely remembered the name before.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sect that perished during the middle of the Era of Upheaval. It was completely destroyed by the Lich Kingdoms. The only reason I heard of them is that I once researched the region where the Soaring Mountain Sect has settled. The Ten Martial Peaks were owning the region at some point. I believe the sect managed to last quite long before perishing.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ Oy!¡± A man shouted at the projection. ¡°Your descendants are all dead. Stop yapping!¡±

    Again, the projection did not react to any of the hecklers.

    ¡°But there is more than this realm to worry about.¡± The translucent man shook his head. ¡°When I reached the peak of power, I started taking an interest in traveling and following rumors. One of these rumors has led me to this place. The place of my sole regret.¡±

    ¡°Not just yours, geezer!¡± interjected one martialist. ¡°I wish I¡¯d never heard of the tickets.¡±

    ¡°When I entered this secluded space, I was first elated at its mystery.¡± The projection shook his head. ¡°When I found the seal, I thought nothing of tearing it apart, only I failed to destroy it completely. This failure has been the biggest fortune of my life.¡± He lowered his gaze. ¡°I set out to research and learn how to tear through the barrier. During my research, I learned of my own foolishness. Fortunately for everyone, I did not break it. However, I damaged it and it is my fault.¡±

    ¡°The geezer lost me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Terry shouted the crowd down.

    The projection closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never followed the Librarians, except for seeking treasure, but it was then that my greed led me to a history of battles that showed me my own unworthiness. A tale of a mortal that struck fear into literal gods.¡±

    Finally, the projection had managed to catch everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°My guilt is that I broke the seal and opened a path that ought to stay closed until we¡¯re ready.¡± The translucent figure raised his head again and stared towards the front. ¡°My shame is that I did not dare to step through myself. I was unable to fully commit to this path. My heart was too entwined with my sect and clan. I just could not leave.

    ¡°As cruel as the heavens are, there are no half-steps on this path. The damaged seal appears to weaken further from the presence of aged powers. Recruiting elders was no option unless we wanted to risk breaking the seal completely, which is why it had to be you, young heroes, to rise up to the task of securing the seal.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived my life for our sect, which is why our sect has to bear the burden of my mistake. We have to defend the gate and help the seal stabilize. We have to prepare challengers to step forward, because only when the next step is secured will my mistake be undone once and for all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve instructed my direct disciples and descendants to recruit worthy challengers and prepare an accelerated training environment with lots of benefits. By now, everyone that still carried fear in their hearts should have escaped with the transportation talismans.¡±

    The martialists were looking at each other with quiet bewilderment.

    ¡°My descendants, my juniors, you have done our sect proud by volunteering to come here.¡±

    ¡°Volunteer my arse!¡± shouted a martialist with indignation. ¡°What inheritance? Inheriting your mistakes, you bastard! This is a death trap!¡±

    ¡°The path you have chosen speaks to your courage and I know you will bring glory to our sect.¡± The translucent figure made a slight bow.

    ¡°What glory can a dead sect earn, huh?!¡±

    The translucent silhouette seemed to freeze for a second and flicker slightly as if a recording had been stopped and restarted. Then a light shone onto Terry, who could sense a slight mana reaction from the king spear.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that a commander has stepped up to the task. Fight well!¡± The projection disappeared.

    Everyone was staring at Terry with disbelief.

    ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re not an elder in disguise?¡± Jason asked the Arcanian from the side.

    Terry rolled his eyes and then mentally went over their preparations. While he was doing his own experiments, he had tasked Annabelle, Zhang, and Guillermo with distributing the items he could provide. The other martialists had been busy attempting cultivation breakthroughs and practicing with their new offensive and defensive artifacts.

    Terry had thought he would feel better with certainty, but now that he had been proven right, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. The prospects were simply too daunting.

    While he was busy with his own thoughts and mana scouting, people were gathering around him. Even some of the martialists that had previously refused to cooperate were returning.

    Among the returnees was the felan martialist Rafael, Terry¡¯s former coliseum ally. He had not trusted Terry after their recent squabbles and had convinced himself that the Arcanian was somehow running a scam. After seeing the giant projection, however, Rafael had begun wondering again.

    ¡°You were speaking the truth¡­?¡± As a felan, Rafael did not pale like a human. There was no ashen face to reveal his thoughts, but his lips reverberated in the timbre of worry and concern. For once, the boisterous martialist was unable to keep his real thoughts from leaking into his voice.

    ¡°You were right¡­¡± Another of the returnees muttered.

    Terry subconsciously reacted while focusing on his mana touch. ¡°I was wrong¡­¡± His eyes focused to look at the martialists. ¡°At least on¡ª This isn¡¯t going to be a normal veil tear.¡± He tried to match the sensory input from his mana touch against the words from the projection. ¡°A sealed gate. A permanent gate, closed by some kind of magic barrier. The Veil might play a part in the seal and barrier, but¡­¡±

    Terry pondered the implications.

    Crap.

    So much for my hope of using oscillating mana to heal the tear like in the Valkyrie¡¯s dungeon. I cannot seal a permanent gate, can I? What¡¯s the difference? I should read up on the Veil and¡ª Not the time.

    Focus.

    Terry realized that everyone was looking at him. ¡°Not important. It boils down to the same problem. Something is coming but¡­¡± He raised his eyes towards the many changes in mana he was sensing. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s from below anymore. I think¡­¡±

    He looked up at the magic moons and considered the weird space magic that was sealing the boundaries and preventing people from stepping beyond certain limits by stretching and contracting space.

    What if this was another layer of protection?

    Folded space. What if¡­?

    Terry was sensing changes deep below, but he was also sensing changes at higher locations, including at what appeared to be the surface. He remembered the artificial forest in the dungeon that the arrogant dwarf Alrik had discovered, before Terry got whisked away by the dungeon into Tiv¡¯s territory.

    Artificial. What if¡­?

    He looked up at the magic moons.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry ordered his thoughts that were rushed by the mana changes growing more pronounced by the second. ¡°I think we might already be down. Deep down.¡± He glanced at some of the more reliable martialists among the group like Annabelle and Zhang, only to see them look at him in confusion.

    Terry involuntarily pictured standing inside a sphere. The magic moons at the center. The ground he took to be the outside surface of a sphere actually representing the inside. He was not convinced he could explain his mental image quickly to the bewildered martialists.

    Not important. Not the time. What¡¯s important is¡ª

    ¡°They are going to come from everywhere,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°If the changes I¡¯m sensing are any indication, most openings will be at the surface.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Guillermo interjected. ¡°More space for us to run wild.¡±

    But also less opportunities to control the flow of enemies. No tunnel fighting techniques. No blocking areas with the Immovable Object spell to force them into a narrow path.

    Terry tried to keep his own reservations from leaking out of his mouth. At this point, there was nothing he could do about it. Better to lean into it like the elven outcast from the Ironbark Fist Sect than to demotivate the flimsy martialists that represented his only potential allies.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Terry pointed towards the closest location where he sensed changes converging into mana distortions. ¡°Likely first point of contact.¡±

    ***

 175 First Contact

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 92 ¨C

    ¡°Do you trust the Arcanian?¡± Chun asked Zhang. The eyes of the tall woman lingered with intense curiosity on the face of her senior brother.

    By now, roughly half of all the martialists that were left in the folded space had chosen to cooperate with Terry. They were busy preparing fortifications and keeping their attention towards the spots that the Arcanian had pointed out.

    After a long pause of consideration, Zhang replied: ¡°I trust that he tells what he believes to be the truth.¡±

    ¡°From my dealings with Terry, I think the Arcanian is wearing his heart on his face.¡± Annabelle interjected unasked. She had switched her combat robes and was not wearing the shimmering uniform of the Blazing Sun Sect anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve met eight-year olds that had better control of their facial expressions.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll also trust his character,¡± continued Zhang. His sunken eyes were looking over the horizon. ¡°He never bothered us after our initial conflict. If he chose to remain here for the reasons he stated, then he¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°An absolute fool?¡± suggested Chun while looking at her own tall shadow next to Zhang¡¯s.

    Zhang smirked faintly. ¡°Are you insulting him or me?¡±

    Chun smiled faintly. She chose not to answer and instead asked another question. ¡°No one has ever returned after the tomb had closed.¡±

    ¡°They stood alone and unprepared.¡± Chalita in her newly assimilated body joined the conversation. Her eyes rested on Terry¡¯s back. ¡°If only half of what the Arcanian has predicted is on the mark, then we have better chances than anyone before us. It might be the last chance we will get. I, for one, don¡¯t intend to waste it. I don¡¯t care what¡¯s coming. If it stands in my way, I will pierce through and overcome it. I still have shit to do and I¡¯m sure you do too. Stop wasting your time and breath with pointless chit-chat.¡±

    Meanwhile, Terry stood further to the front and slightly up in the sky. He did not know what he hated more, having to decipher subtle mana distortions that none of the others could see, or having all the martialists staring holes into his back.

    He almost wished for the seal on the gate to unravel more quickly just so that he would finally have something more to go on.

    At least we now have some reasonable fortifications to retreat to if I¡¯m right.

    He continued observing both the preparations and the changes in mana all around the pocket realm.

    Careful what you wish for¡­

    Terry noticed an accelerating pattern in the mana distortion. It was elevated a few meters above the ground and spread outwards. He reminded himself to be careful. Even if he had figured out the general situation, he knew nothing about what they would be facing.

    A bright orange-golden light started burning at the center of the pattern Terry had noticed. It looked as if reality was a sheet of paper and someone had thrown fire at it. The flame peeled away one realm and revealed another behind.

    Not another realm. Terry made another educated guess. Another sealed space, but connected to a different realm. Some kind of isolation chamber between realms? An overflow chamber in case the dungeon gets overwhelmed?

    Terry¡¯s mana rushed into the slightest opening. His mana sight might not be able to see beyond the seal¡¯s limit, but his mana touch was still feasible as an option for scouting. Consequently, he felt them before he could see them, and what he felt made his spine tingle with an eerie chill.

    An army of humans? No, of elves. Pointy ears but somewhat distorted features. Their movements are weird. Unnatural.

    Four-legged beasts. Many of them. Sizes ranging from darkblood hyenas to large windvenom grizzlies. The mana is strange¡­

    Wastes, are these giant bodies moving? Are these arms and legs? The only giants I ever heard of were the ogres among the goblinoids. I thought goblins were extinct!

    The folks¡¯ signatures carry different aspects but¡­ Something is strange in their mana signatures. Same abnormality as in the beasts.

    Terry hesitated to share his scouting results. Based on the dungeon¡¯s reaction, he had expected some otherworldly creatures. Vicious and beastly like the hellspawn. However, even though he had sensed some strange goblinoids mixed in, the rest did not seem that out of place for his native realm. If they were indeed elves, then they were folks. Sentient and sapient.

    Terry¡¯s next best guess was to search for otherrealm channelers, but he did not detect a single channeling anchor on any of the beings he was feeling.

    That only leaves the strange mana they all share¡­

    Terry made up his mind and raised his hand for the martialists to see. ¡°Hold!¡± He confirmed once more that the change in ambient mana that marked the dungeon¡¯s reach extended to the unfolding gate.

    Let¡¯s wait for the dungeon¡¯s reaction before we make a move.

    His gut was telling him that a battle was inevitable and that there was something with these incoming folks that he was missing. Otherwise, the stories about this place simply did not make any sense. True, there were incongruities even after taking into account that multiple different actors were involved in what was going on with this folded space, but something had to explain what happened to all of the previous martialists and what the projected senior had been alluding to.

    Terry was almost certain that these visitors would be hostile. Nevertheless, almost was not enough. He wanted to be sure. One did not simply ambush folks on a hunch. He involuntarily thought of his first bounty hunting examination again. Just like then, Terry had to see the opponent¡¯s face before he was able to make the final decision and shed his desire for restraint.

    If the dungeon engages them in battle, then we might get a better idea of whom or what we are dealing with. How they fight and act.

    Terry was observing the opened gate with mana-enhanced eyes and intense concentration.

    The first to step through the gap in reality was an elven woman wearing intricate metal armor. She jumped down and landed heavily on the ground. Others were following close behind her.

    The first thing that most of the martialists focused on was the crimson glow that covered each of the arrivals.

    Terry, by contrast, was immediately drawn to some of the distorted features he had felt with his mana touch.

    Are these¡­ mushrooms? Why are they wearing mushrooms¡ª? No.

    Terry saw it in their eyes. Their dull lifeless eyes. Bright with mana use, but dull nonetheless. The same set of empty looks among all of them, beasts and folks alike. It was the only common feature aside from the crimson glow.

    Their armors, their weapons, their clothing, their aspects, the species of mana corrupted ¨C all varied. Only the crimson glow, the strange mana abnormality, and the mushrooms growing from their bodies were a constant among all of the invaders.

    A long time ago, Terry had heard about magic that caused fungus spores to infect ants and take over their bodies. Instructor Khaled and researcher Mercedes had shown the zombie ants to his group during their introduction to mana curses expedition.

    Terry sensed the dungeon react before he saw it with his own eyes. All of the dungeon creatures were rushing towards the incoming mana cursed.

    Madness.

    Do dungeons get triggered by mana curses? I¡¯ve never heard of that regarding the undead curses. Ghouls, zombies, death aura, vampirism¡­ I¡¯ve definitely heard Jorg talk about vampire dungeon delvers before.

    Then¡­

    The dungeon had arrived in force. Dungeon constructs were setting up divisions and charging into the incoming armies. Mana-assimilated creatures of the dungeon tore into the mana-cursed beasts.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Terry noted two points of interest. First, the dungeon¡¯s mana-assimilated creatures carried cores, but otherwise, they looked exactly like some of the magic beasts that had appeared core-less throughout the past year.

    Second, the fungus-infested army was firing off mana abilities.

    They can still use magic?

    Terry involuntarily scowled when the fungus elves began retaliating against the dungeon with structured magic. Spellwork.

    Spellwork maybe but¡­

    Terry recognized some of the spell structures but they looked strangely foreign at the same time. He remembered the research of his uncle Samuel, who was tasked with the development of new spell structures. There could be large differences between a working spell structure and an optimal one. The magic that these elves were casting appeared flawed to Terry¡¯s eyes.

    Flawed. Early stages. Old.

    Ancient. As if they have been cut off from all magic progress since the days of the Ancestral Empire.

    Terry was still connecting the pieces of information in front of him when the first giant slammed onto the ground. Seeing the mushroom-sprouting giant that was as tall as most of their sect¡¯s residences caused some of the mana martialists to lose it. Not everyone had faced giant behemoths or elder wyverns before and overcome with fear, these martialists turned to flee.

    The terrified martialists didn¡¯t make it far before their equipment was transfixed in the air. Dozens of meters away, a stern-faced Terry was briefly glancing at them before facing the battle and shouting over his shoulder. ¡°Your lives are your own, but these items were mine and are going to fight.¡±

    ¡°Cowards!¡± Other martialists instantly derided them.

    ¡°Have you no shame?!¡±

    ¡°I warned you,¡± growled Guillermo with flaring mana.

    ¡°Would you rather fight alone?¡± Chalita sneered at the would-be-deserters. ¡°Die somewhere in a ditch when they find you? If you want to live, you better find some determination. You won¡¯t get a better opportunity than now.¡±

    ¡°No one has ever returned from here alive,¡± roared Chun. The tall woman raised her sword and demanded: ¡°Isn¡¯t it a cultivator¡¯s path to defy the heavens?! Rebel against our fates?!¡±

    ¡°Being the first to return has a nice ring to it,¡± added a masked felan with leopard spots. ¡°Forget exiting with a ticket like a coward. This is an honor worthy of the great me!¡±

    Terry held himself back from snorting at Rafael¡¯s shout. He had heard enough of the felan¡¯s false outer bravado to take the remarks seriously. No matter. If it helped them fight, then so be it. Whatever worked for them. He would take what he can get.

    While Terry stood steadfast in front, the martialists were egging each other on until nearly all of them had resolved themselves to fight once more.

    Terry recalled the image of an emaciated elven woman jumping fearlessly into the path of an invading army of hellspawn. He turned one last time to look at his questionable allies. A ragtag bunch of greedy martialists with overgrown egos and who had probably never seen an alliance end in anything but betrayal.

    ¡°The fight is there.¡± Terry pointed and glared at the martialists. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of grudges you have with each other. I don¡¯t care what you have done to each other in the past. I don¡¯t care if we get along or not. But if anyone dares to try and backstab someone during the fight, I¡¯ll find you afterwards.¡± He moved his gaze towards the raging battle and continued in a growl: ¡°And I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡±

    Despite the crescendo of violence in the distance, Terry¡¯s words were crystal clear to everyone. He knew that he was not the Valkyrie, but he hoped that his words at least carried some weight. Whatever was necessary to hold this shaky alliance together until the threat has been dealt with.

    He was honestly glad that the martialists couldn¡¯t see his face anymore, because there was simply no end to the invaders. Terry was frantically pressing his mana detection field outwards, but the fungus army appeared unending.

    No, there has to be an end. Their magic is ancient. There might be many, but there must be an end. They have been contained since ancient times. The dungeon probably works to keep them at bay while the gate gets resealed. Whittling down their numbers over the ages while preventing the main force from marching through.

    So what? Even the ones I can already see are at least double what the dungeon is moving in total forces. The martialists and I are like a drop in a bucket with our numbers.

    ¡°Do what I can before figuring out how to do more.¡± Terry muttered to himself. He subconsciously felt his forearm. His fingers traced the septimum bracer and he remembered the whaka ritual for making the first move in battle. Unfortunately, he was not here with his whaka. He had to figure this situation out without them.

    If there is a mana curse, then there might be a source. Or a controller like with death whisperers for the death aura curse. If we¡¯re lucky, we just have to find and kill a curse mage. If we¡¯re unlucky, the enemies persist even without active control.

    Terry let his mana wash over the battle while trying to make sense of all the different inputs from his mana perception.

    I don¡¯t sense any source. But¡­

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to move there!¡± Terry shouted.

    ¡°Do we really?¡±

    ¡°Closer to the battle? I thought we could just, I dunno, provide very, uhh, very very long-range support or something.¡±

    ¡°You cowardly weasel¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± barked Terry. ¡°First objective is to make up for the dungeon¡¯s weak points. First priority is taking out the fungus elves with healing magic. Second priority is taking out their earth mages.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather do something about these teeth-y beasts.¡±

    ¡°Or the giants, because fuck that.¡±

    ¡°The more they heal, the slower they die. The dungeon doesn¡¯t seem to have access to comparable recovery magic,¡± reminded Terry pointedly. He had seen an advantage in healing play out during the battle against Willow¡¯s forces in the Libra Outpost. This time, he could not rely on a storage full of high-quality healing scrolls and potions to overcome it.

    ¡°The more they reshape the terrain to their advantage, the worse it will get,¡± continued Terry. He himself knew best the advantage that a well-placed set of immovable objects could provide him. The problem arising from a large group of earth mages appeared exceedingly obvious to him.

    ¡°If you see other opportunities, feel free to take them, but remember that your mana is limited,¡± warned Terry. ¡°We have to prioritize.¡±

    In the distance, Terry saw countless shield-legger constructs assemble to block the club of a fungus-infested giant. It had been more than two years since Terry had last seen these walking shield constructs. They were not dangerous on their own, but they could be annoying in combination with other creatures the dungeon was throwing out.

    Almost as if to prove the point, a large squad of dungeon-assimilated mana-corrupted spiders were shooting out enhanced strings to trap the giant in place. A barrage of earth-shattering booms announced the firing of many large vacuum cannon constructs that had been strengthened by the Aspiring Soul.

    Terry narrowed his eyes and observed the exploding giant¡¯s corpse. The blood was red with a slight tint of blue. It was spurting out of the holes, which indicated that the blood was still flowing through the giant¡¯s veins and arteries. This proved that these fungus-infested beings were not like undead zombies whose blood had become stale, stagnant, and foul. The mana curse appeared to preserve the body¡¯s functions completely.

    Terry¡¯s sensitive mana sight picked up a cloud of dust-like mana exploding outwards when the giant¡¯s wounds opened.

    ¡°Spores?¡± Terry frowned and added another command: ¡°Try to maintain some distance. If you have to get into close-combat, make it quick, and¡­ avoid inhaling.¡± I guess. He ignored the questioning stares and equipped his own scent mask. If this was a mana curse, then they had to be careful. He had no idea how the curse spread. He knew that they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid getting close and he could only continue with another educated guess.

    Now masked and looking through his barrier visor, Terry added one last reminder: ¡°Above all: Stay out of the dungeon¡¯s way.¡±

    Afterwards, he charged towards the battle on layers of translucent golden mana. The mana martialists followed him with a mixture of wariness and grim determination. To their relief, the dungeon creatures acted like Terry had predicted. They ignored their approach and concentrated on fighting the invading fungus-cursed army.

    Before long, Terry was faced with an incoming barrage of thorn projectiles carrying the nature aspect. If the ominous fungus infection or the dungeon¡¯s mad attack reflex hadn¡¯t already persuaded Terry that he was facing an enemy invasion, then this obviously hostile spellwork would have done the trick. These invaders evidently had no qualms about attacking sapient folks without a warning.

    Fortunately, Terry had been expecting as much and was not caught off-guard. He calmly transfixed a sequence of tertium slabs to block. He made sure to also provide enough cover for the martialists behind and below him.

    Terry tentatively caught one of the incoming thorns with his Immovable Object spell. The successful activation was both good and bad. On the one hand, Terry would be able to stop the thorns instantly with his spell. On the other hand, the physical spell medium meant that they would continue with their momentum even if he managed to disrupt the spell structure.

    Terry breathed deeply while searching for the spell¡¯s activation center. He discovered it not that far from his position. The active spell was continuously raining down thorns and there were many such spells raging in the sky. Below, a few smaller dungeon-assimilated magic beasts were hit. Their movements became more sluggish. Their aim when unleashing their own abilities became worse.

    Having understood the situation, Terry equipped a shield and his inscribed barrier spear and darted through the barrage of thorns. He could create a disruption field and redirect it into a disruption rush that targeted the thorn spell, but Terry recoiled at the idea of wasting this much mana to avoid a few steps. He also wanted to try something.

    Terry punched out a simple discharge as soon as the activation center was in range. Thankfully, his increased control and reach allowed him to continue directing his discharged mana, which did wonders for the range, accuracy, and mana cost of his normal discharges.

    The sharp spell slicers rushed towards the thorn spell¡¯s structure and easily ripped it apart.

    Terry nodded to himself after confirming his suspicion. Long-distance. Area of effect. Creating a physical medium. Debilitating effects that lasted longer than a few seconds. A continuous activation. Judging by effects alone, this spell would be at least expert level and most likely even higher. However, the spell structures were flawed. They appeared surprisingly fragile.

    Good to know¡­

    Terry made a mental note to not overshoot with his disruption discharges. If all the spell structures of these fungus-zombies were like this, then weaker and less mana intensive discharges should be sufficient.

    The invading army was still trickling into the breached pocket realm, which told Terry all he needed to know about the paramount importance of conserving mana during this battle.

    ***

 176 No End in Sight

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 93 ¨C

    A four-legged construct with double-jointed arms that ended in rotating spinning blades was cleaving through a large group of mana-corrupted tigers with fungus growing all over them.

    A gigantic club crashed down from the sky and smashed the dungeon construct into smithereens.

    A barrage of arcane bolts was unleashed from more than fifty purplemist lynx at once and the magic projectiles charged as one towards the fungus-infested giant.

    Dull-eyed elves rapidly erected magic barriers to protect the giant from the ranged assault.

    Below the giant, a pair of large axolotls dove up from liquid earth and bit frenziedly into the giant¡¯s ankles and calves. They were not powerful enough to drag the giant down, but they viciously ripped into the creature¡¯s arteries and nerves.

    Elven mages ignited their spells and sharp roots rose from the earth to skewer the mana-corrupted axolotls. From another corner of the battlefield more elves began casting healing spells to save the giant from bleeding out.

    Black clouds swiftly assembled and the heavens roared with furious thunder. Snakes of sky-splitting lightning descended and followed a green-blue spearhead that darted into the group of elven healers. The realm trembled as the lightning snakes fuelled the king spear¡¯s magic and unleashed a wide net of electric destruction.

    ¡°Fuck me.¡± Terry cursed and fled from the overwhelming assault from elven attack spells that were immediately chasing him.

    He had gotten closer to the center of the battle than he had planned to, but unfortunately, the whole battlefield kept shifting since all the participants were constantly moving around. He had identified a cluster of healers and judged it a good opportunity to take them out with a single attack, but his heaven¡¯s roar combination came with a tight countdown that did not allow for much flexibility.

    Faced with either abandoning his target and wasting the invested mana on non-healer enemies, or with moving further to the center so that his king spear extension could reach his initial targets, Terry had chosen the latter.

    He dodged when he could.

    He blocked with immovable metal or with the divine hammer inscription when he couldn¡¯t.

    He unleashed a disruption pulse only if all other means failed, frenziedly reclaiming the mana as soon as the incoming spells were broken.

    Terry darted through the air with nimble acrobatics that would leave his old companions and accepted parents stunned beyond belief. Even more so, because he never allowed himself to fully burst his mana. The side-effects of an all-out burst would risk some of these fungus-infested mana-cursed elves escaping with space magic. Unacceptable.

    Terry¡¯s expression darkened whenever he sensed some of the elves set up spatial barriers or spatial blades. Even though these spells appeared weaker than what Terry had seen Anand wield in Tiv, this was still proof that the elves were indeed capable of utilizing the space aspect.

    Terry was still wondering if he should prioritize the dimensional mages even higher than their healers and earth mages. If he managed to take out all their dimensional mages, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about unbalanced bursts anymore. Unfortunately, he had no way to know in advance who among the unaspected elven mages was capable of spatial magic. Not before they decided to employ such spells.

    For all Terry knew, every single one of the unaspected elves could be a dimensional mage. It was unlikely, extremely so, but he couldn¡¯t take the risk. Not with an unknown mana curse at play.

    To make it worse, he still had to consider all the enemies that had not crossed over into the dungeon territory yet. Even if Terry had a way of taking out all the dimensional mages, new ones might pour onto the battlefield the next second.

    Not workable.

    Terry dismissed the thought from his mind and focused on his mana perception. He was stretching his senses to their limits in order to make up for his impaired physical performance due to the lack of proper bursts. If he was slower, then he had to be more aware and decisive. There was no time for stumbling or hesitation.

    Not far away from him, he sensed the mana resonance of a golden crow soar into the sky and rain fire with the beating of flaming wings. Even more valuable than the destruction itself was the large area of distraction it caused. Many little spider-like constructs with sharp spikes at the bottom were crawling over the ground and used the chance to climb up the distracted elves. The spike creepers rushed up their victims to screw into their heads.

    Further behind, a giant white wolf smashed through a set of unfinished fortifications that the elven earth mages had been in the process of erecting. Countless armored goblin constructs were led by the dungeon to jump into the breach. The fake goblins moved mana into their magic blades and hacked frenziedly at the fungus-infested elves and beasts.

    Annabelle and Rafael are doing fine, but¡­

    Terry let himself fall further down until the warring magic beasts were in his casting range. He strained to compress his spell structures at a distance of nearly thirty meters and then ignited the spells on the elongated canines of the fungus-infested sabretooths tigers.

    The frost jackals led by the dungeon did not miss the chance to latch onto the tigers¡¯ throats and tear out their jugulars.

    Before Terry darted back up and into another direction, he infused mana into the divine hammer inscription to summon a sturdy barrier to block an incoming fireball. Despite their dull eyes, the elves were quick to react and whenever there was a location they considered lost, they did not hesitate to exploit the close proximity of remaining dungeon creatures for a large-scale attack.

    The short amount of time that he had bought with blocking the first retaliatory assault was enough for the dungeon to guide the assimilated frost jackals to their next enemy.

    Terry did not have any leeway to dawdle either. Through all the raging chaos, he could already sense another brewing disaster he had to prevent. The martialists were making good use of the artifacts that he had handed out. They were cleaving furiously into the fungus-infested army, but there were a few problems with their often reckless fighting styles.

    The biggest problem was the ongoing drop in mana that Terry could sense in them. Unfortunately, he did not have any good ideas on how to fix that particular issue.

    No, he had to focus on the problems he could see himself tackle. One of these problems was one he had liked to exploit in the past, but now he was working together with them. In this battle, their weakness was not his to exploit but to cover. Like their bodyguard, he dashed towards where he had to be.

    The mana resonance of a jumping hare with black eyes and dark blue fur came as no surprise to Terry, who began doing two things at once: He hurled out a throwing needle and used his bidirectional attraction glove to pull at Jason, the source of the resonance that was moving through the sky on droplets of water.

    A gigantic fist crashed into an immovable throwing needle. The giant¡¯s punch was momentarily halted when the immovable object crashed into bone. Layers of sturdy translucent golden mana appeared at a specific angle. The fist was only slowed for an instant when bone broke itself on immovable metal. The momentum carried the fist further where it now crashed into the divine barrier whose angle together with the needle caused the force to be shifted so as to break the giant¡¯s wrist.

    The mangled flesh was pushing forward until the divine barrier buckled from the strain. Terry noted that the giant did not even show an expression of pain, even though this kind of injury should have been excruciating. Terry doubted the giant could have stopped his own attack even if it had been sensitive to the agony. The force and momentum were carrying the fist forward mercilessly and it continued towards the member of the Skyriver Sect, albeit more slowly.

    Fortunately for Jason, who remained trapped in his own rigid martialist technique, Terry had sensed the bubbling mana resonance even before it fully activated and managed to pull the martialist away with the bidirectional attraction inscription.

    The combined adjustment of the gigantic fist¡¯s descent and Jason¡¯s pulled trajectory, allowed the martialist to not only get away with his life, but to land a devastating cut on the giant¡¯s calf.

    Jason shrunk back under the Arcanian¡¯s chiding gaze. ¡°I did not mean to¡­¡± He wanted to explain that they were focusing on the healers and earth mages like Terry had advised, but that the giants were too quick to arrive with their extreme step-length. They did take precautions but spells with flexible casting centers had prevented Zhang and Chun to arrive in time for their planned attack combination.

    Before Jason had any chance to waste his words, Terry already interrupted him. ¡°I know. Keep going.¡± He darted up into the sky on layers of divine mana. He had places to be.

    Jason did not have to explain to him, because he was paying attention to all of his allies. He had sensed what they were up to. It had been a good plan, which was why he had nearly been too late. The problem wasn¡¯t the plan but¡­

    A plan works until it doesn¡¯t. Sooner or later there will always be a hiccup. The words of his accepted mother echoed in Terry¡¯s mind.

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    The plan of the trio had been fine, but they had fumbled when things had not gone according to plan. Chun had been too engaged in her own battle with an elven warrior that had suddenly appeared from the earthen ground. She had been too slow to detach herself.

    Zhang had initially reacted well and moved swiftly to cover Jason, but then he had hesitated to distance himself from Chun and her ongoing battle. The slight moment of hesitation was fatal and Jason suddenly found himself with an unexpected giant and no support to cover him. This might have been manageable if the martialist had not just initiated a resonance technique that required a rigid charge and did not offer any opportunity to adjust appropriately.

    Small mistakes on their own, but catastrophic when all appeared together.

    Terry could not really blame them, because these martialists were not used to working with each other. Worse even, they appeared barely used to working with anyone.

    He himself did not count on many of the martialists to watch his back either, but he felt compelled to watch theirs. He could not afford to waste allies just like he could not afford to waste mana. His mana perception was constantly alerting him to the fact that there was still no end of the invading army in sight.

    He infused mana into the orange pole in his right hand and swiftly positioned his left bracer underneath for the elongating pole to rest on an immovable bracer while an attached piece of septimum stabilized it further. The pole rapidly extended and pierced into the nostril of the unsuspecting giant.

    Terry reminded himself to not overextend the spear because he was worried about damaging the spearhead against the giant¡¯s thick skull. The blade was of very high quality and appeared to strengthen from lightning, but in contrast to the pole, no one had claimed it to be unbreakable yet. Therefore, he chose his targets carefully. He did not aim for the forehead but for the nostril to pierce the brain.

    Terry pressed his mana into the spearhead and simultaneously activated the lightning layer in the staff. A blast of intense lightning blew up the giant¡¯s skull. Blood and burned flesh splattered everywhere.

    Terry felt a slight hint of self-satisfaction when he saw the elven healers abruptly change direction and move away from the fallen giant. They had initially rushed over to save their fungus-infested comrade, but evidently called their losses. This giant was beyond healing.

    Terry reminded himself to not get complacent and he swiftly absorbed his mana to shrink the spear into portable size. Even while doing so, he was constantly activating quickened Immovable Object spells within his range. A spell for every spotted chance to make a difference in the battles of his allies ¨C both martialists and dungeon beings alike.

    From one corner to his left, Terry was sensing a group of martialists around Guillermo and Chalita that were being assaulted by a wide area spell that caused thorny roots to grow. Those roots transmitted a debilitating poison.

    The elven man from the Ironbark Fist Sect and the human woman from the Shadowed Forest Sect were the only reason why the martialists were still able to stand their ground.

    Guillermo skillfully maneuvered his large mana resonance technique and the wooden arms ripped the roots out in batches before they could grow out of control. His own skin had taken on a similar metallic sheen to his mana resonance and it was blocking the thorns from injecting the poison into his bloodstream.

    Chalita stomped her foot violently on the ground and propelled herself up. The movement technique left the earth underneath her hardened into rock. The poisonous roots were halted, but only temporarily. Even while Chalita was still in the air, the strong roots were already rebelling against the stone obstruction and thorns began piercing out.

    Chalita pulled her feet shortly up and their bottoms were touching each other. Mana rushed through her acupoints to begin the second step of her technique when she landed with a double-stomp. The previously created rock was not only smashed apart but it flew up unnaturally.

    Chalita pressed her palms together and with a third circulation of mana, a loud roar could be heard and all the pieces of floating rock shrapnel were sent rushing forward to slice the roots apart.

    This was among the most intense resonances that Terry had ever sensed, but surprisingly, it was not accompanied by a visible phenomenon. Whatever magic creature was resonating with Chalita¡¯s technique, there was only an audible component and nothing visible to normal eyes.

    Impressive, but misguided.

    Terry was frowning. The mana-hungry resonance technique had failed where it mattered. The roots were sliced apart but they were continuously created by a spell and that spell was unaffected.

    He thought Chalita was smarter than that, which meant that he himself had misjudged something. It only took this prompt of reflection for Terry to realize that he had failed to account for another weakness of his allies that he needed to cover.

    Martialist techniques are more inward focused. Even resonances are created from within them. Their external mana senses are less developed. They cannot sense the spell structure that the elves have hidden underneath the earth. Chalita made the right call based on the information available to her. The reason it seemed misguided is that she is missing information.

    Terry darted towards the battle and was already moving his hand over his sheath belt to retrieve Chalita¡¯s communication talisman. After Rafael had seen the projection of the legendary senior and returned to their group, he had also volunteered to create new papers for whoever desired a means of communication. Many martialists had chosen to share their transmission talismans with Terry.

    Annoyingly, he had to wait with informing them until an opportune moment in the flow of their battle. Otherwise, he would risk doing by accident what he had done intentionally to Rafael during the battle over the trial altar. He could not afford to see his allies distracted at a critical juncture.

    While rushing over and reflexively interfering in his immediate vicinity with well-placed spells and divine barriers, he was weighing his options.

    Unfortunately, the active spell structure was hidden more than twenty meters underground. If Terry wanted to disrupt such a spell, he would have to find a way to move the earth away or he would have to intensely layer his disruption discharge to make sure the spell slicers would remain intense enough before reaching the structure.

    He could not help but think back to the sparring match against the death mages Yancey and Olivienne in Syn City. Yancey in particular had hidden underneath the earth while firing spells from flexible casting centers placed at the surface. This had been an incredible headache for Terry back then and it still remained so now.

    No wonder mages are feared above all other mana users. How the Wastes is a cultivator supposed to get close in such a situation?

    How would Aunt Sigille have dealt with this? How¡ª No. Terry subconsciously clenched a fist.  I¡¯m not her. How can I deal with this? What can I do?

    His mind was immediately drawn to something that was available only to him. His spell. His only spell. The spell he was constantly activating around himself in order to tip the scales of battle in their side¡¯s favor.

    There had to be more that he could do, even with his limitations. He had grown confident in his duel abilities, but when it came to chaotic battlefields with hordes of enemies, his experience still mostly consisted of running. Lots of running.

    Images from Tiv flashed in front of Terry¡¯s mind. Demons were leading an army of aspect beings in an assault on the Libra Outpost. A giant druid oak stood steadfast at the center of the defense. Dhruv, the dwarven druid, had masterfully controlled the oak¡¯s branches and vines as additional casting devices while the roots served as powerful whips and piercing spears.

    Terry had been envious of the druid¡¯s crowd control abilities. Even now, with his strongly increased mana control reach, he felt lacking when it came to facing large numbers of enemies. Even though he was able to put up a good defense for himself with the Immovable Object spell, the divine barriers, and the disruption discharge variants, he had to do better than that in the face of this fungus-infested army. Much better.

    Terry subconsciously stretched the reach of his casting and an increasing number of Immovable Object spells activated in the vicinity. They were compressed until they could target even the elves¡¯ magic armor and overpowered the inherent mana in the beasts¡¯ large claws or teeth.

    Almost in a daze, Terry placed several mana refractors all around. His naturalized mana that was surrounding him contracted and rotated into the placed focus refractors. Disruption discharges were soon aiming to rip apart the mana-crafted spell structures in the elves¡¯ imprinted magic items.

    I have to do better!

    Divine barriers fleetingly transfixed to block or redirect ranged attacks while Terry was darting towards Chalita and Guillermo.

    ¡°Turn the ground into rock!¡± commanded Terry. He infused mana into the king spear and fiercely tore into the raging roots.

    ¡°We tried that already!¡± huffed Chalita.

    ¡°Not when I¡¯m here!¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Do it! The larger the scale, the better! Wider not deeper!¡±

    ¡°I know someone with an artifact that can harden a circle of a hundred meters,¡± said Guillermo without ever averting his gaze from the fight in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t have a suitable ability myself.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± said Chalita, who was now fully submitting to the command. Terry had given her another chance. He had been right before. He had earned this much trust. ¡°I¡¯ll need a minute.¡±

    ¡°We got you,¡± said one of the other martialists from their group.

    Two minutes later, an area of nearly fifty meters had been transformed into solid rock. Without missing a beat, Terry activated the Immovable Object spell on the hardened stone.

    The elven spell continued sprouting the roots with debilitating thorns, but against an immovable object, their raging only served to damage themselves.

    Terry nodded with a sigh of relief. His spell had many disadvantages compared to barriers, but it also had several advantages. One major advantage was that the associated mana cost was independent of the targeted object¡¯s size. Creating the layer of rock had required Chalita to invest mana proportional to the covered area, but now that it was invested, Terry could take over with a constant activation cost.

    ¡°Get the artifact here!¡± commanded Terry. His senses were washing over the battlefield to scan for other continuously active spells. The closest casting center was not that far. They could cover the distance with the artifact that Guillermo had mentioned.

    If they could extend the rock layer further and further, then they would gain secure footing and all for the price of a single maintained Immovable Object spell. All while the elves would continue wasting their mana to maintain the master-level attack spells underneath.

    ¡°Everyone, stick more closely to me!¡± commanded Terry. ¡°Everyone!¡±

    At first, he had let the martialists run wild, but from everything he had seen, this would not be enough. They had to do better. Faced with impossible odds, he could only resort to familiar strategies that played to their advantages.

    He would exploit the major advantage of his only spell. He would act as the defensive bulwark for the more offensive-oriented martialists. He would utilize his stretched senses to direct the martialists towards where the dungeon needed them the most.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, nearly all of the martialists had answered his call. They had begun following his commands without even arguing back. They were doing better for it. They fought relentlessly and steadily.

    Unfortunately, for every enemy slain, another one marched through the accursed gate to take their place. After more than a day of neverending battle, they had to adjust their formations to allow some of the exhausted mana martialists to recover while being protected by immovable walls.

    Terry himself could not afford to rest. He had spells to maintain and allies to protect. His mind was screaming with every drop of mana that was permanently leaving his grasp. No matter what clever approaches or efficient exploits he could come up with, even his sizable mana pool was not bottomless. More days like this, and his growing fortress of immovable objects would be collapsing unless he found an immense supplement of mana.

    ***

 177 Desperate Measures

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 ¨C

    ¡°How in all that¡¯s mana is he still going?¡± Jason was collapsing in one of the areas they had secured and fortified for recuperation. He laid flat on the hard rock, assured by the mana he could still sense from it. The mana was proof that Terry¡¯s Immovable Object spell remained active.

    ¡°Because he has to.¡± Chalita tried to push herself up shakily. ¡°So do we.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready yet.¡± Zhang glared at Chalita with his sunken eyes. ¡°You¡¯re no use out there in that state. You need to recover some energy. It¡¯s Annabelle¡¯s turn while Rafael assists her. You have to meditate and rest.¡±

    Chalita fell back on her butt. She tried again and gritted her teeth in frustration. ¡°They just keep coming. I refuse to give up.¡±

    ¡°No one is giving up,¡± snapped Zhang with irritation. He glanced at Jason, who was already snoring slightly. Zhang would normally have called it madness to fall asleep like this on a chaotic battlefield. However, he could not fault the man for collapsing. There had been no end of enemies. They would have been dead by now if not for their fortifications and collaboration.

    They realized that they had to take turns to rest if they wanted to keep fighting. Zhang could not help but glance at the reason why they were able to rest at all. The mage from Arcana was not only darting with the frontline fighters into the midst of danger. He wielded the Immovable Object spell like a debilitating mark of death. Wherever the spell transfixed on an enemy, an enemy would perish shortly after. Terry rarely dealt the finishing blow, but he always created the opportunity for their frontline fighters or the dungeon creatures.

    Zhang let his eyes wander over the ever-growing rock structure they had created to protect those injured or recovering. The Arcanian had ensured the rock remained indestructible for more than two days already. They were continuously gaining ground by adding more rock in coordination with Terry. It was astonishing how the mage could pinpoint the exact timing for deactivating and reactivating the spell while allowing an artifact or technique to merge a new layer of rock.

    But that wasn¡¯t all. Even an indestructible wall would not shield them from all dangers, not to a point where more than a dozen martialists were snoring on the floor as if there wasn¡¯t chaos and death raging less than a mile from them.

    Their mana senses weren¡¯t as sharp as Terry¡¯s, but even they could sense the intense guarding spell slicers arriving whenever one of the elven mages attempted to place a flexible casting center inside the immovable fortress. The Arcanian had never permitted so much as a single spell shaping up in their fortifications despite his own participation in the frontlines. All they had to do was move their camp with the frontline to stay within Terry¡¯s range.

    Over the past day, the frontline martialists had begun to truly see the translucent golden layers of mana as divine because their sudden appearance regularly indicated salvation from certain death. A corner they had missed. A technique¡¯s timing they had misjudged. The golden layer of protection always vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. It only lasted long enough to deflect an attack or buy time for another assist from one of the frontline supporters.

    By now, they had gotten more used to working with each other. There was more trust. There was more teamwork and collaboration. Against the neverending flood of fungus-infested invaders, they had all learned to put aside their grudges and reservations. They fought desperately, because despair was all this battlefield had to offer them.

    Terry was their pillar of unflinching hope, but they were not blind enough to believe this could last.

    ¡°He can¡¯t keep going¡­¡± Chalita tried again to push herself up shakily. ¡°He¡¯s not cloaking his mana anymore. We can all sense it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s holding on so far,¡± reminded Zhang.

    ¡°Barely,¡± groaned Chalita.

    ¡°He must have found a way to better conserve mana,¡± said Zhang. ¡°His mana appears to be dropping more slowly than before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still dropping.¡± Chalita finally managed to push herself up. ¡°And that¡¯s not even the point.¡± She took deep breaths and tried stretching her muscles. ¡°I¡¯m less worried about his mana than I am about his concentration. No one can remain alert for such an extended period of time. We cannot afford to have him slip up in the middle of the frontline. If he goes down, we all¡ª I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Chalita had a good grasp of everyone¡¯s abilities and skill levels. Everyone that had joined this trial tomb had been considered among the young geniuses of their sects. All of them were strong enough to contribute, but not everyone could be counted among the top. She did not trust those significantly weaker than herself to watch Terry¡¯s back. They only had two of the stronger ones outside at the moment and they both had their own roles to fulfill. This left too much pressure on the Arcanian in her opinion.

    A hand was placed on Chalita¡¯s shoulder and she saw an elven man look at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go, you continue resting,¡± said Guillermo reassuringly. ¡°I only had to act as support last shift. I can handle going out again.¡±

    Chalita frowned but nodded. The Outcast would do.

    Meanwhile, Terry was barking commands at the martialists with him.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The woman from the Thunderous Palm Sect hesitated. ¡°I can get you there, but if I carry you, the lightning will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, damn it! Now!¡± Terry clenched his teeth. If he had been able to utilize his burst techniques to their full extent, he would have long been running towards his target. Regretfully, he had to refrain from using bursts because otherwise, the spore curse might escape to his native realm.

    The woman he had once bribed to kill her own sect members grabbed him by the arms. Her mana resonated with the ambient mana and the image of a black horse with white lightning marks manifested.

    The next thing Terry felt was burning pain and intense whiplash from being pulled at incredible speed. Fern-like scars were slowly creeping onto his face. A mark of the lightning that was relentlessly assaulting him during the frenzied dash.

    As soon as Terry had the charging giants in his casting range, he pushed himself away from the martialist woman and began unleashing his only spell. He had chosen to suffer the lightning of his ally and get further from their fortifications than he felt comfortable with. Given the worrying state of his mana pool, he truly had little choice. He had to conserve mana and that demanded more severe trade-offs, taking chances and following opportunities.

    At least he liked to justify his current recklessness in this manner. Deep down he hoped that this wasn¡¯t just his mental exhaustion catching up with him and muddying his judgement.

    A dozen fungus-infested giants were charging furiously towards a group of immobilized dungeon beings when the club of their vanguard became immovable mid-lift. The vanguard snapped his wrist and lost his grip. The following giants charged with their full momentum into the immovable object. Two of them were outright crushed by the weight of their allies. The later ones bumped into their fleshy predecessors and tumbled backwards.

    Terry steadied himself on immovable metal and infused mana into his bidirectional attraction glove to slightly adjust the position of another giant club. This one was in the hand of a tumbling giant. It transfixed at knee height in a horizontal position that further tripped up the giants that had already lost their balance.

    When the colossal bodies fell, an exceedingly unpleasant sound reverberated through the area. The sound of snapping bones, pressed flesh, and blood being squeezed out of the fungus-infested division that had been following along in the giants¡¯ charge.

    Terry allowed himself a moment of satisfaction when the mana of the elven healers dispersed within the mass of rising spores.

    Worth it.

    In order to achieve comparable devastation without exploiting the giants¡¯ momentous charge, Terry would have to invest an order of magnitude more mana. He felt himself grabbed by hands and grit his teeth. If he had chosen another option, he would have had to invest more mana, but also suffer a lot less pain.

    Priorities.

    With another agonizing dash, Terry was brought back to an acceptable distance from their fortifications.

    ¡°I¡¯m spent,¡± said the martialist woman and darted towards the rest area.

    Terry nodded without looking at his departing ally. He expected as much. She had barely used up three quarters of her mana, but few of them ever did except in extreme situations. He did not know if it was a sign of a lack of trust for their allies or just to hold something back in case of unexpected situations. It did not matter either way. He could not expect his allies to adjust, so it had to be him that did.

    Terry focused on his breathing while observing their progress. They had done well in his opinion. They had eliminated a few groups of earth mages, but perhaps the more important influence was the utilization of his Immovable Object spell. The indestructible floor worked as a great drain of mana for enemies trying to target them from underground or to use the rock in their own fortifications.

    The number of active enemy healers was about half of what he had sensed in the early battle ¨C and that was in spite of the continuous reinforcements for the fungus-infested army.

    Fortunately for them, their targeted assassination of healers had a compounding effect in the battle thanks to the dungeon¡¯s own forces. The less healers there were, the more easily the dungeon could take out the others. A slight shift in the number of healers made a large difference at a battle of this scale and this difference only amplified over time.

    Terry had two remaining major worries. With every new arrival of another fungus-infested division, he feared to see a different composition of abilities. Stronger creatures, or worse: more healers. To his relief, his fears had not manifested so far. Although that only begged another question¡­

    Why not?

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    Terry subconsciously clicked his tongue and could not help but follow the train of thoughts that refused to let him properly concentrate. He was still wielding his spell and inscriptions skillfully, but mostly by reflex.

    If I was in command of the enemies, I would have broken the structure. Given our targeted assassination of healers, their balance of healers to non-healers is upset. Wouldn¡¯t the correct response be to adjust the ratio of incoming forces accordingly? Less of the mana-corrupted beasts and more healers or suitable protectors instead?

    Terry darted up into the sky and glanced over the battlefield from an elevated position. He could see the fungus-infested army react to the situation in front of them. They were obviously not mindless zombies. They were thinking.

    Their tactics on this side seem reasonable. They¡¯re not dumb. Why don¡¯t they adjust the incoming forces? Is their strategy too inflexible? Are they not able to re-group on the other side? Or do those on the other side not know the situation here? Is my own understanding of the situation lacking and adjusting the ratio would be a bad idea for them?

    A corner of Terry¡¯s mind reminded him that it was unwise to second-guess himself and that it was even worse to get distracted in the middle of battle, but the questions kept gnawing at him. There was a common lesson in both the Path of a Mage and the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries: the paramount importance of understanding your enemy.

    In the face of immortals and self-proclaimed gods, the Veilbinder insisted that everything can be beaten and even the Twin Gods of Death eventually perished in front of the persevering mage. Everything had a weakness. If there was none, you simply had to create one. If you did not know how, you were still missing a piece of information. Knowledge was paramount.

    Thanatos, on his part, devoted more than a dozen chapters to correctly gauging the motives and values of your enemies. If you were unable to accept their mindset for the sake of exercising your own mind, then you were doomed to fail when attempting to predict their actions.

    Terry was desperately trying to figure out the correct mental model for thinking about those fungus-infested enemies. They were reacting to his targeted assassinations, but only while they were happening. They prioritized their healers and tried to defend them, but as soon as he and the martialists were successful or pulled back, the fungus army prioritized the dungeon.

    They were acting like inscribed constructs. Intelligent, but without any shred of their own will. They followed a protocol. They did not hesitate but they also did not show any other initiative. They did not care about the fallen comrades around them. No retaliatory inertia whatsoever.

    Even the dungeon-assimilated creatures showed more agency than these fungus-infested folks. When injured or strongly tempted by innate instincts, the living dungeon forces broke rank and lashed out exactly like their core-less counterparts would. The fungus army showed no such agency.

    Terry was not sure what to make of the persistent ratio of incoming enemy divisions. The make-up itself was demonstrating intelligent planning. They paired different specialists together to support each other and allow their specialties to synergize for greater effect.

    The lack of adjustment showed¡­ what? A lack of communication? A lack of care for the dying combatants? Something else entirely that he was missing?

    Every moment that Terry had time to think, his mind drifted back to the question. Deep down, he still carried the hope of detecting the curse mage behind all of this. If there was a whispering individual that directed the actions of the army, then there was hope. Hope not affected by the neverending nightmare that was the fungus-infested army.

    Terry despaired to cling onto this hope, because he could not see much else to inspire confidence. They had done well, but so what? Nearly everything had gone according to plan, but what was the point if the enemies just kept coming? There was a limit to how long they could keep this up.

    Rock projectiles were darting towards Terry from the hostile earth mages. As soon as they made contact with his little mana bubble, his expelled mana constricted and shaped into Immovable Object spells.

    The enemy mages did not remain idle though and the rock propelling spells were paired with more spellwork to enlarge or shrink the rock projectiles. Aside from the additional burden of overpowering the spell-innate mana for these spells, Terry now also had to prioritize the shrinking rocks before they could shrink beyond his spell compression ability.

    Seeing a huge boulder seemingly about to crash the Arcanian into paste, an elven martialist in green-golden combat robes charged forward frenziedly. The mana resonated from Guillermo¡¯s martialist technique and a pair of large wooden arms with a metallic sheen rushed forward to block the incoming boulder and protect the pillar of their defensive position.

    Crap.

    Terry frowned and was less than appreciative of the helping hands. He had intentionally given less priority to transfixing this particular projectile because contrary to how it looked, the larger rocks posed less of a threat to him given the characteristics of his only spell. He had been confident in transfixing the boulder at a later moment.

    Naturally, Terry¡¯s thoughts were unknown to his frontline allies. Even if they had known, they might still judge it an unacceptable risk for a person whom they relied on so much. All it took was one slip in timing. One single spell failure and Terry¡¯s mana-preserving calculations would translate into significant injuries. The Arcanian would fall and with him, the immovable fortifications that sheltered the martialists.

    Crap crap crap.

    Terry rotated his mana bubble into a sequence of mana refractors. In his opinion, Guillermo¡¯s overprotective intervention had left another martialist unnecessarily exposed. The woman in a dark blue uniform was barely able to vanquish a group of attacking sabertooth beasts while being pelted by enemy spells.

    Terry himself had transfixed the elongated teeth of beasts that were in range and placed divine mana barriers to act as shields against the spells, but he could not protect his allies from everything. While the woman had been able to edge out a win, his mana sight informed him that there was more to it. He could detect tiny spots of mana rising from the blood of the slain creatures and floating eerily towards the woman¡¯s own bleeding cuts.

    Terry had seen similar unnatural movement from the spores before. Unnatural, because the way the air moved, the spores should fly into another direction instead of gravitating towards blood. The influence of magic was evident to Terry¡¯s mana sight. His best guess was that this was related to how the curse was spreading.

    He had seen one fungus-infested martialist earlier on this day ¨C a man that had wanted to hide and had refused to join the group assisting the dungeon. This confirmed Terry¡¯s mana-curse hypothesis. Even though he did not know the exact conditions, he could surmise an educated theory. The spores infected wounds and worked by entering the victim¡¯s blood stream. The curse could overpower a living being similar to the zombie plague.

    Terry created a wave of disrupting spell slicers to wash over the curse spores. Except specialized spellwork, the best defense against the zombie plague was intense mana naturalized to another signature. Powerful mana cultivators were less threatened by the zombie plague than manaless folks.

    While the martialist woman was not exactly manaless, she was running low on mana and ready to retreat to the fortifications. Terry felt compelled to assist with his own naturalized mana as an additional shield. He could not afford to let an ally fall. Having the spores enter the recuperation area with all their injured combatants he could afford even less.

    Terry followed the woman in his mana sense to make sure she was properly handing over her sword artifact to the next martialist stepping up to the frontlines. He needed them. He needed their mana to power the artifacts so that they could hold on.

    By the hour, things were looking more and more desperate. The martialists stepping back up to fight were less and less in a condition to fight. Despite all of his mana preservation attempts and risky calculations, even Terry¡¯s mana was beginning to bottom out. He was forced to sacrifice mana from his external mana bubble reserved for parallel spellwork and disruption fields. He had no choice but to retract his mana touch scouting because he urgently needed the mana to not die.

    The price for surviving was the loss of hope. Without his mana touch, there was little chance of spotting a cloaked curse mage even if there really was one. Without the hope of a single decisive blow, the only thing left was to stare into the abyss of endless enemies.

    In his moment of despair, Terry¡¯s eyes were glued to the shining flame symbol on an enormous six-legged dungeon construct. The Aspiring Soul Curse was a trade-off between intensity and durability. He wished he had a similar trade-off available, but no matter how much his mind raced, all of his ideas were unworkable due to a single deafening rebuttal.

    I need more mana.

    Terry was forced to evade an incoming barrage of poison-aspected magic attacks. Working on instinct, he chose the action with the least requirement of mana. He circled his mana into the magic brooch and stepped into the shadow plane.

    The silence in the shadow plane seemed absolutely surreal when contrasted with the raging cacophony of battle in the normal world.

    Terry knew that he could not linger in this peaceful plane for long or else he would risk the battle shifting too much for him to ever safely step out in the same position again. Before he left, he caught sight of another one of Dalia¡¯s House insignias. The double crescent moons with their open ends connecting to each other.

    Moons... Reptile eyes¡­ Lizans.

    He suddenly heard Damian¡¯s voice again: There is no bottomless supply of easily absorbable mana without a catch.

    Terry hesitatingly retrieved the small blue crystal egg he had taken from the treacherous lizan prophet. He had pretended to use it as part of a ruse in Thanatos, but now he was considering using it for real. Damian¡¯s investigations had apparently shown that it was a fiendish item. An item that tried to take over the user¡¯s mind.

    ¡®¡­the effect depends on the user¡¯s mana control. It¡¯s gradual. Even with your mana control though, you would lose eventually. The more mana from that egg in your system, the more intense the influence becomes.¡¯

    Terry was wary of using a fiendish item, especially one related to the creepy lizan. He still remembered the ominous draconic eye on a chain that had caused strange hissing sounds to invade his mind.

    However, did he really have a choice? He could not think of any other options aside from dying. Perhaps death wasn¡¯t the worst that could happen? What about the threatened dungeon and, by extension, his own native realm?

    If Damian¡¯s investigation is true, then using the mana will be a race between my mana control and the item¡¯s mind control.

    I am confident in my mana control, but what if I lose?

    Terry could not help but think of how his aunt Sigille would cuss him out for even considering playing such games with his mind. Then again, he did not plan to offer his mind up without a fight. He planned to resist.

    What if I lose?

    What if I¡¯m inviting something even worse?

    His cousin Matteo had successfully relied on a fiendish katana that housed the vengeful soul of a dragon. It was risky, but it worked for Matteo¡¯s own peculiar situation. The mind of his cousin had been lost to elementals of different factions to begin with. The fiendish blade only helped to upset the balance and allow Matteo to wrestle back control.

    Different factions¡­

    Terry recalled the strategies of Tuara, a past leader of the Stonewardens and another of the Veilbinder¡¯s allies.

    ¡®One enemy is a challenge. Two enemies is an opportunity.¡¯

    Terry resolved himself. He did not know what this blue crystal egg represented, but he doubted that the lizan prophet would have been able to unleash a bigger threat than this fungus-infested army with just the fiendish crystal. Otherwise, the lizans would have been able to overcome the white wyvern and escape the Elusive Fog of Frost on their own.

    Even if I¡¯m inviting something worse than expected, as long as it¡¯s another faction than the fungus-infested army, it might still be worth it. We would only have to worry about the difference and even if I lose¡ª Stop.

    Just stop.

    Enough about contingencies.

    Terry lifted his foot and stepped back into the normal plane. A crystal egg had appeared in his left hand and he began siphoning mana from it. If he had to do this, then it would not do him much good to think about losing from the beginning. He did not see any other option. He had no time to indulge in second-guessing. He had to fully focus on his mana control if he wanted to preserve his mind.

    Like a river¡¯s spring, Terry was dumping mana at a pace that was visible even to the recuperating martialists¡¯ mana sight.

    I wonder if naturalized mana from a distance counts as being in ¡®my system¡¯?

    Terry had thought of one last trick to increase his chances in the looming battle over his mind.

    Meanwhile, the martialists were taking courage at the sight of the Arcanian that, contrary to all expectations, was not only persisting but even demonstrating casting and disruption waves of much larger scale than ever before.

    They had seen Terry fighting to conserve mana. Now, they were beginning to see the mage limited not by the available mana but by his mana control alone.

    ***

 178 Dungeon Defense

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 1 ¨C

    Lightning roared unceasingly. The never-ending thunder of heaven¡¯s fury had become the new heartbeat of their desperate defense. The raging noise always rang in the death of another group of enemies¡­ but it also further stole their sleep.

    An unending barrage of powerful attacks decimating your enemies was reassuring¡­ unless the enemies showed no signs of ending. Because at that point the powerful attacks were just a painful reminder that even this much was nevertheless severely lacking.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± A martialist shouted. Despite her injuries, she dashed to charge out. This battle was endless and she had given up on living. She just wanted it to be over. A glorious death instead of this pointless struggle.

    ¡°Shut it.¡± A tall woman blocked the path and slapped the manic martialist. Chun was growing increasingly frustrated with these unstable characters. Their weak-minded outbursts were starting to damage her own sanity and this bothered her more than she would ever admit. She glared at the offending party. ¡°You will rest. There will be time to fight later.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fight so that you can fight some more. Just great,¡± scoffed a tired man from the side. ¡°What¡¯s the use?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still alive,¡± interjected Chalita with hard eyes. Her once yellow robes were completely stained with blood. Near her left arm, most of the blood was unfortunately her own. A painful poison-aspected needle had hit her and the wound had bled incessantly. If not for the quick intervention by Zhang and Annabelle, she would probably have died.

    ¡°Big whoop,¡± retorted the man wearily. ¡°Just means we¡¯re going to die later.¡± He whined. ¡°I can¡¯t even breathe properly here. Cursed Arcanian. How are we supposed to rest?¡±

    The feeling of mana suppression had truly become suffocating. They were basically sitting in a sea of foreign naturalized mana.

    ¡°Would you prefer that the spores get in here?¡± Chalita glared at the martialist. ¡°Or the enemy spells? If you can protect this place another way, go ahead! You should feel lucky that the Arcanian is still standing!¡±

    ¡°Is he?¡± muttered Zhang while observing the relentless Arcanian. It was true that the mage had reinvigorated their efforts with some newfound power and sheer endless mana. However, something else had begun to change as well. The growing number of injuries among those fighting in the frontline were definite proof of it.

    The Arcanian was holding on, but slipping up more frequently. They had been able to hit the enemies harder than ever before, but it was as if Terry was paying less attention to defense and focusing more of his attention on attacking. The martialists weren¡¯t very defensively-oriented to begin with and with Terry¡¯s attitude noticeably shifting, the results were many more dead enemies but also many more martialists stuck in the recuperation area.

    Chalita heard Zhang¡¯s utterance and she subconsciously held her injured arm. The needle projectile that had hit her was something that Terry had stopped countless times before. This one time, however, he had messed up. She clenched her right fist and murmured. ¡°He¡¯s getting tired.¡±

    ¡°Or desperate,¡± added Zhang gravely.

    ¡°He¡¯s losing it, that¡¯s what!¡± A strained voice reached their ears from a new arrival. Annabelle stared at them with incredulous eyes. ¡°I think Terry just hissed at me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°With bared teeth and everything.¡± She sighed wearily and sat down cross-legged to prepare her recovery. Without opening her eyes, she continued talking. ¡°Whatever is going on, it cannot be good. We¡¯ll have to think of something in case he breaks down. Before it¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°Something, huh?¡± Zhang muttered quietly. No one replied. By now, they had few cards left to play. Their trump cards had been used up. No more talismans. No more powerful recovery items. No more single-use artifacts that could be used in an emergency.

    Over the past few days, there had simply been too many emergencies. Emergency was the new normal.

    They still had most of the weapons and armor pieces that the Arcanian had distributed but those ate up a lot of mana. Mana they were all severely lacking.

    Well, not all of them.

    Nearly a hundred meters in front, at the center of a raging vortex of flames, Terry was holding a glowing soft sword in his right hand. If there had been a weapon spirit in the blade, it would cry tears of indignation at the way it was being wielded. In the hands of the mage, the sharp sword was nothing more than an oversized flame thrower as mana was continuously being forced into it to unleash fierce fire into the troop of elven enemies.

    Before the material could get damaged by the extended magic use, Terry placed it on the sheath belt and fluidly exchanged it for the king spear. He never paused siphoning mana and dumping it. Claiming it at a distance. Forcing it into a rotating sequence of powerful magic weapons.

    He was vaguely aware that another day must have passed, but even so, he had no room to stop.

    How could he?

    He had hoped to use the egg-shaped crystal as his last act of desperation. To burn brightly and intensely, albeit shortly. To mirror the Aspiring Soul Curse that was empowering the dungeon constructs all around.

    He had hoped to make a difference. Undoubtedly, he did. The dungeon¡¯s forces were pushing the invading army harder than ever. The number of slain enemies each day probably doubled, but the fungus-infested army just kept coming.

    Terry was fighting frenziedly with bloodshot eyes. He just kept fighting. It was all he could do.

    The area of unbreakable rock he maintained as shelter and safe foothold had grown significantly. Unfortunately, it did not seem to matter how often he succeeded in rescuing his allies. A single failure was all it took and another ally would fall forever.

    Terry had made many failures and it was starting to get to him. He had tried to gather more of the enemies¡¯ attention on himself. To set traps and bait them. To put the sheer infinite mana from the fiendish crystal to good use. More enemies in his range meant more enemies slain with the king spear or the other powerful weapons.

    The fungus-infested army just kept coming. Terry¡¯s group, together with the dungeon, had held on well, but all the mana he had dumped and naturalized was a giant reminder of the shifting situation. His mana sight might not have been enough to notice it, but his mana touch unmistakably felt the accumulating damage in the dungeon constructs.

    There was no healing for constructs. There was no quick way for a dungeon to repair them either. In theory, a dungeon could reform one of its creatures from the mana core alone, but that required mana, a sphere of influence, and an undamaged core.

    The dungeon was still throwing new creatures at the invading army, but Terry was well aware of the diminished rate of new arrivals. He had not shared this particular information with his martialist allies yet. He saw little point in demoralizing them any further.

    Terry had hoped to make a difference. Unfortunately, the only prominent difference he could detect was himself. He had been confident in his mana control. He had used his best tricks to keep the fiendish influence at a distance. However, after days of utilizing the fiendish crystal, he was unable to deny that it was getting to him.

    Terry knew himself well. Ever since his first encounter with dungeon shenanigans, he had been very wary of his own mind. Being trapped in solitude with nothing but ghouls had shown him the ugly thoughts waiting in his head. The monstrous whispers that had been gnawing at his confidence and resolve. He had learned to refuse them and to firmly anchor himself onto the person he wanted to become.

    Following this future vision of himself demanded him to constantly look inwards and act as his own judge. With a habit like this, it was impossible to not notice his shifting mind. He knew what was going on, but what good did this knowledge do him?

    He could not stop. Or, at least, he did not think he could.

    Without the mana from the blue crystal egg, Terry would bottom out. He would collapse. Right here. In the middle of enemies. Further from the safe fortifications than he had wanted to go. A slight shift in battle attitude had left him in a position where it was questionable if he could stop.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Or is this thought itself also a sign of influence? Terry¡¯s inner Academy student blurted into his mind.

    He inhaled deeply and tried to consider his options. Without mana, their recuperation would be threatened with attacks from below again. Normally, the mana cost for maintaining an Immovable Object spell was negligible compared to his mana regeneration, but at this point, his lack of sleep and nourishment were wolfing down his mana at a ravaging pace his own regeneration was incapable of maintaining.

    Terry grimaced when he heard another chorus of hissing sounds invading his mind. The noise had first appeared a few hours ago. Since then, the time between each hissing was constantly decreasing. It was beginning to make it harder and harder for him to concentrate and think.

    The one lucky break in an otherwise unlucky situation was that the repeated distraction presented by the invading hissing sounds did not impair his battle. He pushed through the fight through instinct and trained reflex alone. Or at least that was what he thought.

    There was a tiny paranoid corner of his mind that did not stop to pester him that instinct and reflex might not be the only things moving his body to keep it from harm. Terry did not like this corner of his mind. It was bringing up problems without offering any solutions. He was both unable to refute the possibility and to do anything about it.

    The last thing Terry thought was that he hated mind games.

    Mana rushed from the blue crystal egg into his mana channels at a pace higher than his own absorption. Even if he had been fully conscious, he would not have been able to stop it. His mind was drifting off¡­

    Then a white flash of light jolted Terry from his daze. He felt the foreign mana being sucked out of his body at once. He breathlessly collapsed with utter exhaustion on the ground. He could only make out a blur of grass in front of his face when another sensation was pressing itself onto his consciousness¡­

    His left hand that had previously tightly clenched the blue crystal egg was being forced open by¡­ something.

    Something squishy.

    It felt weird.

    Even stranger was the fact that the squishiness seemed to well up from his own hand.

    Terry mustered all his remaining strength to slightly tilt his head and see. His sight was still blurry, but he could see a translucent white substance forcing his hand open. He could not help but think himself insane or dreaming.

    He saw a memory from some of the worst days of his life. An unremarkable creature in a dungeon of ghouls.

    He did not feel the hard crystal surface anymore. He was being shielded from the blue crystal by a white viscous substance. The substance contained a mana core.

    The ungrateful blob?

    Terry had trouble believing this was real. Seeing a slime in a dungeon was not hard to believe, but seeing this particular slime in this particular dungeon stretched his credulity. He did not even know why he was so certain that this was the same slime. It did not look the same. It was bigger than he remembered.

    It FEELS the same!

    Terry saw the slime wiggle reassuringly.

    Wait, how do you wiggle reassuringly?

    Something amazing unfolded in Terry¡¯s mana sight. The slime¡¯s fluid body began dissolving the crystal egg and then the brightest flare of mana flashed for a fleeting instant. The only reference Terry could compare the intensity to was the mana signature of Devon, the vessel for the Devonian Lord, but even that connection barely matched the mana dissolving into the dungeon creature. A sheer infinite ocean of mana manifested and compressed into the unassuming white slime.

    When Terry saw the slime mysteriously vanish along the skin of his palm, he involuntarily thought that whatever was the original source of the fiendish mana must be pretty pissed right about now. He himself was left with complex emotions for the lingering sensation of squishiness in his hand.

    He knew that the slime was responsible for cutting off the fiendish influence.

    A white pulse emanated from the moons above and he could feel something being opened up to him.

    Terry inhaled and the whole pocket realm trembled. Mana rushed into him from everywhere at once. It was not like the fiendish crystal from before. No, this mana did not feel foreign. It was his own.

    Terry exhaled and, like the flip of a switch, he felt his senses spread outwards. It took a moment to realize that this was the sensation of his mana touch that was spreading over every inch of this folded space.

    Far away, high above, deep below.

    Everywhere.

    All the mana miraculously converted itself to perfectly fit him. A whole realm of oscillating mana at his disposal. A whole realm within his mana control.

    Terry felt absolutely amazing. It was the most awe-inspiring sensation he had ever experienced and it did not stop there. Pushing beyond what he thought possible, the mana inside his channels compressed all the way into a liquid.

    His wounds closed. His stamina recovered. His muscles felt stronger and eager to burn the available mana. His senses felt sharper. Time appeared to decelerate in front of his eyes.

    With his enhanced senses, Terry noted the way the mana infused itself in a particular pattern and balance. He did not hear a shattering sound, which meant that the spatial lock was still intact and he was beyond glad for it.

    Filled with unknown strength, Terry clenched his left hand and pushed himself up. He did not understand what was going on, but he knew that this was a chance to make a real difference.

    His eyes were glowing with intense mana and the glint of resolve to make the best of it.

    Countless ranged attacks were already flying his way. Many fungus-infested enemies were charging right after. The short moment of Terry¡¯s collapse had been enough of an invitation for everything to be pointed at him.

    Terry¡¯s bright eyes landed on the first fungus-invested elf. His mind felt a thought. It was not forced on him. It was more of a resonance between similar sentiments.

    A single thought reverberated in his mind as he was gazing on the invaders. This thought was something perfectly in line with Terry and who he wanted to become.

    [Repel.]

    A giant vortex of mana spread out from Terry in a spiraling fashion. Thousands of spell slicers eviscerated every single fungus-sourced spell pervading the folded space. He barely even needed to rely on chained focus refractors or compressed rotation to achieve this effect. The whole realm of mana followed his will to heights even beyond his own mana control.

    After the spell slicers, Immovable Object spells appeared as numerous as the stars in the sky. With the enhanced spell compression and intensity granted by the acquiescing mana, even the teeth and fingernails of the elves had become suitable spell targets. No invader was able to escape.

    Immovable.

    Terry had not moved so much as a muscle aside from breathing but the whole invading army on this side of the gate had been forced to a halt. Every foreign spell structure was disrupted. Every casting was quenched with mana suppression. Every invading creature was trapped by transfixed body parts.

    Terry understood that this was not his own power. He suspected that this was a power granted by the dungeon. There was no doubt in his mind that the dungeon was the true owner of all the mana at his current disposal. He would never delude himself into believing a foreign power was his own. Any power easily given was also easily taken. It was but a fleeting vision¡­

    Even so.

    Terry made sure to remember this sensation and to etch the image into his mind as motivation. A vision of a mage standing immovable while fending off an unending army. Terry had given his all. He had fought for days without getting anywhere. By contrast, it had taken the Immovable Mage only two breaths and a single spell to neutralize every enemy that had stepped into this realm.

    Terry swore to himself that one day, this would be his own power. One day, he would truly become the Immovable Mage he could currently perceive himself to be. He did not need more spells to follow the path of a mage. A mana foundation to rival the oldest dungeons in existence would do. A daunting goal, but he would persevere or die trying.

    Terry raised his weapon and charged towards the opened tear in reality. New enemies were still pouring in and he planned to greet them with a single spell, disruption discharges, and the wrath of his spear. If he had his way, then they would die as quickly as they entered.

    Terry was not the only one charging to crush the helpless fungus army. Every one of the dungeon creatures were frenziedly abandoning all defense and cleaving through the enemies with maddened killing intent. Even some of the walking shield constructs were abandoning their shield wall formation to use their spindly legs to crawl up the immobilized enemies and pierce the eyes and ears instead.

    The realm quaked from intense lightning while rivers of spore-infested blood were springing up everywhere. The desperate struggle for the folded space had turned into a one-sided massacre.

    The martialists that had been holding the frontline and fortifications with Terry were staring with mouth agape and doubting their own eyes at what was transpiring.

    The truly stupefied ones, however, were the few remaining martialists that had decided to fight on their own. They had not seen Terry¡¯s hand lighting up like a little sun in their mana sight as the overture to flipping the battlefield.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± An injured man was shakily standing up. He and his friend had been ambushed by a dozen fungus-infested elves.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª Ahh!¡± The second man was given a fright. The immobilized opponent had cast a spell that had been disrupted just as quickly as it had appeared.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°Those are the techniques of the Arcanian, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Terry? You mean¡­¡±

    It did not take long for every single martialist to step out of their hiding holes. They had pent up a lot of frustrations and despair over the past days. They were itching to make someone suffer and these fungus-infested invaders were now ripe for slaughter.

    There were few worse enemies in the world than a group of vengeful martialists that did not have to worry about defense anymore.

    ***

 179 Gratitude

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 1 ¨C

    The heavens roared and never ceased following the bloody blade on Terry¡¯s king spear. Like the deadly reaper of the realm itself, he waltzed through the mass of mushroom-sprouting invaders. Whatever mana curse was compelling the dull-eyed army to threaten the sanctity of the dungeon and its mana, there was no room to hesitate.

    All of Terry¡¯s exhaustion had been washed away by the liquid mana that was running through his channels and reaching his bloodstream from specific locations. The double infusion of wholly naturalized mana into every cell of his body was completely intoxicating. His strength and speed were incomparable to ever before. The only weapon he could trust to withstand the increased ferocity was the king spear with its unbreakable pole and blade strengthened by lightning.

    Terry rippled over the battlefield as the harbinger of a changing crimson tide. Wherever he arrived, the curse¡¯s crimson glow vanished to be replaced by the crimson of ancient blood. Around him, the dungeon creatures were following along and tearing viciously into the invaders outside his immediate reach.

    Seeing the Arcanian from a distance, the martialists were fighting with renewed spirits. They did not benefit from the same supplement of mana like the mage, but they stubbornly refused to let their muscles rest when there were more throats and tendons to be cut. This was an opportunity to avenge themselves. This was their last hopeful rebellion against death.

    They tried to make sense of what they were experiencing but came up short. The whole realm felt heavier than before. Mana suppression. The eerie quiet of immobilized enemies. The strengthening scent of fresh blood. There were many that saw the Arcanian as a mighty senior wielding a domain of authority and an unavoidable spear intent. This was their best attempt at describing the phenomenon in their own vocabulary.

    Naturally, their attempts at explaining the abilities of an empowered mage and mana cultivator in terms of martialism were off the mark. Few of them had ever met the strongest martialists among their sects. None of them had ever met an individual at the pinnacle of orthodox mana use, much less glimpsed beyond its supposed limits.

    Limits.

    Terry himself could start to sense the limits of his borrowed power. The dungeon¡¯s mana was submitting to him swiftly and completely. It was practically offering itself up for the mage¡¯s use. Nevertheless, it was still on Terry to use it. He had to shape and prime the Immovable Object spells. He had to force the mana into the form of spell slicers and direct them towards all the blooming hostile spell structures.

    He was beginning to realize one of the reasons why a dungeon might have chosen to cooperate with him specifically at this moment. All of his past training had acted as a multiplier for his natural talent in the pillars of mana foundation.

    Now his own mana and spell control acted as multipliers for the offered mana.

    His ranged naturalization practice accelerated the speed of flipping the ambient mana into his oscillating mana type.

    His mana touch acted as a conductor for unparalleled parallelization of his casting, even beyond the reach of his regular mana sense.

    The synergy of everything together was much greater than the individual parts.

    Terry suspected that the dungeon had more things to consider than these self-evident qualities, but he had little chance to understand such a foreign mind.

    The way the battlefield had flipped, he doubted that such an occurrence had ever happened before in this folded space during all the time that it had been threatened by mana-cursed invaders.

    Perhaps it was the fact that he just so happened to bring a fiendish item connected to an enormous mana pool of foreign nature. A mana source whose mind-influencing side-effect was evidently useless on a dungeon and nothing more than a welcome supply of usable mana.

    There was probably more to it, but this was not the time to ponder. He did not know how long this state of empowerment and mana sharing could last.

    Terry pushed a vast mass of mana to the other side of the tear in reality. He was running out of enemies to slay on this side and time was of the essence.

    His mana overwhelmed the spores.

    His spell slicers erupted in a vast wall of overwhelming disruption.

    His mana bubble rippled and the Immovable Object spell grew like mushrooms on the fungus-infested army.

    Terry boldly followed his mana and stepped into unknown territory.

    Two weird sensations forced themselves onto the mage at once¡­

    His mana sight fleetingly seemed to gain another layer of color he had never perceived before. Purple glows in the distance from his back ¨C around the area where his martialist allies were cleaning up the mana-cursed invaders. More faint purple traces from the assimilated beasts of the dungeon itself.

    On the side to his front, however, there was nothing in that wavelength of color.

    Nearly nothing.

    His mind itched from his mana touch and something was itching in an entirely new manner. Something small. Stationary. Behind thousands more of fungus-infested soldiers.

    The second weird sensation was a certain stickiness to his movements. Before, everything had slowed down the moment the dungeon had granted him access to liquified mana and enhanced senses.

    However, this was different. Terry¡¯s eyes told him that he was moving just as quickly as before.

    It took a moment to notice the changes in mana that followed him. The source of the ¡®sticky¡¯ sensation. In his wake, the dungeon¡¯s claim followed. With every step, the dungeon was spreading its influence and turning the invasion around.

    Soon, Terry was not fighting alone in the strange side of isolated space. He was joined by countless dungeon beings pushing into the foreign reality with a vengeance.

    Covered by the spell-disrupting wall of mana and immobilizing spellwork, the dungeon was continuing a one-sided massacre. Even the crimson spores were starting to evaporate within the mana under the dungeon¡¯s influence.

    Terry did not notice that the tear in reality grew bigger and different at the same time. The seal was being changed to further open the current gate while reinforcing another location. It did not matter to the mage, because he had his own target in his sights, or rather in his mana feelers.

    With an enormous infusion of mana, the king spear pierced through the battlefield and right into a tiny stump of wood. Lightning raged forth from the strange heaven above. The intense flickering of light left behind dark charcoal that bled something resembling glowing snakes ¨C the cursed tree¡¯s insides were glowing from heat.

    Terry could finally feel it. The kind of mana whose existence he had suspected but failed to detect before. If not for the immense power flowing through his veins and mana channels, he would have received another shiver on his back when his naturalized mana came into contact with the strange channeling anchor embedded into the devilish tree stump.

    These fungus-infested folks were not channelers themselves, but the mana-curse infecting them was somehow guided by an otherrealm entity through a placed anchor.

    Terry noted with grim determination that destroying the channeling mechanism did not stop the mana-cursed army. The spores continued to blast forth from every one of their wounds. The dull-eyed hosts continued to fight.

    To his elation, the difference in their fighting was like night and day.

    When before they had shown a small sphere of agency, then now it had shrunken all the way to the individual. When before, they had cooperated with the other members of the fungus-infested army, now it appeared to be every individual for themselves. No more than reacting to immediate stimulus for self-preservation.

    Easy pickings for a mad dungeon.

    ***

    ¡°What just happened?!¡± A martialist exclaimed between heavy breaths.

    ¡°I think¡­ I think we¡¯ve won?¡± His only remaining sect member muttered.

    ¡°We? Hardly,¡± scoffed Annabelle lightly and wiped some blood from her forehead. She was still wearing her indistinct black combat robes. She pointed at Terry. ¡°That was his win.¡±

    The Arcanian had seemingly fallen unconscious in the midst of mushroom-covered corpses vanishing into nothingness and all the retreating dungeon beings.

    ¡°If he had powers like that, why didn¡¯t he play it sooner?¡±

    ¡°Shut it! What if the senior from Arcana hears you?¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°My junior is dead! If he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look! Something is happening!¡± The martialist pointed at a woman in the clothes of the Thunderous Palm Sect. It was the one that had betrayed her own sect members for Lightning Heart Peaches. She was rushing towards a platform that had been raised from the ground.

    ¡°Dungeon rewards! Quick!¡± Many among the martialists were tripping over their own feet to catch up and get their share of spoils.

    ¡°Ingrates.¡± Guillermo hissed. The elf was bandaging one of his arms and shook his head. He glanced at Terry, only to see a familiar leopard-spotted felan rushing towards the Arcanian.

    Guillermo was observing Rafael with suspicion but quickly raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had taken the fungus-infested army and even the appearance of the supposedly extinct goblinoid giants in stride, but the sight of Rafael choosing to check on Terry instead of being the first to lay his paws on exposed treasures was truly beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Something is changing¡­¡± Zhang muttered while Chun was helping him stand up. He was not heavily injured, but he had pushed himself far beyond his limits.

    ¡°I thought the portal would close itself again, but now with the army defeated, it seems that¡­¡± Chun furrowed her brow.

    ¡°No, not that. Up there.¡± Zhang, who had been lying on the ground before, had gotten a better look at the sky.

    A giant translucent figure appeared. ¡°You have done this old ancestor proud. The seal has been restored.¡± The figure bowed slightly with cupped hands. ¡°Gratitude.¡±

    ¡°Zip it, old fart.¡±

    ¡°Ancestor my shapely buttocks.¡± ¡°Shapely?¡±

    ¡°Who wants to be your descendant? How about you become my descendant? You can call me grand-daddy.¡±

    With the threat of the invasion repelled, many of the remaining martialists fell back into old habits. The words from the projected senior were largely ignored and several small fights broke out over the dungeon rewards.

    Surprisingly, a sizable group of martialists did not join the clamoring for riches. This group instead stepped next to Rafael and crowded around Terry.

    ¡°How is he?¡± Zhang asked. He and Chun were supporting each other to stand upright.

    ¡°Knocked out,¡± said Rafael. ¡°Looks bad, but all parts are still attached and where they should be, I believe. He¡¯s still lacking a tail. Perhaps one of the humans should check him over. I¡¯m not an expert in healing or humans.¡±

    Chalita crouched down next to Rafael. The body she had possessed was now severely bruised and contained many roughly bandaged burns and cuts.

    ¡°Watch what you¡¯re doing,¡± barked Annabelle with a threatening glare at Chalita.

    ¡°Yeah, if I sense anything strange, I won¡¯t hold back¡± growled Guillermo.

    The Outcast from the Ironbark Fist Sect and the sister of the Blazing Sun siblings were not the only ones that were sending warning gazes towards the woman of the Shadowed Forest Sect.

    ¡°My grudge is not with Terry,¡± spat Chalita. ¡°On the contrary, I naturally consider this man my benefactor.¡±

    The statement sparked several nods among the group.

    Chalita sent a speck of mana into Terry¡¯s body and eventually looked at Rafael. ¡°Did you use a healing item?¡±

    ¡°I wish I could. I would if I had any left,¡± grumbled Rafael. ¡°I used up everything before Terry¡­ did whatever he did there.¡±

    ¡°Strange,¡± muttered Chalita pensively. ¡°I can sense several wounds that seem to have closed not long ago. From superficial to severe. I can¡¯t sense any remaining physical injuries.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± exclaimed Chun. ¡°I saw him skewered by spells before.¡±

    ¡°I saw him engulfed in fire at some point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure his left arm was bent the wrong way when I last saw him.¡±

    ¡°These are not injuries that heal on their own,¡± commented Zhang. ¡°Even with a freakish mana pool.¡±

    ¡°And his mana pool has already bottomed out completely.¡± Annabelle pointed out. As far as their mana sight could tell, there was not a single drop of mana left in Terry¡¯s body. ¡°He could not possibly be cloaking his mana while being unconscious, could he?¡±

    Rafael put a finger on Terry¡¯s neck to check for the magic necklace that cloaked mana automatically. Of course, the Arcanian had removed the necklace before the battle to not waste any mana on the necklace¡¯s effect. Rafael shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he can do that.¡±

    ¡°His skin has lost some color.¡± Guillermo pointed out. ¡°Is that regular paleness or the beginnings of mana corruption?¡± He glanced among the group. ¡°Does anyone have anything to treat that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just slight,¡± added Zhang. ¡°Even if it was related to taking in foreign mana, this would be extremely mild. I doubt we have to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°Not taking any chances on this man¡¯s life,¡± growled Guillermo sternly.

    ¡°I think I have something.¡± One of the other martialists handed over an item for Guillermo to check and apply.

    ¡°Speaking of mana¡­¡± Annabelle looked inquisitively at Chalita. ¡°How are his mana channels?¡±

    ¡°Strained but completely intact from what I sensed,¡± replied Chalita and shrugged with a meaningful glance.

    ¡°No visible blood vessels,¡± muttered Zhang pensively.

    ¡°How?¡± Annabelle shook her head with a furrowed brow. ¡°The amount of mana he wielded at the end was insane. Even the First Elder would not be able to do that. Definitely not without injuring his mana channels.¡±

    ¡°Beats me,¡± said Chalita. ¡°The Arcanian did fight while keeping mana outside his body though.¡±

    ¡°He practiced that before the battle, yes.¡±

    ¡°I remember the sight. It looked strange.¡±

    ¡°But it was not to this extent,¡± stressed Zhang. ¡°Never to this extent. That was¡­¡±

    ¡°And it would just raise more questions,¡± added Chun. ¡°Where did the mana come from if it never passed through his mana channels?¡±

    ¡°Who gives a shit?¡± Rafael blurted out with frustration. ¡°Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± said Chalita. ¡°His mana is already starting to regenerate at an unreasonable rate. Probably just needs time to recover and wake up.¡±

    Rafael clicked his tongue and his eyes wandered to the locations of the dungeon rewards. He seemed to be conflicted. His gaze shifted between the rewards, the unconscious Arcanian, and the other martialists standing around his former ally from the Proving Grounds.

    As much as he wanted to, Rafael did not trust the others as much as he trusted Terry, which meant that he was forced to watch them watch him. The thought of letting good magic items escape from his paws was agonizing but Rafael steadfastly stood by his choice. He was determined to protect the man.

    Some of the other martialists were wearing similarly conflicted expressions. Their eyes were dancing the same steps over the area as Rafael¡¯s. Drawn in by the valuable items, only to be forced back to their vulnerable benefactor.

    ¡°Rotten bastards.¡± Rafael cursed to vent his frustrations. He was glaring at the treasure-greedy martialists in the back. ¡°Ingrates.¡± He could not prevent a trace of envy from seeping into his voice. ¡°Imbeciles.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we could¡ª What¡¯s going on?¡±

    A sound that was like a mixture of a ticking clock and mirrors breaking echoed through the air and then the heavens split into a kaleidoscope. The center of gravity flipped and everything else flipped with it.

    ¡°I feel wrong.¡± One martialist muttered weakly.

    They were all being overwhelmed from sights in which lines that should have been parallel suddenly converged, then diverged, and only returned to being parallel after nearly a minute.

    After the disorienting and nauseating experience finally receded, people were left gasping for breath and wiping away cold sweat. The few unfortunate martialists that were in the process of running or fighting with others had the worst of it. Most of them were now busy emptying their stomachs.

    ¡°Did¡­ the space just unfold?¡± exclaimed Zhang.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Before they could make sense of it, everyone was transported away at the same time.

    ***

    ¡°You did well, son.¡± A thin-lipped woman in white-golden martialist robes praised the martialist.

    ¡°I only did what was expected of me, mother,¡± replied Shen with insincere modesty.

    As soon as the first people made it back from the legendary tomb, their sects had rushed to their location to protect their young geniuses from further confrontations. Naturally, many had  also laid their predatory eyes on the young geniuses from other sects. More than one person had escaped the folded space with treasures only to be robbed naked after leaving it.

    Everyone inquired about what had happened inside.

    As always with these things, Shen had prepared multiple versions of his own account. One for outsiders, one for his own sect, one for his inner circle, and one for his closest confidants. As someone in charge of part of their sect¡¯s intelligence division, he knew better than anyone about the importance of carefully managing information.

    People were still camping at the location of this cycle¡¯s place of return, which neighbored the former territory of the Soaring Mountain Sect. Most were busy trading for intel and items. Others were engaging in fights that ranged from friendly spars over thinly veiled aggression, all the way to daylight robbery.

    Some were still trying to come to terms with losing those that had not returned ¨C mourning or venting their frustrations on others. Only a handful continued waiting silently and stubbornly, clinging onto hopes that their own young geniuses would somehow create a miracle. However, even they themselves considered it to be little more than wishful thinking.

    The more time passed since the last challenger of the tomb had returned, the more the mood changed. Those clinging to hope became more grave. Those whose champions had already returned became more gloating.

    The number of violent incidents lessened while the intensity of violence heightened. Even a few elders that were normally composed began revealing their tempers under their own frustrations that were fed by the continued taunts and schadenfreude from others.

    ¡°Mistress Mei, How long do we plan to stay?¡± asked a close friend of Shen¡¯s.

    ¡°Not much longer,¡± replied Shen¡¯s mother. ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for the last batch of reports from our scouts. The forces of the damned Lich Kingdoms are roaming the nearby area and it¡¯s better to pick a path that avoids them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all we¡¯re doing, I wager.¡± Shen grinned widely.

    ¡°Naturally not.¡± Mei winked at her son. ¡°While we are going to avoid the Lich Kings¡¯ forces, we are arranging for some of the other sects to run straight into them. Our agents will also keep an eye out for collecting the spoils and for identifying further opportunities.¡±

    ¡°The new expansion of the Lich Kingdoms is problematic,¡± interjected a man with bushy eyebrows. ¡°It seems that they have accelerated their conquest ever since Arcana¡¯s barrier shattered. If they persist at their current pace, then the next time the tomb opens, the exit location will be in the territory of the Lich Kingdoms. That spells problems.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should not let their conquest go unchecked.¡±

    ¡°The tomb will not reopen for years,¡± stressed Mei. ¡°We¡¯ll concern ourselves with it when the time comes. Until then, let the factions in the area worry about it. It¡¯s their problem and their problems are our opportunities.¡±

    Mei placed a hand on her son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Shadowed Forest Sect, Shen. They have no evidence to press the matter further. Many of them might be seething and blaming you, but they are not united. Divided, their strength is not enough to pressure us.¡±

    Shen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they heard the rumor that I had something to do with Chalita¡¯s death in the tomb.¡± He made sure to put emphasis on the word ¡®rumor.¡¯ It was not out of habit or for further secrecy, but simply an inside joke. The people present all knew how true the rumor really was.

    ¡°Useless troublemaking. People are minding their own business when it¡¯s worth minding.¡± Mei replied in the same joking tone. ¡°The useless trash will indulge in gossip and idle speculation. Back to the discussion about the opportunity provided by the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, why don¡¯t we¡ª?¡± The man with bushy eyebrows was interrupted by a huge commotion from outside.

    ¡°Mistress Mei!¡± One of Mei¡¯s messengers barged into the tent. ¡°They¡¯ve returned!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± demanded Mei impatiently.

    ¡°From the tomb! More have returned! Just now, a large group arrived!¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± exclaimed Shen aghast. He and his entourage immediately charged out to see for themselves.

    ***

 180 Give Me a Break

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 2 ¨C

    After the threat of the mana-cursed invasion had been repelled, the folded space unfolded. However, before the remaining challengers had a chance to pinpoint the dungeon¡¯s real location for themselves, they were transported out. The location in which they were finding themselves was the same as for all the previous returnees.

    While most martialists needed a moment to take their bearings, there were two women alert and composed enough to slip away as soon as they noticed a sky without the three magic moons.

    Chalita quickly hid herself and hurried to the familiar signatures of her Shadowed Forest Sect.

    Annabelle put on a mask to go with the plain black combat robes that did not show the crest of the golden crow. She bolted away towards a secluded escape route. In contrast to Chalita, Annabelle did not plan to reunite with her Blazing Sun Sect. She only used a communication talisman to inform her brother: [...keep it a secret for now. What better way to catch our hidden enemies off-guard than to make them believe I am already dead?]

    [Got it,] replied her brother. [I¡¯ll try to recompense the Arcanian. I¡¯m sure things will go awry soon. I don¡¯t know how much support I can muster, but I¡¯ll do my best.]

    ¡°My grandson!¡±

    ¡°Darling!¡±

    Everywhere, people reunited with their sects and families. The number of martialists in the freshly arrived group quickly diminished. The remaining individuals were all gathered around a single person that was lying unconsciously on the floor.

    Some affiliated martialists had refrained from rushing to their sects and chosen to stay at Terry¡¯s side instead. This included both Zhang and Chun. They remained where they were and used a communication talisman to call their sect over.

    Jason glanced at Rafael. In contrast to the felan, Jason was not strictly an unaffiliated martialist. Technically, Jason still saw himself as a member of the Skyriver Sect. However, his sect had been crushed by Thanatos before the trial tomb began.

    While a handful of disciples from the Skyriver Sect had successfully entered the pocket realm, they had made the mistake of trying to rob the Arcanian. Now Jason was the last surviving member of the group. He might as well have no sect at all for what was about to come. He understood very well what would happen, as did most of the others. Jason spotted some people sneak away. He could not blame them. He himself was still wondering if he should leave the Arcanian¡¯s side.

    ¡°This will get ugly.¡± Rafael had put on his mask again. He glanced at those that had abandoned the Arcanian miracle-maker. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Terry, they would already be dead.¡± He left unspoken that the same applied to him. His feet remained right next to the unconscious man.

    ¡°The Ironbark Fist Sect seems to be further away,¡± remarked Guillermo, who was firmly rooted to the floor as well. ¡°However, even if they come, depending on the faction, I don¡¯t know if¡ª¡±

    ¡°We know your reputation,¡± interjected Zhang drily.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about some faction from the Ironbark Fist,¡± growled Rafael. ¡°The thing we have to watch out for is right there.¡± He pointed towards a tent from where people in white-golden robes were rushing over.

    ¡°We could try to take him away?¡± Chun suggested. She and Zhang were still supporting each other.

    ¡°No way they will just let us bring him away,¡± replied Zhang.

    ¡°Him!¡± Shen¡¯s voice rang over. ¡°That¡¯s him!¡± He whispered to his mother. ¡°That¡¯s the Arcanian that took away the Third Staff of the Monkey King.¡±

    Mei smiled thinly and walked over with a straightened back. In front of her, there were already others eyeing the new arrivals with unrestrained greed. The question of how this group managed to escape the tomb paled in comparison to what exactly they had carried out from the place.

    ¡°Hand him over!¡± barked a man in yellow and black robes. ¡°This man has murdered fledglings from my Thunderous Palm Sect. I demand justice!¡±

    ¡°Over my dead body,¡± growled Rafael.

    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± harrumphed the elder.

    ¡°I would like to see who dares to lay a hand on my brothers,¡± growled Guillermo and with a mana resonance, ironbark hands crossed above his head.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± muttered a felan woman with the appearance of a golden tigress from the sidelines. Hom was staring at the unconscious Arcanian and lifted a paw to her chin.

    ¡°Should we interfere?¡± asked an elven man from her sect.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s wait and see first,¡± replied Hom.

    ¡°You dare to provoke our Thunderous Palm Sect?!¡± The elder puffed up his chest. ¡°I should discipline you, little elf, to teach you some manners. Your Ironbark Fist Sect will thank me afterwards.¡± He stepped forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± A group of people in light blue uniforms stepped into the elder¡¯s path. From their ranks, a voluminous man rushed forward to pull Zhang into a bear hug.

    ¡°Senior Brother Zhang!¡± Barnes nearly burst out in tears despite the audience. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll do better¡­¡±

    Next to Zhang, Chun shot Barnes a wistful smile. She herself was not included in the hug. She nodded towards Sheila. The young princess was standing right next to the elders that had stopped the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    Zhang only winced and weakly chided his junior: ¡°Barnes, you fool. Can¡¯t you see we¡¯re injured?¡± He added in a quieter tone. ¡°Be ready to fight.¡±

    Those words seemed to wake Barnes up and he realized the situation they were in. He turned around and placed himself in front of both Zhang and Chun. He glared defiantly at the gathering crowd.

    ¡°Are you certain that you want to do this?¡± growled the elder from the Thunderous Palm Sect.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± One elder from the Icy Dew Mountain chuckled and softly placed a hand on Sheila¡¯s shoulder. Their young princess had been adamant about protecting the Arcanian.

    ¡°And what if I demand you reconsider?¡± An elder wearing the shimmering robes of the Blazing Sun Sect stepped forth. ¡°That man has caused the death of our scions in Thanatos.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Thanatos? Is that survivor the Arcanian from¡­¡± Countless whispers were spreading like wildfire. ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon, elder, but that survivor is also my benefactor.¡± Annabelle¡¯s brother walked into the center. Next to him was another group of elders from the Blazing Sun Sect.

    ¡°Peter, you dare put private matters over matters of the sect?!¡±

    ¡°Come now,¡± a woman next to Peter spoke up. ¡°Saving the life of a sect member is as much a matter of the sect as killing another. Of course, you have the right to demand an investigation.¡± She smiled pointedly. ¡°Until then, we should all remain civil.¡±

    ¡°Buying time, you damned¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your investigation,¡± interjected yet another elder. ¡°We of the Lightning Feet Sect demand you hand over the Arcanian, dead or alive. The scoundrel has slaughtered our disciples in cold blood.¡±

    Unexpectedly, more people quietly stepped forward to block the elders aiming for the unconscious man. Some of them Terry would recognize as sects belonging to people that had fought with him against the cursed invasion.

    Others, he had no chance to recognize.

    An imposing woman walked in front of Terry. First, her gaze wandered to the Blazing Sun Sect and then towards the Lightning Feet Sect. ¡°On behalf of my disciples, I owe a debt to this man. I say you let him wake up before any further considerations.¡± Behind her, there was a veiled woman with a numb gaze and a pair of elves whom Terry would recognize from the Proving Grounds.

    Jason¡¯s eyes nearly popped out when he spotted the two familiar elves from his old Skyriver Sect.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Mei stepped into the center with her entourage. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him to my tent and then he can¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± snapped Rafael. He extended his claws and glared at Shen next to Mei.

    ¡°It is rude to speak like this to your elders, little kitty,¡± chided Mei sharply. She gestured from side to side. ¡°These people have grievances and these people have gratitude, which means that they¡¯re all biased.¡± She looked around at the sects standing on the sidelines. ¡°Fairness demands that the Arcanian be taken into custody by a neutral party.¡±

    Even though it was a flimsy excuse, it offered enough justification to press the issue. Mei was counting on this and her sect¡¯s power to force her own will through the conflict. She confidently walked up to grab the Arcanian.

    The elders on Terry¡¯s side hesitated.

    ¡°Please.¡± Sheila pleaded with her Icy Dew Mountain.

    ¡°They tricked us!¡± Barnes pointed at Shen. ¡°He made a trade and then they¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you continue to slander me baselessly, I¡¯ll have to ask for justice!¡± Shen retorted angrily. He glared at the elders next to Sheila. ¡°Is this how your Icy Dew Mountain operates? Throwing around empty accusations and staining the reputation of others?!¡±

    Meanwhile, Mei was getting close to Rafael and Guillermo, who were both circulating their mana to attack. She sneered at them. ¡°I truly wouldn¡¯t recommend that.¡±

    From the top of a tree, a woman wearing a tight pony tail was observing the situation. Apex¡¯s participation among the trials had spread across the martialists and she was aware of everyone¡¯s thoughts about her. She was not an imbecile. The instant she was out she used her trump cards to evade the sights of her enemies.

    However, the ongoing conflicts between the different factions had presented good opportunities to enrich herself and eliminate some loathsome pests when they least expected it. That was why she was still lingering around the area.

    Apex clicked her tongue. ¡°Unconscious¡­¡± Seeing Terry on the floor reminded her of her failed cultivation breakthrough attempt when Vicious had attacked her. She sighed. ¡°I hate owing debts.¡±

    Down on the floor, Mei was swatting away the ironbark fists and darted towards Rafael before he could unleash his Heavenly Wolf Slash. She knew all about their attack patterns from the intel that her son had gathered. These youngsters, admittedly talented, were no threat to her yet.

    A shrill phoenix¡¯s cry pierced the air and the floor in front of Mei was suddenly doused in azure flames.

    Rafael used the chance to unleash the Heavenly Wolf Slash towards Mei¡¯s side. The woman managed to dodge, but her long sleeves were cut and she landed on one of her knees, which dirtied the beautiful white.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Shen darted next to Mei and glared at the new arrival.

    Apex had landed in a crouched position from her movement technique. She slowly stood up and straightened her back. She cracked her knuckles and wordlessly grinned defiantly at all the people aiming for Terry¡­ or her.

    ¡°You dare?!¡± Mei stared at her own ruined clothes and then at Apex. ¡°Heretic Aparicia, do you have any idea who I am?!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Apex¡¯s grin turned lopsided and she glanced from Mei to Shen. ¡°You¡¯re the asshole that squeezed out the little shit next to you.¡±

    His anger overwhelmed Shen¡¯s training and his face reddened profusely. He spat: ¡°Heretic!¡±

    ¡°Imbecile!¡± returned Apex in the same tone as Shen¡¯s. Afterwards, she glared at Mei. ¡°If you want to have a go, come at me, granny. I¡¯ll let you taste defeat at the hands of a rookie.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± screeched Mei and dashed forward.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± A new group of people arrived. ¡°Or our Shadowed Forest Sect will not show mercy.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Mei glared at the arrivals. ¡°You have no¡ª¡±

    ¡°We insist.¡± A man and woman were glowering at Mei. ¡°There is also the matter of you paying for our daughter¡¯s lost life.¡± They shifted their gaze from Mei to Shen. ¡°A life for a life.¡±

    ¡°How dare you slander¡ª!¡± Shen shouted.

    ¡°Do not interrupt your elders!¡± Chalita¡¯s mother used a mana-imbued shout to shut Shen down. She turned to Mei. ¡°Is this how you discipline your son? Perhaps I should lend you a hand.¡±

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    Mei¡¯s face contorted in fury: ¡°These baseless rumors are nothing but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Baseless? We have an eyewitness.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡°Who would dare?!¡±

    ¡°A mind-recording.¡± The words from Chalita¡¯s father inspired a heavy silence. ¡°How is your son going to answer this?¡±

    Mei considered her words. Weighing if it was a bluff or not. ¡°My son doesn¡¯t have to answer to you, and whatever grievances you think you have, we have other matters to attend to right now.¡±  She raised her chin and spoke accusingly. ¡°Could it be that your Shadowed Forest Sect is in cahoots with heretics?¡± She pointed at Apex.

    ¡°What¡¯s with all the yapping, granny? I thought you wanted a beating?¡± taunted Apex.

    Mei¡¯s eyelid twitched but she did not lose sight of her real goal. She pressed Chalita¡¯s parents. ¡°It is you who owes all of us righteous sects an answer! Are you standing with this heretical cultivator?! I believe only some among us are able to recognize Aparicia but even the blind among us can detect her heretical cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Now who is the one slandering others?¡± An aged felan woman with the appearance of a golden tigress butted into the conversation. She had her daughter Hom in tow, together with several powerful elders from their sect.

    More and more factions joined the heated argument on both sides. While no one was surprised about the martialists demanding Terry to be handed over, the amount and diversity of his supporters were beyond expectations.

    Many smaller sects were banding together, united by the fact that Terry had allowed their young geniuses to return. Whereas different factions from larger sects found themselves opposing each other, depending on which member had a personal relation with Terry.

    ¡°Are you absolutely certain?¡± A whisper was shouted through the woods.

    ¡°Yes, elder. The Inheritor is unimaginably powerful. We have seen it with our own eyes. Our savior must be an unfathomable senior in disguise. We must not offend him. I am certain that even his current state is nothing more than a test for all of us. It would be unwise to fail his expectations.¡±

    ¡°Very well¡­¡± And another major faction stepped forth to intervene on Terry¡¯s behalf.

    There were even unaffiliated martialists and a few scattered individuals from sects that protected Terry and not because of his actions in the senior¡¯s tomb, but because of his actions in Thanatos. While he had been in the pocket realm, his name had spread among martialist circles as an instigator of the prison break in the Proving Grounds and the subsequent battles.

    After most of the martialists from the Blazing Sun and Thunderous Palm Sects had been captured by Thanatos, others were able to enact their revenge, or to extract valuable information from the crippled elders. There were also all those that had accepted the escaped disciples from the Skyriver Sect.

    ¡°Mana shut it!¡± Apex couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Are you all trying to talk each other to death?!¡± She glared challengingly at Mei. ¡°Step up or shut up, granny!¡± She presented her fist.

    ¡°Insolent brat,¡± cursed Mei. She was wary of Aparicia. The rookie had grown strong beyond reason for her age. She had heard that the heretic had made another breakthrough, but she had not expected this newfound power to be fully consolidated. However, despite her reservations, her anger had simply become overwhelming. She circulated her mana, which caused a bell sound to resonate while she herself vanished from sight.

    Apex reacted by instinct and sucker punched the air. A black-golden flood dragon roared and followed her fist¡¯s movement.

    Mei blocked the lightning resonance with her own technique. She visibly hesitated and did not continue her assault. It was obvious that she was re-evaluating Apex¡¯s strength. Instead of continuing the confrontation physically, she shifted back to verbal attacks. ¡°Heretic! A desecration of the sacred beasts!¡± She glared at the martialist that had stood up for the Arcanian. ¡°Is this whom you associate with? Standing on the same side as heretical cultivators ¨C do you not know shame?¡±

    ¡°Granny, I¡¯m getting bored over here,¡± taunted Apex and interrupted Mei¡¯s attempts to rile up the crowd. ¡°If you¡¯re too cowardly to put your fists where your mouth is, why don¡¯t you let your pathetic excuse for a son take your¡ª¡± Apex shifted her gaze to Terry, who was beginning to open his eyes. ¡°About damn time.¡±

    Apex walked past Rafael and roughly pulled Terry up on his legs.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Terry stared dazedly at Apex¡¯s chest. He saw a strangely glowing¡­ something. If the color had been more blue and less purple, he would take it for a mana marker that someone had placed.

    Terry blinked and consciously turned off his mana sight. Unexpectedly, the strange purple-ish glow remained. When he concentrated, he realized that it was only the center of another fainter glow that¡ª

    ¡°Oy! Take another time to discover puberty,¡± growled Apex with irritation. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake now, you can fight your own battles. I¡¯m not your nanny.¡± She bumped into Terry¡¯s shoulder and bolted away.

    ¡°Heretic! You stay¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Make me if you can, old fart.¡± Apex retorted without stopping her movement technique.

    Terry averted his eyes and realized that he also saw the strange purple glow from Rafael and everyone else around. No, not everyone. A felan next to Hom did not show it. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Not the time.

    He forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. Apex had shaken things up enough to stall. With so many factions at each other¡¯s throats, there remained a fragile balance that had bought him time, but he was not safe yet.

    ¡°I can explain,¡± said Guillermo. ¡°This is the mother of Shen and¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± interrupted Terry. He shook his head and finally, the purple glows disappeared. He inhaled deeply and pushed the question away for another time. He looked from Guillermo to Rafael and the others. ¡°Thanks. I know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Even though Terry had been unable to move his body at all, he had been able to hear and to use his mana sense. He understood the situation. If it had not been for the unexpected purple sight, he would not have been so dazed.

    His body felt surprisingly fine now. His mana pool had bottomed out severely and it had felt much worse than even his first mana cultivation training after flunking out from the Arcana Academy.

    He could not help but clench his fists and try to further memorize the liquid sensation of the intensely compressed mana running through his body. The way the wave of mana compressed and moved. Another thing to worry about later.

    Another of many.

    The purple glow. The fact that his body had mysteriously healed. The location he could feel in his mind. The sensation of liquifying mana. And above all, whatever the Wastes had happened with the blue crystal egg and the white dungeon blob.

    Was it the same as¡ª? Not the time. Focus.

    Terry straightened his back and glared at Mei and then at Shen before sneering: ¡°What? You failed to rob me before and now you are trying to have your mommy help you?¡± He clenched the king spear and pointed it at the two of them. ¡°Try it then, if you dare.¡±

    ¡°Oi, what are you doing?¡± Jason hissed wearily. He did not expect Terry to be so confrontational. The Arcanian had never struck him as a hot-tempered person.

    Even some of the elders that had been protecting Terry before were frowning now. ¡°Mistress Mei is still an elder. A youngster should show the proper respect.¡±

    ¡°Screw that,¡± barked Terry testily. He glared with defiance at the crowd of martialists. ¡°I have seen enough of the son to know the mother is far from worthy of my respect.¡±

    ¡°Hear hear!¡± Someone shouted from further away.

    ¡°You dare!¡± Mei walked forth.

    ¡°I do.¡± Terry extended the king spear and smashed the blunt end into the ground while letting the lightning dance around the pole.

    ¡°Careful mother,¡± whispered Shen warily.

    ¡°Aside from showing a false facade and plotting against others, your son seemed to be very fond of information gathering.¡± Terry tried to show the loathing he had for Shen in his gaze. He was worried that otherwise, his eyes would reveal something else. ¡°Tell me then, what have you discovered about our return from the pocket realm? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already investigated from the moment we arrived.¡±

    Terry forced himself to maintain eye contact with Mei. ¡°No one has ever returned after the third orange pulse. Tell me then: What transpired?! Why did we succeed where everyone else had failed?¡± He reminded himself to emphasize the contempt he felt and sneered: ¡°What could you possibly threaten me with that would be worse than what we just repelled? Do enlighten me!¡±

    Lightning crackled once more around the orange pole and Terry moved his gaze from Mei to Shen. ¡°I¡¯m sure you in particular know that I dare to do a lot of things. In contrast to you, I do not hide behind a mask when I do them either. You, of all people, want to intimidate me? Give me a break!¡±

    ¡°There is no way that those stories are true!¡± Shen had enough.

    ¡°Fool,¡± spat Guillermo. ¡°Full of yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What stories, I wonder? Are you calling everyone present liars?¡± Zhang smiled thinly. ¡°If you continue to slander us, then it won¡¯t be you that demands justice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not that powerful.¡± Shen looked doubtfully at Terry.

    ¡°Powerful enough, evidently,¡± retorted Terry. ¡°If you had possessed the courage to stay behind, you could have seen it with your own eyes.¡±

    His words riled up many of the sects that had been mocked before for the failure of their young geniuses. Even earlier on this day, they had to suffer accusations of incompetence because their sect members had failed to make it out.

    However, in the way the Arcanian was framing it, incompetence suddenly turned into bravery. What was praised as exemplary performances now carried undertones of cowardice. Many jumped at the chance to reframe the events in their favor and earn some face.

    Terry would have liked to get a tally of whom he had in his corner, but he knew that there was a time limit to how long he could keep up the current confrontation. Thanks to his mana touch he had a good idea about the different powerhouses present. He was giving himself good odds of escaping even if a battle broke out, but he honestly just wanted a break.

    He was so damned tired.

    Tired of fighting. Tired of these martialists. If there was a way for him and the others to get away without a fight, then Terry wanted to try. If he had learned anything in the past year trapped among battle-crazed mana martialists, then it was that they exploited weakness and only respected strength.

    In many ways, he was reminded of how his aunt Sigille had talked about some of the imperial censors in Tiv: strong in front of the weak and weak in front of the strong.

    Terry had learned enough in Thanatos to understand that he possessed one significant advantage in this exchange: By what every late returnee knew, he had single-handedly incapacitated that enormous army in the pocket realm.

    Terry was sure that Shen and his group had heard about that and it was probably one reason why they rushed to make a move on him while he was still unconscious.

    It was his greatest advantage that no one aside from himself knew that the power he displayed was not quite his own.

    Even though it was a nice glimpse into what I could be in the future, only that¡ª Focus.

    Terry did not completely understand what had happened with the dungeon and the way-too-familiar slime. He had neither the time nor the access to his Uncle Samuel to figure it out now.

    The asymmetry of information was a powerful tool of persuasion. In order not to waste it, he had to focus on seeming confident. Truthfully, it was not hard to do while visions of acting as the dungeon¡¯s defender were still vivid in his mind and while the feeling of liquid mana inside his channels was still fresh.

    ¡°You want my pinnacle item?¡± Terry pointed at the extended king spear with his eyes. ¡°Come and get it.¡± He searched for people in familiar lightning-themed robes. ¡°You don¡¯t like how I use the staff? Come and stop me.¡±

    Uncertainty made even Mei hesitate. The stories. The Arcanian¡¯s attitude. Shen¡¯s own reports about Terry¡¯s feats and inconsistent evaluations. The shifting line of supporters and opposition. The enemies that were waiting on the sidelines for an opportunity to weaken her sect.

    Terry did not give them more time to think. ¡°I have business back in Arcana.¡± He was pleased to see that the name of his home made some of his opponents wear a conflicted scowl. He reminded himself to appreciate how much the right background worked in one¡¯s favor in situations like these. ¡°So I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    After the words had left his mouth, Terry frowned because he worried that this might have been too soft. Therefore, he added in a bark towards Shen: ¡°Let¡¯s not meet again, shithead.¡±

    Terry knew that he should hurry, but he still took the time to turn to Rafael, Guillermo, Jason, and the others. ¡°How about you? Are you confident in getting away from here?¡±

    ¡°I know a way,¡± said Guillermo. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    ¡°I think I recognize some of my¡­¡± Jason muttered and stared at what appeared to be some of his fellow disciples from the Skyriver Sect. People that had long ago been captured by Thanatos and taken away. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible¡­¡±

    ¡°This one will leave immediately.¡± Rafael adjusted his mask. ¡°Now that justice has been upheld.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Rafael,¡± said Terry before the felan departed.

    ¡°What ¡®Rafael¡¯?¡± Rafael adjusted his mask. ¡°This one is called¡­ Celui! Yes, that¡¯s my name.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Terry rolled his eyes. While the leopard-spotted felan was about to depart, Terry remembered something. He retrieved a jade token from his storage item and hurled it at the masked felan¡¯s head.

    Rafael instinctively dodged and then grabbed the object with a paw. ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a use for it,¡± said Terry. The jade token contained the complete sequence of the Heavenly Wolf Slash including the paired movement technique. ¡°If you had stayed around earlier in the pocket realm, I could have given it to you before the invasion.¡±

    ¡°Dude, I¡­¡± Rafael bit his lips behind the mask. He put the jade token away and nodded at his former companion from the Proving Grounds. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it. Farewell!¡± Under his breath, the felan added: ¡°...friend.¡±

    Terry made sure that everyone had a destination and confidence in getting away. Most, like Jason, sought assistance from sects like the Icy Dew Mountain or Shadowed Forest to reach a safe location.

    Others like Guillermo and Rafael were insisting on making their own way.

    Terry himself knew that he could not afford to linger around the others. Even if he got away now, he would continue to have a target on his back. He did not want to trouble them further and he was more flexible alone anyway. Plus, his plan really was to get to Arcana and he doubted that this was a destination shared by any of the martialists.

    Before Mei or the other vultures had a chance to harden their minds, Terry darted into the air on translucent golden layers of divine mana. He made sure to pay close attention to all the mana signatures below, both from his opponents and from his supporters.

    When he was certain that no enemy had followed him and that his allies had departed safely, Terry heaved a sigh of relief. He retrieved his old five-point inscription ring in order to get his bearings and determine the direction to Arcana.

    Terry had entered the pocket realm with a teleportation ticket from Thanatos. The exit teleportation had apparently targeted a location in the south-east of the Free Factions Union.

    ¡°Northwest to Arcana.¡± Terry was getting desensitized to jumping around on the map of his native realm. He had unwittingly crossed another empire, but what could he do about it?

    ¡°At least the distance to Arcana has lessened,¡± muttered Terry while taking in the view from high up in the sky. ¡°I still have to cross the Union northwards until I reach Arcana¡¯s border, but at least it¡¯s not as vast as Thanatos.¡±

    Terry forced himself to not dwell on all the things he had to figure out and instead focused on getting some distance between himself and the martialists. He was certainly glad to leave that madness behind.

    ***

    After a few days of running towards a location where Terry thought to sense folks, he was taking time to replenish his stock of food. He was picking fresh berries in a clearing when his mana sense picked up something bad from another direction.

    Death-aspect and¡­ Terry narrowed his eyes. Ichor.

    He had sensed such a mixture only once before. He had been with Matteo, Sigille, and Cadence when Emily had her dungeon scavenger ritual of adulthood. After the elven girl had defeated the goo beetle, Matteo and Sigille had persuaded Wallace¡¯s dungeon scavengers to leave the cave, because they had picked up traces of a necromancer.

    That necromancer had commanded an undead hellspawn juggernaut.

    Terry was still staring, when he sensed other hellspawn aspects mixed with death. From one moment to the other, a whole horde of undead hellspawn appeared in the middle of his mana perception range.

    A horde of undead hellspawn had seemingly popped into existence out of thin air.

    One might think that by now, Terry was getting desensitized to battling large armies of horrifying creatures¡­

    Wastes no.

    ¡°Give me a break!¡±

    Screw this.

    Terry bolted away. He chose his path to put as much distance between himself and the trajectory of these undead hellspawn before they got a whiff of his mana signature. He had not the slightest desire to engage them. He just wanted a good night¡¯s rest and a freshly cooked meal. He was so damned tired.

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 6, Heretical Style ¨C

 Arc 06 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Shen: human man, martialist, high status in his sect and part of its intelligence division, son of Mei

    Mei: human woman, martialist, high status in her sect and part its leadership, mother of Shen

    Sheila: human woman, martialist, high status in the Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Zhang: human man, martialist, member of Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Barnes: human man, martialist, member of Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Chalita: human woman, martialist, high status in Shadowed Forest Sect, soul in new body

    Hom (the Immortal Tigress): felan woman, martialist, high status in her sect

    Guillermo (the Outcast): elven man, martialist, polarizing character in the Ironbark Fist Sect

    Jason: elven man, martialist, member of the Skyriver Sect

    Annabelle: human woman, martialist, member of the Blazing Sun Sect, sister of Peter

    Peter: human man, martialist, member of the Blazing Sun Sect, brother of Annabelle

    Alias Apex ¡ú Aparicia, the Heretic of the Martial Tower

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on healing, Terry¡¯s former mentor, Clarity¡¯s current mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on rituals and applied spellwork

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): deceased, dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille, former Guardian (Tiv), former scavenger, accepted sister of Matteo, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Matteo (Elemental Fury): human man, possessing elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, accepted brother of Emaldine, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion and for dealing the deathblow to Bright Willow

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion, possessed by lightning elementals

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    Naer (Roy, Weran): elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage, true mage (archmage proper)

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, former Guildhead (Tiv) that was active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), former Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Diwa (The Mage Supreme): human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, killed by Megumi at the Bulwark

    Damian: human man, former soldier of the Thanatos Empire, current representative in Thanatos¡¯s government (Lucky Wing of the Bloody Hall), dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan (The Brave Iron Giant): Old noble in Tiv, war companion of the Hope, Tivius, Korra, and Diwa

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: deceased, human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), lead the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death, killed by Matteo

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, former Guardian (Tiv), specializes in mana crafting, former direct disciple of Sigille (honorary)

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex: human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): deceased, human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Matteo, grudge against Apex

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: three human siblings, two deceased (male and female mana cultivator), one survivor (female mage), Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Rachel: human woman, Guardian instructor (Tiv) focusing on spellwork

    Palmer (The Demonpalm): human man, former Guardian instructor (Tiv), mana cultivator, specializes in the sonic aspect, known for hunting demons, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving to Thanatos

    Tara: canan woman, former Guardian (Tiv), direct disciple of Sigille, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving back to her native realm

    Thena: dwarven woman, sister of Jee, student and aspiring disciple of Sigille, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment

    Clayson: dwarven man, bodyguard and friend of Thena, mana cultivator

    Clarence: elven man, Kipkoi¡¯s childhood friend and helper, thief and assassin

    Derek: human man, direct disciple of Palmer, permanently crippled mana pool, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion in Tiv, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Rosheen: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing a sonic-aspected spell and remaining hidden, Guardian companion of Derek, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Isabella: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing the Shadow Bind spell, former Guardian (Tiv), wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, considered moving to a conclave of the Magic Liberation Front

    Harrison: deceased, human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (unranked), second Guardian companion of Terry in Tiv, killed by Terry during the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Wallace: elven man, dungeon scavenger, aspect archer, expert in hiding his mana and picking magical locks, like a father to Matteo, father of Emily

    Emily: elven woman, like a little sister to Matteo, daughter of Wallace, aspiring druid, disciple of Dhruv

    Bigsby: human man, dungeon scavenger

    Dee: human woman, dungeon scavenger

    Borf: dwarven man, dungeon scavenger

    Anand: human man, necromancer, dimensional mage, expert in elementals, former mentor of Matteo, willfully caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals and triggered a calamity in the lands of the Four Towers in the Free Factions Union that also led to the death of Sigille¡¯s husband, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death

    Anem: human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous)

    Eli: human man, crimson iris at the center of his forehead, General of the Thanatos Empire

    Yana: human woman, soldier in the Thanatos army, acts as right hand of General Eli

    Clarity: human woman, student in Arcana Academy, prot¨¦g¨¦ of Pelliana

    Patricia: human woman, specializes in shadow-aspected magic, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Hope (The Valkyrie): elven woman, force-aspected, Tiv¡¯s most well-known hero and mage

    Yujin: human woman, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army

    Claude: human man, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army, special forces that guard the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon

    Tivius: deceased, human man, Founding King of the Tiv Empire, married to Korra

    Korra: human woman, Founding Queen of the Tiv Empire, married to Tivius

    Beatrice: human woman, former soldier in Thanatos, death whisperer, enthusiast for constructs and unorthodox forms of magic, plotted against Lizzy and Megumi on the Bulwark

    Blue: deceased, lizan man, initiate from the lizan native realm that was supposed to bait and eliminate Fate

    Fate: lizan woman, powerful mage that utilizes spellwork including divination, scrying, and unachored dimensional transfers

    Nash: deceased, human man, prisoner in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, shadow-aspected

    Yesenia: human woman, former soldier of the Thanatos army, overseer in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, friends with Yana

    Rafael: felan man, mana martialist, unaffiliated cultivator, relying on the Heavenly Wolf Slash, sticky fingers

    Xuan: lizan man, mana martialist, member of the Soaring Mountain Sect, same lizan tribe as Fate, grudge against Thanatos

    The Librarian: deceased, elven woman, mana martialist, member of the Skyriver Sect, from the Free Factions Union, former prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

    The Bloody Duchess: human woman and vampiress, from the Lich Kingdoms, escaped prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

 181 Beautiful Blue Sky

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 7, Indomitable Bonds ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 3 ¨C

    High up in the sky, Terry opened his eyes. His gaze first rested on the bucket filled with water that served as his trusted alarm clock and early warning for his spell running out. Habitually, he refreshed the Immovable Object spell on the tertium slab that served as his airborne bedding.

    For a fleeting moment, Terry wondered if he should refresh the spell imprint on the bucket too. Even though he didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore, he did not feel like getting up yet. Just a few more minutes of doing¡­

    Nothing.

    Nothing would be nice.

    Just for a bit.

    To Terry¡¯s delight, he could see that the spell in the bucket still had enough charge to last nearly half an hour. Evidently, he had woken up early.

    Unlimited mana sure did wonders for a cultivator¡¯s constitution. The experience when defending the dungeon had brought immense benefits to his mana pool and regeneration. Both of those translated directly into a reduced requirement for sleep.

    The reduced need for sleep was also playing off another benefit. Few mages ever received a chance to practice their spell control by unleashing thousands of spell invocations in a single day. The growth in spell control allowed for better spell compression and that directly translated into longer durations for a single empowered charge.

    Both benefits together brought about Terry¡¯s current condition where he naturally woke up before a single spell invocation had run out. He had come a long way from scrambling for whatever bit of sleep he could get when in his shelter in the sky.

    Or rather from waking up by being drenched in water and never truly feeling rested.

    Terry just continued laying back and allowed himself to take in the bright blue morning sky. He knew it had been reckless to not sleep in a fully closed cube, but that sight was a luxury he could not resist.

    That sky.

    That beautiful blue sky with no superfluous moons that could serve as a constant reminder of being trapped in a pocket realm with a bunch of battle-crazy lunatics.

    That sky that was shared with his accepted family, with his whaka. Somewhere under this beautiful blue sky he would be able to reunite with his friends and family. He just had to persevere and get back to Arcana.

    Terry was still gazing upon the vast blue nothingness while his mana was already spreading further and further from him to establish his newly improved detection field.

    His detection field confirmed what his regular mana sense had already suggested to him: He was safe. Right now, for the first time in more than two years, he felt safe.

    There were no powerful mana signatures in the vicinity. No murderous martialists. No fungus-infested invaders. No Thanatos troops. No oversized white wyverns. No hellspawn champions or spellweavers. Not even a giant horde of undead.

    Admittedly, there had been a horde of what appeared to be mostly undead hellspawns, but Terry had distanced himself in time to evade the horde¡¯s path. At one point, he had backtracked slightly to confirm that the horde had passed and there was nothing to be sensed anymore.

    As such, Terry was safe.

    Still alone, but safe.

    Now all he had to do was to alleviate the ¡®alone¡¯ aspect without losing the ¡®safe¡¯ part of the equation. He had a long way ahead of him if he wanted to return to Arcana, but so what?

    In the past, the long distance might have seemed daunting to inspire despair, but Terry felt only anticipation and invigoration when taking in the bright blue morning sky.

    He had nearly died isolated in a strange folded space. It was a miracle that he was still breathing. Maybe more than one miracle actually. One slight mistake or one missing step on the path he had walked to even get there, and he would have been dead ¨C or worse.

    Terry had to push away the image of a version of himself that was covered with fungus and joined the invasion on his home.

    He had been trapped for more than two cycles. First in a mana containment cell for holding coliseum contestants. Then in a folded space for an alleged inheritance site that had turned out to be very much just another form of containment cell.

    No matter what further challenges might await on his path back home, right now Terry felt nothing but liberation.

    Well, nearly nothing.

    Liberation and tiredness.

    Tiredness.

    Not sleepiness ¨C his mana foundation and bodily constitution prevented that at this moment.

    Not physical exhaustion or the mental fatigue of intense studying either.

    This tiredness was a pure and unadulterated need for peace. Inner peace as well as a peaceful environment. For a calm that he had lost a long time ago, although the time felt a lot longer than it really had been. Both thanks to the time-dilating dao chambers and his own growing frustration with simply¡­ everything in that pocket asylum.

    The last time Terry had felt truly at peace, he had set out on a trip as a Guardian from Arcana City. A multi-mission trip with his own group and the groups of his siblings. A trip that had eventually led him onto a path of dungeon shenanigans and death.

    Way too much death.

    Terry was not sleepy at all, but he was so damned tired.

    He was plainly fed up with constantly being surrounded by death in all its various forms.

    Terry had always dreamed of becoming a heroic mage of legend like his idol. He had always looked at the historical figures in the Path of a Mage as role models and up at the Veilbinder most of all.

    Terry had failed so often to measure up against his own aspirations. Well, in the folded space, he had succeeded, even if only a few battle-crazy muscle-brains knew about it. However, he was aware that this heroic feat was achieved with borrowed powers instead of with his own. In his judgement, his failure would have been inevitable if not for the dungeon¡¯s intervention.

    Dungeon shenanigans.

    Despite his belittling thoughts, Terry knew he had succeeded in something remarkable. He had helped vanquish an invasion of mana-cursed beings that had been threatening to overpower a dungeon for who knew how long.

    If Terry thought calmly about it, he knew that he should feel at least a sliver of pride.

    And yet, right under his feeling of liberation, Terry felt like¡­ crap.

    He simply felt like crap.

    Perhaps it was the forceful confrontation with the limits of his own ambition. Limits that required a miraculous dungeon intervention to bring up to par for the challenge.

    Perhaps it was one near-death experience too many. A person could only bleed out so many times before starting to question their life choices and doubting their own path and ambitions.

    Perhaps it was simply the accumulated fatigue of moving from one excruciatingly exhausting situation right to the next. If this was the path of a hero, then it was even worse for a person¡¯s mental health than the time-dilating dao chambers and those were already far beyond unhealthy.

    Terry had always aspired to become like the Veilbinder. He understood very well that the Veilbinder had gone through so much worse. It was not the first time that Terry wondered how the mage of legend had possibly managed to persevere on his path that wrote legends.

    As a young child, Terry had not held the slightest doubt that he was destined for greatness. Regretfully, that pleasant state of unquestioning self-delusion had not survived the Arcana Academy.

    As a teenager, Terry had been confronted with his own limiting inadequacies and yet his mind had still always felt¡­ separate. Somehow. As if his mind had been betrayed by his body. As if his character had been destined for greatness only to be pulled down to earth by this constricting impairment.

    The thought had felt despairingly unfair, but at the same time¡­ comforting. Somehow. A comforting conviction that he would have been able to become like the great mage of legend if only it hadn¡¯t been for this one limiting aspect that was entirely beyond his control. Again, not a sliver of doubt about it.

    The only problem was his aspect impairment. His mental fortitude was beyond question.

    Another sheltered delusion that had now been shattered.

    Terry was not sure anymore if he was cut out to follow the path of a mage. When he had flunked out of the Arcana Academy, he had questioned if his aspect impairment would be the breaking point. He had questioned the potential of his own abilities.

    In the folded space, the dungeon had shown him a possible future for his abilities that was beyond anything Terry could have ever imagined or wished for before. He knew that this should cause his ambition to grow instead of shrinking away. He had even promised himself that this power would one day be his own.

    However, after the exhilarating rush of liquified mana had vanished from his veins, Terry was left with something else. He was left with the realization of how many things could have gone wrong. How easy it would have been to die or to miss the moment. How his victory had been completely uncertain and how uncertain the exact puzzle pieces for its achievement still remained.

    Above all, how much struggle and pain had been associated with acquiring most of the known puzzle pieces he had required to bring about victory.

    No fiendish crystal egg without slaying a gigantic wyvern and escaping from lizan loonies.

    No knowing about the nature of the crystal without being captured by Thanatos. No mana touch or enhanced parallel casting either. No unstoppable shift which would have meant no king spear¡­

    Without the dungeon shenanigans that had led to Terry being stranded in Tiv, he might never have learned the divine hammer inscription or gotten the inspiration for his eccentric disruption discharges or ranged mana naturalization.

    Terry involuntarily recalled how Damian had once called the Veilbinder an impractical role model to take inspiration from. One epithet the Thanatos politician had used to describe the legendary mage was industrious.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡®¡­help everyone everywhere to increase your chance of randomly stumbling across powerful magic while saving someone¡¯s kitten from a tree.¡¯

    Terry didn¡¯t feel like this accurately described his own path. He did not remember volunteering to save many kittens lately. Nevertheless, he was beginning to understand one part their paths had in common: Stepping up required options.

    Like a fiendish crystal.

    Like an external mana pool.

    Like so many other things.

    Some of the options Terry might have also developed in Arcana, but what about the rest? Certainly, he would not have remained idle, but would the things he would have gained instead lent themselves to a similar success?

    No way to tell.

    As such, Terry was left with the lingering feeling that collecting the right pieces to put together required more than effort. Even more than luck. It required an opportunity for luck and effort to manifest into an applicable new option.

    Terry believed he understood how his latest opportunities had arisen. He had stepped up to gather the four-leaved blood tulip. He had actively worked to escape the lands of Thanatos.

    Choice by choice.

    Step by step.

    The only problem was that Terry was not sure anymore if steps like those would form a path he was able to walk on.

    The dungeon had shown him a possible destination of where his path might lead. A possible version of his future abilities. A promised reward if he only managed to persevere.

    However, Terry knew that this was not as simple as training up his mana foundation. He knew that he required stop-gaps to survive until he had a chance of reaching the heights of the Immovable Mage.

    Other skills.

    Other tools.

    Other options.

    Somehow, after the dungeon defense, a location had been etched into Terry¡¯s mind. He could feel its presence. It was a location not further away from his current position than Arcana City.

    Getting back to Arcana didn¡¯t seem that daunting under this beautiful blue sky.

    Continuing just like the past few years, however, seemed more than daunting enough. Not just tiring. It was outright terrifying.

    It made him flinch.

    Terry had seen a vision of who he could become if he followed the right path, but he had also gotten a glimpse into what was required to actually walk along it.

    Honestly, just thinking about it made him feel tired and so, he chose to refrain from thinking about it.

    Not the time.

    Focus.

    One step at a time.

    Terry sat up and collected the alarm bucket into his storage bracelet. Whatever he chose for the future, he knew what he wanted to focus on for the present. No matter what, he would first return to his family and friends. He did not walk his path alone. His choices affected more than himself. He had scared them enough already and he had a promise to uphold.

    ¡®Even if I ever get whisked away again, I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve found a way home.¡¯

    After the dungeon shenanigans, Terry had been unable to promise to never disappear. Instead, he had basically promised to always return. He did not like lies, so he should better act true to his promise.

    Remembering his risky choice to stay in the folded space and to refuse to leave with the exit ticket in his possession, Terry could not help but note that he had nearly turned himself into a liar.

    Pushing away his conflicted thoughts, Terry stood up and gazed on the horizon underneath that beautiful blue sky. He swiveled his head to take in the sight in all directions before fixing his eyes on a single one.

    Whaka¡­

    He wanted to go home.

    His first step onto a translucent golden layer of mana was firmly into the direction of Arcana and with time, his steps only accelerated subconsciously. Never could he have imagined how great it would feel to start running again¡­

    Just running.

    Running and running.

    Over the coming weeks, Terry had a good, peaceful run. He slept well. He easily acquired provisions for himself by hunting and gathering. His improved senses, cloaking abilities, and instincts were doing wonders for his self-preservation. He easily side-stepped any potential threats.

    The only cause for unease was the slight purple layer that sometimes popped up in Terry¡¯s eyes, both on himself and on other beings he encountered. He still had no idea what to make of it. Ignoring the color, it resembled what he saw with active mana sight, but sometimes there were discrepancies.

    In the folded space, he had seen a blue tint without any purple. Out here, he sometimes caught beings with weak layers of purple and without any blue. A lack of blue in active mana sight was the well-known appearance of manaless beings, so the purple definitely appeared separate from mana.

    Even more confusing were the moments when Terry spotted spots of purple without anything to match. Just vague shapes of purple moving over the ground or along the trees. Whenever those sights forced themselves on him, he suppressed the urge to sit down and scribble in his notebooks.

    Not the time.

    He wanted to go home.

    He stayed out of sight and avoided anything resembling folk signatures, especially larger clusters. After being trapped with backstabbing battle-hungry martialists, Terry recoiled at the idea of chatting up random strangers. After glimpsing into the political scheming in several different empires, he was also very hesitant to make contact with any foreign country.

    He pressed on without getting distracted by whatever appeared around or underneath him. He had a destination. All he needed was to run there. Continue running.

    Just running.

    Running and running.

    Terry was starting to lose track of how long he had been running. During his stay in Thanatos confinement and even more so in the strange folded space, time had turned into a funny concept. When the days became longer while the years became shorter, it was hard to prevent time from blending into itself.

    Days became weeks¡­

    Running.

    Weeks evolved into months¡­

    Running and running.

    All with a single destination in mind.

    The running even seeped into Terry¡¯s dreams when he slept, which ranged from bad to bizarre. The dreams tended to all follow the same theme of him running. Running away from hordes of enemies. Fungus-invested elves and beasts. Undead. Hellspawn. Undead Hellspawn. Even martialists, cultists, and soldiers.

    Once, the dream had Terry flee from a group of people dressed like the ministers at the Preacher¡¯s reception in Tiv. The army of politicians had chased him around a giant plate of appetizers. Oddly enough, he had slept through all of the nightmares featuring monsters but the pursuing politicians woke him up.

    Woke him up for more running.

    Terry only managed to stare dazedly when his path was eventually blocked by something he could not simply circle around and evade.

    There was no more beautiful blue sky in that direction.

    No stars either.

    The sky was drowned in chaotic clouds of dense grey ash that rose from a glowing sea of orange. Snakes of yellow white or violet blue were dancing with furious thunder. From the swirling mass of blazing death, the stench of sulfur and ozone was invading his nostrils.

    Terry naturally knew about volcanoes and he had also heard about volcanic lightning that sometimes appeared in the ash clouds before. However, the sight in front of him was a concoction of violent mana raging completely out of control.

    His mana sight left no doubt in his mind about what he was looking at¡­

    Forbidden zone.

    Crap.

    Terry maintained his distance and followed the edge of the ferocious forbidden zone but quickly suspected that this would lead nowhere. He might have to backtrack the whole distance. As if the time spent running had never even happened. Naturally, he felt more than reluctant to increase the distance to his destination again.

    It felt like a loss.

    Failure.

    But what else could he do?

    The ash clouds were nothing he could simply power through. His mana touch had felt no end of them. His mana sight confirmed that there was no way above either. There was no helping it.

    Running.

    Running and running.

    Until eventually, a strong mana distortion caught Terry¡¯s attention in a particular direction. A mana distortion that indicated some kind of anchored spatial transfer. A dimensional gate or something very much like it.

    Terry would have worried that this was a hallucination created by his own subconsciousness, a manifestation of wishful thinking. However, the large cluster of mana signatures matching folks in the vicinity of the dimensional gate did definitely not fit his own personal wishlist. The very idea of interacting with folks was already inviting the beginnings of a headache into Terry¡¯s head.

    ***

    The doors to the tavern opened and a short hooded figure entered. Underneath the hood, a few strains of pure white hair were showing. While she approached the barkeep, her eyes darted around the room.

    Her appearance outed her as a foreigner. The white hair was too noticeable for anyone to miss such a sight among the locals. However, her mannerisms did not stand out to anyone. Barely anyone realized how her eyes were taking stock of all the crimson uniforms, every single other armed guest at the tavern, the exits and windows¡­ Her eyes never lingered for longer than a natural glance.

    ¡°Two fingers wide of the house specialty.¡± The dwarf stepped onto the raised edge on the platform to be used by dwarves to reach the high seat and table.

    ¡°First time?¡± asked the human man behind the bar. ¡°Or one of our repeat customers?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask for a refund.¡± The dwarven woman placed two paper notes in the Thanatos currency on the counter. ¡°You can keep the change.¡±

    The barkeep took the money. ¡°We¡¯re not really a liquor region. The products from the local distilleries are, shall we say, more of an acquired taste.¡± He poured a drink from an unbranded bottle. ¡°The people ordering this swirl are mostly locals themselves. Have you visited our town before?¡±

    The dwarven woman did not reply to the question. She gulped down the drink in one go without showing any reaction on her face. No one could tell if she liked the drink or if its flavor came as a surprise.

    ¡°Many reasons to be here.¡± The dwarven woman grinned at the barkeep and glanced at the wanted posters plastered on the wall behind him.

    The barkeep smiled and nodded. He had been one of the few people in the tavern to notice the subtle glances when the woman had gauged the guests and environment. It did not surprise him that this dwarf was a practitioner of the trade. He shrugged and began cleaning a used glass. ¡°No rest among the wicked and plenty of wickedness to go around.¡±

    ¡°Mind if I look through the stack?¡± The dwarven woman pointedly moved her eyes from the wall with bounty posters to a bunch of copies stacked on the counter.

    ¡°Naturally not.¡± The barkeep pushed the stack of copies to his guest. ¡°We¡¯re always welcoming people willing to earn some coin.¡±

    ¡°...or to spend it, naturally,¡± quipped the dwarf while her fingers were already moving through the bounty posters. She studied several of them.

    The sight was familiar to the barkeep. The woman seemed more thorough than most of the usual bounty hunters. He appreciated the sign of professionalism. Although this dwarf might take it a bit too far. She did not only read carefully through all the provided information. She even fingered through every single copy available for the bounties. They always printed duplicates so that interested hunters could take a copy with them.

    After some time, the dwarven woman had selected a handful of documents for some of the highest bounties. She casually spread them out on the table and shot the barkeep a meaningful glance.

    ¡°Anything not in the documents?¡± She placed another bill on the counter and waited for the barkeep to react. It was quite the generous ¡®tip¡¯.

    The barkeep accepted the money without comment and then pointed at one of the posters. ¡°There are rumors that the issuer is not good for the money. It¡¯s the owner of a large merchant house, but apparently bankrupt.¡± He moved his finger to another bounty and only shook his head without speaking before continuing to the last noteworthy poster. ¡°This scumbag is a real piece of work as far as I¡¯ve heard. If you¡¯ll go for that one, be prepared to deal with hostages.¡±

    ¡°What about this one?¡± The dwarven woman pointed at the second poster on which the barkeep had evidently some unspoken thoughts.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The barkeep took a deep breath. ¡°I would just advise against taking it, honestly. I know the bounty is high, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Any information missing?¡± prodded the dwarven woman.

    ¡°No, not quite but¡­¡±

    ¡°Part of the rewards comes from cults¡­¡± The dwarf muttered as if thinking out loud. ¡°I would have to travel to collect, true.¡± She caught the barkeep¡¯s gaze. ¡°I also see that another part of the total bounty had been promised by the Tiv government before the dissolution of the state. Those aren¡¯t the only sponsors though. Rewards promised from individuals in Thanatos and in the Martial Sects.¡± She waited for the barkeep to jump in. ¡°Anything I¡¯m missing so far?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the bounty itself.¡± The barkeep shrugged, shook his head, and sighed. ¡°I know it sounds silly, but that bounty is simply cursed.¡±

    The dwarven woman maintained a deadpan expression and then slowly raised an eyebrow with skepticism. ¡°Cursed?¡±

    ¡°Silly, I know, but people going after the Whetstone Arcanian have been dying everywhere. It¡¯s bad luck, I tell you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± The dwarven woman pushed forth her lower lip and looked at the face on the bounty poster. A younger Terry was motionlessly looking back at her. Wordlessly, she pushed the posters together into a single stack again and pocketed her selection of bounties with Terry¡¯s still mixed in.

    ¡°See? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to say anything,¡± grumbled the barkeep.

    The dwarven woman¡¯s eyes glinted and she grinned. ¡°First time?¡±

    ¡°I wish.¡± The barkeep rolled his eyes. ¡°Just last week I gave the same warning and just like with you, it was ignored.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± teased the dwarven woman. ¡°Did the curse strike already?¡±

    ¡°No, but I stand by what I said,¡± grumbled the barkeep.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The dwarf licked her lips and paused pensively. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to step on the toes of another bounty hunter for this one.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Perhaps we can work something out. A bit of cooperation to defeat the curse.¡± She winked at the barkeep.

    ¡°Ha-ha.¡± The barkeep sarcastically mimicked a monotone laugh. ¡°Well, you can try. That group usually stays at the Silver Sparrow and they haven¡¯t departed yet.¡±

    The dwarven woman nodded. She continued looking through the stack of remaining bounty posters one more time and only stopped when she heard the tavern¡¯s door open. Seeing the figure of the dwarven man with pure white hair in the door, it was time.

    ¡°Thanks for the drink.¡± The dwarven woman knocked on the table and left. When she caught up with her companion, she whispered. ¡°Three targets, I already know the first¡­¡±

    ***

 182 Dont Haggle

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 10 ¨C

    Terry decided to descend in a secluded location and then walk the remaining distance to the mana distortion on foot. He would attract less attention and it would keep his aerial movement abilities hidden.

    He was really not looking forward to mingling with strangers again.

    He checked his equipment. Throwing needles at his sheath belt and leg straps. A pair of inscribed keen daggers. Some easily accessible metal bars to supply metal for his Shape Metal imprints. Cloaking necklace. Magic brooch¡­

    Terry tentatively stepped into the shadow plane to avoid any unpleasant surprises like in some of his past encounters. Fortunately, the path was all clear.

    ¡­divine hammer inscriptions. The fingerless glove with multiple inscriptions provided by his aunt Brynn. Storage items. Helmet and armor.

    Terry could not help but frown slightly at the state of his armor. He had maintained and repaired it as best as he could. Technically, it was in good enough condition. However, the obvious marks of battle on the armor might invite unwanted attention.

    A scene from his travels with Sigille and Matteo appeared in his mind. A scene from when they were traveling to the Preacher¡¯s reception.

    ¡®If you want to avoid the flies, remind them how much trouble you can be. If, on the other hand, you want to catch some flies, then you hide that as much as possible.¡¯

    Terry smiled faintly. Perhaps the battle marks could also work in his favor, but it was hard to tell without knowing the situation awaiting him. For now, he decided to go with a compromise. He channeled mana into his magic brooch. Shadow fabric grew and then wrapped itself around him as a velvety black cloak.

    Terry adjusted the wide hood to fall over his helmet and hide more of his face and then started walking.

    ***

    A large crowd was gathering in front of a rough-looking circle of stone. This stone structure was the source of the mana distortion that Terry had sensed before.

    ¡°Please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you!¡±

    ¡°At least the children!¡±

    ¡°This is too much!¡±

    ¡°Have mercy!¡±

    Terry silently stayed in the back and circled around the agitated crowd. He observed the people here and paid attention to the conversations. Most of the people among the crowd looked rather haggard with lots of luggage in tow.

    ¡°How can you allow this?!¡± One woman demanded from a man in uniform. ¡°These portals should be free for use!¡±

    Terry noted the peculiar condition of the uniform. There were threads poking out as if a sewn-on badge had been removed. That did not look like regular wear and tear. The truly peculiar thing was that this exact flaw was shared among many of the city guards that Terry had spotted.

    ¡°Listen, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±

    ¡°What job? These prices are extortion! Don¡¯t you work for the government? Isn¡¯t the government supposed to work for the people?¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± interjected an old woman that had been handing out pamphlets before. ¡°You¡¯re not our people. You¡¯re foreigners. You have abandoned your country and now you are trying to move further north. Why don¡¯t you go back where you came from?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Tamsin!¡± barked another man from a family standing to the side. ¡°I was born here and their profiteering affects my family as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just as bad as them,¡± spat Tamsin. ¡°Abandoning your country. You¡¯re not worthy of calling this place your home.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! In contrast to you vile creature, I cannot just think of myself! I have a family and we have to leave!¡± The man turned to the guard. ¡°You have to do something! All these refugees. The rich ones are willing to pay anything. How is any normal person supposed to pay these exorbitant prices?!¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± returned the guard tiredly. ¡°It¡¯s their business. They can set the prices.¡±

    ¡°Take it over!¡± demanded the woman that had opened the conversation with the guard.

    ¡°And then what?¡± The guard rolled his eyes. ¡°The portal doesn¡¯t work without their cooperation.¡±

    Terry involuntarily nodded when he heard that statement. It was evident in his mana sight that this portal was not self-sustaining. It would not activate without the group of people controlling it. Even if Terry was able to memorize the exact activation sequence and supply the required amount of mana, there was nothing he could do about the aspects he lacked or the mana signature lock.

    ¡°If it¡¯s too expensive for you, just talk to the ones offering direct transfers without the portal.¡± The guard pointed towards another group of people. ¡°They¡¯re less expensive.¡±

    ¡°Still too expensive!¡± Another angry person butted into the conversation.

    The local man with his family turned to the recent arrival. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t use the direct transfers. One of my neighbors relied on them months ago and we still haven¡¯t heard from her or her husband. Who knows what happened to them?¡±

    Terry nodded again. They were talking about unanchored spatial transfers. There was no way to see the destination before going. That was a bad idea unless you trusted the dimensional mage offering it. Wastes, even if you trusted the dimensional mage and even if they were skilled enough to pull off the transfer without problems, there was still the question of how the situation looked at the other end. A group of colossal ostriches waiting for you might be among the least worst scenarios.

    ¡°Please, didn¡¯t you all claim to fight for the people?¡± The woman pleaded with the city guard again.

    ¡°You have me confused with someone else,¡± growled the guard with audible annoyance.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a revolution, why are you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°That cowardly worm was not part of the scum rebellion,¡± scoffed Tamsin with a sneer. ¡°But he and his ilk were sure quick to step aside and abandon their duty to protect the royal family.¡± She glared at all the people around. ¡°You and everyone like you are the reason this country is going to shit!¡± She gave the stink eye to a group of people in the distance that were wearing rapiers and fancy hats with white brims and feather ornaments.

    Tamsin lifted one of her pamphlets and shouted: ¡°We were ungrateful! Now the cardinal is dead and the king is gone! We are left in shambles! Chaos reigns supreme! Only destruction awaits! All because of the Knights! We have to ask forgiveness! We have to beg our king to return and¡­¡±

    Terry was blending out the heated speech and instead concentrated on his mana touch scouting of the area. He did not want to miss anyone strong sneaking up on him. He was not surprised when someone snatched the pamphlet from Tamsin¡¯s raised hand.

    ¡°Tamsin.¡± The man with the mustache and goatee folded the paper and placed it next to the rapier at his belt. ¡°Once again tarnishing the reputation of the Knights and harassing the citizenry, I see.¡± He turned towards the woman and smiled charmingly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, but even the ignorant have a right to speak in our new country.¡±

    ¡°Bah,¡± scoffed Tamsin. ¡°That wench is no citizenry and you certainly are no knight. A proper knight would have defended their king instead of overthrowing their sovereign. Even calling you a peasant would be too much. You¡¯re nothing but scum, Alexander. All of you!¡±

    ¡°As so many of your utterances, your accusations of disloyalty are misguided, Tamsin.¡± Alexander spoke in practiced amiability that instantly caused Terry to think of politicians. ¡°The Knights of Labor don¡¯t stand with a king nor with any single person. We stand with everyone. We stand for democratic cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Chaos is what you and your ilk have brought!¡± spat Tamsin. ¡°You may not have liked the king, but at least the monarchy provided stability! Do you think the royals liked the single-child rule? Of course not! But they sacrificed for the sake of ensuring a stable line of succession! Stability! No safety without stability! You pathetic traitors cannot even decide on a leader!¡±

    ¡°Have you ever considered that we do not want a leader?¡± retorted Alexander. ¡°We are equal in the cooperative and we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Waste everyone¡¯s time on the taxpayers dime,¡± interrupted Tamsin harshly. ¡°Meanwhile, crime is rising and people are suffering.¡±

    ¡°We are working on it,¡± stressed Alexander testily. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Sure, right after you manage to secure enough votes to tie your shoelaces,¡± sneered Tamsin. She held up another pamphlet. ¡°We have to beg our king to return! We have to recover! Progress cannot wait!¡±

    ¡°On that last part, we agree,¡± quipped Alexander and winked at another person that was standing around. ¡°It just so happens that some people wouldn¡¯t be able to spot progress even when it slapped them on their shoulder.¡± Alexander pointedly put a hand on Tamsin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just keep it down, you old grouch. You have the right to speak but not to shout everyone else down.¡±

    ¡°Sir, could you please do something about these horrendous transport prices?¡± The woman pleaded with the departing Knight of Labor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them immediately, and you can call me Alexander.¡± He winked and walked away towards one of the people near the portal.

    Seeing the woman¡¯s look of relief, Tamsin only sneered. Terry noted that the city guard was rolling his eyes as well.

    ¡°Talk is all Alexander will do.¡± From the family, the wife spoke up. ¡°He made similar promises before. Talking doesn¡¯t help.¡±

    The relief quickly faded from the faces of the newcomers.

    ¡°Talking never helps,¡± grunted Tamsin with a slight hint of self-derision.

    After the newcomer¡¯s budding hopes had been killed in their infancy, the woman began pleading with the city guard again.

    ¡°Look, what do you want from me?¡± The guard was getting impatient. ¡°See there!¡± He pointed. ¡°People are getting through.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    A dwarf in extravagant robes led a small caravan through the dimensional portal. From what Terry could make out, the caravan was transporting trading goods as well as people.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak to the mages in charge instead of wasting your time with me?¡± asked the guard.

    ¡°I¡­ Are you serious?!¡± Tears were brimming at the edge of the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I cannot afford the same price as those rich merchants!¡±

    ¡°And I cannot do anything about that,¡± retorted the city guard. ¡°You¡¯re barking up the wrong tree. There are limited spots for getting through. What makes you think that you deserve it more than others? What makes you think your life is worth more than others?¡±

    Terry had the growing suspicion that the guard was not really talking about the situation with the portal anymore. The man¡¯s eyes were too distant for that. As if he was looking through the woman he was talking to instead of at her.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± The city guard grimaced. ¡°Always asking others to put their neck out for you. To casually expect others to lay their lives down for you. I¡¯ve had it¡­¡± The guards outpost had silenced the crowd for a moment and he finished with a glare. ¡°Now keep walking damn it!¡± The man flared his mana, which cowed the manaless woman and family.

    Meanwhile, Tamsin had started shouting again. ¡°We cannot rely on cowards and traitors to protect us! We need our king back! We need protection! We need stability! No rule of law without stability! We have to¡­¡±

    Terry had heard enough and moved further along to get a glimpse of the signs in front of the dimensional mages or whatever they were. He had seen plenty of dimensional gates in Arcana but this portal appeared to be based on different principles than orthodox spellwork. There were sequences of large characters in mana spread around the stone and even in the rock underneath the ground. The symbols were connected with mana lines and at several connecting points, they had placed what looked like special flags.

    Terry sidestepped the crowd and pushed forward until his mana-enhanced eyes could read the signs. They listed the prices for services offered. He skimmed the list while intentionally skipping all the different versions representing unanchored transfers.

    Portal use ¨C Single Person: 20 large gold coins.

    Terry maintained a completely blank expression.

    Unbeknownst to Terry, there were many eyes paying attention to his expression as well as to all the others that were seeing the sign for the first time. These observers noted that the man with his magic cloak did not so much as bat an eye when staring at the exorbitant price list. An obvious tell of a man with a heavy purse.

    Unbeknownst to them, Terry¡¯s reaction, or rather his lack of a strong reaction was rooted in his lack of understanding of the local currency.

    What the Wastes is a ¡®large gold coin¡¯? Is that meant to be literal? How large is ¡®large¡¯? Why gold? Can I just look around for a clump of gold and then divide it up? Do I still have some of the golden nails from the aspect being culling in Tiv? Can I use them? I wonder if the Circle of the Bright Lady can use their summoned gold to pay for things? Wouldn¡¯t that be ridiculous? Seriously though, why gold?

    During his initial scanning of the city, Terry had noted several mana signatures that looked and felt like the followers of the Bright Lady as well as other faithful groups he was familiar with. It was obvious that he was not in Thanatos anymore with all the cultists walking around freely.

    The last follower of the Bright Lady whom Terry had met was an elven woman that had attempted to kill him in the Proving Grounds, only to be killed by the overseer for the crime of being a realm traitor instead.

    Terry knew that not all followers of the Bright Lady were bad. He still remembered the missions with Harrison before they had fought on opposing sides. He still remembered that Cadence had refused the order of a Bright in order to follow her own conscience. The battle in the Libra Outpost had shown many different sides of one single faith. He would not forget that.

    Nevertheless, the Circle of the Bright Lady had been one of the main sponsors behind a bounty that had been placed on Terry¡¯s head after the battle. He did not know if the bounty was still active, or how much weight it would hold in this region, but the presence of faithful channelers in the area did not ease his anxiety about engaging with this city-state and its transparently tumultuous political situation.

    Aside from politicians and the strong cult presence, Terry also spotted another group he was wary of. Several individuals in the city were wearing the familiar crimson uniform of Thanatos soldiers.

    They really are everywhere outside Arcana. Terry clicked his tongue. He had heard Thanatos called the Mad Empire before. The creator of that moniker might have been alluding to the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries, or their aggressive uncompromising cultural practices, but the more well-known characteristic were their expansionary politics of conquest.

    Both Tiv and Arcana shared their national motto in Magic Obliges ¨C even though the specific interpretations were near opposites. If Thanatos had a declared national motto, then it would be: Respect strength and conquer weakness.

    Such a motto might have been an inspiring personal goal to work towards with respect to yourselves, but it carried a very different undertone when applied to foreign policy. The Mad Empire was constantly probing their neighbors for weakness. Wherever weakness was encountered, conquest would follow.

    Given the few bits of this country¡¯s recent history that Terry had picked up already, it came as no surprise that Thanatos forces would linger around in this area. As far as he knew, there was only a single country that Thanatos did not dare to touch: Arcana. Although the Lich Kingdoms were powerful enough to inspire a degree of respect, even they were not spared from Thanatos probing.

    Thanatos¡¯s hostile relationship with the Lich Kingdoms was probably the oldest of all their ongoing conflicts, dating back to the Valkyrie¡¯s alliance. When Tiv and the Free Factions Union had signed treaties with the Lich Kingdoms, Thanatos had done no such thing. They had stopped pressing the war, but they had never accepted peace, even after the Valkyrie¡¯s disappearance.

    There was nothing special about that. For Thanatos, peace was always the outlier. After the alliance had disbanded, they had immediately started probing their former alliance members for weakness, as if the alliance had never existed.

    Politics. Dimensional mages. Cults. Martialists. Thanatos soldiers. This city-state was like an amalgamation of all folks Terry was wary of. All kinds of folks he would not want to meet or deal with. There were even a few mana signatures for which he would bet that they belonged to necromancers.

    Lovely.

    Terry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was one more group of people he was not looking forward to dealing with, but it did not look as if he had a choice. He did not have to rely on mana sight to realize that someone was probing his storage items. He did not have to open his eyes to know what was going on.

    The would-be thief was staring with wide eyes when her arm was grasped tightly by Terry¡¯s hand. She tried to pull away but the man¡¯s hand did not budge so much as a millimeter. His eyes opened and the intense glow of mana use in them was terrifying, even more so because she failed to sense it. Even now, she failed to sense the mana the man was using.

    ¡°Bad idea,¡± muttered Terry carelessly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.¡± A tall man who had been standing close to Terry turned around and tried to calm him down. ¡°Listen now, you see this¡ª run!¡± The man attempted to push Terry away and free his companion. ¡°...what?¡± He gulped when their mark did not move even though he had used his whole weight and strength in the surprise maneuver.

    ¡°Are you locals?¡± inquired Terry.

    The duo did not reply immediately, but the man eventually made another attempt at persuasion. ¡°Look, man, we got to do what we got to do. Don¡¯t make a scene. It would cause more trouble for you than it would trouble us. No harm has been done and also, you should consider how this looks like. You look like the villain here, so you should really¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can you stop talking, please?¡± grunted Terry. He was already tired of this conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t really care what you have to say unless it¡¯s pointing me towards an inn and someplace where I can sell some stuff.¡± He needed money. He wanted to use that portal and for that he needed money. From the previous conversations, the portal fee of twenty large gold coins appeared to be a sizable amount.

    A long time ago, his family had been sitting at the dinner table and his aunt Brynn had recounted some of her past experiences, which all boiled down to two lessons when dealing with dimensional mages: Never antagonize them and don¡¯t haggle.

    Hence, Terry had no intention of joining the agitated crowd in harassing the people operating the portal. He would get the money. He would pay them. He would leave. Simple as that. Or so he hoped.

    Unfortunately, Terry did not have so much as a single piece of the local currency. Like so often, all his cash was either gone or useless.

    Why am I always broke?

    He shrugged inwardly and stared at the two criminals with an unspoken order veiled in a question. ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­¡± They glanced at each other with uncertainty.

    ¡°Shop first,¡± added Terry. He noticed a strange expression flicker over the man¡¯s face but decided to wait.

    ¡°That way!¡± The man pointed.

    Terry noted the fleeting shift in the woman¡¯s gaze before she could avert her eyes. He sighed and before the man realized his mistake, he had already been pulled towards Terry by the bidirectional attraction glove and his throat was being pressed by the strong fingers of Terry¡¯s other hand.

    ¡°On the off-chance that I wasn¡¯t clear before,¡± started Terry. ¡°I want to be pointed towards a shop that doesn¡¯t try to scam strangers. I do not want to be pointed towards the local crime alley either.¡±

    The benefits of mana touch scouting included a general awareness of the layout in addition to mana signatures of folks and items alike. None of the buildings in the direction that the man had pointed out could possibly host a proper shop. The item signatures in that direction were mostly cloaked, carried as side-arms, and with aspects of the more shady varieties.

    Terry sensed one of the city guards turning her head towards him and his two captive acquaintances. He let go of the two thieves and smiled mirthlessly. ¡°You can try to run if you believe I won¡¯t be able to catch you.¡± His casual tone would have convinced anyone that there was no doubt in his mind that they would not make it far.

    When he still saw hesitation in their eyes, Terry got annoyed. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been quite¡­ polite considering the circumstances. You¡¯re still breathing. I haven¡¯t snapped any bones. We¡¯re just talking. I haven¡¯t even called the guards on you. All I want is for you to show me around and give me the run-down of the city. Then you¡¯re free to go your way. You¡¯re beasts, but I¡¯m just passing through anyway.¡±

    Remembering a passage from the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries about aligning incentives, Terry added: ¡°Whatever I sell today, you¡¯ll get two percent of the sales price.¡± The better the price I get, the better for you too.

    A short while later, Terry was finally carrying some local money in his pockets. To his relief, the incentive seemed to have worked and the two thieves were haggling with the merchant like his dwarven siblings over how to split up desserts. In the end, he had received eighteen percent more than the initial offer, which made the whole incentive alignment through profit sharing worth the cost.

    The bad news was that Terry didn¡¯t have that much to sell. The merchant did not care for jade tokens and all the other items he had looted from the three Halls in the folded space were practically gone.

    Terry had offered the cultivation resources to the martialists to strengthen or bribe them for the battle against the invaders. He had also handed out nearly all the weapons and defensive artifacts. Unsurprisingly, the martialists had not volunteered to return them after the battle. Consequently, the only item from the bunch he could still sell was a soft sword he had abused as a flamethrower.

    Terry could not help but sigh inwardly when he remembered the dungeon rewards he had been unable to collect, even though he had definitely been the main contributor to the dungeon¡¯s defense. At least when ignoring the dungeon itself.

    Aside from the soft sword, Terry still had some equipment he had won in the Proving Grounds, but those were nowhere near the quality of the artifacts from the Hall of Power.

    The trip to the merchant had also given Terry a crash course in the local currency. Taken together with the price of the inn, he had a good idea of what was required to get through that portal.

    From the sale of the magic sword, Terry would be able to stay nearly four years at the inn and that included two basic meals a day. Unfortunately, he would have to find more than a dozen comparable magic items to sell if he wanted to pay the portal fee.

    That was a price completely beyond the means of average manaless folks. Wealthy manaless people might be able to afford one or two tickets if they sacrificed all their life savings.

    Terry judged that the local prices for magic items ranged somewhere above Thanatos and below the black market in Tiv. They were definitely more expensive than in Arcana. The sword he had sold was valuable and in demand by the local martialists. If that kind of money was only a fraction of what he needed, then there was little chance of regular manaless people getting their hands on it.

    Terry needed money and would have to figure out how to get it in this place. He had been surprised to learn that there was no Guardian presence in this city-state. Apparently, the previous ruler was not fond of the Guardians as an institution. However, there was an outpost for the Guild and Terry intended to visit it the next day.

    For now, however, Terry wanted to take his dinner into his room and get out his notebook. He had spent months running on layers of divine mana. Of course, he had made sure to practice his disruption discharge variations and parallel casting in a ranged mana bubble while running. He had also been wearing the concealment necklace that constantly trained his mana regeneration even while sleeping.

    Nevertheless, his main time investment had undoubtedly been the divine hammer inscription because the inscription was the natural combination with his aerial running. That kind of practice was different from his training in the mental simulation of the dao chamber. The continued and unceasing movement with the help of the divine hammer inscription had whacked something loose in his mind.

    The memories of the liquid mana in his veins and the way the unending mana rolled off in waves from his body when acting as the dungeon¡¯s defender were knocking on his consciousness and trying to tell him something.

    Terry knew that there was something. Something he was missing in how he was using the divine hammer inscription. He did not know how his aunt Sigille had succeeded in wielding the inscription, but he was not his aunt and he was convinced he was getting close to figuring something out.

    ***

 183 Contradicting Duality

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 11 ¨C

    Terry had not slept much the night before, even less than normal for him. It was no fault of his room at the inn. The room was fine and no one had bothered him. It was not because of one of the recurring nightmares of himself running from monsters either. Even though he had dreamed about fleeing from undead hellspawn, he had slept through it.

    No.

    Terry did not wake up with cold sweat or in a panic. He awoke because his inner Academy Student had risen his head early by letting his dream-self think about the way he was summoning the layers of divine mana while fleeing.

    Waking up with an idea for something he had been wondering about in the evening was not unusual for Terry, but this time the idea shook him awake completely as soon as it had appeared.

    Terry dazedly sat up in his bed. He was still in his clothes and armor. Going to sleep fully equipped was a habit he did not intend to drop until he reached his home in Arcana City. He looked at his open hand and observed himself while punching out.

    Back when he and his siblings had first began training hand-to-hand combat, Bjorln had drilled into them the importance of basic timing.

    Terry got out of bed and began practicing one of the most basic training routines he had ever learned. First, he positioned his arms angled in front of his face. His hands were open. Then he jabbed his arm forward ¨C still with an open hand ¨C and only right before his hand would collide with his imaginary target, he clenched his hand into a tight fist.

    Any punch that ended in a fist had a contradicting duality at its core. A relaxed hand did not carry the required impact, but a clenched fist impeded speed. Punching with an improperly clenched fist risked breaking your own fingers, but tightening the muscles too early broke the momentum of your punch. The constriction of muscles required for tightening your fist properly was an obstacle for the movement of the punch itself.

    Proper timing was paramount.

    A rookie was well-advised to err on the side of clenching their fist too early. Better to punch slower and weaker than to break your own hand. Going beyond average technique, however, required mastering the timing required for both open-handed and closed-fist movement.

    Terry subconsciously slowed down his routine. ¡°Fast¡­¡± He pushed his arm forward with open hand. ¡°Hard¡­¡± He clenched his fist at the last moment before the visualized impact on his imaginary target.

    ¡°Fast¡­¡± The memory of liquid mana coursing through his channels was etched into his mind. ¡°Hard¡­¡±

    Terry stopped his routine and instead began channeling mana into the divine hammer inscription. He had always focused on creating the divine mana layers as an instant structure and then aimed at creating them faster and tougher, but what if his initial understanding had already been off?

    He had succeeded in creating barriers, but what if the same mental model that had helped achieve this success was impeding his goal of using the inscription offensively?

    The renowned divine hammer inscription was a general purpose inscription, which meant that there was more than one way to use it. It was less like a spell and more like a tool for aiming divine mana. Mastering that tool was different from perfecting spell control.

    Hard¡­

    Terry knew how to create tough layers of divine mana. He subconsciously clenched his fists. He had always created the divine mana at its destination with the aimed mana manifesting only at the target. Thinking about it brought back the memory of the liquid mana in his body. How the liquid pushed through corners. How it slowly dammed up before rushing forward with increased pressure¡­

    Fast¡­

    Terry tried something new. Instead of creating the structure directly by only aiming for the destination, he spread out the divine mana all the way to the destination and then concentrated on pushing it towards the destination before the structure manifested. He subconsciously opened his hand and punched while picturing mana manifest like a liquid whip.

    What if the structure was not supposed to be created already stable? What if the structure was supposed to whip into place?

    Solidifying only at the last possible moment. Right before impact¡­

    The hour in which Terry should have continued sleeping, he was training instead. At the end of his training session, he was convinced. He had merely been able to create a tiny flicker of divine mana with his new approach, but his mana detection field convinced him that there was no doubt about it.

    That tiny flicker had moved his oscillating mana. Moved not through the interaction with mana, but through a collision in the physical realm. The only way this was possible was if the divine mana created momentum to push the air.

    Terry had succeeded! He had created a divine hammer! Tiny and fragile, but still! He had finally figured out how to go about it. The rest was just a matter of time and training. He was grinning one of the widest grins he had worn for years.

    It took all of Terry¡¯s self-discipline to not spend the day holed up in his room with his notebooks and inscribed wraps. Unfortunately, he still had to worry about securing a way back to Arcana. He needed money, which meant he needed to find someone willing to pay him. He had to look for a proper job.

    Typical.

    I¡¯ve spent years stuck in places with little more than time and my brain chooses NOW of all times to get some inspiration for wielding the divine hammer inscription.

    Just typical¡­

    Terry naturally understood that his newfound inspiration was largely rooted in his dungeon defense experience. More precisely, in the sensation of liquid mana rushing through his channels. Added to that, he still had to mull it over while continuously using the inscription to move through the sky for months. He understood that the timing was hardly the fault of his own brain.

    However, understanding all that didn¡¯t prevent him from feeling grumpy about it. When Terry left his room to search for jobs, the fleeting feeling of elation was already gone and only an unsatisfied expression remained on his face.

    ***

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry let his eyes wander over the tall building that served as the local Guild headquarters. It was not quite as large and pompous as the one in Arcana City, but it still looked a lot more impressive than the one Terry had seen in Tiv¡¯s Libra Outpost. It was one of two buildings that marked the city-state¡¯s skyline, with only the palace reaching higher.

    Terry never stopped walking while taking in the sights. He did not need to rely on his eyes to see. The sensations from his detection field and mana touch had become ingrained in his instincts. He skillfully weaved through the crowd of people without even paying attention.

    More than one person inhaled to chide Terry to look where he was going, only to see the man with his averted eyes sidestep them before they had a chance to voice their complaints, leaving them momentarily stumped, which invited a rebuke from those behind them.

    More than one person had their eyes on Terry¡¯s purse, only to find the man covered in shadow fabric stare right at them a moment later.

    There were a few audacious thieves that dared to use their mana to investigate the nature of his storage items. They were trying to probe the security mechanisms with their own mana from a distance. The well-made cloaking on the items made it difficult and they had to concentrate fully on their mana sight. They all found themselves blinded by a sudden contraction of dense mana that flashed glaringly right in front of their eyes.

    As if that had not been enough of a fright, the intense mana then shaped into finger runes that directly told them to: [Piss off.]

    Not all of the thieves were familiar with finger runes directly communicating intent into their minds through mana sight. Those unfamiliar had the shit scared out of them and fled hurriedly.

    None of the thieves had ever seen finger runes created directly in front of their eyes, without the accompanying fingers within sight. Together with the way they had been spotted so quickly, this caused even the greediest among them to become wary.

    It was enough for all of them to back off and allow Terry to proceed undisturbed. Eventually, he arrived in front of a receptionist.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for work,¡± declared Terry.

    ¡°Good for you,¡± grunted the man behind the counter. The elf was using a nail file on his fingernails and barely glanced at Terry. The sight of a man whose only claim to mana appeared to be a magic cloak, who was wearing a seemingly random assortment of colors and, by extension, equipment, did not inspire much confidence. He sighed: ¡°Just what we need. More foreign amateurs¡­¡±

    The receptionist frowned and then put the nail file away. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re not just trying to mooch off everyone else like so many other visitors, so¡­¡± He finally turned his full attention to Terry. ¡°Show me your Guild card.¡±

    Terry decided to ignore the less than welcome attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± The receptionist replied with sarcasm, but immediately rummaged through some of his papers to get a sign-up form. ¡°Some identification then.¡±

    ¡°I have this.¡± Terry retrieved his Guardian card and presented it without letting go.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The receptionist¡¯s expression brightened somewhat but a skeptical tone remained. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one of those. Usually comes with a nosy busybody attached. Just great.¡± He tried to take the card from Terry but the card didn¡¯t budge. ¡°...you do realize I¡¯ll have to take it to examine it?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Terry blurted out. He did not like the idea of giving the card out of his hands. The last time someone else had access to his Guardian card, all of his links had been erased.

    ¡°Because¡­¡± The receptionist realized that, technically, he did not need to take the card. He just needed to inject his own mana. ¡°...whatever.¡± The man¡¯s expression brightened somewhat when scanning Terry¡¯s mission record. Outdated as it was, it still proved that he was not a complete amateur.

    The receptionist removed his hand from the card and began taking some notes. ¡°Now, I just need you to inject some of your own mana into the card.¡± When Terry did so, the receptionist nodded.

    While not explicitly advertised, the cards carried a rough means to identify their owners, or rather their owner¡¯s mana signature. It was not really a separate feature and more of a by-product of the card¡¯s use. The more contact with a specific mana signature those cards had, the more in sync they would become. Quicker reaction to the mana. Clearer mana lines on activation.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    While it did not strictly identify the intended owner, but rather the most frequent user, it was often taken as a means of identification, or at least as further evidence. It was hardly fool-proof, but good enough for most purposes.

    The receptionist was filling out the form for Terry and muttered. ¡°...track record in dungeon work¡­¡± Eventually, he paused. ¡°Age?¡±

    The Guardian card only recorded the time of Terry¡¯s earliest mission and taken courses. It did not verify his age since people could start working as a Guardian at different stages in life. Terry and his siblings were among the youngest Guardian trainees. Only extreme cases like his possessed cousin Matteo would start mission work even younger.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry was at a loss.

    The receptionist looked up and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I did not consider that a difficult question. Age?¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Terry tried to order his thoughts. ¡°What date is today?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± The receptionist nodded. ¡°Just arrived from long travels, I take it. Happens sometimes. We have the Setting Moon.¡± The elven man was looking at Terry and waited for him to finally answer the question.

    ¡°Cycle 218¡­ uhh¡­¡± Terry still muttered in thought, which caused the receptionist¡¯s eyebrow to sneak up once more. ¡°Uhm. Hard to say.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The receptionist was exasperated. ¡°How old are you? It¡¯s not like I care, but some work has an age restriction. It¡¯s not that hard of a question, is it?¡±

    What kind of work has an age restriction? The Guild in Tiv let Matteo participate in death hunts when he was barely sixteen¡­

    Focus.

    Weirdo.

    ¡°Not a hard question.¡± Terry tried to explain himself. ¡°What if someone spent dilated time in dao chambers? Or aged through magic means? Or¡­?¡± He furrowed his brow and tried to recollect if he had other experiences to account for.

    The receptionist stared at Terry for a moment and then grumbled while shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know.¡± He caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care. You tell me a number and I¡¯ll write it down. As simple as that, see?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-two.¡± Terry finally replied. Ignoring all the complicated nuances, that was his current age since last season.

    ¡°Great.¡± The receptionist filled out the form. ¡°Well done.¡± The elven man made no attempt to hide his sarcasm, but Terry didn¡¯t care. Eventually, the elf reached the last question. ¡°Do you want to also open an account to deposit your earnings?¡±

    ¡°You mean I can deposit money here?¡± asked Terry.

    The receptionist rolled his eyes at the display of ignorance. ¡°Yes. We also function as a bank. If you show your Guild card, invoices will be sent here and billed to your account. If you overdraw your account, fees will apply. The fees are at our discretion. Better fees for better adventurers.¡±

    Terry was feeling conflicted. On the one hand, his inner dungeon hoarder recoiled at the idea of giving something away for someone else to look after. On the other hand, he had often found himself broke and a bank deposit was like an additional safe-guard if he split his money between his storage items and there.

    Eventually, the latter argument won out. ¡°I¡¯ll take the account.¡± Terry retrieved half of his current money and placed it on the counter.

    ¡°Look at that. I had figured you were broke.¡± The receptionist began counting the money. It was a lot more than he had expected.

    When Terry had sold the magic sword, he had no idea about the local currency. He had preferred smaller nominations over the larger coins with the assumption that he would be able to use them at more places. He had been proven right when paying for food and shelter, because it was more appropriate and practical to pay in smaller coins.

    The large number of coins had not bothered Terry when they were in his dimensional bag, but seeing it all on the counter looked ridiculous. He almost felt bad for the receptionist, who had to correctly count all of it.

    ¡°Why gold?¡± Terry involuntarily blurted out. ¡°Or silver and copper?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The receptionist continued counting without lifting his eyes.

    ¡°Why use these metals as a currency?¡± Terry thought he might as well try to get an answer to satisfy his curiosity. Arcana had used mana coins before the barrier broke and backed the point system at the Guardians and Guild since then. Tiv and Thanatos were both using specific paper notes ¨C their own fiat currencies. He stared at the pile of metal pieces that was straining the poor wooden table. ¡°Just seems impractical.¡±

    The receptionist grumbled with annoyance. He made a note to not lose track of the current sum and made sure to properly separate the coins already counted from those still to be counted. Then, he sighed pointedly and lifted his eyes to look at Terry. ¡°Because the new government has learned from the mistakes of the previous queen. An arrogant woman who believed she knew better than all the king¡¯s ancestors. That woman believed she could run the country with printed money and she nearly ran the whole country into the ground. Thankfully, the new government, for all its other faults, is more sane and finally pegged the currency to gold again.¡±

    Odd. Are they sure that paper money was the reason for their problems? Seems to work in other Empires. Thanatos and Tiv, well Tiv might not be a good example either, but for other reasons. It seems to work in Thanatos at least.

    Terry tried to remember a passage from the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries that dealt with economics. He was sure there was a statement about pegging a currency to material goods. The passage did not come back easily to his mind. Economics and politics had not been of particular interest to Terry when he had been trapped in a cell. Perhaps he could look it up again later. He still carried the book that Damian had given him. The whole concept of singling out specific metals appeared strange.

    Seeing the varied expressions of thought, skepticism, and incredulity that were plainly flashing across Terry¡¯s face, the annoyed receptionist grumbled some more. ¡°Do you have any other questions to prove your ignorance about the country you chose to move to? Or can I return to my task of counting those coins that were never intended for large transactions?¡±

    Terry was not used to having his honest curiosity be rewarded with unbridled snark. In a slightly flustered tone, he mumbled: ¡°Go ahead. Uhm, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Polite, now that¡¯s rare.¡± The receptionist muttered and returned to his counting task.

    That¡¯s it! Terry finally remembered the passage from the book or at least the beginning of the discussion. ¡®Tying the worth of your currency to mined materials translates to strictly limiting the growth of your overall economy to the growth exclusively in the mining sector.¡¯

    Odd.

    Terry was curious how a proponent of the system would reply to the Warlord¡¯s critical observation, but he did not think the elven man in front of him would appreciate further questions. Therefore, he wrestled down his inner Academy Student to let the receptionist focus on his business, so that Terry could proceed onto the next point.

    Soon after, Terry was standing in front of a blackboard that displayed the available mission work and he was trying hard to remember all the warning signs of rookie traps that his Uncle Samuel had mentioned in the past.

    The good news was that there were plenty of jobs Terry could take. The bad news was that the most profitable ones were separated into two categories: Those that required significant travel time and those that were allocated by a quota system.

    Terry ruled out several mana corrupted hunts that would require days of travel. While the pay-off on its own appeared good, it looked different when taking the travel time into account. The pay per day ratio was worse than some of the regular work contracts.

    Perhaps when I can skip some nights of sleep? Or when I¡¯m out hunting for myself?

    Terry decided to prepare a proper schedule for his jobs. He picked one of the jobs for which he would have to wait his turn. If he had understood the receptionist right, then his previous experience should shorten the wait time somewhat.

    The paper in Terry¡¯s hands was a mission to collect mana cores from a dungeon. From what he had researched, there were two dungeons not far from the city¡¯s border. One low-level and the other in the middle ranks. The work was profitable and the times when Terry had been squeamish about entering dungeons were long gone.

    Compared to what he had faced in the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon and the curse containment tomb, even an average veil tear did not seem as intimidating anymore. A part of him was looking forward to testing his improved scouting and battle abilities in a regular dungeon. Perhaps it was reckless, but he also did not feel like teaming up with strangers at this point.

    Of course, he did not plan to abandon all caution. He still carried some of the Mark-and-Recall scrolls as well as some other dungeon tools they had purchased in Arcana when diving for cores after the barrier had broken.

    Terry retrieved one of his notebooks and sketched a weekly calendar for himself. He marked the times he should be allowed to dive the dungeons.

    He selected a bunch of other job posters that dealt with filling up mana containers. Some were for research into mana decay in general and others were part of quality control on the decay rate inside a new local product line of containers. Fortunately, aspect impairments were not disqualifying and those jobs were a perfect fit for him.

    Even though the nominal pay was not that high, the pay per time invested was great. It would not take Terry long to fill the containers up and it was easy money. Unfortunately, the client only required a limited amount of containers filled per day.

    Terry paused when deciding on how to add the mana provisioning missions into his schedule. He could probably fill up the daily quota in less than fifteen minutes.

    Perhaps in parallel during my early practice¡­

    He simply made a note next to the week and then moved onto the remaining job postings.

    If it had been just about making a living, then Terry would not have anything to complain about, but he wanted money fast. He did not want to spend another year before reaching Arcana again.

    No matter how Terry looked at the different mission options, he would sit around for most of the week if he just stuck to what he already knew. There were not enough cullings or gathering missions to fill his days.

    Terry was happy to discover a pretty simple transport task that was even a regularly issued mission. The task was basically to safely transport some merchandise from one end of the city to the other. The high payment was justified by the amount of goods to transport. Most people would probably have to organize carts, horses, and guards to transport everything.

    Terry did not plan to do any such thing, however. He possessed an authentic crafter¡¯s pendant from Arcana and he still had not seen the limits of its dimensional storage.

    He continued looking around while filling in his schedule. However, no matter how he looked at it, there were still too many empty hours. The missions that caught his eyes were mostly those he could take care of quickly or that were sadly allocated by a quota.

    Eventually, Terry resigned himself to also consider jobs that would pay by hour instead of by result, which brought him to the escort mission and bodyguard section on the job board.

    He ruled out the escort missions that required longer travel times or moving away from his real destination. Most of the remaining missions were about following some merchant or other across the city and into various business meetings, which did not sound pleasant at all.

    ¡°Flower Protector?¡± Terry reached a guard mission that carried a weird title. Is this about guarding a garden? A garden would be stationary. No travel time¡­

    Terry carefully read over the contents. To his pleasant surprise, it only required him to stay in a building and act as a guard. He would act like some kind of bouncer on demand, which basically left him free to train while getting paid for doing it around there instead of anywhere else. The hours were late but only started after noon and he could even negotiate days off, which was perfect for fitting it into his schedule.

    The only catch was that the job required an interview with the client that Terry had to pass first if he wanted to accept the mission.

    Worst case, I fail. So what?

    Terry did a quick mental calculation. If he accepted all those missions, and comparable jobs for the upcoming weeks, then, depending on how the dungeon work would go, he might be able to scrape enough money for a ticket together in a couple of months. Hopefully, even before the next season would start.

    Feeling quite good with his prospects in reaching his destination, Terry was about to leave the Guildhall when he spotted the news board. Sadly, it was hard to preserve his good mood after seeing the regional news. Death tolls. Missing person reports. Pictures of devastation. Accounts of undead hellspawn ravaging villages and towns.

    Terry could not help but remember the group of undead hellspawn he had sensed months before. He had barely made it out of the folded space with its mana-cursed fungus army when he had to face off with martialists like Shen¡¯s mother Mei and then he encountered the hellspawn on his way away from them.

    Terry had been so tired back then. Sensing the undead hellspawn, his mind had immediately jumped to fleeing and avoiding the horde¡¯s trajectory.

    He had fled and escaped.

    The news showed him what had happened to those unable to do the same.

    It made him feel sick.

    For a moment, Terry wondered why he was feeling like that. In the folded space, he had rarely lifted a finger when he had discovered people at risk of dying. He did not know the martialists. He did not know their conflicts or whose fault it was. What reason would he have to interfere?

    In the folded space, there had only been a handful of people for whom Terry felt somewhat responsible and those were the people with whom he had some semblance of a relationship like Guillermo or the Blazing Sun Sect siblings.

    Most of the times Terry had chosen to interfere anyway, he had come to regret it later. Save someone from a beast only to be attacked by them for the beast¡¯s remains afterwards.

    While he had felt sickened in the folded space, this felt different.

    Picturing the potential threat to his home had made Terry choose to stay behind in the pocket realm and to face the threat. However, only a few days later, he had chosen to ignore a threat that was already roaming his native realm.

    Terry closed his eyes.

    He just wanted to go home.

    Home to his family and friends.

    Home to his peace.

    Terry suddenly felt extremely tired. He did not feel like job searching anymore. He just wanted to return to his room and lose himself in practicing the divine hammer inscription. Something to quiet his incessant thoughts.

    ***

 184 Job Interview

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 12 ¨C

    Once again, Terry did not sleep as much as he should. Sadly, it was not the result of another half-conscious insight during his dreams.

    No, this time it was a lot less pleasant.

    Terry rubbed his eyes and sat up. After reading through the local news, his thoughts had begun to drift away from him.

    If I had not fled. If I had chosen to engage the undead hellspawn¡­

    To do what? Die? All you can do is run. Stupid delusions of grandeur. Can¡¯t count on a dungeon to bail you out of your own incompetence another time. It¡¯s already a miracle you survived your last bout of idiocy.

    If I had bought time. If I had at least extracted one person, carried them on my back¡­

    One person? How would you choose? An unknown stranger. Could be a backstabbing snake like Willow or Shen. Could be a harbinger of disaster like Kipkoi and Ava. Could be a monster in disguise like Anand. How would you know?

    Terry sighed and got out of bed. His mind had turned into a mess. Somehow, his intrusive thoughts had become even worse than in the dungeon with the ghouly Alricks.

    At least back then he had something clear to work towards. A single objective: escape. He had doubted his ability to achieve it but there had never been any question about which objective to pursue. His only opponent had been the situation he had found himself in. He only had to resist giving up.

    At least back then it was not his own choice that had been haunting him. He had been free to tell his own intrusive thoughts to piss off. He had been free to embrace failure in order to succeed.

    Now, it all seemed so different. Somehow, even the thoughts trying to defend Terry from himself made him feel worse. The only defense against the thoughts condemning his choice to flee were the thoughts reminding himself of his own incompetence. His choice did not matter, because he was a failure and would not have made a difference anyway.

    Having to choose appeared so much more difficult than simply resisting to give up.

    Embracing failure appeared so much worse when it was more than his own life at stake.

    He was not even sure what success could look like when placed at the same crossroads given his own limitations.

    Terry continued where he had left off the evening before. He placed his arms in front of his chest and formed knife-hands. He circulated mana into the divine hammer inscriptions at his forearms and slashed his knife-hands forward. At the end of each slash a small layer of translucent golden mana appeared to whip through the air.

    Terry had never really wondered why his aunt Sigille had often swung her inscribed axe even when the target of the divine hammer was out of the axe¡¯s reach. Now, he understood that it was an intuitive way to focus and get the timing right.

    The layer of divine mana was growing bigger and thicker with each swing. The whistling sound when the divine mana was pushing air away helped Terry calm down. It helped him push the images from his nightmare away.

    Whenever Terry had dreamed about fleeing from hordes of monsters before, it had been just him and the monsters. Last night, however, it was different.

    When the horde of undead hellspawn appeared in his dream, his dream self had been standing in the middle of a crowd. People started screaming and running. Some bumped into Terry when he was still watching the army of monsters invade the city plaza. Eventually, he joined the fleeing crowd. He ended up overtaking all of them. Their screams never stopped until he woke up.

    Terry wanted to distract himself until the memories from the dream faded away. He knew that the best way to do that was to keep himself busy. His eyes quickly wandered to confirm the time on the clock on the bedside table. There were still a few hours before his job interview in the morning. Perhaps he could squeeze in a run through the sky and some more physical exercise before then¡­

    ***

    Terry glanced at his notes to confirm the address.

    Should be the right place.

    He put the note away and circled around the location of the supposed job interview. He was deliberately early. First, because he preferred waiting over letting others wait. Second, because he was still wary of rookie traps and he wanted to scout the area before agreeing to accept the mission. His family had warned him that rookie traps could come in many forms.

    The most common trap was a mission that was impossible to achieve from the beginning. That seemed unlikely to be the case since the job did not list any specific criteria aside from acting as a guard and payment was by day of employment. There was no clawback of payments either.

    A more pernicious form of a rookie trap was one that lured the Guildhead into an ambush. Again, that seemed unlikely given that the place was in the middle of the city and its entrance was wide open.

    There were only three points that stood out to Terry and made him somewhat wary.

    First, the entrance being open was weird for a place that requires a guard.

    Second, there were no mana signatures matching flora, so he was unsure what the guard duty was about.

    Third, the building itself.

    Even though the building was quite large, Terry¡¯s mana touch could not feel anything resembling a greenhouse or large garden. Furthermore, aside from the open main entrance, there appeared to be several hidden entrances. Those were reached through tunnels from several other locations inside the city.

    Terry was not sure what to make of it, but his wariness did not go so far as to miss out on a job that would allow him to train while working and that perfectly aligned with his schedule. Inside the building, he did not sense any mana signature he would consider a serious threat. In fact, there were even manaless folks inside.

    A shade of purple layered over his mana sight and Terry had to shake his head to get rid of it. He still did not know what to make of the extra layer of color in his sight. It seemed to follow all living beings he could see, even the manaless ones. Sometimes, he also caught a trace of purple from himself, only for it to vanish while the remaining purple shapes remained.

    While definitely intriguing, it was mostly annoying since he had neither figured out how to prevent it from popping up nor what it signified.

    Perhaps I¡¯m just going mad.

    ¡°Not helping,¡± muttered Terry to himself. He spread out his mana and continued observing what was going on around this potential employer. Right on time, he walked up a few steps and stepped through the main entrance.

    When Terry was inside, he was greeted by the examining gaze of a tall-grown human woman whose black mane of hair was sprinkled with a few strains of grey. The shoulder-less dress revealed visible muscle definition on her arms and it was evident that she was a mana user. The woman had stepped into the reception hall from another room at the same time as Terry.

    ¡°I appreciate punctuality.¡± The woman smiled and walked towards a comfortable looking armchair in which she sat down before resting her gaze on Terry again. ¡°Please, come in.¡±

    Terry stepped into the reception hall but chose to remain standing near the door. ¡°I¡¯m here because of the job posted at the Guild.¡±

    The woman chortled, which made Terry uncomfortable. He had held no intention of saying something funny.

    ¡°I could tell,¡± said the woman. ¡°Not many regular guests at this time of the day. The Guild told me there might be someone coming over soon. I assume you are Terry?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Terry did not enjoy being under the ongoing scrutiny of the woman¡¯s examining gaze. It reminded him of his days in Arcana Academy, and not the good ones. After a moment of silence, he was getting impatient. ¡°No one shared your name with me. This is the place for the Flower Protector mission?¡±

    The woman raised an eyebrow and then chortled slightly again. ¡°There is no one in this city that does not know this place or my name, so I take it you are new here, Terry. Yes, you are in the right place. I posted that mission. I¡¯m Jasmine.¡±

    ¡°Lady Jasmine.¡± Terry nodded as a greeting. The woman appeared older than him as well as a potential employer. Even though he was not enjoying her gaze or the idea of a job interview, he reminded himself to be polite.

    ¡°You can drop the ¡®Lady¡¯, although I appreciate the respectful attitude.¡± Jasmine smiled slightly wider than before. ¡°There are a few people with less amicable attitudes towards my establishment.¡± Seeing Terry scrunch up his face in mild confusion caused her to chortle again. ¡°Hard to believe, I know, right?¡±

    Once again, Terry felt like he had missed the joke. He shrugged inwardly and let Jasmine continue.

    ¡°With the influx of refugees, we also receive guests that are not familiar with our customs or others that are attempting to steal. That¡¯s where the Flower Protector comes in.¡± Jasmine gestured towards him.

    ¡°So all that is expected of me is to hang around here and make sure no one is causing any trouble?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Basically, yes.¡± Jasmine nodded before her voice turned more serious. ¡°And there will be trouble makers. Always are. It¡¯s generally nothing we couldn¡¯t handle, but sometimes our mana users are busy elsewhere and even when we¡¯re all here, it is not good for business to be known for unwanted interruptions. We need a deterrent and someone that can handle themselves. We have our trump cards, but those are for emergencies and we need something more visible.¡±

    Terry frowned slightly at the certainty in her voice when she declared that there would be trouble.

    ¡°You¡¯re not really manaless are you?¡± asked Jasmine. ¡°Well hidden.¡± She rang a bell. A well-dressed and richly ornamented elven woman with high cheek bones entered the hall with a tray of tea she placed in front of Jasmine. The elf glanced at Terry and then caught Jasmine¡¯s gaze before shaking her head. She left as quickly as she had arrived and never lost her aloof expression.

    ¡°Well hidden,¡± repeated Jasmine. ¡°Not even Lavender can detect any mana and her mana sight is even better than mine. Why do you want this job?¡±

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    ¡°I need money to get through the portal and this job fits into my schedule,¡± said Terry matter-of-factly.

    Jasmine nodded along with the first half but raised an eyebrow at the second. ¡°¡®Fits your schedule¡¯? That¡¯s something I¡¯ve never heard before. Most Guildheads complain about the hours. If money is what you¡¯re looking for, then why don¡¯t you take one of the more lucrative missions like dungeon work?¡±

    ¡°I plan to, which is why this job is perfect to fit into my schedule,¡± replied Terry nonchalantly. ¡°I can go hunting or dungeon diving early in the morning and then come here, or reserve the quota-limited missions for free days.¡±

    Jasmine searched Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Terry shrugged. He did not feel like explaining his past experiences. He was not sure if this was considered confidence. He was simply sure that he knew his limits. He had experienced them first hand in the folded space. He would not make the mistake of overestimating himself when it came to mission work.

    ¡°Could you undo your mana cloaking, please?¡± requested Jasmine. ¡°I would like to see what makes you so confident.¡±

    Terry tightened the grip on his mana and prevented the concealment necklace from absorbing it. Even without the necklace, not a single speck of mana leaked out. He had completely mastered the first stage of mana cloaking. Even the second stage of cloaking that consisted of blending into the ambient was no problem for him, except when it came to mimicking other mana aspects.

    That was what the concealment necklace was for.

    Although admittedly, he was mostly using it as a perpetual mana regeneration training device.

    Terry lifted his hands and then let go of his mana cloaking. He flared his mana in a brief burst and then immediately constricted his mana and prevented leaking anything beyond the ambient mana density. He only did it for an instant to avoid drawing attention from outside.

    Jasmine was staring with her mouth slightly agape. While she was stunned to speechlessness, another woman was rushing into the reception hall with flared mana. The tall woman had even more visible muscle definition than Jasmine and her sun-tanned skin was covered completely in tattoos.

    Not tattoos. Body inscriptions. Terry noted the mana in the ink decorating the woman¡¯s skin.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The latest arrival had her fists raised and gave the stink eye to Terry.

    Her appearance jolted Jasmine from her daze. ¡°Nothing, Iris. He only did as I had asked.¡±

    ¡°Another man looking for ¡®work¡¯, huh?¡± Iris glared at Terry.

    ¡°Not like the ones before,¡± assured Jasmine. When Iris¡¯s face betrayed her skepticism, she added: ¡°He did not even know my name.¡±

    ¡°What kind of¡­?¡± Iris stared at Terry with a different expression.

    Once again, Terry felt like he was missing something. He was tired of it. ¡°Are there any more questions? If this isn¡¯t working out, I would like to use my time elsewhere.¡±

    His attitude rubbed Iris the wrong way. ¡°Hey, now look, what makes you think that¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Iris, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you join Lavender and Daisy so that we can put our candidate to the test.¡± Jasmine interrupted Iris before she could fly into an argument. She rang another bell.

    The aloof elf from before reappeared and brought a young human woman that was completely manaless with her. The new arrival looked delicate and almost fragile.

    ¡°You have my attention, Terry.¡± Jasmine stood up from her seat. ¡°But I still need to see that you can actually put that mana to use. See Daisy over there? We are going to be troubling her and it is your job to ensure that no harm comes to her.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He understood that they wanted to test him, but why like this? He looked at the young woman with her fragile appearance. The woman smiled amicably at him and even gave a little wave. It appeared that she was not worried about any harm coming her way from the others in the first place.

    Wouldn¡¯t a test in the garden be more appropriate? Spotting people trying to steal the flowers or something. Proving I can fight without interfering with the environment the plants require?

    His accepted father had often talked about how difficult it could be to raise healing herbs and other magical plants. He was wondering why they left such important aspects out of the test.

    Perhaps later?

    One step at a time.

    Focus.

    Lavender pulled a stiletto dagger from somewhere underneath her lavish dress, but before she had a chance to even pretend a stabbing motion, the dagger was ripped from her hands by the invisible attraction force of Terry¡¯s bidirectional attraction glove.

    Iris dashed forth to grab a hold of Daisy, but quickly found one of her belt buckles transfixed and stuck in place. Before she had any chance to understand what had happened, sturdy layers of divine mana appeared all around her.

    An additional divine barrier appeared to separate Daisy from the others.

    Iris¡¯s body inscriptions flared up and she attempted to break through her cage of divine barriers while a very basic arcane bolt spell structure was shaped in Lavender¡¯s hands.

    Terry caught the stiletto dagger while his mana detection field compressed and rotated into instantly created focus refractors. His mana flared up and Lavender¡¯s spell structure collapsed even before he finished his disruption field build-up. The mana suppression alone was enough to interrupt her casting concentration.

    Not used to being in actual combat.

    Terry¡¯s eyes drifted over to the muscular women with tattoos that appeared to handle the pressure better. A part of him was curious if her body inscriptions would allow her to break through the divine barriers, but he was getting tired of this examination. He enjoyed a friendly spar, but he felt like he had outgrown opponents at that level and did not want to waste his time.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡± asked Terry and presented the stiletto dagger. He held the gaze of his potential employer.

    ¡°I appreciate that you were thoughtful enough to not only focus on the attackers, but also to provide a shield for Daisy as well. Now do it without that glove or golden mana,¡± demanded Jasmine. ¡°And please return Lavender¡¯s dagger.¡±

    Terry released the hold on the divine mana and when the translucent golden barriers had vanished, he hurled the stiletto dagger blunt-side first near the aloof elf where it transfixed in the air for her to pick up. He was still standing close to the entrance. He had not moved a step from his original position.

    In the next round, Terry used a burst technique to arrive in front of Daisy before the two others had any chance to do anything. With his back turned to her, he did not notice the slight blush on Daisy¡¯s face.

    ¡°Use this.¡± Jasmine threw a wand to Lavender.

    Terry recognized the imprint in the wand before Lavender had even caught it. ¡°Even if she managed to ignite it, Ice Spike won¡¯t get past me.¡± There was not a sliver of doubt in his voice.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Jasmine raised an eyebrow and challenged Terry. ¡°What if you were not in front of her?¡±

    Terry realized that Jasmine did not catch what he had done to Iris¡¯s belt buckle earlier. He walked back to the entrance and gestured for them to continue.

    Jasmine frowned slightly and added another instruction for Lavender. ¡°Aim for the wall.¡±

    Terry did not care about the lack of trust in his words. On the contrary, he was glad that his potential employer actually showed concern for the manaless woman that had acted as the damsel in distress before.

    He allowed Lavender to use the wand and then transfixed the ice spike before it managed to fly more than a few centimeters from the wand itself.

    The elven woman did not stop at a single try and ignited all the available spell primers as quickly as she managed, but every successive ice spike was neatly transfixed around the same distance away from her.

    The act of compressing his detection field into spell structures upon contact had become almost automatic for Terry. There was no chance for the aloof elf to breach his protective mana bubble.

    When the last primer was ignited, three throwing knives joined the assault on the wall from the direction of Jasmine. Her knives were transfixed in the air not far from her hand while Terry had his eyes on the other wand and wall.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± exclaimed Jasmine. Her tone seemed a lot lighter than earlier. ¡°What if it¡¯s a non-corporeal spell?¡±

    Terry raised his chin towards Lavender. ¡°She can try with her Arcana Bolt.¡± His eyes did not linger long enough on Jasmine to see her appreciative nod at the correct identification of Lavender¡¯s earlier spell. He allowed the spell to be ignited but before the purple lance could make it far, he rotated his mana bubble and a wall of disrupting spell slicers shredded the weak attack spell.

    ¡°That¡¯s the weirdest disruption discharge I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± remarked Iris with mouth agape.

    ¡°Most effective,¡± added Jasmine with praising eyes and she let her gaze wander over her participants. Daisy¡¯s eyes had long been staring starry-eyed. Lavender was still not showing much of an expression, but she nodded slightly. Only Iris still looked unsatisfied.

    ¡°All nice and good, but can he actually fight?¡± demanded Iris. ¡°He hasn¡¯t attacked at all.¡±

    ¡°The best warriors don¡¯t have to,¡± said Jasmine firmly and pointed with her eyes at Terry¡¯s equipment. ¡°That¡¯s not the outfit of a pencil pusher and his reactions have passed my muster. You can test him more if he¡¯ll agree to it, but I think I can already prepare the contract.¡± She moved towards a reception desk in a corner.

    ¡°Welcome, Terry!¡± Daisy beamed at him. ¡°Thank you for protecting us!¡±

    Lavender nodded and then retreated to her room.

    ¡°Mate, I hope you¡¯re as tough as you¡¯re acting.¡± Iris slapped him on the shoulder and then left the hall together with Daisy.

    Protecting ¡®us¡¯? The mission was in the bodyguard section but it sounded more like guarding a garden.

    Terry wrinkled his forehead in thought. While his mind was replaying the whole scene since his arrival to search for what he had missed, he walked towards the reception counter.

    Flower Protector¡­ Jasmine. Lavender. Iris. Daisy. Wait, are they all named after flowers?

    He glanced at Jasmine who was preparing the contract to be certified by a notary from the Guild.

    As long as I get paid, who cares?

    Terry shrugged inwardly and then his eyes drifted around the rest of the room. There were a bunch of weird titles written behind the reception desk. He did not understand any of them, but then he recognized a familiar title.

    Inverted Phoenix.

    Wait, wasn¡¯t that¡­?

    In the folded space, Apex had asked him for cultivation manuals related to the primordial magic beast known as the phoenix. Among the many jade tokens and written booklets that Terry had offered, there was also one with that exact title. He had never looked into it. He had only offered it because of the ¡®phoenix¡¯ in the title and the only reason he still remembered it was that Apex had nearly bitten his head off.

    Terry looked more closely at what was written on the wall. Thanks to his mana-enhanced eyes, he did not have to step closer. Underneath the ¡®Inverted Phoenix¡¯ title was a strange symbol¡­

    Wait¡­

    He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. The gestalt of the strange ¡®symbol¡¯ suddenly emerged and jumped on Terry. It was not a symbol, but a drawing. A drawing of two people. Two people intertwined and with their heads buried in each other¡¯s crotches.

    Oh well¡­

    Terry puffed up his cheeks. He knew that he had missed something before. Instead of focusing on the present, his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the situation with Apex and his face cramped up.

    No wonder she blew up...

    He did not know if he should break out in a laugh or in a cold sweat when remembering the whole exchange with the martialist and her explosive temper.

    ¡°If you¡¯re having second thoughts, then now would be a good time to share.¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice jolted him from his thoughts.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry absentmindedly. Why would I? ¡°This job fits my schedule perfectly.¡± He was already mentally going over how he might fit another job into his waking hours if he could push most of his training and experiments into the hours he had to hang around here.

    Jasmine slid over the contract for Terry to read but kept her finger on the contract to give another warning: ¡°From everything you have said, I take it that you don¡¯t sleep much. That¡¯s your own business, not mine. However, I expect you to be ready for the job when you are here. I may run this house but it belongs to all of us. I care about every person living underneath this roof. I will not tolerate a protector we can¡¯t count on. Don¡¯t dare to come here sleep-deprived! If I ever see you bottomed out and devoid of mana, then you can look for another job!¡±

    ¡°Fair.¡± Terry nodded and read over the contract carefully, still wary of rookie traps. ¡°Not very detailed.¡± Beyond the hours, the contract barely stated more than for him to ensure a safe environment for the people living in the building.

    ¡°Intentionally so.¡± Jasmine put on a pair of long silk gloves. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough amateur lawyers trying to weasel out of specific rules by strictly sticking to the letter instead of the spirit of the task.¡±

    Terry could not blame her. He had his fair share of experiences with twisting words and having them twisted for him.

    ¡°I have found it works better to focus on the main point and keep things flexible.¡± Jasmine was rummaging through a drawer while searching through something. ¡°Same reason why I prefer day-by-day contracts. If we discover that we have different interpretations of something this basic, then that is that.¡±

    She pulled a small pouch out of the drawer and looked at Terry. ¡°In my eyes, it¡¯s simple. Our flowers deserve to be respected and that¡¯s non-negotiable. They decide where their lines are and who has overstepped. Your job is to make sure no one ever forgets that as well as to protect everyone¡¯s possessions.¡±

    She moved towards the main entrance. ¡°All the more complicated parts are handled by me. Now, if you agree, we can directly go to the Guild and you can start tomorrow. It¡¯s fine if you need more time to think it over, but I¡¯ll have an appointment to keep before lunch.¡±

    ***

 185 The Grind for Money

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    Terry finished cleaning himself up and he re-equipped his armor. The world outside his window was still dark while the morning was struggling to push away the night.

    He had already finished his morning exercises which consisted of running.

    Running and running.

    Then some more running.

    Running on layers of divine mana.

    Running while trying to let the divine mana follow his trajectory.

    Running while pulling his mana bubble with him.

    Running while letting his spell structures ripple throughout the mana bubble without ever igniting any.

    Running while fluidly cycling one burst technique after the other.

    Even though Terry had remained in the same place for a whole week, he still felt like he was running all the time. Admittedly, the recurring nightmares of himself fleeing from hordes of monsters didn¡¯t help.

    The weather and monsters kept changing, but the basic dream was always the same. It would start with him at the center of a crowd. Then the monsters crashed into the crowd and everyone started fleeing and screaming. Overcome from terror and from the momentum of the crowd around him, he would start running as well. Running faster and faster. Overtaking others. Jumping over those that had fallen. Bumping into those running slower than him.

    Terry frowned when he remembered the sensation of bumping into others in his dreams. Those dreams felt so much more real than any others he had ever had. He felt the sun or wetness from rain. He even sensed mana. Recently, he had also started tasting the sweets when his dream self had bought some before the monsters arrived. The only sense that was still missing was a sense of smell for some reason.

    Terry splashed some more water onto his face. He needed his morning runs to push the nightmare out of his mind and concentrate on his day. Ironically, running in reality seemed to work best to forget his nightmarish night-time runs.

    More running¡­

    Terry grabbed a piece of chocolate from his desk. The city-state he was finding himself in was a strange place, but there were a few pleasant things to discover. An exquisite chocolaterie was among those.

    After getting a good idea of his potential income in this place, Terry first researched the forbidden zone at the guild. If it took him longer to earn the money for the portal fee than it would take him to circle around the volcanic thunder, then he wanted to know.

    From what he had learned, sidestepping the forbidden zone was not a good option either. He would have to cross other hostile territories. Some martial sects with a reputation to kill on sight. Some uninhabitable territories which also meant no hunting to supplement his food supply.

    In the end, Terry had decided to stay in the city-state and work here until he had enough money to access the portal. After the snide remarks from the receptionist at the Guild, he had also decided to read up a bit on the country he was in.

    The country used to be called the Bloodborne Kingdom, but the royal family had been dethroned less than two years ago. Now it was called the Freedom Cooperative.

    Cooperative.

    Terry had heard that term before in the Flower House, which also claimed to organize and run itself as a cooperative. He didn''t even try to understand what that meant. He was just passing through. He only needed to understand enough to get paid and to stay out of trouble.

    He was satisfied with knowing that there was some kind of governing assembly. He retained a lingering aversion for politics from his time in Tiv and Thanatos, which was why he did not care to figure out the nuance between this local parliament and others.

    The only reason Terry had read further into the whole thing was his surprise at learning that the coup had been rather bloodless. The different rebel factions not only managed to covertly invade the palace and other key locations, they also succeeded in convincing the royal guards to step aside or to join their side. The royal family had chosen exile over submission and left the country for good.

    Unfortunately, a bloodless revolution did not mean a bloodless aftermath. Terry had gotten a glimpse into the chaos the old woman was raving about. He had scared off the pickpockets on his first day, but he still had to put down an overconfident group of street robbers during his first night.

    Terry frowned from the input of his mana detection field. His far-reaching senses should be a blessing, but in this kind of place, it felt like a curse of knowledge instead. He signed, grumbled, and checked the clock.

    Still time until the merchant¡¯s logistic entrances open.

    So what? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Why is that person even outside at this time?

    I can¡¯t do this all the time. I¡¯m not paid to be a guard. I have other stuff to do and¡­

    Terry rubbed his eyes and sighed again. ¡°...consider it training.¡±

    Bullshit. What kind of training could that bunch be?

    He finished the chocolate and ran out before the darkness was chased away by twilight.

    ***

    Terry stepped around the corner and intentionally flared his mana.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    A group of men spread out and eyed the new arrival warily.

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry. ¡°Leave him be.¡± One large man was lying on the ground with bruises and a blackened eye.

    ¡°Who are¡ª?¡± One from the shady group spoke but was held back by another. ¡°Yo, you misunderstand mister.¡± The speaker was dressed in a suit. ¡°That bastard assaulted us!¡±

    Yeah right.

    Terry glanced at the man on the ground. He had to admit that the man had a mean face and the blackened eye somehow increased the impression even further. However, he knew who had attacked whom from his mana detection field. And even if he hadn¡¯t. ¡°If that man assaulted you, then why is he the only one with a black eye?¡±

    ¡°I have friends, you see.¡± The suit was gesturing towards the rest of his group. ¡°They helped me.¡±

    ¡°Spare me the veiled threats.¡± Terry glanced at the group without concern. ¡°Just piss off.¡±

    ¡°Punk, I¡¯ll gut you!¡± One robber pulled a weakly-enchanted hatchet and attacked. He did not make it two steps, before a swift fist crushed his skull.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± Terry placed the enchanted hatchet into his storage bracelet. It was a weak enchantment but it could still be sold for some coin. Money was money.

    Afterwards, Terry glanced at the unmoving corpse with a detached attitude that froze the blood in the veins of the shady spectators. The only reaction on Terry¡¯s face was a slightly raised eyebrow. He had slightly overestimated the man¡¯s mana cultivation and severely underestimated his own strength.

    ¡°Run!¡± The suit barked out in panic and was the quickest on his feet.

    ¡°Good call,¡± muttered Terry. Smarter than the last group.

    He refused to let those who had pulled a weapon on him live, but he did not feel like pursuing the other weak street bandits today. He still had several jobs to do during the day and hunting bandits at night wasn¡¯t paid in this city.

    In fact, the city didn¡¯t even task guards with patrolling at night, which Terry found exceedingly weird. The Council in Arcana would never permit such lawless times or districts to exist in Arcanian cities.

    ¡°Are you okay to walk on your own?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± The bruised victim coughed some blood.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Truthfully, Terry wasn¡¯t so sure if the man would be fine on his own, but he had expected that answer. The man wanted Terry to leave. As soon as he was out of sight, the man would proceed to loot the corpse to recover some of the money they had taken.

    I don¡¯t want that stuff anyway, so calm down you¡ª You know what? Nevermind. Why do I even bother?

    Terry shook his head. This city was different from the lunatic martialist asylum he had been trapped in, but somehow it was just as depressing. He had learned more about the city from Jasmine, his employer and nominated leader of the Flower House.

    The corner where the mean-faced robbery victim had come from was apparently some kind of hub for illicit activities, most prominently the peddling and consumption of illegal stimulants that  included magic narcotics produced in the Lich Kingdoms.

    The locals were complaining and basically blaming the refugees, but Terry was not sure he cared what was going on in that place. He was not familiar with the substances and could only go by Jasmine¡¯s description, but as far as he understood, the people chose to go there and they mostly hurt themselves.

    Terry did not feel like he had any right to preach about making choices that brought harm upon yourself. He thought they were making bad choices, but it was none of his business. He was just passing through, after all.

    Terry glanced once more at the corpse on the ground. The assailant had died from a single punch. Not even a particularly hard punch in his opinion. He had not used any burst to accentuate it. Since he was wearing his concealment necklace with its passive mana absorption, the mana enhancement was less than his balanced state. He did not even aim the punch properly.

    No matter. The mana user in front of him was now dead after a single punch.

    Terry did not feel happy at the evident sign of how much stronger he had become thanks to his improved physique and mana foundation.

    He certainly wasn¡¯t feeling sad either. The kind of person that stalked the streets at night to rob others and did not hesitate to draw a weapon had long ago traded their humanity for the world of beasts.

    No, Terry mostly felt a tinge of surprise. He had not deliberately killed the man. He had not even used his daggers. He had simply not cared enough to hold back even more. He was not used to holding back anymore. He was not sure if he wanted to either.

    Terry closed his eyes and allowed the sensations from his mana touch to call him back to focus. He swallowed his complaints and dashed towards his first mission for the day. During his departure he could already feel the bruised victim loot the corpse of the robber¡­

    ***

    ¡°Are you sure you can transport all of that?¡± The warehouse worker clicked her tongue and covered Terry with her inquisitive gaze.

    ¡°Yes.¡± A calm reply. Terry was already spreading his mana to activate the crafter¡¯s pendant. The activation of the pendant took time, but it could hold gigantic quantities. As preparation for the transport job, he had tested an idea to sidestep the slow activation by marking many objects at once. There was still a limit to the pendant¡¯s reach, but he would be able to enter all of the wares in around fifteen minutes with this approach.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± The elven woman that acted as the contact in the warehouse rolled her eyes. ¡°Your caravan appears to be late though. Just warning you. The boss isn¡¯t kidding about the contract violation fees. It¡¯s better to admit it now if you don¡¯t have full confidence. Also¡ª What?¡± The warehouse worker blinked quickly in succession when a large batch of her wares vanished at once.

    ¡°I can handle it,¡± mumbled Terry while walking forward with his eyes still closed from concentration. One benefit of his mana touch was that he could fully concentrate on mana without needing his vision that only served as a distraction when it came to matters like these.

    ¡°What kind of storage item are you using?¡± asked the warehouse worker.

    ¡°Crafter¡¯s pendant,¡± replied Terry without turning around.

    The elven woman followed his movements with a look of perpetual skepticism. Only when all wares had disappeared into his dimensional pendant did her expression change into slight astonishment. ¡°Well, I never.¡° She pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. ¡°If you can afford something like that, what are you doing in a dump like this?¡±

    Terry tilted his head. With all of his planning he had never thought about selling his most valuable possession. Perhaps the pendant alone would buy him a ticket through the portal. However, just the idea of losing another one of his cherished gifts from his family caused his blood to run cold.

    Never¡­. Okay only if there is no other option. But I¡¯d rather try circling around than selling my pendant. That portal does not get me all the way to Arcana and I¡¯d rather travel a longer distance with a crafter¡¯s pendant than a shorter distance without.

    Terry remembered that he was technically in the middle of a conversation and belatedly replied: ¡°I¡¯m just passing through.¡±

    The elven warehouse worker scrunched her face. ¡°Just don¡¯t try anything dumb. The wares are not worth getting yourself into trouble with the Guild for. They¡¯re all marked and traceable. The contract violation penalty is no joke.¡± She bit her lower lip. ¡°And if I may be so free, I would suggest you run. There are always vultures hanging around the caravans. They might not expect you to take a stroll with our stuff hidden in your jewelry, but if you come here again, they¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡±

    Terry could not help but chuckle. Of course, he would be running. Wasn¡¯t he always running? Running and running.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit off, aren¡¯t you?¡± The elven woman raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°A bit? Hopefully just a bit,¡± blurted Terry in a mutter and shrugged.

    You¡¯re voicing your thoughts out loud again.

    Weirdo.

    He checked the receival document and compared it one last time against the contents in his crafter¡¯s pendant. After confirming that the inventory listed matched the one he had received, he signed and bolted away to deliver the wares to the other end of the city.

    He jumped into the air on layers of divine mana and used the chance to continue his training from his morning run. Down below, he could still sense the cloaked presences of mana-users that were observing both the warehouse and now him.

    Terry continued unperturbed since none of the mana signatures were a serious threat to him.

    ***

    After dropping off all the wares at the merchant¡¯s storefronts, Terry passed by a building in the university district. The doors had not been opened yet, but that fit his schedule perfectly. He placed a dozen mana containers in front of him, spread his mana, and filled them all up in parallel.

    After Terry was finished with the containers, he moved in front of the doors. He did not knock because he could already sense the people inside preparing for opening hours.

    ¡°Huaam¡ª Eeek!¡± The sleepy-eyed dwarf that was opening the door yelped when he saw a strangely dressed man mere inches in front of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for the Guild mission for filled mana containers,¡± declared Terry.

    ¡°Stone below, you scared me,¡± grumbled the dwarf. ¡°Wait over there or at least let me have a coffee before pulling pranks like that.¡±

    ¡°My pa used to say that fear or wrath beats any coffee when it comes to waking up,¡± remarked Terry. A wistful smile crept onto his face at the unexpected memory. If he remembered correctly it was from a story that his accepted mother Isille had shared about the pranks of Bjorln and Olgorn. Apparently, the two brothers had a phase when they utilized rather eccentric ways of making sure the other was awake on time.

    ¡°¡®Pa¡¯?¡± The research assistant moved his gaze over Terry from top to bottom with a skeptic expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty tall for a dwarf, I know.¡± Terry blurted out and immediately wondered if the old memory had caused the old joke to slip from his tongue. He felt a bit awkward because he couldn¡¯t know if the research assistant had really picked up on the dwarven way of addressing parents. He cleared his throat and returned to the original topic. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the full amount of requested mana containers. Freshly filled up.¡±

    ¡°¡®Freshly¡¯?¡± Once again, the research assistant¡¯s face contorted with barely hidden skepticism. ¡°I¡¯ll see about that. Come in. Don¡¯t take it personally, but I¡¯ll have to check the decay level before accepting anything.¡±

    It did not take long for the dwarf to confirm everything to his satisfaction. In fact, the researchers were so pleased with the low degree of decay, in other terms the ¡®freshness¡¯ of the mana that they immediately tried to recruit Terry for further work.

    In contrast to others, Terry was able to deliver a large batch of freshly filled mana containers at once. A unique selling point thanks not only to his outstanding mana foundation, but also because of his practice with ranged naturalization and ranged use of mana containers.

    Since they aimed to research the decay rate, it was best to start as freshly naturalized as possible, because it allowed them to study the decay from the earliest point on. In addition, Terry¡¯s way of filling the containers allowed the researchers to have multiple samples with the same rate of decay as well as with the exact same mana signature.

    Terry was slightly intimidated by the fervor in the researchers¡¯ eyes when they discovered what he could offer them. Their gazes grew almost heated while they mumbled about sample size, significance, and something called control variables. He was half afraid that one of them would try to kiss him when he declared that he could directly fill their instruments in minutes instead of first depositing his mana into his own containers.

    To Terry¡¯s delight, their research fervor directly translated into an increased quota of requested mana and increased payment for each delivery. He just had to pass by and deposit the mana here. The arrangement was not only more profitable but more convenient for Terry since he was wary of handing over his personal mana containers of Arcanian makers whom he trusted.

    His next stop was at a different district that mostly contained factories and workshops of various kinds. The doors for the large workshop were already open and he could already see a few other people lining up and filling mana containers for the mission relating to quality control.

    Terry had to fill out a few forms and was then led to a corner with a batch of mana containers whom he was supposed to fill with mana. He proceeded to use the same approach as for the other mission, but the reaction of the quality control experts was a lot less ardent than that of the researchers had been. They just raised an eyebrow without commenting and then proceeded with the rest of the formalities that ended with them thanking Terry for his assistance and reminding him that this was a regular mission.

    When Terry left the workshop, it was still early in the morning. Even if he could not get more pay from the quality control mission, his speedy fulfillment carved out more time for other jobs. Yesterday, he had spotted a few more missions that fit him. These were mostly related to utilizing his mana sensor and mana touch abilities.

    One mission was about working as an appraiser for magic items, which involved services like detecting flaws in magic items or estimating the remaining duration of enchantments. That mission had been issued by a local auction house.

    Another set of missions was issued directly by the local city government. They required help with making sure the many workshops did not leak any dangerous magic substances. They also wanted to explore an unexplored underground tunnel system left behind by the previous rulers.

    The last group of missions from the recent candidates revolved around helping some local farmers and food merchants to identify exactly where and how pests were invading their fields and storage facilities.

    The best thing about many of these sensor missions was that Terry didn¡¯t even have to specifically allocate time for them. He could do whatever in the city while spreading his mana detection field to track the entrance point of rodents or get a gauge on any magic substances leaking from factories.

    Not right now, however.

    The next item on Terry¡¯s agenda for the day required him to go slightly beyond the scope of the outer city and to enter an area that would limit his mana sensor range. He had finally been allocated a spot for the most profitable mission work around.

    Today, Terry would perform his first dive into the local dungeons. He had done his research and he was still determined to do it solo.

    ***

 186 Solo at Scale

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    Terry stood in front of a pathway leading underneath the earth. He was surprised to find that he wasn¡¯t nervous. A lot had changed since the days he had first stepped into a dungeon. He did not truly think that he was becoming reckless. He simply had trouble imagining anything this dungeon could throw at him that he had not seen before. Seen much worse at that.

    He retrieved the king spear from his dimensional bag and placed it onto his sheath belt. The magic leather wrapped around the orange pole and secured it safely on his back. He did not like carrying the pinnacle item on display inside the city, but he preferred to have quick access to it while in the dungeon.

    Terry checked his two keen daggers that were placed at his left and right hip. He made sure that each of his leg straps carried three throwing needles: one octavum for its slow activation delay, one septimum for its fast activation delay, one aspected with oscillating mana for its properties that ignored space magic.

    Technically, Terry had outgrown the need to select materials for their activation delay with his spell for regular equipment. He had learned to apply the aspect archer¡¯s aspecting technique to control the delay through unbalanced aspecting. However, old habits die hard and in a pinch, the difference could still save him.

    Terry played back all the warnings from his family in his mind while he tested the barrier summoning magic in his barrier spear and helmet. He proceeded to examine the Shape Metal imprints hidden in his bracers and then carefully checked the state of the mana-osmotic materials as well as the mana lines he had carved himself to form periodic shielding.

    Examining his shielding, Terry frowned with an unsatisfied expression. He could almost hear the slightly disappointed voice of his aunt Brynn.

    Even though his mana shielding had improved a lot since the last time he had spoken to her, the improvements were practically entirely due to his improvements in general mana foundation. Better control allowed for smaller tiles and crystals which in turn led to pathways that were more difficult to pierce and more flexibility in covering gaps and providing support structures. Better mana compression led to high mana intensity which in turn provided inherent stability.

    Truthfully, his mana shielding was a lot more effective than in the past. However, he was painfully aware that he had made no progress in further mastering the techniques themselves. He was still relying on a mixture of periodic tiling, quasiperiodic tiling, and periodic crystals and the two-dimensional tiling techniques remained the central shielding.

    He continued to have trouble predicting the surface area and edges when relying on quasiperiodic tiling and while he understood the tools for crystal shielding in theory, he was lacking the practice to wield them deftly.

    Auntie would not be happy¡­

    Terry clicked his tongue and sighed. In Thanatos, he had lacked access to his mana-crafting tools. In the pocket realm, he had been otherwise preoccupied to put it mildly. He resolved himself to make some time for studying during his hours as a Flower Protector, even though he was not sure where to find it.

    ¡®If you never take time, you¡¯ll never have time.¡¯

    Terry chuckled when he recalled the phrase his aunt Brynn liked to say. He¡¯d find a way. Perhaps, he could combine it with his grind for money. He could inquire if there are any people willing to pay to have their items shielded by him.

    For the dungeons here, my current shielding should be sufficient.

    He had done his research and also requested information from recent dungeon dives. He had paid to be prepared. He had been reluctant to part with the metal coins, but he knew that his family back home would bite his ear off if he wouldn¡¯t at least do this much. According to the reports, there were no reports of magic disruption abilities among the dungeon dwellers.

    Uncle Samuel would not be happy regardless¡­.

    Terry took a deep breath and then stepped forward into the entrance room. He did not need to perform the test of killing a rat to confirm that he was in dungeon territory. He could feel it.

    First things first¡­

    Terry ripped a Mark-and-Recall scroll in half. He could barely make out a slight distortion that rippled over the space in his mana sight with the scroll¡¯s activation. Afterwards, he folded the remaining half of the scroll and placed it securely into his dimensional bag.

    He puffed his cheeks and stared at the closed dungeon entrance. He had chosen the earliest possible slot for his dungeon delving. While others might grumble at the early work, he was always up anyway.

    A consequence of being the first to enter a dungeon was that the reservoir room was wholly naturalized to the dungeon. A fact that had to change for anyone to proceed.

    Terry could rely on his ranged mana naturalization to conquer the ambient mana belonging to the dungeon, but the reservoir dam worked based on ratio not absolute mana anyway and therefore, another way was faster¡­

    Terry dumped a part of his mana pool into the room while his eyes flared blue from mana use.

    Near instantly, the path was clear. He stepped over the threshold and as quickly as the pathway had opened, it closed again when he reabsorbed all his previously dumped mana.

    A slight smile played on Terry¡¯s lips when he recalled how his uncle Samuel had similarly opened a dungeon reservoir room during his first introduction to dungeons. He did not allow himself to reminisce idly and spread his mana detection field far and wide.

    Judging by everything Terry had read, this dungeon was ranked below the dungeon that Alrik had discovered. The unexplored dungeon that Terry had first entered to protect his whaka and later harvested for mana cores to assist the healers in Arcana City.

    Back then, Terry had entered that dungeon together with a whole team of trusted companions. They had never dared to step onto the lowest parts either. Their goal had been routine harvesting and not conquering the dungeon completely.

    More than two cycles had passed since then.

    When the flash geckos radiated blinding light, Terry did not so much as flinch. His eyes had long been closed. He did not need his eyes to transfix the rock projectiles of the fake goblin constructs or the horns of the weird oversized rabbits roaming the room.

    It had been a while since Terry had been confronted with creatures as weak as these. He did not know yet how far down he would go since he intended to play that by ear. He had a few experiments to perform before continuing into more dangerous floors.

    He knew the local price for a Mark-and-Recall scroll as well as the price for the different mana cores he was likely to collect. In order to get as much out of his allotted time slot as possible, he had to be efficient.

    One of the blinding flash geckos was pulled towards Terry¡¯s hand with the bidirectional attraction glove. The little lizard tried biting his hand, but his head was squished between his thumb and finger before it could do anything. It did not take long for the gecko¡¯s body to disappear and leave behind a tiny light-aspected mana core.

    Terry summoned small sturdy layers of divine mana that trapped a fake goblin construct. He approached it slowly and then punched out rapidly with an open hand strike. Even though the outer shell of the construct was made of hardened earth, it gave way like wet paper. Terry¡¯s fingers closed around the mana core and ripped it out of the construct.

    Workable but¡­

    He should be happy that he was able to easily recover mana cores in pristine condition, but Terry was frowning. Thinking about dungeon work and the financial goal he had to reach, he had brainstormed possible approaches. While his notebooks strained under the weight of his research and ideas, he had come away with one major obstacle: Scale.

    It was possible to make good money even from weaker dungeon creatures, but in order to be truly profitable, that required scale. Unfortunately, punching or using weapons like his keen daggers or barrier spear didn¡¯t scale. If there were a hundred creatures, he would have to punch a hundred times and he only had two arms. He might be able to punch faster than in the past, but a fundamental limitation remained.

    Perhaps it was the experience of the dungeon defense as the Immovable Mage, but Terry yearned for more than simply faster punching.

    His king spear allowed him to blow up a whole room of those weak creatures, but that would damage the mana cores. It really wasn¡¯t a good option.

    Terry circulated mana into the divine hammer inscription and punched. His aim was true and the divine mana hammered the small lizard head into a bloody paste. A success, albeit small. It did not take much force to break the head of a flash gecko.

    He repeated the divine hammer attack on one of the immobilized horned rabbits and to his dismay, he required two punches before the mana-corrupted beast vanished to leave behind its core.

    Terry shifted and used a finger flick instead of a full punch on the flash geckos. After getting the hang of this, he attempted to flick more than one finger at once. He managed to make it work but it was disastrous for his aim.

    Something else to practice at the Flower House¡­

    Terry had two more things to try in this room.

    He flipped his inscription usage and pulled his hand back. Simultaneously, layers of divine mana followed his movements and propelled the flash geckos from the walls into his direction. He considered if he should just slash at them with his daggers, but then used a sturdy sack to catch them instead.

    Once all the flash geckos were squirming inside, Terry hurled the whole sack up and smashed it on the floor. The shape inside the sack changed when the dead lizards evaporated to only leave behind their mana cores.

    A single flash gecko was still crawling around the many cores and Terry grabbed it. He kept his eyes closed and concentrated on his mana sight. He compressed the mana around him and with a sequence of rotations around him, an intense spell slicer pierced into the mana core.

    Terry knew that his spell slicers did not inflict any physical damage unless the hit object was transfixed with the Immovable Object spell, but he wanted to test the interaction in the magical realm.

    He had prepared for his solo dive by finally reading properly into some of the academic books on dungeons that Samuel had sent to him in Tiv. The bulk of the books posited that the cores acted as a way for the dungeon to control or influence the host creature.

    By contrast, a minority of works suggested that the core itself was required for the dungeon being¡¯s manifestation itself. While that was still a minority position, one of the advocates included Terry¡¯s uncle Samuel, which made him very much inclined to consider it a working hypothesis.

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    Terry was less interested in the theory itself but rather in one piece of evidence mentioned in favor of it: Extracting or isolating a mana core killed a dungeon being just like breaking the core did.

    Ripping the core out of the fake goblin had killed it instantly. On the one hand, that was not really surprising. If the core was an essential part, like the heart or brain, then removing it would kill the creature.

    In contrast to a regular brain or heart, however, a mana core was not really a part of a dungeon-assimilated¡¯s inherent physique. For dungeon constructs it was understandable, but for dungeon-assimilated or dungeon-native beasts? There was no physical explanation for why those creatures would die when the core was damaged or removed.

    There were plenty of competing magical theories that attempted to explain the phenomenon, but Terry did not care to sort out which one was correct. He only cared about the fact that it was a phenomenon rooted in the mana realm.

    His means of physical attack simply didn¡¯t scale, but his mana-based attacks might. His divine hammer inscription was promising but still required a lot of work. That left his disruption discharge variants.

    Terry¡¯s frown deepened when he did not perceive any effect from his spell slicer assault on the gecko¡¯s mana core. He had been optimistic about his idea and his hopes appeared misguided.

    If cutting the core out kills the creature and if the core itself interacts with the creature based on mana, then ¡®cutting out¡¯ should not just work solely with physical cuts either. It should be possible to kill a dungeon creature by isolating the core with magic.

    By cutting off whatever magic it was performing.

    By disrupting whatever the core was doing with its host.

    By blocking all¡ª

    All!

    Terry realized a mistake he had made. No matter how intense his spell slicers were, they were ill-suited to completely cut off a core from its host. He had practiced hard to make his spell slicers as sharp as possible because that was the best shape to rip into a spell structure. He had always aimed to shape them thin because that was the best shape to conserve mana.

    The problem was that the spell slicers were more like arrows when what he really needed was a box¡­

    When Terry¡¯s thoughts reached this point, his mental image of a box suddenly shifted with the box turning into a vortex. Years ago, he had gained inspiration for his first discharge variant in Tiv. The ascension vortex of a demon had given him the idea for how to achieve his spherical disruption pulse.

    A single spell slicer covered too small an area.

    A sequence of spell slicers never covered enough at once.

    But what about a compressed disruption field that centered around the core?

    Terry had initially relied on the internal compression because that was where his mana control was the strongest, but he had come a long way since then. He had experience with rapidly setting up disruption fields of a larger scale.

    But dungeon creatures move and they also¡ª ¡°Stop.¡± Terry rebuked himself gruffly. ¡°Gathering facts comes first.¡±

    In the blink of an eye, a tiny disruption field was established and then compressed to cover only the area of the gecko¡¯s core.

    When the mana-corrupted lizard finally vanished, Terry could not help but grin. ¡°Okay, with that fact established¡­¡±

    The dungeon critters won¡¯t stay still, so I¡¯ll have to be quick or capable of moving. Fortunately, these fields only have to be as small as the cores. Creating and moving them should be easier than for the disruption fields I use to protect myself.

    Perhaps practicing with smaller fields will help me get to being able to move my¡­

    ¡°How should I call it?¡± Terry blurted out.

    ¡­to move my disruption domain.

    Perhaps he had spent too much time among mana martialists, but he liked ¡®disruption domain¡¯ for the larger scale disruption field that he relied on for protecting himself from spells and mana abilities.

    Terry absentmindedly created a little disruption field and compressed it in his palm. ¡°This. Now this might scale.¡±

    Up to a point.

    He understood that stronger creatures had defense mechanisms for which this approach was unworkable.

    Larger cores meant more surface area to cover, which required more setup time.

    More agile creatures meant his setup was less likely to be on time.

    Higher mana density meant more difficulty in succeeding in his setup as well.

    Nevertheless, Terry had found a scalable solution for efficiently harvesting the higher floors filled with weaker creatures. A solution that could act as an intermediate stopgap before he further mastered the divine hammer inscription as well as a complementing supplement afterwards.

    Terry collected all the cores and walked towards the second room with a newfound spring in his step.

    It did not take long, however, before his face showed a well-worn unsatisfied expression. He turned a corner and muttered: ¡°...pity that it only works on dungeon beings that carry cores.¡±

    Useless on mana-corrupted outside.

    Well, perhaps also useful on ethereal creatures or to tear more efficiently at barriers. I¡¯ll have to test that¡­

    ***

    Terry waltzed through the upper floors of the dungeon without breaking a sweat.

    The weaker constructs, beasts, and slimes were easily taken out with his disruption fields. Sometimes, Terry already killed everything inside before even entering a room. His disruption fields did not require a direct line of sight to attack and thanks to his mana touch, he could use them even beyond dungeon walls that obstructed mana sight.

    It appeared that a dungeon of this rank did not manage to hide any traps or ambushes from Terry¡¯s mana perception either. The few times that his mana sight failed to notice the lurking danger, his mana touch still managed to warn him.

    Walls or moats were not much of an obstacle for him with his aerial movement and the few times that the dungeon attempted to block the open paths with movable walls, an immovable object prevented the dungeon from succeeding.

    In Terry¡¯s opinion, labyrinths were the worst. Thanks to his mana touch, he immediately knew which direction to take and spotted any shifts in the layout. His disruption fields killed the shining dropbears, attacus sleepmoths, grievance toads, and other creatures before he ever laid eyes on them. In contrast to open rooms, however, he still had to navigate around the labyrinth to collect the cores. The worst.

    The only break from boredom in labyrinth rooms was the occasional gratification when he correctly identified a wall to break through as a shortcut. Thanks to the power of his king spear, Terry could break through in many places but he chose to refrain whenever possible in order to not waste too much mana.

    A glimmer of excitement rose up in Terry when he discovered a room full of purplemist lynxes and what appeared to be a duo of young shadow panthers. The mana-corrupted felines were too quick to be targeted with his disruption fields.

    The excitement didn¡¯t last that long, however. It was quickly replaced by a workable idea.

    As soon as Terry stepped into the room, his mana rushed into the divine hammer inscriptions and the purplemist lynxes found themselves trapped in golden cages. Their agility was of little use when boxed in like that and unfortunately for them, their arcane bolts were not strong enough to break the sturdy barriers.

    Terry set up one controlled disruption field in each of the golden cages. Luckily, the purplemist lynxes were not that large and together with their limited movement, he could manage to make the disruption field attacks on their cores workable.

    While the disruption fields were cutting off the dungeon connection to the lynxes, Terry was watching the area suspiciously. He knew that the shadow panthers were still here, only in a different plane.

    He circled mana into his magic brooch and stepped into the shadow plane where he immediately emitted a blinding light from his glove. The two panthers appeared taken aback by the unexpected arrival and sudden intensity of light and Terry exploited the opportunity with his king spear.

    The pole extended and the sharp spearhead pierced into the neck of the first shadow panther. Terry infused mana into another activation layer. Lightning danced around the orange pole and as soon as it was absorbed into the spearhead, a powerful blast of lightning finished the injured beast off.

    Terry retracted the spear with satisfaction. The spear¡¯s elongation ability was a nice mitigation for the limitations of his magic brooch. If he was not able to lift his feet and move, then he just had to extend the spear to where he wanted it to be. It was far from perfect, but it was workable.

    Terry noted that the shadow panther¡¯s body vanished, which was clear evidence that the dungeon¡¯s sphere of influence extended all the way into the shadow plane.

    He used the bidirectional attraction inscription to collect the panther¡¯s core and then returned to the normal plane. He had to return quickly to maintain his disruption fields and divine barriers and the second panther had fled there anyway.

    Terry decided to test himself against the surviving shadow panther until the last purplemist lynx had died. The beast was agile, but with burst techniques, he was able to keep up. It could extend shadow claws and even throw a ranged attack created from shadow, but the shadow aspect was a bad fit against his divine barriers that carried an intersection of the light and metal aspects.

    Terry was familiar with some of the panther¡¯s abilities from his stay in Syn City where the vampire Ying, who acted as the mayor, possessed a shadow panther soul spirit. The beast¡¯s fighting style mostly centered around powerful sneak attacks from the shadow plane.

    Unfortunately, for the beast, its sneak attacks were not working well against Terry even when he limited himself to not step into the shadow plane. By now, he was instinctively reacting to any breach of his little mana bubble that acted as his detection field. It did not take long until a keen dagger found the neck of the shadow panther lunging at him.

    Terry collected the core and looked around while the last purplemist lynx was evaporating. He habitually pressed his mana as far into the walls as possible to check for any hidden rooms. He did not find a gap that looked like a room but he discovered something resembling the mana locks he had discovered in the dungeon with the hellspawn juggernaut champion.

    Terry solved the little puzzle and was delighted to see a platform rising from the floor afterwards. On the platform, there was a little purple mana crystal. He briefly considered if he could use the crystal. He involuntarily thought back to Amelia the Spellcrusher and her mage staff adorned with many of the purple crystals.

    In the end, he dismissed the idea. The crystal was valuable and he would be unable to imprint the crystal with useful spells himself anyway. Better to sell it than to pay someone for imprinting. His current goal was earning money after all.

    ***

    Terry was frowning while walking back to the city for his afternoon job as a Flower Protector.

    On the one hand, he should be happy. His dungeon run had practically been perfect. He had gathered a ton of valuable mana cores and even a few unexpected rewards to sell. It was his first attempt at this dungeon and he had nearly cleared it as far as his mana perception could tell.

    The primary reason why Terry had not chosen to delve further down was that he did not want to risk being late for his afternoon jobs. It was always possible that something unexpected happened on his way up and he had wanted some additional buffer. Since this had been the first time in this new dungeon, he had chosen to be particularly cautious, which ate into his overall time. Next time would be different.

    However, in spite of all the good news, there was also the bad. The fast pace at which he had progressed also showed him the true limits for the earnings potential in this particular dungeon. There was still the second local dungeon, but according to his research, it was only ranked slightly higher than the first one.

    In theory, there was a third dungeon he could reach within two or so weeks of running, but that one was ranked quite high at B? and Terry could practically feel the reprimanding looks from his family whenever his thoughts drifted to the possibility of checking that dungeon out. More importantly, the area appeared to be bordering contested territory between the Free Factions Union and the Lich Kingdoms.

    Terry was still trying to estimate the overall earnings from all his different jobs and how long it would take him to scrape together the fee for passing through the portal when he was jolted from his thoughts by the familiar ranting of an old woman on the market plaza.

    ¡°Look what this country has come to!¡± Tamsin gestured over the gathered crowds. ¡°Flooded with people that neither respect nor care about our history and traditions! This chaos would not have happened under our king!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry tried to sidestep the old grouch but unexpectedly found her in front of him with a wagging finger.

    ¡°Do not roll your eyes at me!¡± Tamsin chided him. ¡°How dare you barge into our homes and show disrespect! You are exactly what I¡¯m talking about¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through,¡± muttered Terry. He was slightly taken aback at being directly addressed. He tried to sidestep the agitated monarchist, only to find her step into his path again.

    ¡°And poisoning the minds of the locals while you¡¯re here, right?¡± Tamsin wagged her finger accusingly. ¡°Just like the fools that poisoned the mind of the queen with their hogwash ideas! Hundreds of years of history and look what we¡¯ve come to!¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Terry started to step to the side again.

    ¡°Do you even know the name of the queen?!¡± demanded Tamsin.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry stopped at the question. He had read a bit about the history of the kingdom but only insofar as it related to his own security and path forward. He tended to skim names and exact dates because it did not really matter to him as far as he could see.

    ¡°Typical!¡± exclaimed Tamsin smugly. She raised her voice some more and gestured at Terry. ¡°Coming here while knowing nothing! Not the slightest thing about the country they step foot in!¡±

    Terry was getting irritated by the continued pestering. ¡°Look Lady, I¡¯ve been here barely more than a week. There are indeed many things on my list to learn here. Like the local flora and fauna ¨C which plants I might eat and which beasts might try to eat me. Which merchants are fair and which smiths are reliable. Or any other thing that actually matters while I¡¯m here. As far as I¡¯m concerned, the name of some exiled noble or politician ranks lower than finding a place that sells pastries that don¡¯t all taste like marzipan.¡±

    ¡°Ignoramus!¡± Tamsin¡¯s head was getting red. ¡°Coming here without¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough for today!¡± Terry decided to step around the grouch and use a direction she was unlikely to follow to block his path again. He stepped above her on layers of translucent golden mana and refused to come down again until he had reached a safe distance from pestering loudmouths.

    ***

 187 Antagonistic Attitude

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 19 ¨C

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    Terry was returning to the inner city districts when a pair of city guards approached him. A dwarven man and a human woman. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes?¡±

    The human guard spoke up in an accusing tone: ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Careful, we don¡¯t want to make a scene,¡± reminded the dwarven guard. ¡°There was a dead body discovered this morning. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about that, would you?¡±

    ¡°Why would I know anything about that?¡± retorted Terry. If he had been a few years younger or if this had been Arcana, then he would have reported what happened in the nightly alleys himself. However, his more recent experiences with city guards from Thanatos, the grandsons of enforcers in martialist sects, and imperial censors in Tiv had made him somewhat wary.

    Terry also thought that something was off. His eyes swiveled around and there were plenty of people passing by, who were not being stopped by guards. He briefly considered if the guards only focused on outsiders, but there appeared to be plenty of people emerging from the refugee camps left unbothered too.

    Why single me out? Not like people around here know me. Even if they did, not like I used any of my signature weapons. Punching hard is hardly a unique form of attack.

    He narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

    The guy whom that group beat up would hardly be the one to inform on me. That leaves the group around that street robber in a suit.

    Fortunately for Terry, his irritated scowl completely overshadowed whatever other expression his honest face might betray in this situation.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The dwarven man looked at his partner.

    Oh? I guess she is the source? Terry moved his glare to focus on the human guard.

    ¡°He knows something.¡± The woman snarled at Terry. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay civil here.¡± The dwarven man interjected. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to figure out what happened.¡±

    That¡¯s one possibility.

    Terry clicked his tongue and glanced at the woman.

    I don''t know what would be worse. That human guard working with that criminal in a suit or them pestering me because of¡­ what exactly?

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to come with us to the station,¡± said the dwarf.

    Terry frowned and glanced at the large clock tower that was part of the city¡¯s palace. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to work¡­¡± Although thanks to the buffer time he had left for himself in the dungeon, time that he had not needed in the end, he still had about slightly more than an hour before his shift as Flower Protector started.

    ¡°You just came out of the dungeon.¡± The female guard pointed out.

    How did they know? Plenty of other things outside the city.

    ¡°Yes, and now I¡¯m on my way to my next job,¡± said Terry testily. ¡°Are we done here?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not done!¡± barked the human guard. ¡°You have to come with us for questioning.¡±

    Terry was still trying to make up his mind while glancing at the clock tower when the human guard threatened: ¡°We can take you by force if you resist!¡±

    Terry did not lift his eyes from the clock while muttering off-handedly: ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you can.¡± The words had slipped his mouth involuntarily and he frowned at himself.

    Too much time around martialists in the folded space. The escape from Thanatos was exhausting but I should really get used to better control my tongue again.

    There was a moment of tension before the dwarven guard spoke up again. ¡°We just want to make sure that people here are safe and¡ª¡±

    ¡°If that is true, I suggest the city guards start working at night and perhaps increase the numbers in the troublesome districts,¡± interrupted Terry and he could not hide the snark in his tone. It appeared completely ridiculous to him that this was not already the case.

    ¡°Don¡¯t we have a right to sleep as well?!¡± The human guard snapped. ¡°How hard is it to just stay inside when the guards aren¡¯t out? To stay away from the dangerous areas? Why does everyone feel entitled to act like fools and then demand that we bail them out? Why are our lives worth less? Why do we have to¡ª¡±

    ¡°The City Guard Cooperative is spread thin as it is and we cannot cover all districts sufficiently,¡± interjected the dwarven guard. ¡°As such it is better to abandon a few known areas that are easily avoided and then focus our attention on the remaining districts.¡±

    Terry was slightly taken aback by the outburst of the human guard. It reminded him of the first city guard he had seen bickering with the refugees near the dimensional portal.

    ¡°How did you know the victim was killed at night and in a troublesome district?¡± asked the human guard after a pause that allowed her to calm down. Her tone carried a barely hidden accusation.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even noon,¡± replied Terry calmly. He was not worried about his honest face showing any guilt because he was not feeling any. ¡°What is more likely? That someone was killed during a guard-free night in a crime-ridden area? Or that it happened during breakfast hours in the coffeehouse and food vendor streets with all their passersby and near the banks with all their private guards?¡±

    He glanced at a large clock tower near the palace. ¡°Speaking of noon, I don¡¯t want to be late for my job.¡± He eyed both of the guards.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± said the dwarf in an appeasing tone. ¡°We would be happy for any assistance.¡±

    ¡°You have an hour,¡± stressed Terry and he followed the two to the guard house. Before they arrived, he had already scouted the building and the people inside with mana touch.

    The dwarf took the lead. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Inside, they walked two floors up and approached what looked like a reception desk. Another guard took over. It was an elven man with dark hair greased back. ¡°Name and occupation.¡±

    ¡°Terry. I take missions from the Guild.¡± Terry looked around.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The elven guard noted down the information as well as the current time. ¡°You can wait there.¡± He pointed down a hallway towards a small room that contained a table, three chairs and barely anything else.

    While walking down the hallway, Terry briefly glanced out one of the windows to confirm the time on the clocktower. He sat down on one side of the table and both guards sat opposite him. He did not fail to notice the slight smirk on the woman¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Now, we just want to figure out what happened, son.¡± The dwarven guard began.

    Terry forced himself to take a measured breath before replying. ¡°If you want my advice on how to go about that, then perhaps you should start by figuring out what the victim was doing when they died.¡± Like robbing people and picking stupid fights. He was careful to not mention any details himself.

    ¡°We¡¯re not asking for advice, you piece of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Civil.¡± The dwarven man grunted at his partner. He looked at Terry. ¡°Where were you last night?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± retorted Terry.

    ¡°We are asking the questions,¡± barked the human guard. ¡°What were you doing last night?¡±

    Terry moved his eyes from the human to the dwarven guard that had seemed more reasonable so far. The line of questioning was hardly neutral and he wanted to see the reaction from the second interrogator. Eventually, he asked. ¡°Why am I here?¡±

    ¡°You know exactly why you are here,¡± snarled the human guard.

    ¡°No.¡± The dwarven guard raised a hand to stop his partner. ¡°Perhaps we should first sort the rest out.¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°We¡¯ll be right back.¡± Both he and the woman left the room.

    Afterwards, Terry heard a click from the door. A short touch of mana later and he knew that it had been locked.

    He did not particularly care.

    He took out a mechanical clock from his dimensional storage to keep track of time and then began practicing with the divine hammer inscription and his smaller disruption fields while fiddling with a fresh notebook for sketching quasiperiodical tiling patterns for shielding mana.

    Terry rolled his eyes when the minutes ticked by without the guards returning. He could feel their presence just like he could feel the thirty other guards currently in the building and the building¡¯s layout itself. He was aware that they were not really doing anything and just left him waiting for nothing. He had read about interrogation tricks like those in the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries.

    As time flew by, all of Terry¡¯s goodwill towards the guards and their proclaimed interest in the truth went out the window.

    Screw this¡­

    He hated mind games even more than he hated being locked up.

    When nearly an hour was up without any sign of them returning, Terry decided to bail. He quickly shaped a small metal ingot to match the keyhole he could feel with mana touch. He waited until the attention of the elf outside was somewhere else. Then, he unlocked the door, walked up to the window, and left on layers of translucent golden mana.

    Well, this was a waste of everyone¡¯s time. Stupid mind games.

    Terry shrugged inwardly and left for the Flower House.

    ***

    Terry sat cross-legged in the reception hall of the Flower House. The name was somewhat of a misnomer in his opinion, because most guests appeared to arrive through one of the underground entrances for whatever reason.

    Terry did not really care why some people appeared more concerned about hiding their visits than others. He only concerned himself with anything that required him to step in. Beyond that, he was here to train while earning money.

    He caught a ball that had bounced through the air. It was one of his rubber balls.

    ¡°Again!¡± A boy of around twelve years shouted excitedly.

    ¡°Shh, do not disturb the guests upstairs,¡± chided Lavender. The elven woman with high cheekbones was sitting in a comfortable chair close to Terry while munching on an assortment of sweets. ¡°Where did you get this one?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Small stand by the docks,¡± replied Terry. ¡°They make it fresh every day but only in a limited  quantity. You have to be early to get some.¡± By now, he knew that Lavender was nearly as much of a late riser as Iris. He judged the chances of her getting up earlier to buy chocolate as close to zero, no matter how much she liked it. ¡°I¡¯ll get more when I have the chance.¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Lavender nodded with satisfaction and then moved a closed bar of chocolate on the table. ¡°You should try this one. It¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±

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    Terry smiled widely but his smile cramped up as soon as he recognized the package. After being deprived of sweets for so long, he had happily roamed the different local shops. The chocolate that Lavender had offered so casually was rumored to be delicious, but it was also expensive to an offensively exaggerated degree. ¡°You sure¡­?¡±

    Lavender just nodded and pushed the chocolate further into Terry¡¯s direction.

    Don¡¯t mind if I do.

    Terry happily broke off a piece for himself. He was unable to justify the cost given his current savings goal, but if a fellow sweet tooth was offering, he would be a fool to refuse.

    Oh mana, this is absolutely delicious!

    He even closed his eyes to focus on the blissful taste.

    If only I could get one to bring with me to Arcana to share¡­

    He opened his eyes and glanced at Lavender. The expensive sweets and drinks. The different tailored outfits. The jewelry. This elven woman was the first person Terry had met that ran through money even quicker than his brother Jorg.

    Thinking of his brother that had miraculously managed to always end up broke ¨C no matter how many missions they had taken together ¨C Terry felt reluctant to take another piece. Lavender¡¯s lavish lifestyle was her own choice and it appeared she was able to afford it, but perhaps he should not feed the fire that burned her money?

    ¡°Again, Terry! Again!¡± The excited boy jolted him from his thoughts.

    ¡°Shh!¡± Lavender shushed the boy.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Calm down, Brandon.¡± Terry wagged a finger. ¡°You have to learn to stay calm if you really want to work as a mana user.¡±

    Terry mostly interacted with the same few people in the Flower House, but he had learned that there were many more living and working in the building. Ignoring the specific services they offered, the Flower Cooperative appeared similar to the Guardians in that they all volunteered a part of their earnings in order to pay for the retirement of those too old to work, everyone¡¯s medical needs, or even for raising a child after his mother had died while giving birth. The boy in front of him was such an orphan.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Brandon nodded with a solemn expression. He barely managed to hold it for three seconds before pleading: ¡°Again though¡­¡±

    Terry could not help but grin. He liked the kid. ¡°Alright.¡± He hurled the rubber ball strongly forward. The ball collided with a sequence of angled layers of divine mana that fleetingly appeared in its path and redirected the ball according to Terry¡¯s wishes until it landed back in his hand. In case the ball did not quite fly as he planned, he could always fall back to transfixing it or adjusting the path with his bidirectional attraction glove.

    What was an entertaining show for the boy and elven sweet tooth, was actually proper training for Terry. The primary purpose was to get used to quickly setting up the right angles to direct the ball where he wanted it to be. The secondary goal was to correctly judge the minimum mana required in the divine barriers. Each collision stole some of the ball¡¯s momentum which meant that later barriers required less sturdiness and therefore less mana.

    He had used his divine hammer inscription to adjust the path of his king spear or deflect incoming attacks, but it had occurred to him that he had missed one other application because he usually used solid throwing weapons ¨C or pebbles ¨C instead of bouncy ones.

    Terry had not planned for the exercise, but while rummaging through his storage items, he had spotted the rubber ball and a bout of nostalgia had infected him. When his aunt Sigille had brought him to the Libra Outpost in Tiv, he had bounced it from the floor and walls to practice ambidextrous spell casting. As soon as he had started doing it, the idea of using the divine hammer inscription instead of the walls and floor had entered his mind.

    When I get the angles and minimum mana right, I can combine it with my practice for adding momentum to the divine hammer¡­

    After half an hour, Lavender left for work.

    Terry had learned that the employees in the Flower House were free to choose ¨C or reject ¨C their own clients as well as to set their own hours. The few he interacted with more frequently all had different preferences for break times and hobbies.

    Terry could see that Brandon was beginning to lose some of his interest in the ball exercise as soon as the elf had departed. Terry knew that the boy was waiting for something.

    ¡°Story time!!!¡± An exceedingly cheerful voice arrived in the reception hall. Shortly behind the voice, Daisy followed with a hand held up high and another behind her back with her fingers grasping a book.

    Terry smiled at the innocent joy in both the woman and the boy. He knew that the city didn¡¯t really have any bookshops and that the libraries only allowed people to borrow books for a day, which meant that a bookworm like Daisy had to return there every morning. He thought it was kind of her to schedule a break to read stories together with the boy.

    Like in the past days, Terry switched his exercise to a quieter one as soon as story time arrived. He retrieved his notebooks and began experimenting with his divine hammer inscription while making sure to not hit anything. He started with smaller layers of divine mana and then tried to determine the ratio of invested mana to summoned momentum depending on the layers¡¯ sizes.

    Since Daisy was reading heroic stories aimed at younger people, it was easy for Terry to follow the story even while scribbling away in his notebook. He found story time calming. It was somewhat nostalgic and reminded him of his own obsession with a particular children¡¯s novel when growing up.

    Terry was curious which book Daisy had chosen for today since they had finished a book yesterday. From the way that Brandon was shifting around in his seat, he could tell that the boy was brimming with anticipation as well.

    Daisy leaned forward and drawled: ¡°And today¡ª¡±

    ¡°Terry! Come out and surrender yourself to the guard!¡± A shout from outside interrupted the big book reveal.

    Terry clicked his tongue and returned his notebook to his storage. He had detected a few familiar mana signatures but had hoped they would pass like the few times earlier.

    I guess they inquired at the Guild about my whereabouts.

    ¡°Excuse me for a second,¡± said Terry and stood up to leave.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± muttered Daisy with wide eyes. She and Brandon followed behind Terry.

    Terry walked calmly to the entrance. He was not concerned about the city guards themselves. There were about a dozen but he considered none of them a significant threat. Much like other opponents he had encountered in the past.

    Nothing he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from.

    No, his concern was not with his safety but with his employment. He didn¡¯t want to escape. He hoped that this disturbance would not affect his income and impede his return to Arcana.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± barked Terry with irritation.

    ¡°What do we¡ª You piece of shit escaped and fled the station!¡± A familiar human woman in guard uniform returned his irritated attitude.

    ¡°¡®Escaped and fled¡¯?¡± Terry could not help but smirk slightly. Those words sounded rather grandiose for what had happened. Those words were more appropriate for what he had done in Thanatos. They hardly seemed fitting for his stroll out of the city guard station earlier that day.

    ¡°Innocent people don¡¯t flee the station.¡± The dwarven guard¡¯s face was flushed from anger.

    Terry tilted his head. I wonder if the earlier act of kindness and professionalism from that one was just another mind game. Or did I just upset him in another way?

    Terry didn¡¯t like the way the dwarf had phrased it. As if he had been arrested instead of voluntarily accompanying them to the station. As if he had not clearly stated that he had a job to be at. As if it had not been them that decided to waste everyone¡¯s time.

    ¡°I told you I had to work,¡± stressed Terry firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t be neglecting my work to help with yours. That goodwill has been left behind in that interrogation cell of yours.¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t submitted to a full questioning!¡± exclaimed the human guard.

    And at this point, I don¡¯t intend to. Terry glowered at the city guard. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for nearly an hour in that stinky room while there were at least thirty guards twiddling their thumbs in the building the whole time.¡±

    The dwarven guard¡¯s expression darkened at the accurate number assessment.

    An hour in which I might have checked out new Guild missions to earn money to get out of this city.

    Terry held the gaze of the guard. ¡°After that I assumed you didn¡¯t care or were satisfied with my initial report, so I left.¡±

    ¡°You broke out of your cell!¡±

    With his temper rising, Terry decided that if they played him for a fool, then he might as well return the attitude. ¡°The door wasn¡¯t locked when I left.¡± ¡­because I unlocked it. Of course, he left that last part unsaid and he was unable to suppress a slight smirk. He loved his mana touch and Shape Metal imprints.

    ¡°We did not leave the cell unlocked!¡± protested one of the guards. ¡°How did you even get out?¡±

    ¡°By walking.¡± ¡­through the first window. Terry shrugged and let his growing irritation get the best of him. He was still pissed that they had wasted his time. ¡°For people claiming to work as guards, those present appeared very bad at it. Someone should deduct their pay.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± barked the dwarven guard. His face had returned to a calmer shade of color. ¡°Did you have anything to do with the murder last night?¡±

    ¡°Did you figure out what the victim was doing?¡± retorted Terry snappily.

    ¡°Yes or no!¡± barked the human guard. ¡°That was a yes or no question!¡±

    ¡°Then tell him to rephrase the question, because I don¡¯t have a yes or no answer,¡± hissed Terry.

    ¡°Murder is murder!¡± interjected another one of the guards. ¡°The victim¡¯s actions are irrelevant.¡±

    Terry involuntarily scoffed. That was hardly his experience in the world of beasts. Victim or villain was largely a matter of perspective. He believed himself to play the villain in many a story among the martial sects, among people in Thanatos, and among people in Tiv.

    The villain that had hunted down many martialists in the folded space.

    The villain that had caused chaos and death in the Proving City.

    The villain that had helped kill a Bright.

    Terry did not see himself as a villain, but he also refused to be turned into a victim. His past experiences had shown him clearly that a person could be both victim and perpetrator depending on which part of a story you tell or emphasize.

    The ¡®victim¡¯ the guards were concerned with had joined in an assault and robbery on another person.

    The ¡®victim¡¯ had attacked Terry with a deadly weapon.

    ¡°Are we done?¡± asked Terry while looking at the city guards as if they were pebbles on the road.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not done, you piece of shit!¡±

    The dwarven man just sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t we get this over with in a remotely civil manner?¡±

    ¡°Civil?¡± A stern and incredulous shout reverberated through the area. Jasmine had arrived from inside and stepped next to Terry. The middle-aged woman pointedly pulled her gloves from her hands while glowering at the dwarven guard. ¡°Arriving here with thirteen guards to make a ruckus and harass our Flower Protector and disturb both our guests and our employees, is that what you call civil, Edmund?¡±

    ¡°Jasmine, I understand that we are disturbing business, but we have a few questions to ask of Terry, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Which you damn well know he is not obligated to answer.¡± Jasmine interrupted bitingly. ¡°Or have you forgotten to inform the non-locals of their rights again?¡± She sent a meaningful glance to Terry and then returned her attention back to the city guards while shouting loudly. ¡°No law in the Freedom Cooperative demands that anyone answer questions of the city guard.¡±

    ¡°Jasmine, please, we just want to know what¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please, nothing,¡± snapped Jasmine. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the earlier exchange. If there is anything you want to ask of our Flower Protector, you can try and convince a judge to issue a summons. Unless there is anything else, you will remove yourselves from our premises or I will personally contact your superiors to file a complaint.¡±

    ¡°A foreigner and murder suspect!¡± The human woman from the guards gestured at Terry. ¡°Is that really the kind of person you want to employ as a protector in your establishment?¡±

    ¡°Respectful, resourceful, and evidently unafraid of facing all of you, even in public?¡± Jasmine smirked and gestured towards a few spectators that had already gathered. ¡°Not to forget perfectly punctual! Damn right, he is who I want to employ as our protector.¡± She narrowed her eyes at the human guard. ¡°And don¡¯t pretend to be as daft as you are about the death you¡¯re investigating.¡± She pointed with her finger. ¡°Leave!¡±

    While the guards were still displaying an unwillingness to leave it at that, another voice arrived. ¡°What is going on here?¡± A man with a fancy hat and rapier stepped onto the scene. A frown was lingering between his mustache and goatee. ¡°Guards, speak!¡±

    Some of the guards immediately grumbled or glowered at the man. ¡°Sir Alexander, we¡­¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow at the familiar man. He had never really interacted with him, but it was a regular visitor in Daisy¡¯s room in the Flower House. In fact, Alexander had been with her just before story time. When the commotion with the guards started, the man had left through one of the hidden entrances, only to now appear from another corner.

    Terry didn¡¯t know what to make of the strange secretiveness, but he was curious at how this would play out. The city guards appeared a lot more subdued when facing the politician from the Knights of Labor faction in the Freedom Cooperative¡¯s government.

    Alexander heard the guards out and then asked pointedly. ¡°How many incidents were there in that district over the past two weeks?¡± He did not wait for an answer and instead continued. ¡°Even during the day? Did you already solve all of them? Didn¡¯t you complain to me about a lack of manpower and resources?

    ¡°Now, you are here wasting thirteen guards on what, exactly?¡± Alexander stepped closer to the dwarven guard. ¡°I expect you to stop this nonsense.¡± He glanced at the human woman among the guards. ¡°Otherwise, I might have to wonder why this case in particular has invited so much of your attention.¡± He returned his gaze to the dwarf. ¡°Thirteen. Thirteen guards. I¡¯m looking forward to your report next week. I¡¯m very curious how you are going to justify this.¡±

    The dwarven guard grunted gruffly and then led the other guards away silently.

    As soon as Alexander felt himself freed from the gazes of guards and spectators, he secretly winked at Daisy and the young woman blushed in turn.

    Afterwards, Alexander looked sternly at Terry. ¡°We are trying to sort out the chaos. We would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t add more to it. Our laws need to be upheld.¡±

    ¡°Someone should tell the guards,¡± quipped Jasmine with a mirthless smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on them,¡± pleaded Alexander. ¡°Harsh budget constraints and antagonistic civilians don¡¯t help the situation.¡±

    Terry wondered if he was included among the supposedly antagonistic civilians or if it was a more general statement about situations like the one with the refugees and the dimensional portal. He did not care enough to ask for elaboration.

    Alexander exchanged a few more polite pleasantries before lowering his head as a farewell and taking his leave.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± A young boy was staring with wide eyes at Terry. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this? How did you escape the station? You should tell some stories!¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. He was not sure how to deal with the boy here. It was one thing for himself to defy the city guards. He was capable of doing so. More importantly, he was just passing through. Two points that did not at all apply to the boy in front of him. ¡°Maybe I will, but perhaps not this one.¡± He looked to Daisy for help. ¡°And we already have a story for today, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Daisy blushed slightly when finding Terry¡¯s gaze on herself and then nodded. ¡°Y-yes, yes we do. It¡¯s one of my favorites from when I was a young teenager.¡± She presented the book.

    Terry blinked and subconsciously erupted with a wistful smile when recognizing the children¡¯s novel.

    Daisy showed off the library book to Brandon and announced: ¡°It¡¯s called Path of a Mage: Legend of the Veilbinder.¡±

    ***

 188 Therapeutic Pummeling

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 31 ¨C

    Early in the morning, Terry had already finished most of his daily routine jobs and was on his way to a more lucrative mission: His goal for the day was to dive the local dungeon two floors deeper than before. His initial dive into this dungeon had given him a rough estimate of the time he needed and today, he would move slightly faster.

    A part of Terry told him that he would be able to clear the dungeon if he wanted to, but he refused to yield to that side of himself and to risk being late for his regular job as a Flower Protector. Even if dungeon work was more lucrative hourly, the other job simply had more hours and even allowed him to train while getting paid.

    Terry had chosen his target as a compromise. The cautious approach would be to only dive one floor deeper with each dive, but there was something on that particular floor that he wanted to test himself against.

    While walking through one of the city gates, Terry glowered at the display of paper posters glued to the gate¡¯s wall. The poster showed a picture of the dead man from the group of street robbers. For some reason, the locals had a custom of plastering obituaries for every deceased on some of the walls inside the city.

    Terry was taken aback by the very idea of shoving people¡¯s deaths into the face of passersby, but he had also seen many locals seeking out the walls to learn about who had died. He just chalked it up to a difference in culture. Nevertheless, he could not help but think back to all the rants about chaos after the coup. He wondered if the frequent reminders of all recent deaths was detrimental or helpful to deal with the perception of the situation.

    Terry refused to stop and he honestly did not care to read about who was missing the particular individual that had caught his attention. Even if he was to learn that the man had a different side to himself besides roaming the streets at night as a thug, nothing would change. Dead was dead. Nothing anyone could do about it.

    The poster still managed to sour Terry¡¯s mood and he was looking forward to venting in the dungeon.

    ***

    Terry smiled at the roped rings in his hands. It had been a while since he had used them, but he would never forget the usefulness of some good old-fashioned rope attached to immovable objects. He secured them in the tunnel in case he needed to retreat, but of course that was not his actual plan.

    There was a reason Terry had chosen this floor as his goal. There was a reason why he refused to utilize the roped ring unless he really had to.

    Today, Terry wanted to see how far he had come since the first time he had to truly put his life on the line.

    Perhaps it was silly. He knew perfectly well that he had faced worse since then. However, he also knew that a part of him needed this. If only to persuade himself that the nightmares that currently haunted him would also fade away eventually.

    Today, Terry planned to conquer his past and to prove to himself that nightmares were nothing more than future stepping stones. As soon as he stepped over the room¡¯s threshold, the first inscribed earth giant rushed at him only to slap his four palms at nothing but air.

    Terry cycled his burst technique calmly and observed the dungeon construct as well as the two identical constructs further back. There were a few other mana cores in the room but aside from the three inscribed earth giant constructs, there was nothing he really had to worry about.

    A spike creeper was only a threat if you did not see it coming and these weaker constructs would not survive long when trapped with a disruption field around their core.

    Terry made sure to keep track of two earth giants with his mana detection field while fixing his gaze on the one that had dashed to greet him.

    Seems so much slower now than it appeared back then¡­

    Terry allowed himself a smile. He knew that it was not the dungeon construct being slower than the one he had faced with his whaka in Alrik¡¯s secret dungeon. The dungeon construct template was the same.

    It had not changed.

    Terry had.

    He casually flung an octavum throwing needle from his leg strap behind himself without moving his eyes. He had reduced the activation delay by relying on an impromptu imbalanced aspecting before casting his spell. The throwing needle transfixed perfectly where he wanted it.

    The charge of the second earth giant came to an abrupt stop when the hidden plate that protected its core collided with the immovable needle. The giant tumbled and fell from the violent impact.

    First time I saw one of those trip and fall¡­

    Thanks to his mana touch, Terry knew exactly where the protective plates were located for each of the three inscribed earth giants. He would not have his immovable obstacles simply pass through the earth layers unless he wanted to.

    Terry retrieved a throwing needle from his storage to replace the one still hanging in the air. He did not get a chance to sheath it at his leg strap because the last of the inscribed giants chose this moment to dash forward.

    Before the inscribed construct could make it far, Terry had already hurled another perfectly timed throwing needle right in front of a protective plate. That was when he received his first surprise.

    Without stopping its violent charge, the giant suddenly unleashed a spherical disruption discharge.

    For a brief moment, Terry believed he had to adjust but his doubts in his needle¡¯s mana shielding were blown away by the sound of an impact and the sight of another fallen earth giant.

    With the assurance that he could hold off two inscribed giants if he wanted, Terry returned his attention to the first construct that had greeted him in this room. During the construct¡¯s next charge, Terry decided against dodging.

    When the first of the powerful punches was about to arrive, Terry lifted his bracer and let the fist collide with immovable metal.

    When the second fist arrived from the other side, another immovable bracer blocked it.

    The two remaining fists of the four-armed construct rained down from above and Terry looked up to see the translucent golden layers of divine mana manifest and block for him.

    He nodded to himself with satisfaction when his divine barriers remained unbroken.

    Terry pulled the king spear from his back and thrust it perfectly through a gap in the construct¡¯s protective plating. With the slightest flicker of lightning, the construct¡¯s core was pierced and the earthen giant collapsed to turn into powder.

    Terry returned the king spear to his back. He opened his hand and retrieved the damaged mana core. Behind him, two barriers of divine mana had appeared to trap the two earth giants.

    He waited for the inscribed constructs to use their disruption discharges in order to learn how his divine barriers would hold up against them. Satisfied at seeing his barriers unbroken once again, he chose to release one of the two earth giants to face it personally.

    Judging by the mana density in the cores of the inscribed earth giants, Terry did not believe his compressed disruption fields would be enough to cut through the core¡¯s connection with the host. By now, he had a good grasp of when the small disruption vortices were sufficient and when they weren¡¯t.

    He had already damaged one of the cores and with the assurance that he could quickly finish the inscribed giants off if he had to, he was reluctant to damage another of the valuable resources.

    Terry dashed towards the giant. He nimbly dodged the flurry of fists while darting upwards in the air. He arrived in front of the giant¡¯s chest while divine mana appeared to trap the construct¡¯s arms. His keen daggers danced with glowing mana blades to carve a hole into the neck of hardened earth. Before the construct had a chance to close the gap with the help of its inscriptions, Terry thrust his hand into the hole, braced his feet against immovable metal in his boots and ripped the core out with an accentuated burst of mana.

    Terry beheld the unblemished mana core in its hand while the earth fell down. When he heard the impact of metal on the floor, he jolted from his thoughts. He collected the inscription base metal that had constituted the construct¡¯s protective plating.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Once again, he nodded at himself. Now he had confirmed that he could quickly take out an inscribed earth giant without damaging the core.

    Now there was only one thing left.

    Terry punched a fist into his palm while eying the last of the inscribed earth giant constructs. It was hard to tell if this was really a worthwhile test or if it was just him using a pretense to vent his pent up frustrations.

    He wouldn¡¯t know.

    He didn¡¯t care.

    Terry greeted the furious charge with a dash of his own towards the construct¡¯s chest. With a burst-accentuated double stomp, he kicked the giant back successfully. He himself landed near the room¡¯s entrance, having flown further than the heavy construct.

    After a tentative nod to himself, Terry dashed forward once more. This time, he burst his mana during the run-up in addition to the accentuated stomp.

    When he landed, he noted that his own position was not as disproportionately pushed away as before. He had already known that speed could make up for the difference in weight, but naturally the available space limited his maximum velocity before impact.

    The true purpose of this experiment was to see if his body managed to hold up. He had subjected himself to a number of unpleasant and risky experiments in order to improve his physique.

    Subsequently, he had fought mostly to preserve his life which meant avoiding unnecessary risks.

    He had fought against opponents like Vicious whose fluid body meant that physique mattered little.

    He had fought while being forced to preserve an active spatial lock, which meant refraining from unrestricted bursts.

    Not today.

    Today he would push himself.

    Terry met the construct¡¯s charge with another stomp. This time, he transfixed his back plate at the peak of his double stomp that allowed him to follow through further than before and for the first time, he saw the inscribed earth giant being pushed all the way to the back of the room.

    Terry glared at the dungeon construct.

    Scenes of the past were flashing in front of his mind.

    Gellath being dragged over the ledge of their barricade. His inability to prevent the dwarf from being captured as a hostage.

    The despair in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    The screams when Gellath was being tormented by the visions induced by grievance toads.

    The morning he woke up in another dungeon without any idea about the fate of his friends.

    Terry fiercely charged and met the flurry of inscribed fists with his own burst-accentuated punches. He could feel the hardened earth give way to his punches and it felt¡­ cathartic.

    He knew it was pointless. The construct could recover its shape for as long as mana remained in its core to activate its inscriptions.

    He didn¡¯t care.

    He continued pummeling the dungeon construct with increasing ferocity.

    At some point during his self-prescribed physical therapy session, Terry involuntarily thought that those inscribed constructs were great sparring partners.

    They were powerful but not too powerful. He could face them head on but he still could not afford to be reckless. Their advantage in limbs meant he had to push his speed and stay attentive. Most importantly, Terry could let loose like never before.

    Not even his all-out spars against his aunt Sigille had felt as unrestrained. Of course, causing an injury to the Divine Hammer had been a needless worry for his past self, but it still felt different.

    The construct was not a person to worry about. The construct did not need a healer. The construct was just an indefatigable training dummy that recovered on its own. With the slight difference that this training dummy would not hold back either.

    I should come back here and use the next chance against more than one.

    Terry was not too worried about accidentally injuring himself. He had a quick way to deal with the constructs if the need arose. However, limiting himself to not touch the cores could represent a good training exercise.

    Then I should better use one of my free days. This takes¡ª

    Terry was jolted from his thoughts when the remaining earth giant suddenly stopped. He warily observed a previously inactive inscription flare up on the construct and it connected with a barely perceptible inscription in the dungeon floor.

    Terry could sense something resembling the shape of four weapons being moved through the earth below while the light in the room dimmed.

    When a deep bell sound resonated, Terry dashed and thrust his king spear forward to pierce the construct¡¯s core before whatever it was trying to do finished. He successfully interrupted the set up and collected the damaged core with a sigh.

    And here I planned to get two undamaged cores¡­ But I¡¯m not going to deal with a dungeon challenge today. Next time with more time to spare maybe.

    Terry wondered about the exact trigger for the challenge. He hoped that it was a repeatable trigger and that the reward was worth it.

    Otherwise, too bad.

    Perhaps it was a loss of resources, but Terry could not deny it felt good to be in control. He felt a degree of satisfaction from defying the dungeon in such a manner. He had been forced into his first dungeon challenge. Now, he had the option to refuse. He had the power to face a challenge at that level on his own terms.

    ***

    Terry exited the dungeon and immediately turned to the people waiting outside. It was the first time he actually saw someone here. Even though the dungeon work was popular, it was strictly regulated based on a quota with no worries of someone else attempting to take your spot once it had been allocated for you.

    Terry always chose the first available spot. The early hours appeared unpopular and he couldn¡¯t tell why. Having access to the first delve of the day meant an increased likelihood to discover additional resources. At the very least a dungeon might not have completely refilled a room that had recently been passed by someone else. There was no risk of something like that eating into your income when being first.

    Naturally, most delvers saw it differently. Less creatures to deal with also meant less risks as well as less time getting down to the lower floors where more valuable resources were waiting.

    Most of Terry¡¯s competition also felt less nonchalant about skipping sleep and facing the dungeon at hours when even the sun still refused to come out.

    Additionally, the night was a lawless time when the guards were not patrolling and not every dungeon delver was unfazed by potential fights before even reaching the dungeon.

    Terry always kept track of his own time in the dungeon and was never late to leave. He had never met the subsequent dungeon divers. Therefore, he was slightly surprised to feel people waiting outside the dungeon¡¯s reservoir chamber.

    ¡°Oh hey, you must be Terry.¡± A pair of elven women with short haircuts ¨C one blonde, one brunette ¨C greeted him cheerfully.

    Must I be?

    Terry narrowed his eyes. He did not think the exact dungeon delving schedule was accessible to people outside of Guild management. The two looked harmless though. Their outfits looked as if they belonged in an office rather than in a dungeon. They were unarmored and unarmed, but Terry could feel that they were cloaking a sizable mana pool.

    Mages most likely.

    Mages were never truly unarmed.

    While Terry was still seizing them up, the brunette elf asked politely: ¡°Do you have a minute to talk?¡±

    If it¡¯s really just a minute¡­ Terry still had some wiggle room before his next job started. ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon delver, so we want to inform you how we from the Dungeon Cooperative might help you.¡± The blonde elf beamed at him.

    ¡°...if you join us,¡± added the brunette elf. ¡°We are representing nearly all workers taking dungeon work missions around here.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow but waited for them to elaborate.

    ¡°With us as representatives, you will get access to our contacts and we will take care of sales and negotiate a fair price for everything you loot from the dungeon,¡± said the blonde elf.

    Terry did not even bother trying to hide the skepticism from his face. He did not care to hide it, and he knew his honest face would show it anyway. ¡°I¡¯m doing quite well on my own so far.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve heard.¡± The brunette elf raised a finger. ¡°But can you really count on remaining that lucky? In the cooperative, we take care of people who have run out their luck until they can get back on their feet. We support each other and parts of the profits will be set aside to support you in retirement.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°¡®Retirement¡¯? Look, I think there might be a misunderstanding here. I¡¯m just passing through. I¡¯m not looking to retire in this city and¡ª¡±

    ¡°You still get sick, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Not really¡­ Terry was startled by the question. He could not remember the last time he had been sick ¨C as in physically sick. The appetizers during the Preacher¡¯s reception in Tiv had upset his stomach somewhat but beyond that? Had he ever gotten sick? He could not recall.

    ¡°And everyone has a bad run sometimes,¡± continued the elf. ¡°We can take care of making sure that everything averages out to a stable income and¡­¡±

    Terry was pretty sure a minute had already passed and he interrupted. ¡°Okay, what¡¯s the catch? Assuming I was interested in all those supposed benefits, what would I have to provide in return?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much,¡± assured the blonde elf. ¡°We have to manage everyone¡¯s assignment, which might influence your schedule and, of course, forty percent of all sale profits go to the communal chest to be managed by the cooperative.¡±

    Excuse me? Terry¡¯s eye twitched. That would nearly double the time he would need to earn the funds required to procure a ticket through the dimensional portal.

    ¡°And naturally, we¡¯ll have to inspect your storage items after every delve to take inventory,¡± added the brunette elf. ¡°We can also lend storage items if you need some. One benefit of the communal chest is that we can make sure no cooperative delver has to suffer from a lack of equipment. We make sure that everyone is as productive as they can be¡­¡±

    The renewed rattling about all benefits of the cooperative buzzed in Terry¡¯s ears while his brain was refusing to process any of it. His brain was still caught on the communal fee and the idea of submitting his storage items for inspection.

    Piss off. No way in the Wastes.

    Something on his face must have betrayed his thoughts because the elves suddenly switched speakers again. ¡°There is also the option to avoid the inspections and even the cooperative-issued assignments. You can purchase a permit. You can then show the permit during all your sales and afterwards, the cooperative will issue you a bill equivalent to sixty percent of the¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m good,¡± grunted Terry and decided to avoid the elves and their sales pitch. ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own and like I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m just passing through.¡± He noted that the eyes of the elves had turned much colder. He was prepared in case he had to fight, but nothing happened.

    ***

 189 Uncooperative

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 40 ¨C

    ¡°Come on! Do it.¡±

    Terry chuckled and shook his head.

    ¡°Do it!¡± Iris was sitting in front of him and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Do it.¡± She had her tanned hands facing each other and tapped her own fingers. ¡°Do it. Let¡¯s go get some ink!¡±

    Terry lifted his eyes from the book and stared at Iris. ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished reading yet.¡±

    ¡°You keep flipping back to the same tats again and again.¡± Iris grinned. ¡°I know you¡¯re interested. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°You do remember that I said I was wary of trying this?¡± returned Terry calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to lose my spell or cultivation.¡±

    Iris rolled her eyes. ¡°No disrespect to your aunt ¨C she sounds like she was a real badass ¨C but she didn¡¯t know what she was talking about with body inscriptions. I mean she was not completely wrong, but¡­

    ¡°Trust me!¡± Iris gestured at herself. She was wearing a loose T-shirt and hotpants, which left her arms and legs exposed to display the countless different body inscriptions. ¡°I know what I¡¯m talking about!¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes involuntarily drifted back to some of the body inscriptions the local shops offered.

    ¡°You can try the shallow skin layer inscriptions,¡± continued Iris. ¡°If it¡¯s not right, you¡¯ll feel it. With the shallow one, you don¡¯t even have to burn it off. It will fade out after a season¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡®Season¡¯?!¡± exclaimed Terry with shock.

    ¡°Ok fine, I know. You¡¯re only passing through, but like I¡¯ve said: The skin layer inscriptions can be burned off if you don¡¯t like them. It¡¯s painful, but I¡¯ve done it and the damage is nothing that a good heal doesn¡¯t fix and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay fine, let¡¯s say I would be able to try them out.¡± Terry spoke both to Iris and to himself. In a way, it was a relief that Iris had chosen to spend her time in the reception room, because talking to her appeared less weird than when he was talking to himself. ¡°Those are expensive.¡±

    ¡°And worth every copper!¡± stressed Iris with a grin. ¡°Much better than wasting time learning spells. A few sittings at the inkshop and boom done. You¡¯d have to sell your time really cheaply for anything else to come close to it.¡±

    ¡°Every power easily given is easily taken,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°I never had so much as my skin-layer inscriptions damaged,¡± retorted Iris.

    ¡°I¡¯ve once had my arm melted by a cultist channeling some lava bullshit,¡± rebutted Terry. ¡°Forget my skin, that ability destroyed both my septimum bracer, the base layer of cloud badger leather, and it damaged my inscribed glove.¡±

    Iris blinked wordlessly at Terry. ¡°Seriously? Lava?¡±

    ¡°Lava.¡± Terry replied with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ve also had my skin cooked by everything from lightning spells to fire elementals.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Iris looked disappointed.

    ¡°I can see the benefits of body inscriptions,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Believe me, I do. When I was forced to fight in Thanatos¡¯s Proving Grounds, my time would have been so much easier if I had relied on body inscriptions instead of items. I don¡¯t really see them as a replacement for spellwork, but they certainly look like an interesting alternative to magic items.¡±

    ¡°So get some! Do it!¡± Iris was grinning again. ¡°Let¡¯s get inked up! If you¡¯re worried about resilience, you can get the bone-level inscriptions. I figure if something can snap your bones, you¡¯re dead anyway.¡± She puckered her lips. ¡°Or did that happen to you too¡­?¡±

    Terry merely shrugged and his eyes drifted once more to the description of different body inscriptions.

    ¡°Are you sure you just want to pass through?¡± Iris asked with a cramped face. ¡°Your life sounds kinda rough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± replied Terry instantly. ¡°Which is honestly my main concern. These are all quite expensive and that is not even taking into account that I don¡¯t know which ¨C if any ¨C are compatible with my mana type.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Iris shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re loaded, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re always working. Even this chat is time you get paid, isn¡¯t it? What do a few large silver or small gold coins matter?¡±

    ¡°I need twenty large gold coins to pass the portal,¡± said Terry wearily. ¡°That¡¯s why it matters.¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± corrected Iris.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± repeated Iris. ¡°They¡¯ve increased the price again. One of my guests was complaining about it yesterday.¡±

    Terry immediately frowned. He had not checked the price list the past week. He was making large strides towards his goal, but it was still annoying to have someone swoop in and shift the goalpost.

    ¡°All the more important that I¡¯m frugal,¡± grumbled Terry. He was honestly itching to experiment with body inscriptions, but not at the cost of significantly delaying his return to Arcana.

    ¡°There is also the option of just getting the ink and doing your own inscription,¡± suggested Iris. ¡°I know someone doing an apprenticeship. Perhaps he can hook you up with the materials.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry considered the option. He had no real knowledge of runic inscriptions. His mana-crafting lessons had never reached that point and from what he knew, it was not something easily picked up on the side. The body inscription system might be slightly different, but he had his doubts that it would be any easier.

    But perhaps I don¡¯t have to learn the whole rune system? Since I¡¯m only looking for something with a chance of being compatible with my own mana type, the options are slim, which is kind of sad but it also narrows down the field of study significantly.

    Still, no idea if it¡¯s possible to cut the field up like that and if my options make sense without a broader foundation.

    A tentative test could be just injecting the ink type and see how it affects my casting and¡ª

    ¡°Do it!¡± Iris prodding jolted Terry from his thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s get inked!¡±

    Terry snorted and shook his head while Iris was grinning and wiggling her eyebrows again.

    ¡°Why does this seem so important to you?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Because.¡± Iris shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m bored. Lavender is always babbling about fashion nonsense or her evening business classes. Daisy is always raving about stories from people long dead, or worse, people that never even existed. Boring!¡± She leaned closer and pointed with both index fingers at Terry. ¡°If you get inked, we can talk about which inscriptions to get next!¡±

    Here comes the eyebrow wiggle again¡­

    Terry chuckled but shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. First I want to see what the Alchemical Garden will pay for the cores from my last trip to the dungeon. I believe there is something special about one of them.¡±

    ¡°Special how?¡±

    Terry opened his mouth but was not sure how to explain it.

    Special in that my weird purple vision shows it glowing more distinctly than others¡­

    He chose not to mention that particular detail. He had practiced to get more control over when the strange purple layer would render atop his regular vision and mana sight ¨C with some success. Unfortunately, he still had no idea what the purple stuff signified.

    Oh, how he longed for the libraries and advisors in Arcana City!

    ¡°I¡¯ve found another way to trigger a dungeon challenge,¡± said Terry instead. ¡°Perhaps that has something to do with it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t see anything like that from the dungeon challenges with the earth giants though. I should check in the books on dungeons that Samuel gave me¡­

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the Alchemical Garden will mention it if they notice anything,¡± said Iris and yawned. ¡°They are known to treat good suppliers well and they seem to love your guts.¡±

    Terry involuntarily grinned. He was proud of himself for having found a good network of people to sell to. In Arcana, he had relied on the Guardians and the advice of his family to identify whom to sell which core to, but here in the Freedom Cooperative, he had to figure it out on his own.

    Admittedly, it wasn¡¯t that hard if you had mana touch to scout their warehouses and knew exactly who was stocking what.

    ¡°I think one of yours has just arrived at entrance four,¡± said Terry. ¡°He¡¯s coming with someone else though.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Iris stood up and grinned. ¡°I introduced them and told them they¡¯d get a discount if we¡¯re all together.¡±

    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± Seems like losing money.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s more fun for me, of course.¡± Iris¡¯s eyebrows jumped up again.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fun for you, then why are you charging for it?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m good at it, silly.¡± Iris grinned widely. ¡°Comes with training.¡± She pointed at some of the divine mana that was flinging around Terry while he was chatting with her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand the benefits of training. The House is paying you for the results of your training. My guests are paying me for the results of mine.¡± She stood up and moved towards the back exit of the reception hall. ¡°Time for my morning exercise!¡±

    ¡°Morning?¡± Terry blinked. ¡°It¡¯s been nearly four hours since noon!¡± He snickered and shook his head before returning his full attention back to his own training. The kind of training that could help him get home. The kind of training that would hopefully allow him to protect his friends and whaka.

    After a while, Terry could hear some raised voices and he sighed. Of course, it was another martialist. Probably just recently arrived in the city too.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®not today¡¯? Do you have any idea who I am? I¡¯m¡ª Mana shitballs, it¡¯s you!¡± The incensed martialist nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw Terry glaring at him.

    Before Terry could even ask if there was any trouble, the martialist fervently bowed and sprinted towards the exit. ¡°S-sorry, merciful senior, I¡¯ll be on my way! I didn''t mean to disturb the venerable elder.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry did not know what to say. The martialist appeared to recognize him, but he did not remember the face or the specific mana signature at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s the third boastful martialist running away as soon as they see you.¡± Jasmine pointed out. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have a grudge with them?¡±

    ¡°No idea who that was.¡± Terry shrugged. His mana sense told him that the guy was still running at full speed. ¡°...weirdo.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t appreciate you cutting their egomaniac monologuing short, but try not to scare any of the well-behaved guests, will you?¡± Jasmine winked at Terry.

    ***

    Terry stood inside the Alchemical Garden shop with a furrowed brow. ¡°...why not? Is there anything wrong with the cores?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re perfect.¡± The shop owner admitted immediately. ¡°I wish all my suppliers would bring me cores in such pristine conditions.¡± The eyes of the old lady looked almost sad.

    ¡°The sign outside still says you¡¯re looking for mana cores. Is that out of date?¡± Terry pressed the issue.

    ¡°No, I really do need the cores.¡± The shop owner shook her head. ¡°I wish I could buy them, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Did you find another supplier?¡± Terry tried to come up with possible reasons for her refusal to simply buy the cores he brought.

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± The shop owner sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± said Terry. He pointed at the mana cores on the table. ¡°If these are ¡®perfect¡¯ in your words, then why wouldn¡¯t you buy them?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of quality.¡± The old lady shook her head. ¡°These would be perfect for my advanced potions, but unfortunately, most of my sales are for the lower potions and, well¡­¡± She curled her finger for Terry to come closer and then whispered. ¡°You¡¯ve pissed off the Dungeon Cooperative. Now they¡¯ve put the thumbscrews on me to only purchase from their members. You¡¯re bringing high quality cores, but if I buy from you, the cooperative won¡¯t sell to me anymore and my business depends on the quantities they can deliver.¡±

    Terry scowled. He had a feeling that the two elves outside the dungeon were bad news but he had forgotten about them after they had let him go without a fight. He clicked his tongue. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the damned quota system limiting access to the dungeon, I could bring more and¡­¡± His thoughts trailed off.

    They¡¯re behind that too, aren¡¯t they?

    Terry involuntarily growled while his expression darkened.

    ¡°What terms did they offer?¡± asked the shop lady. ¡°Twenty? Thirty?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Terry tried to remember.

    ¡°Twenty percent fee for members and thirty for the permit?¡± clarified the shop owner.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°Forty and sixty.¡±

    The shop owner whistled. ¡°They¡¯ve ramped up again. The current members really aren¡¯t going easy on the next generation. Ever since they¡¯ve started separating the membership terms based on seniority of membership, the rates for newbies keep getting higher and higher. Unfair if you ask me, but what can I say?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Nothing you or I can do about it. Only the members get to decide how to run their cooperative.¡±

    Terry rubbed his temples. He did not care to discuss the Dungeon Cooperative. He just wanted to sell his dungeon stuff. He just wanted to earn the money to leave. He did not care what they were up to or why they set up their organization in whatever manner. He just wanted to be left alone. He was just passing through.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just bring these to the Daybreak Apothecary,¡± said Terry in resignation. The place did not pay as well but what could he do?

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work, sweetie.¡± The old lady grimaced with compassion. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one dependent on the Dungeon Cooperative.¡±

    Terry felt a headache coming.

    ¡°I would not put my hopes up for selling in any of the crafter¡¯s shops if I were you,¡± said the shop keeper. She shrugged and continued: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible that one of them is willing to take the risk under the table, but¡­¡± She looked Terry up and down and nodded. ¡°You know what, you¡¯ve always been polite with me.¡± She curled her finger for Terry to come closer again and whispered: ¡°Try the trade merchants. They pay less but they also don¡¯t give a hoot about getting into a spat with the Dungeon Cooperative.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Terry grumbled on his way out. He would still give some of his other connections a try, but he already suspected that he would be forced to follow the suggestion and deal with the middle-men he had tried to avoid before.

    A short while later, Terry left one of the merchant houses. He had finally been able to sell his dungeon loot but at considerably lower prices compared to his previous shop network. The reduced profit was still vastly preferable to the fees when dealing with the Dungeon Cooperative, but it still hurt to compare his current earnings potential to just a week ago.

    Definitely not trying body ink anytime soon¡­

    First the price hike for the dimensional portal he wanted to use and now the hassle of haggling with merchants.

    Fortunately, his other jobs weren¡¯t impacted by the Dungeon Cooperative¡¯s embargo. He knew that overall, he was still on track to get his portal ticket, even if it would take a bit longer.

    Nevertheless, Terry felt a growing resentment towards the dungeon-restricting and membership-pushing organization.

    Why couldn¡¯t the previous ruler have a falling out with them instead of with the Guardians?

    A part of him wondered if he would feel differently about the Dungeon Cooperative if he had grown up in the city state. After all, the overall cooperative structure appeared to resemble the Guardians, except for the exploitative terms separated by seniority.

    Be that as it may, Terry could not seriously be arsed to empathize with the cooperative in his current situation. He just wanted to earn some money and leave the city. Why did they have to make things difficult for him?

    ¡°And here we have another scab!¡± A familiar raving voice entered Terry¡¯s ears. ¡°Running to the bloodsuckers instead of paying his fair dues!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terry groaned under his breath. He knew the old bat was close but he had hoped she would pick someone else to pester today.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here!¡± Tamsin pointed an accusatory finger at Terry. ¡°Leaning on parasites that leech off the rest of our country! Why would you come here if not to dodge the other cooperatives?!¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± retorted Terry irritatedly. He was half-mad at himself for always getting sucked into these conversations. He preferred the lunatics that immediately attacked him. At least, then he was justified in punching them until they shut up and left him alone.

    I really need to stop engaging just because someone is talking to me¡­

    ¡°¡®So what¡¯?! The arrogance! The selfishness!¡± Tamsin¡¯s face flushed from anger. ¡°Working in cooperatives is a must for every honorable soul! Subverting the cooperatives is a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± interrupted Terry. ¡°What makes it more ¡®honorable¡¯ than other work?¡± He was honestly curious about the answer.

    ¡°Cooperative structures are a tradition in the Bloodborne Kingdom!¡± replied Tamsin with righteous pride.

    ¡°...that¡¯s not much of a reason, is it?¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°And why are you calling this the Bloodborne Kingdom. I thought it¡¯s the Freedom Cooperative now?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± barked Tamsin with clenched fists. ¡°As long as the king is alive, I refuse to accept this nonsense and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I thought you liked cooperatives,¡± interjected Terry with a furrowed brow. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be glad that the government is now run as one too?¡±

    ¡°Running businesses as cooperatives is good sense, but running the government like this is¡­¡± Tamsin was short for breath. ¡°...pure madness!¡±

    ¡°Because?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes. When Tamsin was only glaring at him, he guessed: ¡°...tradition?¡±

    ¡°Yes, tradition,¡± hissed Tamsin. ¡°A long track record of stability and prosperity.¡±

    ¡°That sounds¡ª¡±

    ¡°Traditions are just solutions to which we have forgotten the problems!¡± Tamsin shouted Terry down. ¡°Only a fool ignores the wisdom of the past!¡±

    For a moment, Terry was at a loss for words.

    ¡®Traditions are solutions to which we have forgotten the problems?¡¯

    He found something intriguing in the perspective. It sounded somewhat right. At least, it didn¡¯t sound completely wrong, but¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to unlearn wrong or outdated information unless you are giving alternatives a chance.¡¯

    ¡­but he could not help but think of the lessons he had learned in Thanatos and the parts of the Warlord¡¯s Inquiries that explained the reasoning behind sortition and establishing the Lucky Wing in their Bloody Hall.

    In the end, Terry simply shook his head and walked above Tamsin on layers of divine mana. He did not really care to discuss those things. Especially not with an old grouch that had nothing better to do than shout at people the whole day.

    Terry had better stuff to do. Now that the cut for the middle-men merchants was eating into his income, he had to evaluate options to make up the difference. The only alternative was accepting to delay his return to Arcana and Terry wasn¡¯t sure if he was willing to resign himself to that.

    He also had the gnawing feeling that there would be future price hikes in the fee for the dimensional portal.

    The faster he was out of the city, the better.

    ***

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± The bounty hunter collapsed to her knees. Her head was ringing from the earlier explosion and her vision was blurry from whatever smoke their assailants had unleashed before.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one asking questions here.¡± A short figure walked through the smoke. Two strains of perfectly white hair were visible underneath the dark hood. They were framing the face of a dwarven woman. Her hard eyes were glowering at the bounty hunter ¡°I¡¯ll start with you and then I¡¯ll move on to your companions. If I hear any contradictions¡­¡± She left her voice hanging threateningly in the air while four more figures appeared from behind, much taller than the dwarf herself.

    The bounty hunter gulped. She and her companions had been defeated in an instant and she still had no idea how. Seeing more and more silhouettes appear inside the thick smoke was already frightening enough, but the real horror was that even now, she could barely detect them. Now that they had chosen to make themselves visible, she could see them alright, but she was still not able to detect them.

    The bounty hunter was the tracker in her group. She had spent her whole life sharpening her detection skills, but none of them was able to warn her of those tall silhouettes. No sound. No disturbance in the air. No mana signature. No life signature. Nothing. It was as if she was looking at an illusion, but she knew it could not be that. Illusions didn¡¯t crash through walls. They didn¡¯t rip your equipment apart as if it was made of grass.

    ¡°You have chosen a bounty I am interested in,¡± began the dwarven woman. ¡°I want to know what you know. Everything. Starting with the reasons for why you are moving east.¡±

    ¡°Is that what this is about?¡± The bounty hunter could not help but scream. ¡°You can have the job! We will back off, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Answer my questions,¡± growled the dwarf. Some of the tall silhouettes in the smoke stepped closer.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The bounty hunter gulped. ¡°O-one of our contacts in the martial sects told us about a rumor. A tomb of trials¡­¡±

    ***

 190 Complications

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 58 ¨C

    ¡°What happened then?¡± Brandon asked with starry eyes. The eleven year old was sitting on a bench outside the Flower House together with Daisy. Both were watching and listening while Terry was training his divine hammer inscription.

    Countless streaks of translucent golden light were zipping around Terry. Most of them would not manage to hurt a fly, but they were carrying momentum nonetheless. Today, he was practicing quantity over quality. He attempted to mirror his disruption pulse and domains with the divine hammer inscription.

    He did not believe he would be able to achieve it, but it was a goal to work towards and the exercise helped practice using the inscription without using his own movement as a focus point. He only had so many limbs and flailing them around all the time would never scale, which was why he had begun thinking of the accompanying body movement as yet another crutch, just like finger movements in spellwork.

    Terry felt strange thinking like that. His aunt Sigille, the Divine Hammer herself, had used the inscription with the body movements whenever she attacked. She was the undisputed master of the infamously difficult inscription and it felt strange to deviate from the way she had been wielding it. It felt as if he was going against the aunt that had trained him.

    No. Terry clenched his right hand into a fist. I¡¯m not her. I¡¯ll never be her. I have my own limitations. She had hers. This feels right¡­

    He moved his left palm forward and simultaneously punched his right fist while pulling his left palm back to slap against his right shoulder. Right on contact, a divine hammer that was four times the size of his fist flew forward. That hammer would be able to smash a horned rabbit into paste with a single blow.

    I¡¯ll have to walk my own path. Doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t get to take inspiration from others.

    Terry nodded at himself. Even if he was training something new, he was not forgetting to train the traditional inscription usage. It might not scale, but it packed a much better punch.

    One reason he had begun testing new ways to use the inscription was that he had gotten a good grasp of providing momentum but was beginning to see some new limitations. He was making great progress in creating larger structures and increasing the distance where he could accurately wield them, but limitations remained.

    His main remaining problem was that wielding at range or with larger structures was insanely mana-hungry. He could compensate with his mana foundation and reharvesting of mana, but something felt off about that.

    Terry had seen the mana pool of his aunt. He had seen the Divine Hammer fight from up close. She did not waste that much mana when using the inscription. He suspected that it was a problem with how he was aiming the mana.

    Involuntarily, his mind was bringing him back into a scene of the past. He saw himself sit again in an office with Instructor Samuel and Instructor Brynn. The day that they had tested him for his aspect impairment. When they had asked him to turn off his mana sight to demonstrate that he was not shaping the spell structures stably but was continuously and subconsciously rebalancing the mana.

    Am I doing it again?

    Terry paused. His external mana control was probably his biggest strength. By contrast, his aunt Sigille had been born with an external control impairment. The way she was using the divine hammer inscription must have been entirely based on her internal mana control and the way she was circulating mana through the inscription.

    No adjustments with external mana control.

    But I¡¯m not doing any¡­ Oh.

    Terry stopped himself from reharvesting mana. Had he been subconsciously reclaiming and pulling on the mana while it was still being aimed?

    He had definitely gotten used to always reclaiming mana and pulling on all ambient mana whenever he was fighting. If he never stopped that completely, then¡­

    A slight deviation would not mean much in the context of a disruption discharge but with something as finicky as the divine hammer?

    Something to try¡­

    ¡°Come on, Terry! What happened then?¡± A begging voice jolted him from his thoughts. Brandon drawled: ¡°Tell us!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± added Daisy and she also drawled her speech in an exaggerated pleading: ¡°Tell us!¡±

    Terry grinned. ¡°What happened next? Everyone shat their pants is what happened next. The Divine Division attacked the bloody giant with all they got without leaving so much as the slightest mark on him.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Brandon pumped a fist.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Daisy bit her lip.

    ¡°Even the Captain and the Divine Hammer were getting pale-faced when seeing the mass of blood and hellfire,¡± continued Terry while keeping up his training.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± exclaimed Brandon. ¡°Was Devon okay?¡±

    ¡°From what Lizzy said, it was a close call,¡± said Terry gravely before breaking out in a smirk: ¡°But then the bloody giant roared: ¡®I¡¯m allowed to defend people.¡¯¡± He smiled at the memory. ¡°Just like the Devon we know. The bloody giant shrank and from the blood stepped¡­¡±

    ¡°An angry naked mage!¡± Brandon giggled.

    ¡°Yup,¡± affirmed Terry. ¡°An angry naked mage. One of the most terrifying sights for an enemy to encounter on a battlefield.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he was okay,¡± said Daisy with relief. ¡°Devon sounds nice. Do you think you¡¯ll meet him again one day?¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± said Terry sincerely. ¡°Eventually.¡± His face turned more solemn. ¡°I just hope it won¡¯t be on another battlefield. I hope Devon has a chance to live a little. He¡¯s had it rough and he deserves some peace and quiet.¡± Not just him. The Captain too.

    ¡°What happened then?!¡± prodded Brandon. ¡°Did the Divine Hammer crush the cultists?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°And don¡¯t get too excited about it. Those were real people, not just characters in a story. The whole thing was a completely pointless waste of life, which you¡¯ll realize when we get to the next part. After the scare with Devon, the whole thing developed into a¡­¡± He paused.

    The whole situation in Syn City had turned into a real clusterfuck when the battle had drawn the attention of the huge horde of undead. He decided to use the obfuscating term that Lizzy had used instead: ¡°...into a Charlie Foxtrot.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± Brandon furrowed his brow and next to him, Daisy did the same.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see tomorrow,¡± said Terry teasingly.

    ¡°No! Why?¡±

    ¡°Because during my next training session, I won¡¯t have the breathing room to allow me to tell stories and besides¡­¡± Terry retrieved his most cherished possession. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to read the next chapter of the true Path of a Mage with Daisy?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Brandon immediately turned to bat his eyelashes at Daisy. He had been just as enamored with the story of the Veilbinder as Daisy.

    Terry felt wistful seeing the young boy digging into the historical account of the Veilbinder. It reminded him of the time he and his siblings had waited eagerly for the day of the week where Samuel finally removed the obfuscation created by the Blank Pages spell to reveal the next chapter.

    He didn¡¯t know if Brandon and Daisy would eventually lose interest in the much dryer version with more details and context, but for now, the two were eating up the chapters as voraciously as they had with the fictionalized children¡¯s novel.

    ¡°I wish I could become a mage like that,¡± mumbled Brandon.

    ¡°You already have some mana, so you just need to keep practicing,¡± stressed Terry.

    Brandon frowned which brought another memory to Terry. Back when he had been a first-year at Arcana Academy, the worst part of his days were the mana foundational classes with Instructor Samuel.

    For the current Terry, that past attitude of his had become unfathomable. Mana foundational training was like an enjoyable meditation to calm his mind and with the added pleasure of seeing it push further and further with time.

    However, Terry still remembered his thoughts from when he was slightly more than twelve years old. Mana foundation training appeared so boring, because there was nothing tangible about it without a first spell to actuate the potential.

    Doesn¡¯t have to be a spell though. Could be anything that¡¯s active.

    Terry looked at Brandon and wondered. The active abilities of mana cultivation were too advanced for the boy and the same was true for regular spellwork, but there were other magic uses that might serve to make the training more tangible and entertaining.

    Eventually, Terry smiled slightly and held out his old magic glove that was imprinted with the Blinding Flash spell. The radiating light inscription in the newer glove that his aunt Brynn had gifted him had made the old glove obsolete. Unfortunately, it was not capable of working in synergy to create a strobe light effect either.

    That works, but¡­

    Terry circulated his mana along the outside of the glove and ripped into the mana cloaking. The glove had been cloaked for him in Syn City in exchange for some inscription base metal he had looted in a dungeon. The cloaking was necessary to wander around without drawing attention, but it would be in the way for what he wanted to use it for now.

    Terry carefully broke the mana cloaking and shielding and extracted the related mana until the spell imprint was clearly visible and accessible.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Here.¡± Terry held the glove out. ¡°That¡¯s for you. It contains an imprint of the Blinding Flash spell. Try to observe the details of the spell imprint in your mana sight. Your mana foundation isn¡¯t ready to cast a spell yet but with some more training you should be able to activate the glove. You just need a bit of mana and the right timing to ignite the imprint. I can show you more later.¡±

    ¡°...really?¡± Brandon gingerly accepted the glove. ¡°For me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, under the condition that you¡¯ll keep up your mana foundational training.¡± Terry grinned and his grin became even wider when he saw Brandon nod solemnly.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had to earn money?¡± Daisy whispered to Terry. ¡°That seems expensive.¡±

    ¡°Not that expensive.¡± Terry whispered back. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make a big difference.¡± And I¡¯ve already destroyed the cloaking and shielding, so it¡¯s a bit too late for second thoughts.

    While Terry was getting ready for his own training, he didn¡¯t notice the disbelieving glance he received from Daisy. Nor did he notice the warm smile on her face.

    ***

    It was shortly after midnight when Jasmine approached Terry. ¡°Can I have a moment before you leave?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Terry with a slight nod.

    ¡°You can take an additional day off next week,¡± said Jasmine and she raised her hand before Terry could object. ¡°Paid leave. Or rather an advance, if you prefer. I have a favor to ask that will require more than your usual hours in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Terry shrugged. He could use the additional leave to cram some of the other missions he had recently seen in the Guild into it. ¡°What kind of favor?¡±

    ¡°You remember Alexander?¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice betrayed her worry.

    ¡°Unaspected mana, uses a rapier, a politician that¡¯s calling himself a knight, oversized impractical hat, facial hair¡­?¡± Terry listed off the traits he remembered in the order they sprang to his mind. ¡°Seemed to have some sway with the guards when they came here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, him.¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°He likes Daisy¡­¡± She frowned slightly. ¡°...or at least he likes to visit her.¡±

    Terry nodded. By now, he remembered all the mana signatures of all the people in the Flower House as well as their regular visitors. Even if the people used the hidden tunnels to come, they did not remain hidden from his mana touch.

    ¡°In a few weeks, there will be a large festival with national holidays and at the end of the festivities, the government will hold a masquerade ball for the political elite as well as many of the representatives from the largest economic cooperatives¡­¡±

    Terry just nodded along, not sure where he would fit in.

    ¡°Alexander has invited Daisy to be his date for the ball¡­¡± Jasmine shook her head. ¡°And I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Anything wrong with Alexander?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s full of himself and hot air, but that has nothing to do with it.¡± Jasmine clicked her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s not him I¡¯m worried about but rather the ball itself. That¡¯s a ball for the most influential people in the country. Not for regular people like us. That¡¯s a place where you can make very powerful enemies with a single misstep.¡±

    Terry furrowed her brow. ¡°If Daisy knows all this, does she still want to go?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Jasmine rolled her eyes. ¡°She is already fretting about which mask to wear. Dressing up. Dancing with dashing young men. Mingling with all the high society. How could she not want to go?¡±

    Terry scrunched up his face. All those things sounded like very good reasons not to go in his ears. He assumed the question was rhetorical and held his tongue.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy she gets to go, but I¡¯m worried for her.¡± Jasmine caught his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to accompany her as her bodyguard and watch her back.¡±

    Terry puffed his cheeks. He involuntarily thought back to the Preacher¡¯s reception in Tiv. Those were not fond memories.

    The talk of dressing up and, even worse, masks made it all the more distasteful. He had learned to hate masks in the pocket realm with the martialist trials and the dungeon at risk. He had never seen anything good coming out of an encounter with a masked martialist. On the contrary, they seemed to reserve their vilest behavior for when they considered their identities safely hidden behind a mask.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I need an invitation to attend?¡± asked Terry. At least that had been the case with the Preacher¡¯s reception.

    ¡°Every invited guest can bring a bodyguard,¡± explained Jasmine. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be an event otherwise given the nature of the guests.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Terry thought it over and could not help but grumble. ¡°I refuse to wear a wasted mask or anything else except my regular equipment.¡± He paused pensively and then added: ¡°...and I won¡¯t have anyone touch my storage items or equipment.¡±

    Jasmine burst out laughing.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± grumbled Terry. ¡°The most I¡¯m willing to do is place my weapons into my storage items.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not why I was laughing, fool.¡± Jasmine continued chortling. ¡°I¡¯m laughing because there is not a single person in this country whose first concern at my proposal would be the attire.¡± She wiped something from her eyes. ¡°Good. That¡¯s why you¡¯re the right person to look out for her.¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. What should I be concerned about instead?

    ¡°Anywho, I don¡¯t think your conditions will pose a problem,¡± continued Jasmine. ¡°They might make you seem like a bore, but if that doesn¡¯t bother you, then there is no problem.¡±

    Why in the Wastes would that bother me?

    Perhaps I can use the time for practicing my crystal-based shielding? Or I could research some of the body inscription brochures that Iris gave me. But that would require light. No matter, I can just use light-aspected rods if there is none available. I¡¯d rather wait outside like Matteo did at the Preacher¡¯s reception. I really don¡¯t want to get dragged into more political discussions from¡­

    Oh, right. I have to reply.

    Terry forced himself to focus on the conversation and nodded. ¡°Fine with me then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jasmine in a heartfelt tone. ¡°The ball might go on deep into the night. I know you don¡¯t mind late nights, but if it takes longer than it should, I¡¯ll make sure you get compensated.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± said Terry. He had never had trouble getting his pay from Jasmine. He trusted her enough to not haggle over the details.

    ¡°Oh since we¡¯re on the subject of Daisy¡­¡± Jasmine puckered her lips slightly and she appeared to search Terry¡¯s face for something while he didn¡¯t know for what.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Terry creased his brows. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you think of her?¡± asked Jasmine.

    That¡¯s a weird question, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m far from a social expert, but that seems like a weird question.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ nice?¡± Terry replied noncommittally. ¡°We seem to share a taste for stories and legends. Why?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Jasmine looked slightly disappointed. ¡°Oh it¡¯s just that it¡¯s part of my job to know everyone in our cooperative and I think I have a good idea of what everyone is looking for in life.¡± She shook her head slightly. ¡°Just try not to give her the wrong idea.¡±

    Terry blinked with a face that was a transparent display of confusion.

    ¡°Oh mana.¡± Jasmine held her forehead. ¡°Let me put it this way. I know you said that you are just passing through, but not everyone takes words at their face value. Some people like reading into things until their dreams seem real¡­¡± She had to restrain a snort when his face further locked into the display of confusion.

    Eventually, Jasmine sighed. ¡°This job is, like every other job, not for everyone. We have worked hard to make the cooperative a place not one of desperation but of self-determination. That means being discerning in whom to accept ¨C both as a guest and, perhaps even more so, as a flower.¡±

    Jasmine¡¯s eyes drifted towards Daisy¡¯s room. ¡°Those like me joined to set our own terms and become our own boss. Those like Lavender joined because they thought nothing of the work and are pleased at the pleasures or benefits the paycheck can afford them. Those like Iris enjoy both the work and the leisure time it affords them. But Daisy¡­

    ¡°She is an oddball here.¡± Jasmine shrugged. ¡°She definitely doesn¡¯t mind the work, but aside from her, I can¡¯t think of many flowers that have little interest in the money itself. Daisy is definitely the only one with her head so far up in the clouds.¡± She sighed again. ¡°She¡¯s a romantic and I¡¯m pretty sure she is looking for a dashing young man to sweep her off her feet and take her away.¡±

    Terry was kind of lost in the monologue, but thought he had caught on. ¡°Like Alexander?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the only charming prince to dream about around here, honey.¡± Jasmine winked at him.

    Terry blinked and puffed his cheeks.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about you, nitwit.¡± Jasmine chortled which made the wrinkles at her eyelids dance up and down.

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been accused of being charming? Quite the opposite normally.

    Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just passing through and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m very princely.¡±

    Jasmine rolled her eyes. ¡°I see your self-confidence only comes out when facing a battle. Well, ignoring the trained body, and the strangely older gaze in your eyes¡­

    ¡°Rescued a friend from a dungeon challenge.¡± She started counting while pointing the index finger of one hand onto the fingers of the other hand and enumerating episodes from Terry¡¯s stories. ¡°Repelled an undead horde and protected an injured friend. Protected a newly founded settlement from an army of channelers. Trained under the legendary Divine Hammer and avenged her death. Returned to the Tiv Empire even though there was an open bounty and then stepped into the Wastes to save the lives of your adoptive parents¡ª¡±

    Jasmine gave Terry a pointed look while talking when he interjected.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like me at all.¡± Terry blurted out involuntarily. ¡°Not when you put it like that. That¡¯s not what¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve boiled it down to what matters.¡± Jasmine shrugged. ¡°If my summary doesn¡¯t ring true for you, then that is exactly my point. The way you see yourself is not the way that others are seeing you. Please be mindful of that. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± She spoke softly. ¡°Thank you for doing me a favor. Until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Terry was far from sure he understood. He got what she was saying, but he was not sure what he was supposed to do. He always said that he was just passing through. It should be painfully obvious that he was busy trying to get stronger and to return to Arcana. He barely spent more than a few minutes each waking day when he wasn¡¯t either training or earning money or both.

    In the end, Terry was not sure Jasmine¡¯s concerns were justified or if she was just projecting her worries over Daisy¡¯s date with Alexander onto him. He was not sure he cared. He just had to make sure that nothing bad happened to Daisy.

    Thinking of the masquerade ball that was waiting in his future, Terry subconsciously frowned while walking to his inn. He was half-way across the plaza before a thought entered his head.

    Wait, will the representatives of the Dungeon Cooperative also be there?

    The rest of the trip, Terry indulged in empty fantasies about punching a vague outline of a person.

    ***

    It was noon and Terry arrived at the Flower House. He had sensed an unusual gathering in the reception room, but only when he saw the situation with his own eyes, could he start to make sense of it.

    At the center of the group was Brandon on a chair. Crying. With a blackened eye that bled at the eyebrow as well as a swollen lip.

    Daisy was speaking in a soft voice to the boy and patted him soothingly on the shoulder.

    Jasmine was cleaning the wound at the boy¡¯s eye.

    Lavender was standing stone faced next to Jasmine.

    Iris was leaning with crossed arms at a nearby wall and glowered at the whole situation.

    Terry noticed that Brandon was grimacing when he saw him. The boy averted his eyes as if he was feeling ashamed of something.

    When Jasmine spotted Terry, she handed the cloth and disinfectant to Lavender and then hurriedly walked up to him. ¡°He got¡ª¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the magic glove I gave him,¡± noted Terry matter-of-factly. His eyes never left the injured boy. The boy had always carried the glove around with him ever since Terry had given it to him.

    ¡°...yes,¡± muttered Jasmine and she explained what had happened earlier that morning when Brandon had returned from school. ¡°...he described them. I can talk to the guards later. One man had a prominent scar on his throat.¡±

    Them. Man. A group of adults did this. Struck at the head of a defenseless child.

    ¡°They should be able to figure out who¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± muttered Terry faintly. He already knew where his glove was. As soon as he knew what to look for, the specific mana signature welled up in his consciousness. He retrieved a healing potion and handed it to Jasmine. ¡°Use this.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Jasmine hesitated but nodded and rushed to the boy.

    Terry knew that the potion was overpowered for such an application, but he did not have anything else. He had bought it for his own use after all. It would not cause any problems, but if he looked at it in a detached manner, then it was quite a waste of money to use such a consumable for light wounds.

    But Terry couldn¡¯t look at it in a detached manner. He did not care about the money at this moment. He was once again sorely missing the healing wand that his uncle Samuel had given to him and that his opponent Xuan had taken from him in the Thanatos Proving Grounds.

    ¡°I can¡¯t start right now, I have something to do first,¡± announced Terry. Involuntarily, his words had come out as a growl. He first averted his face and then turned around to leave. Before anyone could object, he was already gone on layers of divine mana.

    ***

 191 Poking the Bear

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 68 ¨C

    It took all of Terry¡¯s self-discipline to choose his current direction. With every step during his run, he had to remind himself that he was not in some mana-forsaken pocket realm anymore. He remembered his uncomfortableness when Brandon was getting interested in the story of how he flipped off the city guards after their disrespectful interrogation tactics that had wasted his time.

    Remembering the blackened eye on the boy¡¯s face, Terry found it difficult to stay his current course. The one thing that helped him persist was the self-blame that came with being the one that had given the boy a magic item for which the boy had been beaten up.

    Terry took a deep breath and entered the guard post. He saw a familiar elven guard with dark greased-back hair. Last time, he had seen the elf work the entrance desk on the second floor.

    At the moment, the elven guard was dealing with a human woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you!¡± The woman appeared slightly hysterical. ¡°Those greedy portal bastards probably had something to do with that hellish thunder! They¡¯re the ones that stood to gain! And now they¡¯re extorting everyone for money! Charging to solve a problem they have created! They¡¯re parasites! I¡¯m sure they had¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you very much.¡± The elven guard was obviously irritated. ¡°Someone take her away.¡±

    ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m telling you!¡± The woman huffed in anger. ¡°Where I come from I was¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± The elven guard looked at another guard to escort the woman away.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made a note of your accusations.¡± The elf put his hands over his face and took a deep breath. ¡°Another note that another arrogant foreigner has a grudge against the portal keepers and knows nothing about the country they chose to come to. Every child here knows about the origins of that forbidden zone and those¡­ Bah! Seriously¡­¡± He cursed under his breath. ¡°And of course they try to pin it on the first person they don¡¯t like. Bloody ridiculous. And then they¡ª¡±

    The guard looked up to find Terry standing at his desk. ¡°Yes? Let me guess. You¡¯re here to tell me what I should do too?¡± He paused and then his expression darkened. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Great. Just great.¡± Sarcasm oozed through his tone. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Terry wrestled down his own irritation. This was not about him. ¡°A group attacked one of the orphans in the Flower House.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like someone should deduct your pay.¡± The elven guard seemed to revel in the opportunity to throw Terry¡¯s own snide remark back at him. He retrieved a form from his desk despite their hostile relationship.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t happen in the Flower House,¡± gritted Terry through his teeth. He took deep breaths to control his own rising temper. This was not about him.

    ¡°So what happened?¡± asked the elven guard.

    ¡°Earlier today, Brandon was robbed and beaten up,¡± started Terry.

    ¡°I know the boy.¡± The elven guard took notes. ¡°How is he right now?¡±

    ¡°Healed,¡± replied Terry. His irritation softened when the guard showed what seemed like honest concern for the kid.

    ¡°Good, but also bad,¡± mumbled the elven guard while taking further notes.

    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Terry incredulously.

    ¡°Good that the boy is okay, but bad since we didn¡¯t get a chance to record the injuries.¡± The elven guard explained off-handedly. ¡°Unfortunately, that means we¡¯ll have to focus on the items stolen.¡±

    ¡°Not just stolen, robbed,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°A bunch of grown-up pricks beat up a child.¡±

    ¡°What was taken?¡± asked the elven guard in a barely suppressed manner of annoyance.

    ¡°An imprinted magic glove I gave Brandon for training his mana sight,¡± replied Terry after taking a deep breath.

    The elven guard added the information to the form and then paused. ¡°¡®For training mana sight¡¯?¡± He raised an eyebrow and continued in an accusing tone: ¡°You gave the boy an uncloaked magic item? And then what? The boy just paraded around the city with it?¡±

    ¡°What the Wastes does it matter what the boy was doing?¡± barked Terry. ¡°Since when do you guards care about what the victim was doing at the time of the crime?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one insisting that it mattered?¡± retorted the guard with a sneer before composing himself. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if that¡¯s what happened, the boy is lucky to be alive, especially with the growing number of refugees. Some of the shit we have to deal with¡­¡± He shook his head and then snarled at Terry. ¡°I¡¯m not blaming the boy, I¡¯m blaming you. You should have known better than to give an item like that to a kid.¡±

    Terry took measured breaths to calm himself. ¡°I can bring you to those who did it.¡±

    ¡°No, but you can tell me what you know about the group.¡± The elven guard was rolling his eyes while moving his pen to another section in the form.

    ¡°One man had a prominent scar on his throat.¡± Terry could see something in the guard¡¯s expression change. ¡°I know where they are. I can sense my magic glove. It¡¯s six blocks into the¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The elven guard cut him off. ¡°Some guards will come by later to take the statement of the boy and some more¡­¡± He looked dismissively at Terry. ¡°...credible witnesses for the boy¡¯s injuries than a suspect of another crime who bailed on their interrogation.¡±

    Terry clenched his fists and stared at the city guard. ¡°I know where my glove is. If you get a few guards, I can take you there and¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The elven guard cut him off again. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people with scars from having their throat cut walking around. Among the locals, just one.¡±

    ¡°So you are going to arrest them?¡± Terry could not shake the bad feeling he wouldn¡¯t like the answer.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± said the elven guard matter-of-factly.

    For a few moments Terry just glared at the guard. ¡°They robbed a kid.¡±

    ¡°Barking up the wrong tree,¡± hissed the elven guard. ¡°You¡¯re an adult. I¡¯m telling you how it is. Without recorded injuries, the assault charges are difficult to press. So we are talking about theft at best. With the city as it is, there are too many thefts and too few guards to investigate. So¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can bring you to them,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°Right now. I can sense my magic glove. No big investigation necessary.¡±

    The elven guard rolled his eyes. ¡°I just love it when foreigners try to explain my job to me.¡± He hissed at Terry: ¡°Not that simple! That glove of yours? Was it purchased in the city?¡±

    Terry shook his head.

    ¡°Well, then you don¡¯t have much of a way to prove who is the rightful owner,¡± spat the elven guard. ¡°Additionally, we have a long backlog of reports and we can¡¯t just have you jump the line. Finally, if it¡¯s an item you casually gave as a gift to a kid, then it¡¯s questionable if the item¡¯s value exceeds the threshold for pursuing charges.¡±

    Threshold for¡­ Ridiculous!

    Terry gritted his teeth.

    ¡°If no charges are going to come out of it, then it¡¯s a waste of our time,¡± ended the city guard.

    Terry glowered at the guard while taking several deep breaths before speaking. ¡°A kid was beaten up by a group of adults and you consider going after the perpetrators a waste of time?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea who the person you are accusing is?¡± asked the elven guard with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± growled Terry.

    ¡°Well, unfortunately, we have to,¡± retorted the guard. ¡°Consider yourselves lucky that the boy is unharmed after healing and that the only loss is in a magic item you could afford losing. We can¡¯t go to the Whisperer¡¯s group and thereby rile up both the Import-Export Cooperative and the hunters over something like that. Tensions in the city are bad enough as it is.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and gave it one more try. ¡°I would like to speak to one of your superiors.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we all?¡± quipped the elven guard. ¡°Unfortunately, my superiors are out because some absolute jackass thought it would be a great idea to put one of the refugee camps on fire. Just what this city needs. More tension and arsehole escalation. Yesterday some arsehole refugees robbed a local store while injuring the owner and today some other arseholes went out and committed arson.¡±

    The elven guard had become agitated and he exhaled sharply. ¡°Even if my superiors were here, they couldn¡¯t afford to escalate the mess, especially not over something that won¡¯t even end in charges. We¡¯re not poking the bear for nothing.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyes rested for a moment longer on the city guard and then he turned around to leave. He had understood what the guard had been saying. On a purely rational level, it made some sense from the perspective of the guards. With limited resources, they had to prioritize. With increased tensions, they had to pick their battles.

    He thought it still sent the wrong signal overall, but he could understand their perspective.

    There was only one problem that arose in his head whenever Terry recalled the scene of the beaten boy at the Flower House.

    One problem that overruled all of Terry¡¯s understanding for the perspective of the city guards.

    I¡­ Don¡¯t. Care.

    ***

    Terry saw the large two-sided entrance gate and allowed himself to drop from the divine layers onto solid ground. It was a large building. While it did not bear any excessive decorations, it appeared to be made from expensive materials. Septimum, teakwood, some kind of marble stone.

    His mana washed over every nook and cranny in the large building. Every person inside was an adult mana user. All kinds of mana aspects. Every person was carrying at least one magic item. The mana signatures varied from average cultivator to strong enough that they could probably beat the young geniuses from the martialist sects whom Terry had encountered in the pocket realm.

    Step.

    Terry walked forward and pulled at the wider mana bubble he was keeping around himself. He preferred to have all his mana close.

    Step.

    He could feel the shapes of beast corpses inside the inner courtyard, which meant those people probably included the hunters whom the city guard had mentioned. Hunters of mana-corrupted beasts implied people with combat experience. That matched the fact that the stronger mana signatures appeared mingling with everyone. They were not positioned like hired guards.

    Step.

    The most ominous thing was that he could sense death aura creatures as well. Some skeletal warriors were actually working to dismantle the corpses. Someone must control them which either meant a necromancer or a death whisperer that caught them.

    He could also sense advanced warriors, which in the case of the necromancer option, implied either a high enough skill to directly raise evolved versions or a necromancer that also acted as a curse mage to infect the raised skeletal warrior with the death aura curse.

    A part of Terry¡¯s mind was screaming at him to stop. To be cautious. To be patient. To be rational. To be¡ª

    Step.

    He retrieved his king spear and clenched it tightly.

    Terry could not forget the scene of the boy with the blackened eye. He could not take his eyes off the mana signature at the far end of the hall behind the doors. The mana signature of his Blinding Flash glove. The magic glove that was rightfully Brandon¡¯s. The glove that was supposed to help the boy enjoy his mana foundational training more.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Once again, Terry was picturing the blackened eye on the boy¡¯s face.

    With a furious burst of mana, he rushed forward and stomped with all the power he could muster. The tall entrance doors caved in. The left door¡¯s metal frame bent and the teakwood splintered. The right one ripped the hinges out of the wall and fell forward.

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± Behind the noise and blown up dust, all the people inside were staring at the broken entrance.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± roared a man from the far end of the hall. He was one of the strongest mana signatures present, but he was not the one that interested Terry.

    Terry withheld his mana from entering into the concealment necklace and dropped his cloaking. He circulated mana into his barrier visor and king spear. The pole extended and a thin layer of lightning began snaking around it.

    The expressions among the crowd darkened as soon as he had revealed his mana foundation for everyone to see.

    ¡°Some of you have attacked a defenseless boy this morning.¡± Terry spoke in a cold and detached manner. ¡°You stole his magic glove.¡± His eyes fixated on the woman that was wearing the glove that rightfully belonged to Brandon. Next to her stood a man with a scar on his throat. Terry¡¯s eyes grew brightly from an involuntary flare of his own mana and he growled:  ¡°I was the one who gave it to him.¡±

    The same man that had initially addressed Terry began shouting: ¡°We don¡¯t harm chil¡ª¡± He stopped himself because he had followed Terry¡¯s gaze and read the expression of the scarred man that had stepped in front of the woman with the glove. The speaker cleared his throat and glowered at Terry. He barked: ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what happened. You shouldn¡¯t have barged in here! You¡¯re going to pay for those doors!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a glove here, do you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    The crowd howled and sneered.

    ¡°How are you going to pay for the damage you have caused, boy?!¡± The speaker demanded. Behind him, many skeletal warriors and death knights arrived from the courtyard. Among them were two large death reavers.

    It had been a while since Terry had seen one of those. He knew that the creatures would absorb both his health and mana with every wound they inflicted. They would heal with every successful attack.

    He did not care.

    The times when a pair of death reavers could intimidate him were long past.

    ¡°She has the glove.¡± Terry pointed with the spear. ¡°And he was involved.¡± He pointed at the man with the scar on his throat. ¡°Six people total. Four men and two women. I want to know who.¡±

    ¡°Fucking prick, I don¡¯t give a shit what you want! You¡¯re not giving any orders here! I asked you a question! How¡­?¡± The speaker¡¯s voice trailed off when Terry began walking forward.

    The first hunter lost his patience and attacked Terry when he was close.

    Terry swiftly transfixed the man¡¯s bracer and with a fluid thrust and twist of an elongated king spear around the immovable fulcrum, the man¡¯s arm broke right at his elbow.

    The blood-curdling scream was accompanied by many incoming spells. About two thirds of them were meant to harm Terry while the remaining ones were healing spells that targeted the injured man.

    Terry noted that their attack spells were limited since they were trying to avoid hitting each other while he fluidly continued his spear movements. Simultaneously, he ripped apart all spells with an intense disruption pulse while he forced the injured man to the floor and pointed the spearhead at his throat. ¡°I will take back the glove.¡± He talked firmly and in a somewhat detached tone. His eyes lingered on the pair with the magic glove and scarred throat.

    ¡°This glove?¡± The woman behind the scarred man sneered and lifted her arm. She leered at Terry and then lifted a dagger towards the glove.

    Terry tilted his head without losing the detached look in his eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°I do what I want,¡± hissed the woman and tried to cut the glove apart. However, her dagger refused to move after Terry had transfixed it. ¡°What?!¡± She glared at Terry but quickly smirked. Instead of moving the dagger, she simply moved the arm with the glove, only to find her arm trapped in translucent layers of golden mana.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried that,¡± growled Terry, who was quickly running out of what little patience he had arrived with. He involuntarily grinned. ¡°You want to destroy the item I gave as a gift?¡± His grin contorted into a grimace of madness. ¡°You want to see who¡¯s better at destroying items?!¡±

    In an instant, Terry¡¯s mana bubble contracted and his mana invaded the magic items he could sense. Guided by his mana touch, even the slightest gap in mana shielding was enough to pick through it and no cloaking would prevent his touch from locating the central imprint. He glared at the woman and cackled while ripping every single imprint apart.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    ¡°My wand!¡±

    A commotion broke out and even the speaker from before was standing up to stare with mouth agape.

    A pair of hunters lost their temper when seeing their valuable magic items destroyed. They ignored the captive man threatened by Terry¡¯s spearhead and charged at him.

    Terry chose to press the spear slightly down, just enough to draw blood from his hostage but not enough to seriously hurt the man. When the pair of hunters refused to stop, he growled and transfixed the king spear in place.

    He managed to trip the first one with the divine hammer inscription while blinding the second with his radiating light inscription. In contrast to the past, he did not need to drop the blinding light to continue fighting. His mana touch was a suitable substitute for his vision.

    When the light returned to normal levels, one of the two rash hunters was unconscious on the floor while Terry held a keen dagger to the throat of the other. Next to him, the king spear was still threatening the first man, who was trying to use his one uninjured arm to pull at the spear, but with no success.

    Terry knew that the spear wouldn¡¯t budge just like he knew that he was unable to actually kill the pinned man without using his hands. By contrast, none of the hunters knew what kind of magic he was using.

    The weaker ones began distancing themselves from Terry.

    ¡°You can thank her for your lost items.¡± Terry glowered at the woman whose arm remained trapped in divine mana.

    The woman paled while the scarred man next to her flushed with fury. ¡°You damned piss-ant!¡±

    ¡°Now you owe our family a lot of items,¡± barked the speaker from the back.

    Terry clicked his tongue and sighed before getting an idea. He was not afraid of a full-on confrontation, but with the strength of mana signatures he could sense, it would get messy. He had not planned this in the beginning, but perhaps there was a cleaner way.

    After all, he had already started with the imprinted items.

    ¡°Six people.¡± Terry barked back. ¡°And I will take the glove back. Some of those¡­¡± Terry looked at the scarred man. ¡°...piss-ants attacked a child and stole what was his.¡± His eyes returned to the speaker. ¡°If you don¡¯t ¡®give a shit¡¯, then I¡¯ll have to find a way to make you care.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± growled the speaker.

    ¡°I want the ones responsible,¡± growled Terry. Without anyone else noticing, he was moving a small but intense disruption field along the ceiling where some kind of inscription had been placed. He assumed it a kind of protective or strengthening inscription for the building itself.

    Terry did not care for their mutterings and focused his gaze on the man with a scar. ¡°A mana user beating up manaless. And worse, a grown man beating up a defenseless child.¡± He glowered. ¡°Who else?¡±

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± spat the man with the scar. ¡°The brat had it coming!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dealing with the brother of the Whisperer¡¯s left-hand man, you know!¡±

    ¡°Wrong answer.¡± Terry looked at him coldly and then glanced at the rest of the crowd. ¡°Everyone that stands with child-beating scum can stay. Everyone that¡¯s not a piece of shit should leave.¡±

    ¡°You want to fight everyone here?¡± The speaker interjected with a sneer.

    ¡°Only the scum that stays,¡± retorted Terry unfazed.

    ¡°Everyone stays.¡± The speaker declared while his eyes continued dancing back to the man with a scar on his throat.

    Terry noted for the first time that there was some resemblance between the speaker and the scarred man.

    ¡°Get ready to kill,¡± ordered the speaker. ¡°And stop whimpering around.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Terry¡¯s first hostage had chosen to escape by pressing forward which meant cutting his own throat. The man was clutching his bleeding throat while healers surrounded him for treatment.

    Terry could not help but raise an eyebrow at the determined escape. He considered disrupting the incoming healing spells but decided against it. He did not want to draw attention to his disruption variants at the moment. Not while his small disruption field was busy grinding through the inscription in the ceiling.

    What little compunctions Terry had had about his plan were fading away fast. He had said his piece and the hunters had chosen to stay. They were not weak. They had considerable mana foundations. There were plenty of healers around.

    They would survive.

    Probably.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me who the other people responsible are, then I guess it¡¯s all of you,¡± said Terry in a detached tone. ¡°You better remember what¡¯s about to happen.¡± He sneered at the spokesperson who was apparently the left-hand man of whoever owned the place. ¡°So you have a reason to ¡®give a shit¡¯ in the future.¡±

    ¡°If you think you¡¯re getting out of here alive, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if ¡®getting out¡¯ is going to be the right phrase in a minute.

    Terry scoffed but chose not to reply. He returned his keen dagger to its sheath and pushed his remaining hostage away. It was like someone had given a signal for all the stronger hunters to charge at him and prepare their attacks.

    He did not care.

    It only took a moment to fetch the king spear and ram the blunt end onto the floor.

    Another moment to transfix the septimum rings at the pole and force a torrent of mana into it.

    When the spearhead was right in front of the ceiling, the first blast of intense lightning erupted.

    His disruption field had already worn down the defensive inscription. The spearhead that was empowered by the lightning pierced into the ceiling and the accompanying synergetic blast crushed through it.

    In a succession of electric explosions the floors broke apart. There was an ominous moment of silence while the king spear extended into the sky to attract the heaven¡¯s fury. It led the furious lightning towards the large building and the whole building came crashing down with a thunderous roar.

    Terry felt as if time had slowed down even beyond what he expected from the burst technique he was currently cycling. He could see the shock in the eyes of the hunters. No one had expected him to have the ability to bring down the building and the fact that he chose to do so with himself inside was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination.

    While everyone else was panicking or preparing their magic to survive the collapsing building, Terry was darting towards the woman with the glove. He secured a path for himself with his Immovable Object spell, divine hammer barriers, and the unbreakable king spear.

    The scarred man tried to protect himself and his girlfriend from the falling rubble but found his spell structure torn apart by Terry¡¯s disruption discharge and ended up buried underneath.

    The woman was protected by divine barriers but had no cause for relief. With Terry¡¯s arrival, she found her neck and arm trapped by metal rings that he had shaped around her and then transfixed. She stared at him with terror while he removed the Blinding Flash glove from her hand.

    With the glove in hand, Terry used a gap in the falling debris to dart outside. He watched until the dust had settled. His mana washed over the rubble to get an idea of everyone¡¯s conditions.

    ¡°Damned demons, what happened here?!¡±

    Terry refused to greet the arriving city guards. He was not surprised that there was a group of spectators. After all, neither the heaven¡¯s fury nor the destruction of a building was even remotely subtle.

    ¡°By the Lady¡­¡±

    Terry moved his gaze when he saw a group of followers of the Bright Lady arrive on the scene.

    The strongest channeler among the group was an elven woman with brunette curls. She glared at Terry with an expression that made him uncomfortable. He was used to getting hateful looks from members of that circle after the incident with Bright Willow, but that woman was looking at him differently. More chiding than hateful.

    It took a moment for Terry to realize why the look bothered him. It reminded him of the look in the eyes of his accepted mother after he and his siblings had blown a hole into Lori¡¯s wall.

    ¡°Quick, dispatch the healers!¡± The elven woman ordered the members of the circle. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a need for triage, just help wherever you can. Also check with the innocent bystanders to make sure everyone is okay!¡± She glanced at the collapsed building, shook her head and muttered to herself: ¡°What a vulgar display of power¡­¡±

    ¡°You! What did you do?!¡±

    Terry allowed himself to drop to the ground and turned around to see a familiar dwarven city guard glare at him. Jasmine had called him Edmund. Instead of focusing on the dwarven guard, however, Terry looked coldly at the elven guard that had taken his report about the assault on Brandon. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±

    ¡°Bloody bastard, you¡­¡± The elven guard quickly whispered to his dwarven superior.

    ¡°You!¡± With a loud bang, some of the debris was blown away and the earlier spokesperson emerged from the rubble. His furious eyes landed on Terry before taking note of the crowd of spectators and the guards.

    Edmund did not hear the end of the elf¡¯s story and instead barked at Terry. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest!¡±

    Terry could not help but snort. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°You think you can just cause rampant destruction and walk free?!¡± demanded the dwarven city guard. ¡°Screw the knights, you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into.¡± Edmund appeared oddly calm and Terry started to believe he was missing something.

    He did not care.

    ¡°I think¡­¡± Terry was still keeping his eyes on the elven guard with greased back hair. He spoke with derision. ¡°The guards don¡¯t want to ¡®escalate the mess¡¯, well¡­¡± He looked at the collapsed building. ¡°I can help. There is no need to ¡®waste your time¡¯...¡± He returned his gaze to Edmund. ¡°I can make time. I¡¯m used to messes.¡±

    Terry clicked his tongue while staring down the dwarven guard. The question you have to answer is if you are willing to escalate with me after I¡¯ve shown to be willing to escalate with those whom you were wary of.

    Edmund leaned slightly closer and whispered for Terry to hear. ¡°You¡¯re a fool, you know that?¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow but did not have time to dwell over it since more and more hunters emerged from the destroyed building. He did not know if he should feel happy or disappointed that his initial estimate had been correct. They survived even if the building didn¡¯t.

    ¡°What do you want here?!¡± A familiar voice barked at an unexpected target.

    Terry raised an eyebrow when he saw the hunter¡¯s glare settle on the city guards instead of on himself.

    ¡°Who called you?¡± demanded the spokesperson.

    ¡°It appears that there was an attack,¡± muttered one of the guards.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± hissed the spokesperson. He gestured at the collapsed building. ¡°We¡¯re just doing a few renovations.¡±

    An odd atmosphere was spreading where Terry was not sure what was going on anymore. The hunters chuckled tensely while the city guards looked increasingly uncomfortable.

    ¡°If, hypothetically speaking, there was a suicidal fool, we certainly don¡¯t need a bunch of uniforms to settle it,¡± snarled the hunter.

    Ahh¡­ So that¡¯s it.

    Terry felt both the desire to roll his eyes and to start laughing. He believed that the hunters did not want to appear weak and therefore refused the city guard. He moved his eyes back to Edmund to find the guard looking back at him with an expression that betrayed¡­

    Terry was not exactly sure. Worry? Pity? Curiosity?

    He looked back at the hunters. Perhaps they simply wanted to deal with him without interference from the guards.

    He decided that he did not care.

    ¡°I¡¯m late for work,¡± declared Terry and he walked away under the glares and stares of everyone present.

    He did not know how things would continue from here, but he had shown as much restraint as he could muster while picturing the pitiful appearance of the boy this morning.

    If the hunters or the Whisperer or whatever cooperative the elven guard had mentioned decided to escalate further, then he would deal with it when the time came.

    ***

 192 Center of Attention

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 68 ¨C

    Terry was returning to the Flower House with the Blinding Flash glove in his hand and with an unsatisfied expression on his face. He had collapsed the headquarters of the local hunters or however they were called. He had made his point, but he was not certain it had come across.

    He had thought it would make him feel better.

    It did.

    But not as much as he would have liked.

    The more Terry cooled down, the more he was worrying that his actions would come back to the people he knew. He did not know the local organizations well enough to judge how the hunters would react. The fact that they had refused to involve the guards made him hope that they were the kind to focus their retribution on him personally rather than involving the people whom he associated with, but he could not be certain.

    What¡¯s the point in worrying now? Should have thought about that before acting.

    Deal with it.

    For once in his life, Terry thanked his intrusive thoughts and he muttered to himself: ¡°Focus.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Terry was already in an irritable mood and he doubted that the people walking up to him would make his day better. Their crimson uniforms made him doubt that very much.

    The group consisted of a canan man, an elven man, and a pair of dwarven women. One of the dwarves was addressing him: ¡°Terry, right?¡±

    For a second, Terry was distracted by the fluffy white fur on the canan man. It was not so much the fur itself, but rather that it brought back a memory from his time in Tiv¡¯s Chara Settlement. It was always amusing to see Devon meet the canan deathguard coordinator Mal. Terry could not help but wonder how the Thanatos soldiers would react if he started petting the canan¡¯s fur out of the blue.

    The image almost brought a chuckle to his lips.

    Almost.

    ¡°Yes, and?¡± Terry moved his gaze to the apparent leader of the Thanatos soldiers. The dwarven woman appeared unaspected and she was carrying a familiar style of two-handed battle axe on her back. The handle had been customized for thrusts.

    ¡°Just checking.¡± She winked. ¡°You left a bit of a mess.¡± She pointed with her chin into the southern direction.

    Pointless question, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Maybe, what¡¯s it to you?¡± returned Terry. ¡°What is your business with the hunters?¡±

    Friend or foe?

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m talking about the building?¡± She observed Terry¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the mess you left behind in Thanatos.¡±

    Huh, I was wondering when that would come up again. Took longer than I thought.

    Terry swiveled his head even though he didn¡¯t need to do that to get an idea of the surroundings. Old habits. Afterwards, he looked at the soldiers and shrugged. ¡°Is this going to turn into another fight? If so, I¡¯d rather get it over with quickly. I¡¯m already late for work.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not denying that it was you who escaped Whetstone?¡± The dwarf grinned.

    Damn it.

    Terry involuntarily recalled the faces of Lizzy and the Captain whenever they had chided him for spilling information. When his mind played back the words, he stumbled over something else.

    ¡°¡®Whetstone¡¯?¡± Terry furrowed his brow. He thought he could see a trace of confusion and doubt flicker across the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°He arrived as a captive,¡± interjected the elven soldier, which made the dwarven woman nod with realization.

    ¡°Whetstone is the largest southwestern City of Proving,¡± explained the dwarf. ¡°District 47 in the outer boundary. That¡¯s where you fought in the Proving Grounds. I was right. You¡¯re the Whetstone Arcanian.¡±

    Am I? Okay. And?

    Terry sighed wearily and asked impatiently. ¡°Fight or not? I¡¯m busy.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You¡¯re already late. No point in hurrying now.¡± The dwarven woman ignored Terry¡¯s question. ¡°You know, when we heard about your arrival, we weren¡¯t sure. We had to confirm to comply with our orders.¡±

    Terry groaned. ¡°Orders to do what?¡± At this point, he was pretty sure that this would turn into another fight, which left him stumped at the dwarf¡¯s response.

    ¡°To avoid confrontation and observe.¡± The dwarven woman looked amused by something. ¡°Under two conditions. If you appear to randomly pop out at a place of strategic significance. If you appear to be inviting trouble.¡±

    Many questions popped into Terry¡¯s head. Why would the Freedom Cooperative count as a place of strategic significance for Thanatos? Why did they think he was the one causing trouble when he was just reacting? Questions on top of questions and he had to pick a single one to ask.

    ¡°And why exactly would you tell me this?¡± Now it was Terry¡¯s turn to observe the soldier¡¯s facial expressions.

    ¡°To see how you would react, naturally.¡± The dwarf appeared to be having fun. ¡°No worries about Whetstone. Most deaths have been attributed to the Bloody Duchess anyway.¡±

    Bloody who?

    Terry narrowed his eyes and subconsciously tilted his head.

    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re not here as covert spies and our orders regarding you are not confidential, so it¡¯s up to my discretion if I feel like sharing.¡± The soldier ignored Terry¡¯s change in expression and instead continued talking with a smile. ¡°Not like I¡¯m going to spill anything important since the motivations behind the orders are above my paygrade and I¡¯m as ignorant as you are.¡±

    Terry¡¯s honest face was a transparent display of bewilderment and more than one of the soldiers started to snicker.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Ruby.¡± The dwarven woman introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you. Just so you know.¡± She gestured with two fingers first to her eyes and then towards Terry before leading her subordinates away.

    ¡°Nope¡­¡± Terry muttered to himself and shook his head. ¡°Not going to think about this shit now.¡± He began running up into the sky to avoid any more street encounters.

    When Terry arrived at the Flower House, he caught the end of a conversation in the reception hall.

    ¡°...thought you were with Alexander at this time of day?¡± asked Iris before yawning heavily.

    ¡°He had to leave,¡± replied Daisy sadly. ¡°Something must have happened.¡±

    Terry stepped into the hall and immediately had everyone¡¯s attention. He faltered slightly under their gazes and only managed to mutter an apology for starting late.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kid around, where did you go?¡± Iris practically jumped out of her chair and looked expectantly at Terry who was confused by her agitated state. Normally, Iris would be either freshly asleep or still sleeping at this time.

    ¡°Mighty beasts! Is that¡­?!¡± Iris pointed at the glove in Terry¡¯s hand. Next to her, Daisy stared at Terry with a hand raised to her mouth.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Iris clenched her fists and held them in front of her chest. ¡°I should have come with¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, you should not.¡± Jasmine¡¯s firm interjection arrived from the corridor and her figure followed shortly after. She sent Iris a chiding gaze. ¡°He¡¯s asleep now, so lower your voice.¡±

    ¡°How is he?¡± asked Terry with a worry he knew to be irrational. He knew that the potion he had left would heal much worse wounds, but still.

    ¡°He¡¯s okay,¡± replied Jasmine. ¡°Physically. The rest will take time. Thanks for the potion.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for being late to work,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°¡®Late¡¯, huh?¡± Jasmine looked at Terry quietly for a few seconds before asking: ¡°I recall you arriving and leaving. That insane noise from earlier? You wouldn¡¯t happen to know what that was?¡±

    ¡°Can you give that back to Brandon when he¡¯s awake?¡± Terry held out the Blinding Flash glove.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Jasmine took a deep breath and then accepted the glove. ¡°I suppose that suffices as an answer to my question.¡± She placed a hand on Terry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just tell me how deep you¡¯re in now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry understood the individual words but had trouble making out the meaning of the whole statement.

    ¡°Who was it? What do we have to expect? Any trouble with the guards? Going by the ruckus, I assume that the guards made an appearance.¡±

    ¡°The guards called them the hunters, or some Whisperer,¡± said Terry. He added with a trace of anxiety. ¡°I hope they¡¯ll focus on me and don¡¯t come here to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyebrows had quickly risen up at the mention of the hunters but then became more relaxed and last, she sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that locals were responsible. If I had known earlier, this could have been¡­¡± She spoke earnestly to Terry. ¡°The hunters skirt the law but they have their own code. They won¡¯t come after us. Thiago loathes those that hurt children.¡±

    ¡®Thiago¡¯?

    Terry creased his brows but then focused on the important part. ¡°They did not seem to care about hurting children when they attacked Brandon.¡±

    ¡°Every organization has their share of opportunists and idealists,¡± said Jasmine. ¡°Not everyone sticks to the code out of conviction. Some only follow when being watched and Thiago is out on a larger hunt.¡± She sighed and shook her head. ¡°With Brandon¡¯s description and you tracing it to the hunters, I know who that scarred man is. Don¡¯t worry about us. They wouldn¡¯t dare to touch my Flower House.¡±

    After a pause, Jasmine searched Terry¡¯s gaze again. ¡°What about the guards?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± replied Terry honestly. ¡°They seemed pissed but the hunters refused to cooperate.¡±

    Jasmine traced her lips with the fingers of one hand while thinking. ¡°If Edmund decides to press the issue, he can invoke the state itself to press charges, which would require them to gather a preliminary collection of evidence that convinces one of the attorneys.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps Alexander could help?¡± suggested Daisy.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Jasmine muttered pensively.

    ***

    Inside a dark room, a man with a scar on his throat was punched in the gut.

    ¡°You bloody imbecile!¡±

    ¡°Brother, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You nothing!¡± His brother glowered at him. ¡°First you got yourself entangled with a foreigner even though I had specifically told you to stop thinking with your dick!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then you broke our code! And of all the brats you could have picked on, you managed to pick an orphan from the bloody Flower House!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass, you bloody imbecile!¡± He slapped his brother hard across the face.

    ¡°I can make it right.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do shit! Which is why I¡¯m always left cleaning up your messes! You better get a grip before mother dies or I¡¯ll put you into the ground myself!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your brother!¡± protested the scarred man.

    ¡°You¡¯re an incompetent little shit and a danger to our family!¡± retorted the brother. ¡°What do you think is going to happen when the Boss gets back from his hunt and we haven¡¯t dealt with that man?!¡±

    ¡°I can make it right, I just have to kill that bastard and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kill?¡± The brother broke out in derisive laughter. ¡°You? Bloody imbecile! Didn¡¯t you see what that man did? Is it possible that you cannot see even though you have eyes? We would have to send a whole hunting squad to kill that man and even then it would be difficult. The runners have gathered some information and that looks bloody bleak. He doesn¡¯t seem to leave the city boundaries, at least not beyond the dungeons. Worse, he spends half of his time as the Flower Protector in Jasmine¡¯s place and that place is off limits.¡±

    ¡°I can get to him, I just need¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you try, I¡¯ll have someone kill that foreigner you like so much,¡± growled the brother.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The scarred man paled.

    ¡°We will not rush this.¡± The brother took a pile of documents with the information on Terry. ¡°If there is an opportunity, we¡¯ll take it, but until then, we¡¯ll make him regret his actions another way.¡± He sneered. ¡°Muscle isn¡¯t everything. The amount of jobs he takes, he¡¯s strapped for coins. He can¡¯t punch his way out of that. Either he was too stupid to realize whom he¡¯s messing with or he was too foolish to care. He¡¯ll learn soon enough. The best thing is that he¡¯s already gotten on the bad side of the Dungeon Cooperative.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Uhm, Terry?¡± Iris spoke up.

    ¡°Any problems?¡± Terry put down his mana-crafting tools and stood up. He hadn¡¯t sensed any trouble.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Iris looked confusedly towards the group of mana martialists at the counter. ¡°...but they wanted me to ask you if¡­¡± She gestured some finger-quotes. ¡°¡®Senior¡¯ would grace them with a minute.¡± From her face, it was not clear if she should laugh or not. ¡°I thought they were here for me, but apparently they want to talk to you.¡± She grinned. ¡°Well, one of them is going to stay for me, but he insisted on talking to you.¡±

    Terry subconsciously closed his eyes while processing the ridiculous request. It had barely been a few hours since the incident with the hunters and already his quiet training days at the Flower House were getting disturbed.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Terry grumbled and walked while thinking to himself. I wonder what it is this time.

    ¡°Honorable Elder!¡±

    ¡°Venerable Senior!¡±

    Terry had not expected that sight. A bunch of martialists in grey-blue robes with appearances ranging from young adult to outright elderly. They were all bowing to him. Hearing those martialists of obviously advanced age addressing him as ¡®Senior¡¯ was beyond surreal.

    They must have confused me for someone else.

    ¡°I¡¯m called Terry¡­¡± muttered Terry tentatively.

    ¡°Of course, Senior.¡± The martialists nodded fervently.

    I¡¯m getting the impression my point has not come across¡­

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± asked Terry with creased brows.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± One of the elders replied. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare beg for anything from you. We just wanted to say that we know what you are doing and that we are with you.¡±

    Terry blinked silently while staring at the elders. Well, if you know what I am doing, then that makes one of us. ¡°Come again?¡± Is this what Devon felt like with the loonies worshiping the Devonian Lord?

    ¡°We understood the lesson you wanted to impart on our disciples in the tomb of trials,¡± continued the elder.

    Terry considered simply walking away. He didn¡¯t believe the conversation would go anywhere productive. He couldn¡¯t even place the mana signatures of those martialists, which meant that whatever sect they belonged to, he had not interacted with anyone with a matching cultivation technique much.

    ¡°Forgive our juniors for being too ignorant to understand your lesson immediately,¡± continued the elder undeterred by Terry¡¯s absentminded expression. ¡°After they have informed us about what happened. The way you sabotaged only those that betrayed. The way you hunted those that hunted others. The way you lingered around the heavens to show the juniors where their true aim ought to be. The altar. The burned tickets. The demonic cultivator. The final battle. The way you let the juniors prove their determination before showing your true might.

    ¡°We understand.¡± The elder smiled knowingly. ¡°We¡¯ve long said that our sect is more important than the individual, but I¡¯ve been rebutted whenever I state that there is a natural extension beyond our sect. Thank you for helping me enlighten the others!¡±

    The elder leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice. ¡°And we know that your lessons here will prove to be valuable as well. Now that you have shown the first sign of acting, we will be here to learn. We stand with you, Venerable Elder!¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Terry half-heartedly. I guess.

    Weirdos.

    ***

    ¡°Terry, come with us.¡± Jasmine walked out of the reception hall with Daisy behind.

    Terry just nodded and followed. He knew that they were supposed to meet Alexander somewhere in the city. Apparently, the knight in politics had some news about the legal proceedings regarding Terry¡¯s actions with the hunters.

    Terry understood that Alexander was doing him a favor at the request of Daisy. What he did not understand was why they had to meet in the inner city. As far as he knew, Alexander would visit Daisy at the Flower House later anyway.

    Terry decided to let the question go. He knew that he should be happy to have someone intervene on his behalf even if it meant spending an hour in the city¡­ even though that could have been an hour training.

    A waste.

    Terry shrugged inwardly and used the walk to practice creating small disruption fields and attempting to pull them without losing the rotation. That endeavor was still as frustrating as ever.

    Eventually, they arrived at a street of food stalls where Alexander was already waiting and eating a stuffed rice ball that had been breaded and fried.

    Terry was surprised to see the rather impersonal greeting between Daisy and Alexander. He realized that he had never seen the two interact with each other outside the Flower House. Even in the Flower House, Terry had not seen them interact but rather felt them through his mana touch when he was keeping an eye on the hidden entrances.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯ve really caused a mess.¡± Alexander grumbled at Terry. ¡°You can¡¯t pull crap like that. The situation is unstable as it is. We can¡¯t afford this.¡±

    ¡°They attacked Brandon,¡± stressed Jasmine and Daisy nodded slightly.

    ¡°I know and I¡¯m not saying they didn¡¯t deserve to have their roof collapsed over them.¡± Alexander spoke placatingly. ¡°Believe me, some of the hunters deserve much worse.¡± He took another bite from his rice ball. After swallowing, he looked at Terry. ¡°I can at least commend you on your choice of action. New construction is a boon to the economy. Well done creating demand for local labor.¡±

    Something about the man irritated Terry. He was sure that a large part was the profession Alexander shared with Tiv¡¯s Preacher, but also¡­

    ¡°If they deserve much worse, why isn¡¯t anyone doing anything?¡± asked Terry with forced calmness.

    Alexander licked some of the tomato sauce filling from his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°Not that complicated,¡± interjected Jasmine with a scoff. She looked at Terry. ¡°Many crimes were forgiven in exchange for supporting the new country.¡±

    ¡°In exchange for a better future,¡± rephrased Alexander with practiced ease. ¡°And a semblance of stability.¡± His tone shifted to one of cynicism. ¡°Unfortunately, people are messed up and blindly pursuing everything would also mean tearing everything apart.¡± He eyed Terry. ¡°Which you shouldn¡¯t complain about.¡±

    ¡°You mean?¡± Daisy piped up.

    ¡°The presiding attorney has made her preliminary ruling,¡± announced Alexander with a playful smile. ¡°Not guilty.¡± He looked at Terry with a more serious expression. ¡°And don¡¯t do it again.¡±

    ***

    ¡°No,¡± said the elven sales person with tightly pressed lips.

    ¡°Uh, what?¡± Terry had just entered and wanted to sell the mana cores from the dungeon.

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t buy from you.¡± The merchant stepped next to his employee and elaborated. ¡°We won¡¯t sell anything to you either.¡±

    It took a moment for the words to sink in, but he chose not to care. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go find another merchant.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t do business with you either,¡± declared the merchant smugly.

    Terry stopped and looked at the pair. ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± He knew for a fact that the mana cores he had were in great condition and high demand.

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve been put on the trade shitlist.¡± The merchant seemed to take pleasure in informing Terry. ¡°You should not have messed with the Import-Export Cooperative. Who do you think is representing the traders? Good luck selling your cores when no reputable merchant will deal with you.¡±

    Terry glared at the merchant while taking deep breaths until he felt calm enough to leave. It seemed that he had lost yet another option to earn money from dungeon work. He had to look for a new alternative.

    ***

 193 Facets of Power

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 74 ¨C

    Under a dark cloudy sky, the rain pelted a large ship made of dark inscribed wood and surrounded by a green glow. The long corpse of a mana-corrupted giant squid was lying bound at the deck¡¯s center and many skeletal warriors were roaming around to handle various tasks.

    An elven woman with blonde hair and dark leather armor stepped to the ship¡¯s wheel. ¡°Looking forward to being home, Boss?¡±

    The man turned the wheel to steer towards the riverbed. His billowy shirt was already soaked from the pouring rain, but the cold didn¡¯t bother him. He grinned lopsidedly and the slight wrinkles at his eyes compressed. He adjusted his tricorn hat and replied: ¡°Don¡¯t we all, Intira.¡±

    ¡°Shall we drop you off at the usual spot while we take in the ship and move the more sensitive cargo towards the smuggler¡¯s den?¡±

    The man¡¯s grin widened. ¡°We¡¯ve been out for months. What do you think? Don¡¯t expect me to come in for at least a week.¡± At this moment, the ship was about to run aground and he stomped his knee-high boot on the wooden floor. Immediately, many death knights emerged from the ship¡¯s blast ports and crawled down into the water.

    Instead of running aground, the ship continued on land on the shoulders of countless death aura creatures. The image of the dark ship floating without water and carried by a creepy green glow scared off any lost soul wandering the area.

    The man stared into the distance. His eyes were brightly illuminated from mana use. He smiled longingly and muttered: ¡°Can¡¯t wait¡­¡±

    ***

    Terry was darting through the twilight of the morning sky and frowned.

    Again?

    He was used to the occasional overconfident or desperate folks looking to rob the cargo he was transporting for the merchants of the craft district, but he had figured he was done with that.

    None of the fools had ever managed to lay a finger on Terry. He had discovered and warned them before they could even try to act stupid.

    After his clash with the hunters, there were a few days when none of the usual suspects dared following, but it appeared that something had changed again.

    Stronger than the previous ones¡­

    Terry sighed with no one to hear around. He was half-certain that at least some of those cloaked signatures belonged to the hunters.

    Probably looking to cast two spells with one cast. Get back at me and get access to the valuable cargo.

    He was tempted to test his dungeon-tested pummeling therapy on them to vent his frustrations. He sure had enough frustrations to vent. He had not been able to sell any of his dungeon loot since the incident.

    He compressed a part of his mana bubble and rotated it into a sequence of focus refractors to douse the pursuers in a dense net of spell slicers.

    A warning.

    Any person with mana sight would find the intensity blinding. Any person using mana would find the contact with the disrupting slicers uncomfortable. Any person with any sense would get wary after being detected despite a perfect cloaking.

    Terry knew his warning was received when the pursuers backed away and he grunted with slight appreciation. As much as he would like to pummel the hunters for his current income problem, he did not want to waste his time. Unless pummeling them made gold coins fall out, he would rather finish the cargo transport mission that actually paid him.

    Terry had seen enough local storage items to doubt that robbing the robbers would be more profitable in his current situations. People tended to use their money or keep it at one of the banks. The kind of person engaging in alley robbery appeared even less likely to carry around much cash.

    They might carry valuable items, but since Terry was blocked from selling, he could not realize their value and turn them into money.

    Better to scare them off instead of messing up his time schedule for the day.

    ***

    Terry entered yet another merchant building in the trade district. He had nearly tried all of them. Everywhere, he had been rebuffed. After asking around, he had heard rumors that one of the merchants saw the cooperative¡¯s rules less strictly, more like guidelines.

    The shop was smaller than most, but for some reason, the number of guards was higher.

    Terry had already known about the guards inside thanks to his mana touch and he did not pay them any mind while walking up to the counter.

    Another peculiarity of this shop was that there was no employee dedicated to handling the counter and dealing with sales. The man behind the counter did not display the usual amicable smile, nor did he wear any branded uniform.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to sell some mana cores from the dungeon,¡± declared Terry.

    ¡°Of course, just place them on the counter,¡± said the merchant.

    At least I¡¯m not being refused outright. Progress.

    Terry placed one of the valuable cores from the inscribed earth giants on the counter. He did not waste his time. If this shop did not have the funds to handle cores like those, then he did not need to bother retrieving the rest.

    With the merchant fees, the cores of flash geckos would not make much of an impact towards his goal of paying for the dimensional portal fee, especially after the owners had increased the price once again. If they kept racking up the prices, then Terry had to think of something better to outearn the inflating target.

    ¡°Very nice.¡± The merchant picked up the core.

    Good. Seems like he¡¯s not worried about the value.

    Terry heaved a small sigh of relief. One merchant would be enough. He just needed one merchant to break rank so that he could sell his stuff.

    ¡°Do you have more?¡± asked the merchant eagerly.

    Something made Terry pause. Perhaps it was the greedy look in the man¡¯s eyes or the fact that he had not placed down the core back on the counter.

    Terry looked firmly into the merchant¡¯s eyes and replied: ¡°Today, I just want to sell this one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± exclaimed the merchant. He lowered the hand with the core, and placed it into his pocket. ¡°I guess you can leave then.¡±

    Terry did not move.

    ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± asked the merchant. ¡°You can go. You¡¯re under embargo. High enough on the shitlist that touching you is touching fire, so scram.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath, trying his best not to punch the man. ¡°If you don¡¯t want my business, that¡¯s fine. Hand me back my mana core and I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°What mana core?¡± asked the merchant with an innocent expression. Some of the guards snickered.

    Terry took a deep breath and growled: ¡°Hand me back my core or¡ª¡±

    ¡°Or what?!¡± The merchant sneered. ¡°I say it¡¯s my core. Who would take your word over mine? You¡¯re an unperson, foreigner fool. We control what you can buy and sell. You want to threaten me?¡± He scoffed while some of the guards stepped closer. ¡°I can afford to hire the best assassins if I want to.¡± He leered at Terry. ¡°I¡¯m the one in power here. Now scram!¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and thought: Fuck it.

    He let loose his mana and transfixed the equipment from the guards while he jumped over the counter to stand face to face with the merchant who backed into the shelf behind him.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one in power here?¡± asked Terry in a detached manner. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Guards!¡± The merchant panicked when he saw his guards fumbling with their transfixed equipment while their spells were squashed by Terry¡¯s disruption domain. He quickly changed gears. ¡°Help! City guard!¡±

    ¡°You can hire the best, fine.¡± Terry continued talking in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t see them here though.¡± He stepped closer. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re the one in power here?¡±

    Right at this moment, a pair of city guards entered the shop and demanded: ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    The merchant¡¯s expression brightened and he wanted to sneer at Terry, only to find Terry staring at him unflinchingly.

    ¡°He was just about to hand me back my mana core,¡± declared Terry without breaking eye contact with the merchant.

    ¡°Y¡ª N-no, he¡¯s¡ª¡± The merchant was muttering anxiously.

    Terry leaned closer. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re fast enough to protect you?¡±

    ¡°You would not dare touch me.¡± The merchant spoke but did not sound entirely convinced.

    ¡°Back away!¡± ordered one of the city guards.

    Terry did not move and continued staring coldly at the merchant. He opened his hand and said: ¡°My core.¡± While paying attention to the guards with his mana detection field, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He did not want to get into more trouble with the guards if he could avoid it, but¡­

    His awareness zoomed in on a particular sensation in the back of the store. There appeared to be a hidden room in one of the storage rooms. Inside, Terry felt a mana sensation he had felt before ¨C from one of the districts that was the center of illicit nightly activities.

    Terry observed the merchant who was still hesitating. The merchant was too shocked and afraid to push Terry over the edge, but also too greedy and prideful to just give in and return the core.

    ¡°I warned you!¡± The city guards barked again. ¡°Back away!¡±

    Terry lowered his voice just enough for the merchant to hear. ¡°Since the guards are already here, perhaps I should take them for a tour in that secret room you have behind the shelf in your second storage room. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be interested in what they¡¯ll find.¡±

    For a brief moment, the merchant¡¯s eyes darted everywhere with his gaze growing increasingly panicked. Eventually, he whimpered: ¡°A-all g-good.¡± He stated more loudly for the guards to hear: ¡°I was just inspecting one of his cores and am returning it now.¡±

    Terry received the mana core and left. He ignored the embarrassed glares from the shop guards as well as the uncertain gazes from the city guards.

    ***

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°...let¡¯s stop here for today.¡± Daisy closed the book.

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Brandon hung his head before looking at her with upturned eyes. ¡°Perhaps one more? I want to know what happened in the Deep! Did the Veilbinder team up with the Slayer again? Kivis hasn¡¯t appeared since the battle at the Wall Fortress! Just one more, please!¡±

    Daisy just grinned and lifted a hand to mess up Brandon¡¯s hair.

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes were now on Terry who was sitting cross-legged and with closed eyes on the grass in front of them. Blocks of different materials were transfixed all around Terry.

    ¡°Training?¡± Daisy scrunched up her face. ¡°...or so I guess.¡±

    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s creating mana balls¡­¡± Brandon strained his mana sight. He was practicing every day, but he was normally not able to see mana that was further away than an arm¡¯s length. Whenever Terry challenged him to a mana game, they had to limit the range of the playing field accordingly.

    The fact that he could see the mana ¡®balls¡¯ around Terry even though they were much further away spoke to the mana¡¯s intensity.

    Terry was breathing deeply and concentrated on maintaining his small disruption fields. Thanks to his practice in the dungeon, he was getting better at maintaining and compressing them. He had initially thought that his primary progression path for the technique would be to improve his proficiency at moving the fields before increasing the size he was dealing with.

    By now, he was able to move the small fields around slowly. As it turned out, he had already discovered the basic building blocks in his fight against Vicious. Back then, Terry had created a rotating disruption field for building up the quantity and intensity of spell slicers before converting it into a straight disruption rush to destroy the hexagonal barrier as a surprise attack to damage Vicious¡¯s channeling anchor.

    The trick to moving the disruption field was in abandoning the rotation while moving it. The challenge was in the slow down that resulted whenever he wanted to reestablish the rotation.

    Rotation. Dense protection of spell slicers.

    Rush. Movable but in exchange the slicers all moved straight and left gaps that wouldn¡¯t be there when rotating.

    Rotation. Rush. Rotation.

    The faster Terry was when forcing the rush and establishing the rotation, the more frequent he could perform the switch while keeping up the speed. He could control the trade-off between speed and disruption density. The only way to increase both simultaneously was in mastering his control and increasing the frequency.

    He had made a lot of progress but it had felt unsatisfying. The main frustration was that the technique¡¯s usefulness appeared limited to the weaker creatures in the dungeon. At least until he learned to pull a field as large as his disruption domain. Large enough to protect him in battle.

    In all of the unpleasant aftermath of his vindictive visit at the hunters¡¯ headquarters, there had been a single redeeming reward, a promising light of inspiration to offset his frustrating financial situation: He had successfully utilized the disruption field to grind away the inscription and with it its reinforcing effects.

    Tearing apart the central spell structures inside of imprinted items had become quite easy for Terry, but inscriptions were generally a lot harder to damage. It required more than just overcoming a shielding and a good tug at some mana inside. That was one of the reasons that inscribed items were more expensive than imprinted ones whose spell created a comparable effect.

    Terry opened his eyes with active mana sight to observe the results of his experiments.

    A way to damage inscriptions was useful, but Terry was aware that his application with the building was not the norm. The building was stationary. Targeting inscriptions on personall equipment would pose similar movement and intensity challenges to targeting the cores inside dungeon creatures.

    But what if he combined the idea with his unstoppable shift combination? The question made him grin.

    An attack that went beyond the mana realm. Beyond damaging inscriptions, although that would work too. Ripping into the inscriptions directly was just one way to damage them. Shifting their physical foundation to mess up the carved mana lines would achieve the same result.

    With his combination as the starting point, the target could be assumed to be stationary thanks to his Immovable Object spell.

    The unstoppable shift¡¯s main limitation was the time it required. Even if Terry managed to keep up with the mana expenditure, he was still working with the world¡¯s smallest chisel.

    His compressed disruption fields were finally offering a promise to possibly overcome that limitation. Rotating the same spell slicer repeatedly into the same transfixed object allowed reusing the slicer which was faster than starting from scratch. Compressing the rotation into a small sphere caused shorter rotation times and therefore a higher frequency of impacts. A higher frequency of unstoppable shifts and that with comparatively little buildup time.

    The targeting of his various disrupting grinders was less precise than his regular disruption discharges but it was still much more accurate than the huge disruption rush he had used against Rafael¡¯s defensive artifact in the battle for the altar. Terry had hope of further improving both precision and accuracy by progressing on further compressing the disruption fields.

    Already, the shifting grinders were performing well enough to grind holes into all of his test objects.

    Terry documented his observations in his notebook. The goal of his experiments was to determine if there were any factors to consider for the effectiveness of the unstoppable shifts. He extrapolated from the factors influencing the Immovable Object spell¡¯s activation delay and wanted to test different materials as well as different oscillating mana ratios.

    One benefit of his newly developed shifting grinders was that Terry could finally conduct the experiments to learn more about the interactions. Without them, the required time would have been prohibitive.

    Terry was deeply immersed into his observations when he suddenly raised his head and squinted into a particular direction. His proficiency in utilizing his mana detection field had increased significantly. He had gotten a lot better at filtering out the relevant changes in his periphery.

    One part of Terry¡¯s attention was naturally always on the Flower House. After all, he was being paid to protect the inhabitants. Just because he wanted to make the best use of his time by incorporating training into his work time, it did not mean he wanted to neglect his duties. Even if he was technically working as a Guildhead now, he still remembered his work as a Guardian. Or rather he remembered when Isille had drilled into him that he was representing them while on a mission and that he should act accordingly.

    Terry¡¯s current shift in focus was triggered by something else though. His subconscious awareness had bubbled up a particular sensation from his widely stretched mana detection field.

    The arrival of new mana signatures in the city was nothing unusual. There was a constant flux of refugees reaching the city. Powerful signatures or well-cloaked mana users were a regular sensation as well. Even the amount of death-aspect signatures would not cause Terry to bat an eye, because it appeared that many locals and refugees were dabbling in death whispering and necromancy.

    Terry blinked at the direction of the sensations and waited. He still had to discern why those signatures had caught his subconscious attention.

    He scowled as soon as he realized the reason: The signatures were headed for the Flower House and it made him think of the hunters again. Thinking about the possibility of this being the overture to the hunters¡¯ revenge for collapsing their building, he involuntarily growled.

    Terry immediately stopped his experiments, packed up his equipment, and headed inside to inform Jasmine.

    Just in case.

    Not long afterwards, Terry was standing at the main entrance door and leaning on the doorframe. His king spear was placed at the sheath belt on his back and hidden by the shadow fabric that formed a cloak from his magic brooch. He asked in a low tone: ¡°Are you sure this is nothing to worry about?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± replied Jasmine calmly.

    ¡°Then why did you tell Lavender and the others to stay inside?¡± asked Terry flatly. It was more out of shallow curiosity than anything else. Even if she was wrong, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. He couldn¡¯t control how other people acted, only how he reacted.

    ¡°I trust my judgement,¡± said Jasmine confidently. After a pause, she added: ¡°But I am me. One thing you learn if you are in charge of people you care about is to consider the consequences of being wrong, no matter how much you trust yourself.¡±

    Guess I have a headstart on that.

    Terry could not help but think he was rarely that full of trust in himself to begin with. Failure was always at the top of his mind. He might have gotten more impulsive after being trapped with battle-crazed martialists and losing his patience, but that only meant he sometimes acted before his thoughts had an opportunity to let self-doubt take over.

    Terry relaxed slightly when he perceived that one of the signatures separated from the rest. Only that single individual continued heading to the Flower House. Nevertheless, Terry did not feel like returning the king spear to his storage, because that single individual appeared to be the strongest of them all. Strong enough that Terry would like to avoid a fight if possible.

    Eventually, a man with a tricorn hat and black clothing arrived with wide open arms and an even wider grin: ¡°My beautiful Jasmine! How I¡¯ve longed to see you!¡±

    ¡°Thiago, stop,¡± shouted Jasmine in a cold voice.

    Thiago halted and looked confusedly at her. ¡°My lovely darling, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There will be no service for you here,¡± declared Jasmine.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Thiago¡¯s expression shifted from stupefied to crestfallen and back before settling on disgruntled suspicion. ¡°If that¡¯s a joke, it¡¯s a damned poor one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± insisted Jasmine. Her eyes never left Thiago¡¯s.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± muttered Thiago quietly before yelling in a pleading tone. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t do this to me! Look!¡± He gestured with his hands towards his lower body. ¡°I have to place my feet so far from each other, I can barely walk properly. I need you!¡±

    In spite of herself, Jasmine showed an amused smile at the man¡¯s antics. She managed to force a stern expression and replied: ¡°If it¡¯s really that urgent, then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to look for someone else.¡±

    Thiago gasped and actually looked offended. ¡°Darling, I don¡¯t want anyone else!

    This time, Jasmine¡¯s smile was warm. It came from her heart and it took her longer to return to her previous stern expression. ¡°Then you better hurry to your hunters and straighten them out. They¡¯re the reason why I will not see you.¡± She looked at him for a second longer. ¡°Farewell, Thiago.¡±

    ¡°Farewell?¡± Thiago was stumped and mumbled quietly. ¡°Darling, you make it sound like¡­¡±

    Jasmine glanced back. ¡°There is no us if I lose trust in your principles.¡±

    Thiago frowned. ¡°What did those numbskulls do?!¡±

    From beginning to end, Terry had observed the man. It turned out that Jasmine was right. That man would not attack the Flower House.

    From beginning to end, Thiago had not paid Terry any attention. The curses he threw into the air while departing caused many parents to close the ears of their children. None of them dared to reprimand the man.

    ***

    ¡°Do something!¡± One of two women kneeling on the floor hissed to her boyfriend. ¡°What kind of man is unable to protect his woman?!¡±

    They were all held in place by others. All six of them. Four men and two women.

    The man with a scar on his throat was scowling. He desperately turned to his brother, but the man was showing no sign of interfering despite his apprehensive expression.

    Thiago was sitting at a table in front of the kneeling six and was slowly cutting the meat on his plate. He placed a piece in his mouth and chewed with closed eyes while savoring the smell and taste. After swallowing, he smacked his lips and then asked: ¡°We have rules in this family. Without rules, there is no family.¡± He wiped his mouth with a white table napkin and leaned back in his chair.

    Thiago moved his eyes over the six offenders. His gaze lingered a moment longer on the man with a scarred throat. He clicked his tongue and continued: ¡°I don¡¯t think our code is too long to remember, do you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s he on about?¡± The woman hissed again at her boyfriend. ¡°Who is that¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Her boyfriend hissed back.

    Thiago cleared his throat and took a sip from his wine. He swirled it while saying: ¡°We do not harm children, nor any women that are with child.¡± He looked at some of the people standing around and lifted his chin.

    The hunters forced the six people closer to the table and forced their left arms to the table.

    ¡°For those that have forgotten our code, we will have to leave a memento,¡± said Thiago and nodded.

    One of the hunters with a long sword staff holding an oversized blade stepped forth. In a single swipe, he cut through six forearms at once.

    On Thiago¡¯s hand that held the wineglass, two rings lit up with different lights. One isolated the screams. Another created a barrier to block the blood from reaching him. He calmly watched the agonized expressions while taking another sip from the wine. He sent a glance to his left-hand man and searched for any sign of rebellion inspired by the punishment for the man¡¯s brother, but there was nothing.

    Thiago cut another slice of meat and chewed while coldly staring into the eyes of the crippled people that were bleeding out. Eventually, he gave another nod and healing spells activated, but only to close the wound and to stop the bleeding.

    Thiago swallowed and looked towards the severed hands on the bloody table: ¡°You have lost the privilege of those limbs until I am convinced that you don¡¯t need any more mementos to remember our code.¡±

    Most of the six just stared at their bloody stumps, but the scarred man managed to squeeze out: ¡°Thank you, B-Boss, for your m-mercy.¡± His girlfriend sent him an outraged glance but was silenced by the gaze he returned.

    ¡°Take them away,¡± ordered Thiago while picking up his wine again. He held up his free hand for the last person to be punished to see.

    ¡°Boss,¡± muttered his left-hand man gravely.

    ¡°Hector, you¡¯ve always shown affection for family and that is one of the reasons I chose you,¡± said Thiago without looking at the man who stood slightly behind him. ¡°But never again dare to put your brother over our family. I¡¯ve trusted you and you¡¯ve disrespected my trust.¡±

    ¡°...understood,¡± said Hector with resignation. He stepped forth and kissed one of the rings on Thiago¡¯s hand that was held up. An ominous dark purple light glowed around the ring and a streak of black appeared on the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°Your first offense.¡± Thiago lowered his hand and now firmly looked into Hector¡¯s eyes. ¡°There won¡¯t be more than three in a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Boss,¡± said Hector. ¡°I will not disappoint again.¡± He bowed slightly and then inquired: ¡°What are we to do with the Flower Protector?¡±

    Thiago scowled and ate several more pieces of meat before he answered. ¡°Call off the hunting squads.¡± He took a sip of wine. ¡°Not like they¡¯ve demonstrated much use anyway.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Are we just going to let that man off?¡±

    Thiago grunted. ¡°No. I liked that building.¡± He smacked his lips. ¡°And he has disrespected our family. That cannot go unpunished¡­¡± His scowl deepened when he muttered quietly. ¡°...even for my Jasmine.¡± He finished the glass of wine and continued: ¡°But given how it started and considering that no one has died, I want it to stay that way. Continue the embargo. That should be enough to teach a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe she will be satisfied with that?¡± asked an elven woman in leather armor who was also standing slightly behind Thiago. Intira¡¯s tone was slightly teasing.

    Thiago rolled his tongue over the inside of his cheek. ¡°I believe I¡¯ll get my point across.¡± He uncomfortably shifted in his chair and adjusted the position of his legs. ¡°I¡¯ve given her no reason to doubt my principles in this matter. No bodily harm will come to the Flower Protector from this, but the rest is a separate topic.¡±

    ***

 194 Appearances and Perception

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 82 ¨C

    Terry was ascending from the second local dungeon. By now, he had cleared the two dungeons repeatedly and it was beginning to feel like routine work. He knew the dungeon creatures and different floors, both from his initial research and from actual experience.

    Honestly, those dungeons had offered few surprises to begin with. His mana touch scouting and mana detection field made it quite difficult for the dungeons to catch him off-guard.

    Naturally, that did not mean the dungeons stopped trying.

    Terry barely batted an eye when he sensed that the path he had taken down was now blocked. He did not miss a step to simply follow the new opening that led to another path up. He could already feel what was waiting for him in the next room.

    More loot. Yay. Terry¡¯s thoughts rang with a flat tone. He did not manage to muster much excitement anymore.

    Before stepping over the threshold, he circulated a burst technique and added a torrent of mana to the divine hammer inscriptions at his forearms. He madly dashed into the room and began punching the air. Translucent golden hammers appeared with each punch and they pelted the inscribed earthen hands that were holding magic weapons.

    Terry managed to knock a flaming sword out of the earthen giant¡¯s upper hands. Without breaking stride ¨C or his divine hammer use ¨C he was already retrieving the sword with his bidirectional attraction glove and placed it inside his dimensional storage.

    Snatching one weapon was nice, but Terry¡¯s primary concern were the two shields the construct carried with its lower arms. It was not the first time that he was fighting one of those upgraded giants. They had a nasty habit of trying to use the two shields to squish the person in front of them. The shields had a mid-range elemental blast attack. However, the most annoying thing about the shields was that they were magic shields.

    The earthen giant moved the shields to block Terry from being able to directly get to its core. Unfortunately, the mana concentration in the shields was too high and he had to buy some more time to overpower the foreign-naturalized mana and transfix them.

    Terry continued throwing out divine hammers that could match his tertium slabs with their area. Not even the visible progress in his inscription mastery was managing to get through his bad mood.

    He summoned a divine barrier to block the incoming keen axe at its handle. He could see that the axe would be easier to transfix than the shields based on its mana density, but he considered it a waste of time. The true obstacle to overcome were the construct¡¯s shields.

    Fortunately, the shields were still physical objects and after flicking a few well-timed throwing needles and spells, the shields were trapped in place. If Terry was unable to quickly transfix the object itself, he could still box it in with his own immovable objects.

    While Terry used the opening and dashed towards the construct¡¯s chest, he felt the impulse to simply pull the king spear from his back and pierce the mana core. It would be the fastest way to end this fight, but it would damage the core.

    Damage the core.

    What good was a core in perfect condition when he had no place to sell it?

    Terry suppressed the impulse and rapidly transfixed first some additional tertium slabs as cover and then went to work with his keen daggers. He knew the exact location of the core and his keen daggers danced furiously to carve the path. Before the giant could lash out with its last remaining weapon, Terry was already holding the pristine core in his hands.

    What good is any of this if I can¡¯t sell it?

    Terry scowled while putting the construct¡¯s core into his storage. He suppressed his curses and collected both the magic weapons as well as the inscription base metal.

    The local dungeons had stopped being a good exercise for him. They had stopped being a good source of income. It felt like a routine. Like a pointless routine.

    Routine was how Terry had often persevered against his troubles.

    The routine of looking for new spells to try, even while every single spell he tried would fail. The routine of training his mana foundation even if there would never be another spell to use it with.

    The routine of killing ghouls even when every method appeared unsatisfactory. The routine of running from death even when all it promised was more running and more death.

    Routine.

    Terry had stopped believing that routine would get him out of his current situation. The portal fee had increased again. For the first time since his grind for money had started, he had fallen behind. There was no sign of betterment in sight.

    When Terry had arrived in the Freedom Cooperative, he had thought the huge price and even the price increases did not matter. He was capable and he was diligent. If they racked up the prices, he would just have to work harder and smarter to get ahead.

    Terry now realized that he had been naive. There was no getting ahead for him anymore. Not to the point of ever purchasing the use of the portal.

    He knew that, compared to the manaless locals, he was rich. But he did not care about being rich by their standards. He did not care about being rich at all. He just wanted to get home to Arcana. His supposed richness could not buy him the one thing that mattered. All the things he could buy were things he did not really want.

    Pointless.

    Terry had considered simply bartering with the portal owners by handing over all of his collected dungeon loot. Even though that was apparently an option, that option required a ratified appraisal. Of course, the only licensed appraisers were the traders, who refused to service Terry and that just added insult to injury.

    Terry was considered wealthy by manaless standards. By now, his storage items were a treasure trove of wealth looted from the dungeon. Unfortunately, all that wealth was meaningless if he couldn¡¯t liquidate it. With no way to turn the wealth into money or the real object of his desire ¨C the usage of the transport portal ¨C it all felt so pointless.

    At some point, Terry had dived into the dungeon for hope. Hope that he would eventually be able to sell the items he collected.

    Later, Terry had dived out of habit. It was part of his routine.

    Now, Terry mostly dived out of spite. Collecting every single core and trace of valuable items. Using even the last second of his allocated time slot to make sure the dungeon had as little time to recover as possible before the next slot would start. Looking into the eyes of the Dungeon Cooperative delver that would follow him only to discover a very diminished set of rewards. All of it gave him a sort of petty pleasure that made him continue delving.

    When Terry left the dungeon, he already expected to see the pair of loathsome elven women. He glowered at them and insisted: ¡°I¡¯m not selling my slot.¡±

    The one thing that Terry had going for him was that he had reserved the time slot for his allotted dungeon quota long in advance. He preferred early shifts and he had naturally reserved the first dive on all those days. Even if the dungeon cooperative figured out that Terry was responsible for the diminished profitability of subsequent delves, there was not much they could do about it.

    The quota system might have been put in place by Dungeon Cooperative lobbying, but that did not mean they could easily adjust it. Ostensibly, the Guild was in charge. The Dungeon Cooperative had to lobby to get the system changed and evidently, lobbying was a slower process and took time to catch up with Terry¡¯s pettiness.

    ¡°You made that very clear last time,¡± said the blonde elf from the Dungeon Cooperative.

    ¡°No, we are here to offer you a place in the cooperative,¡± said the brunette elf with an amicable smile.

    A new approach then?

    Terry raised an eyebrow. He really could not stand those two elves. Friendly smiles that only aimed to mask their true thoughts and motives. He did not feel like being chatty with such people and went straight to the point. ¡°Terms?¡±

    For the briefest moment, Terry could see irritation on the elven faces, but they quickly recomposed themselves and showed nothing but a smile again.

    ¡°If you join as a full member, you get to keep forty percent of the sales,¡± said the blonde elf.

    Did they think I wouldn¡¯t notice?

    Terry clicked his tongue and shook his head. They had thrown out the same number as last time but flipped the logic. Last time it had been a forty percent fee that went to the cooperative. This time, it was a 40% cut for himself, which meant a sixty percent fee for the cooperative.

    That did not even touch on the fact that being a full member also meant that they received the right to change his schedule or to pair him with other delvers that may or may not be incompetent money suckers with whom to split the sales further.

    The elven women noted Terry¡¯s expression and the brunette quickly added in an apologetic voice. ¡°Unfortunately, we cannot offer the same terms as last time. We have rules in place to avoid sending the wrong signal to everyone. ¡±

    The right signal appears to be: ¡®join us or else.¡¯ Join us fast or you¡¯ll be even worse off.

    Terry rolled his eyes and barely suppressed a snide remark. He was getting sick of seeing their smiley masks and walked past them.

    ¡°There is also the option of performing a one-time payment to earn back the first-time offer privilege terms.¡± The brunette elf hurriedly added.

    Terry paused without turning around to look at the two.

    ¡°Naturally, the amount would have to be calculated based on the number of your previous unsanctioned dives outside the cooperative,¡± added the blonde elf.

    Terry growled and started walking again.

    Just another ¡®or else.¡¯

    That kind of payment might even put him into debt, especially with his current money problem. The longer he refused and continued diving on his own, the worse it would get.

    So be it.

    The more Terry learned about the Dungeon Cooperative and the more he dealt with them, the less he felt like joining them. The mere thought of submitting to them made his blood boil.

    At this point, Terry would rather try his luck on the nightly illicit markets that he had avoided so far. He was not even sure why he had avoided them exactly.

    He had technically skirted the law both in Tiv and in Thanatos. Even in the Freedom Cooperative he had already gotten into trouble with the guards and he had not lost any sleep over it.

    Nevertheless, the illicit market just seemed different to Terry. Different, because Terry could sense the kind of people hanging around there. The street robber in a suit was just one of the people familiar to him.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    He was not worried about the possible danger. He couldn¡¯t sense anything he would have to truly worry about.

    No, it was something else.

    Terry simply didn¡¯t like the idea of placing himself on the same level as those criminals. Mingling with them in their establishments seemed like accepting them, or like accepting himself as part of them. He did not like that thought at all.

    Unfortunately, he might not have any other options left.

    Deep down, Terry wasn¡¯t even sure if the illicit markets were really an option. He assumed that there would be horrendous fees on sales as well. Fees that he could not afford if he wanted to make headway towards the portal use.

    A part of him already wondered if leaving the city and trying his luck sidestepping the forbidden zone with its volcanic thunder might be the better option after all. If he could hold out against the blood-thirsty martial sects long enough to spit out a proposal of barter or bribe some of them with all the dungeon loot he had no use for, perhaps¡­

    He had only stayed in the city because he had believed it was the faster way to get home. Now that his belief had been shaken, he might have to reconsider his options outside the city. One way or the other, he was just passing through.

    However, that was a consideration for later. Terry first had to uphold his promise of acting as Daisy¡¯s bodyguard at the masquerade ball that crowned the city¡¯s big celebration. He was not looking forward to that at all.

    Just imagining being surrounded by people in masks made Terry¡¯s skin crawl.

    During his return trip to the city, he could hear the brass instruments of yet another celebratory marching band parading the streets. The big festivities had lifted the overall mood in the city, much in contrast to Terry¡¯s own mood that had never been worse ever since his arrival.

    ***

    ¡°Are you really going like this?¡± Daisy pouted at Terry with more than a bit of disappointment. She herself was wearing an elegant dress of silver and violet. Her face was hidden by a mask of silver with black feathers.

    ¡°Definitely.¡± Terry was wearing his regular equipment with all its battle marks and ill-matched colors. Although he had extended the shadow fabric from his magic brooch to cover most of it as a cloak, he knew that he was not going to blend in.

    Good.

    He didn¡¯t want to blend in. From what Jasmine had said, plenty of representatives from the influential cooperatives would be there. From everything Terry had experienced in the city, he suspected he would not enjoy their company. The other half of the guests was made up of politicians, which did not inspire much hope in Terry either.

    No.

    Terry did not want to mingle. He wanted to follow the lead of his aunt Sigille and his cousin Matteo. He made sure that the shadow fabric did not cover the throwing needles at his legs. He wanted to display visible weapons. He even placed the uncloaked king spear at his back.

    Tonight, he aimed to seem as bad a company as possible. He was in no mood to attract any flies. He just wanted to get the evening over with and ensure that Daisy got home safe. A last promise to fulfill before he might leave this dead end city forever.

    After they were out of the secret tunnel, Terry would also drop his own mana cloaking and prevent his mana from feeding the cloaking necklace.

    He did not want to mingle.

    He did not want to sniff around.

    He did not want to pick any fights or sides.

    He did not want to fix whatever was going wrong with the city.

    All Terry hoped for was to convey that it was a bad idea to mess with Daisy and, by extension, with him. Have a quiet ¨C if mildly annoying ¨C evening and return home. First to his temporary home at the inn, then to his real home in Arcana.

    ¡°Why do we have to take this tunnel again?¡± asked Terry. The secret tunnel forced them into a detour compared to directly leaving through the Flower House¡¯s main entrance. It was only ten minutes or so, but he was simply not used to wasting time in this manner. It seemed pointless.

    ¡°Alexander asked us to,¡± replied Daisy faintly. There was a slight pause and then she spoke up with more excitement. ¡°What kind of music do you think they¡¯ll play?¡±

    Terry did not have to see her face to imagine that her eyes were sparkling. He had heard that tone of voice before during the story time hours with Brandon. He could not understand her excitement, but did not want to spoil her mood either.

    Unfortunately, his honest face had evidently already betrayed his lack of excitement. When she looked at him, he thought to read a slight trace of disappointment in her eyes yet again.

    Terry wondered if he should have worn a mask after all. Not for himself, but perhaps to avoid ruining the mood for everyone whenever his honest face leaked his real thoughts about the whole masquerade idea. However, even now, he could not bring himself to take the idea seriously.

    Perhaps it was more than just the bad experiences with martialists and the ambivalent feelings he still harbored for his misleading truths in Thanatos. Perhaps it was just him projecting the figurative act of lying onto the literal masks as symbols. Terry would not be able to explain all the reasons for his resentment. He just knew that he found the whole masking up idea loathsome.

    ¡°Air is clear,¡± declared Terry. No one was outside the secret exit.

    Daisy sent him a quick glance and smiled underneath her mask. She knew that Terry had sometimes performed scouting missions without ever leaving the Flower House. She never really learned about how mana sight worked, but she understood from her talks with Lavender and Jasmine that Terry¡¯s display of scouting abilities were beyond impressive.

    They left the tunnel unseen and wandered into the streets of festivities. Once again, Terry was slightly annoyed at having to take a detour around another block before finally choosing a path that directly led to the mana signature of Alexander.

    Alexander¡¯s outfit included a mask decorated with gemstones and peacock feathers as well as a tabard to match the colors of Daisy¡¯s dress. The tabard prominently features the crest of the Freedom Cooperative.

    Terry suppressed a sigh and took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself for the rest of the annoying evening.

    On the other side, Alexander was staring breathlessly. Much to Daisy¡¯s disappointment, he was staring at Terry.

    Eventually, Alexander recomposed himself. He took Daisy¡¯s hand to kiss it and complimented her dress. Then he glanced at Terry and chuckled: ¡°With your mana on display like that, you might scare the waiters. Try not to blame them if they spill a drink on you.¡±

    Terry only shrugged.

    ¡°When I heard that you were acting as my sweet-D¡¯s bodyguard, I had hoped you would dress up for the occasion,¡± complained Alexander.

    Terry furrowed his brow. He was not sure what he had just heard. It sounded like sweetie but with a d instead of a t sound at the end.

    ¡®D¡¯?

    Once among the dungeon scavengers, Terry had met a human woman called ¡®Dee¡¯. Terry believed that Dee would probably have laughed her ass off at Alexander¡¯s outfit. Either that or she would have tried to scam some money out of him in a card game. The dwarven man Bigsby would probably join to help her and then lose unintentionally.

    Of course, Terry realized that it was just a nickname for Daisy. It might have been intended as a sign of affection, but to Terry it sounded off.

    Anyway¡­

    ¡°I asked and it¡¯s not mandatory,¡± replied Terry dismissively.

    ¡°Not unless you want to seem like anything but a boor, my friend.¡± Alexander rolled his eyes.

    Terry ignored the jab and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s your bodyguard?¡±

    ¡°Mine?¡± Alexander chortled. ¡°I¡¯m not so frail, and the largest faction among the attendees will be our Knights of Labor. The permission for bodyguards is mostly for the representatives from the economic cooperatives.¡±

    The rest of the walk to the palace, Terry remained quiet. He ignored the flirty chit-chat between Alexander and Daisy. He focused on scouting ahead.

    Along the way, they encountered a familiar old woman handing out pamphlets.

    When Tamsin spotted the three, she appeared conflicted about whom to show more disdain for ¨C Alexander or Terry. ¡°Big surprise. Who but a fool would hire a foreigner as a bodyguard? As usual, there is not the slightest trace of foresight from the rebel scum! I¡¯ve seen that man check out the portal fees every week at least! That is whom you want to rely on for protection? A man that can¡¯t wait to get away?¡±

    First she blames me for coming here. Now she blames me for wanting to leave.

    Terry ignored the old grouch and continued walking. He was just passing through.

    Alexander did not take the bait either. He whispered to Daisy. ¡°The whole city is celebrating and here she is vomiting toxicity like every other day. It would be sad if it wasn¡¯t so annoying.¡±

    They continued until the palace where Alexander informed the palace guards that Daisy was his date and that Terry was her bodyguard. Alexander led them all towards the second floor and into the large ballroom that was crowned with a glittering chandelier.

    Terry double-checked the room and building with his mana touch while his eyes drifted over the available snacks. He ignored the judging stares while he picked up a handful of food even though no one else had touched their plates yet. Afterwards, Terry immediately walked out of the dance hall and onto the large balcony to get some fresh air and avoid mingling.

    ***

    ¡°Found you!¡± Daisy skipped over to Terry who was leaning on the railing of the balcony.

    ¡°Am I hard to find?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow. Throughout the evening, there had been no lack of people pointing or whispering. Once there had even been a shriek when a couple exited the dance hall and joined the balcony only for Terry to enter the range of the woman¡¯s mana sight.

    Terry pretended not to notice. He did not want to be noticed either, but he did not think that he was hard to find. He had barely moved throughout the whole night.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have mana sight,¡± offered Daisy as her explanation. She lifted her masked face and spoke in a slightly changed tone. ¡°Care for dance, mister?¡±

    ¡°¡®Mister¡¯?¡± Terry¡¯s eyebrow that had barely returned to its resting position jumped up again.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m talking to you. Are you here often?¡± Daisy spoke playfully.

    Is she drunk?

    Terry knew she wasn¡¯t drunk. He had monitored her movements at all times with his mana touch and she had barely touched the alcoholic beverages. It was a relief, but caused a lack of explanation for her current act.

    I don¡¯t get this game and I¡¯m not sure I want to play it.

    Terry replied honestly and curtly. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Would you care for a dance?¡± Daisy leaned slightly forward and offered her hand to Terry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dance. I think Alexander would be a better dancing partner.¡± Terry knew that the man was currently chatting with some of the other guests, but that would not last long. Alexander had already accompanied Daisy for many dances and it never took long for the man to seek her out and offer another invitation.

    Daisy lowered her head slightly, but she did not leave. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can just talk.¡±

    ¡°Happily, but do you mind taking off the mask?¡± asked Terry in a slightly apologetic tone. He did not mind chatting with Daisy, but he really did not like looking at a mask when speaking to someone. Even if his resentment for the harmless object was irrational, it just irked him and asking didn¡¯t hurt.

    Or so Terry thought.

    However, he noticed that Daisy seemed to deflate slightly when removing her mask. Even though she had proposed to talk, she just moved next to Terry and also leaned on the railing in silence.

    They both looked in opposite directions. While Terry was looking away from the dancing and towards the city landscape and star-filled horizon, Daisy was looking at the couples that danced and mingled happily.

    Eventually, Terry realized that he had never seen Daisy be that quiet for that long. Before he could think of a topic to bring up, he could already sense Alexander rushing over. Terry glanced at Daisy with a smile and said: ¡°I think you¡¯re going to get your dance now.¡±

    Daisy first looked at him with confused hesitation before she noticed Alexander coming over. She lowered her head and was about to say something when Alexander interrupted her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alexander rushed closer. He lifted Daisy¡¯s mask and pressed it towards her. ¡°Quick!¡± He cleared his throat and added in a calmer voice. ¡°This is a masquerade ball after all.¡± He leaned closer and smiled charmingly. ¡°I wanted to invite my sweet-D to another dance.¡± He held out a hand. ¡°My heart quivered when my eyes couldn¡¯t find you. I can¡¯t bear to be away from you.¡±

    Daisy¡¯s mouth opened without saying anything. Her eyes darted from Alexander, to the mask in her hands, to Terry and the mostly empty balcony, and finally to the cheerful laughs and dancing in the ballroom. She closed her eyes and put on her mask. She followed Alexander for another dance.

    Terry glanced after the two and inwardly shrugged. He could not see the appeal in the dance and he could understand the desire for masks even less.

    ***

    The night was getting late and Terry was looking forward to the end of this whole masquerade ball. Overall, it had been like he had hoped for: quiet and uneventful.

    Terry smiled lopsidedly when he saw some of the palace guards yawn. Evidently, the folks partying had more stamina than the guards that were supposed to protect them.

    That was when Terry¡¯s mana detection field picked up something that caught his attention. It was small. Only the size of a bird. Nothing unusual. With such a large balcony opening, the occasional misguided pigeon or swallow was to be expected.

    However, Terry felt mana in that area. He felt mana, but he did not see it. That indicated a perfect mana cloaking. Cloaking was not unusual at this party of various important people, but the combination of the size and the cloaking was indeed unusual.

    Terry turned around to look at the ballroom. He did not see anything in the location from where he was feeling the mana. He reshaped his mana bubble to move more mana towards the location and get a better impression of the shape and its aspects.

    While Terry was gathering more information, he could sense more of such areas appearing. They were not stationary. They moved and then stayed in one location.

    They don¡¯t act like animals. Perhaps a change of guards? Night shift? Some bodyguards that only appear now?

    Terry did not flinch when sensing pronounced blood and death aspects. Among the locals that dabbled with necromancy and death whispering, such aspects were not uncommon.

    Terry might have ignored the invisible shapes that matched bats. He had sensed vampires in the city before and there was more than one merchant that hired them as night guards.

    However, when Terry¡¯s mana sight suddenly flipped to purple, he began moving his hand to his king spear.

    In the purple layer of his mana sight, Terry saw something spreading from the invisible vampiric bats. It spread towards the purple of the folks inside the hall. Including the person he had promised to protect.

    Terry stepped into the hall while keeping his senses on the hidden vampires at the ceiling.

    ***

 195 Acting Out

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 83 ¨C

    Terry had entered the hall with his king spear held in his right hand. His appearance and particularly the drawn blade quickly caught attention. Guests rushed out of the way while some of the bodyguards moved their hands to their own weapons.

    Alexander was hurriedly walking to Terry. The look in his eyes was indignant.

    Terry ignored all the movements around him. He only had eyes for the invisible vampire bats. He slowly raised his left arm, circled mana into the inscription wraps, and softly flicked with two fingers.

    His movement was harmless enough to avoid triggering any of the tense observers, but it was sufficient to send a small surface of translucent golden mana into the vampire bat at the center of the strange purple that was spreading towards the guests.

    In an instant, everything turned chaotic and many things happened in quick succession.

    The strange purple was interrupted. Immediately afterwards, countless attack spells were shaped from the ceiling with the most prominent guests as their targets.

    A large barrier of divine mana appeared to separate the ceiling from the guests. Ambient mana suddenly contracted and rotated into focus refractors to unleash disruption and slice the spell structures apart before the spells could be ignited.

    The most capable personal and palace guards jumped into action and prepared their own counters to protect their charges.

    A powerful chained spell was successfully activated and dozens of intense fire spears were assaulting the divine barrier.

    The divine barrier stood fast while a second layer of translucent golden mana shaped up as additional protection. This successive barrier left a small gap.

    In the blink of an eye, a blue-green metallic spearhead pierced through the gap in golden mana to unleash electric havoc on the still invisible vampire bat.

    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± shouted a senior officer from the palace guards.

    In the confusion, many guards were pointing their weapons at Terry, who had already half-ascended towards the ceiling.

    ¡°Not by him you dimwitted bastards!¡± roared an elven woman with a black glossy leather mask and dress. Intira removed her mask and crushed a few spheres from her storage bracelets. A group of phantoms rose up and listened to her whispers.

    ¡°Vampires at the ceiling!¡± shouted a dwarf in a much more elaborate variant of the usual city guard uniform. Edmund cursed under his breath and began barking orders.

    Alexander¡¯s hurried walk had come to a sudden stop and he was staring with wide eyes. His eyes darted to Daisy and then above. He took off his mask and drew his rapier that rapidly transformed to emit an intense light. ¡°Knights with me! Protect the guests! Protect the Cooperative! Protect our Freedom!¡±

    In a matter of seconds, many Knights of Labor answered Alexander¡¯s call and raised rapiers of light and other aspects next to him.

    Terry kept his mana detection focused on Daisy, but his eyes were firmly glued to the bloodied figure forming behind his divine barrier. His lightning blast had torn half of the vampire¡¯s body away but it had not been a killing blow. The damage to her circulatory system had evidently not been sufficient to kill the vampiress.

    Strong.

    Not strong enough to worry him for his own life, but in combination with the other vampires, it was worrying enough that he had to stay focused. He couldn¡¯t split himself in half, so he had to make a decision.

    Terry blinked the distracting purple in his mana sight away while he observed the mana flow in the vampires that were now all undoing their bat transformations. The initial chaos of attacks and counter-attacks had come to an unexpected halt.

    ¡°What is this?!¡± cursed one of the palace guards. He grimaced at the suffocating sensation.

    ¡°What is this?!¡± cursed one of the vampires. He struggled to harvest mana for his spellwork and as soon as anything resembling a proper spell structure was shaped up, it was already torn apart.

    This was naturally Terry, who had unleashed his disruption domain. Even though he tried to focus his spell slicers on the vampires, he could not avoid spreading a higher concentration of his naturalized mana ¨C the reason for the suffocating feeling of mana suppression in his vicinity.

    ¡°Hey, whose side are you on?¡± Intira glared at Terry. Her controlled phantoms were cowering next to her ¨C shrinking away from the rotating army of intense spell slicers.

    Terry did not move his eyes away from the strongest among the vampires. He was confident he could win, but that was not his primary concern.

    [Use the northern exit for the evacuation.] Finger runes shaped up in front of Edmund and the other guards that had taken charge. ¡°What?¡± exclaimed Edmund gruffly. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. ¡°Who¡­?¡± [Thralls incoming from the east.]

    [Stay close to Daisy and leave.] Another order appeared in front of Alexander¡¯s mana sight. [Be wary of thralls hidden among the guests.]

    At various locations around the city, many stronger mana users suddenly found glaringly bright finger runes shaking them out of their drowsiness.

    ¡°Just do it!¡± Terry shouted. He did not have time to elaborate. The suspiciously diverse and still coordinated group of people approaching from the east was bad news when paired with strong vampire presence.

    Terry adjusted his divine barriers to dart to the side with the vampires and immediately closed the gap afterwards. He knew that at least some of them would have read his finger runes too.

    Once again, the room broke out in chaos.

    The vampiress leader emitted an ear-piercing shriek and several guests drew daggers to assault their neighbors, only to find their weapons transfixed in the air. Terry might not be able to identify all the thralls present, but the whole hall was within his casting range. He would be damned if he let any physical object do something he didn¡¯t want to happen here.

    Alexander and his Knights of Labor began battling some enthralled guards. With Terry¡¯s support, they performed a fighting retreat while helping the sane guests evacuate. Alexander struck an elegant figure fighting and protecting while giving orders to his fellow knights. The dashing sight almost made Daisy forget her fear.

    ¡°Focus on¡ª¡±! One of the vampires pointed at Terry and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a blinding light.

    Terry furiously circulated mana into his inscribed items. Everything so far had proven his initial suspicion. Those vampires were hostile.

    Under the cover of radiating light, he darted on divine barriers and infused a controlled amount of mana into the king spear¡¯s pole to blow the vampires¡¯ heart apart. He used his other hand to place immovable needles around the ceiling.

    The vampires were still reeling from the unexpected disruption domain, but they would manage to recompose themselves eventually. Terry wanted to take down as many as possible before that happened.

    Darkness descended above the divine barrier. A vampiress had unleashed a veil of darkness to contest Terry¡¯s radiating light inscription. Light banished darkness. Darkness erased light. A battle of mana that Terry did not like wasting.

    Terry stopped powering his magic glove and instead embraced the darkness with his mana touch. While the blind fighting posed no problem to him, he soon discovered that his divine barriers were impaired by the darkness aspect and he had to switch to his old style of moving through air with the help of immovable metal. The quarters were narrow anyway and it would conserve mana.

    The source of the descending darkness soon found herself assaulted by a sequence of spell slicers, lightning blasts, and keen daggers. Terry did not like the feeling of being impaired in his fighting style and made his displeasure known painfully.

    Another vampiress arrived with a weird halberd shrouded in shadow and reeking of blood. She managed to save her subordinate but the darkness had already been vanquished.

    While vision returned, the vampiress was dazed by the spear thrust that moved slower than it should given the speed of the hand that held it. When she opened her eyes widely to make sense of the sight, weak but agonizing whips of golden light assaulted her vulnerable eyes.

    The pain from the divine pebbles caused her to close her eyes. A piercing spearhead and the successive blast of lightning that roared through her veins all the way to boil her heart prevented her from ever opening her eyes again.

    Like a ferocious beast, Terry tore through the vampires. He kicked one of them right onto an immovable needle. He whirled his arm around and a divine hammer smashed a second vampire onto another transfixed needle.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Terry¡¯s rampage did not end there and many palace guards were staring with horror at the damage to the building from the lightning blasts and the retaliating vampires who were beginning to group up.

    The vampire groups dedicated one member to try and block the disrupting spell slicers from reaching those focused on spellwork. They began empowering themselves with self-target spells that were harder to disrupt before engaging Terry in direct combat. They also switched to spells with flexible casting centers to bypass the divine barrier while a few specialists worked on breaking them.

    Truthfully, the vampires had reacted quickly. Even so, their blood had already transformed the hue of Terry¡¯s divine barrier from a bright golden into an ominous crimson. It was a sight not only to haunt the attackers, but also the evacuating guests.

    Where there was a certain elegance to the fighting retreat of the Knights of Labor, Terry only displayed a savage brutality when eradicating the assailants. Efficient but brutal. Even to those that understood who were the aggressors, it looked like a battle of a monster against monsters. A battle of beasts.

    While Terry was facing increasingly well-shielded attack spells, he still had to pay attention to strengthening and replacing his divine barriers to safeguard the evacuation and to allow the stronger guards and guests like Intira into the fight.

    When Terry sensed that some of the strongest bodyguards only cared about their direct charges, he shifted a few ill-tempered divine barriers to persuade those powerful mana users that fighting properly was in their best interest.

    An irritating voice in Terry¡¯s head told him how much the Preacher would agree with forcing the strongest to fight their fair share.

    Piss off.

    Terry knew that his divine barriers were what allowed them to avoid the brunt of the attacks to begin with. He protected them when necessary, but he needed them to step up to do their part, because even with his increased mana reach, he could not be everywhere at once. He had his own priorities.

    He could sense that many of the hunters and the city guards had reacted to his finger rune signals. Even if they did not trust the source, they were at least ruffled enough to confirm the situation for themselves.

    Good.

    Someone had to deal with the thralls outside. Even if Terry was directing the evacuation to stay out of their way, they still had to be dealt with. Terry found it hard to put into words how he knew those people to be thralls. A part was the way they moved and another how they grouped up. He could identify some of the different mana sources and those people had little to do with each other.

    However, a large undercurrent in Terry¡¯s suspicion was a simple hunch. A hunch driven by something he had believed to see when his mana sight had flashed purple. He did not understand it, but he was sure that he had felt it.

    Explosions began reverberating around the area.

    The palace guards were hurling lightning at the vampires.

    The vampires were summoning walls of fire combined with howling gales and kinetic push spells.

    Intira blasted a pillar of rock apart with an empowered spell and shrapnel tore into one vampiress with high speed. As soon as the vampiress began reshaping her body from blood, the blood froze with another spell ignition from the elven huntress. The ice infiltrated into the vampire¡¯s veins and crimson crystals covered her face when she was slowly breathing her last.

    Terry broke through another wall with one vampire in his grasp and three more on his trail. The vampire tried to force his dagger-hand away, but he was too weak. Even without relying on mana bursts, Terry could overpower the vampire¡¯s enhanced strength and the red eyes quickly displayed a look of terror.

    The fight was as brutal as it was bloody. Terry only had a bit of experience in dealing with vampires, but he understood enough to know that there was no clean way to kill a vampire. The folks infected with the ancient mana curse called vampirism had strong regenerative abilities based on blood. The more powerful the vampire, the more damage had to be dealt to their circulatory system before they could truly be called dead.

    Terry used the opening he had cut with his keen dagger to pierce his hand into the vampire¡¯s chest. It wrapped around the heart, crushed, and ripped the remnants out. He kicked and added a blast of lightning from his king spear to be sure the vampire would not reshape again.

    His mana-enhanced ears picked up the mumbling: ¡°He¡¯s the problem! We fail, we die! Him or us!¡±

    His mana sight suddenly flashed with the purple layer again and Terry¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the vampiric leader he had seen before. He found her silhouette enveloped in blood and her eyes glaring at him.

    A strange song emerged from the mouth of the vampiress.

    Terry felt¡­ nothing. He did not pause to wonder what it meant and instead burst forward with furious mana and a sizzling king spear. He could see confusion enter her eyes, but even so, she managed to dodge and maintain her distance from him.

    She was relying on her smooth levitation, while he was jumping circles around her on divine mana with janky shifts of direction triggered by shifting burst techniques or relying on immovable pearls of septimum.

    Terry repeatedly interrupted her rapid casting. He obstructed her mana harvesting with his own mana. He ripped the shaped spells apart with disruption discharges. He sensed and dodged the surviving spell structures while the spells were being aimed.

    The vampiress was an excellent caster, but her mana foundation and her physical speed lost out to Terry in every way.

    Eventually, the vampiress emitted another ear-piercing shriek. Terry was prepared thanks to the early warning signs in his mana perception. He had slowed down and softened the sonic assault by transfixing his helmet to have the immovable septimum interrupt the sound vibrations before they could reach his eardrums.

    He retaliated with another thrust of his king spear.

    The blood surrounding the vampiress erupted in a furious storm of crimson blades that collided with the dense net of lightning.

    Another flash of purple entered Terry¡¯s mana sight and he realized that many of the other vampires had stopped their own fight to instead mumble some kind of chant. The rhythm of the chant matched the movements of strange purple he saw around himself.

    Terry still did not feel anything. He unleashed a disruption pulse just to be cautious.

    Something finally tipped off the vampiress that their combined magic wasn¡¯t working and she muttered: ¡°Impossible.¡±

    It was too late.

    Terry had finally found the perfect opening to unleash the heaven¡¯s fury underneath the open sky and a lightning blast more intense than anything he had displayed in the battle before tore the vampiress apart.

    The vampiric leader did not shame the rumored resilience of vampires and she still glared at Terry even while all of her lower body and half of her face were missing. ¡°...what are you?¡±

    By now, Terry had an idea of what was going on. He continued unleashing a flurry of attacks and sneered. ¡°Soulless. Tough luck for you.¡±

    The dying vampiress stared at him and huffed a word he did not expect to hear: ¡°Liar.¡± She gurgled blood and forced out a spiteful last hiss: ¡°This changes nothing!¡±

    The longer they fought, the easier it got. More mana users awoke from the noise or by those whom Terry had tipped off with finger runes. Not long after the first hunters had made contact with Intira, all of them were roaming the streets for vampires and thralls alike. The city guard, too, was out in full force.

    Soon, Terry was free to catch up with Daisy and to escort her back to the Flower House. He made sure to continue sending messages to the various people defending the city. He transmitted the locations of the remaining vampire bat signatures. There weren¡¯t many.

    Nearly none of the vampires had attempted to escape. A part of Terry wondered why, but he had more urgent and more important matters to attend to.

    First, he had to make sure that Daisy remained safe. When he arrived at the Flower House, he could not help but raise an eyebrow at the cloaked signature he felt inside.

    No wonder I didn¡¯t find him among the hunters.

    Terry had wondered why the leader of the hunters and the Import-Export Cooperative was not among the guests of the masquerade ball. Surely, the Whisperer would warrant an invitation. However, it appeared evident that the man preferred other company over the various elites attending the ball.

    Terry could feel that Thiago was inside together with Jasmine. He could also tell that the man had placed skeletal warriors and a few hunters to guard the Flower House.

    Terry ignored the hunters glaring at him and led Daisy inside. He glanced at Jasmine and asked: ¡°Everything alright?¡±

    Jasmine did not answer and first rushed to hug the shaken Daisy. ¡°Thank mana you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Terry moved his eyes to the man next to Jasmine and saw Thiago nod at him. That man and his hunters had made his life in the city unbearable by making it impossible to earn the money he required to get home to Arcana. Now, Thiago stood there and casually nodded a greeting as if nothing had happened. As if nothing was happening. Completely unperturbed by the nightly assault.

    What a strange man.

    Terry felt strangely detached from the situation. On the one hand, he  felt like punching Thiago to vent his financial frustrations. On the other hand, he was relieved to see another person stepping up to protect the Flower House this night.

    Above all, Terry had other things to worry about. He had barely registered when Alexander and his knights had taken their leave. He had not talked much with Daisy for the rest of the way either. He had barely processed what had happened.

    All because his mind was furiously racing to make sense of the purple layer in his mana sight. Instead of returning to the inn, Terry sat down in the Flower House¡¯s reception hall and retrieved a fresh notebook.

    Even though it was true that he had always been busy, Terry started to suspect that he had put the topic of the purple mana sight off for too long. Clearly, there was something about it. Something that could be the difference between understanding a situation and remaining ignorant.

    Terry had acted on a hunch when he poked the vampires into action. Without the strangeness of the purple that had been spreading in his mana sight, Terry might not have persuaded himself to take action at the risk of unnecessarily poking his nose into someone else¡¯s business.

    Deep down, Terry still believed this was someone else¡¯s business. The magic that resulted in the purple spread had also targeted Daisy and as her bodyguard, that had made the attack his business. For the evening that was.

    However, Terry very much doubted that those vampires had Daisy or the Flower House as their real target. According to Alexander, the masquerade ball hosted the most important people of the country. As such, Terry could come up with countless scenarios that had little to do with the Flower House, or him for that matter.

    Perhaps the previous rulers were staging a restoration coup? This wasn¡¯t Terry¡¯s country as those like Tamsin or the receptionist at the Guild liked to remind him. He was mostly ignorant of the country¡¯s history and he was just passing through. He didn¡¯t feel entitled to choose a political side, nor did he truly feel invested in it.

    Perhaps some cooperative was trying to get rid of competition? Or a second-in-command looking to accelerate their succession? Why would he care about beasts biting at each other?

    Or perhaps someone had their financial livelihood sabotaged by the cooperatives and finally snapped? Terry could certainly relate, even though his own retaliation fantasies had never gone beyond a good pummeling.

    No matter which way, it seemed like none of his business. He was planning to leave the city. Let the Guard Cooperative do what they are paid to do.

    Terry got busy scribbling and testing different mana circulations. He did not feel like sleeping. He felt the urge to master the purple layer in his mana sight. Previously, his focus had mostly been on how to get rid of it when it appeared since it was distracting. Now, however, he wanted to control activating it. That would be the first step in understanding it.

    ***

 196 A Path Defined by Choices

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 218, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 91 ¨C

    ¡°...really, Alexander was so amazing.¡± Daisy spoke with flushed cheeks. ¡°One vampire appeared out of the shadows but he and one other knight were on the beast in an instant while the rest escorted us further.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Edmund and his two assistant guards made notes.

    ¡°How long will this take?¡± asked Jasmine, who was standing impatiently behind Daisy. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard all of this before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just following up to see if anyone remembers anything new,¡± replied the dwarf. Edmund looked over his notes. ¡°We¡¯ll also have to talk again to your Flower Protector.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be delighted.¡± It was hard to believe how much sarcasm Jasmine could put into a single word.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m enjoying it much either,¡± sighed Edmund. ¡°But it¡¯s my job. What can I do?¡± He looked at Daisy. ¡°What happened then?¡±

    ¡°Alexander caught up with us again and¡­¡± Daisy blushed profusely.

    ¡°And?¡± prompted Edmund.

    ¡°...and he would never allow anything to happen to me.¡±

    Edmund raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I-I mean to us. To us.¡± Daisy fretted at her slip of tongue. ¡°The knights would never let anything happen to us.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± muttered Edmund. He puffed his cheeks and exhaled slowly with a weary expression. He looked at his aides and said: ¡°Okay, I think we can cut this one short. Thank you, you can leave.¡± Under his breath, he quietly mumbled: ¡°I don¡¯t believe this lovey-dovey nonsense will help us.¡±

    When Jasmine appeared to leave together with Daisy, Edmund held her back. ¡°A word, please.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± asked Jasmine. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there. Someone must have misplaced my invitation.¡±

    ¡°Funny,¡± said Edmund flatly. ¡°You know that this isn¡¯t personal. We had a major incident and we have to look into all unusual points. Can you see where I am going with this?¡±

    If Jasmine did, she did not show it. She waited for Edmund to continue.

    ¡°Your Flower Protector was there and we don¡¯t have any record of a bodyguard mission for him at the Guild,¡± said Edmund. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that one of your flowers was there too, but here is the thing: She didn¡¯t have an invitation.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Jasmine maintained a deadpan expression.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯re not gullible enough to believe that she got in on her own,¡± continued Edmund. ¡°In fact, I think I have a very good idea of how she managed to attend, but he is denying it.¡±

    Jasmine blinked slightly slower than usual but did not betray anything else on her face.

    ¡°I know that you like to maintain your guest¡¯s privacy, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°We do and it¡¯s good that you know, because then I won¡¯t have to explain why I¡¯m not going to answer any questions in that regard,¡± hissed Jasmine. ¡°I will neither deny nor confirm who is or isn¡¯t a guest at this establishment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a problem for me, you see.¡± Edmund shook his head and spoke in an almost apologetic tone. ¡°He won¡¯t admit to it, so I need you to confirm it. Otherwise, Daisy will stay listed as a person of interest.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± growled Jasmine.

    Edmund lifted his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules. That¡¯s protocol. I don¡¯t believe for a second she had anything to do with the attack, but without¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Her attendance remains suspect. At least on record.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Can¡¯t you just confirm it? If it was me running this, I would punch the guy in the dick for refusing to acknowledge that he brought her as his date.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get many guests then,¡± quipped Jasmine.

    ¡°Guess so.¡± Edmund shrugged. ¡°Look, for what it¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t believe the little weasel had anything to do with it either, but as long as that matter is unresolved, we¡¯re forced to waste our resources on this pointless endeavor. Besides, your Flower Protector already told us. He doesn¡¯t seem to care about Alexander¡¯s privacy as much. Didn¡¯t seem to think anything of mentioning the date either.¡±

    Jasmine could not help but snort amusedly, but she still shook her head. ¡°You said it yourself. You don¡¯t believe for a second that Daisy had anything to do with it. I don¡¯t believe the others in the guard are that much stupider than you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the backhand.¡± Edmund frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about all the bigshots taking an interest in the investigation.¡± He shook his head and stood up. ¡°Why does everyone always have to make everything so complicated?¡± He glanced at the set of chairs and table they had prepared in the reception room of the Flower House. ¡°Thank you for preparing everything. I appreciate it.¡±

    Edmund and his two assisting guards walked to the side exit that led to the garden. ¡°Do you believe if I told your Flower Protector, he would do the dick punching for me?¡±

    For the second time, Jasmine was unable to maintain a completely neutral expression. ¡°He just might, Edmund. Are you sure you want to deal with the fallout? You would be obligated to stop him and you know how well he listens to you. Sounds like a lot of headaches and paperwork.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to think about it,¡± muttered Edmund and walked out for his next follow-up interview.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Terry¡¯s word enough?¡± asked Jasmine before Edmund could leave the reception hall. ¡°From what I heard he has done your job for you that night.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Edmund exhaled softly and placed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. ¡°Not when it stands against his word. That night doesn¡¯t change that, unfortunately.¡±

    ***

    ¡°...so you could see through their mana cloaking?¡± Edmund asked while keeping his eyes on Terry, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

    ¡°Not exactly, but you can think of it like that if you want,¡± replied Terry wearily. They had gone over this before. He had tried to explain the difference between mana sense and his mana touch before, but the nuance must have slipped their minds again since the first few interviews.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± asked Edmund. ¡°Alert the guards.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes at yet another question he had already answered before. He was getting irritated and decided at that moment that he would not focus his primary attention on the conversation anymore. Instead, he flipped through one of his notebooks to order his thoughts while restarting his practice in ranged mana compression.

    ¡°Vampires are hardly unusual in this city, are they?¡± said Terry absentmindedly. ¡°How am I supposed to know who is or isn¡¯t a guest or a guard?¡±

    ¡°And yet, you did attack them.¡± Edmund pointed out.

    ¡°I lightly nudged one of them,¡± corrected Terry. Without taking his eyes off his notebook, he flicked a finger and a small ball of divine mana impacted on the earth next to him without leaving much of a mark.

    ¡°Good choice,¡± interjected one of the assisting city guards and he earned himself a frown from Edmund.

    ¡°The one you ¡®nudged¡¯ ¨C why did you choose that one?¡± asked Edmund.

    Terry flipped a page and replied. ¡°Like I¡¯ve told you before, because I sensed something with that vampire at the center. A magic that targeted most people there, including Daisy.¡±

    ¡°¡®Most people.¡¯ Whom didn¡¯t it target?¡± pressed Edmund.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say,¡± said Terry. ¡°I was more concerned with whom it did target.¡±

    ¡°You said before that you couldn¡¯t really detect the magic with mana sense.¡± Edmund shifted to another topic.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Terry. ¡°It didn¡¯t stand out as an active spell. Not in regular mana perception. It blended into the ambient mana. Low concentration. No structure as far as I could tell.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you refer to it as ¡®magic¡¯ and not as a spell¡­¡± Edmund nodded at one of his aides to record that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was,¡± stressed Terry.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to be very concerned about it,¡± noted Edmund.

    ¡°It was interrupted.¡± Terry corrected one of his own notes in his notebook. ¡°And I don¡¯t believe Daisy or I were the real targets to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Edmund.

    Terry rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Alright, what about that ¡®extra layer¡¯ of your mana sight?¡± Edmund scratched his nose with his index finger. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°I have a guess,¡± said Terry without elaborating.

    Edmund frowned and then added: ¡°We have a guess too. Want to compare guesses? You first.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow and looked up to catch the gaze of the dwarven guard. He subconsciously activated the ability and stared pensively at the flickers of purple. ¡°I believe it could be soulsight, but¡­¡± I have no idea where it comes from, or what some of the things I¡¯m seeing with it mean.

    He was supposed to be soulless.

    How could he be soulless and see a soul inside himself in soulsight?

    If it was a soul, then why wasn¡¯t it always present? He distinctly remembered that there was nothing inside himself the first few times his mana sight had flashed purple.

    If it was a soul, then why didn¡¯t soul magic work on him?

    ¡°...we have come to the same conclusion as you.¡± Edmund clasped his hands together and leaned closer to Terry. ¡°This is between us and I don¡¯t want you to spread it. Can you do that?¡±

    Terry shrugged and nodded. He was curious how they had pieced together the soulsight theory, especially since it might clear up some of his own confusion on the topic. However, he also reminded himself that this might be another interrogation mind game. He had shared his own guess first. They might simply pretend to have reached the same conclusion.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Edmund frowned at the casual attitude but decided to ignore it. ¡°You said that the vampires were most likely using soul magic at some point. So we have done a few tests to confirm what you¡¯ve said. While having our mages inspect the souls of some of the attending guards, we could confirm what you¡¯ve suspected.¡±

    ¡°The enthrallment?¡± asked Terry. He had never looked much into how the creation of thralls worked. He knew that it was a latent ability in vampires that could be trained and that there was advanced spellwork that created similar effects. His primary guess would be mind magic, but after his encounter with the lizan prophet, he thought that soul magic might work as well.

    ¡°No,¡± denied Edmund. ¡°Unfortunately, that was different.¡± He put a lot of emphasis on the ¡®unfortunately.¡¯

    Terry tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll again have to ask you not to share what I¡¯m going to tell you,¡± stressed Edmund. ¡°In fact, there were many guards that disagreed with my plans to share it with you, but I thought you deserve at least that much, given that you pointed us in the right direction.¡±

    Edmund took a deep breath and then added another precursory remark. ¡°Just so you know, we already checked Daisy and she is not affected. Your own check was inconclusive because our mages failed to get a reading on your soul.¡±

    Terry closed his notebook and sat up straighter.

    ¡°That purple spread you saw¡­¡± Edmund clenched his fists. ¡°That was most likely soulrot.¡±

    Wait, what?

    ¡°Soulrot? Like in the karmic rot mana curse?¡± asked Terry. He almost jumped up from the shock.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one,¡± confirmed Edmund gravely. ¡°Luckily, no one was exposed long enough to carry the curse forward.¡± He continued with sincere appreciation: ¡°I think we have you to thank for that.¡±

    Terry¡¯s first thought was that a mana curse did not fit with most of his theories for the motivations behind the attack. A mana curse was messy. Hardly precise enough for an assassination to advance your position. It might be a way to hide the true target among others, but still. It was messy.

    Terry hoped they would catch the lunatics behind the incident. Mana curses were no joke. He had seen enough fungus-infested elves to demonstrate that fact very vividly.

    For a brief moment, Terry wondered if preventing the spread of the curse might motivate some of the frustrating cooperatives to lift their bans relating to him, but then he remembered that the soulrot attempt was kept under wraps by the guards. Probably to prevent a panic in the city.

    Terry subconsciously began tapping his fingers on his closed notebook. ¡°So what does this all mean?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re still trying to figure out.¡± Edmund rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Unfortunately, the few vampires we were close to catching, killed themselves.¡± He shook his head and his voice took on a weary tone. ¡°Why does everyone always have to make everything so complicated?¡±

    Edmund rubbed his eyes. ¡°Given their determination to rather die than be captured, we don¡¯t have much to go on except to take it as evidence of fanaticism.¡± He shrugged and shook his head again. ¡°Perhaps some of the guests got on the bad side of a cult.¡±

    Edmund shrugged and caught Terry¡¯s gaze. ¡°Look, I know we¡¯ve been on the wrong foot before, but you¡¯ve made up for it when you stepped up there. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we¡¯re good. If you hadn¡¯t made a move, I don¡¯t know how long they would have remained undetected.¡±

    Terry could not help but frown. As far as he was concerned, he was still pissed at the city guards¡¯ actions, or lack of some.

    Edmund didn¡¯t appear to be bothered by Terry¡¯s expression and he continued. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m supposed to tell you to not leave the city, but instead I¡¯m going to give you a warning. The skills you demonstrated have invited some attention.¡±

    ¡°What kind of attention?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°The good or bad kind. Depends on your point of view.¡± Edmund shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll soon get a few offers of employment from people. However, I¡¯m also sure you won¡¯t like most of them.¡±

    Terry¡¯s eyebrows conveyed his incredulity. He needed money, so why wouldn¡¯t he like job offers?

    ¡°We already have a nice little folder on you,¡± explained Edmund. ¡°You regularly check the portal prices. You still rent a room in the same dump inn in which you arrived. You haven¡¯t made a single large purchase since your arrival. Everything makes it clear that you don¡¯t plan to settle down here.¡± He replied to the unspoken question on Terry¡¯s face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to guess that you won¡¯t jump at long-term contracts.¡±

    Terry nodded but did not know why that was something to be concerned about. At least not enough to be called a warning.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say some of the people that might reach out to you are not used to hearing their offers refused,¡± elaborated Edmund. ¡°From what I know, you can hardly afford to get on the bad side of any more influential cooperatives. So¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to tell you that you should not leave the city.¡± He opened his eyes slightly wider and looked intently at Terry. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to tell you that.¡± He stood up. ¡°You know best what you want to do. We¡¯re going to take our leave now. Thanks for your time.¡±

    Terry watched the city guards leave while ruminating on what he should do. The dwarf was right. If any of the remaining cooperatives decided to issue similar bans on him to the two he was already stomaching, then there would be even less of a chance for him to get ahead financially. Earning enough to use the portal to bypass the volcanic thunder would be an absolute pipe dream.

    Calmness fell over Terry at that moment. With this additional obstacle, there was no question about his path anymore. The choice between lingering around and leaving to follow another path to Arcana was no choice at all.

    Terry created small disruption fields and tried compressing them further. His mind was set on leaving the city, but for today, his senses were still employed elsewhere and he made sure that his mana perception never lost track of what was going on in the Flower House.

    His work as a Flower Protector had been great because it allowed him to train while getting paid. Terry also appreciated the way Jasmine was running the place. Everyone in the Flower House respected her and Terry could see why. She did not have to step up and put her neck out for him when the city guards had quarreled with Terry for the first time, but she did.

    The job had also been fun in many ways. Terry had been bored of Lavender¡¯s conversations about her business class, but the elf knew her sweets. Talking body inscriptions with Iris was interesting, even though she seemed too eager and her descriptions often sounded like sales pitches. The story time with Daisy and Brandon was nostalgic and reminded Terry of his home.

    It was fun.

    But nostalgia remained a bad substitute. Memories, no matter how enjoyable, were not the real thing. One could never have enough of that which one does not want. Terry wanted the real thing.

    Terry wanted to go home.

    Nevertheless, the Flower House deserved to get enough warning to hire a replacement Flower Protector. Terry intended to wait for his scheduled free day as well. He would have to go shopping and stock up on food rations too.

    ***

    Terry walked through the food district and he felt light on his feet. Now that he had accepted that he would never be able to afford the portal use, it freed up all of his savings to be spent elsewhere. He had emptied his money account with the Guild ¨C much to the annoyance of the elven receptionist who had to count the coins ¨C and was now on a shopping spree.

    Purchasing regular food and water supplies was nearly nothing in comparison to the portal fee. Even an average mana user could afford several years worth of supplies without batting an eye and thanks to his high quality dimensional storage items, Terry did not have to worry about any of the food spoiling either.

    Terry single-handedly bought more than half of the morning deliveries in the city¡¯s regular food stores. He only refrained from emptying them out completely, because he knew that others needed to eat too. He knew that he probably bought far more than he would reasonably need, but it did not hurt to be on the safe side. Food and drinkable water were like mana and rope.

    One can never have too much rope.

    Besides, Terry had to spend his money before leaving because there was no point in taking any with him. He had crossed enough country borders to not put his hopes into being able to use the local currency anywhere outside the city state.

    As such, Terry even splurged on some of the luxuries and curiosities he had carefully avoided before.

    He bought the expensive chocolate. He bought one bar for himself. He gave one bar to Lavender as a gift. He bought a few more as gifts for his friends and family.

    He bought body inscription references and supplies focused on ink usage that touched the life and space aspects. He also collected all the references for the magic tattoos that dealt with transforming the body into an ethereal state ¨C on the suspicion that some might touch on the void aspect. Last, he got a voucher at an ink-shop and gifted it to Iris, together with a few possible designs that might fit her current collection.

    He rummaged through the local book shops for two accurate reprints of the Path of a Mage ¨C the historical account, naturally ¨C as gifts for Daisy and Brandon. He added a few mana foundation practice tools for the boy and a pretty half-mask for the woman. Jasmine had helped him choose the latter gift.

    Terry had been at a loss to pick a farewell gift for Jasmine at first. Eventually, he gave her a wand imprinted with the Immovable Object spell that carried a dozen charging primers. He hoped that the wand would prove useful in the household ¨C be it for locking doors or quickly transfixing an item in the air.

    It had been a while since Terry last imprinted his own items and he was delighted to find how quick and easy the process had become for him. The imprint was crystal clear and extremely stable. Even imprinting the primers had felt like child¡¯s play.

    Terry even visited his favorite crafting shop to leave a few mana cores. He knew that the shop lady had little choice but to follow the ban from the Dungeon Cooperative. After all, her own livelihood depended on them. He did not bear her any grudge. She might not be able to buy his cores, but he could leave a few as a gift.

    Now that Terry knew he would leave, he felt less resentful towards the cooperatives too. At least he now had a storage full of mana cores and wares that would be useful in other countries. If he had managed to sell more, he would be left with more useless coins or had to exchange the coins back for something of real use.

    Terry felt at peace. Of course, it was frustrating that his plans had not worked out, but he would get there. He would get back to Arcana.

    Terry looked up at the beautiful blue sky. The sky shared with Arcana. As long as he was underneath this comforting sky, he felt confident that he would find his way back home.

    A few more days and then he would embark on a new attempt to get there¡­

    Terry reached the central plaza and stopped to take in the view of the dark, exquisitely crafted clock tower in front of the beautiful blue sky and the hazy flashes from the volcanic thunder in the distance. The city looked different now that he did not have to rush from place to place to chase money anymore. Now that he knew he would leave soon.

    That was when Terry¡¯s mana sense went haywire and he instinctively whirled his head around to gaze at the gigantic shadow-aspected magic.

    It only took a few seconds before distant screams and deep rumbling drowned out every other sound.

    A large horde of undead had stepped out of the shadows near the city. All at once, the monsters appeared out of nothing. Even though most were on the weaker side, there were plenty of strong signatures that felt all too familiar to Terry.

    Undead hellspawn.

    The shrill shrieks from widow makers pierced through the city¡­

    The rhythmic banging of juggernauts that drummed their fists on their chests¡­

    The crowd broke out in a panic and soon, everyone was rushing away from the monsters.

    Everyone was tripping over themselves to flee the city.

    Terry stood transfixed at one entrance to the plaza with his eyes on the undead mana signatures. He vaguely registered the terrified citizens rushing past him and bumping into his shoulders. Not long ago, he had thought it odd to see the thralls because there had been so many different people of various backgrounds acting together under mind control. Now, he saw an even more diverse group all deciding on the same single action: flee.

    A blue-robed martialist jumped over a manaless woman that had fallen¡­

    A channeler of the Bright Lady broke down and cried¡­

    A man with a mustache goatee and oversized hat pushed away a pair of crafters that were trying to take some of their wares with them. The two fell to the ground, but the man did not look back and continued overtaking others during his flight¡­

    Terry felt them all. Manaless. Hunters. Crafters. Knights of Labor. Martialists. Channelers. Even guards. All of them running. A whole city running into a single direction to flee from another.

    His body reacted before his mind had managed to fully catch up with the situation.

    Terry was running.

    He burst his mana and accelerated.

    At first, he was too dazed to think of stepping into the sky. He was too focused on his mana circulation and breathing to think about what he was doing.

    Faster and faster.

    Until he became unable to dodge everyone in the mass of panicking people.

    One martialist whom Terry bumped into stopped and stared at Terry¡¯s back.

    A few meters further, an elven hunter did the same.

    A palace guard collided with the elven hunter and joined the group of hesitating individuals. Some of them caught each other¡¯s gaze through the mass of fleeing people. For a brief moment, they could read their own thoughts reflected on the faces of the others.

    The martialist closed her eyes. She could feel the people bumping into her while they were running. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to search for the silhouette of flittering shadow fabric and battle-marked mushroom leather.

    Most folks were fleeing for their lives.

    Few folks were standing with hesitating eyes.

    Only one man was running against the tide of people. When he dropped his cloaking, his mana stood out as an undeniable signal to everyone with mana sight. One unignorable signature that rushed towards the horde of monsters.

    When Terry reached the end of the plaza, he finally remembered to use the divine hammer inscription and step into the sky. He had to because there was no dodging the crowd within the narrow roads. He continued running and remained completely unaware of the increasing number of gazes that were gathering on his back and mana signature.

    ***

 197 Freedoms Guardian

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 2 ¨C

    Edmund hurriedly checked his equipment and rushed down the stairs of the outermost watchtower. He forced himself to take a moment to recompose himself when he had arrived at the last steps. He knew from the scouts that they did not have much time, but he had to be aware of the impression he would give his subordinates.

    Edmund was in command on the ground and he hated it. He did not even remember how he had ever reached his current position. He definitely did not remember volunteering. If he had known the kind of choices being in command entailed, he would have run the moment the previous officer had threatened him with his first promotion.

    Revolutions, politics, and refugees.

    Crime waves, being underfunded, and understaffed.

    Always hard choices.

    Always prioritizing.

    In Edmund¡¯s opinion, prioritizing was just a fancy way of avoiding the word sacrificing.

    But what could he do? The demands placed on him were always unlimited while the resources granted to him were always limited.

    Edmund hated it. All of it. But it was his job. More importantly, this city was his home. It had been the home of his parents, his grandparents, and many generations before that. The name of the city might have changed, but it was still the same place. It was the home he had grown up in and had always planned to die in.

    Today, Edmund was slightly regretting those plans to die here. From the reports, the dying would happen a lot sooner than he had ever considered. No matter. This was his job. This was his home.

    Edmund closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was not proud of some of the choices he had made as part of his job, but he would make the same choices again. He had always tried to choose his home above all else.

    His pride, his subordinates, his private life, his orders, and even his dignity. At times, he had to sacrifice any and all of those. All for the city. All for his home. All so that the citizens could continue another day.

    Edmund had lost so much of himself. He was painfully aware of it. Even so, he was at peace. He had done his best.

    Today was just another day. Just one more sacrifice to be made.

    Edmund straightened his back and walked confidently into the room. He could see the fear in the eyes of his subordinates. He suppressed the memories of all the guards previously lost in the line of duty. He could not afford to wallow in self-pity. The city needed them.

    Edmund caught the gaze of a guard that would actually let him speak his next words sincerely. ¡°It has been an honor serving with all of you.¡± It was true. True for some at least. He knew that none of his guards were perfect. A few were far from it. It did not matter. He had to prioritize. Today was bringing the point home more than ever.

    ¡°Have you seen the horde?¡± shrieked one guard. Edmund was dismayed at the outburst but not surprised. That human woman was included among the guards he was less than proud to work with. At the beginning of the Setting Moon, she had incited an investigation into the Flower Protector, which had been a giant waste of time and nearly soured Edmund¡¯s relationship with the neighborhood.

    Edmund knew this city guard very well. In the distant past, she had repeatedly asked for raises he simply could not afford. He knew that now she was deriving a side-income from members of the city¡¯s unsavory underbelly. He was not a fool.

    However, the woman¡¯s intel was generally accurate even if it was one-sided and transparently feeding into the agenda of her other employers. The bias did not matter. There were other equally-corrupt city guards who acted as sources to balance the scales.

    Edmund made them all believe that they were successful in their infiltration while using all of their intel to keep all of their employers down while deflecting some of the resulting heat onto the rival criminals. Their spies among the guards were watched and they would never make it to the higher ranks.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡± Edmund spoke with authority. ¡°I have already sent orders to activate the defensive perimeter. We¡¯ll be moving there shortly as reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The human woman paled. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! There is no way we can win against that horde! It¡¯s just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you want to run?!¡± roared Edmund and he moved his gaze over everyone. ¡°Leave the city that you¡¯ve sworn to protect? Leave it to die?!¡±

    Edmund moved his eyes towards another city guard whom he knew very well. He looked at the threads poking out of the man¡¯s uniform. They had no funds to replace their uniforms after the change in government. They had to remove the symbol of the Bloodborne Kingdom, but it had never been replaced by something new to rally behind.

    Edmund caught the gaze of the human. He knew that the man still resented him for giving the order to stay down during the uprising of the Knights of Labor and their allies against the monarchy. The man was one of many.

    They had all followed Edmund¡¯s orders to stand down. Edmund had judged it the best way to preserve the city and its citizens. The knights had mustered an impressive force and resistance would have meant incredible destruction. Few of the guards had truly felt loyal to the kingdom and fighting against their fellow citizens was not what they wanted either.

    However, they had all sworn to protect the city and on paper, that had meant the government. They had given an oath to protect the Bloodborne Kingdom. While Edmund had chosen a broader interpretation of their oath, not all citizens looked kindly on their inaction during the revolution. Ever since his orders, those like Tamsin had spent every day hurling insults at the guards.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a coward,¡± shouted the man indignantly and mumbles of agreement reverberated among the gathered guards.

    Edmund nodded slightly. He knew his subordinates. He knew how to talk to them. It did not make it easier. On the contrary, it just made him feel so much guiltier when they followed his orders. Orders that could lead to indignity, dishonor, and death. Today it would certainly be death.

    Edmund took a deep breath and spoke firmly. ¡°I know that some of you blame me for the accusations of cowardice we have to face. That is your prerogative. It was my order, even if you chose to follow it.¡±

    Edmund stared challengingly at his subordinates. ¡°Well, today I¡¯m ordering you to stand your ground. We will defend this city until our last breath! We will buy the citizens time to escape. For your families, friends, and neighbors. We will fight for them!¡± He forced himself to scoff. ¡°If you choose to ignore my orders, then the cowardice will be entirely yours to own.¡± He raised his chin and spoke with pride he had to search hard to find: ¡°I have fought for this city every day! I will not stop now!¡±

    Edmund was about to lead his subordinates out to jog the last few hundred meters towards the defensive perimeter when a commotion broke out near the window.

    An elven guard with dark greased-back hair pointed. ¡°What¡¯s the Flower Protector doing?¡±

    They could see Terry dropping from the sky behind the last building. A single figure that was dashing madly forward towards the horde.

    ¡°Perhaps some kind of martialist dare? Get as close as you can before turning around?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s turning¡­¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯s suicidal and a fool. Even if he has a death wish, he should stay within the defensive perimeter and¡ª¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ***

    Terry had no idea who was watching. He didn¡¯t have any time to care. His mind had been racing to come up with suitable plans. He had none. All he had were the legs that kept him running and an idiotic idea.

    An idea worthy of the idiot he thought himself to be at this moment.

    The hellspawn that were leading the undead charge were growing bigger and bigger in his vision with every step he made. He knew this horde was beyond his abilities. He knew he had no chance to fight them all off on his own. He knew that perfectly well.

    Terry kept running regardless.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    All he wanted was to go home. To his friends and family. To his whaka.

    But he just couldn¡¯t.

    That was not the path of the person he wanted to be. Not at this moment. Not with a horde of undead hellspawn crashing towards the city in his sights.

    A city that he could not even stand if he was honest.

    A city with good people nonetheless.

    Terry subconsciously accelerated to double down on the path he had chosen. He had no perfect plan to get through this. He had no idea how this would turn out. All he had was an idiotic idea to buy time. He¡¯d have to take it from there and improvise.

    The screeching of the widowmakers was already deafening. They burst through the ranks with a violent charge and took over the leading position. Eagerly setting their eyes on the first prey entering their reach. Their primal instincts were overwhelming the whispers in their undead ears.

    Terry rushed towards the deafening shrieks. From the depth of his lungs, a defiant battle roar welled up to greet the undead cries. He knew that desperate tears were gathering in his eyes but he charged forward for as long as he could allow himself. He whipped his hands forward and an enormous torrent of mana burst from his body into the king spear. Even more mana followed the septimum attachments on the elongating orange pole.

    Many pairs of eyes were watching this clash. Every single pair simultaneously opened wide with dumbstruck disbelief. In the clash between a single man and an overwhelming horde of undead hellspawn, it was the horde that ground to an abrupt halt.

    The widowmakers¡¯ eager screeches of bloodlust had transformed into howls of death when all along their charging line, they collided with an immovable orange pole. The massive juggernauts following the widowmakers immediately crashed into them. With every successive collision, the undead vanguard was compressed into pulps of rotting flesh until they split over the immovable pole and arrived in two pieces on the other side.

    While the squished undead were uttering their final death croaks, Terry was busy darting back and forth and frantically finishing off those undead that were not quite dead dead yet.

    Even though Terry was amazed at how well his idiotic idea had panned out so far, he could not allow himself to breathe easy. The combination of the king spear with its unbreakable pole of adjustable length and the Immovable Object spell turned out to be a great horde stopper, but the more squished undead pile up in front, the less the impact was felt by the undead further behind when they collided. The front acted as a squishy buffer towards the immovable pole and dispersed the force of impact over a larger area.

    Stupid chubby undead hellspawn.

    Terry skillfully switched between trapping the overextended limbs of surviving widowmakers with immovable tertium and then amputating their bladed arms with his keen daggers. He would like to destroy their hard headplates too, but that would take too much time. He was on a timer and he knew it. The unexpected success of his initial idea had centered entirely around the horde¡¯s own momentous charge.

    He had one large impact. From here on out, it would be a grueling grind.

    Terry was resolved to fight with all he had. As soon as the horde had lost its momentum, he deactivated his spells and retrieved his king spear while summoning his barrier spear for his second hand. The cold metal of his trusted inscribed spear was as comforting as the protective barrier it summoned.

    The spear his accepted mother Isille had given him.

    The divine hammer inscription that was the signature of his deceased aunt Sigille.

    The keen daggers of which one had been given to him by his siblings Lori and Jorg.

    Terry found solace in knowing those items were with him in this battle. It felt as if he was not entirely alone when facing his likely final fight. He knew that there would be no miraculous dungeon intervention this time. Idiotic ideas, grit, and the mental support from thinking of his family were all he could count on.

    Terry fought frenziedly. Hacking and thrusting. Letting the king spear blow up with lightning. Wielding divine hammers parallel to his spear slashes. Emptying his storage items and skewer boxes to place immovable needles and blades. He was resolved to take down as many of those undead monsters with him as possible.

    Terry was controlling the divine hammer inscription while shifting his burst technique and slashing out with the lightning-infused king spear when another idiotic idea entered his head. It would tie down his king spear, which was bad, but once the idea had come, it refused to leave his head.

    Terry slashed his king spear to cleave through the neck of a zombie while the divine hammer following his spear¡¯s trajectory some distance away was pushing a shade into the transfixed needles he had placed before.

    Terry knew that he did not have any of the proper aspects to efficiently fight a horde of undead. He had no more mana sublimator to use his stockpile of monster cores. That had been left behind together with his aspected spears in Thanatos. The lightning blasts from his king spear were undoubtedly effective, but they were far from efficient.

    Terry knew that if he wanted to fulfill his resolve and take as many down with him as possible, then he had to be efficient. It was probably an idiotic idea and definitely meant tying up his king spear, but it might also be a way to achieve efficiency. To kill a few more before he would run out of mana or luck.

    Terry nimbly dodged the fist of an undead juggernaut. Fortunately for him, those undead hellspawn appeared sluggish when compared to their living counterparts. Combined with his increased abilities, he was doing much better than the time when he had to face the juggernaut champion in the dungeon.

    Terry retrieved a U-shaped tertium piece and forced another torrent of mana into his king spear. In an instant, the king spear pierced through the remaining mass of undead. Right after, the wall of undead pressed against the orange pole that remained movable this time.

    Movable but with limited direction. Transfixed tertium was acting as a fulcrum and with most of the undead pressing against one side, the bladed half was cleaving through the undead on the other side.

    Terry rushed behind to adjust the length of the spear and reposition the fulcrum if necessary. He felt both ridiculous and elated to manage this gigantic undead-powered seesaw. Ridiculous because he was busy darting through the horde without any leeway to personally engage them. Elated, because using the horde¡¯s own force against them was proving to be ridiculously effective. Effective and efficient.

    Terry¡¯s elation was extinguished when he noticed something change. Something entirely unnatural when it came to undead behavior. The remaining mass of undead spread out. It would be one thing if the higher rank undead had caught onto the lethal seesaw¡¯s weak point. However, even the weak runners were spreading out and moving more slowly. That was an action beyond their feral instincts.

    That action required an intelligent leader that whispered to the dead.

    Terry did not sense any liches or death whisperers in the horde, which meant that the whisperer was not a death aura creature. He involuntarily thought back to the horde¡¯s unnatural arrival.

    Shadow aspect.

    Terry collected his king spear and circulated mana into his magic brooch. He stepped into the shadow plane. He ignored the new mass of undead lurking in the strange dark world. His senses zoomed onto the vampire signature at the end. Their eyes met and Terry saw surprise flash through the red irises.

    Terry did not have time to linger in the shadow plane. He rose his feet to return to the regular plane where he was immediately assaulted by a juggernaut. He dodged and tried to get his bearings when an icy claw carved into the juggernaut¡¯s rotting flesh.

    For a moment, Terry stared dazedly at the mana resonance of a white tiger. A human martialist pursued the undead juggernaut. She only stopped briefly to nod at Terry.

    Terry became aware that other fighters were arriving on the scene and joining the defense.

    Martialists. One of them stopped next to Terry. ¡°Senior, we stand with you.¡± Many were from the groups that had insisted on addressing him with ridiculous epithets before, but there were also others.

    Many hunters arrived on a large ship carried by undead. Thiago the Whisperer was barking commands. ¡°Fight you pathetic worms! This is our city! I won¡¯t be outdone by a wimpy Flower Protector!¡± Beside him, Hector was barking more orders and Intira was whispering to lead their own undead against the incoming horde.

    From another side, a woman led a group of channelers that wreaked utter havoc among the undead. The holy aspect of the Bright Lady was anathema to these death-aspected creatures.

    Terry was flabbergasted to even sense the signature of Ruby. The dwarf and her Thanatos soldiers were tearing into the horde with no less ferocity than the city guards and knights of the Freedom Cooperative.

    Terry sensed many Knights of Labor entering the fray, but Alexander¡¯s signature was nowhere to be found. He did sense familiar presences among the guards though, which reminded him that he had intel to pass forward. While he fought fiercely, he also shaped finger runes in front of Edmund, Thiago, Intira, and the leaders of other factions.

    There was a vampiric death whisperer guiding those undead hellspawns and the rest of the horde. Terry did not have a good way to force him out, but perhaps some of the others did. Soon after, he could sense several people making a move.

    Hector from the hunters led a group into the shadow plane. An elven city guard with dark greased-back hair did the same and he brought a few channelers of the Bright Lady with him.

    Intira appeared next to Terry with a blink of light. ¡°The boss says there¡¯s definitely more than one whisperer on the other side. Otherwise, we would have already taken over.¡±

    Terry nodded. He had noticed that some enemy undead around the ship of the hunters were switching sides. The Whisperer was evidently worthy of his name. It required skill to wrestle control over undead from another.

    ¡°The one in the shadow plane is not bad, but that one cannot whisper here.¡± Intira spoke hurriedly and with a grave tone. ¡°Another must be hidden here.¡± She did not wait around and blinked away to return to their ship.

    Terry nodded again and he forced himself to relinquish some of his mana to use for mana touch scouting. He was convinced that this would be the best use of his mana now that more fighters had arrived. He did not dare to truly hope they would win, but he did feel a lot better about their chances to buy time.

    As if to spite Terry¡¯s budding hopes, the earth trembled with the appearance of a huge undead behemoth. The hellspawn grew until it could rival most of the city¡¯s skyline. It towered over the battlefield and stomped forward on legs that ended in maws of rotating teeth.

    The horrifying sight struck fear into the hearts of even the most hardened defenders. Everyone stared with despairing eyes at that rotting monstrosity. Even their worst nightmares had never spewn up something this hellish.

    It was in that desperate moment of stillness that a single figure darted up on layers of divine mana. Their gazes moved from the hellish nightmare towards the back dressed in shadow-fabric and ill-matched colors. The back that was already growing smaller in their sights while the figure was charging straight towards the looming hell.

    An elven woman in leather armor turned her head to look at the dumbstruck person next to her. Intira could not help but throw out a tease: ¡°What about it, Boss? Still trying to compete with the Flower Protector?¡±

    Thiago managed to compose himself and cleared his throat. ¡°The shrimp can have that one. I won¡¯t abandon my ship while enemy whisperers are out there. Stop spouting nonsense and focus on our own whispers. We wrest the whisper authority from the enemy and we win. That is the only way to save our city. Everything else is just a side-show.¡±

    ¡°Side-show?¡± Intira smirked lopsidedly while taking in the sight of the defenders who had been jolted from their stupor and once again fought with reinvigorated morale. She shook her head but did not bother to disagree with the boss.

    ***

 198 Sheer Grit and More

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 2 ¨C

    ¡°Mother, we have to leave!¡± A middle-aged man was shouting with a pleading voice. Behind the man was his wife that carried their children in her arms.

    ¡°This is my home!¡± The elderly and plump woman shouted back. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡±

    ¡°There is no time!¡± The man begged and put a hand on his mother¡¯s arm to pull her along. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the portal and it has been abandoned. We have to run! There is no other way¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is my home!¡± Grandma refused and shook her arm free. ¡°Your grandpa built this house with his own hands! I¡¯m not leaving!¡± She was limping to the kitchen and picked up a pan. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Tamsin. We¡¯re going to fight!¡±

    ¡°Fight?! We¡¯re manaless. You¡¯re nearly seventy!¡± The man cursed under his breath: ¡°Tamsin, that damned woman!¡±

    ¡°This is madness,¡± the man¡¯s wife shook her head. ¡°Dear, we have to¡­¡± Her eyes were begging to leave. She knew how hard it was for her husband to abandon his mother. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that the city is still standing. We have to¡ª The children! Please!¡±

    It was at that moment that the earth started quaking violently. A frightening shadow was cast over the part of the city that included their house. Through the window, they could see a gigantic creature straight out of an insane nightmare. Spirals of teeth embedded in rotting flesh of eerie colors. A haunting picture of wrongness.

    They all froze with terrified gazes.

    The heavens themselves appeared to intervene when something bright manifested in the sky. A stark contrast of translucent shining gold in front of the dark terror.

    ***

    Terry was furiously channeling mana with bloodshot eyes. He was going way beyond the mana throughput his body was built for. Even with all his recent advances, his current rate of reckless mana use would leave its marks. It was a decidedly idiotic idea, but that was all he had left.

    He had darted nearly all the way to the undead behemoth and desperately hoped that his first experience with an undead hellspawn still applied. If it didn¡¯t, then there would soon be an intense devouring-aspected suction force that would turn his most recent brainchild into a stillborn.

    Back in the cavern of Emily¡¯s adulthood ceremony, the mad necromancer had managed to control an undead juggernaut. Matteo and Sigille had mentioned something about it being unable to use its active abilities and that it only displayed the passive traits inherent to hellspawn.

    Terry had not seen any of the widowmakers display their withering-aspected breath-attacks that usually manifested in the shape of locusts. That was something to embolden his hopes.

    Unfortunately, Terry had seen the undead behemoth grow right in front of his eyes. That was definitely an active ability. He could only hope that there were still some limits to the active abilities the controlling necromancer could trigger.

    Terry forced down his own uncertainty to fully commit to his idiotic idea.

    U-shaped tertium transfixed in the air close to the behemoth.

    An orange spear pierced far up into the sky while the blunt end found its way underneath the behemoth.

    A bursting Terry soared upwards together with the spearhead until he had reached his desired destination. He did not have time to take out his notebook. He could only rely on a guesstimate. He feared he would not be able to achieve what he needed with a single hammer. His aunt Sigille might have been able to do it, but he was not his aunt.

    Focus! Just DO IT!

    Terry refused to give in to doubt. He still lacked the strength of the Divine Hammer, but he had his own strengths to work with.

    His mana raged into the four divine hammer inscriptions on his body. He transfixed two of the septimum pearls embedded near his hips on his armor. He transfixed a pair of other septimum pieces to use his bidirectional attraction glove with. And then he swung his fists down with all the force he could muster.

    While Terry was spinning madly, a furious flurry of divine mana hammered onto the long end of the unbreakable lever.

    Faster and faster.

    Terry never stopped swinging his fists and legs while also accelerating with the help of his bidirectional attraction inscription until both his mana channels and his stomach were begging for mercy.

    Even faster until every one of his muscles and senses was begging him for the sweet release of death.

    Until the orange lever tipped to slam downwards and a colossal shadow was traveling fast over the lands. The undead behemoth was hurled all the way into the volcanic thunder of the forbidden zone and the trajectory of its gigantic figure had captured the gazes of all observers.

    ***

    ¡°By the Lady!¡± exclaimed a human man with wide eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡± exclaimed a dwarf next to him.

    An elven woman narrowed her eyes and muttered: ¡°What an inspiring display of power¡­¡± She quickly recomposed herself and looked over the members of her circle. She saw a chance. ¡°You have all seen it! That was a sign from our Lady! Do not fear for she is with us!¡±

    ¡°A finger of the Bright Lady!¡± gasped an elven man.

    ¡°For the Lady!¡± ¡°For the Lady!¡± The channelers rejoined the fight with frantic enthusiasm. In a matter of minutes, their holy mana was spreading everywhere. Healing the defenders. Assaulting the undead. Frenzied fanaticism had driven away even the slightest trace of fear inside of them.

    ¡°That¡­¡± The human man that had first spoken looked hesitatingly at the leader of their circle. ¡°Bright, I¡­¡± He gulped. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that divine mana? Not the holy mana of our Lady?¡±

    ¡°A sign does not have to be so literal as that, Luminous.¡± The elven woman smiled. ¡°And every faithful fights best when supported by their faith. It is our duty to defend the innocent lives within the city. It is my duty to ensure that we fight at our best. Do not doubt that the Bright Lady is with us. Our goddess works in mysterious ways¡­¡±

    ***

    A husband and wife were staring out the window of their house with mouths agape. A monster from hell had arrived to block out the sky only to be flung away like a pesky fly. Even the following roar from the heavens themselves did not manage to shake them from their dumbstruck state.

    Only when the man recognized the strange figure limping on the street outside their window, did his mind catch up with reality. His elderly mother. His fragile manaless mother. Armed with nothing but a frying pan and her stubbornness. Heading straight towards the haunting horrors to defend her home.

    At that moment, the man knew that his mother would not remain alone. Tamsin would be there. The man had many insults for that hassle of a woman waiting in his throat, but he did not doubt that the stubborn old bat would join his equally stubborn mother.

    He wondered how many other stubborn-headed fools there were left in this city¡­

    He and his wife had tried his best to scrape the money for the portal together ever since the first rumors of undead hellspawn in the neighboring countries. It had all been for nothing. They never had a chance.

    They had worked so hard to build a life for their little family. They had been ready to abandon everything to ensure a safer future for their children. They had resigned themselves to face dangerous travels and to start from scratch in a new place that would probably be a lot less welcoming. Now all their sacrifices and all their convictions seemed so meaningless. Entirely futile.

    Long suppressed anger rose up from the depths of his soul and it overpowered his resignation. Before he knew what he was doing, he retrieved a rake from the corner of the room. He regretted not buying any proper weapons instead of saving up for the portal fee.

    When his wife saw the stubborn gaze in his eyes, she sighed and put down the two little children. She picked another frying pan from the kitchen and nodded at him and then looked around.

    Their little children. Their little house.

    Their home. Their city.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Their fight.

    ***

    Well, that was a shit idea.

    It worked though.

    I think.

    Ugh¡­

    Terry was dangling dazedly in the air. He did not remember the last time he had felt this nauseated. Even though he had stopped spinning, the world he perceived through his senses decidedly ignored that minor detail and both his senses and his insides remained firmly in the grip of inertia. He just wanted to puke and make it stop.

    His instincts blared warning bells in his head, but he had no leeway to react in time. The way his head was still spinning, he would not be able to count his own toes, much less pinpoint and block the complex incoming spells.

    The next thing Terry felt was a sequence of wetness and suffocation that was followed by agonizing pain. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and helped alert his mind to the nature of his suffering. His mana flared and he stomped on immovable metal to escape.

    As soon as he had breached the bubble formed of darkwater, he switched to the divine hammer inscription to conserve mana and reduce the strain on the coil springs in his boots.

    Terry barely registered the signs of corrosive damage on his armor. The sizzling. The stench. He could only imagine the pain he was feeling mirrored similar debilitating damage on his body. He was glad for the shielding shadow fabric from his magic brooch and the passive protection of his sizable mana pool. He feared that his armor had seen his last day but perhaps it would last long enough to hunt down the mage responsible.

    He was zigzagging through the air while tentatively circling his mana through all his magic equipment. One of his Shape Metal imprints had collapsed. One of his sheath-inscribed leg straps had been destroyed and the throwing needles inside were already plummeting to the ground.

    Luckily for Terry, the rest of his magic equipment remained fully functional. His cloak and armor had protected the inscribed wraps and glove. The divine hammer inscription heavily featured the light-aspect and the glove automatically mended whatever damage it received. His keen daggers had been protected by their sheaths and his king spear was evidently not threatened by such lowly attacks.

    Terry did not have much time to feel relieved because the blood was rushing to his head and inflicting throbbing torture. It was so bad that he missed his inscription activation and stepped into nothing but air. In his tumble, he furiously burst his mana. He had missed the spell activation and targeting because of the preceding mess, but he remained conscious enough to realize that this was most likely a blood-aspected magic from the lower system.

    More!

    Terry could not take it anymore. He clasped his head while screaming and curling into a ball. His vision had already turned red from the flood of his blood welling out of his eye-sockets.

    More mana!

    Under the violent pressure of mana, his blood vessels were shifting shades fast until they were nearly black. But even that was not enough to stop the blood-aspected torture and the helpless ball of pain that was Terry continued plummeting towards the merciful ground that promised peaceful death.

    An unresolved shout escaped from Terry¡¯s lips as a defiant whisper. ¡°More¡­¡± What more was there?

    His all-out burst had not been enough to shake the active spell off.

    In his desperation, he emitted disruption pulses but since the spell was targeted on his body and nothing external, this also proved pointless.

    External.

    Terry continued falling while his mind wandered back to a Tiv Guardian classroom. A lecture on aspected bursts. The impressive insight of the Divine Hammer. Insight wasted on a young man with a major aspect impairment. An insightful technique that had appeared pointless for someone whose mana only carried a single aspect.

    ¡°More¡­¡± whispered Terry hoarsely. He inhaled deeply and clenched his fists to focus. He closed eyes to better ignore the ground growing larger in his vision. For this moment, he was nothing but mana. He could not afford to split his attention and divert his focus.

    Focus.

    Squishy, bubbly, and flowing. Different mana absorption rates. He rebalanced the mana to account for all of it and then he burst his mana once more. Compressed and forced it into the path he had prepared.

    When the mana burst into his internal focus refractors, Terry¡¯s eyes lit up with unprecedented intensity. He roared: ¡°MORE!¡± While the draining disruption raged through his own body until he was finally free of the blood-aspected torture.

    Terry did not have to see to know that he was quickly running out of time. He immediately transfixed all the spring pearls that were hidden in his armor. With his current velocity, the first coil springs quickly snapped and he was beginning to tumble wildly in the air. He used his bidirectional attraction gloves to continue pulling on the transfixed pearls. He summoned weak divine barriers where he believed to be down and in front of him. He utilized everything at his disposal to safely slow down and survive the incoming impact.

    Terry somehow managed to land on his feet. His knees and thighs were protesting profusely, but his mana-enhanced body persevered while creating a small crater in the earth. His breath quivered while he opened his bloodied eyes. At the sight of the undead juggernauts stomping towards him, a mad smile graced his lips.

    His mana detection field felt the familiar shape that might be mistaken for a weird sword. He circled mana into his bidirectional attraction glove and used it to catch the falling king spear. The instant he caught it, he dashed forward again.

    There were more.

    More.

    More enemies for Terry to take down with him.

    Persevering. Defiant. Unyielding. He fought ferociously while the eyes of many were following whenever they could afford it. A battle-marked armor with ill-matched colors. Peeking through a barrier visor was a blood-smeared face with almost black blood vessels. His whole body was covered in blood, bile, and rotting flesh. An almost monstrously looking miracle-maker that emboldened their desperate defense.

    Terry was neither aware nor very interested in who was watching. He was too busy cleaving through the undead in his path. He knew that all of the previous mess would take its toll and that he was already on a timer until the final bell. Even if the damage to his body and mana channels was not as permanent as his destroyed equipment, he was not in a position to take a break to recuperate. Not with so many manaless in the city behind him.

    At least in the fight against the mana-cursed in the dungeon¡¯s folded space, there had only been battle-crazy martialists to worry about. More risk of being stabbed in the back, for sure, but overall much less to worry and care about.

    Terry only hoped that the time he was buying would be enough for most of the weaker folks to escape safely. Hopefully, his manaless acquaintances like Daisy and Brandon would be among the lucky ones.

    Terry¡¯s eye twitched when he sensed a spell shaping up near himself. The caster was fast, but not fast enough to shield their spell structure against Terry¡¯s disruption pulse. The attempted attack only served to remind Terry that he had a hostile mage to locate among the mass of undead.

    Terry considered allocating some mana for mana touch scouting again but he honestly wasn¡¯t sure how much he could spare. Less mana for the scouting meant more time required. More mana for the scouting meant less mana for his battered body to sustain itself. He didn¡¯t know where to make the choice for the proper trade-off.

    He was slamming the blunt end of the king spear into the head of a zombie when realization dawned on him.

    Undead.

    Terry grinned while his inner Academy student was cackling madly. His mana sight flashed purple and he swiveled his head swiftly to search for the soul out of place.

    All of the undead were moving with mana, which made mana-scouting difficult. However, the runners that constituted the vast bulk of every undead horde were generally soulless. As it turned out, the undead hellspawn were all soulless too.

    Since his dash towards the undead behemoth and the successive spinning mess, Terry was the defender furthest from the city by far. There were no other defenders whose souls could flare up in his sight which made the single faint speck of purple stand out like a blinding light.

    A fierce glint flashed in Terry¡¯s eyes while he forced his mana into the king spear. The lightning-loving spearhead pierced the sky and the heavens roared furiously. The blue-green metal attracting eager electricity was itself guided by immovable objects and divine barriers that forced the contracting orange pole into a path of Terry¡¯s choosing.

    Terry snarled almost like a feral beast while he was pulling on the orange pole for it to descend even just slightly faster. He sensed a shade step out of the shadows to ambush him. He summoned a divine barrier to block but did not even care to turn around. At this moment, he only had a single signature in his sights.

    Only a single soul to seek out.

    A single vampiric soul to vanquish.

    Terry struggled to make out a mana anomaly at the location. He could sense something primarily rooted in death, blood, and shadow.

    The death aspect blended perfectly into the ambient death from the undead.

    The blood aspect was drowned by the flood of blood-aspected mana from a raging corpse corruption. Now that Terry knew where to look it was suspicious that so many blood abominations continued hanging around that particular spot.

    The shadow aspect was not perfectly hidden but its traces flickered like a shadow-stepping shade would. The vampire was constantly moving into an ethereal state which Terry suspected to be tied to the shadow aspect. That magic was most likely the reason why even his mana touch had trouble picking the location among all the others.

    Ominous rumbling reverberated far up in the sky where dark clouds were gathering to spit forth fierce snakes of sizzling lightning to follow a thin but long line of orange leading the way. Terry was staring with bloodshot eyes and pumped every single speck of his remaining mana into the magic layers embedded in the king spear. The outer inches of his mana bubble warned him that more undead juggernauts were charging towards him, but it did not matter. His aim was set and he was committed to follow through.

    No second-guessing.

    No matter what.

    For an instant, the whole battlefield lit up with blinding light to banish even the slightest trace of shadow. It was the overture to the deafening blast that washed over the whole area until only the stench of ozone and a puddle of blood remained in a certain location.

    Terry did not dare to close his eyes. He saw the blood wiggle, transform first into a crimson bat and then into a dwarven woman with hair longer than her body. He felt like cursing that the vampire was still alive but he could see that her mana signature was incredibly faint. A second later, he was out of time.

    The juggernaut fist had already been on its way and now it arrived to crash into him.

    Terry rolled over the ground. If he had the strength, he would snort. The pain and spinning nausea¡­ It was nothing to what he had to suffer through earlier. He had sacrificed nearly all the mana stockpiled in his mana pool. His body was protesting and begging to stop.

    But it would do.

    His body could be pushed further.

    Even if his mana pool had bottomed out, he still had his mana regeneration to feed him a drizzle of usable mana.

    He could do more.

    Terry came to a halt and suppressed the urge to cackle like a lunatic. He pushed himself up while muttering hoarsely: ¡°More. Just a bit more.¡±

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, no follow-up juggernaut paw arrived to slap him around. He recovered his breath and realized that the undead horde was moving differently. Something had changed. He whirled his head around to search for the dwarven vampiress, only to discover a group of powerful folks from the city.

    Intira and a few hunters. Edmund and another guard. The leader of the local circle of the Bright Lady. Even a woman with a wide-brimmed hat and a light-infused rapier. All of them had instantly darted to action to finish off the vampiress after Terry had forced her out of hiding.

    Terry breathed shakily and then noticed the change in undead movement. The undead were fighting each other. The enemy forces were less organized while their own undead fighting for the defense were moving in perfect coordination. He allowed himself a look at the Whisperer.

    Thiago was standing on top of his ship carried by skeletal warriors with closed eyes, a raised hand, and with an unceasing whisper on his lips.

    Terry allowed himself a deep breath, and then he dashed forward to finish off the enemy undead in his sights.

    ***

 199 The Crushing Weight of Hopeful Gazes

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 2 ¨C

    Terry was panting heavily while whirling around with frantic eyes and searching for the next enemy to face. He clenched his king and barrier spears tightly. Defiant madness haunted his look with every heavy breath that unleashed another wave of pain through his battered body.

    It took a moment until Terry realized that there would be no other enemy. The remaining undead stood perfectly still. Their wills had been entirely subjugated by allied whispers that aided the defense. They had slain all enemy death whisperers. They had eradicated all undead hellspawn that could not be conquered by the whisper style of Thiago.

    There was no remaining enemy in sight.

    They had won.

    They had repelled the undead horde and the city-state of the Freedom Cooperative was still standing.

    Terry flinched with distrusting eyes. He was already dumping his mana to set up a proper mana detection field and double-check. He knew that his body needed the mana to recover and persevere through his injuries, but he would not feel at ease before checking every inch of the area with mana touch. He activated soulsight and looked around with bloodshot eyes.

    Slowly, the adrenaline faded.

    Slowly, he calmed down.

    Finally, Terry allowed himself to fall backwards with his spears still grasped tightly. For a few breaths, he simply laid on his back and stared while focusing on his breathing. The beautiful blue sky above was like a soothing medicine to push away the mad desperation that lingered in his mind.

    His mind was a mess. He had a lot of thoughts to sort through, but for this moment, he allowed himself to stare and think nothing.

    His body was an aching torment, but there was little he could do about it, even now with no enemy in sight. He had used whatever healing items he had bought. He had honestly already played loose with the permitted dosage. He still remembered the last time he had chugged too many potions at once and given his current state, the aftermath this time would be much worse, especially, since he had not had access to quality as high as the ones his accepted father had made.

    A sharp pain sprang up at Terry¡¯s left wrist and a moment later, he saw the contents from his storage bracelet spill onto the ground next to him. Terry numbly accepted the destruction of his storage item and only made a mental note that he had underestimated the damage the bracelet had taken. Nothing he could do about it.

    Terry subconsciously began placing the spilled items into his remaining storage bracelet. He mostly kept the cheap and replaceable items in the bracelets ¨C tertium slabs, throwing needles, throwaway spears and swords, and the like. He curiously noted that his oscillating items remained missing.

    He had sometimes wondered what would happen to an item aspected with oscillated mana when the storage dimension broke down without someone naturalizing the mana to take it out. It seemed like a pointlessly wasteful experiment to conduct intentionally, but now, life had shown him just like that.

    His inner Academy student just pushed the question further and wondered what happened really to the oscillating items. Did they collapse with the storage dimension? Were they now trapped in some kind of inter-dimensional limbo for all eternity?

    Who knows? Perhaps I can ask Instructor Ser if I ever meet him again¡­

    Terry returned his spears into his dimensional bag and rubbed his forehead.

    More importantly, perhaps I should reconsider placing my most precious items into oscillating containers. It¡¯s nice that even the best pickpockets cannot take them out without my permission, but the risk of losing everything when the storage gets destroyed is¡­

    Terry placed his hands on his face and took deep breaths. He didn¡¯t want to think about those things now. He just wanted to rest. He moved his hands downwards until they rested on his chest. He wanted to rest and look at the blue sky above.

    Just a bit longer.

    ¡°We can get you a replacement.¡± A male voice arrived.

    Terry¡¯s mana touch told him that there was a dwarf standing and pointing.

    ¡°We can also repair your equipment. For free, of course.¡±

    Terry finally moved his eyes from the sky to the group that had arrived. More and more people were crowding around him. He recognized the dwarf that had spoken as well as the two tall humans next to him. The dwarf was one of the most famous crafters in the city and the ones next to him were his personal bodyguards. A reliable smith, but expensive beyond belief.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for refusing your business before.¡± The dwarf spoke sincerely. ¡°The Dungeon Cooperative can go fuck themselves. We all saw what you did. While many of them just turned tail, you fought. Fought for our city.¡±

    Terry felt healing spells activate on himself. He sat up on the ground and saw the casters. Hunters. City guards. Channelers of the Bright Lady. Even a few Guildheads and knights. To his surprise, he even saw manaless people roaming around and distributing what looked like healing supplies from the crafting district.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that,¡± barked a broad-shouldered human woman. ¡°You make it sound like our cooperative just abandoned the city. Some of us fought just like everyone else!¡±

    ¡°Not like him,¡± retorted the dwarven smith and pointed with his chin at Terry. ¡°And your cooperative was the first to ban business with the Flower Protector.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± The human woman glared at the dwarf. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? We have other problems.¡±

    ¡°More than you realize.¡± Edmund stepped onto the scene with even more people behind him.

    Terry recognized a few martialists, Intira and Hector from the hunters, and even the small group of Thanatos soldiers. Ruby was looking at him in an odd manner he couldn¡¯t interpret.

    ¡°What do you mean? More than we realize?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t just a random attack,¡± said Edmund gravely.

    Terry nodded slightly. He continued listening but he had already come to the same conclusion. Vampire death whisperers. Undead hellspawn. The previous incident during the masquerade ball. Soulrot. Perhaps even the new drugs that had arrived long ago in the city-state.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a cultist coven,¡± concluded Edmund in a grave tone. ¡°This is the Lich Kingdoms. Has to be.¡±

    Some of the channelers frowned when they heard the city guard use the word ¡®cultist¡¯ but none of them said anything. Whatever personal offense they took at the choice of words was overshadowed by the gravity of the conclusion.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t received any formal declaration of war!¡± A woman wearing the characteristic wide-brimmed hat of the Knights of Labor protested.

    Ruby and some of her Thanatos soldiers rolled their eyes.

    ¡°Probably got lost in the mail,¡± snarked Intira. ¡°You should send them a strongly-worded letter to remind them.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that the Lich Kingdoms are expanding again,¡± said an elderly martialist in grey-blue combat robes.

    From the looks on people¡¯s faces, it was clear that less than half of the people had actually harbored such suspicions. Most of the ones with unsurprised faces were the traveling martialists. Ruby and her soldiers were nodding as well.

    ¡°What kind of backwater place is this?¡± exclaimed another martialist. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the reports of the fall of the mighty Soaring Mountain Sect?¡±

    ¡°Who gives a damn?¡± interrupted a woman wearing a bloodied martialist uniform. ¡°If it¡¯s the Lich Kingdoms, then they will be back. What do we do?¡±

    ¡°We have bought ourselves some time,¡± said Edmund. ¡°As far as we know, none of the enemies escaped.¡± He could not help but glance at Terry who had marked every suspicious signature for them during the cleanup. ¡°We can¡ª¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, pipsqueak,¡± barked the martialist woman. She looked at Terry. ¡°I was asking him.¡±

    Terry blinked flusteredly and then furrowed his brow.

    A grim-faced hunter nodded eagerly. ¡°Yeah, if I have to listen to anyone. I want to listen to the one that tossed that teeth-ridden monster into the volcano. The wimps can shut up.¡±

    Terry could not help but note that this grizzled hunter would even tower over Tiana and her brother Chadwick. It felt weird to have such a giant look at him with admiration.

    A human woman from the city guard was stepping forward with an angry flush in her face. ¡°Listen you¡ª¡± But she was held back by Edmund.

    ¡°We have defended the city for longer than anyone!¡± protested another city guard.

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    ¡°Who gives a damn?!¡± hissed the martialist. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you charging that army alone.¡±

    ¡°Because it was a completely stupid move to engage them behind the defensive line!¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡± demanded the martialist with a challenging look in her eyes. ¡°As I saw it, he stopped the whole army alone and allowed your little defensive line to stand strong with ranged attacks. If you dare call him stupid one more time, I¡¯ll slap your head off.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t calling him stupid, I was calling¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save it.¡± Edmund tried to calm his guards down. He had his own reservations but he was reading the mood.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, puppy. Save it!¡± The martialist scoffed and turned her head to look expectantly at Terry again. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    Terry knew that he was currently under the influence of several healing spells but somehow, his headache was getting worse. He rubbed his eyes and the bridge of his nose. This was new.

    What in the Wastes are you looking at me for?

    How in all the hells am I supposed to know what to do?

    I was about to leave, for mana¡¯s sake! If I had left earlier, I would not even know about this¡­

    Terry sighed and thought back to how he had first read about the villages overrun by undead hellspawn in the Guild. It had caused his gut to clench, but it still felt distant. Now he was in the thick of it. Worse even. Apparently, he had been dragged into the precipice of a war. He knew nothing about war. He had read a bit, sure, but he really knew nothing. He hated politics. He even hated being stuck in this city. How in all the Wastes were those people now looking at him for answers?

    Didn¡¯t they see that he didn¡¯t have a clue? He was honestly surprised that he was still breathing. He felt in no position to advise anyone on anything. He never thought that he would wish back for the time when a bunch of martialists had scoffed at his mad dungeon theories and only followed him due to bribes or because he had been the maddest of them all in that lunatic asylum.

    Terry exhaled a sharp sigh. ¡°Alright¡­¡± He resolved himself to resurrect one of his earliest mental mantras in life. A mantra at the core of his inner Academy Student.

    If you don¡¯t know, ask.

    Terry turned to Edmund. ¡°You and your city guards probably know the state of the city better than anyone. What do you suggest?¡±

    Edmund was momentarily taken off-guard by the direct question, but quickly recomposed himself. An appreciative smile flickered across his face before he spoke firmly in a forced calm and professional tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much time we have.¡±

    ¡°I can figure that out,¡± said Intira from the hunters. ¡°We can send a few scouts to get early warning.¡±

    ¡°They arrived here from the shadows,¡± added Hector. ¡°That won¡¯t happen again. Not without us noticing.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this place have an army?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Not much left of it,¡± said the woman from the Knights of Labor. ¡°The bulk fled with the royal family of Bloodborne.¡±

    Great. Just great.

    Terry sighed inwardly and returned his attention to Edmund.

    ¡°If we all coordinate together, we might be able to prepare a caravan large enough to evacuate, but¡­¡± Edmund¡¯s voice trailed off. He was reading the mood again and the looks told him that this was not the suggestion they were looking to hear.

    A human man was grimacing at him. The man was holding a damned rake. From the head of the farmer¡¯s tool dangled the rotting eyeball of a zombie. ¡°This is our home¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn right, it is!¡± Thiago slapped the man on the shoulder. He had been herding the last of the undead into secure storage facilities used by the hunters and then came over together with Jasmine. ¡°And we¡¯ll fight for it.¡±

    Jasmine gasped when she saw the state Terry was in. She rushed over but was blocked by martialists. She stared at them with offense and confusion. ¡°Is he¡­¡± She looked Terry in the eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a friend,¡± said Terry and glanced at the martialists with irritation. He imagined that Thiago and some of the hunters were ready to slit their throats if the martialists continued to act like this in front of them. He could only hope that the looming doom from the Lich Kingdoms would be enough to force them into acting like sane adults, but he was not willing to bet on it.

    Terry shrugged off Jasmine¡¯s question and asked: ¡°How are the others? Is everyone¡­?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re okay,¡± said Jasmine, who was now getting closer to inspect Terry¡¯s wounds. ¡°A few runners got near the Flower House, but we managed. Everyone is fine.¡± She shook her head while retrieving some alcohol and disinfecting his wounds. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let the wounds close like that. What if foreign objects made it inside?¡±

    Terry involuntarily remembered how his dwarven friend Gellath had always fussed about them before he was willing to use his Curing Waters spell. That felt like forever ago. He didn¡¯t really remember the last time he had paid attention to such details. He barely ever had the leeway for such things.

    Truthfully, he rarely felt the need either. His mana compensated for a lot of his reckless idiocy. Any manaless acting as careless as he would probably die a very early death.

    ¡°Daisy is still looking for Alexander though,¡± muttered Jasmine. ¡°The poor girl was expecting his arrival any second but¡­¡±

    The female Knight of Labor overheard their conversation and scoffed with derision. ¡°That cowardly bastard is probably long over the hills. He was supposed to deliver a message but I saw him running in the opposite direction soon after. That shit excuse for a man didn¡¯t even stop to protect a child from a shade.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised¡­¡± cursed Jasmine with a scowl.

    ¡°What chances do we have of defending the city?¡± Terry asked Edmund straight. ¡°How would you prepare?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you are still here.¡± Jasmine whispered to Terry, who just shrugged.

    ¡°Against another horde like that?¡± Edmund thought it over. ¡°We have defensive constructs.¡±

    ¡°Not enough.¡± A female dwarf in crimson uniform interjected. Ruby winked at Terry before continuing. ¡°And they¡¯re all stationary, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Edmund glared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d like to discuss that with a soldier of the Mad Empire.¡±

    ¡°Hey now, I was fighting just like the rest of you,¡± protested Ruby. ¡°This isn¡¯t my home, but perhaps it will be in the future. It would be a shame if the Lich Kingdoms conquered these lands before Thanatos.¡±

    ¡°How about I let my boot conquer your arse, you little shit,¡± snarled Hector and some of the hunters placed their hands on their weapons.

    ¡°Please,¡± hissed Terry, whose headache had gotten worse. To his surprise, everyone listened.

    ¡°Thanatos has his sights on this place, why should we trust your help?¡± demanded Edmund.

    ¡°Two reasons.¡± Ruby grinned. ¡°First, it is not in Thanatos¡¯s best interest to let these lands go to the Lich Kingdoms. Second, I¡¯m not helping you, I¡¯m helping him.¡± She pointed with her chin towards Terry and winked.

    What¡¯s that supposed to mean?

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    If Edmund didn¡¯t see the sincere expression of bewilderment on the man¡¯s face, he might have suspected something afoot in how the Flower Protector had miraculously managed to push through the battle and repel the horde. However, given everything, he decided to trust the man for now. He looked at Ruby. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±

    ¡°Unless you¡¯re able to lock the shadows, you will be shit out of luck,¡± said Ruby. ¡°There is a reason why Thanatos has strict rules about that.¡±

    ¡°Locking down the shadows?¡± exclaimed a hunter in outrage. ¡°Are you mad?¡±

    ¡°Look, whatever shady thing you have going that requires a good shadow step now and then is none of my business.¡± Ruby smirked. ¡°But is that business really worth your city? Your defensive constructs are not bad but their number is laughable, especially when they are spread out.¡±

    ¡°Which they have to be when we don¡¯t know from where the attack is going to come from,¡± said Edmund and placed a hand on his forehead.

    ¡°We can start inscribing more, but we don¡¯t have enough material for a lot,¡± added a man whom Terry had seen in the Guild before.

    ¡°We could settle for the non-magic variety,¡± suggested the dwarven smith. ¡°We only need regular materials and willing hands.¡±

    ¡°Lots of regular materials and many willing hands,¡± stressed another dwarf next to the smith. ¡°Catapults and trebuchets might be enough to squash the runners, but if we want to squish the juggernauts, we¡¯re going to need something with more oomph.¡±

    ¡°We can build oomph,¡± insisted the dwarven smith. ¡°We just need to scale. We have plenty of manaless hands in the city that we can put to use. Some good materials at core locations and we can scale it up without sacrificing mobility completely.¡±

    ¡°Now wait a second,¡± interrupted the Guildhead. ¡°I can imagine what kind of materials you mean, but we need those if we want to properly inscribe the magic constructs. We have to manage the recoil and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I might have an idea.¡± Terry heard himself say. He suddenly became very aware of the number of hopeful gazes on him. It was decidedly uncomfortable. He forced himself to focus and think of the situation like a theoretical problem that someone else had to deal with. He looked at the crafters. ¡°If you didn¡¯t have to worry about recoil or the constructs having to be stable or sturdy enough? What could you do?¡±

    After a short back and forth, the crafters were staring at Terry with a healthy amount of skepticism.

    ¡°We would need a lot,¡± stressed the dwarven smith.

    ¡°I can do that,¡± said Terry. I think. Wishful thinking.

    ¡°You have to rest,¡± warned Jasmine. ¡°Look at yourself.¡±

    ¡°I can do that while resting,¡± said Terry. He added in a quieter tone. ¡°And I don¡¯t have any other ideas.¡±

    ¡°No, you rest,¡± insisted Edmund. ¡°I¡¯ll have you checked out properly. You have done enough for today.¡± He nodded at some of the channelers of the Bright Lady. ¡°Make sure he recovers.¡±

    ¡°We would need more than just imprints, we¡¯ll need proper wands,¡± stressed the Guildhead crafter. He ignored the fuss about Terry¡¯s recovery and instead continued the previous conversation.

    ¡°He can do that,¡± hissed Jasmine and presented the wand that Terry had given her as a farewell gift. ¡°Now let him be, you git.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The man looked skeptically at Terry. ¡°...we need a lot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent word out, Senior.¡± A martialist elder in grey-blue robes stepped forward and next to Terry.

    That ¡®Senior¡¯ stuff again. Terry was too tired to even frown. ¡°What word?¡±

    ¡°To allies,¡± replied the elder. ¡°Friends of the sect. The sects that owe you a debt from the tomb of trials. The sects that have a debt to settle with the Lich Kingdoms. If this is where you intend to make a stand, then we¡¯ll stand with you.¡±

    Terry was not sure if he should laugh or cry. He had city guards and government knights offering him potions to drink. He had cultists of the Bright Lady fussing over him with healing abilities. He had protective hunters watching the cultists warily for every sign of mistreatment. He had Thanatos soldiers supporting him for some strange reason. Now he had crazy martialists hanging at his every word and gearing up for war.

    Sending word¡­

    Terry could not help but sigh when he recalled that the only people he truly wanted to call still remained out of his reach. None of the people present appeared to have the ability to contact his whaka. There was no local Guardian outpost. The local Guild did not keep connections with other empires. The Thanatos soldiers might have a way, but Terry doubted their support would extend that far. The people managing the dimensional portal had fled and there was still the forbidden zone in the way of letting any of the martialists act as a messenger to Arcana.

    No helping it. Even with all of these potential allies, Terry still felt alone. He could feel the shy glances from all the working manaless and the less frequent but more fervent gazes from the stronger ones. The expectation and hope in their eyes felt suffocating.

    Terry took a deep breath and then he stood up. Perhaps walking and some fresh air would help clear his head. The rotting corpses and lightning-burned remains certainly didn¡¯t help.

    ***

 200 Old Tricks Scaled to New Heights

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 3 ¨C

    ¡°...one more thing.¡± Edmund turned around at the main entrance to the Flower House¡¯s reception hall. He looked at Terry, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a notebook in front of him and with countless metal rods around himself. ¡°That magic you used to push away the behemoth, that was the divine hammer wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Terry nodded without lifting his eyes. He could feel some of the channelers that were currently treating him flinch at his answer, but he had no mind to wonder why.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Edmund blinked slowly and nodded. ¡°I heard the Divine Hammer died a few years ago. Were you related?¡±

    ¡°She was my aunt,¡± replied Terry while closing his eyes to better concentrate on his mana.

    Edmund tilted his head. ¡°I always thought the Divine Hammer was a dwarf.¡±

    ¡°She was.¡± Terry looked up after he had finished the next round of priming in the metal rods. ¡°Whaka Sigille was the sister of my ma.¡±

    Edmund¡¯s eyes opened wider when he heard the traditional dwarven term from the human man. He thought about saying something but then only nodded. ¡°See you soon.¡± He left without another word.

    ¡°I know who you are!¡± One of the channelers stepped back and stopped his healing ability. ¡°Sigille, the Divine Hammer. Matteo, the Elemental Fury. Amelia, the Spellcrusher. Dargones, the Magebane. Palmer, the Demonpalm. You. You¡¯re the Arcanian that was involved with killing Bright Willow!¡±

    Terry did not care to answer. He closed his eyes to focus on his next round of parallel priming for the spell imprints.

    ¡°Glimmer Georg, return to your duties!¡± ordered the elven woman at the center of the channelers.

    ¡°But Bright Akemi, they killed Bright! He is responsible¡ª¡±

    ¡°Responsible for saving this city and all the people in it!¡± interrupted Akemi. She continued in a stern and somber voice: ¡°The Bright Lady teaches that resentment is poison for the soul. It is giving more power to those that have wronged you and it only inflicts suffering on yourself. Do not let your soul be consumed by hatred, Glimmer Georg. That is not the path of the Bright Lady.¡±

    ¡°But he¡­¡±

    ¡°Our rank means nothing if we abandon the Lady¡¯s teachings, Glimmer Georg,¡± chided Akemi. ¡°No matter if you¡¯re a Bright, a Glimmer, or unranked. It is not the title, but the truthfulness to her teachings that defines us.¡± She glanced at Terry, who still did not show any care for their squabble. ¡°Even a Bright might be led astray and force the Bright Lady to correct her path. Sometimes the instrument of her will comes in unexpected forms. Our goddess works in mysterious ways. We have to follow our duty.¡±

    Terry could feel yet another batch of people approach the Flower House. He was expecting the first group, but the next individual was someone whom he really didn¡¯t want to deal with. He opened his eyes and subconsciously rubbed his palms that were itching.

    His palms, just like the rest of his body, were still showing visible blood vessels from damaged mana channels. Such damage was harder to heal than physical wounds, which was why he was still constantly surrounded by healers.

    His hands were itchy because his other scars were still healing. He had instructed his healers to focus on his mana channels instead of physical wounds that were not threatening. He needed his mana channels to work. He needed to prepare.

    The healers warned him that some of his scars would not heal completely that way. Especially the fern-like scars he had invited with his last heaven¡¯s fury combination. Terry had honestly been surprised when he saw himself after the battle. He knew that it had been bad, but he must have been numbed by all the pain before the attack because he did not remember being that ravaged by lightning.

    His current scars were much worse than when they had rescued Tiana from lightning elementals.

    A crafter Guildhead and several manaless stepped through the entrance. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡±

    ¡°Done,¡± said Terry. ¡°Each with a dozen pre-charged primers. They can check the primer recovery rate themselves when they get used to it. I can increase the maximum number of primers further if you give me a few more minutes.¡±

    The Guildhead glanced at the large number of wands. His eyes glowed brightly from switching to mana sight. He stared speechlessly at the way Terry remotely imprinted so many wands in parallel. The spell imprints were small, stable, and crystal clear. They were perfect. That quality and considering the time required per single item, it was just ridiculous. His eyes drifted to the perfectly etched directional lines when he blurted: ¡°Wait, did you carve those without a tool?¡±

    Terry scribbled in his notebook and replied absentmindedly. ¡°I guess I did. I had not thought about that.¡± It was true though. When he had started, he had not felt the need to use his mana-crafting tools. He was able to compress his mana sufficiently to reach the required intensity with his mana control alone.

    For shielding, he would still augment his skills with the tools, but for plain directional lines, there was no further benefit and only a cost. When relying on the tools, he was limited to his single pair of hands. Without the tools, he was free to craft as much as his mana control allowed.

    Luckily, Terry did not have to shield those wands. His task was quantity and accessibility, not perfection for direct combat. A large number of Immovable Object wands that would be usable by even the least-proficient mana users. That was his part in the preparation. At least, until they could think of a better idea.

    ¡°I think I can do more in the next batch,¡± declared Terry confidently.

    ¡°I think not!¡± hissed Akemi. ¡°Do you have any idea about the state of your mana channels?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re mine,¡± replied Terry tiredly. ¡°I can feel them. They hurt.¡±

    ¡°Then stop overburdening them!¡± protested Akemi. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You have to slow down and allow yourself to recover before you push yourself again!¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re right, then it won¡¯t be long before the Lich Kingdoms make their next move,¡± retorted Terry and already began imprinting the next batch of wands.

    The Guildhead evidently did not want to get into the middle of that conversation. He and his assistants quickly packed up the finished wands and got out.

    ¡°They will eventually investigate,¡± continued Terry. ¡°Even if we manage to hunt down all their scouts, they will not stay idle forever. Not if they want to conquer this place.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason for you to rest and recover properly!¡± stressed Akemi with a flushed face.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Terry¡¯s words took Akemi off-guard. However, he didn¡¯t leave it at that. ¡°If it was just me. But it¡¯s not, is it?¡±

    He was painfully aware of the looks that every visitor was giving him. Looks of hope. Not everyone was as obvious as the lunatic martialists that insisted on addressing him as ¡®Senior¡¯ or ¡®Venerable Elder¡¯ but all of them were looking at him as if he was the one to have all the answers.

    He honestly didn¡¯t and it drove him mad.

    ¡°There is a whole city of manaless and weak mana users that refuse to leave their home,¡± continued Terry tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m still surprised that the city is still standing.¡± And that I¡¯m still breathing. ¡°We got lucky. I don¡¯t like counting on getting lucky again. If another horde is coming, we need to do better. We. That means everyone.¡± He shook his head with a scowl. ¡°I can¡¯t do shit.¡±

    I got lucky and I still nearly managed to get myself killed.

    Terry¡¯s outburst had taken the channelers aback. That man had saved a city. That man had stopped a whole horde of undead hellspawn with a single spear. That man had flung a gigantic monstrosity all the way into the forbidden zone¡¯s volcanic thunder. How did that man manage to look so unsatisfied when recounting the story?

    ¡°A man in the image of the Bright Lady,¡± whispered one of the channelers in a barely audible voice.

    Terry did not pay attention to their mutterings and their exchanged glances. He took a deep breath and finished: ¡°I can either prepare for it or damage my body when trying to deal with it unprepared.¡± He gestured at the increased number of would-be-wands on the floor. ¡°This is preparation. I¡¯m not ready to face another horde like that unprepared.¡±

    Akemi sighed as well. ¡°There is a limit to what we can do if you¡¯re pushing beyond what we allow.¡± She bit her lips and then spoke up again with a hopeful tone. ¡°We could do more if you directly accepted the mana of our goddess.¡±

    ¡°Fat chance,¡± scoffed Terry. ¡°I¡¯d rather kiss the next undead behemoth on one of its rotating maws than opening my mind to otherrealm influence.¡±

    ¡°Infidel!¡±

    ¡°Glimmer Georg, pay attention to your duties,¡± barked Bright Akemi.

    ¡°But Bright, you have heard how he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not everyone follows our faith,¡± stressed Akemi. ¡°Forgive them for they don¡¯t know what they are saying. Their words can¡¯t hurt us, nor does our goddess need us to defend her.¡± She frowned at Terry. ¡°Although I would truly appreciate it if you would choose your words more politely.¡±

    ¡°...sorry,¡± muttered Terry. He did agree with his aunt Sigille on the principle and he had his fair share of bad experiences with channelers like Bright Willow or Vicious. However, he had also met kind-hearted faithful like Cadence. He worried that his time spent with martialists had rubbed off too much on him. He disagreed with their choice to open their minds and accept a channeling anchor, but that was no excuse to be rude to the people healing him.

    He would not do it again.

    He was sorry.

    Even so. ¡°But still no. My answer won¡¯t change.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to ask you to be reasonable,¡± nagged Akemi.

    Terry shrugged. He did not decrease the number of wands he imprinted in parallel. ¡°The alchemists wanted to send over a better potion anyway. I¡¯ll see afterwards.¡±

    Akemi swallowed a grumble and refused to continue wasting her time with trying to persuade a stubborn rock of a man.

    Terry was glad that the channelers didn¡¯t press the issue anymore. He took another deep breath and finally mustered the nerve to turn to his next visitor. He could not imagine what the old grouch would possibly want with him now. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Tamsin walked in slowly and slightly hunched over.

    Behind Tamsin, Jasmine and Daisy had walked in as well. Both were sending curious glances at the elderly woman.

    Tamsin cleared her throat. ¡°I wanted to apologize.¡±

    ¡°Guess old dogs can learn new tricks after all,¡± interjected Jasmine with a raised eyebrow. She turned to Terry. ¡°I told Thiago to come over later like you asked. He¡¯ll bring what¡¯s required.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Terry moved his eyes to Tamsin and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Apologize? What for? Specifically?¡± If the old grouch just wanted to spit a martialist-style non-apology, he was done with this conversation.

    ¡°For questioning the wisdom of hiring you as a bodyguard,¡± said Tamsin slowly. ¡°I thought a foreigner like you would just abandon this place, but I can see now that I was mistaken. You¡¯re not a foreigner.¡± She spoke in a solemn voice. ¡°You have proven that this is your home just like it is mine.¡±

    Terry creased his brows and tilted his head while examining the strange old woman. ¡°No. I think you¡¯re still mistaken. My home is elsewhere. I¡¯m just passing through.¡±

    Tamsin was visibly confused by his statement and opened her mouth several times without saying anything.

    ¡°Thanks though, I guess¡­¡± Terry shrugged and closed his eyes to better concentrate on his parallel imprinting again.

    Not far from Tamsin, Daisy observed Terry while biting her lips. Her gaze wandered from Terry¡¯s face, to his injuries that were still visible, and to the metal rods. She was not able to see the mana but she knew that those rods were for defending the city. In her eyes, Terry¡¯s actions appeared to run counter to his words. She blinked her eyes in quick succession and rushed to her room.

    Terry had not observed Daisy¡¯s expression but he noted her unusually quick departure. He opened his eyes and looked inquisitively at Jasmine.

    ¡°She¡¯s a bit on edge,¡± whispered Jasmine. ¡°No word from Alexander. Or rather not the right words.¡± She shrugged helplessly. ¡°No word for her. Some of the people that returned saw him continue to distance himself from the city.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s one thing if he doesn¡¯t believe the city can hold, but it¡¯s another that he doesn¡¯t even look back.¡± She shook her head and then took a deep breath. ¡°Iris said she wanted to talk about tattoos with you. Apparently, some of the shops have approached her to see if you want anything.¡±

    Terry nodded and focused again on his mana crafting. It was strange how quickly everything had changed. Not that long ago, he had still been turning over every silver twice and tried to live frugally to save enough for the portal fee. Then he had gone on a shopping spree with the aim of converting every single copper of the local currency into something he could use. Now the shops were coming to him to offer their services and goods for free.

    It was surreal.

    It didn¡¯t end there either.

    The hunters had once tried to ambush him during his early morning jobs. Then they had caused him to be banned from any shop connected to the Import-Export Cooperative. Now, they were reporting to him anything their scouts had discovered. A few of them even hung around the Flower House at all times. Even though most of them had probably been ordered here by Thiago to protect Jasmine, a few of them always kept an eye on the channelers that were healing Terry.

    During his time in the Freedom Cooperative, Terry had clashed multiple times with the city guards. Now, Edmund personally brought reports and aligned with him. Sometimes, he even brought government representatives with him. Barely a day had gone by and Terry had already been greeted by more politicians and cooperative leaders than in all the preceding months combined.

    Terry didn¡¯t know what to make of it. He didn¡¯t believe he was qualified to comment on even a fraction of what they brought to him. He was no politician or ruler. He had no clue about running or protecting a city. Every single one of the people coming to him for advice knew more about the city than he did. Literally.

    In Terry¡¯s opinion, he was probably the worst person to ask on practically all of the topics brought to him. And yet¡­

    Regardless of what Terry thought, people always seemed to leave with more confidence after talking to him, even when he hadn¡¯t added so much as a single sentence to the conversation. Somehow, there was something. Something that made them come back again and again. Even for topics he was ill-prepared for and even if he stated as much.

    Terry found it strange, but he decided not to care. There were a vast number of things he couldn¡¯t do. So he decided to focus on the things he could do.

    Like mana-crafting wands with charged Immovable Object spells.

    When Terry had finished his current batch, he proceeded right to the next. Before he started, he clicked his tongue and added two more rods than before.

    ¡°I saw that,¡± hissed Akemi through gritted teeth.

    Terry smiled sheepishly. ¡°That reminds me. I think Thiago is coming over now.¡±

    ¡°The Whisperer?¡± Akemi crossed her arms with a bad premonition. ¡°What for?¡± She eyed Terry suspiciously.

    Terry scratched his nose and cleared his throat. ¡°Well, our main opponents seem to be necromancers and death whisperers. So I thought he would be the person to ask about what I have in mind.¡±

    Akemi¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    Terry blinked sheepishly. ¡°Resistance training?¡±

    Akemi stared at Terry in silence.

    ¡°I nearly had my head blown up by my own blood,¡± added Terry hurriedly. Never again. ¡°I know there are circulation techniques for the aspects of the core system. There must be equivalents for the lower system.¡± Never again. ¡°I¡¯m also getting tired of having my skin peel off after being doused in darkwater.¡±

    Akemi¡¯s stare turned into a chiding glare. ¡°You want to practice resistance circulation when your mana channels are in such a state?!¡±

    Terry shrugged and felt a bit cheeky. ¡°It would have been better if I had started earlier, I agree, but now is the earliest I can manage.¡±

    Akemi inhaled deeply and she put a hand to her forehead. ¡°Please tell me the Whisperer is not also bringing any death executioners with him.¡±

    Terry averted his gaze. That woman is way too quick on the uptake.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Akemi looked like she was having a stroke. ¡°Are you suicidal or just insane?!¡±

    Terry chose not to answer and pointedly closed his eyes and tried to ignore the continued glare he felt with his mana touch.

    ***

    ¡°We want to join you, Guardian,¡± declared a martialist in black combat robes. She led a group of a dozen martialists, who all looked to be on the younger side and who were all wearing the same uniform.

    There it was again.

    Guardian.

    At some point after the battle, strangers had started calling him that. Terry blamed the elven receptionist from the Guild, because he did not recall any other person knowing that he had registered with a Guardian card as identification.

    Apparently, his role in the recent battle combined with the fact that he was the only Guardian in the country, invited people to gossip. It got so prevalent that even completely new arrivals were addressing him as such.

    Terry had a good idea of which sect these new arrivals were from. He had seen that cultivation style before. It was, regrettably, not a pleasant memory. ¡°You¡¯re from the Soaring Mountain Sect?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are, Guardian,¡± confirmed the martialist bitterly. ¡°Our sect grounds were torn apart by those undead menaces.¡± Her face contorted with disgust. ¡°Our vassal sects and allies refuse to step up, but we will avenge our Soaring Mountain. If you are making a stand against the Lich Kingdoms, then we want to join.¡±

    Terry felt like shrugging. He didn''t even know why these people were talking to him. Someone. There must be someone. Whenever a new group arrived, there must be someone that was pointing them to him. For some reason.

    Only, Terry knew that it was not a single someone. He was well aware of the different groups approaching the city. He felt the unfamiliar signatures entering the territory of the city-state. He felt them all somehow choosing the path that led directly to him. They were walking by the guard towers, by the hunters¡¯ new building, by the adventurer¡¯s guild, by the palace ¨C as if none of those were any of their concern. No, their first stop somehow always appeared to be the Flower House or wherever Terry was currently.

    ¡°Sure, go there.¡± Terry pointed. ¡°Find Edmund, Intira, or Thiago. Whoever is currently barking orders.¡±

    The disciples from the Soaring Mountain Sect nodded and departed.

    Nearly two weeks had passed since the undead horde had attacked the Freedom Cooperative. Terry was right in the middle of preparing for whatever was coming next, but he found the task increasingly difficult and for an entirely unexpected reason: People refused to leave him alone to focus on his mana-crafting, training, and experiments.

    An increasing number of ragtag arrivals were interrupting his preparations with requests to join up. Why they felt the need to ask, he didn¡¯t know. Why they felt the need to ask him specifically, was even more of a mystery.

    Scattered members of martial sects had been the first to arrive. Later, there were a few army squads of fallen kingdoms and eventually, there were all kinds of groups pouring in.

    Terry¡¯s biggest surprise was the increasing number of manaless that arrived, because they arrived with absolute fire in their eyes. Not the kind of expression that Terry associated with refugees looking for shelter. No, those were eyes looking for a fight and just as intense as those from the disciples of the Soaring Mountain Sect.

    Terry had learned that those manaless were survivors of surrounding villages and cities. People that had lost everything. Their families. Their homes. Lost everything but their lives. He had also learned that somehow word had spread not only about the city¡¯s victory against the horde but also about their defensive preparations that recruited large numbers of people even if they were manaless.

    Terry pointed a channeler from the Vigilant and the Virtuous to Edmund. Then a group of knights in dented golden armor. A pair of manaless women. A martialist that addressed him as ¡®Honorable Elder¡¯, which was honestly even worse than ¡®Guardian¡¯. A group of channelers of a faith he didn¡¯t recognize¡­

    Terry barely got a few breaths of focused crafting in before a new arrival interrupted him without addressing him by his name. He was half considering seeking shelter in the sky again, just to get some peace.

    Terry furrowed his brow when he sensed another group of familiar cultivation styles. Please don¡¯t be a scion. Please don¡¯t be a scion. Please don¡¯t be¡ª

    ¡°Are you the Returnee?¡± demanded a man in the red robes of the Blazing Sun Sect.

    Have I heard that title before? Terry scrunched up his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. What?¡±

    That reply was obviously not expected and the man looked equally confused. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not? Are you not the wielder of the legendary Third Staff of the Monkey King? The commander that repelled the cursed in the tomb of trials? The Arcanian Returnee that managed to return after the third flash of the tomb¡¯s moons and rescued countless others?¡±

    That does not sound like me at all. Terry¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I¡¯m Terry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you are.¡± The man still looked taken aback but he managed to recover. ¡°We¡¯re here to help. Orders of the Crow¡¯s Reincarnation.¡±

    The what now? Terry narrowed his eyes and then puffed his cheeks before sharply exhaling without mustering a reply.

    ¡°We are just the first,¡± continued the martialist. ¡°He said he¡¯ll send more as soon as possible.¡±

    Terry suppressed the desire to shrug and then simply pointed them to the area where Edmund was organizing the city defense. While the group was departing, another member covertly leaned to Terry and she whispered into his ear. ¡°A mutual friend suggested I warn you in advance before the Crow¡¯s Ghost will proceed with the cleansing among our ranks.¡±

    The what now? Terry was already growing tired of having to deal with so many martialists again.

    ¡°A battle is a good opportunity for a dead person to haunt some hidden enemies.¡± The woman winked while emphasizing the word ¡®dead¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to tell you that an equivalent exchange demands them to lend a hand. The spirits of the dead are vengeful these days.¡±

    Without further explanation, the woman left and left behind a Terry whose face was scrunched up to reflect his growing confusion and headache. He could piece together that it had something to do with the siblings from the Blazing Sun Sect ¨C Annabelle and Peter ¨C whom he had met in the dungeon¡¯s folded space.

    Terry didn¡¯t like the word ¡®cleansing¡¯ that the woman had used, but from what he understood, it was probably some internal squabble in their sect and he didn¡¯t really want to concern himself with that. He honestly had enough crap to deal with as it was.

    In the back of his mind, his thoughts were racing about the implications of having his name spread among martialist circles again. It was understandable that the fervent elders who mistook him for some powerful senior with a secret plan were quick to arrive. Their sects had been watching him closely.

    The fact that the Blazing Sun Sect was only a short step behind caused him to wonder¡­ How many familiar faces and names were going to converge on this troubled city state? Which purpose would they have in mind?

    From the back of his mind, another headache was beginning to spread.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure I like this idea,¡± said Edmund while looking at the growing field of boulders and stone cubes from the nearby quarry.

    He had initially agreed to the idea because it was a good way to keep even the manaless busy. A way to use their muscles for the city¡¯s defense and to give a focus to their restlessness. He knew how dangerous it was for the hands of troubled minds to remain idle.

    The Guardian¡¯s idea was a way to make sure the desperate citizens and vengeful visitors could feel productive instead of remaining idle. However, the more he thought into it, the more he questioned the wisdom of his original agreement.

    ¡°Well, I support it,¡± interjected a dwarven woman in crimson Thanatos uniform. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone voluntarily assume the role of the trailbreaker. Battling behind enemy lines during crossfire is the worst.¡± Ruby smirked at Terry and pointed at the large boulders. ¡°That¡¯s how you managed your third man scheme in Whetstone, isn¡¯t it? How you got everyone looking for an attacker that didn¡¯t exist? How you made them side with you?¡±

    Ruby chortled shortly and then looked back over the cultivated rock garden. ¡°But even if the locals manage to limit the possible area by locking the shadows and building fortifications, ground is not the only thing to cover. The real problem is time¡­¡± She leaned closer to Terry and raised an eyebrow. ¡°They can¡¯t bring all those things up quickly, so you¡¯ll have to keep them up there for an unknown amount of time. We don¡¯t know when the next attack will come. Are you sure you¡¯re¡­?¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes. ¡°I know you are fishing for intel, soldier.¡± He sighed wearily. ¡°No need to be coy.¡± He declared confidently: ¡°Yes, I can.¡± He pointed at the casting molds and rope nets that were being prepared as well. ¡°It¡¯s going to be easier with those but if it comes down to it, I should be able to manage even without¡­¡±

    Terry stopped talking because he got the distinct impression someone was glaring holes into the back of his head. He turned around to find the familiar brown curls of the elven woman who was channeling healing abilities on him.

    ¡°Those spells of yours have to be constantly active¡­¡± Akemi glowered at Terry in the tone of a doctor chastising a patient that refused to take their medicine. ¡°When exactly do you plan to sleep properly?¡±

    ¡°On week-ends,¡± quipped Terry jokingly. He knew better than to answer that question truthfully. He wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it. He still hated lying. A deflecting joke was the best option he could come up with. Even if that joke made the channeler¡¯s eyes twitch. Even if her glare of disapproval had an eerie resemblance to his mother Isille.

    Terry sorely missed his family.

    ***

 201 The Futility of Predicting a Fool

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 25 ¨C

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m only going to ask this one more time.¡± Edmund was looking over the strangest defense setup he had ever worked with before glancing at their city¡¯s Guardian. ¡°You know the reports.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± said Terry. He did indeed know the reports, which was why he was worried. They had prepared what they could. He knew that there were plenty of cards prepared by others, but even so, he remained worried. When the last horde of undead hellspawn had attacked, he had not received any time to think. This time was different.

    This time, Terry knew what was coming. Their mages had managed to booby-trap the shadows and their scouts had given early warning. They knew what was coming and that it was coming now.

    On the flip side, their enemies also knew that they knew. Only a fool would believe that the disturbances in the shadows would remain unnoticed and Terry did not believe that he was dealing with fools. He doubted that he would be that lucky.

    How to best deal with an enemy that knew you were prepared?

    Terry did not want to leave it up to a simple confrontation. He did not trust himself to follow the Warlord¡¯s Insights, but he understood enough that there should be better options. Options beyond preparation. Options characterized by correct utilization.

    ¡°The healers will be ready,¡± said Akemi with a frown. ¡°We can¡¯t risk them joining you. I wish we could have done more. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still injured. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°See you when this is over.¡± Terry jumped down the wall and dropped his mana cloaking to display his mana signature for everyone to see. He walked to greet the incoming undead.

    Slowly.

    Steadily.

    More confidently than his feelings justified.

    Once upon a time, Terry had woken up in a dungeon where he had learned to be deeply wary of his own feelings and to deny them control over himself. He denied his despair. He refused his resignation. He suppressed his self-doubts. He persevered through all his lost hope.

    Those feelings weren¡¯t him.

    That wasn¡¯t the person he aimed to be.

    In that dungeon, Terry had made a choice. He was not his emotions. He was the one that was choosing among them. He knew what he would face. He did not like their chances. He did not feel confident at all.

    But he had made a choice.

    Today, there was no one around to instruct or choose for him. He was not a child with a recently discovered aspect impairment in the Arcana Academy anymore. There would be no kind instructors to tell him what to do. There was no one he could trust and follow when he was expected to lead.

    Terry did not stop flaring his mana and walking with his head held up high. His steps didn¡¯t waver, no matter how much his mind was screaming at him. No matter how often his intrusive thoughts called him an idiot, he did not stop.

    Step by step.

    After a while, his steps were met with muddy ground and puddles of water.

    Terry walked until he had reached a certain spot. He glanced around and circulated his external mana bubble. He noted the different sensations from his mana touch. A few cards to play that increased his confidence, but not by much.

    Terry was not sure if they could win. He thought it was strange. Even if the enemy was more numerous and had more whisperers this time, he thought he should feel better than in the last battle. On the contrary. Somehow the prolonged anticipation made it feel worse. The longer he thought about it, the less confident he felt again.

    No matter.

    His feelings didn¡¯t matter.

    Actions.

    Terry took a deep breath. He had an idea and he intended to follow through. He might not be a military scholar at the level of Thanatos, but he had an idea.

    They knew that their enemies were coming.

    Their enemies knew that they knew.

    Terry refused to believe their enemies were fools and he hoped they would think similarly about the city defenders that had successfully repelled a horde and hunted down all instigating vampires so that they couldn¡¯t report any intel. If his hopes were right, then their enemies ¨C who weren¡¯t fools ¨C would never expect his level of foolishness.

    Terry took a deep breath and circulated his mana. First into his still-strained channels to confirm his limits. Second into his equipment that had been repaired, replaced, and partly upgraded. Third into the things waiting for him at the edge of his range.

    ***

    Terry¡¯s mana sight flashed purple. Using the visible souls as a first filter for his attention, he guided his mana detection field to confirm the death whisperers behind the undead horde stampeding over the horizon.

    Found you.

    Terry knew where his real enemies were. Unfortunately, the vampires had already brought the horde to their doorstep. Even if they managed to take the whisperers out, the horde was bound to set its sights on the city bustling with life.

    He had to admit that the Lich Kingdoms were playing a good hand. From the secret infiltration and debilitation of the city and its elite citizens to relying on undead hordes for their initial assault. They risked little with much to gain.

    Actions.

    Terry swallowed his hesitation with a deep breath and he formed his finger runes remotely to appear right in front of the concealed whisperers. [I¡¯ve heard that raising undead hellspawn is not an easy feat. You¡¯ve already wasted one horde. Are you sure that your masters want to waste another?]

    Another intended sign of confidence. Just like presenting his mana signature prominently for his enemies to see. Just like greeting the incoming horde alone.

    Terry reasoned that there were two likely ways his display of confidence might be taken. A sign of arrogance that might serve to conceal his real foolishness. Or a sign of strength that should invite a stronger response to crush their spirits.

    He admittedly didn¡¯t know much about the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ military tactics, but the use of magic narcotics, mana curses, and nightmarish monsters all hinted at a fondness of eroding morale before a fight.

    If that was their goal, then it would help his foolish plan.

    The undead adult juggernaut at the front of the undead horde rose up to its full height and banged its massive fists against its chest. The whole horde accelerated. At the same time, it contracted. While their previous approach had been reasonably spread out, they were now clearly focusing on Terry.

    Together with the approach of the horde, Terry¡¯s heartbeat was also accelerating. He had to remind himself to continue his controlled breathing exercises. He could not help but frown because the horde still seemed too spread out for his tastes. He could only hope that the metal pipe system they had set up above, would work to move everything to where it was needed most.

    Terry clicked his tongue and slammed his king spear down while allowing it to pierce into the sky. He knew that this was a waste of mana, but with the horde in sight, he hoped that he could get it to contract further while also boosting the morale of the manaless he knew behind himself.

    The heavens roared and furious lightning followed the blue-green spearhead all the way until the descending spear was pointing right forward ¨C giving the appearance of a single man wielding an unreasonably long spear with perfect accuracy. A dense net of lightning exploded forth to tear at the juggernaut leader and the undead closest to it.

    For a single moment, the roaring thunder drowned the rumbling from the undead stampede.

    Waste of mana¡­

    Terry could have waited longer or let the spear fall further, but with his initial tactics, damage wasn¡¯t his primary goal. He could not suppress a smirk when he saw the horde at the back contract further, even more narrowly aiming for his position.

    The lightning from the heaven¡¯s fury ripped into the puddles of water and further into earth where it met the device prepared by the crafters that converted the electric energy into a short burst of magnetic repulsion along a wide half-ring. Countless pieces of iron jumped up from the ground at once to be caught perfectly by a wave of spellwork.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The charging wave of undead broke upon the wall of immovable iron shrapnel. In contrast to the orange pole from last time, the shrapnel left gaps. The undead injured themselves, thrashed around, only to collide with the next piece of immovable metal or force another undead into it. All while slipping on the muddy ground that had been drenched in water.

    Last time, Terry had forced the horde to an abrupt halt. Now there was violent chaos with a trickle of undead squeezing through.

    Terry circled his mana bubble to feel the progress above and behind. He nodded to himself and charged forward to greet the incoming undead. His feet firmly placed on layers of divine mana on top of the slippery ground. Right before the first clash, he pushed his mana into the sequence of his inscriptions along his new bracer.

    A juggernaut punched at Terry, only to cut its own arm off against an immovable blade of ice.

    Terry left the ice blade where it was and continued utilizing the combination of control water and freeze water. When the crafters had asked what they could do for him, he had hesitated, because there had been little time to get used to new equipment and asking for special items would take away time they could mass-produce basic items for the remaining defenders or fortifications.

    However, aside from his destroyed Shape Metal imprint and armor pieces, there had been two forms of magic he felt he really needed for the battle.

    One magic he had yearned for ever since learning about his spell: ice summoning or a form to replicate its effects. The inscription pair he was using now, was not powerful enough to condense ice from ice-aspected mana. It required water, but they had that in plentiful supply in the city and it was no coincidence that the ground around the city was currently drenched.

    Just like it was no coincidence that after a thin layer of muddy earth, everything was solid rock.

    One magic he had always lamented to lack: healing. Terry felt much better knowing the fundamental healing spells had been imprinted in his new septimum chestplate.

    Terry dodged nimbly under the assault of hissing ghouls, shrieking widowmakers, roaring juggernauts. All while placing immovable blades of ice to let the undead mutilate themselves as well as helping along with divine hammers if they were at risk of missing their targets. All while maintaining the hundreds of immovable objects transfixed in the air and paying attention to the movements above, behind, and in front.

    Whenever Terry saw a chance, he linked up different ice blades to save himself a spell to keep up and conserve mana. Little by little, he controlled the flow of undead according to his wishes. Their locations. The way they were spaced out.

    Terry could only hope that his enemies would focus on his flashy performance in whittling down the horde instead of on the changing horde layout. That the undead monsters¡¯ seemingly futile struggle would draw enough attention. That their desire to crush morale would inspire impatience. That they would recognize that the undead would not smarten up against his battle style without further whispers or intervention.

    Terry felt oddly at peace in the middle of undead turmoil. This was not a question of strength. He honestly doubted that he was even the most powerful person in the city at the moment. There appeared to be plenty of monsters around. However, strength wasn¡¯t everything.

    Keeping track of the battlefield. Hunkering down behind immovable objects. Using immovable objects to control the flow of enemies. This was his forte.

    At this moment, Terry felt that he was born to be a pestering splinter in some raging monster¡¯s assault.

    Terry involuntarily frowned when he sensed some of the undead hellspawn that constituted the horde¡¯s vanguard move beyond the bounds of his plan. If he wanted to prevent those from reaching the city, he would have to progress the plan now¡­

    Terry gritted his teeth and chose to hold on. He was not alone. They had prepared for this. He had to trust them to handle this much, or things could get only worse. The city wasn¡¯t weak. They could handle it. He had to bide his time. His past success had largely been a matter of surprise. A one-time trick. He was aware that his current ideas were no better.

    When Terry sensed two of the purple signatures move towards him, he grinned with vicious anticipation. He adjusted his controlled bottlenecks until the horde flowed around, with him at the center.

    Terry emitted a short disruption pulse to cut off the spells aimed at him by the vampires. He shaped his finger runes to taunt them. [Pathetic.] He suppressed a smirk when he sensed them getting closer.

    He decided to push them some more.

    He recalled from his time in Syn City that vampires could be testy when it came to certain words. He summoned his best attempt at an impression of Apex: [Wimpy vampires, what are you hanging back for? Since when can undead be afraid? Soon enough, you¡¯ll want to crawl back into your graves of your own accord! Did you lose all fight when you lost your life?!]

    Terry sensed their mana flare with prepared spells and he set up a small disruption domain around himself to shred their spells and sneer loudly. ¡°Lifeless losers!¡±

    A part of his mind only sighed at the words he was spouting. He really hoped that none of his vampire acquaintances like Ying would ever hear what he had said. Even if he had a perfectly good explanation, he didn¡¯t want them to ever believe he truly thought like that.

    Another part of his mind was not sure he liked how much the martialists had rubbed off on him.

    Terry¡¯s thoughts snapped back into focus as soon as the two vampires were charging at him with frenzied expressions. He counted with bated breaths and then let go with a sharp exhalation of air.

    It was done.

    The next step was out of his hands. Or rather, out of his spells.

    Terry grabbed the king spear in his right and his barrier spear in his left. He summoned the barrier and prepared to greet the vampires in close combat. He focused on his breathing. He could not afford any hesitation. He had to seem confident.

    Meanwhile, his mind was counting down. He had felt the distance for the spell that had anchored everything. A tiny spell structure that was easy to miss but connected to a larger whole set up by his allies above.

    Far above.

    Beyond the range of even a skilled life sense user.

    Behind the protective illusion and camouflage magic of his allies.

    Terry still had trouble believing that Jasmine had volunteered for the group taking charge above. Even though she was not a trained combatant, the representative of the Flower House had shown strong nerves.

    Terry knew that he had to make it count. He intensified his disruption domain to unprecedented levels. He could see the red-eyed faces grimacing but they quickly adjusted. Instead of trying to attack Terry with spells, they switched to empower themselves.

    Then they charged.

    Terry rapidly cycled burst techniques to keep up. He knew that Akemi and the other healers would curse him out, but he was forced to burst beyond reasonable limits once more. One of those vampires he might have defeated in his injured state with well-placed combinations of divine hammers and his king spear, but both of them together appeared beyond his regular means.

    Terry gritted his teeth and gave it his all. He did not have to defeat them. He only had to buy time. Time for the singular force of nature they could count as their ally today.

    The vampires realized that something was off when unexpected shadows descended. Usually, it was them who summoned darkness in battle, but those shadows hadn¡¯t been invited by them. When they saw the wide grid of large boulders and rocks of all sizes that were dropping fast towards them, their red eyes opened wide before staring at Terry with shock.

    What kind of madman would drop something like that on himself?

    Water rose up the vampires¡¯ ankles and turned to ice before they could turn to flee the area of impact.

    ¡°Here I thought you two had discovered a spine, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Terry taunted before frowning at himself. The taunt had escaped his lips involuntarily. He was apparently still in his martialist character even though the bait part of his role was over.

    One vampire used his own magic to destroy the ice. The other sacrificed her legs to escape the icy grasp and flee. Both of them found themselves blocked by sturdy barriers of divine mana.

    Terry let loose. He charged at them with all he had. He unleashed the lightning combination from his king spear. He pummeled them with divine hammers paired with perfectly placed immovable needles. He burst his mana and refused to let them go.

    ¡°Are you insane?!¡± yelled the vampiress.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die with us,¡± growled the vampire.

    Terry continued his relentless assault and obstruction.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed the vampire and he crushed a sphere. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ve locked down space. That¡¯s what you¡¯re counting on, isn¡¯t it? Transfer through this, you worm!¡±

    ¡°There were not supposed to be any dimensional mages here,¡± cursed the vampiress.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± said the vampire and he glowered at Terry. ¡°Are you really prepared to sacrifice your life?¡±

    Terry charged at them and burst his mana once more. He could hear a shattering sound and inwardly shrugged. Those vampires really had the wrong idea. That was a pitiful waste of a very expensive magic item.

    Under the suppressive effect of his disruption domain, Terry clung to the two vampires with every skill he could muster. He blocked them with divine barriers and immovable objects. He pulled at them with his bidirectional attraction glove. He pushed them back with divine hammers.  He abruptly accelerated with bursts or leaped over them on divine mana to obstruct their path and entangle them in close combat.

    With only self-target spells at their disposal, the two vampires were hard-pressed to flee while the wide carpet of looming boulders was descending mercilessly with every passing second.

    Shortly before the anticipated impact, Terry allowed the vampires to distance themselves from him. He had to remind himself not to jump back himself, because that might tip them off. He made sure to give them just the right nudge to be boxed into the path of the dropping projectiles.

    The first wave of boulders crashed into the earth with many unfortunate undead in their way.

    The boulder above Terry transfixed at the last second. He did not immediately dart forward and instead guided his mana into his new inscribed bracer. The stone projectiles were achieving more than just crushing enemies and rocking the earth. Their impacts splashed the water on the ground and he used the chance to place immovable ice shards all around the injured death whisperers.

    Terry charged forward to finish off the two vampires in his vicinity. He knew that this had just been the first of multiple waves to descend and he hoped to kill as many enemy whisperers as possible before the last boulder dropped.

    All around Terry, his mana was feeling for gaps among the stone rain. With only a minimal touch of deflecting divine barriers and transfixed rock, he arrived in front of his targets to make sure that their circulatory system would not get any chance for a vampiric recovery.

    Between the waves of carpet boulders, a few well-placed long-range spells were fired from their defensive fortifications. The defenders knew to focus on the horde vanguard and avoid Terry¡¯s obstructing disruption domain.

    The entirely unfamiliar sensation of so many Immovable Object spells ignited by others announced the changes in their defenses.

    Already, Terry could sense those that would join him at the frontline during the second phase of their plan. Cultivation signatures of martialists soaring into the sky with heavy bodies. Ethereal creatures under the influence of death whispers. A few familiar signatures of individual volunteers ¨C confidence or madness shining in their eyes.

    The city¡¯s trailbreakers were rolling out.

    ***

 202 Trailbreakers Against Death

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 25 ¨C

    ¡°May the Bright Lady be with you,¡± said Akemi solemnly. The devout followers that were kneeling in front of her nodded. Emboldened by their faith, they straightened themselves and soared into the sky to join up with the mobile combat support and flying battle mages.

    Akemi sighed. She much preferred her circle to focus on healing, but against the dead, there was no more potent counter than the holy-infused fire of the Bright Lady. They wanted to help and if they wanted to give it their best, then they had to do more than support the defense with healing. They had to move out.

    Akemi had drawn a line at joining the trailbreakers. Thinking of the first among them, she could only sigh again. That obstinate man was the worst patient she had ever had. It was hard to believe that his mana signature was still shining brightly, but so it remained in her mana sight. She wondered how such a man had provoked a bounty by the Circle of the Bright Lady. He did not appear to her like a vile man that would warrant such aggression.

    Akemi¡¯s eyes followed her flock fly above the enemy horde and join the airborne mages that were raining cleansing fire and purifying light onto the unholy horde. She frowned anxiously when she saw how resistant the undead hellspawn appeared to be. The support of their goddess was not unlimited and she could only hope that the unholy creatures would fall before their channeling would dwindle.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    Akemi forced her eyes away from the fighting members of her circle to find a human woman in city guard uniform and an elven crafter looking at her while waiting for a reply. ¡°Yes.¡± She looked to the unaspected workers hurling in ammunition, then at the strange contraption in front. Even the most construct-illiterate person could tell that this siege weapon was physically impossible without magic.

    Akemi glanced at the wand in the crafter¡¯s hands. A wand crafted by the worst patient she ever had. One of many that were fueling their indestructible fortifications and stabilizing their physically impossible siege weapons.

    Akemi ignited a flame of holy-infused fire to ignite a small sheltered wick attached to the oiled boulder.

    ¡°Fire!¡± shouted the human guard.

    An impossible trebuchet swung and hurled the boulder. At its peak, the holy flame licked the oil and the grey boulder was covered by bright golden fire. The projectile reached beyond the water-drenched perimeter and raced towards the rear of the undead horde.

    Akemi did not wait to observe the boulder¡¯s trajectory. Adjusting the aim was not her job. Neither was waiting around until the next projectile had been loaded. She had a few more boulders to ignite and then to meet up with the defensive frontline. She still believed it madness that even manaless were allowed at the golden grid, but it was too late to argue the point anymore. She could only try her best to make sure they would remain healed and safe behind the gold of her goddess and the spell of her worst patient.

    Akemi ran past all the rows of impossible artillery. Past all the mages burning their mana with long-range spells. Past all the mana-less runners rushing back and forth with supplies, until she reached the golden grid where an elven city guard with greased-back hair was barking orders.

    ¡°Thrust!¡± ordered the city guard.

    In imperfect synchronization, the line of defenders thrust forward their long spears. They pierced through the gaps inside the immovable grid of gold and into the bodies of zombies and ghouls that had gathered on their metal net.

    Thanks to their drills, they knew to avoid aiming at the undead hellspawn. Those were not enemies they could bring down with just a few spears wielded by regular people. The defenders here were either manaless or mana users not used to combat.

    Akemi spotted a few familiar faces from the Flower House where her patient had recuperated. A human woman covered in tattoos that wielded a spear amateurishly, and an elven woman among the group of weaker casters that focused on supporting the grid instead of long-distance attacks.

    ¡°Back!¡± ordered the city guard.

    More defenders rushed forth to help grab the spears and pull them back.

    Akemi caught the gaze of the guard and nodded. She proceeded to cast Sanctuary while observing the elven guard place one wand at his hip and retrieve another with the same imprint. They knew where they needed the spells. All the important locations were equipped with spares to allow for the automatic recovery of primers after use.

    As soon as the sanctuary had been established, mana-users led by Edmund were climbing over the golden grid and eradicating the undead hellspawn before the next wave of runners would arrive.

    Akemi moved her eyes over the manaless defenders. When she saw even a pair of manaless elderly women wheezing and out of breath while both clutching the same spear and supporting each other, she could only shake her head.

    This city was truly stubborn beyond belief.

    ***

    Terry nimbly darted through the line of runners. He did not have time to waste on the weaker undead. He pulled his disruption rush with him to ward against the mana arrows crashing into him from the enemy skeletal warriors and the crossfire spells from the city¡¯s defenders.

    The battlefield was pure chaos with magic attacks and other projectiles flying everywhere. Their boulder bombardment had finished and it wreaked absolute havoc on the enemy¡¯s vanguard of undead hellspawn and runners.

    Unfortunately, there were many more undead to come. Terry was not surprised to find that the horde¡¯s rear was mostly built around death aura creatures. That did not differ from the hordes he had encountered in Tiv¡¯s Wasteborder. The skeletal warriors with the mana equipment were probably the weakest undead creatures that were still able to wield ranged attacks.

    What truly made Terry grit his teeth, however, was that there still remained undead hellspawn and several death whisperers hidden among the remaining horde. There was even another behemoth, but today that was someone else¡¯s turn to deal with according to their plan.

    Terry dodged to the side to evade the gleaming blade of a high-level death executioner. He stomped on the wet ground. He froze the droplets and transfixed immovable ice. He accentuated his power with a burst and elongated his king spear. With the help of an immovable fulcrum, and a furious charge forward, the executioner¡¯s spine was broken in less than a breath¡¯s time.

    Terry accelerated to catch up with his disruption rush and not lose his built momentum. He made sure to mark the purple signatures in his mana sight with mana flares of his own. Today, there would be no hiding for the vampires threatening the borders of the city state.

    Behind him, Terry could feel the momentous charge of the disciples from the Soaring Mountain Sect. He noted that going by their performance, Xuan had been severely impaired by the limited area in the Thanatos Proving Grounds of Whetstone City.

    These avenging disciples were using the same signature move of their sect and it appeared that they increasingly built momentum when charging in a straight line. Their defenses did not appear as exaggerated as Xuan¡¯s, but they still shrugged off all attacks while waltzing forward and crashing into enemies with the raging weight of a mountain.

    Terry sensed a shadow-aspected anomaly and before the shade even had a chance to properly manifest, its ghoulish body was already blown apart by a thunderous blast from his king spear.

    The ground rumbled when a man in inscribed full-plate armor rose to the height of a small building to face an undead juggernaut. He wielded an equally giant hammer covered in brightfire and wherever it landed, the undead returned to their graves.

    Seeing the man fight like that, Terry found it hard to believe that not too long ago, that grizzled hunter had looked up to him of all people. He could also not help but smile slightly at seeing the Castellan combination in action again. It had been so long since he had met Lizzy in Tiv.

    Terry¡¯s mana bubble warned him of another incoming wave of projectiles from behind and he transfixed those he could not evade easily. He did not stop on his path to the closest cluster of enemy whisperers.

    In another marked location, Terry sensed the mana resonances of a white tiger and golden crows that were challenging the whisperers. More mana resonances were popping up all around the battlefield and Terry was not surprised that most of the trailbreakers jumping into the crossfire were martialists.

    Bless these battle-crazy maniacs.

    Terry didn¡¯t know if it was because of the martialists¡¯ tendency to devalue life, because they egged each other on, or because they made a habit of overestimating their abilities, but he didn¡¯t care. Today, he was grateful to fight with them at his side. It took a certain bout of madness to face bad odds without backing down. Preparation only took one so far.

    Terry darted through a gap of phantoms that fled his disruption discharge with the unnatural fear of undead being controlled by a death whisperer. He knew that those were not allied, because Intira¡¯s phantoms were currently pestering another vampiric whisperer. Terry instantly set up more mana refractors to redirect a part of his disruption rush to eradicate the ethereal creatures.

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    Terry got a grim satisfaction out of knowing the enemy whisperers had tried and failed to protect the phantoms from him. He knew that he had their attention. The fact that none of them tried to attack him meant they were scared. Their fear was his hope.

    Terry charged further into the enemy horde and smashed into the skeletal warriors with divine hammers, blasts of lightning, and an unbreakable spear pole. Even while he decimated the creatures in his path, he never stopped on his path towards the whispering vampires.

    Terry pushed into the undead horde like an unstoppable bull. He could have bypassed the horde by stepping into the sky, but his role was different. He had achieved his objective for the first phase of the defense. His objective for the second phase was to demoralize, divide, and distract.

    They threw countless spells at Terry, only to have them shredded by his disruption domain before the spells could even reach him.

    They cloaked their spell centers, only to have Terry locate and shred them anyway.

    They tried to secure safe casting centers underneath the earth, only to find their spells blocked by an indestructible layer of rock.

    They used large-area fire spells, only to find Terry emerge from indestructible ice after the flames had died off. They tried darkwater and acid, but everything appeared to yield the same demoralizing result: Freedom¡¯s Guardian dashed away unharmed while their own undead forces had been turned into collateral damage.

    They tried to utilize second-degree effects by maintaining inferno or blizzard spells, only to find the dastardly defender creating tunnels of divine barriers or shrugging off the temperature with a deliberate circulation of mana while their runners were being crippled.

    They unleashed a coordinated wave of poisoned air but Terry detected it instantly. The hopes they harbored when he was forced to hunker down in an air-tight cube of divine barriers was immediately dashed when a buzzing swarm of golden wisps were manifesting to diffuse the poisoned air until the annoying city defender could dash forward once again.

    They learned that if they wanted to deal with Terry, they had to engage in close combat, but so far, Terry alone had killed five of their whisperers already. If they wanted to kill Terry before his reinforcements arrived, they had to sacrifice their whispering and divide their forces by sending at least four vampires at once. In their efforts to avoid that, they kept sending individual vampires to their deaths.

    Terry punched while infusing mana into the inscribed bandages at his arm and a divine hammer flew forward to knock a flying death mage into shards of immovable ice. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to step upwards and help in the aerial fight.

    Even though he knew that the bulk of the battle was not in the sky, he could not help but worry about what was going on up there. He swallowed his anxiety and reminded himself that the air belonged to a mixed force of Guildheads, guards, and hunters led by Intira. Everyone had to play their part.

    Terry took a deep breath and then raged forward with renewed intensity. His punches pulverized the skulls of skeletal warriors while the accompanying divine hammer smashed into a death reaver further behind.

    His lightning-infused king spear cleaved into the head of an undead juggernaut while another divine hammer slapped a flying death mage into the ground.

    Terry finished off the juggernaut with a blast of lightning while kicking a divine hammer into a group of death knights and vanquishing a death specter outright.

    Terry felt his blood pumping furiously and his anger rose. It only took a moment to realize that this was an abnormal state of frenzy and he burst his mana while turning to the intensely blood-aspected mana signature of a blood abomination running wild.

    Terry focused on his breathing to help maintain his calm. He cursed inwardly that they still had to wait before moving onto the next phase.

    Although it might be better this way.

    Terry noted how the blood-corrupted zombie was absorbing the corpses of all other zombies. Even though a blood abomination was annoying to deal with, it managed to cut down the number of enemies as well. A lot of zombies traded for a single blood abomination. Depending on the situation, one might be preferable to the other.

    Terry forced himself to ignore the blood abomination and pushed further towards the whisperers. One trait of blood abominations that he could appreciate at this moment was that these mana-corrupted zombie plague victims were slow. He had time to reconsider his options before the blood abomination would become a problem for the city.

    As long as the martialists stay outside its range. They''re too insane to throw a frenzy effect on top.

    Terry involuntarily shivered at the thought, but he continued on his path. He would not second-guess his actions at this time. He had to push forward. He had to force the enemy to play their trump card, so that they could throw it back at them and proceed to the last phase.

    Terry continued decimating the undead in his path and dispatched the vampires challenging him until the enemy commander had had enough. With a silent order towards the back of the horde, a gigantic monster of rotten flesh and rotating maws grew into the sky and immediately proceeded to stomp forward towards his position while the rest of the horde carefully avoided the giant feet covered with rotating maws.

    As ugly as the last one.

    Terry took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. None among the Lich Kingdom forces noticed his fleeting switch of spellwork to lift the Immovable Object on the layer of rock below for just a moment.

    Just long enough for a certain area to be liquified and carved out of the transfixing spell.

    Long tentacles emerged from liquified ground and wrapped tightly around the behemoth¡¯s pillar-like legs. The undead hellspawn pulled with all its might and barely managed to lift the tentacled shape of a mana-corrupted squid into view.

    A creature just as undead as the hellspawn. Even though the undead beast did not reach quite the behemoth¡¯s height, it was still large enough to wrestle with the hellspawn. Its tentacles were stretched and the dead flesh tore, but not before it managed to trip the behemoth.

    No matter how well-coordinated the undead horde was, there was a limit to how fast the whispers traveled and another limit in how fast the many skeletal warriors could move out of the way. Among the densely-packed rear of the horde, the fall of one gigantic behemoth was a harbinger of eternal rest, only dwarfed in undead destruction by their initial carpet boulder bombardment.

    Behind the fallen behemoth, a ship rose up from liquified earth and when the mud dispersed from their arcane protective bubble, the passengers erupted forth at once. Death mages flew into the sky towards the nearest vampires. The whole flank of the ship was filled to the brim with death knights wielding mana bows aimed at the undead horde while the weaker skeletal warriors were crawling around the ship¡¯s hull and lifting it up to move.

    Hunters and martialists alike leaped down the ship and roared with eager battle cries. It had taken their all to wait in ambush to break into the enemy¡¯s rear. With their enemies finally in their sights, nothing could hold them back anymore.

    At the helm of the ship, Thiago stood with a raised hand and a never-ceasing whisper on his lips. He did not know if he could truly take control of the undead behemoth. After all, there was a reason why hellspawn were long thought an impossible target of necromancy. However, his whispers did not have to be victorious as long as the enemy¡¯s were impaired to impotence.

    Thiago raised a second hand and pushed both hands forward while his whispers changed in an eerie echo of voices. He might not be able to wrestle an undead hellspawn from the control of the Lich Kingdoms, but wrestling for the behemoth¡¯s reins did not prevent him from coordinating his own undead and recruiting more from the enemy¡¯s death aura creatures. He might not have grown up in the Lich Kingdoms, but he wanted to see who dared to contest with him in death aura whispers in his own home.

    While the vampire commander was cursing and many red eyes were drawn between the fallen behemoth, the assault on their rearguard, and Terry¡¯s rampage through the horde, few among them noticed the martialist elders that appeared from a completely different direction.

    A female elder in grey-blue robes instantly cut out the heart of one vampiric whisperer. While her fellow sect masters were similarly dealing with the other vampires at this location, she nodded with satisfaction at the progress of their allied sects.

    They might be small sects, but united they would rise. She believed that was the intention of the Venerable Senior. A lesson worth teaching.

    They had waited in hiding for the best possible moment to strike, and struck they had. Her juniors had performed admirably and everything had gone well to distract the enemy and provide an opportunity to best utilize their strengths. All as the Venerable Senior had envisioned.

    The female elder wiped the blood from her sword and solemnly declared: ¡°Let our sect serve as the sword for the Honorable Elder to enlighten the world once more.¡± She circulated mana through her dantian and then infused it into her blade. ¡°His will be done!¡± She darted forth while the furious mana resonance of a white tiger roared forward.

    ***

    ¡°Report,¡± ordered Edmund wearily.

    ¡°How about you cheer up, grumps.¡± Intira slapped the dwarven city guard on the back. ¡°We won.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grumbled Edmund with an unsatisfied expression. ¡°Not without loss.¡± He looked back at the messenger and repeated: ¡°Report.¡±

    ¡°The Guardian said that a few managed to escape,¡± said the messenger.

    ¡°To be expected given how many vampires they arrived with,¡± said Intira with a shrug. ¡°Defeating a beast is one thing, but preventing its escape is another.¡± The joking tone vanished from her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to send hunters out to pursue. That¡¯s a recipe for walking into a trap.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± concurred Edmund and nodded at the elven woman. ¡°Too many for that and we don¡¯t know where their reinforcements might lurk. Get your hunters healed and then get ready to scout properly again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you for trying to order me around this time.¡± Intira slapped the dwarf again on the shoulder and then left with a chortle.

    ¡°How is the Guardian holding up?¡± asked Edmund.

    ¡°He looks unsatisfied,¡± replied the messenger.

    ¡°I meant his injuries,¡± clarified Edmund with a frown.

    ¡°He looks like shit and was obviously avoiding the leader of the Bright Lady¡¯s circle,¡± replied the messenger. ¡°I¡¯m not a healer, but he looks, well, ¡®better¡¯ would definitely paint the wrong picture. Let¡¯s say less bad than after the last battle. Still looks like shit though.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine Akemi will be cursing because of the wounds beyond a superficial glance,¡± muttered Edmund. ¡°I caught a few of the Guardian¡¯s fights and those were some powerful bursts.¡± He shook his head and sighed. ¡°A gem cannot be polished without friction¡­¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Pardon, Sir?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind, just an old saying.¡± Edmund shrugged. ¡°A lot is resting on him. I hope he can take it.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°And I wonder what exactly he experienced to still look unsatisfied after such a performance.¡±

    While muttering Edmund reminded himself to control his own expression. This was not the time to lower morale. They had lost good people. They had played all their cards and the escaped enemies would be certain to inform their leaders. But, nevertheless, they had won. The city would stand another day.

    ¡°No idea, Sir.¡± The messenger¡¯s reply jolted the tired city guard from his thoughts.

    ¡°Make sure that the healers get to him,¡± ordered Edmund. ¡°Get Jasmine or the others to tie him down if he is obstinate. I don¡¯t care how unsatisfied he feels, he should get healed properly and let us deal with the stragglers.¡± He looked at the horizon. ¡°When the vampires report back to the Lich Kingdom instigators, they¡¯ll be more prepared the next time.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do better.¡±

    ***

 203 Hounded

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 34 ¨C

    ¡°The Thunderous Palm Sect will never let you off,¡± threatened an injured woman in yellow martialist robes. ¡°I know it¡¯s you, Rafael!¡±

    ¡°Is that so, smoothskin?¡± A masked felan cracked his knuckles and extended his claws. ¡°What does the great me have to fear from a puny Lightning Feet Sect? You should not have put your greedy monkey paws on all the dungeon rewards. Time for regrets, little monkey. I¡¯m coming for all of you greedy imbeciles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already handed over everything I have!¡± protested the woman.

    ¡°That was for the rewards that should have been mine,¡± growled Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ll take your life as compensation for the rewards that rightfully belonged to the one that saved all your sorry asses! Your lives belong to him and I¡¯ve come to collect on his behalf!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± The human woman spat blood and raised her hands. ¡°You were friends with the Arcanian, right? I have information that could save his life! Give me your word that you¡¯ll spare me and I can tell you!¡±

    The masked felan growled and his claws were already glowing. ¡°I know who you are, too. I know that you¡¯ve backstabbed your own martial brothers and sisters for a wasted peach. I¡¯d be an imbecile to trust your word.¡± Even though his claws were already glowing, he held back the powerful resonance slash. ¡°Speak and I can consider sparing you.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡± The human cowed in front of the felan. ¡°Our sect is keeping tabs on the Blazing Sun Sect after their recent transformation around the Crow¡¯s Reincarnation and unexplained assassinations.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to explain about assassinations?¡± scoffed Rafael. ¡°Someone wanted someone else dead. What else is new? Get to the point!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve heard that the Crows are moving and it¡¯s related to the Arcanian.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea about the new Crow and that faction of the Blazing Sun would not threaten the life of their benefactor,¡± growled Rafael. ¡°I¡¯m getting impatient, little monkey.¡± He flicked two of his glowing claws together and a tiny crescent moon flew upwards while the howl of a wolf resonated faintly in the air.

    The martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect flinched. ¡°Yes yes, the Crows are supporting the Arcanian in a battle against the Lich Kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°What do the creepy bones have to do with Terry?¡± interjected Rafael.

    ¡°He¡¯s just in the way.¡± The martialist gulped. ¡°They¡¯re moving against the Bloodborne Kingdom or whatever it¡¯s called now. The Arcanian seems to be standing in their way.¡±

    From behind the mask, a click of a tongue could be heard. ¡°That sounds stupid enough to be true.¡± He scoffed. ¡°But Terry knows how to take care of himself. They¡¯ll only break their bony fists against my immovable brother.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± The woman wiped the blood from her face and looked at her masked interrogator with challenging eyes. ¡°...but I¡¯ve also heard that the Nine-Faced Fox Sect is making a move.¡±

    ¡°Who leads them?¡± demand Rafel.

    ¡°Shen, who else?¡± replied the woman and snorted. ¡°Although I¡¯ve heard even some of the older generation are suspiciously absent.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­¡± Rafael pointed one of his glowing claws at his captive. ¡°...expect me to believe that the Nine-Faced Fox Sect¡¯s intelligence division was unable to keep information leaking to an imbecile like you?!¡± His question contained an obvious threat.

    ¡°I only speak what I know,¡± snarled the human martialist. ¡°They¡¯re ostensibly looking for a secret trial realm hidden inside a forbidden zone, but I know that area and there¡¯s nothing but death there. A regular scouting team also does not warrant an entourage of bodyguards from their elders.¡± She glared at Rafael. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Shen is the type to jump to a city¡¯s defense, do you? If not to fish in troubled waters, what else would he go there for?¡± She sneered. ¡°Someone wants someone else dead, right?¡±

    Rafael clicked his tongue. ¡°Cannot be that simple if that person is involved.¡± He lowered his claws. ¡°Your life belongs to Terry, which is why I¡¯m giving you one last chance. I¡¯ve marked you. No matter where you¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll find you. If I find out that your words were lies, you¡¯re going to wish you had died today.¡± He exhaled sharply and looked around. If what the human had said was true, then he had a few more visits to pay along the way.

    ***

    Terry was sitting cross-legged while imprinting a new batch of wands with the Immovable Object spell under the reproachful glances of his designated healers of the day. He was also trying not to puke from all the potions the crafters had sent over.

    Unfortunately, Terry still required both the healing consumables as well as frequent Heal spells. His recent battle had not been as bad as the first, but he had already gone in wounded and every burst had worsened his damaged mana channels.

    Terry looked like shit as people reminded him. He was not used to receiving such concerned looks ever since his days in Arcana. Perhaps in Tiv after he awoke from potion overuse. It was either people dumping info about things he felt ill-equipped to comment on or people with pale faces and anxious voices that were walking on eggshells around him.

    Terry looked up to see Daisy and Brandon with the reprints of the Path of a Mage he had gifted them. He could read in their faces that both of them belonged to the second group of visitors. It used to be that their faces were eager and full of excitement when the time for story time had arrived, but now they looked as if they were visiting a ghost or dead man walking. He had tried assuring them that he was fine but the concern in their looks had not changed.

    Terry would like to assure them again and convince them to go back to their normal selves, but unfortunately, he already sensed another batch of visitors. In all likelihood, there would be no story time today.

    ¡°We can deal with it,¡± insisted Edmund.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say,¡± said a Guildhead that had arrived after the most recent battle.

    ¡°Yes, I want the Guardian¡¯s opinion on this,¡± added a hunter.

    ¡°He¡¯s the best scout we have, so it makes sense to let him join, no?¡± added a human city guard.

    ¡°Sorry, you two,¡± muttered Terry to Daisy and Brandon. ¡°I believe they want to talk to me.¡± He smiled wearily. From the corner of his eyes, he thought he could see Daisy cringe at his expression, but perhaps he just imagined it.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The watchdog healer for the day, again a channeler from the Bright Lady, had been sitting in a corner behind Terry, but now that someone tried to rope his patient into more reckless tasks, he got up to stop the arguing visitors. ¡°He needs to rest¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± sighed Terry annoyedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°...as you wish, Guardian,¡± grumbled his designated healer.

    ¡°Sorry to disturb you, Terry,¡± said Edmund with an apologetic face. ¡°But we¡¯ve received some unusual reports from our scouts.¡±

    ¡°How can I help?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°We need you to accompany us,¡± said the human guard. ¡°Perhaps you can sense something we can¡¯t.¡±

    Terry nodded. It was not the first time that some of the defense organizers were seeking him out as a scout.

    ¡°It¡¯s not clear yet if that¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Edmund gruffly. His eyes moved from his subordinate to the hunter and then to Terry. ¡°The report is about a location in the shadows and I remember you stating you would prefer not to enter those.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not good in the shadow plane,¡± reminded Terry with a frown. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the hunters¡¯ specialty?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but if we were able to make sense of it, I wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± admitted the hunter begrudgingly. His hand was twitching and he grabbed it with his other hand to steady it.

    Terry examined the man. He recognized the mana signature from at least three events.

    During his nightly or early-morning missions and exercises, that man¡¯s signature was present in the city¡¯s questionable districts revolving around illicit activities. He had joined the battle to repel the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ first invasion attempt. Last, this hunter had also joined previous scouting tasks in which Terry had played a part.

    ¡°I can try to check it out, but I first have to get there the regular way.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t walk in the shadows.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The Guildhead tilted her head and seemingly hesitated before continuing to speak: ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± She pointed at Terry¡¯s magic brooch.

    ¡°I can step into the shadows, but I can¡¯t move around there,¡± explained Terry flatly. He had explained his limitations to Edmund and Thiago before so that they could best utilize him in their plans.

    This Guildhead was evidently a recent arrival. The fact that she was already talking with Edmund on equal standing showed that she was powerful and had already accomplished a few tasks for the city¡¯s defense.

    ¡°You clearly have enough mana¡­¡± The Guildhead gestured at the wands Terry was imprinting in parallel. ¡°...and it can¡¯t be your mana control either.¡± She pointed again at his magic brooch. ¡°That brooch can summon shadow fabric, can it not?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Terry tilted his head. A part of him wanted to feel annoyed at the condescending tone, but more than that, he was sincerely curious. Had he missed something?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this city¡¯s big savior was such a dunce.¡± The Guildhead rolled her eyes. ¡°Those two functions of your brooch are meant to be used in combination.¡± She scoffed faintly. ¡°Inscriptions might suggest their own use, but if you cannot figure out how to combine the uses, that¡¯s on you.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath. Both to ignore the patronizing attitude and to consider the woman¡¯s words. The brooch allowed him to step into the shadows and to summon shadow fabric. He had always believed that while the shadow fabric provided some magic defense and camouflage in dark areas, it was mostly a useful gimmick. Like a Thanatos soldier had once put it to him: a good way to stay dry in rain but otherwise almost a toy.

    Thinking of the dwarven soldier that had accepted his surrender and taken him prisoner for Thanatos, Terry paused. The dwarven woman had clearly known from his battle that he had been limited in his movement. Using that knowledge to plant another seed of doubt to limit his way of thinking would fit perfectly with Thanatos methods.

    Am I supposed to shape the shadow fabric to cover my feet before I lift it in the shadow plane?

    Terry came up with a guess but inwardly shrugged. He first had to try before he could be sure. In any case, it did not matter much. If he had truly missed something so obvious, it would only serve to make himself feel like an even bigger idiot.

    It also made him miss his family even more, because his aunt Brynn would have definitely been able to advise him. It felt hard to believe that even though he had owned the magic brooch for years, he had never had a chance to discuss it with the legendary crafter in his family.

    ¡°I still prefer to approach the regular way,¡± said Terry eventually.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said the Guildhead and she shrugged. A small bird of shadow appeared on her palm. ¡°But then I can¡¯t accelerate our travel there. I¡¯m very specialized in my skill set. Shadow is my specialty.¡± The little bird of shadow soared up from her palm and then darted out of the room. ¡°If we¡¯re going to take the slower route, then I have to inform the rest of the scouts that I¡¯ll be late for the next mission.¡±

    Terry noted that the woman had sent the message immediately, which made the whole matter seem urgent. There appeared to be the underlying assumption that he would move out without further delay.

    I guess being out doing something is better than sitting around and getting the same kind of visitors all the time¡­

    Terry stood up.

    ¡°What do you think, you¡¯re¡ª?¡± Before the healer could completely voice his discontent, Terry quickly interrupted the man.

    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± insisted Terry. ¡°You can come with me if you want, but I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°I can lead the way,¡± said the hunter while scratching his neck.

    Terry noted the sweat on the hunter¡¯s forehead. Whatever they had seen in the shadows, it appeared to have left an impression.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to send a guard patrol with you,¡± mumbled Edmund. ¡°But we¡¯re kind of swamped and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can go,¡± offered the human city guard with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯ll protect the Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°You¡¯re one of my oldest and most capable guards. I guess that¡¯ll have to do. Sorry I can¡¯t spare more.¡± He looked at Terry to confirm. ¡°Your call. I leave the details up to you.¡± He was already departing while talking. These days, there was never enough time to deal with all the shit flung his way.

    ***

    Terry looked around the grassy plains. Even here, he could smell the sulphuric stench from the forbidden zone¡¯s volcanic thunder. His entourage consisted of his designated healer from the Circle of the Bright Lady, the hunter that was leading the way, the recently arrived Guildhead, and the human city guard.

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    They had jogged nearly two hours before the hunter called for a stop.

    As usual, Terry was constantly maintaining his external low-density mana bubble to scout with mana touch. Unfortunately, the nearby forbidden zone obstructed at least one direction, which led some credence to the hunter¡¯s view about the matter.

    The proximity to the forbidden zone might explain unusual findings. However, it would also be a reasonable spot to hide something nefarious because the out-of-control magic obstructed senses and might mask whatever their attackers wanted to keep hidden.

    ¡°Around here,¡± said the hunter. ¡°I can check in the shadows.¡±

    ¡°Or we¡¯ll just go together,¡± suggested the Guildhead. ¡°I told you we could be thrice as fast with my Haste of Shadows spell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you mentioned that before,¡± muttered Terry while still looking around. He did not like working with strangers and he had only met the woman a few hours ago.

    Terry had worked together with the twitchy hunter before, but he did not particularly like the hunters to begin with given all the problems they and the Import-Export Cooperative they controlled had caused him.

    Terry naturally had some reservations about the cult of the Bright Lady, but this channeler had been with him since the first battle to defend the city and the man had never shown any real sign of ill will.

    True, the man had been among those with a stronger reaction after learning about Terry¡¯s involvement in the Libra Outpost¡¯s uprising against Bright Willow, but this man appeared to trust Akemi¡¯s word and followed her instructions to the letter.

    As it turned out, the channeler also had the ability to step into the shadows and Akemi had insisted that Terry needed a healer as an entourage.

    Terry mostly remembered the city guard because the man had been one of the first to follow his finger runes during the incident during the masquerade ball and also one of the city guards that rushed to fight against the incoming horde with fierce determination. Before joining this scouting trip, Terry had also asked Jasmine about the guard¡¯s reputation and she had nothing bad to say. Tough but fair, apparently.

    Terry knew that appearances could be shallow. That lesson had been etched into his mind by enemies like Bright Willow and Anand as well as by difficult allies like Rafael. Putting his trust into people had started to feel uncomfortable.

    Nevertheless, after the battles, Terry had tried to put aside his grudges and reservations and look at his allies with fresh eyes. He was reluctant but he knew that he could not do any of this on his own, so there was little choice. He had to take the risk of working with others.

    Still¡­

    Terry looked around one last time. He did not sense anything off. The regular plane appeared entirely normal aside from the disturbing tendrils from the forbidden zone. The sulphuric stench. The sizzling heat. The cracking thunder.

    Terry clicked his tongue. His past experiences had told him to be wary of the shadow plane, which posed the same risk as unachored spatial transfers. He had no way to sense into another plane. Even if this side was harmless, there was no guarantee that the other side was.

    Terry looked over his companions. His past experiences had also told him to be wary of others. Even if he accepted the necessity of working with them, it did not mean he had to trust them blindly. His eyes drifted from the Guildhead and the hunter, onto the channeler and the city guard. He weighed his options and judged his chances before making up his mind.

    ¡°Can you two check the shadows first?¡± Terry asked the city guard and the channeler.

    The Guildhead raised an eyebrow but did not comment while the hunter scratched his neck that was already almost bloody.

    ¡°Will do,¡± agreed the city guard.

    ¡°Certainly, Guardian.¡± The channeler nodded but gave Terry a last stink eye. ¡°Try not to damage your mana channels any further while I¡¯m away.¡±

    That was uncalled for.

    Terry grumbled quietly. He wondered what it was about the healer profession that made them tend to sound like disappointed parents. He forced himself to focus and he kept a wary eye on the Guildhead and hunter while the other two stepped into the shadows.

    After a few moments, the two returned.

    ¡°All clear,¡± declared the city guard. He pointed his thumb at the channeler. ¡°He even blasted the place with light.¡±

    ¡°The Lady¡¯s Light has found nothing,¡± said the channeler. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they sensed there.¡± He pointed his chin at the hunter and the Guildhead.

    ¡°I said, it¡¯s around here,¡± said the hunter with a scowl. ¡°We¡¯re not there yet and I need to confirm in the shadows to know where it was.¡±

    ¡°No point in arguing.¡± Terry furrowed his brow. There definitely was something unusual if what his two scouts had said was true.

    Blasting the shadows with the holy light of the Bright Lady was certainly one way to check for hidden dangers, but that appeared a rather reckless action. The creatures of the shadow plane hated the light. If there was truly no reaction in the shadows, then that could be seen as its own unusual anomaly. He did not know what to make of it.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± said Terry. He circulated mana into his brooch and immediately found himself in the shadow plane.

    Together with Terry, the other four arrived and magic enveloped all of them with the Guildhead as the source.

    ¡°Finally we can use Haste of Shadow,¡± exclaimed the Guildhead with a grin. ¡°I never feel quite myself in the regular plane. Like walking through jelly all the time.¡±

    Terry spread his mana to scout around. He sensed nothing noteworthy. He shaped his shadow fabric to cover his feet. Then he tentatively lifted his left foot and he remained in the shadow plane.

    He took a deep breath.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should chide himself for his idiocy because he had not seen the inscription combination or if he should be happy that he got a new use for free. Practically free anyway. It did cost some self-reproach and some hard-earned self-esteem, but still.

    ¡°Where?¡± Terry continued lifting his feet to verify his new inscription combination. It looked almost as if he was trying to keep his muscles moving when taking a break from a jog.

    ¡°I think there¡­¡± The hunter pointed with a shaking hand.

    Screw that!

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that it was inside the forbidden zone.¡± Terry replied with a scowl. ¡°I can try to sense there from a distance, but we shouldn¡¯t get close. Any spell that forces us out of the shadows when we¡¯re there would be a death sentence. No.¡±

    ¡°So little faith in my abilities?¡± The Guildhead spoke sharply and scoffed. ¡°Well, whatever. I think he¡¯s off anyway. Probably got too many drinks at the hunters headquarters before we left.¡± She frowned at the hunter. ¡°Or too few to function.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The hunter glared but swallowed his insults.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s right,¡± said the channeler. ¡°He seems to be in withdrawal. I wouldn¡¯t trust his memory in such a state either.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are only two people here who know where we¡¯re supposed to go,¡± interjected the city guard. ¡°If he¡¯s off, then what¡¯s your opinion?¡± He looked at the Guildhead. ¡°Where do we have to go?¡±

    ¡°Over there!¡± The Guildhead pointed. ¡°Close to the forbidden zone but not inside.¡± She pointedly looked at the hunter with challenging eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    The hunter grumbled but then nodded. ¡°Could be.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s the way after all. My bad.¡±

    ¡°Drunkard,¡± grumbled the channeler.

    ¡°Great that we¡¯ve got that cleared up,¡± said the city guard testily. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They walked and eventually began jogging. Terry was happily testing his newfound mobility in the shadow plane. The additional speed granted by Haste of Shadows was indeed useful. If they had relied on that spell from the beginning, their whole trip would have taken minutes instead of hours.

    All was well until it wasn¡¯t.

    Terry sensed many things in quick succession. Spell structures. Magic weapons unsheathed. The shadows contracted. He did not hesitate to lash out. His glove instantly radiated an intense light and he unleashed his disruption domain to cover the whole group.

    The hunter¡¯s blade transfixed in the air before it could reach the city guard. His shadow-aspected spell was eviscerated by a spell slicer.

    The city guard had not anticipated the incoming blade to transfix and continued his dodge while drawing his own short sword to match his shield.

    The Guildhead¡¯s expression darkened at the mana suppression and disrupting effect from Terry¡¯s disruption domain, but she did not miss a beat and immediately switched to a self-target spell while distancing herself from the others.

    The channeler cursed and began summoning a staff of gold to use as his weapon and pointed it at the hunter.

    The Guildhead glared at the hunter and the shadows danced around her finger. ¡°Back off, you prick.¡±

    The hunter frowned intensely. His shadows enveloped his transfixed blade until the invading shadow disrupted Terry¡¯s spell. With his blade back in his grasp he distanced himself from the other four and glowered at them.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± The Guildhead praised Terry. ¡°Targeting that weapon with a spell requires high mana concentration.¡± She pointed her chin at the hunter. ¡°We should take care of him together.¡±

    The city guard stepped closer to the others and took a defensive stance in front of their healer.

    Terry felt that something was still off, but he did not receive much time to think before the hunter was hurling throwing blades at them. To Terry¡¯s dismay, the hunter had begun to coat his projectiles in shadow to obstruct his Immovable Object spell.

    The channeler began throwing lances of holy fire at the hunter. Terry inwardly praised the healer for an ability choice that served to attack both the hunter and his shadows.

    Terry stepped forward to attack the hunter¡­

    ¡­only to find himself back in the regular plane.

    Terry had moved around in the shadow plane for a while now. Therefore, he had not transfixed his boots like all the previous times he had been forced to fight over there. As soon as he had lifted his foot, he had returned to the regular plane.

    Terry could come up with alternative explanations, but his battle instincts and budding distrustful nature were crowding out his intrusive thoughts and second-guessing habit.

    He was certain that he had not made a mistake with the shadow fabric.

    Maybe there were other explanations, but his mind latched onto the one that appeared most likely. Without hesitation, he channeled mana into his magic brooch and searched for the Guildhead, only to find her missing while the hunter was holding his own against the city guard and channeler.

    Terry transfixed his boots and lashed out with the king spear. When his lightning blast had forced the hunter to back off, he tentatively lifted his foot and discovered that he remained in the shadow plane. Not without another magic activation that matched the hidden purple signature in his soulsight, however.

    Mind games.

    As Terry now saw it, the Thanatos soldier near the Elusive Fog of Frost had not planted a pointless seed of doubt about the brooch¡¯s use. Something like that matched Thanatos¡¯s style, but that didn¡¯t mean it was true.

    Instead, Terry suspected that the Guildhead had tricked him into believing in a false hope of synergy. She had chosen a combination that actually existed. A mechanism that was believable enough, but whose details Terry was not familiar with. She had played on his self-doubt, his curiosity, as well as his desire to be stronger.

    I hate it.

    Whatever spell she used, must have been what really allowed me to move around in the shadow plane¡­

    Terry glowered at the location where the Guildhead was hidden. He circled mana into his inscriptions and hurled a divine hammer at her. To his chagrin, she easily deflected it with a shadow-aspected defense.

    The shadow plane was not the best territory for relying on divine mana that half-intersected the light aspect. Terry had undeniably gotten better with the inscription, but with the added difficulty here, he felt that it wasn¡¯t enough.

    Terry regained control of his lingering naturalized mana and re-established his disruption domain. He understood that their position was weak. The city guard and channeler were able to step into the shadows, but the Guildhead and the hunter were the true shadow experts here.

    As for Terry himself, his king spear gave him some reach but if he couldn¡¯t move around, then his fighting ability remained rather limited. He could disrupt incoming spells and transfix incoming projectiles, but this was a stalemate at best.

    Who knew what was lurking in the shadows? They must have chosen this spot for a reason. Or was their plan really as simple as trying to lure him into the forbidden zone? Could he count on that?

    ¡°Back to the regular realm!¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°Can¡¯t!¡± shouted the city guard and inclined his head shortly towards the channeler behind him. ¡°They got him trapped.¡± He slowly moved backwards with his shield raised to cover the healer.

    ¡°They dare target the Lady¡¯s light!¡± snarled the channeler furiously.

    Terry sensed an active magic around the ground surrounding the channeler. Where there should be the window-like surface of the shadow plane, there were eerie shadows crawling around and binding the healer¡¯s feet.

    Ever since his spars with Isabella in Tiv, Terry was familiar with the Shadow Bind spell, but even though this active magic seemed vaguely related, it was also more advanced. Specialized. Only locking the feet. Seemingly self-sustained by the ambient shadows. An active spell-structure hidden somewhere in the surrounding darkness.

    Master-level at least.

    Terry frowned. This wasn¡¯t the fragile ancient spellwork that he had encountered in the dungeon¡¯s folded space. This was a proper master-level spell and a specialized one at that. The magic had not been active when he had been thrown out of the shadow realm, which meant that it had been cast exceedingly fast.

    The Guildhead. Not the hunter.

    Terry charged forward while focusing the bulk of his rotating spell slicers on the active binding spell. In the middle of his run, he suddenly flipped back into the regular plane. The longer he remained here, the more his disruption domain would dissipate. If he wanted to stop their enemies from adding more problematic spells, he could only grit his teeth.

    In a dizzying shift of planes, Terry continued using his shadow brooch while refusing to stop running. With every lift of his feet in the shadow plane, he shifted back, only to activate his brooch and return to maintain his disruption domain and reach his two allies.

    ¡°Lunatic,¡± hissed the Guildhead from the shadows when seeing Terry¡¯s flickering display of stubbornness.

    The hunter had exchanged his blade for a bow to shoot arrows to pair with his ranged spellwork and shadow manipulation. He and the Guildhead were moving swiftly through the shadows ¨C still empowered by the Guildheads Haste variant spell whose effects were now lost to the other three.

    Terry managed to transfix the hunter¡¯s boot only to see the traitor turn his feet into shadow and abandon his boots to continue on bare feet.

    Terry had to sieve through the spells and adjust his disruption domain to allow the magic of his allies while eviscerating those of his enemies while also prioritizing the different incoming attacks.

    He could not afford to let any arrow pass because by now he was pretty sure those arrows had been coated in a magic poison.

    He could not lose track of the two assailants in the shadow and constantly had to feel around with mana touch or search with soul sight.

    All of this combined would have been taxing even if it wasn¡¯t for the nauseating experience of switching planes with every step. His mind was screaming in protest at all the things he had to keep track of.

    Right before Terry managed to get close enough and try to set up immovable objects or retrieve a bottle of water to prepare an indestructible dome of ice, he was taken off-guard.

    The channeler that had been engaged in a ranged duel with the hunter and the Guildhead, suddenly collapsed while clasping his neck. Purple lines were already spreading across his face and the man desperately began channeling healing powers from the Bright Lady that caused his eyes to turn golden.

    Time seemed to slow down for Terry while his mind was playing back all the recent sensations.

    What had he missed?

    Terry stared incredulously at the city guard to see the hidden blade in the man¡¯s shield-hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Guardian,¡± said the city guard with a tone of guilt and sorrow. ¡°I have no choice.¡±

    Terry transfixed his boots and lashed out with his king spear.

    The Guildhead laughed while summoning shadow tendrils to obstruct the orange pole, but her laugh vanished when the shadows were blown apart by a lightning blast. She did not freeze in fear though and simply allowed the shadows to envelop her and she reemerged at another location.

    Terry knew that his king spear was less powerful without an open sky, but he still had to try. He was the reason that the healer had joined in this expedition and now the man was seemingly on the verge of death, only clinging on with the power of his otherrealm deity.

    Terry emitted a radiating light of blinding intensity and hurled throwing needles at both the hunter and the city guard.

    The city guard.

    Terry cursed himself for letting this happen. Hated himself for being too focused on everything else to notice the guard¡¯s hidden blade in time.

    ¡°Surrender or the man will die.¡± The city guard pointed his shortsword at the channeler who appeared to be in a trance caused by the contest of his channeled abilities and the spirit poison. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this.¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry.

    ¡°We can go,¡± declared the Guildhead giddily and she pointed down at the window-like ground.

    Terry looked where she was pointing and saw a pale elven man with cold red eyes and with a mask covering his mouth. The mask was black and showed a jaw of white teeth with exaggerated canines. It looked closer to the teeth of a canan than those of an elf, even of a vampiric elf.

    Terry caught the vampire¡¯s gaze. He then saw the three traitors appear on the other side ¨C together with the channeler as their captive. The vampire beckoned to Terry with two fingers.

    Terry would love to know how the vampire managed to peek from the regular into the shadow plane, but it was already too late.

    In the shadow plane, Terry was now alone.

    Alone with his self-reproach.

    ***

 204 Trapped the Wrong Mage

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 34 ¨C

    Terry stared back into the cold vampiric eyes behind the window-like ground. He clenched his king spear tightly and took a deep breath. ¡°Could be worse.¡±

    How could it possibly be worse? A man is dying because of me. I can¡¯t move in the shadow plane. I¡¯ll have to return to the regular plane and that¡¯s where they are waiting. Even if I can see from here to the other side, that doesn¡¯t mean¡ª

    ¡°Yeah, but I can see the other side, which limits their options,¡± stressed Terry to himself. ¡°And I¡¯m alive. If that was all they can do, then we¡¯re at a stalemate.¡±

    Except for the healer dying. For my healer dying because of me. What was his name? I barely spoke to him.

    G¡­something.

    Ga¡­ Ge¡­ Go¡­ Ge¡­ Georg. His name is Georg.

    Terry exhaled slowly and then lifted his foot to step to the other side.

    Let¡¯s get this over with.

    The instant Terry arrived in the regular plane, he unleashed his disruption field. Far below all the intense sensations from his unleashed mana touching the ground, there was a faint prickling in his mind.

    ¡°Amusing,¡± said the vampire flatly.

    Terry could see his spell slicers and lower-density mana accumulate at a fixed range around himself. He recognized the effect as a spatial distortion that stretched space. He had seen a dungeon use it to protect its core. He had also experienced martialists using an artifact with similar effects against him.

    Even though Terry knew it would fail, he still tried to burst his way through the stretched space. His damaged mana channels immediately protested his futile efforts. His oscillating mana would not help him here.

    They have done their research.

    Terry could only lament the fact that his enemies had plenty of time to gather information on his weaknesses while he himself didn¡¯t even know whom to look into. They were facing him. He was facing a faceless army of invaders and traitors.

    Well, not exactly faceless¡­

    Terry glowered at the masked vampire who was lurking safely behind the spatial distortion, together with the other three and their captive.

    They must have set this up while I was in the shadow plane. And they lured me into the shadow plane, so that I wouldn¡¯t sense what was going on here.

    Even though he wanted to cut their throats, Terry still felt a semblance of respect for their maneuvering. They had exploited his personality. They had nullified his strengths. They had utilized three traitors from different factions. Three folks that could not be any more different in background, bearing, or reputation.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± demanded Terry. He knew he was trapped. His inability to move in the shadow plane and the stretched space in the regular plane ensured that he couldn¡¯t go anywhere.

    So what?

    Terry was already used to so much worse. He might be trapped, but unless they had a way to bypass his disruption domain and immovable objects, they couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t just him. Terry could not help but glance at the immobile channeler. His healer that had been inflicted with spirit poison. Georg was dying.

    ¡°The question is rather, what do you want?¡± The voice of the elven vampire was icy.

    Mind games.

    Terry snorted. ¡°Well, how about you kill yourself and the traitors? Oh and if someone could bring me some chocolate and mana-imbued tea, that would be great.¡±

    ¡°The tea might be arranged.¡± The vampire¡¯s tone did not change. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to take me seriously, but I am serious.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°We only serve to fulfill people¡¯s desires with simple favors in return.¡±

    The city guard in the back harrumphed and glared at the vampire with loathing eyes.

    ¡°Please, man,¡± whimpered the hunter and scratched his hands bloody. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part, no? Please. They don¡¯t have the stuff in the city anymore and I need it.¡±

    Cold red eyes moved from Terry to the hunter and back. ¡°You see, some people are not satisfied with mere pleasure, they crave ecstasy.¡± He retrieved a bottle from a storage item and held it out. ¡°We offer to fulfill their desire.¡±

    The hunter eagerly grabbed the bottle and drank it without hesitation. A slight haze flickered in his eyes and his twitchy hands finally rested while he exhaled blissfully.

    Terry recognized the bottle¡¯s mana signature and connected the different pieces of information. That bottle had contained the magic narcotic rumored to be from the Lich Kingdoms. It appeared that the rumors were true and that the Lich Kingdoms were now cutting off the supply to turn the screw on the city¡¯s addicts.

    ¡°Is this how you force people to betray their own city?¡± growled Terry while pointing at the high hunter.

    ¡°We¡¯re not forcing anyone,¡± returned the vampire without even the slightest hint of emotion. ¡°We offer to fulfill people¡¯s desires. They are free to choose.¡± He gestured at the hunter. ¡°He wanted this. He¡¯s a free man.¡±

    ¡°Free?¡± scoffed Terry. He could not help but recall his experience in the dungeon again. The clash between his immediate feelings and the person he wanted to become. ¡°The urges you call desire, it looks like he is a slave to them. You call that freedom?¡±

    ¡°To be free is to fulfill your own desires,¡± said the vampire flatly. ¡°To claim differently is pointless sophistry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all swell, but I¡¯d like to be paid now,¡± interjected the Guildhead. ¡°Even though he spoiled everything up to the fourth scenario, I delivered. He¡¯s even alive and still kicking. I would think that deserves a bonus, but I know who I¡¯m talking to.¡±

    ¡°Here is the payment you desire,¡± said the vampire and tossed a storage ring to the woman.

    The Guildhead inspected the contents and grinned. ¡°You always pay the best. Pleasure doing business. If you have more things you need done in the city, send me a message. You know my rates.¡± With those words, she stepped into the shadows and left.

    ¡°You may not like the choices some folks make, but it¡¯s their choice.¡± The vampire addressed Terry. ¡°We¡¯re not forcing them. They are free.¡±

    The city guard snorted again with derision.

    ¡°Free to be your slaves?¡± challenged Terry. He did not know what the point behind this conversation was.

    ¡°Free to be themselves,¡± corrected the vampire. ¡°Whoever that might be.¡± The elf leaned closer. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to find true freedom daunting. For those like you, we can offer to show the shackles you yearn to impose on yourself. To take them off, or to replace them. Whatever you desire.¡± He gestured at the immobilized healer. ¡°Do you desire to save this man¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Terry instantly.

    ¡°If that is truly your desire, then I can offer that to you,¡± said the vampire. ¡°In exchange, you will open your mind for me to place a geas.¡±

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry.

    ¡°Then I take it you don¡¯t truly desire to save this man¡¯s life?¡± challenged the vampire. ¡°Are your desires this shallow? Or are we haggling about the price? To show how much this man¡¯s life is worth to you?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t open my mind to anyone or anything,¡± hissed Terry. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°Then I have another offer,¡± said the vampire. ¡°Before the count arrives, you¡¯ll slip something into the food of the man they call the Whisperer.¡±

    ¡°Go die, you little shitstain,¡± hissed Terry with a scowl. ¡°I¡¯m not doing any of that.¡±

    ¡°Then it appears that you have lied,¡± said the vampire. ¡°You claimed that you desire to save this man¡¯s life, but you act to the contrary.¡± The elven man shrugged. ¡°It is not for me to judge people¡¯s desires, but I find it distasteful if someone denies who they truly are.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°You want this man dead? That can be arranged, too.¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Terry stepped forward only to find the familiar sensation of stepping into stretched space.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Finish him,¡± ordered the vampire with a look to the city guard.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± The city guard barked back.

    ¡°Because I have you,¡± retorted the vampire mercilessly. ¡°Do I need to remind you that your daughter and your son-in-law are living in our territory now? They remain alive because of your use to us. If you desire them to live their lives, kill him.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± shouted Terry.

    ¡°Sorry, Guardian,¡± sighed the city guard and drew his blade. ¡°But I have no choice.¡± He drew his blade across Georg¡¯s throat before piercing it through the bottom of the man¡¯s skull and into his brain. ¡°A choice between my family and him isn¡¯t really a choice.¡±

    Terry stared incredulously at the cold-blooded murder.

    ¡°That is a man who truly desires to preserve a life he cherishes.¡± The vampire gestured at the city guard while looking at Terry. ¡°A man that isn¡¯t just deceiving himself and others. A man that acts according to what he claims to desire. A man that chooses to do whatever is necessary.¡±

    Terry saw the life fade out of Georg¡¯s eyes and focused on his breathing to remain calm. The man had only come because he was assigned as Terry¡¯s healer.

    His name was Georg.

    ¡°You can go now.¡± The vampire informed the hunter and city guard. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you when I need anything else.¡± He returned his gaze to Terry and he gestured at the corpse of the channeler. ¡°That death is your responsibility.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who killed him,¡± hissed Terry.

    ¡°No, but you¡¯re the one who refused to save him,¡± retorted the vampire.

    Terry focused on his breathing and growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say. I won¡¯t do whatever it is you want from me. After this spatial distortion wears off, I¡¯m coming for you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere,¡± said the vampire. ¡°I don¡¯t have to talk, but I will listen to whatever you have to say. When you are ready to admit your desires and act accordingly, I will be here to greet the true you.¡± He leaned in closer. ¡°I¡¯ve found that a few days of isolation without food or water can be very enlightening.¡± He tilted his head while looking emotionlessly at Terry. ¡°Put a nice meal in front of a person after that and they shed their self-delusions and stop denying their undeniable desires.¡±

    Terry scoffed quietly while holding the vampire¡¯s gaze. It appeared the vampire¡¯s research on him was lacking. Even ignoring that his mana foundation would allow him to go more than ¡®a few days¡¯ without physical nourishment, he did not really worry about a lack of food or water.

    His storage items were filled to the brim with food supplies thanks to his dungeon-induced hoarding habit that had been exacerbated by his experiences in the Elusive Fog of Frost and the martialists¡¯ isolated pocket realm. He had stocked up just before the attack on the city, because he had thought he was going to leave for Arcana along the scenic route.

    As for the threat of isolation in itself?

    Don¡¯t make me laugh.

    Terry snorted with derision. He had survived a dungeon full of ghouls in Tiv. A damned prison cell for blood sports in Thanatos. A double-cursed dungeon tomb infested with martialists in the Union.

    The Lich Kingdoms wanted to threaten him with taking a break under a beautiful blue sky?

    Laughable.

    Terry rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. He looked around and spread his mana and followed it closely with mana sight. He spread it into the sky and ground to test the limits of the stretching space. To his immense chagrin, the vampire had been thorough and had covered all different directions around Terry.

    Terry tentatively tried to summon a divine hammer beyond the reach of the stretched space, but unsurprisingly, he failed. Even if failure came as no surprise, he could not help but look unsatisfied.

    Terry¡¯s mind raced and while he was exploring his options, he activated his soulsight to discover that the vampire in front of him was either soulless or had a means to hide his soul. ¡°You are soulless?¡±

    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t care about what I have to say?¡± The snarky remark was delivered in an entirely emotionless tone. ¡°You¡¯ve changed your mind faster than expected.¡±

    ¡°I take that as a yes,¡± said Terry and rolled his eyes. The vampire was getting under his skin, but he also felt like fishing for information.

    ¡°Those like me benefit from being soulless,¡± said the vampire. ¡°If I had arrived first, you would not have been able to disturb our plans. Your soulsight was unexpected and unfortunate. An unfortunate prolonging of suffering. Avoiding soulsight is just one of the benefits of being soulless. It also allows us to be more effective when using some of the means at our disposal.¡±

    Terry detected a purple magic move from the vampire to himself and realized what was going on. ¡°You¡¯re trying to infect me with karmic rot?¡±

    ¡°Do you desire me not to do so?¡± The vampire tilted his head. ¡°You know the terms.¡±

    If he isn¡¯t worried about catching soulrot himself, because he¡¯s soulless, then why should I worry? Can¡¯t he see that I¡¯m soulless? The other vampire claimed I was lying, but¡­.

    Terry felt the itch to fish for more information again. ¡°Even if you want to infect me, I don¡¯t think you can.¡±

    ¡°Because of your peculiar soul?¡± questioned the elven vampire. ¡°I have to admit, I haven¡¯t seen anything like it before, but I¡¯ve also never seen the karmic rot fail to infect a soul of folks.¡±

    Terry made a mental note to figure out what was going on with his soul. He still did not believe that Rafael had been lying to him about being soulless in Thanatos. Not that the ambitious martialist was above lying, but there had been no reason for the sticky-fingered felan to lie about that.

    Terry decided to surround himself with a narrow disruption field and place layers of divine barriers and immovable ice against the soul magic just in case.

    When Terry pulled on the more distant mana he had spread earlier, he felt a barely perceptible prickling in his mind again. A faint feeling that was rolling underneath the more prevalent sensations from his closer mana touch field.

    That¡¯s¡­ my mana.

    Terry hurriedly avoided the vampire¡¯s gaze and covered his mouth with his hand in order to hide his honest face.

    He was sure.

    On their way here, Terry had maintained his usual mana detection bubble. He had not bothered to reclaim all mana when they had switched into the shadow plane, because his mana pool had already been full at that point ¨C thanks to his regeneration outpacing the natural decay of his dumped mana.

    Terry closed his eyes and concentrated.

    That mana was his.

    It was beyond the stretched space, but it was his nonetheless. He could reach it. His general mana control exceeded his control of the divine hammer inscription by far and in contrast to the inscription, Terry didn¡¯t need the mana to cross the stretched space, because it was already on the other side.

    That mana might have started to decay a bit, but it was still his. Terry clawed at it while stretching his mana control to its limits and claiming all that he had left behind. He tried harvesting additional mana at a distance, but failed again. Claiming mana that was still partially naturalized by him felt worlds easier than harvesting free mana from scratch in this manner.

    Terry took a deep breath. He knew he wasn¡¯t a good liar, so if he wanted to avoid having his plan show on his face, he better distract himself. He sat down cross-legged and looked through his storage items.

    He placed several metal rods on the ground in order to imprint them. For most of his time, this was the extent of his contribution to the city¡¯s defense preparation anyway. It hardly mattered if he would create his wands in the Flower House or here with the creep.

    Except, here I¡¯m not getting healed because I let my healer die in front of me.

    Terry ignored his intrusive thoughts and ostensibly focused on his imprinting while covertly moving his reclaimed mana around to scout for the mana signatures of his allies.

    He just needed one reliable messenger to contact Edmund, Akemi, or Thiago. They might be on the defensive, but against a single creepy vampire, the city had enough forces it could muster. If they managed to catch the vampire alive, then perhaps they could gather some valuable intel?

    However, if I show my remote finger runes to the wrong person, I risk them taking precautions. I must not be found out by another traitor working for the Lich Kingdoms.

    He took a deep breath.

    I¡¯ll figure it out.

    He glowered coldly at the red vampiric eyes watching him. I¡¯ll make you regret this. Today, you¡¯ve trapped the wrong mage. I¡¯ll show you and I¡¯ll shove those poisoned offers right back into your throat.

    ***

    ¡°He sure walked right into that,¡± muttered a canan in crimson uniform.

    ¡°Even we didn¡¯t know that the city guard had been turned,¡± grumbled Ruby. The dwarven woman was furrowing her brow and making coded notes in a pocket notebook. ¡°That one is dangerous. Edmund knows better than to put an addict or opportunist mercenary into vital positions of command, but he wouldn¡¯t see a betrayal of that man coming. We might have to consider exposing the city guard, but first we¡¯ll wait and see.¡±

    ¡°Should we help the Whetstone Arcanian?¡± asked an elven soldier from Ruby¡¯s squad. ¡°After the infiltrators spin their story for the Guardian¡¯s absence, the city will probably be flailing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®the Guardian¡¯ has become the mascot of the city¡¯s defense,¡± snorted an older human soldier.

    ¡°I think he has earned that position, don¡¯t you?¡± Ruby chortled.

    ¡°With reckless actions and foul gambles,¡± snorted the human soldier. ¡°I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s an operative for a second.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s not as skilled as had been suspected, then it puts a different light on his recklessness as well, no?¡± challenged Ruby. ¡°Calculated risk taking, even if I don¡¯t fully understand the calculation.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just bad at math,¡± quipped an elven soldier.

    ¡°Same puzzle as before.¡± Ruby shrugged. ¡°If he¡¯s acting, then he¡¯s damned good at it. If he¡¯s an operative here to inspire coordinated push-back against the Lich Kingdoms, then I have to give it to him.¡±

    Ruby smirked slightly. ¡°A single person forcing a stop to an undead horde. A man working tirelessly to protect the city that had conspired against him. Unflinchingly breaking into undead armies and persevering despite already looking like death himself. A stranger to the region that pulls all people together.¡±

    Ruby laughed. ¡°A human member of a traditionalist dwarven whanau wielding the divine hammer and following in the elven footsteps of the Valkyrie to push back the Lich Kingdoms.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Even Thanatos couldn¡¯t write better propaganda for either Arcana or the Guardians.¡±

    Ruby put away her coded notebook and shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make our job any easier. Just because a story sounds too good to be organic and authentic, doesn¡¯t mean it is artificially crafted.¡± She looked over her squad. ¡°We still have to sieve through the bullshit to get an accurate picture of the Whetstone Arcanian.¡±

    Ruby looked towards her elven subordinate. ¡°No, we won¡¯t interfere just yet. We might be helping them to push back the Lich Kingdoms, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re on the same side. This is an opportunity to observe how Whetstone deals with it.¡±

    The elven soldier from Thanatos nodded.

    ¡°Did we get any new information on the others looking for the Whetstone Arcanian?¡± asked Ruby.

    ¡°Even though we have planted false leads, they¡¯re still closing in steadily. For now, they are tied down on the east side of the Union though,¡± replied the second dwarven woman in crimson uniform. ¡°Reports are still conflicting. Dozens of individuals in some reports. More than fifty in the most recent report in which the punishment hall of a martial sect has been crushed completely. The most concerning point remains that they manage to bypass all detection before taking action.¡±

    ¡°That and the fact that they seem to have a nose for sniffing out false leads,¡± mumbled Ruby pensively.

    ***

    Terry had been patiently biding his time for nearly two days when his honest face failed to hide his smirk any longer¡­

    ***

 205 When a Hound Faces a Wolf

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 36 ¨C

    Terry returned his crafting equipment to his dimensional storage. He raised his eyes to meet the gaze of the elven vampire. The elven vampire had never left his side and periodically taunted him with luxurious food and drinks.

    That vampire had hounded Terry with threats and bribes after setting the trap. A trap that was custom tailored to Terry¡¯s limitations and disposition. Information they could exploit because they had a single target while the defenders like Terry didn¡¯t even know who their enemies might be. The defenders didn¡¯t know who was a traitor. They didn¡¯t know who the leader behind the invasion was either.

    Terry could see how the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ approaches were effective under normal circumstances. However, they had made a mistake this time. They had chosen a stalemate because they were used to having time work in their favor.

    Perhaps they had put too much faith into the karmic rot.

    Perhaps they had believed Terry to be of weaker character.

    Perhaps they had thought it was already enough to keep Terry out of the war.

    It did not matter what game they had wanted to play. Terry intended to flip the board soon enough. He did not fear the Hound or his lackeys, because they were unable to break his defenses. He did not worry about their ongoing stalemate, because it really wasn¡¯t one. Not with his naturalized mana moving beyond the range of the stretched space.

    The first group that entered Terry¡¯s mana feelers included several mana signatures he knew, but he was wary of contacting them. All of them were Thanatos soldiers and Terry wasn¡¯t sure yet what their endgame here could be. He reserved some mana to keep track of their movements but did not make contact.

    Terry refrained from properly contacting the first city scout he felt as well. He believed that he had sensed the signature before in the city, but he could not be entirely certain. He did not use finger runes and instead opted for wrapping his mana around the scout in order to inflict a sensation of mana suppression. If the woman had been sent by the city to search for him, then she could report the anomaly. If it was instead a traitor, he would not have revealed too much to her.

    When a group of three scouts arrived, Terry repeated his mana suppression sign and he heightened the mana concentration when they stepped closer into his direction until he allowed it to dissipate. Those scouts were no match for the vampire from what Terry could feel.

    The fourth encounter was what Terry had been waiting for. It was a group of five. He recognized enough signatures to know it represented a mixture of factions that included a channeler of the Bright Lady. For the first time, Terry dared to shape his finger runes in front of the scouting party. [Three traitors killed the Believer of the Bright Lady.] He made sure that their bodies shielded the runes from the direction of the vampire and himself. He was taking no chances.

    Terry observed the reactions with his mana touch and was glad to see no in-fighting breaking out. [Inform Edmund, Thiago, and Akemi.] He kept his information deliberately vague. He would like to warn Thiago that their enemies had set him as his target, but sharing the knowledge of the coming count was a risk he was not yet willing to take.

    Even if Terry was the only one known for using ranged finger runes recently, there were plenty of people that knew finger runes. No one knew who might have observed the traitors¡¯ actions.

    Revealing a key piece of information that only Terry, the vampire, and the traitors knew, however? That was definitely revealing too much. He might as well point a giant mana arrow at himself if there was another traitor among the group.

    Terry could feel some of the scouts moving their lips. Unfortunately, lip reading through mana touch was beyond his abilities. [Bring them.] The three people he had named were people he trusted to have the city¡¯s best interests at heart. They were also powerful enough to put up a good fight even if there were other traitors.

    Another idea entered Terry¡¯s head and he added: [Thanatos knows.]

    Several hours later another group arrived. This time, the search party counted a dozen individuals and it included Akemi from the Bright Lady¡¯s Circle as well as Hector from the Whisperer¡¯s hunters.

    Terry figured that Edmund and Thiago suspected his finger runes could have been another trap and sent representatives instead. To Akemi, it had probably felt more personal since it had been her fellow faithful who had failed to return initially.

    Terry took a deep breath, both to not show anything on his honest face ¨C the vampire¡¯s creepy gaze never left him ¨C and to avoid frowning at Hector¡¯s presence. Terry did not like the man for his part in the robbery of Brandon¡¯s glove, but the man had the Whisperer¡¯s trust and was rumored to be the foremost shadow expert in the city.

    Even so.

    Terry intentionally shaped his finger runes closer to Akemi than to Hector. [Hope you isolated the traitors. You¡¯ll need to bring more if you want to catch the one responsible.]

    Again, Terry felt their lips moving but didn¡¯t know what they were saying. He could feel Hector shaping finger runes but it turned out, the rune suggestion only worked through mana sight and unfortunately not through mana touch.

    No matter. Terry had already thought about this. [Get some wood and carve what you want to say.] He could feel Hector frowning, but Akemi immediately ordered some of the group to do what he had asked them.

    Terry¡¯s mouth opened slightly when he felt their first etching through mana touch.

    ¡®Are you okay, Guardian?¡¯

    Of all the things they could have written, that was the first. Terry was sure that the question originated from Akemi rather than from Hector. He took a deep breath and refrained from confirming his identity just yet.

    [Did you confirm with Thanatos?]

    ¡®They were not very forthcoming, but they confirmed the identity of the traitors. Thiago is going to deal with them when the time comes. We don¡¯t want to worsen your situation.¡¯

    [Thanatos knows more. Gather information on the vampire with the jaw mask.]

    Terry could feel that his runes had caused a larger reaction among the group.

    ¡®That mask. One of the Lich Kingdom¡¯s Hounds. Be careful.¡¯

    [Always.] Terry believed he could feel Akemi roll her eyes, but maybe he was just imagining it. He suppressed the urge to clear his throat. [He¡¯s dangerous. I can point the way, but you need to come prepared.]

    Terry could feel messengers leaving for the city. He could feel new folks arriving. The more he recognized, the more assured he felt.

    The more assured he felt, the more he shared about the battle with the traitors and the situation with the Hound.

    ¡®I¡¯d really like to know how you¡¯re doing this, Arcanian.¡¯

    Terry felt a second etching and knew it came from the dwarven woman in crimson uniform. [Figure it out yourself. Don¡¯t expect me to be forthcoming after you¡¯ve played silent observer during everything that happened.]

    ¡®We¡¯re here to help now, aren¡¯t we? No need to be a sourpuss, Arcanian.¡¯

    [Thanatos only helps themselves from what I¡¯ve seen.]

    ¡®One does not rule out the other. Life isn¡¯t a zero-sum game, you know?¡¯

    Terry could not help but grumble slightly. When he could feel the cold red eyes react to his grumble, he had to do something he hated on more levels than one.

    He allowed himself to slip in his imprinting and frowned. The imprint had turned slightly fuzzy. It was still near-perfect but not perfect anymore. Now, Terry really had a reason to grumble. His sincerely unsatisfied expression covered his irritation of having to deal with the Thanatos squad leader and her Thanatos personality.

    ¡®Are you sure you want to rejoin the city?¡¯

    [What?]

    ¡®When the Lich Kingdoms send a count, it is to crush the leaders of their enemies. You¡¯re the face of the city¡¯s defiant defense. If you¡¯re still in the game, the count will definitely focus on you.¡¯

    Terry felt the others in the Hound hunting party stir.

    ¡®Ready when you are,¡¯ etched Intira, who was leading the group of elite forces for this mission.

    Terry was about to sign his agreement when another sensation caught his attention. Another group of familiar mana signatures had entered the range of his mana touch. He hurriedly put his hands over his face and inhaled ¨C a gesture meant to show tiredness ¨C while he actually wanted to hide his honest face that was really showing a mixture of pleasant surprise and mischievous schadenfreude.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    [Can you pick someone else up? They¡¯re trustworthy. Kind of. They¡¯re definitely not with the Lich Kingdoms. This way¡­]

    Terry had been assured that Intira and the others carefully vetted everyone that joined the elite party, but it could not hurt to add additional insurance if it presented itself as an option. He had mixed feelings about the new arrivals, but as far as this mission was concerned, he trusted them completely.

    Especially, since the masked felan was distrustful to the bone. Who better to work with when there was a risk of traitors running around their midst?

    After Terry had coordinated them all to group up, he felt another etching.

    ¡®That¡¯s not a local sect. How did you summon them here? Did you use the same ability as with us? What kind of reach is that? If you can communicate that far, why didn¡¯t you¡­?¡¯

    Terry had to suppress a chuckle when feeling the fluttery carving knife dancing over the wood through Ruby¡¯s hands. It seemed like the people from Thanatos were so used to mind games that they were prone to overthinking and they somehow kept searching for a deeper explanation even when the answer was pure and boring coincidence.

    ***

    The elven vampire cut slowly through a juicy and bloody steak served on a plate in front of him. He held the fork up for Terry to see. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t desire a share as well?¡± He gestured to a second plate that had been prepared with a piece of meat more cooked than the vampire¡¯s own. ¡°Mana can substitute for food but that is no way to live, is it? Tasteless and empty. A hollow lie, nothing more. Self-delusion and self-denial. Your stomach must be grumbling already.¡±

    ¡°How considerate of you.¡± Terry snorted with derision. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me.¡± He slowly packed up his freshly imprinted batch of Immovable Object wands. ¡°And you¡¯re overestimating the appeal of your cooking.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken if you believe I cook,¡± replied the vampire flatly.

    Terry began stretching to warm himself up, which naturally piqued the curiosity of the watching Hound. Knowing the eyes of the vampire on himself, Terry grinned like a vicious beast.

    A single moment of distracting this watchdog was already sufficient.

    ¡°Tell your masters that you¡¯ve failed just like they will fail too.¡± Terry thought a good old martialist-style taunt might help their plan. ¡°See you in hell, little doggie.¡± He disappeared into the shadows.

    Red irises flashed brightly from mana use when the elven vampire peered into the shadow plane. Eyelids and eyebrows crawled upwards when no sign of his captive was to be seen.

    None of the mage¡¯s reported items or abilities would allow him to perform such a feat. Furthermore, if there had been such a hidden trump card, then why would his captive have hesitated to use it?

    They had cleared the shadows and no beast could have taken him. They had isolated the location with stretched space and muffled shadows.

    Every Hound was trained to treat the shadows as their ally and to pursue their targets until the end of the unknown. With cold and unfeeling resolve, the elven vampire followed Terry into the shadows. Whatever trick his target had played, he would see through it and pursue. This was nothing but an insignificant delay of the inevitable.

    Certain that there could only be one outcome for his hunt, the Hound stepped into the shadows.

    For a brief moment, there was silence while red glowing eyes wandered over the darkness of the shadow plane. The first warning that something remained amiss was the complete absence of life signatures even though the scent of flowing blood still lingered faintly.

    A warning that had come too late. In an instant, the shadows were driven away by the raging lights of holy fury. From high up in the sky of shadows, a radiating figure dared to defy the darkness with the channeled wrath of the Bright Lady.

    The goddess might be merciful but Akemi was feeling enough fury for the both of them. A faithful of her circle had been murdered and the murderer would burn.

    The Hound ignored the agonizing assault of holy light. His skin was burning and dark flakes were peeling off and evaporating until he ripped his elongated canines over his arms to allow the blood to escape his veins and then reshaped it into a crimson suit. The cultist¡¯s unnatural light did not allow any shadows to help him.

    The shadows might have abandoned him, but he had other means.

    Every Hound was trained for survival.

    The shadow plane offered few elements to work with but the Hound had a variety of spells to support himself. The magic-disturbing effects from the holy aspect were a nuisance, but he was a better mage than that.

    With his own blood as his protective armor, he leaped to the side while slowly setting up death spears from all around the shining cultist. A simple feint but it should be sufficient for those not trained in battling the shadow plane. Meanwhile, he covertly unraveled his Shadow Sanctuary.

    The Hound¡¯s spell centers were eviscerated by rotating spell slicers, which immediately caught his attention because this was an ability of his prey who still remained hidden from his senses.

    Someone was helping both his prey and the holy cultist to hide their life signatures and even mask their scent.

    Someone allowed his prey to walk the shadows.

    As if to confirm the Hound¡¯s suspicion, Terry revealed his mana signature in another location right before appearing on top of the window-like ground further away. His body was not covered by shadow fabric, but he still walked the plane. His allies had helped him anchor himself to fight properly.

    The Hound did not fall for the bait that was Terry revealing himself. He chose the exact opposite direction to dash towards and cast Haste on himself. At this point it was painfully evident that he was facing a whole party of skilled opponents.

    A whole pack of wolves to contest his prey.

    The shadows were refusing his step, which was not brought on by the cultist¡¯s assault of holy light. Even though he had torn down his own Shadow Sanctuary, the local beasts had not arrived to tear the offending cultist apart, which meant that someone was manipulating the shadows directly. Someone nearly as skilled as himself.

    This was the time to flee. As long as he managed to escape, he could continue the hunt at a better time.

    The Hound dashed through the cover of blinding light while cloaking his presence, mana signature, and life signature one after the other. He was already soulless, which should make him completely undetectable.

    Should.

    To his immense chagrin, his enemies still managed to somehow pinpoint his exact location and he was soon caught in a crossfire of ranged attacks.

    Ranged attacks that were well-aimed but something felt off. His prey was known for placing immovable objects during combat and yet, none had met him during his evasive maneuvers. With his suspicions raised, the Hound realized that despite the crossfire coming from multiple directions, his evasive movements were slowly taking him into a specific direction.

    The Hound¡¯s realization had come too late.

    The mana resonance of a gigantic white wolf howled and charged at him. The vampire attempted to dodge and accelerated with a frantic dash of blood, but the white wolf matched him step for step while closing in relentlessly.

    Again the Hound could not shake the feeling of being herded into a specific direction. He tried to summon barriers to block the martialist attack, but all of them were ripped apart instantly by the white wolf. The attack was powerful and the magic disturbing holy aspect around his barriers certainly didn¡¯t increase their durability.

    Gigantic arms of ironbark wood emerged from the blinding holy light to suddenly slap at the vampire. While in the air, a divine hammer smashed into him and finished the direction change.

    When the Hound touched the window-like ground, golden chains infused with the holy aspect wrapped around him. The radiating light retreated around him and the returning shadows bound him further. Even his blood refused his control when another magic activated.

    His eyes could see a dwarf dressed in crimson emerge from the shadows further away. He recognized the uniform of the Mad Empire known to interfere where it shouldn¡¯t.

    The Hound resolved himself. He had chosen his life. He would escape or die.

    ¡°He¡¯s not trying to kill himself yet,¡± said Intira while stepping out of the shadows. ¡°Which means he still harbors hope. Tread carefully.¡±

    Next to the hunter, Terry dropped from further up.

    ¡°You might want to tell your cultist friend to return to the regular plane,¡± said Intira. ¡°This plane does not like her presence and even Hector won¡¯t keep it at bay forever.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this will take long,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°Edmund said we should get all the information we can get,¡± reminded Intira. ¡°He¡¯s also making progress on the other side.¡±

    ¡°My sect has dealt with one like him before.¡± An elven martialist in green-golden robes walked towards them. Guillermo addressed Terry. ¡°The Hounds of the dead don¡¯t talk, no matter the torture. Even if you can keep him from killing himself, you won¡¯t get information this way.¡±

    A masked felan stepped next to Guillermo. Rafael looked at the bound elven vampire. ¡°Creepy bastard.¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°You really prepare the strangest gifts. No need to wrap up another smoothskin for me.¡± He removed his mask.

    ¡°Thanks for coming anyway,¡± said Terry.

    ¡°We¡¯re battle brothers,¡± said Guillermo as if this was all there was to be said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss whatever you¡¯re cooking here,¡± added Rafael. ¡°But I would really like to return to a plane where the sunlight doesn¡¯t tickle my feet. It¡¯s bloody weird. Makes my neck fur stand up.¡±

    Terry looked at Intira. ¡°Do it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± interjected a dwarven soldier dressed in crimson. ¡°You could at least try to interrogate him.¡± Ruby observed Terry carefully.

    ¡°No need.¡± Terry turned to face the Thanatos squad leader. ¡°Because we have you.¡±

    Ruby raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You evidently know more than you¡¯ve shared,¡± said Terry with cold eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m certain that Thanatos knows about how the Lich Kingdoms operate including what the arrival of a count signifies. You¡¯re going to tell me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not as charming as you think you are,¡± retorted Ruby with a scoff.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think of myself as charming, but I can be persuasive if I have to be,¡± retorted Terry and the irritation he felt with Thanatos antics seeped into his tone. ¡°You¡¯re evidently looking for something. You¡¯re watching me for a reason. I think I¡¯ve shown that I can find you even if you want to remain hidden. If I ask the city to treat you as an enemy, you¡¯ll have a tough time watching the spectacle.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t afford another enemy,¡± stressed Ruby.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t stopped me before,¡± retorted Terry without missing a beat. Behind him, both Guillermo and Rafael grinned.

    ¡°Thanatos doesn¡¯t bow to threats,¡± growled Ruby.

    Terry rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s only a threat if you feel threatened. I would call it mutually beneficial cooperation. You want something. I want something. Indulge me.¡±

    ¡°Can you continue this on the other side?¡± interjected Intira. She had lifted one hand to her head and a bird made of shadows was chirping into her ear. ¡°Edmund needs my assistance on the other side.¡±

    ¡°Do it.¡± Terry looked coldly at the Hound that was bound at a specific location. He could see that the vampire had realized the significance of the location, but even now, there was not the slightest emotion in the red elven eyes.

    Intira finished her casting and the shadows flipped for the Hound. The vampire was forced back to the regular plane where he was instantly torn apart by volcanic thunder. Neither the Hound¡¯s vampiric nature nor his training was sufficient to survive the out-of-control magic in the forbidden zone.

    When they were back in the regular plane, Terry pulled Rafael aside. ¡°What do you see when you look at me?¡±

    Rafael tilted his head. ¡°A crazy smoothskin?¡±

    Terry ignored the jab and clarified: ¡°I meant with soulsight.¡±

    ¡°Buddy, I already told you that you¡¯re soulless. It¡¯s no big deal, so¡ª¡± Rafael¡¯s eyes opened wide and his face cramped up. ¡°What the furry fuck is THAT?!¡±

    ***

 206 Unnerving Revelations

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 36 ¨C

    ¡°Seriously, what is that?!¡± Rafael squinted and leaned closer to Terry.

    ¡°I guess that answers my question,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°Well, how about mine?!¡± Rafael leaned back and stared at him. ¡°That definitely wasn¡¯t there when we fought together in Thanatos.¡±

    ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± interjected Guillermo with a concerned glance towards his battle brother. ¡°We have some seers in the sect. I could petition them for help now that they¡¯ve allowed me to return.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about dangerous, but it doesn¡¯t look like any soul I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Rafael pointed at Terry. ¡°As if it¡¯s there but also not. Connected but not like a proper soul should be. It doesn¡¯t look like possession but something about it seems unnatural. That soul itself looks strange too.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps Chalita knows more about it,¡± said Guillermo. ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s quite well-versed in souls.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the Shadowed Forest Sect in case they want to lend a hand, but I haven¡¯t received a reply yet.¡±

    Terry was not surprised that there was no reply, but he was surprised that Guillermo had even bothered to ask. After they had escaped from the trial tomb, Chalita and her sect had backed his side, but that could be chalked up to their desire to go against Shen, who had been responsible for Chalita¡¯s death and forced her to switch bodies.

    ¡°The Princess of Icy Dew Mountain has sent word that it might take a while,¡± continued Guillermo. ¡°Barnes wants to repay you for saving his martial brother and sister, but Zhang is chewing his ear off that they cannot drag the sect into such a large-scale conflict for such a reason and he refuses to let his junior go without sect backing.¡± He snorted. ¡°More like he refuses to let Barnes go while Chun is following him.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow. He had not expected that the Icy Dew Mountain would continue to back him to such a degree. The fact that they¡¯re even considering it was already surprising.

    ¡°The others that my sect can spare will arrive over the next few days,¡± finished Guillermo.

    ¡°Others?¡± Terry had never seen Guillermo interact much with his Ironbark Fist Sect. He figured that the elf¡¯s moniker as the Outcast had something to do with it.

    ¡°The sect has allowed me to return,¡± said Guillermo with a confident smile. ¡°Since we¡¯ve come out of the trial realm, a lot has changed.¡± He looked at Terry with respect. ¡°I don¡¯t only have to thank you for getting us out, but also for the Ironbark Scripture you¡¯ve offered me. It has done wonders for my cultivation since then.¡±

    Terry vaguely remembered that he had handed one of the jade tokens from the Hall of Knowledge to the elven martialist before. If the technique had allowed his allies to rise in power, then all the better. He looked at Rafael whose jump in power he had already witnessed when the white wolf had raged in the shadow plane ¨C faster and more agile than ever before.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sect to bring, but I brought something much better¡­¡± Rafael smirked smugly. ¡°The great me!¡± He wiggled his eyebrows before pointing with a thumb at Guillermo. ¡°And him, I guess. So technically whatever he¡¯s bringing is actually my present. Much better than a creepy chained up smoothskin. Perhaps you can use your connections in the city to get me some proper recompensation. Oy, are you listening?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Terry had already tuned out the ramblings of his feline friend. When they came into view of the city, he remembered something he should probably bring up. ¡°Rafael, don¡¯t start shit with the Soaring Mountain Sect when we get there. I know you hated Xuan, but they¡¯re not him. Please behave yourself.¡±

    ¡°That damned wall¡¯s sect is here? I¡¯ll¡ª!¡± Rafael stopped himself under Terry¡¯s glare and his lip twitched. ¡°I¡¯ll naturally act like the sensible adult that I am. As you would expect of the great magnanimous me.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Terry would believe it when he saw it.

    ¡°You two had dealings with the Scaled Mountain of the Soaring Mountain Sect?¡± Guillermo looked from Terry to Rafael.

    ¡°Dealings? Pah!¡± Rafael scoffed. ¡°That damned lizard would not be able to deal with my feet. We beat him into a whimpering mess of sobs and tears. He¡¯s only alive because of our magnanimous natures.¡±

    Terry felt the questioning glance of Guillermo on himself and added. ¡°Fought him in the Thanatos Proving Grounds. He beat us until he didn¡¯t.¡± He looked ahead and he was sure that the dwarven woman dressed in crimson, who was walking in front of them, had perked up her ears again.

    ¡°Xuan somehow escaped there just when we did too.¡± Terry smirked at the scowling Ruby who had turned around to indicate that she did not buy the coincidence. The fact that Terry was already looking at her when she turned did not help to make his story more believable and instead made it seem as if he was reciting a story while he knew he was being overheard.

    ¡°Where to?¡± asked Rafael.

    ¡°Flower House,¡± replied Terry.

    Rafael stared at him. ¡°After staring at that soulless paleskin for days, that¡¯s your first stop? I¡¯m not one to judge, but okay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Terry frowned. ¡°That¡¯s where I live, you imbecile.¡±

    ¡°Lucky you,¡± quipped Rafael. ¡°Perhaps you can introduce me to a nice glossy-furred felan¡­¡± He puckered his lips and narrowed his eyes at Terry. ¡°...or do you live there because¡­¡± He seemed conflicted. ¡°Do you need money? I mean I don¡¯t have any, but maybe we can start a collection or something.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes and tuned out the ramblings of his feline companion again. He focused on his mana sense and tried to get a good grasp of everyone¡¯s locations. Then he began transmitting messages with finger runes. He wanted to make sure that Edmund had the local leaders ready for their chat with Ruby.

    Terry was so focused on his mana sense that he nearly didn¡¯t notice the figure storming into his chest. He had to suppress his battle instincts at the sudden approach. He knew who it was but had not much time to process what was going on before Daisy was already clinging to him while sobbing frantically. ¡°Uhm¡­ Hi?¡± He stood there awkwardly, not sure if he should return the hug or not.

    ¡°...thought you left.¡± Daisy stammered through shaking sobs. ¡°Or died.¡±

    ¡°You live here, huh?¡± interjected Rafael from the side with a smirk. ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    Terry weakly patted Daisy on the back. He appreciated the warm welcome, but he did not have much time before the interrogation meeting would start.

    ¡°You still look like shit, Terry.¡± Iris¡¯s dry remark jolted Daisy awake and she distanced herself from Terry bashfully.

    Terry snorted and looked from the tattooed woman to the snickering Guillermo.

    ¡°What?¡± Guillermo shrugged. ¡°You really do. I didn¡¯t want to say anything before, but if anyone were to put you into a line-up of zombies, it would be hard to tell the difference.¡±

    For some reason, Daisy flinched at their banter.

    ¡°Funny,¡± said Terry flatly.

    ¡°Not at all.¡± When the stern voice of Akemi reached them from behind, it was Terry¡¯s turn to flinch. ¡°You will rest or I¡¯ll knock you down myself.¡±

    ¡°Oy, are you threatening my brother?!¡± Rafael squared his shoulders and stepped forward.

    ¡°I believe she¡¯s trying to help him,¡± interjected Guillermo and his statement took some of the air out of the felan¡¯s posturing. ¡°Look at him. He needs healing and rest.¡±

    ¡°After the meeting,¡± stressed Terry. In his mind, he added: Perhaps.

    ***

    ¡°What can you tell us about the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ count?¡± asked Edmund.

    Ruby looked from Edmund to Terry and back before shrugging. ¡°The titles can be honorary or granted for power. A count that takes part in an invasion can be expected to be the latter.¡±

    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling us?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Many things.¡± Ruby grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡± She winked.

    ¡°You know about the Lich Kingdoms,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°You¡¯re here on Thanatos¡¯s behalf. Surely, you¡¯ve had to deal with them. There is no way that you weren¡¯t briefed for scouting this region.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± confirmed Ruby. ¡°We¡¯re not officially at war with the Kingdoms, but there can only be one tiger ruling the mountain.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Thiago sneered and then growled at the foreign soldier: ¡°Careful that the tiger doesn¡¯t get its teeth pulled out. This mountain is our home.¡±

    ¡°Easy,¡± calmed Edmund and then looked at Ruby again. ¡°How do the lich kings organize their invasions? How do they operate? Where does the count fit in? What can we expect?¡±

    Ruby exhaled air sharply and puckered her lips. ¡°Well, this much is not a secret for those that pay attention. No harm in sharing for the sake of friendly relationships.¡± She pointedly glanced at Terry. ¡°Their approach hasn¡¯t changed much since their previous uprising.¡±

    Ruby inhaled deeply and then explained: ¡°First of all, the lich kings don¡¯t bother to oversee the invasions directly. That¡¯s the role of the dukes and duchesses. Most of them follow the same protocol. Distract, persuade, entrench, divide. Create rot from the inside. Crush from the outside. If that doesn¡¯t suffice, crush the support pillars.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡± pressed Akemi.

    ¡°The Lich Kingdoms earn from their drug exports, but money is hardly the only benefit they derive from it,¡± elaborated Ruby. ¡°They look for openings. If there are none, they will create some. Their drugs are just one such way. They¡¯ll know at least as much as us about the local population. Everyone has a weakness and they know it. They know whom to flip and they will when it suits them.¡±

    Ruby sipped from a glass of mana-imbued wine. ¡°Often they don¡¯t even have to. They replace leadership with their own. Simply cut off the ruling heads and take over. Turn them into pariahs and isolate them. Or simply assassinate them quietly.¡±

    Ruby pointed the glass at some of the present Knights of Labor. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve seen some of that during your city festival¡¯s celebration. Perhaps even with your own coup against Bloodborne¡¯s royal family.¡± She smirked at the offended gasps. ¡°The Lich Kingdoms happily support all rebel factions, no matter which political values they represent, as long as they¡¯re weakening the current government.¡±

    Ruby placed the glass back on the table. ¡°After the preparation, the real invasion starts. They first send the dead as their infantry. I¡¯m actually surprised that they used their undead hellspawn here. I don¡¯t see what kind of strategic angle they¡¯re looking for in this location, to be honest.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But if they¡¯re really insistent on conquering this place, then it makes sense. Given the strong presence of your local whisperers¡­¡± She nodded at Thiago and his hunters. ¡°...the raised hellspawns seem justifiable.¡±

    Ruby traced the rim of the wine glass with her index finger. ¡°Next, they ramp up the pressure and if that still doesn¡¯t establish satisfactory results, they¡¯ll send a Hound for some cruel but precise intervention. If precision doesn¡¯t suffice¡­¡± She returned her gaze to Edmund. ¡°...they¡¯ll send a count.¡±

    Ruby sipped again from her wine. ¡°The fact that they already dispatched a count while the first Hound was still active shows that they¡¯re displeased with their pace of progress. That¡¯s definitely not the standard procedure.¡±

    ¡°The count,¡± prompted Edmund.

    ¡°If you can think of the Hounds as the Kingdoms¡¯ poisoned dagger, then the counts are their bloody warhammers,¡± said Ruby. ¡°Less cruel perhaps but also more brutal. The logic is sound. If a territory can withstand the first phases, then it means it has some strong pillars in the local community.¡± She moved her gaze to Thiago and then to Terry. ¡°A count or countess only has one job. To crush those pillars for all to see. They¡¯ll demand unconditional surrender afterwards.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m flattered,¡± growled Thiago. ¡°We¡¯ll see who crushes whom.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll be their first target at this point.¡± Ruby pointed her glass at Terry. ¡°They¡¯ll focus on the Whetstone Arcanian first. On Freedom¡¯s Guardian. The most stinging thorn in their approaching feet.¡± She placed her glass back on the table. ¡°You can expect someone individually stronger than the Hound. A trailbreaker of the Kingdoms. Used to battle while making a spectacle of it.¡±

    Ruby started tracing the rim of the glass again with her finger while focusing her gaze on Terry. ¡°An enemy that will rampage through the city if you refuse a duel. Publicly blaming you for every death. I wonder how you¡¯ll face someone like that without a surprise ambush.¡± She grinned with anticipation. ¡°And without utilizing the forbidden zone to finish them off. Unless I¡¯m mistaken, you¡¯ll definitely be forced to reveal more of your abilities.¡±

    Ruby leaned back. ¡°After that, things really start going.¡± Her voice left a shudder on the backs of the local defenders. ¡°Another wave led by a commander sent directly by a duke or duchess. Someone whose approach is more idiosyncratic than generalizable.

    ¡°According to the closest fiefdom, this invasion is probably supervised by the Five Unholy Duchesses. If you somehow manage to last until here, then a duchess will eventually make an appearance.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see how you¡¯re going to survive that, but I¡¯m willing to be pleasantly surprised.¡± Her anticipatory eyes rested on Terry.

    Terry closed his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath.

    Waste it.

    He half-regretted asking for intel. He had received what he had wished for, but this knowledge was more than he had bargained for. He did not have to open his eyes to know the gazes resting on him at this moment.

    Unbearably hopeful.

    ***

    ¡°Is it true?¡± Daisy asked with a face drained from blood. She and the other friends that Terry had made in the Flower House were looking anxiously at their Flower Protector.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Terry shrugged while continuing his parallel wand imprinting, much to the chagrin of the healers watching over him.

    ¡°But why does it have to be you again?¡± asked Daisy with trembling lips.

    ¡°Who else?¡± asked Iris. She moved her eyes over her body inscriptions. ¡°I wish I was stronger.¡±

    Lavender silently stepped forward and offered Terry a piece of expensive chocolate before offering the same to the others.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Terry lost himself for a moment in the sweet blissful taste. ¡°Anyway, that means I can¡¯t stay here until we¡¯ve dealt with the count.¡± He looked apologetically at the boy hiding behind the counter next to Jasmine. ¡°Sorry, Brandon. Story-time will have to be books-only again. Don¡¯t forget to practice.¡±

    Brandon hurriedly nodded and clung to the imprinted Blinding Flash glove that Terry had given him.

    Terry sighed. He knew that his own battered appearance made the boy wince, but he tried to act normal. He could not stand all those pitiful and downcast gazes around him. He had enough trouble keeping his own intrusive thoughts at bay and those external reminders of his current situation did not help his focus. He was almost glad to hear the ruckus from outside.

    A ruckus involving some familiar mana signatures.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Terry and left the Flower House¡¯s reception room perhaps a bit faster than necessary. Outside, he saw a familiar felan engaged in a boisterous shouting match with people from the Soaring Mountain Sect.

    ¡°Liar!¡±

    ¡°There is no way that a little pussy cat defeated our senior brother!¡±

    ¡°As if!¡±

    ¡°Who here dares to call the great me a little pussy cat, I¡¯ll strip that furless skin from your backs!¡±

    For once, Terry appreciated that martialists never changed. Their craziness was better than the doom and gloom attitude he encountered elsewhere in this besieged city.

    ***

    ¡°What news do you bring?¡± The mountain of dark scales that was Xuan opened his eyes to focus on the blue gaze of the lizan woman that had become his guiding light.

    Fate pushed back her hood with her free hand while the other carefully ceased the mana flow into her mage staff. As so often, she felt respect and a hint of fear for the magic that revealed the paths to her. What the mages of this realm had created in the form of such masterful spellwork was truly awe-inspiring. Beyond masterful even. Efficiency that allowed a single mage to read a multitude of competing paths.

    Too much to control, especially now that everything had changed.

    But a guiding nudge?

    Perhaps.

    It would depend on the choice of their prince. Fate moved her blue eyes over the hundreds of gathered lizans whom they had rescued from the Initiates¡¯ grasp and liberated from their diaspora.

    Only the beginning. They still required guidance. Leadership. She could always offer the former, but the latter had to rest on heavier shoulders in the long run. She had her own role to fulfill. Her own mission. She had to gather those that could succeed in the impossible. She must. Otherwise, her realm would remain lost.

    ¡°I¡¯ve located¡­¡± Fate frowned. After the incident with their benefactor, she had redoubled her efforts to learn the local common language, but it remained difficult at times. She understood when listening but when speaking, the words sometimes still fled from her forked tongue. ¡°...your sect members.¡±

    ¡°Good, can you take us?¡± Xuan stood up.

    ¡°Hear me out.¡± Fate raised a palm. ¡°Some would join our cause.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, they¡¯re my second family.¡± Xuan spoke with the pride of someone that had earned his place in the sect and proven his worth.

    ¡°They¡¯re already fighting their own battle,¡± explained Fate. ¡°I¡¯ve scryed the present and they¡¯re battling the kingdom of death from the southeast.¡±

    Xuan lowered his head and clenched his scaled fists. ¡°They¡¯re avenging our sect, I¡­¡± Conflicted feelings welled up in his chest. Ever since learning the truth, he had more than one family to honor.

    ¡°Some would join our cause, but the marks of death would strengthen further,¡± stressed Fate. ¡°The dead twist the hearts, turn love into death. A treacherous path. Betraying self and ally alike. Divided they will fall. Not enough time.¡± She searched the eyes of their prince. ¡°Too far away. We cannot split.¡±

    When Fate had reached this point, she could not help but smile slightly. ¡°They¡¯re not alone though. They¡¯re gathering around our benefactor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Xuan stared with wide red eyes at her. ¡°Terry? What does he have to do with the Lich Kingdoms?¡± In the back, a part of the lizans raised their right fists to their chests out of respect for the one that had liberated their minds near the Elusive Fog of Frost.

    ¡°That I will have to scry,¡± said Fate. ¡°But does it matter? He¡¯s fighting on their behalf.¡±

    ¡°More reasons why we should go.¡± Xuan still remembered the debt he had to settle. He had not thought about it in nearly a year, but he had not forgotten. Now it appeared that more debts were being added to his account without him even being aware.

    ¡°If we go, we¡¯ll stay to fight,¡± stressed Fate. ¡°But for how long? That battle is beyond our abilities, Prince. No matter how I read it, we¡¯re not enough to turn the tides.¡±

    ¡°We can get them out,¡± said Xuan.

    ¡°Some would come,¡± admitted Fate. ¡°Many will not.¡± She looked intently at the Lost Prince. ¡°The Benefactor won¡¯t.¡± Her voice wavered. The fate of their benefactor had become increasingly difficult to read, but it revolved around the besieged city in all his paths until¡­

    Until the end.

    That revelation still unnerved her. Such a cut in fate? Dead or gone. No matter which path she followed.

    A year ago, Fate believed their benefactor would eventually play another role in the liberation of their native realm. It was a feeling more than a revelation, because the revealing magic only barely stretched beyond the borders of a realm. However, that feeling represented a strong premonition nonetheless. What would such a cut in the Benefactor¡¯s fate signify for their own impossible aspirations?

    Fate took a deep breath. She could not control. She could only guide. ¡°Another way. Some on the right path but the track is muddled. Not enough time. Not for all.¡± She held out her hand. The decision was Xuan¡¯s, but she could offer guidance. The Benefactor¡¯s possessions were still with her first chosen. She could not split. Neither she nor they could be everywhere at once.

    But with the right nudge?

    Others could walk where they couldn¡¯t. A guiding nudge might be enough to pull the tides by a few days. The fates were always in flux but some bonds remained ever unchanging. Just like the cut in the Benefactor¡¯s fate.

    ***

 207 What Doesnâ€™t Bend Can Only Break

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 42 ¨C

    Terry had heard the scouting reports. They were running out of time. They had a shit excuse for a plan and that was it. Their immovable grid had served them well against the hordes, but as the incident with the Hound had proven, even an unbreakable cage could not prevent all dangers from leaking in.

    Terry considered it luck that the Hound had chosen the wrong target to go after. They had identified a few traitors, but naturally had to suspect many more. From that perspective, the information shared by Ruby, the dwarven Thanatos scout leader, should have been a relief. After all, the way she described the counts¡¯ role was something entirely upfront.

    Upfront.

    A public display of domination.

    Another attempt to break down the city¡¯s will to fight. To have the city bend its knee and accept the subjugation by the Lich Kingdoms.

    Terry closed his eyes. He did not know what to think of Ruby¡¯s evaluation that he was going to be the enemies¡¯ primary target, even in front of Thiago the Whisperer that contested their rule over the dead and in front of Akemi the leader of the local cult that was the dead¡¯s natural bane.

    Terry took a deep breath. The air rattled in his lungs, which apparently had something to do with his accumulated injuries. The burning itch right where his mana channels were located. The sensitive skin of the faint fern-like scars on his body. The pressure behind his eyes.

    He did not know if he could do this.

    He only knew that he had to try. If he didn¡¯t face the count head on, then the count would lay siege to the city, which meant countless folks dying for nothing. The count had chosen Terry as his target and Terry would have to face the count eventually. The only choice was to do it before or after others had died.

    They had discussed the option of letting an elite force face the count together from the beginning, but unless they had a way of pinning the count down, there was nothing stopping the count from spilling the city¡¯s blood out of spite.

    How do you pin down someone whose abilities you don¡¯t know? They had arrived at an answer, which was why Terry was walking out alone to face the count.

    They had discussed evacuation and abandoning the city, but¡­

    Terry opened his eyes to take in the mass of new posters on the city¡¯s entrance gate that were displaying the names, and sometimes pictures, of the recently deceased. A wall of lament that was ever growing.

    Most of the displayed pictures were unfamiliar to Terry, but not all. His eyes involuntarily drifted to the poster displaying the familiar face of Georg ¨C the healer that had followed Terry to investigate a reported anomaly and the man that had died at the hands of the Hound and his traitors.

    Terry took a deep breath and let his eyes wander over the remaining posters. Contrary to expectations ¨C despite the siege, or perhaps even because of it ¨C the city¡¯s population was growing again. By the minute, new people arrived to join the fight.

    The growing population masked the victims already dead, but this wall of lament displayed the many victims for all to see.

    Terry knew that some people would never leave this city. It was their home. Or, worse, it was their purpose. Looking at the unfamiliar names on the posters, he wasn¡¯t sure if he had any right to ask anyone to flee anymore. Some of those names were only there because they had flocked to the city after hearing about them making a stand.

    Because they had grown hopeful after victory.

    Looking at the printed reflections of the dead, Terry felt like a fraud. An imposter peddling a hope he simply couldn¡¯t deliver on. And if he couldn¡¯t deliver, then what had been the point? Wasn¡¯t false hope just the same as lying? All those lives for nothing?

    Terry inhaled deeply to shake off the constricting feeling in his chest and he allowed his intrusive thoughts to pass. He did not know how to do better, but he did know the path he wanted to take. He knew the person he wanted to become. He knew what choice that person would make.

    Focus on the things I can do before figuring out how to do more.

    Terry clenched his fists and left the graveyard. He knew the plan sucked. It somehow combined the worst parts of his worst plans so far. The worst parts of his past years even.

    Even so, it was a plan.

    A sucky plan.

    ¡°But something I can do,¡± stressed Terry to himself.

    ***

    Terry was stretching on the grass plains in front of the city. Their scouts had been thorough, but even the worst scout could have told him what was coming. The count wasn¡¯t trying to hide. That would go against his whole purpose.

    The reports had stated human male, tall and muscular, powerful vampire, wearing no discernible magic equipment except for two scimitar handles. Just the handles.

    Terry felt out the approaching signature with grim resolve. Again, a vampire. Much more mana than even the Hound before. Unusually pronounced blood-aspect, even for a vampire. Terry could only sigh. Even if their plan worked perfectly, this would be a pain. Literally.

    Somehow, Terry had turned into the city¡¯s symbol of defiance. Of course, that would cause him no end of trouble.

    Terry wondered if the vampire always used his current minimal equipment as a display of overwhelming power.

    ¡®Winning isn¡¯t enough. You have to win with style to crush the opponent¡¯s spirit. Why punch if you can slap him to death? Why use two arms if you can win easily with one?¡¯

    Terry had no hopeful delusions that the count¡¯s display was simply like martialist bluffs. He knew that it took confidence to face a battle under-equipped.

    After his experience in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, Terry hoped to never be forced into a battle without his proper equipment again. To imagine a fighter that wasn¡¯t fazed by such a prospect in the slightest was already gnawing on his confidence.

    Evidently, the count did not have to worry about similar limitations as Terry.

    However, a corner of Terry¡¯s mind pointed out another possibility. There was a suspicious lack of solid armor pieces. Even the scimitar handles indicated a distinct aversion to relying on solid material.

    If that equipment had not been selected specifically for dealing with the Immovable Object spell, then it would be quite a coincidence.

    If anything, they appeared to be overcompensating.

    Did they hear about the battle against the mushroom-infested elves? I wish I could display that level of power on my own¡­

    Terry forced down the flood of self-belittling thoughts invading his mind. He had to work with what he had instead of focusing on what he hadn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t mirror the count¡¯s confidence.

    Even though Terry had intentionally handicapped his own equipment choice as well, he could not display that openly. That would defeat his whole part in the plan.

    Someone had to pin the count. Who but him? The Whisperer? The martialist elders?

    The city definitely had other powerful defenders, but power came in many varieties. The Whisperer wasn¡¯t one for close combat. His threat level derived from his death whispers and just like most mages, he preferred ranged spells. The martialists tended to revel in close combat, but they would be hard-pressed to nullify the magic of a mage, just like most mana cultivators would not be able to keep up beyond a few disruption discharges.

    How do you pin down someone whose abilities you don¡¯t know?

    You simply have to give them what they want. If they can see their desire in sight, why would they leave?

    Terry straightened himself to greet the unwelcome visitor.

    Damn, the bastard is even taller than Chadwick.

    ¡°Amusing,¡± sneered the count, who was towering over Terry like a dragon in front of a snake. ¡°Have you come to surrender? It seems we¡¯ve underestimated your intelligence or overestimated your strength. I expected more.¡±

    Terry considered the potential benefits of drawing out the conversation, but in the end, the disadvantages didn¡¯t outweigh the advantages. The others couldn¡¯t start until the vampire¡¯s senses were nullified.

    Terry charged forward and threw the first punch. The slight burst to accentuate his movement made his mana channels burn painfully but he clenched his teeth to ignore the pain.

    Clenched teeth are a good idea when fighting anyway.

    The count dodged and swiped at Terry with extended claws. They exchanged a few moves and then the count stepped backwards with a lightness on his feet that only levitation could bring. ¡°Well well well. Aren¡¯t you going to draw your blades?¡±

    ¡°Against a blood-gifted vampire?¡± Terry snorted. ¡°Sure, I enjoy wasting my time.¡± He squared his shoulders with more confidence than he felt. ¡°Why don¡¯t you draw your own blades first?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± The count narrowed his eyes. ¡°But you seem to be mistaken. I¡¯m not here for a fair duel. I¡¯m here to prove a point. To teach a lesson to those that defy our advance.¡±

    ¡°I can be a slow learner,¡± said Terry flatly. Took me years to learn my first spell.

    The count drew his blade-less blades and channeled mana into the empty scimitar handles to summon a curved mana blade that emphasized the poison aspect. He dashed towards Terry while baring his fangs.

    Terry swiftly smashed a sequence of divine hammers into the vampire¡¯s grip while meeting the charge head on. He didn¡¯t like it, but he had to get close. The sudden impact of divine mana had loosened the count¡¯s grip for just an instant. Not enough for the vampire to actually lose the weapons.

    Not without the next step.

    At this distance, there were few magic items that Terry was unable to overpower with his Immovable Object spell. Even though the magic sword handles were well shielded, they did not stand a chance against his compressed disruption grinder. The moment the shielding was broken was the instant the handle transfixed.

    The next divine hammer forced the vampire to let the transfixed blades go and before Terry¡¯s eyes met those of his opponent, the inscriptions inside the poison-blade summoning scimitar handles were already crumbling under the assault of unceasing unstoppable shifts.

    Terry could not detect any worry in the count¡¯s red eyes, which was why he felt the need to push him further by taunting the count with his own words. ¡°I expected more. What was the point of even bringing them?¡± He let the destroyed magic weapons fall to the ground and walked further to the side. If he could not inspire worry or fear, then he needed resentment and hatred if possible.

    Something more personal to add to the count¡¯s role.

    Every little bit to make the count focus on Terry would help their plan.

    ¡°Are you trying to distract me from the spellwork being shaped?¡± The count sneered. ¡°How boring. I¡¯m disappointed that the rumored ¡®Guardian¡¯ is too much of a weakling to face me on his own. You can spare yourself the embarrassment. No need to distract me. I have no need to fear a few Raise Wall and Shape Earth spells.¡±

    Pity but expected.

    ¡°I do need help, but this is just to prepare the proper setting,¡± said Terry nonchalantly. Inwardly, he sighed at having to choose his words so carefully once again. Another experience he had hoped to avoid in the future. He spread his arms while the earth rose all around the two combatants. ¡°Or are you scared of the dark?¡±

    ¡°Dark?¡± The count watched the process with amusement. ¡°Harden Earth?¡± He burst out laughing. ¡°Are your friends preparing a grave for you?¡±

    When the earth closed above the two, a pair of red faintly glowing irises were fixed on Terry while the hidden face contorted in a sneer. ¡°The mighty Guardian of the Freedom Cooperative is settling for sharing a grave? Sorry, not sorry, but you¡¯ll have to die alone. What¡¯s the point? To hide your shameful defeat?¡±

    Terry wordlessly transfixed the rock around them. For as long as he maintained the spells, nothing would break down those walls.

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    The count narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your friends have locked down the shadows here.¡± Rage entered his tone. ¡°Pitiful worms, do you expect I would have to escape from here? The audacity of challenging a vampire to a fight in the dark.¡± His eyes turned as black as the surrounding darkness but before he could unleash any more spells, he felt the suffocating sensation of mana suppression.

    Terry had set up an intense disruption domain. The limited area and stationary nature of their prepared battlefield played to his advantages. The prickly sensation in his mind told him that unstoppable shifts were assaulting the walls, but with how thick they had prepared them, there was no worry of grinding through by accident.

    Both the count and Terry were charging at each other. One relying on his vampiric night vision. The other relying on the mana touch of his oscillating mana. Right before their first exchange, Terry unleashed an intense radiating light from his inscribed glove.

    The blinding intensity burned the vampire¡¯s dark-accustomed eyes and Terry¡¯s powerful fists landed where it hurt.

    While the vampire was still reeling, Terry continued pressing his advantage with his own eyes closed. He used both hands and his full body weight to force the count¡¯s head down and greet Terry¡¯s knee.

    He stopped the radiating light to conserve mana, but never for long. He needed the advantage of his own blind fighting style while sabotaging that of his enemy. He also needed to direct the attention of the count¡¯s senses.

    What followed was a long and brutal exchange of blows. Terry knew that in order to kill a vampire, he had to damage the vampire¡¯s circulatory system quicker than it could recover, but with a vampire at the level of the count, that was a high ask.

    One reason that Terry was hesitant to use his blades was that they were more a risk to himself than to the blood-gifted count. A stab to the heart would not be enough to kill the vampire. Even cutting off a limb would not be a permanent injury. For Terry, by contrast, such a blow could be as permanent as death.

    Unfortunately, that disadvantage limited both his weapon use as well as his spell use. An immovable needle would not be enough to get rid of the count. There was no other way for Terry to face the count than the vulgar brutality of hand-to-hand combat.

    He exploited every opportunity to let the count¡¯s blows collide with his armor¡¯s septimum turned immovable, but the more they sped up, the less opportunities presented themselves.

    As diminished as he felt, Terry still gave it his all. He burst through aching mana channels. He accepted blows to dish out four. He repeatedly stomped the vampire into immovable walls. He cracked bones to break limbs. He tore at the count with a vicious ferociousness.

    Unfortunately, Terry¡¯s own recovery was limited by the spell activation of the fundamental healing spells in his chest armor while the count shrugged off wound and injury with little but his innate nature.

    Terry brutally broke his opponent down piece by piece, only to feel the count recover just as quickly. The vampire¡¯s mana was drained, but the same applied to Terry, who had to maintain his spells, his domain, his bursts, and repeatedly heal himself on top.

    Blow by blow.

    Paying blood with blood.

    Like feral beasts.

    Already the earthen grave was painted crimson and their steps landed on wet sticky rock that reeked of iron. The gruesome sight remained unseen through the looming darkness of rock that no light could penetrate.

    No light except the blinding flashes emitted from Terry¡¯s glove.

    The longer they fought, the less human they appeared. The count that was overcome with bloodlust. The Guardian that was overcome with desperate defiance. Terry knew he had to hold on longer. They only had one shot. Any mistake and the count would go on a rampage of death before they could claw back another chance.

    First, their battle continuously increased in intensity. The blows and kicks were thrown faster and faster. The vampire eventually stopped any covert casting attempts and gave in to his bestial nature. Terry eventually stopped his attempts to exploit the Immovable Object spell in close combat.

    They knew it wouldn¡¯t work.

    They knew it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    They knew this battle wouldn¡¯t be settled in an elegant manner.

    After an endless parade of bloody blows, the battle slowly slowed down. Both were panting and increasingly pressed for mana.

    Terry was breathing rattling breaths. Despite the burning pain he felt in his mana channels, he was proud. Even though he had started with a disadvantage, he had matched the count blow for blow ¨C putting his advantage in mana foundation against the vampire¡¯s blood power.

    What he had lacked in blood-aspected and vampiric regeneration, he had compensated for with skilled healing imprint use and mana regeneration.

    What he had lacked in bestial body strength, he had compensated for with powerful, perfectly timed burst techniques and his mana pool.

    Unfortunately, pressing his mana foundation advantage and skills only took Terry so far. His improved physique allowed him to stretch the limits of his body beyond what he had previously thought possible and face a powerful opponent older than himself, but not without its price.

    He had started the battle still injured and under the pressure of battling beyond his limits, the injuries worsened by the second.

    Terry dared to push it further.

    Further.

    Until he did not dare to do more and jumped back while panting heavily.

    No more.

    Terry still had his eyes closed. He felt the count panting just as heavily. He felt the count¡¯s mana and took a deep breath.

    This has to be enough.

    ¡°What a pitiful plan,¡± sneered the count, who had noticed Terry¡¯s pause. ¡°Are you done deluding yourself? You against me? I don¡¯t need spellwork to crush an ant like you.¡±

    Terry smiled mirthlessly.

    Who said you¡¯re just facing me?

    ***

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe he handed that to you,¡± muttered Guillermo while climbing up. ¡°Of all people.¡±

    ¡°Oy, what are you playing at?¡± barked Rafael who was climbing in the top position. ¡°The great me is the most reliable of all trustworthy people there are!¡±

    ¡°Sure, you are,¡± grumbled Edmund, who was climbing third in line. He couldn¡¯t believe he had agreed to this plan.

    ¡°Fuck me, it¡¯s cold up here,¡± complained Rafael.

    ¡°You have fur, you pitiful wimp,¡± jeered one of the hunters from below.

    ¡°Oy!¡± Rafael stopped climbing and glared down. ¡°Which weasel tired of living said that?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and climb,¡± growled Intira, who had flown up next to Rafael.

    ¡°You dare?!¡± growled Rafael.

    ¡°Oy, we¡¯re busy here!¡± Guillermo slapped the felan¡¯s calf. ¡°Remember who we¡¯re doing this for.¡±

    ¡°Damned imbeciles,¡± grumbled Rafael and faced upwards to continue climbing. ¡°Forget whom he handed the thing to. I can¡¯t believe he can use it on his own.¡±

    ¡°Sucks a lot of mana,¡± agreed Guillermo.

    ¡°No kidding,¡± interjected Ruby, who was flying next to Intira. ¡°Takes ten people with converter spells to let everyone supply their mana.¡±

    ¡°Probably doesn¡¯t always use this much,¡± interjected Jasmine, who was helping others along their airborne grid where they gathered everyone. She might not be the strongest mana user, but she would add whatever she could. She could stomach the thin air better than others and she would sacrifice every drop off her mana if it helped their Flower Protector.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ruby puckered her lips.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just stay down?¡± complained a city guard.

    ¡°The higher up, the more power,¡± explained a hunter.

    ¡°Then why couldn¡¯t they fly up without us?¡±

    ¡°The more mana, the more power.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and supply your mana,¡± barked Hector from the side.

    ¡°We have to fulfill Senior¡¯s expectations,¡± muttered a martialist elder solemnly and her disciples nodded while pushing their mana into the sacred artifact.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for this?¡± asked Intira with a skeptical gaze towards Rafael.

    Contrary to his usual posturing, Rafael did not reply immediately. ¡°Yes. The Heavenly Wolf won¡¯t let me down.¡± His friend had given him wings and that was why he would be able to help his friend now.

    Rafael realized that he was holding a priceless treasure in his paws, but the thought of stealing it didn¡¯t even cross his mind. His friend had put his trust in him. He would not betray that trust.

    Not again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Rafael activated the next mana layer in the gigantic orange pole while his own mana resonated with the ambient mana of the realm. He would prove that the Heavenly Wolf could outrun even the heavens.

    ***

    When the heavens roared with unprecedented fury, the whole city trembled.

    Only a cube of rock remained immovable among the quaking earth. In sharp contrast to the calm cube, Terry burst forward with renewed intensity to bombard the vampire with close combat attacks.

    Terry had felt the vampire flinch and that was all he needed to know that their prepared attack was hidden no longer. Their dark battlefield had blocked the count¡¯s vision. The disruption field had obstructed the count¡¯s mana sense and sight. The immovable rock had blocked both sound and shock waves.

    However, the heaven¡¯s fury of such a magnitude was not easily hidden. The count had noticed something and now the crucial moment had come.

    They had discussed how to best go about the attack. If they wanted to kill a powerful vampire, they had to overpower his regeneration. Fire might wear the vampire down with time, but for their initial attack, they needed something fast and vicious.

    Fast and vicious.

    Like furious lightning.

    Lightning was among the most difficult attacks to disrupt or evade and that was even more true for the heaven¡¯s fury combination. Unless you had an immovable object, lightning of such intensity was tough to block.

    The real deciding factor in favor of the heavens fury was the option of having everyone combine their mana in the king spear through converter spells. One single attack that carried all of their hopes and vengeance.

    Terry waited until the last possible moment to undo the spell on their rock ceiling. He had to allow some time for the earth mages to turn rock to earth and reshape it for an opening. He was about to protect himself with immovable ice like they had planned when he spotted the count¡¯s eager gaze now that there was light from above.

    The count was waiting for a gap in the disruption domain.

    Terry resolved himself and dropped any attempts to use his ice imprints that would not work through the perpetual disruption. He saw the count¡¯s gaze change and then the vampire leaped up to escape the rock hole.

    Actions.

    Terry burst forward and grabbed the vampire¡¯s feet before he could escape. He felt himself being pulled upwards by the vampire¡¯s levitation and he transfixed the septimum scales in his armor.

    There would be no escape for the count.

    Nor for him.

    Terry circulated the lightning resistance technique while knowing it was ridiculously insufficient for what was going to come.

    This was not what they had planned.

    Of course, their plan had sucked.

    Terry could see the large resonance of a white winged wolf storming through the sky. He could see the felan martialist that was leading the lightning with a blue-green spearhead in his claws.

    He could see the hesitation in his friend¡¯s eyes and nodded.

    Better to commit fully to a sub-optimal option than to be indecisive under time pressure. Terry had already prepared himself for such an outcome the moment he had walked through the city gates.

    As a last ditch effort, he left a slight gap in his disruption domain and summoned layers of divine mana close to himself.

    A blinding light that burned the eyes.

    A blast that blew through eardrums and shook the air.

    Scorching pain accompanied by the stench of burned blood and flesh.

    Darkness descended onto his mind.

    Nothingness.

    Silence.

    ***

    Rafael circled around with bloodshot eyes. He was not done. His friend had fallen and he must not stop. He forced his mana with all the rage that reverberated through his mind. His acupoints and dantian unleashed the fury of his mana to redirect the Heavenly Wolf to bear its blood-thirsty fangs.

    The shape that slowly emerged from the large puddle of blood was torn apart by the vicious white wolf resonance before the count could open his eyes again.

    Rafael roared and turned around with glowing eyes and claws. A haze of mana escaped his every breath. He saw the charred figure remaining on the ground. The figure that was his first real friend in life. With nothing but rage remaining in his heart, he charged forward once more. He would tear at the enemy until his mana and body would give out.

    In all his rage, Rafael had already let go of the king spear and he dove into a sea of ignited brightfire.

    The Circle of the Bright Lady led by Akemi was adding what they could while focusing their attention on healing the fallen Guardian.

    They could not afford to infuse the fire with the holy aspect while the charred figure was in range because it would disturb regular healing spellwork and even the blind could see that the Guardian required every healer available. Brightfire that harmed the undead while leaving the living unharmed was the best compromise for large area of effect abilities in this situation.

    Martialists that revered the Arcanian Returnee darted over the battlefield to tear at the count and to protect the Venerable Elder that was testing them.

    Mana cultivators eager to avenge the fallen Guardian were storming the battlefield to unleash all their mana in the form of disruption discharges and refuse the count any chance to recover with spellwork.

    Mages that had been forced to hold back while the Guardian was acting as the symbol of their defense finally unleashed the pent up hatred and desire for payback. They had seen the Guardian¡¯s sacrifice. It would not be wasted. Not while they were still drawing mana.

    Before the king spear had reached the ground, a hand turned visible and grabbed at it. A young man in white-golden robes was grinning with malicious satisfaction. ¡°The Third Staff of the Monkey King is finally mine!¡±

    Shen¡¯s face contorted with vengeful bloodlust and he ordered his invisible allies. ¡°Make sure the Arcanian is dead! Kill that heretical scum!¡± Before the situation calmed down, he would get his revenge for the Arcanian¡¯s disrespect.

    Shen had known that the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ new expansion was an opportunity. While they battled his old enemy, he was left the winner. Patience was the best currency to pay grudges. He smirked while muttering. ¡°The mantis is stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind itself¡­¡±

    A blade suddenly stabbed from the shadows and separated Shen¡¯s head from his body. While the head was falling down with eyes wide open from shock, the hand wielding the glaive from the shadows became visible. When the woman in dark green robes turned fully visible, she scoffed: ¡°Truer words have never been spoken. Took them right out of my mouth.¡±

    Chalita took grim pleasure in seeing the treacherous worm dead on the ground. She had clawed her way back from the dead to get her revenge. When the others had informed her of the Arcanian¡¯s battle, she knew that Shen would try to exploit the situation. What better opportunity for her to exploit Shen¡¯s greed to achieve her own revenge?

    ¡°You dare!¡± Martialists in white-golden robes stared with horror at the beheaded Shen. ¡°You killed the young master! This means war!¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you.¡± Chalita presented the blade of her glaive and sneered. All around, the members of her Shadowed Forest Sect emerged from the shadows. They had allowed her to personally get revenge, but she had not come alone.

    ¡°The war started when your young master dared to take our daughter¡¯s life,¡± growled a man while the woman next to him already darted forth to cleave the members of the Nine-Faced Fox Sect apart. Her daughter might have settled her grudge, but her own was still to be repaid with blood. All the blood of that sect would not be enough to quench her thirst.

    Chalita grinned slightly. Shen had only brought his bodyguards while she had brought nearly her whole sect. Revenge between major sects was not something that could be half-assed.

    Her grin vanished the moment her eyes found the charred figure surrounded by frantic healers. She had prioritized her revenge over protecting the benefactor that had allowed her this chance. She could not help but feel a tinge of guilt.

    But guilt never helped anyone. Chalita set her eyes on the struggling count. She had chosen not to protect her benefactor but she was resolved to avenge him with all she had and her sect would follow her example. She did not care about the fate of this city, but the Kingdom¡¯s count had to die for his offense. Adding their power to the others, that vampire did not stand a chance in his current state.

    While Chalita was charging forward, she spotted a masked martialist in robes the color of ash. The martialist was unleashing a mana resonance of a golden crow with incomparable purity. Purity that only two people could summon as far as she knew. The Crow¡¯s Reincarnation and the rumored Crow¡¯s Ghost.

    There had been rumors about a ghost that haunted the Blazing Sun Sect and rooted out those that had betrayed the Crow¡¯s Reincarnation in either past or present. The ghost¡¯s identity came as no surprise to Chalita. After all, she knew that the rumors of Annabelle¡¯s death had been greatly exaggerated. That battle style was definitely Annabelle¡¯s, even if it displayed an untypical ferociousness.

    Seeing the Ghost¡¯s wrathful battle was all Chalita needed to know that she had not been the only one to prioritize her personal vendetta over supporting their benefactor. She had not been the only one lurking in the dark with specific targets in mind.

    ***

 208 Out for the Count

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 42 ¨C

    After the count had finally been defeated, people gathered around the figure that still looked like burnt charcoal even though many healers were already pouring all their mana into healing him.

    The Guardian of their city had fallen.

    Edmund was gravely aware of the weight in everyone¡¯s gazes. He shared a look with the right-hand woman of the Whisperer that was standing next to him. He and the elven hunter both understood that this represented more than a loss in combat power.

    Losing the symbol of their defense was a blow to everyone¡¯s morale and in situations like theirs, a blow to the spirit always bore the danger of breaking everyone¡¯s spine. A spineless defense can only lead to defeat.

    A tall, grim-faced hunter looked at the unconscious Terry and began banging his right hand on his chest plate. Soon, he was joined by many hunters. Then others followed. Knights in golden armor. Even martialists and manaless joined.

    Until Akemi shut them down with a reproachful shout. ¡°He¡¯s not dead, you idiots! Stop making such a ruckus! He needs rest!¡±

    Even the grizzled hunter shrank back at the reprimand from the woman much shorter than him. A martialist wanted to retort that it was in fact the healer that was louder than anyone else with her shout, but somehow the chiding glare in Akemi¡¯s eyes reminded him of his mother and he could not help but swallow his uppity comment.

    Edmund snorted and shook his head. That certainly worked to break the tension. That was all they could hope for at this point.

    Eventually, they carried Terry on a stretcher back to the Flower House where he was greeted by the horrified gasps of the manaless non-combatants ¨C Brandon clung to Daisy while sobbing and the pale-faced woman was not doing any better herself at holding back desperate tears.

    ***

    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem that impressive,¡± remarked a human soldier dressed in a crimson uniform. Ruby¡¯s whole squad had all seen the pitiful figure of the Arcanian Guardian after his clash with the Kingdoms¡¯ count.

    ¡°For his age?¡± An elven soldier pointed out the obvious. ¡°I¡¯d say that was impressive as hell. He held against a count. Even the Warlord himself would¡¯ve been hard pressed when he was that young.¡±

    ¡°The Whetstone Arcanian has guts,¡± added a canan soldier.

    ¡°¡®Guts¡¯ is often used to describe a lack of brains,¡± scoffed the human. ¡°The Warlord would never have let it come to such a situation.¡±

    ¡°Pointless hypotheticals.¡± Ruby cut off her subordinates¡¯ meaningless squabble. She rubbed her chin before tracing her sideburns with her fingers. ¡°If that was an act, then he must be the most committed actor I¡¯ve ever seen. I can understand the overseer¡¯s reports from Whetstone City now.¡±

    ¡°No sane person would hold anything back and allow themselves to face such a state,¡± stated another soldier and many nods followed.

    ¡°Which would mean that while his abilities are real, his limitations are, too.¡± Ruby muttered her thoughts out loud. She narrowed her eyes with suspicion and gestured towards their latest reports. ¡°But what about this? What about them? Sniffing out our bait and false leads with time is one thing, but now they don¡¯t even stop to consider.¡±

    Ruby held her forehead. ¡°At this rate¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s been days already,¡± muttered Brandon.

    ¡°He¡¯ll wake up,¡± stressed Jasmine. She patted the boy on the shoulder and went to the door.

    Many people came regularly to inquire about the condition of their fallen Guardian. The healers were doing their best, but healing something like this took time.

    Jasmine looked over the worried flowers and sighed when her gaze reached the fragile-looking manaless woman that had never left the side of their Flower Protector since he had been carried in on a stretcher. Jasmine had been worried about Daisy before, but the invasion attempts had drowned out all her previous concerns.

    Nothing she could do about it now.

    There was too much to do.

    Jasmine waited for Iris to join her at the door. The flower of many tattoos had developed a new intensity when it came to helping the defense. Driven by the desire to help in any way possible, Iris was working tirelessly. She had even added new tattoos that she had previously discarded as possible options because they were ugly and would tarnish the art that was her body. Now, the concern with aesthetics seemed secondary to the utility of the body inscriptions.

    Jasmine gave a nod at the tall elven flower behind the counter. If Jasmine hadn¡¯t known Lavender for as long as she had, she might think that the elf remained completely unaffected by the whole situation. But Jasmine knew better. The flower in her elegant dress and expensive jewelry was very much worried and afraid.

    But Lavender¡¯s character was made of more resilient fabric than most. What others might confuse for uncaring coldness was in reality nothing more than pragmatic firmness. A character that never allowed her emotions to keep her from her responsibilities and this brought a smile to Jasmine¡¯s face.

    Jasmine knew that one day, this elven flower would represent the Flower House and she would be great at it, both for herself and for the others.

    Of course, that assumed that the Flower House and the city state of the Freedom Cooperative would remain standing.

    With a sigh escaping from her lips, Jasmine led Iris to Thiago, who could assign them tasks to help the hunters.

    ***

    In the darkness of the night, a cloaked figure stepped into a tent where no source of light was shining. Such illumination would be a flaw that might reveal their location and it was entirely unnecessary.

    Pairs of red eyes focused on the new arrival, clearly seeing the visitor in spite of the darkness.

    ¡°My lady, the enemy scouts have taken notice of our vanguard.¡±

    ¡°Unsurprising.¡± A cold voice emerged from the main seat at the table. ¡°And welcome. Let them cower in front of the gifts that we¡¯re bringing. Let them see that this time, they won¡¯t just be facing our pets.¡±

    ¡°Pardon, my lady, but they don¡¯t seem to cower. They¡¯re still arming up the city and preparing their defense.¡±

    ¡°Defiant still?¡± A snort. ¡°The count has done a poor job then.¡±

    ¡°Freedom¡¯s Guardian has fallen but the man is still alive. He is expected to wake up soon.¡±

    ¡°Poison?¡± A voice whispered from the side.

    ¡°Of course the Hounds would advise that.¡± Eyes that looked different than the others and emanated death. Flames of green dancing in empty sockets whose flesh was pale. ¡°They¡¯re not letting anyone close. The Guardian¡¯s location is the most guarded spot in the city. Are you trying to let the Unholy Duchesses fail? It¡¯s bad enough that you wasted resources by settling on the wrong target. We should have directly gone for the Whisperer. The hunters are easier to flip. Even targeting that concubine of the Whisperer would have been more promising.¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± The commander cut off the bickering. ¡°The Hounds have chosen a good target, I think. The Whisperer is paranoid and the addicted hunters aren¡¯t among those he trusts. I don¡¯t believe the woman could be easily flipped either and if we had targeted her, then we wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her as a card to exploit later. Her weakness is of the body, not of the mind. Her weakness is the Whisperer¡¯s weakness, but he is too proud to give in to threats when he has time to reconsider. If we play that card, we have to threaten her life at a decisive moment where he will react on instinct.¡±

    After a moment of silence, the commander continued. ¡°The Arcanian thorn in our side was the one person whom the Whisperer would not suspect and whom he couldn¡¯t read from experience. It was unexpected that the Arcanian managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°Should we abandon the attempt on Freedom¡¯s Guardian?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The commander drank a sip of fresh blood from her cup. ¡°Our army will bring down the city, but it would be a tasteless victory if we couldn¡¯t crush their spirits first. Our duchess would not be pleased. We are looking for subjects, not just territory. We need all their spirits broken, lest we¡¯ll be forced to spill all their blood.¡±

    ¡°Your orders?¡±

    ¡°The count chose the correct target. The Hounds had the right idea but chose the wrong means.¡± Another sip of blood. ¡°We have to break the Arcanian, not use him. A man that doesn¡¯t bend, you have to break. A man like that doesn¡¯t break from pressure, but from either the weight of his own failures or from betrayal. Betrayal that has to be close enough to the heart to twist it.¡±

    ***

    Terry woke up with a deep rattling breath and the first thing he felt was pain in every cell. He jerked and winced and the pain increased before the sensation of cooling water settled on his body.

    Terry vaguely recognized the water-aspected healing variants of Heal and Cure Wounds. The spell structures looked much more sophisticated than the ones his dwarven friend Gellath had used, but it was still recognizable.

    A higher level spell.

    A continuous invocation from a spell structure in the room that was drawing ambient mana, albeit imperfectly.

    They found a near master-level mage with water-aspected healing spells?

    Under the dull sensation from barely suppressed pain, Terry¡¯s mind fled to academic inquiry. He curiously examined the spell structures to distract himself from his aching body.

    ¡°Is he awake?¡±

    ¡°I think so, but why isn¡¯t he reacting?¡±

    Terry sensed more spells activating and they were joined by the healing touch of the Bright Lady and someone was pouring a potion down his parched throat.

    Terry finally took in the mana signatures of those around him. He recognized them. He knew them, but the names escaped his grasp. His mind was still blurry.

    Terry coughed a dark clot of blood and the motion triggered a prickling pain as if his whole body had been asleep and was now waking up. He turned around and faced the floor. His mana sight showed him a complex array of mana that looked like martialist formations as well as countless runic inscriptions further away.

    They had turned this room into a healing chamber.

    They had all added whatever means they could to help with his healing.

    Damn, they really gave it their all. I must be dead or dying.

    Terry coughed again and held his stomach from pain. He whispered. ¡°...close.¡± He felt himself being lifted by soft hands and finally recognized where he was. He was in a room in the Flower House. Evidently, he had fallen out of bed.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Terry faintly.

    ¡°The count is dead,¡± said Akemi, who was pulling him up and helping him onto the bed. ¡°And you¡¯re not. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Damn, my condition must be bad then. She always goes into details.

    Terry could see his friends from the martialist trials. The expression on Rafael¡¯s face told him that he must be looking worse than ever. Rafael and Guillermo had still joked with him when they had arrived. They hadn¡¯t flinched the slightest at his previous injuries, but now they barely mustered the beginnings of a smile.

    Terry recognized his friends from the Flower House and acquaintances from the broader Freedom Cooperative. Even the old lady from the alchemy shop was staring at him with quivering lips.

    Further in the back were some of the martialists that kept addressing him as ¡®Senior¡¯, ¡®Venerable Elder¡¯ or other ridiculous epithets. Their gazes did not carry pity but an absolute faith that his awakening was to be expected. Terry recognized the elder that had given him an extended speech about the lessons Terry had supposedly taught his juniors. The elder was smirking smugly.

    From outside the window, Terry could see countless people peeking in. Concern. Relief. Hope.

    All those looks felt worse than ever. Terry sighed inwardly. Sighing properly was way too painful at the moment.

    ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    The hesitation in Akemi¡¯s answer was all he needed as a reply. Terry saw that neither Edmund nor Thiago nor any of their trusted aides were present. Best case scenario, they were taking a well-deserved rest. Worst case scenario, the next wave of enemies was already knocking on the city¡¯s doors.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Terry tried to stand up from his sickbed.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± growled Akemi with intense displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to fight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Terry spared himself from uttering ¡®fine¡¯ by reflex since that felt very much like a lie. ¡°...working on it. I will be fine.¡± He tried not to cough up blood again because coughing felt even worse than sighing. ¡°I want to know the situation.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Jasmine was kneeling down next to him with an expression growing in anxiety. ¡°From here I mean?¡±

    Terry reflexively swallowed and immediately regretted it when the burning sensation of his throat assaulted him with another wave of pain. Worse than the pain was the realization that even his senses felt diminished incomparably. His mana sense seemed to barely cover the Flower House and even that much was fuzzy.

    ¡°We can fix that,¡± assured Akemi, who was able to read the Guardian¡¯s thoughts plainly on his scarred face. ¡°But it¡¯ll take time.¡±

    Terry frowned with an unsatisfied expression. ¡°...there must be something I can do.¡±

    Akemi sighed and shook her head. ¡°You can stay in bed. At least today. If I see you trying to leave one more time, I¡¯ll cripple your legs myself to make sure you stay. I can always heal them again later.¡±

    Looking at the hard glint in Akemi¡¯s eyes, Terry wasn¡¯t sure if she was serious. He frowned again. There must be someone that would help him. His eyes wandered to Rafael, only to find the felan averting his gaze and pretending to whistle without making a sound.

    Unreliable coward.

    ***

    The mood among the visitors had started joyful but quickly turned grave. The Guardian had awoken, but his state was still worrisome. Without a miracle, he would be unable to join the next battle.

    Most people¡¯s thoughts were preoccupied with the Guardian¡¯s role in the next battle, but some were primarily concerned with Terry and how miserable the man looked. Even if Terry had survived so far, it was plain to see that this siege was killing him.

    From among the despairingly anxious gazes, one was chosen.

    ***

    Terry was limping in plain clothes along the street. Seeing all the people lending a hand to the city¡¯s defense, he felt like a waste of space and air. Even manaless teenagers were acting as runners to transport supplies. And yet, he himself was being entirely useless.

    Not entirely useless. I can always serve as a bad example. Don¡¯t eat your own carefully prepared attack. Look at the idiot. Look at what not to do.

    Terry glowered at his damned feet that weren¡¯t working how they were supposed to. He had thought that the pain was the worst part, but after some of the pain had disappeared, something else had taken its place: numbness. He didn¡¯t feel his feet properly. The heaven¡¯s fury had permanently messed up his nervous system somehow.

    Akemi had assured him that they could heal it, but other parts from his injuries took priority. Evidently, there was a long list to consider. In a season or so he should be fine, but they didn¡¯t have that long.

    ¡°Greetings, Guardian!¡± A teenage boy was bowing to him on the street before dashing away with a backpack tightly strapped to his shoulders.

    What was supposed to be a sign of respect only served to sour Terry¡¯s mood further. Everytime someone addressed him as Guardian or any other bullshit title, he felt like a fraud. A fraudster that had dragged people into a battle they couldn¡¯t win. A fraudster that limped around uselessly while others had to fight the fight he picked.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Terry told himself, or rather his intrusive thoughts. Deep down, he understood that he hadn¡¯t picked the fight. The fight had picked him. The Lich Kingdoms had started it. They had picked the city state as their target. He had just stood in their way.

    Further down, Terry also understood that he had done his best. During the time that Akemi had threatened him into staying in bed, he had received ample time with his notebooks to ponder what could have gone better. After crossing out powers he didn¡¯t have and options that would have allowed the count loose in the city, Terry couldn¡¯t come up with much.

    Heaven¡¯s fury had been the right choice. The lightning had torn instantly through the count¡¯s blood and significantly damaged his circulatory system. Damaged it enough to sabotage his regeneration for the others to pile on their killing blows.

    Facing part of the attack himself had certainly not been the ideal outcome. Even less so with a mana pool low on mana. At least the count had faced the brunt of the attack since he had been higher up with his levitation and Terry had managed to shave off some of the incoming damage with the help of the divine hammer inscription.

    They had won, even if it had come at a cost.

    They had won.

    If there was any lesson in the internecine duel, then that he had to learn to better balance his disruption domain with his own spellwork. Increased accuracy for the rotating spell slicers would be nice. If he could leave smaller openings for his own spellwork, then the openings couldn¡¯t be exploited by an enemy mage. Then he wouldn¡¯t have to physically hold an opponent and could rely on immovable shackles again.

    Of course, the lesson was more training.

    Of course, he was currently not in a state that he could actually start training and apply that lesson.

    Terry glowered at the streets and kept his gaze down because he didn¡¯t want to scare the passersby. Not again at least.

    Aside from needing to be better, Terry wasn¡¯t sure what lessons to draw from the fight. Facing innately high-regeneration opponents was as unpleasant as facing incorporeal ones, but that lesson could hardly be called insightful or actionable.

    Terry limped towards the city¡¯s garden park. He had grown up in Arcana¡¯s Greenhouse. He had lived as a Flower Protector for almost the whole season of the Setting Moon. For all the misleading titles, this was the first day he had ever stepped foot into a flower field as large as this.

    The beautiful sight almost made him forget his uselessness.

    Almost.

    Terry took some solace in the fact that such a place still existed within the city despite the hordes of undead that had arrived at its walls since the beginning of the Rising Sun. If he had to be useless, he might as well be useless in a place like this.

    At first Terry had been hesitant to move story time to such a location, but now that he was actually here, the idea grew on him. Perhaps it would help distract Brandon and Daisy. The boy and woman were barely sleeping from what the dark circles under their eyes were showing.

    Terry caught himself pitying the two when he realized he was doing the exact same thing that he had grown to dislike others doing when they saw his current miserable state.

    I¡¯m a hypocrite. What else is new?

    Terry grumbled quietly and limped forward. He was wearing a freshly prepared armor set ¨C excluding the helmet, which was decidedly impractical in his injured state.

    The armor set was similar to his previous armor. He didn¡¯t know why the crafters had wasted time and effort to supply him given that he was barely able to walk. Surprisingly, even Akemi had not objected to him receiving his equipment, which had taken Terry aback. For a woman that insisted he not so much as squint at the incoming army or the reports, that action seemed very much out of character.

    Probably thought it might cheer me up. They must have taken pity on me. Or believed even I¡¯m not big enough of an idiot to delude myself into believing I could be of use in my current state.

    Terry took a deep breath and turned a corner. He was unfit to join the battle, but he could still read to people. He could distract those that needed distraction.

    And if any shade slips in here, I can gnaw at its ankles to buy Brandon and Daisy time to escape. I can bravely dull its claws with my skull and clog its stomach with my arm and¡­

    Terry allowed his self-deprecating thoughts to pass and limped further.

    ¡°Terry¡­¡± A fragile looking woman with glistening eyes bashfully walked towards him while biting her lips.

    Terry flinched slightly. He wasn¡¯t used to being surprised by people approaching him. Daisy was manaless and his mana touch was currently less than useful. He in his useless state still had to get used to this. ¡°Hi¡­¡± He looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Brandon?¡±

    ¡°Can we walk?¡± Daisy¡¯s voice was quivering. She looked as if she was about to cry.

    ¡°...yeah.¡± Terry felt as if his throat was constricting. Seeing Daisy in such a state made him uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t like the pitiful look fixed on himself. He averted his eyes and looked ahead. I guess Brandon¡¯s waiting further behind.

    The walk was slow and awkward. Terry noted that Daisy didn¡¯t say anything, which was unusual for the usually bubbly and cheerful woman, but what was he supposed to do? He was not the most sociable in the best of moods and he was feeling far from at his best. He almost wished some of his assigned bodyguards had followed him into the garden to strike up a conversation.

    Almost.

    Mostly, Terry was glad to not always be coddled by people addressing him as Guardian this or Senior that or looking at him with the pained pity only a friend could show.

    It was bad enough that he was useless, but the more bodyguards they assigned him, the worse he felt. Worse than useless. He was occupying capable fighters that could be out hunting undead.

    As if it wasn¡¯t bad enough that he was wasting more of the healers¡¯ mana than any other person in the city.

    At least they didn¡¯t assign many bodyguards to him anymore. Although that was probably because they couldn¡¯t afford it, which told him more about the approach of the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ army than any of his acquaintances dared to tell him explicitly.

    With his senses still crippled, Terry didn¡¯t see the mana distortion until it was too late. He could feel the tug on himself, but bursting his mana sufficiently was beyond his current abilities.

    In an entirely different location, Terry found himself in the presence of vampires and necromancers staring at him while Daisy walked in front of him as if to shield him.

    ¡°You promised!¡± begged Daisy with tearful eyes.

    ¡°So we did.¡± A vampiress looked at the two arrivals. She didn¡¯t care much about honoring her words, but this was too pleasant not to play along. She didn¡¯t just need the Guardian dead, she needed his symbolic value broken beyond repair. One way or the other. For the duchess. The duchess¡¯ commander smiled. ¡°You may go safely.¡±

    Daisy nodded and turned around with a flushed face, red tearful eyes, and spoke with a trembling voice: ¡°Terry, we have to go. Please!¡± She took hold of his arm and¡­

    Terry jerked his arm free. ¡°What¡­?¡± He stared with disbelief at everyone present. His breathing became erratic.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± assured Daisy softly. ¡°You¡¯re safe. We have to go. Please.¡±

    ¡°Oh the pangs of love,¡± sneered the commander. ¡°You should feel blessed, Guardian. Your life is safe because someone loved you enough to forsake everything else.¡± Cold snickers emerged from the surrounding soldiers.

    The commander shrugged and gestured. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. You are free to leave. She brings you outside the city and we will allow you safe passage. That was our agreement.¡± She smiled a mocking smile. ¡°Romantic, isn¡¯t it? Just like a story. And they lived happily ever after.¡±

    ¡°Terry, you¡¯re getting yourself killed! That city doesn¡¯t deserve you! I love you, so please¡­¡± Daisy took hold of Terry¡¯s hand and¡­

    Terry wrested his hand back again. He lost his balance from the sudden movement and fell. Then he realized that it hadn¡¯t just been the sudden movement and his numbed sense of balance. He could feel the trembling ground that was the overture to the invading army¡¯s assault on the city. He immediately pushed himself up while ignoring the pain that assaulted him, and he kept his bloodshot eyes fixed on the enemy commander.

    Daisy knelt down to try and help Terry up. ¡°Terry, I love you. I¡¯m just trying to save your life, I¡¯m trying to save you! We can go live together and¡ª¡±

    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± hissed Terry and his rattling breathing accelerated. He suppressed the scream that was stuck in his lungs and finally managed to stand up. He stared incredulously at the woman he didn¡¯t recognize anymore. ¡°Love? Save me? Nonsense!¡± He actually spat on the ground.

    Terry¡¯s spit was still red from blood. He was so beyond being able to fight and he was so beyond caring. ¡°You¡¯re trying to save someone, but I don¡¯t know that person. Whatever version of me that would be okay with this lives entirely in your head.¡± He coughed and welcomed the pain. The pain would chase away the numbness. ¡°That is not me. Whatever love you feel is fiction.¡±

    Terry moved his gaze from the broken-looking human woman to the vampiress commander. ¡°¡®Happily ever after¡¯?!¡± If this was a story, then it wasn¡¯t the one he wanted to write for himself. Terry pushed Daisy away from him.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Daisy did not push back against Terry, even though the weakened man was not much stronger than her at this point. She only protested weakly and stepped back with a raised hand. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, I¡­¡±

    Terry ignored the pain from his mana channels and forced the mana into the sheath inscription of his right dagger. He ignored his aching body and drew the keen dagger.

    ¡°No!¡± screamed Daisy.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The vampiress commander grinned. This could still be twisted to their purposes. Parade him in front of the city and claim he tried to escape. Perhaps subjugate his mind and let him admit it himself. ¡°Capture him!¡± The soldiers stepped forth to face Terry.

    ¡°No!¡± Daisy stormed at the soldiers to shield Terry from them. ¡°You promised!¡±

    ¡°Get her out of the way,¡± ordered the commander. The soldiers grabbed Daisy first.

    Terry didn¡¯t move to help her. He was doomed and couldn¡¯t bring himself to use his last energy on the woman that had asked him to abandon the city full of people he knew. All the people he had doomed with false hope.

    It didn¡¯t look like the soldiers were going to hurt her either.

    ¡°No!¡± screamed Daisy with tears running down her face. ¡°Let him go! You promised!¡±

    ¡°I promised to allow him safe passage,¡± hissed the commander. She gestured at Terry in his shaky battle stance. ¡°Does he look like he wants to leave? He¡¯ll die by his own choice if that is what he desires..¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Daisy screamed with her face contorted with despair. She drew a concealed dagger but she had neither the strength nor skill to use it against the soldiers and one of them easily disarmed her before sharing a glance with the commander that nodded. Then the dagger found its way into Daisy¡¯s chest while the commander observed Terry¡¯s expression.

    Terry¡¯s feet moved before his mind had caught up with the situation. He tried to dodge the first soldier in his path but stumbled and instead settled on tackling the vampire that was preoccupied with getting a hold of Terry¡¯s dagger hand.

    Terry managed to use surprise and a well placed foot to imbalance the soldier and push forward. He saw Daisy pulling her dagger out of her chest with shocked eyes. The manaless non-combatant didn¡¯t know that this would only accelerate the bleeding.

    When Terry was within range, he grit his teeth for the last magic he might ever use. He barely managed to activate both the Heal and Cure Wounds imprints with Daisy as their targets. He knew his current state. Perhaps the only person he had a chance of saving was the manaless woman that had lured him into this situation.

    Perhaps that was the end of his path.

    Terry¡¯s eyes moved back to the soldier that was firmly holding onto his hand with the keen dagger. He saw the vampire¡¯s pale fingers on his wrist and followed the first idiotic idea that entered his mind.

    Terry bit viciously into the vampire¡¯s hand with all the strength his jaw could muster. A foolish action, but unexpected enough for Terry to wrest his keen dagger back and add one more slash that was unfortunately blocked. The whole idea only earned him a painful kick into his already aching chest.

    Even so. The fact that in a clash with vampires, he had been the first to sink his ¡®fangs¡¯ into an enemy brought an agonizing chuckle to Terry¡¯s lungs. If that was the end of his story, at least it would be written with irony.

    ¡°Surrender and do as I say or we¡¯ll kill her.¡± The commander observed Terry curiously. She had raised a hand to order her soldiers to stop their attempt to capture him.

    ¡°Piss off,¡± growled Terry, who was sprawled on the ground with his eyes facing the beautiful blue sky above. It was blue but spotted with dark grey clouds here and there. He heaved wheezing breaths but despite the pain, he felt at peace. With that sky and his end in sight, he somehow felt at peace with the path he had chosen.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The commander giggled coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just use your last naturalized mana to save her? Evidently you care. Surrender if you don¡¯t want her death on your conscience.¡±

    ¡°Piss.¡± Terry tried getting up but failed. ¡°Off. If you kill her, that¡¯s on you.¡± And on her for helping create this messed up situation. He saw a bird circling high above ¨C hard to see with grey clouds as the background.

    The vultures are waiting, I guess. How inconsiderate of me to let them wait¡­ Terry managed to suppress the self-deprecating chuckle. It wasn¡¯t worth the pain.

    ¡°The woman has sacrificed everything to be with you and this is your response?¡± The commander appeared amused. ¡°How shallow.¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s me.¡± Terry turned himself onto his belly to better push himself up. He knew that his resistance was a farce. The soldiers could have killed him by now. They were just toying with him. ¡°Shallow and inconsiderate.¡±

    With inhuman effort, Terry managed to stand up. High above, the loud hoarse scream of a hawk was heard multiple times in quick succession.

    Even if it was a cruel farce.

    Even if he was tired beyond belief.

    Even if he had already made his peace with it.

    Even if his beaten down body was begging him to give up.

    Even if his mind was accusing him of being a fraudster and full of shame for his own weakness.

    Even so.

    Terry would hold on for as long as possible. Just like his idol the Veilbinder would have done. Just like his aunt Sigille had shown him to live. His whaka would expect nothing less.

    They deserved nothing less than all he had to give.

    As if to mock Terry¡¯s proudly defiant resolve, falling bird poop added insult to injury by accurately landing on his head. It was more voluminous than any bird poop had any right to be and it somehow made his hair stand up with static electricity.

    As if he hadn¡¯t suffered enough lightning recently.

    Terry sorely regretted not wearing his helmet for story time.

    It hardly mattered.

    Facing impossible odds and covered in statically charged bird poop, Terry would go down swinging. If the only marks he could still leave on the world were some poop-smeared bite-marks on some mildly annoyed vampires, then so be it.

    ***

 209 To Conquer a Small Kingdom

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 56 ¨C

    The gathered vampires and necromancers jeered at the Arcanian who was covered in bird shit. The Guardian who was struggling to remain standing. The fool who didn¡¯t know when he was beaten.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that brings luck,¡± hooted the vampiress commander while pinching her nose to mock the shameful enemy. ¡°But no amount of luck will change your fate.¡± She nodded at one of her subordinates.

    Terry did the only thing he could think of. He struggled to stand so he might as well not bother. He jumped with full force right into the legs of the approaching soldier. He ignored the fresh assault from his protesting muscles and rotated himself to lever the soldier¡¯s legs into an unstable position and throw him to the ground.

    The soldier burst his mana and stomped Terry in the stomach, which put a stop to that idiotic idea.

    Tears shot into Terry¡¯s eyes while fresh blood spilled into his mouth. Through blurry eyes, he could see the pale face of Daisy who was staring at the situation with trembling lips and puffy eyes. A hollow shell of herself.

    The sight didn¡¯t inspire any feeling in Terry beyond the slight relief that the vampires were ignoring her now. That was all he could do for the woman that had claimed to love him while offering nothing but rejection of who he wanted to be.

    Terry spat blood and turned around. He realized that he had lost his keen dagger somewhere. When he saw it, he slowly crawled towards it.

    ¡°Defiant until the end,¡± exclaimed the commander mockingly. ¡°You¡¯re stubborn, I give you that.¡± She stepped forward and drew blood into her hand.

    ¡°You know what they call a stubborn weakling?¡± The commander walked closer. ¡°A bloody fool¡­¡± She still had to finish conquering this kingdom for their territory. It had been entertaining, but now was time to finish the pathetic worm. She shaped a blade of blood. ¡°Bloody¡­¡± She thrust the sword towards Terry¡¯s head. ¡°Fool!¡±

    Of all the things that Terry had believed he would feel in his last moments, the tug of an unanchored spatial transfer had not been among them. Taken aback but fully aware, he couldn¡¯t burst even if he tried, so whatever happened happened.

    A spear blasted across shadow and space and a small figure thrust it forward straight between the commander¡¯s eyes. The vampiress barely managed to avoid the worst but the blade of the short spear still left a gnash on her forehead. She stared at the new arrival that was a dwarven woman with snow white hair and covered in equipment that put every member of the Kingdom¡¯s army to shame.

    ¡°That fool is also my son.¡± Isille pulled her spear back with an unseen force and glared at the soldiers with a fury that could teach fear to a reaper.

    ¡°¡®Son¡¯?¡± The commander was the first to compose herself. She had been taken aback by the undetected approach of an enemy, but a single dwarf was nothing to worry about. She sneered. ¡°So the shit-stained ¡®Guardian¡¯ is a little mamma¡¯s boy?¡±

    A loud explosion rang and from nothingness appeared an intense fire-aspected burst to push the vampires back. The fire incensed a batch of spherical items that blew apart and a blood-suppressive effect was added to the fire.

    A dwarven man with snow white hair and equipment fit for kings wrested Daisy onto his shoulders. The woman had been pulled towards him with a magic rope that was now coiled around his forearm again.

    Evidently, the manaless woman had fainted at some point.

    Bjorln glared coldly at the commander whose words had dared to leave him out of the equation for saving his own son. ¡°If you¡¯re implying that our son¡¯s other whaka care any less than his mother, you really have no idea what¡¯s coming for you.¡± He safely placed the unconscious Daisy down behind him.

    Terry himself could barely follow what was going on because he had been bawling his eyes out since the moment he had finally laid eyes on his accepted mother. On his accepted parents. They were alive. Both of them. He didn¡¯t even think about his own situation anymore. He was so glad.

    ¡°Assisting in finding you has been the biggest pain in the arse mission I¡¯ve ever taken.¡±

    Terry became vaguely aware of the elven woman next to him. She must have been the dimensional mage to rescue him. He didn¡¯t recognize her though.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve accepted it twice.¡± Mia shook her head. The promised reward by the crafter had been so tempting in the beginning, but if her uncle had not also asked for it, she would have dropped it. Who could have known that this pain in the arse mission would take years, cross several empires, and lead to a battle with the damned Kingdoms?

    ¡°How touching.¡± The commander rolled her eyes while her soldiers drew their weapons and readied their equipment. ¡°Two mana cultivators and a¡ª¡± Her eyes narrowed at the elven mage next to Terry and her expression darkened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Mia lifted her hands. ¡°My mission is done. I¡¯m not being paid for doing more.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Although my help doesn¡¯t seem to be necessary either.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± The commander scoffed only to jerk her head around to where their army was charging. She could sense that something was amiss. A strange orange fire had begun to circle the city. A fire that hurt the undead but not the living.

    But it wasn¡¯t brightfire.

    That damned fire appeared to even heal the living. While the commander was still trying to understand the nature of the magic, the fire licked out of the shadows to assault her own squad.

    The orange flames reached Terry and he felt a comforting warmth that appeared to heal his fatigue and injuries. He spotted a shielded spell structure he had never seen before manifest close to himself.

    A variety of fire aspects.

    A structure beyond master level. Perfectly drawing ambient mana to replenish itself.

    Terry sobbed again. He knew the only person that could follow such flames out of the shadows. He did not have to see the dark hair and blue eyes to know it would be his uncle Samuel.

    When Terry finally laid eyes on his uncle, the only surprise was that Samuel¡¯s burn scars had been healed. Terry should have guessed as much when he had sensed the strange healing fire, but he had been too focused on his own happiness to realize that his uncle had finally achieved significant success towards the long-elusive research goal.

    Samuel had developed fire-aspected variants of at least two of the fundamental healing spells. The orange flames displayed effects of Heal and Cure Wounds with Banish Fatigue besides. Even if Cure Poison was not yet among the mix, the path had finally been paved for fire-aspected healers.

    Those like Samuel¡¯s deceased whaka Olgorn finally had a road to follow in order to fulfill their dreams.

    Samuel did not wait around and instantly unleashed complex spellwork in chains. His wordless assault forced all the dozens of enemy soldiers to disperse. They weren¡¯t weak, but they had to join to push back against the powerful mage.

    ¡°So it¡¯s you they¡¯re putting their hopes on.¡± The commander sneered and unleashed her own spellwork to counter Samuel¡¯s. She scowled when she was at a disadvantage but this was nothing that could not be overcome with the help of her subordinates. A war was not won with a single soldier. They outnumbered this mage and his allies thousands to one in well-trained mages alone.

    ¡°Me?¡± Samuel looked at the undead commander as if she was a dead woman walking. ¡°You¡¯re not that lucky. I¡¯m just here to give her time to fully unpack.¡±

    The commander¡¯s scowl deepened at the incomprehensible remark. She was about to retort when something unbelievably fast darted towards her and leaped from the ground. Her battle instincts kicked in and she unleashed a chained sequence of death and fire spears while covering herself with a Kinetic Push and blood armor.

    The tall silhouette shrugged off spells and force alike. A blade extended from a spherical hand and effortlessly pierced into the commander. The figure¡¯s shadow-fabric hood was blown backwards by the Kinetic Push and revealed an uncaring face of transparent material that barely distorted the light around it. Like an art supply mannequin made of glass that accepted light so as to be almost invisible.

    The construct rotated the disk that carried its arms and shredded the vampire. It fluidly shifted its body with the elegance of a dancer. Inscriptions flared up and all the spilled blood evaporated into nothingness.

    The commander stared with horror at the source of her power disappearing. That construct was impossible. To ignore her previous spells, it would have to incorporate anti-magic in its inscriptions. Impossible. She barely managed to escape with her life but while she had survived, she saw the construct tear through her most skilled subordinates as if they were manaless.

    The ground trembled and a shadow descended from behind where the Kingdom¡¯s army was located.

    An army of constructs of all shapes and sizes flooded the earth and blotched the sky.

    The earth seemed to reshape to create an entirely new mountain.

    A mountain?

    Yes but also no.

    An impossibly large construct warrior with a gigantic sphere of rock instead of legs. Dense inscriptions covered every inch of the giant moving with the mountainous sphere.

    The giant construct sucked in the mana from the entire battlefield to power itself. It flattened the enemies underneath. It grabbed a hold of a full-grown behemoth and simply squeezed it into paste. It shot an endless barrage of magic while being flanked and protected by an army of smaller constructs that dwarfed the number that the Lich Kingdoms had brought.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The huge army of invaders was being decimated in minutes. Thousands of soldiers, elites included. Tens of thousands of risen undead, hellspawn included.

    The constructs¡¯ rampage was an undeniable display of power. It was undeniably a completely overblown overkill. An irrational display of deep festering rage restrained no longer.

    As it turned out, a war could be overturned by a single enraged crafter.

    The vampire commander¡¯s mana-enhanced eyes could see the woman with auburn hair standing high up on the giant construct¡¯s head. No, not standing. The woman appeared to float with air-aspected magic. Towering and glowering at the battlefield below with eyes that could scare a soul into a devil.

    The commander believed she could see the tall air-gifted woman stare right back at her while mouthing a single syllable. When the dancing doll construct clawed into the commander¡¯s vampiric flesh to suck out even the last droplets of her blood, the commander finally knew what the devil risen from the deepest earth had been mouthing.

    ¡®Die.¡¯

    The commander hoped their next wave of reinforcements would be able to assassinate that damned crafter¡­

    The sky in the distance cracked with an eerie purple lightning that made her bloodless skull tingle. Shaken, her vision faded¡­

    The piercing wail of a banshee shrieked in the distance of another direction and the commander doubted her ears. There were no banshees in the next wave of reinforcements. Such creatures were too unruly and too feral which made them too difficult to control compared to other death aura cursed. Doubtful, her hearing stopped.

    Blind and deaf, she died while consoling herself with a final utterance: ¡°The Spirited Duchess won¡¯t be denied.¡± All the constructs in the world would not stop the Unholy Soul.

    Terry saw the vampire perish. That distant shrieking wail had nearly frozen the blood in his veins. He shivered and inhaled a quivering breath before he found himself embraced by familiar stubby arms. He suddenly became aware of himself and weakly muttered. ¡°No, Ma, the poo¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Isille clung to her son firmly. ¡°Who gives a shit?¡± She squeezed her son even tighter. ¡°We¡¯ve searched for far too long to find you¡­¡±

    A second pair of hands added itself to the pile and the scent of herbs and potions entered Terry¡¯s nostrils.

    ¡°Nama¡­¡± A word whispered softly to give way to a deep commanding growl. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do something like that to us again.¡± Bjorln spoke with eyes both teary and hard while his frizzy beard tickled Terry¡¯s skin.

    Even if Terry had been at his full strength, he would not dare to protest those words of his pa. He did not know what to say. He had so many words to say but somehow they all escaped his tongue.

    He stammered in front of the parents he had feared dead. He shrank in front of the parents and family he had missed so long. In front of them, the beaten and worn down man turned back into a sobbing little boy. No sane person could confuse this mess of a boy with the famous Guardian that had protected a country against the dead forces until stepping onto the threshold to death¡¯s door itself.

    Not unless they knew him.

    Before Terry had a chance to chase down the words escaping him, his parents let go and stood up. After taking measure of the battle that was won but not finished, they turned back to Terry to announce in perfect synchrony: ¡°¡°¡°You¡¯re grounded.¡±¡±¡±

    ***

    Terry was levitating behind his uncle Samuel while a sequence of complex and very specialized spells were treating his injuries. Of course, his uncle would know spells specifically dealing with nerve and mana sense damage from lightning phenomena as well as for temporarily cutting off pain receptors.

    The clock floating in front of him was blinking yellow. Terry picked up the bag of pills that his father had handed to him. He took a yellow one and swallowed it with a mouthful of mana-imbued tea from his favorite tea house in Arcana. Of course, his father would have prepared medication that could significantly speed up the recovery of damaged mana channels.

    Terry could see that there were still a few fights going on, but mostly straggler specters and shades. He glanced at the five impossible fighting dance doll constructs that acted as his additional escort on top of his uncle. His aunt had brought more constructs than the city had citizens. Terry chuckled painlessly. Of course, his aunt would single-handedly squash an army meant to conquer a small kingdom.

    Terry quietly watched the surroundings. He had worked so hard to return to Arcana. Never had he seriously considered that his family would instead move out to find him. Where would they even start? Regardless of the daunting prospect, the retired bounty hunter returned from certain death had never considered failure an option. Of course, his mother would track him down across multiple hostile empires and spatial transfers.

    Of course, they had never given up.

    Of course.

    Not everything was so easy to accept though.

    Terry glanced at the wand and glove in his hand. Two items he never thought he would see again. The high quality wand with the three fundamental healing spells that Samuel had sent him to the Libra Outpost in Tiv. The Gravitational Attraction glove that he had purchased himself in Arcana.

    His family had tracked his path through the Wastes and to the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon. They had traced all rumors and eventually picked up leads to his stay in Thanatos, where they lost the trail again because of his transfer to the folded space. They had spread out for clues to follow until they finally discovered a trail to the Free Factions Union.

    Thanks to the hired dimensional mage and Brynn¡¯s constructs, they had been able to cover a lot of ground.

    When they had made their way through the chaotic lands of the martial sects, the challenge changed entirely. Where before the problem was to find a promising lead, exacerbated by hostile parties trying to violently obstruct them or to hunt Terry down themselves, there suddenly was a fog of false leads to sift through.

    Thanks to Isille¡¯s experience in tracking, they had been able to see through the diversions and progressed persistently.

    However, they were still forced to spread out to check multiple locations at once. They split into groups and made up the numbers with Brynn¡¯s strongest constructs. It was at this point that they stumbled over a bundle of items that had belonged to Terry and a message that pointed to the territory of the former Bloodborne Kingdom.

    They had already been on the right track to arrive eventually, but the message had shaved off a few days by giving them a definite target. More importantly, it allowed them to gather everyone before checking out the location personally.

    Terry¡¯s first reaction was to grumble that his second bidirectional attraction glove was still missing before realizing that he could now ask his aunt Brynn for another one. Only then did he start to wonder how the items had reached his family to begin with.

    These items had been among those that he had lost to the Xuan in the Thanatos Proving Grounds. If they had been among those the lizan martialist had sold, then the buyer must have decided to pass the message for some reason.

    The presence of the healing wand made Terry pause, however. Other items had been obvious sell options for the lizan wall of the Proving Grounds. What use did Xuan have for Terry¡¯s spear or glove? They didn¡¯t match the fighting style of the martialist from the Soaring Mountain Sect.

    The healing wand by contrast? That would be useful for anyone, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Terry had trouble believing that the martialist had sold the wand but he had even more trouble coming up with an alternative explanation. How would Xuan know much less find his family? Why would the lizan he had beaten want to help him anyway?

    Forget Xuan, who would know about his situation, want to help him, and go about it in such a half-assed and suspicious manner as to merely leave a message?

    Conspiracy?

    Terry halted his line of thoughts before Thanatos style overthinking would infect him too. He couldn¡¯t come up with a reasonable conclusion, so he simply stopped trying and accepted it as it was.

    The next surprise waited for Terry right around the corner.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± said an elven woman that looked oddly familiar. ¡°I¡¯m not from the Lich Kingdoms!¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?!¡± Rafael pointed at the elven woman. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that banshee slip into you!¡± His eyes and claws began glowing. ¡°You¡¯re obviously a demonic cultivator of death!¡±

    ¡°I hate these lands,¡± grumbled the elven woman. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Who said I would be giving you a choice?!¡± growled Rafael. The mana resonance of a white wolf was beginning to take shape.

    A figure stepped out of the shadows and a blade of shadow was silently placed right at Rafael¡¯s neck. ¡°We¡¯re here to help, you fool.¡± The human woman glanced at the fading resonance. ¡°What¡¯s with the wolf? Aren¡¯t you a felan?¡±

    Rafael¡¯s eye twitched and he uttered a deep growl while considering how to get out of this predicament.

    ¡°Is that¡­¡± Terry blinked. ¡°Instructor Mirabilia? And wait, is that¡ª? Why is Siling¡¯s mom here?!¡±

    ¡°Mirabilia insisted on helping Isille in tracking you down,¡± said Samuel. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the only one of your parents¡¯ old team mates. The situation in Arcana is less dire than when you left it.¡± He glanced back and smiled when giving the good news.

    Samuel turned his attention back forward while continuing his explanation: ¡°After receiving the message, your friends were quite insistent on coming and Daiyu refused to let her daughter step close to the Lich Kingdoms. Her presence is their compromise. Matteo and some of his friends decided to ambush the reinforcements. Emaldine, Chadwick, and the others are accompanying your siblings and team mates with their new groups on other tasks.¡±

    Samuel cleared his throat. ¡°Be prepared Whaka Terry. The twins and your friends are going to have a word with you for what you pulled with them in the Wastes and subsequent disappearance.¡± He glanced at Terry¡¯s armor that was still showing traces of bird poop. ¡°I can see that one of them already took her first chance to display her discontent.¡±

    That was a thunderblood hawk, wasn¡¯t it? Siling said she had it noted as an option to replace the bloody frogmouth soul.

    I¡¯ll miss Grumpy.

    Wait, Siling told the bird to shit on me in that kind of situation?

    Terry had the bad premonition that he might rather face another count of the Lich Kingdoms than his friends and siblings.

    Speaking of friends¡­

    ¡°Stop! I know them! And him!¡± Terry shouted at the stand-off between the two Guardians and the martialist.

    ¡°Terry?!¡± Rafael¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°UNHAND MY BROTHER, YOU VILLAINOUS FIEND!¡± He roared at Samuel with a snarl. His shout had brought more of the city defenders to the area where their expressions immediately darkened at seeing their city¡¯s Guardian being the captive of an unknown group.

    Oh boy.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Mirabilia with her shadow blade at Rafael¡¯s throat felt ignored. She used her free hand to knock on the felan¡¯s head. ¡°Anybody there? Are you kidding me?¡±

    Seriously.

    Terry took a deep breath. He had the bad premonition that a meeting between his old and new friends could lead to more than a few headaches. He pointed at Samuel, who appeared intensely amused. ¡°That¡¯s my uncle.¡± He pointed at the others. ¡°The mother of my companion from Arcana, and my former Instructor and the companion of my mother.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your family?¡± barked Rafael. ¡°Why is the shadow creep sneak-attacking me? Did you tell your mother about the trial tomb? Seriously, brother, I thought we were friends!¡±

    Oh boy.

    Terry knew the felan martialist had a knack for mouthing off, but to make so many mistakes in a single exclamation.

    ¡°¡®Shadow creep¡¯?¡± Mirabilia hissed at her captive felan. ¡°Something to say about a ¡®trial tomb¡¯? I¡¯m sure Isille will have some questions about that.¡±

    That was your own fault, Rafael. Can¡¯t blame me for that. Good luck. You¡¯re going to need it.

    Even though Terry was under a spell that didn¡¯t allow him to feel pain, he still managed to feel a headache coming.

    He was sure of it.

    He involuntarily glanced back at the woman that was also levitated by a spell close to him. Daisy was peacefully asleep under a perpetually refreshing sequence of Calm spells. In contrast to Terry, her injuries had already completely healed.

    ¡°You can be proud, Whaka Terry,¡± said Samuel quietly.

    Sure can. Terry turned to look at his uncle and smiled warmly. Such a family. I''m lucky.

    ¡°All those people not hesitating to confront us for your sake, even after they¡¯ve witnessed some of what we can do.¡± Samuel gestured at the crowd of people that had rushed over as soon as they had heard his name. Martialists, mages, mana cultivators, crafters, manaless. Many of them had drawn weapons with grim faces before the situation had been cleared up.

    Huh?

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Terry.¡± Samuel glanced back. ¡°We all are.¡± He turned to the front and continued walking. ¡°But please don¡¯t ever do that to us again.¡±

    ***

 210 Twisted Soul

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 56 ¨C

    Terry was beginning to wish he was asleep just like Daisy. Either that or that his uncle had cast an invisibility spell on them all, because this was ridiculous. Citizens had come from all over the city to gawk. Or worse: to call out to Terry.

    ¡°Guardian!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been saved!¡±

    ¡°The Returnee has done it again!¡±

    ¡°Venerable Elder!¡±

    ¡°Miracle!¡±

    Ridiculous.

    I¡¯ve done jack shit.

    Terry¡¯s face cramped up. He was tempted to pretend he was out and unconscious just like Daisy was. Honestly, he had tried that before, but then the exclamations of sorrow and mourning wails were even worse than the ridiculous epithets. The brief moments he had attempted to avoid attention, it had felt like a funeral procession.

    Terry tried to look as grumpy as possible in the hopes of making people shut up. His honest face didn¡¯t need much added incentive. Even though the overall occasion was joyful, he was beginning to feel irritated.

    This shit was embarrassing. His family was around. They were the heroes.

    He really wanted to crawl into a hole.

    Just when Terry thought it could not get any more embarrassing, he locked eyes with a familiar looking martialist elder.

    Oh no.

    No no no.

    Please don¡¯t come¡ª Crap he¡¯s coming.

    Terry glanced at his uncle Samuel and could not help but sigh.

    ¡°Venerable Elder, we appreciate your lesson.¡± The martialist elder smiled smugly. He had always known how this would end.

    ¡°Uh-huh, thanks.¡± Terry spoke hollowly with a deadpan face.

    ¡°When everyone comes together, miracles do happen,¡± continued the smug elder with a knowing grin.

    ¡°Yup, miracles.¡± Terry just wanted this to be over. ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°With a righteous heart, sacrifices will never be in vain,¡± continued the martialist elder while following Terry''s floating medical treatment.

    ¡°Yup, uh-huh, uhm, actually, I¡¯m kind of in the middle of treatment and uhh¡­¡± Terry¡¯s mind raced for an excuse until the image of a certain intensely irritated woman from the local Circle of the Bright Lady surfaced in his mind. ¡°And I really need to rest. So if you don¡¯t mind, uhm¡­¡± He pointedly looked at the martialist.

    ¡°Of course, Senior..:¡± The elder puckered his lips. ¡°You¡­ require healing.¡± He smirked as if he was in on a secret joke and winked. He stepped aside and left the procession alone.

    Terry¡¯s eyes were glued to the back of Samuel¡¯s head. Of course, his uncle would turn around after this embarrassing conversation.

    Ridiculous.

    Terry had avoided landing in an early grave, but now the idea of a hole with his name on it didn¡¯t sound so bad anymore. A nice little hole to crawl into and avoid all of this nonsense.

    ¡°Should I even ask?¡± Samuel seemed intensely amused.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± implored Terry and he tried to make himself as small as possible. He had many things to talk about with his family. From what exactly had happened, over his discoveries and injuries, all the way to what the Wastes was going on with his soul or lack of one.

    So many more topics than some martialists that had even more screws loose than normal.

    ¡°Any suggestions for a place to take you where we can set up?¡± asked Samuel.

    ¡°This way.¡± Terry pointed. There was already a healing chamber for him at the Flower House. Perhaps his family could improve it. Daisy would have to be brought to her home as well.

    They arrived under the many gazes of joyous spectators.

    Samuel paused when he spotted the building that Terry was leading him to. He glanced at his accepted nephew and muttered. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s going to be a conversation you should have with your parents.¡± He snorted with amusement and shrugged slightly before continuing right into the main entrance of the Flower House.

    ***

    ¡°Most of the stragglers have been dealt with.¡± Isille walked into Terry¡¯s room in the Flower House and held her head. ¡°This country is making me tired.¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°An old man in a fancy dress just questioned my intentions with the ¡®Venerable Elder¡¯.¡±

    Terry cringed and opened his mouth with no words to say.

    Isille puckered her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m old enough to have my son being addressed as ¡®elder¡¯ anything. Am I? It¡¯s the hair isn¡¯t it.¡± She flicked her snow white hair. ¡°I guess no one is doing potion rituals for aesthetics.¡±

    Terry knew that his mother was trying to lighten the mood, but he didn¡¯t find the state of his parents a joke. They were alive, but they were now sharing a single lifespan. The unnatural hair color was proof of it.

    ¡°I think there are people outside that want to talk to you,¡± said Isille with a warm smile. ¡°They¡¯re being blocked by an uncompromising cultist woman insisting that you need rest. Seems like a reasonable lady. I like her.¡±

    The idea of his designated healers teaming up with his parents made Terry shiver. That scenario would not have him leave his room until he was Devon¡¯s age probably.

    I already have the looneys gathering too. Oh and a creepy soul-thing! I¡¯m really turning into Devon¡¯s little brother, aren¡¯t I? If they move my house arrest into a tower, the picture would be complete.

    Wait¡­

    ¡°How did you get in here if Akemi is blocking the way?¡± asked Terry with narrowed eyes.

    Isille snorted. ¡°Please. I said I like her, not that I would let her stop me from seeing my son. Besides, I think this visit would help your recovery. Health goes beyond the body.¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°It would help them too.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°And right now, your miserable looks might earn you some pity points.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Although it¡¯s hard to say if they¡¯ll let you off just like that.¡±

    Terry rushed to stumble out the door. He shakily ran past his stunned bodyguards, healers, and past his smiling uncle. He hurriedly limped through the Flower House¡¯s main entrance¡­

    ¡­when someone knife-handed him onto his head from behind.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± demanded Akemi from down the stairs. The channeler of the Bright Lady glowered at the offending elf.

    ¡°Ambush,¡± said the familiar voice of one of Terry¡¯s oldest companions. Siling deadpanned at the offended channeler. ¡°He had it coming.¡± She creased her brows and stared at Terry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Since when can I take you by surprise? Last time I used Peekaboo¡¯s mana ability to conceal myself, it didn¡¯t give you any trouble.¡±

    Terry¡¯s mouth opened several times without saying anything before he finally found his tongue. ¡°Long story. Temporarily crippled senses.¡±

    Wait until I get my mana touch and soulsight back working properly.

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Siling¡¯s expression softened for a moment before she recomposed herself for her intended role. ¡°Good to know. I¡¯m going to exploit the shit out of that until I get tired of it. Be prepared.¡±

    Shit.

    ¡°Did you seriously have your bird soul shit on me?¡± asked Terry while squinting at his cheeky friend.

    In the background, a junior martialist gasped with a horrified expression. What kind of bird would dare to shit on the mighty senior?

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Siling held his gaze unflinchingly. ¡°You had it coming. Next time, you want to be alone for a suicide mission, you can just say so, shithead.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Terry gulped and then found himself tackled by two shorter figures that were clinging to his waist.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Akemi protested again. ¡°He¡¯s still injured and¡­¡±

    But Terry didn¡¯t listen to his healer¡¯s grumblings. He was too happy and too busy hugging his dwarven siblings back.

    ¡°They covered for me so that I could sneak past the cultist lady for the ambush,¡± explained Siling. ¡°Tiana had the unreasonably reasonable habit of agreeing with the lady and stressed that your rest took priority over reunions. She and the others are still with Chadwick. They¡¯re checking in with that tired-looking dwarf from the city guard to see where they can help. They¡¯ll catch up later.¡±

    Terry was glad to hear that Tiana was here, too. For one, because he was looking forward to seeing his friend and companion again, but also because it meant that her demonic possession problem must be well under control for her to come and join the fight.

    That was a relief. The tall woman had enough trouble with her external mana control impairment. It was great to know that Tiana was succeeding to overcome the lightning elementals that were possessing her mind.

    Terry was surprised to hear that her brother Chadwick had come as well. The lightning-aspected man was a soldier in the Arcanian army. It probably wasn¡¯t easy for him to request a leave of duty to follow his sister into such a confrontation.

    After a few quiet seconds, Terry could see that Lori was stomping on his foot.

    ¡°Whaka Terry, once you¡¯ve recovered, we¡¯re going to spar,¡± hissed Lori while hugging her brothers tighter.

    I guess I deserved that.

    I¡¯m not going to point out that Samuel temporarily disabled my pain receptors, though.

    Jorg only added an affirmative grunt while tears were rolling down his face.

    It was at this moment that Terry realized his siblings and Siling were similarly well equipped to his parents.

    Not the same power but probably adjusted to what they can handle. Can¡¯t have been cheap. Aunt Brynn must be the sponsor for them all. They were geared for war from the beginning.

    War¡­

    Terry finally remembered the situation they were still in. He had been relieved at seeing the most recent wave crushed by his whaka. He had been glad beyond belief to see his whaka again. Now, however, he was faced with the realization that he had dragged his whaka into an actual war.

    Unless, of course, Terry left with them for Arcana.

    But could he really pack up and leave the city? He still remembered the wall of the dead that was the city gate. The city¡¯s situation hadn¡¯t changed and neither had his relation with it.

    But could he really ask his family and friends to stay? They had no relation with this city. They had come here for him.

    This was war.

    He had once scolded his siblings for dragging him into a secret dungeon dive.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    This was war.

    Hypocrite.

    Idiot.

    Terry focused on his breathing to push his intrusive thoughts away.

    ***

    After talking to his siblings and Siling ¨C and after more than a few chiding glares from Akemi ¨C Terry returned to the Flower House.

    He had learned that Tiana, Miguel, and Elena had also come to the Freedom Cooperative together with his family. Lori and Tiana had also brought some other members they currently grouped up with.

    For some members in Tiana¡¯s group, it was apparently not entirely voluntary. They were people sharing Tiana¡¯s affliction. They had been possessed by elementals after Arcana¡¯s barrier had broken and they all relied on Matteo to subjugate the elementals until they mastered them on their own. Since his cousin Matteo had not hesitated to come, they had little choice but to follow him and Tiana.

    They must hate my guts.

    Terry felt guilty and also a bit wary. Tiana¡¯s group wasn¡¯t the only one that sparked some conflicted feelings.

    Lori had acted cagey when talking about her own new group. As if she was fearing that Terry would not get along with them. His first thought was that she had brought Alrik again, but after inquiring with a whisper to Jorg, that was apparently not the case.

    Gellath had stayed behind in Arcana in order to watch over Terry¡¯s ¡®Senior Disciples¡¯ from Tiv ¨C the unusually short dwarf Thena and her bodyguard Clayson.

    Siling had said that Calam, his force-aspected elven friend, was still doing his ¡®hero apprenticeship¡¯ somewhere in the now defunct Tiv Empire where the Valkyrie was settling some business for pushing along the dissolution of Tiv into Arcana¡¯s territory.

    Calam had apparently lucked out and became the disciple of the Valkyrie, which made Terry happy. Happy for Calam, because his force-aspected friend got to learn directly from his biggest idol.

    Also happy for himself, because there was no doubt in Terry¡¯s mind that the Valkyrie would eventually show up to confront the Lich Kingdoms. No matter if centuries had passed since the Valkyrie¡¯s oath, she would honor it. Her arrival would not only allow Terry to see Calam again but it also might resolve his current internal conflict.

    If the great Valkyrie would take over the city¡¯s defense, then a fraud like him would not be needed anymore. He wouldn¡¯t have to drag his whaka down further either.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, Siling had claimed that the Valkyrie had asked about him, which sparked a lot of questions, but this conversation had to be cut short and postponed until later.

    Terry really needed to rest. Before he could step into his specialized healing chamber, however, someone else approached him: The representative of the Flower House was wearing a distressed expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°...what happened, Terry?¡± Jasmine returned her own question. ¡°Daisy isn¡¯t coming out of her room. I know she is awake. She isn¡¯t eating. She doesn¡¯t answer when I talk to her.¡± The representative of the Flower House looked at Terry with pleading eyes. ¡°Why were you two brought in from outside the city? How? Brandon came with a book and she just refused to see him. She never refuses story time with the boy. What happened? What¡­?¡±

    Oh right.

    Terry took a deep breath. Another unpleasant topic he hadn¡¯t dealt with yet. He needed to rest, but could only sigh. He looked at his former employer that had nerves to walk high up in the sky without any safety rope but looked completely shaken now.

    Terry considered telling her everything, but stopped himself. His honest face was probably revealing everything anyway. Still, he thought he might go about it another way. ¡°I can try talking to her.¡± He almost missed the times when his biggest problems were worrying about failing an examination.

    Shit was simpler then.

    Terry knocked and then entered Daisy¡¯s room. He could see the back of her head poking out of a blanket on her bed. He saw a copy of the Path of a Mage on the desk. He didn¡¯t know if it was the one that he had given to her or if Brandon had brought his own copy and left it.

    Doesn¡¯t matter.

    Terry sat down on a chair next to the desk. ¡°How are you feeling? Any weird sensation from the stab wound?¡±

    Daisy winced when she heard Terry¡¯s voice. After a heavy silence, she replied faintly. ¡°...no.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Terry meant it. He felt conflicted about what had happened. He wasn¡¯t sorry for rejecting her. He wasn¡¯t sorry for following the path of who he wanted to be. He had naturally felt betrayed by her actions at first, but the feeling softened after Daisy had thrown even her own life away trying to help him.

    Attacking a vampire with no mana and only a little dagger took courage. Her preceding actions must have been driven by a similar desire to help him, even if her understanding of him had been twisted beyond his own recognition.

    Daisy had obviously been desperate to protect him. Despair exacerbated by her own weakness.

    Despite the betrayal of his principles, Terry could relate to that.

    ¡°Jasmine asked me what happened,¡± said Terry slowly.

    Daisy winced again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, but¡­¡± Terry took a deep breath. He did not like whom his next words reminded himself of. ¡°...but I don¡¯t have to say everything.¡±

    Daisy turned around. Her eyes were red and puffy. She must have been crying a lot. She grimaced and shook her head. ¡°No. No more lies. I¡¯m horrible. They should know. I¡¯m a monster. I betrayed all of them. Would have left them all to die.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m horrible.¡±

    Wow. Yikes.

    Terry took a deep breath. He felt more comfortable facing the count. Normally he only heard such a rapid firing of deprecating words from his own intrusive thoughts.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Terry searched for words. ¡°...don¡¯t believe you¡¯re horrible. You made a horrible mistake.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Influenced by horrible people. You¡¯re¡­¡± Again he had to consider his words. ¡°...kind. They twisted that kindness.¡±

    ¡°I betrayed them all¡­¡± Daisy trembled and began crying again.

    I¡¯m not very good at this.

    ¡°If you want to tell them, that¡¯s your choice,¡± said Terry with a smile. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I would do the same. But if you tell anyone, tell them the whole story. You wanted to save someone. Even if that someone wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not better than that traitor guard that had you kidnapped,¡± muttered Daisy.

    Whatever happened to that guy? I know that the three traitors were supposed to be taken care of by Thiago and the others but¡ª Not the time.

    Focus.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± stressed Terry.

    ¡°I nearly got you killed!¡± protested Daisy.

    ¡°Not your intention,¡± stressed Terry. ¡°And you nearly got yourself killed trying to help me.¡± This whole conversation started to feel oddly familiar. Only normally, Terry conversed in this manner with his own intrusive thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie,¡± began Terry. ¡°You were ready to abandon the city. I wasn¡¯t ready to do the same, but I understand.¡± He knew what it felt like to feel conflicted. He had run from undead hellspawn to focus on his return to Arcana. Those very undead had torn through villages and settlements as well. He also understood the despair that came from being too weak¡­ or too naive and only realizing it after the fact.

    Even so.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same as murdering someone,¡± stressed Terry again. ¡°You¡¯re not the same as¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have lied to me though. This wouldn¡¯t have been as complicated if you had just told me what was going on.¡±

    Daisy nodded faintly while tears continued rolling down her face and onto her pillow. Her mouth opened and reopened several times without saying anything until she finally forced out faint words. ¡°Can we still be¡­ friends?¡±

    Terry was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected such a question and this made him pause. After considering his words, he replied. ¡°Sure, but only if you promise to never twist yourself again. Not for me. I don¡¯t believe you wanted to do that. You twisted yourself to do it. Don¡¯t do that. You¡¯re my friend the way you are. Don¡¯t twist that beyond recognition.¡± His eyes fell onto the book on the desk.

    Terry shakily stood up and brought the Path of a Mage over. ¡°Follow the kind of person you want to become.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not the Veilbinder. Whatever story you choose.¡± He limped to the door. ¡°I think we both need some rest, but surely, there¡¯ll be time for stories again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Daisy smiled and looked at the book.

    ***

    ¡°Thank you, Terry.¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice caused Terry to flinch.

    Damn, I can¡¯t wait until my senses recover to become reliable again. This is ridiculous.

    Terry turned to see Jasmine standing close to the door to Daisy¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what the representative of the Flower House had been doing. ¡°You heard?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± admitted Jasmine with strange nonchalance. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not surprised, to be honest. I knew Daisy was built differently than the other flowers, which was why I asked you to be mindful.¡±

    Terry felt the urge to say sorry, but he wasn¡¯t sure how he could have acted any differently. He wasn¡¯t sure what he had done wrong if he had indeed done anything wrong. In the end, he remained quiet.

    ¡°You should rest,¡± said Jasmine and then she knocked on Daisy¡¯s room.

    That I should¡­

    ***

    Before Daisy could say anything, Jasmine preempted her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daisy.¡±

    Daisy blinked with incomprehension.

    ¡°I¡¯ve listened at the door,¡± said Jasmine.

    Daisy paled and averted her gaze with shame.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not what I meant when I said that I¡¯m sorry,¡± continued Jasmine. She shook her head with a pensive look. ¡°You know when I was working under the previous representative of this house, I always thought it was so obvious how everything should be done.

    ¡°The old representative and I were constantly arguing.¡± Jasmine smiled wistfully. ¡°I believe that¡¯s why she eventually chose me to nominate as representative ¨C because I cared.¡±

    Jasmine took a deep breath. ¡°We always argued about whom to accept as a flower. She wanted to accept everyone with a good heart, even if they didn¡¯t have any other options.¡± She put a hand to her forehead. ¡°Or exactly because. She didn¡¯t want to withhold an option that might be their only one.¡±

    Jasmine sighed. ¡°I always stressed that a single option is not actually a choice. Presenting only an option that will be regretted is not helpful. It¡¯s a trap.¡± She spread her arms. ¡°I always thought I knew how to run everything. Always confident. Never regretting.¡±

    Jasmine looked at Daisy. ¡°Until you.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Some love this work. If they weren¡¯t working here, they might even visit as clients. Some don¡¯t mind the work and they enjoy the business, or prefer the pay over other occupations. They all have their goals and the work is compatible with them. They won¡¯t regret this.

    ¡°But you?¡± Jasmine shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to work here. You wanted to work here. You wanted to work here and I don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t get it, because from the moment you started working here, you always seemed to look for someone to take you away.

    ¡°You fixate on a single visitor and seem to build them up in your head, only to be disappointed.¡± Jasmine sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m not even talking about what happened with Terry, but about your guests like Alexander.¡± She started crying. ¡°You have your head in the clouds and I don¡¯t think reality will ever catch up with that. I¡¯m sorry, because I don¡¯t know how to help you. I don¡¯t believe this line of work is good for you.¡±

    ¡°...should I go?¡± muttered Daisy. She wasn¡¯t surprised. She had done something horrible. It was no wonder she was being thrown out.

    ¡°No,¡± denied Jasmine firmly. ¡°You¡¯re part of our Flower Cooperative. You have every right to be here. I don¡¯t want to throw you out of your home. I want to help you be happy and I don¡¯t believe this work is compatible with that. For others, yes. But not for you.¡±

    Jasmine walked closer and knelt next to Daisy¡¯s bed. ¡°If you could start over. What would you like to be?¡±

    Daisy wiped away her tears. She didn¡¯t feel deserving of being treated so kindly by a woman she had been ready to abandon. Jasmine surely had tried to be kind when calling this place her home, but for Daisy it reminded her of what she had been ready to abandon. Which in turn reminded her of the moment that the vampires had attacked Terry. When all her efforts had ended with her own dagger stabbed into her chest. When she had felt powerless to do anything.

    Looking at Jasmine, who was showering her with concern even after all she had done, Daisy could not help but picture all the other people she cared about. All the other people she would be equally powerless to protect when it mattered.

    Daisy¡¯s eyes landed on the book on her bed and she muttered: ¡°...is it too late to accumulate mana in my body?¡±

    Jasmine patted Daisy¡¯s head. ¡°Never. And you know what? I often thought we should have a proper Flower Protector on our own. We¡¯ll make it work.¡± She smiled reassuringly. ¡°And that would also save us the fees for the Guild, so it¡¯s a win-win all around. Eventually.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you joined the scouting,¡± remarked Emaldine. She placed her two long spears carefully on the ground and followed the young archer¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Why? Since I¡¯m already here, I might as well make myself useful,¡± said Miguel while looking over the cliff. He squinted to focus his trained eyes on the distance. ¡°Edmund said this would be useful, so here I am. Anyway, it was pretty clear that we won¡¯t get to see Terry and I wasn¡¯t ready to pick a fight with the cultist.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not that you¡¯re trying to avoid Lori¡¯s second brother until she tells him about you two?¡± teased Tiana. The tall human woman knelt down next to the two dwarves.

    ¡°You think I would rather face the Lich Kingdoms than Lori¡¯s brother?¡± Miguel raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, from the stories, ¡®the Guardian¡¯ brought the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ invasion to a halt.¡± Tiana pointed out. A spark of lightning flickered through her eyes.

    ¡°Those stories can¡¯t really be true, can they?¡± muttered Miguel while observing the horizon. ¡°Besides, I think Terry will be happy for us.¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± agreed Tiana.

    Miguel glanced at Emaldine. ¡°I¡¯m training to be a tracker which relates to scouting work. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re here though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve walked through the Union on my own, you little pellet,¡± grumbled Emaldine. ¡°I can handle myself. I¡¯ve traveled the Wasted Zone for years before. Scavenging work has lots in common with scouting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would call scavenging ¡®work¡¯,¡± retorted Miguel flatly.

    Emaldine rolled her eyes. ¡°Boy, now you sound like my ma.¡±

    ¡°Being compared to the Divine Hammer is not as much of an insult as you might think,¡± retorted Miguel.

    Emaldine held back her initial reply and looked pensively. ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s not.¡± She missed her mother. She had even started practicing the divine hammer inscription in secret. Although she would not admit that to anyone. Not yet at least.

    ¡°Shh.¡± Chadwick jumped down from the ledge over their heads and gestured for them to be quiet. ¡°From the northeast. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to scout.¡±

    ¡°I see it¡­¡± Miguel squinted. ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± He flinched back.

    ¡°Shh.¡± Chadwick held Miguel¡¯s mouth after the sudden exclamation. ¡°At this distance, we have to be careful.¡±

    Miguel was shaking his head with a dumbstruck expression. ¡°We have to go. Now!¡±

    After they had distanced themselves somewhat, Miguel explained: ¡°An army of strangely twisted soul spirits and¡­¡±

    ¡°The Spirited Duchess,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about her in the army. The city guard of the Bloodborne King¡ª Sorry of the Freedom Cooperative mentioned that the invasion was likely being overseen by the Five Unholy Duchesses. They¡¯re strong, so what¡¯s¡­?¡± He didn¡¯t understand what had triggered such a strong reaction in the dwarven archer.

    ¡°Yeah, that was impressive but waste it.¡± Miguel shook his head and motioned for them to hasten the return. ¡°I hope my eyes are going blind because¡­¡±

    ¡°Because what?¡± asked Tiana worriedly. Of those present, she had interacted the most with Miguel before. His reaction was definitely off.

    ¡°You know how we thought we could rescue Terry and return?¡± muttered Miguel. ¡°Perhaps buy time for a proper evacuation or save the city a few times and then return eventually. Well, I don¡¯t see that happening. Not with her. Shit just got weird.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± pressed Emaldine.

    Miguel looked at Tiana. ¡°That Spirited Duchess or whatever. She looks exactly like Siling.¡± His face contorted. ¡°If Siling was a soul spirit.¡± He gestured in front of him. ¡°An elven soul spirit! And I don¡¯t mean she resembles her, or some all elves look alike bullshit. I mean that abominable soul spirit looks like the spitting image of our friend!¡±

    ***

    ¨C End of Arc 7, Indomitable Bonds ¨C

 Arc 07 Character Glossary

    <h2>New Named Characters</h2>

    Jasmine ¨C human woman, representative of the Flower House and Flower Cooperative, mana cultivator, Freedom Cooperative (formerly Bloodborne Kingdom) in the Free Factions Union

    Lavender ¨C elven woman, flower in Jasmine¡¯s Flower House, studies business management, mage (weak)

    Iris ¨C human woman, flower in Jasmine¡¯s Flower House, tattoo and body inscription afficionada, mana cultivator

    Daisy ¨C human woman, flower in Jasmine¡¯s Flower House, manaless

    Brandon ¨C human boy, orphan raised by Jasmine¡¯s Flower House

    Edmund ¨C dwarven man, officer in the city guard of the Freedom Cooperative (formerly Bloodborne Kingdom) in the Free Factions Union

    Thiago (the Whisperer) ¨C human man, unaspected mage specializing in death whispering, leader of the hunters and representative of the Import-Export Cooperative in the Freedom Cooperative (formerly Bloodborne Kingdom) in the Free Factions Union

    Hector ¨C human man, mage specializing in the shadow aspect, left-hand man of Thiago

    Intira ¨C elven woman, unaspected mage, right-hand woman of Thiago

    Akemi ¨C elven woman, Bright in the Circle of the Bright Lady, leading a circle of faithful in the Freedom Cooperative (formerly Bloodborne Kingdom) in the Free Factions Union

    Georg ¨C (deceased) human man, Glimmer in the Circle of the Bright Lady, member of Akemi¡¯s circle

    Alias Terry ¡ú the Whetstone Arcanian (Thanatos), the Arcanian Returnee (martialists), Freedom¡¯s Guardian (Free Factions Union, Lich Kingdoms), The Benefactor (lizans)

    <h2>Recurring Named Characters</h2>

    Terry: human man, our protagonist, major aspect impairment

    Samuel: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on spellwork research, former Guildhead and famed dungeon expert, Terry¡¯s accepted Uncle

    Brynn: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on mana crafting and constructs, Terry¡¯s accepted Aunt

    Pelliana: human woman, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on healing, Terry¡¯s former mentor, Clarity¡¯s current mentor

    Ser: human man, Instructor at Arcana Academy focusing on rituals and applied spellwork

    Isille: dwarven woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in bounty hunting and dual short spears, external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted mother

    Bjorln: dwarven man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing in medicine and unarmed combat, dual-aspected (fire and ice), Terry¡¯s accepted father

    Olgorn: deceased, dwarven man, fire-aspected, brother of Bjorln, accepted brother of Samuel

    Florine (Lori): dwarven woman, earth-aspected, Terry¡¯s accepted sister

    Jorgen (Jorg): dwarven man, slight external mana control impairment, Terry¡¯s accepted brother

    Sigille (The Divine Hammer): deceased, dwarven woman, Guardian (Tiv), external mana control impairment, sister of Isille, accepted aunt of Terry, lives in the Tiv Empire

    Emaldine: dwarven woman, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment, daughter of Sigille, former Guardian (Tiv), former scavenger, accepted sister of Matteo, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Matteo (Elemental Fury): human man, possessing elementals, accepted son of Sigille, accepted cousin of Terry, accepted brother of Emaldine, originally from the Free Factions Union, lives in the Tiv Empire, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion and for dealing the deathblow to Bright Willow

    Ben: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Leah: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Calam: elven man, force-aspected, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Nassim: human man, light-aspected, Guardian candidate whom Terry and Calam rejected as a companion

    Siling: elven woman, mage proper gifted in the spirit aspect and focusing on soul spiritualism, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion

    Alrik: dwarven man, mage proper, Lori¡¯s first Guardian companion

    Elena: human woman, blood-aspected, Lori¡¯s second Guardian companion

    Gellath: dwarven man, water-aspected, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Miguel: dwarven man, coldfire-aspected, archer, Jorg¡¯s Guardian companion

    Khaled: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on mana cursed

    Verecund: human man, Guardian instructor (Arcana) specializing on dungeon work

    Mirabilia (Mira): human woman, Guardian instructor (Arcana), friend and former Guardian companion of Isille

    Mercedes: human woman, researcher that studies mana cursed, Arcana

    Kimutai: human man, manaless engineer, Arcana

    Tiana: human woman, external mana control impairment, specializing in switching weapons according to the situation, Terry¡¯s third Guardian companion, possessed by lightning elementals

    Daiyu: elven woman, Guardian (Arcana), Siling¡¯s mother

    Chadwick: human man, lightning-aspected, Arcanian soldier, Tiana¡¯s brother

    Tamar: human woman, Guardian (Arcana)

    Dwayne: human man, Guardian (Arcana)

    Javier: Guardian (Arcana)

    Naer (Roy, Weran): elven man, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage, true mage (archmage proper)

    Mia: elven woman, Guildhead (Arcana), dimensional mage

    William: Guildhead (Arcana)

    Alrick: Terry¡¯s nickname for ghouls

    Devon (Dev): human man, unwilling and uncooperative incarnation of the Devonian Lord, Deathguard scout (Tiv), incomparable life/death sense, impaired mana sense, undying, multi-aspected (life, blood, death, hellfire, netherfrost)

    Megumi (The Captain): human woman, former soldier and current Deathguard (Tiv), one of Tiv¡¯s Nine Blademasters, air-aspected

    Elizabeth the Third of Castellan (Lizzy): human woman, Deathguard (Tiv), Tiv nobility, dual-aspected (life and metal)

    Elvis: elven man, fond of mechanics and gadget crafting, living in Chara Settlement with his sister Poppy

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Poppy: elven woman, self-taught mana crafter, living in Chara Settlement with her brother Elvis

    Amelia (The Spellcrusher): human woman, mage proper specializing in anti-magic, former mage hunter, former Guildhead (Tiv) that was active in Guild management, spirit-bonded with Dargones, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Dargones: (The Magebane): human man, mana cultivator, magebane i.e. single-aspected (nullification), former Guildhead (Tiv), spirit-bonded with Amelia, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Jee (Silver-Eyes): dwarven man, dimensional mage, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Diwa (The Mage Supreme): human woman, the most powerful mage in the Tiv Empire, mentor of Mahalia

    Fernanda: deceased, human woman, soldier of the Thanatos Empire, killed by Megumi at the Bulwark

    Damian: human man, former soldier of the Thanatos Empire, current representative in Thanatos¡¯s government (Lucky Wing of the Bloody Hall), dual-aspected (earth, metal)

    Logan: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), father of Romana, lives in Syn City

    Ying: elven man and vampire, soul spiritualist, major of Syn City

    Saul: lich (reincarnated), leads Syn City together with Ying

    Gretchen: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death executioner, wife of Wilhelm, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Wilhelm: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death reaver, husband of Gretchen, originally from Tiv (Yellow Creek Village), lives in Syn City

    Olivienne: (former) human woman that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, mother of Pedro, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Yancey: (former) human man that reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, death mage, originally from Tiv, lives in Syn City

    Castellan (The Brave Iron Giant): Old noble in Tiv, war companion of the Hope, Tivius, Korra, and Diwa

    Kipkoi (The Preacher): Minister in one of Tiv¡¯s district that borders the Wasted Zone, former soldier, mage proper, proponent of magic restrictions, proponent of reestablishing patrols in the Wasted Zone, proponent of integrating the faithful, founder of the Devout Division

    Romana: human woman, self-taught aspect archer, daughter of Logan, originally from Tiv (Silent Stream Village), lives in Syn City

    Pedro: human boy, son of Olivienne, lives in Syn City

    Millie: human girl and vampiress, lives in Syn City

    Chris: human boy, lives in Syn City

    Ethel: human woman reincarnated as a skeletal warrior, spectral knight (specter with forged skeletal frame), sister of Gretchen, lives in Syn City, aspiring Deathguard (Tiv)

    Mal: canan man, Wasteguard (Tiv) focusing on coordinating Guardian activity in the Wasted Zone, stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Varnika: human woman, Wasteguard (Tiv), stationed in the Chara Settlement

    Lucas: human man, former Guardian, ministerial representative for Guardian management in the Libra Outpost (representing Minister Kipkoi), married to Ruslana

    Ruslana: human woman, married to Lucas

    Willow: deceased, human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Bright), lead the Guardian management in the Libra Outpost, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death, killed by Matteo

    Dhruv: dwarven man, druid and Guardian (Tiv), most senior Guardian at the Libra Outpost

    Cadence: human woman, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous), Guardian companion of Sigille and Matteo (Tiv)

    Vhida: elven woman, former Guardian (Tiv), specializes in mana crafting, former direct disciple of Sigille (honorary)

    Ghinn: human man, imperial censor (Tiv)

    Santos: human man, working as information broker in Tiv¡¯s Guild, married to Alejandra

    Alejandra: human woman, married to Santos

    Elenec: human woman and vampiress, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Vell: human man and vampire, Guildhead (Tiv) and death hunter

    Apex (Aparicia, the Heretic of the Martial Tower): human woman, mana martialist, Guildhead (Tiv)

    Eric (Vicious): human man, channeler of the Shapeless Pond, disgraced Guardian, Guildhead (Tiv), grudge against Matteo, grudge against Apex

    Carlos (Sudden Death): human man, channeler and follower in the Serenity of Pax, Guildhead (Tiv)

    The Venom Siblings: three human siblings, two deceased (male and female mana cultivator), one survivor (female mage), Guildheads (Tiv)

    Ava: human woman, daughter of Mahalia, dimensional mage, follower of Kipkoi, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Mahalia: human woman, disciple of the Mage Supreme, mother of Ava, living in Tiv¡¯s capital

    Rachel: human woman, Guardian instructor (Tiv) focusing on spellwork

    Palmer (The Demonpalm): human man, former Guardian instructor (Tiv), mana cultivator, specializes in the sonic aspect, known for hunting demons, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving to Thanatos

    Tara: canan woman, former Guardian (Tiv), direct disciple of Sigille, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, moving back to her native realm

    Thena: dwarven woman, sister of Jee, student and aspiring disciple of Sigille, mana cultivator, external mana control impairment

    Clayson: dwarven man, bodyguard and friend of Thena, mana cultivator

    Clarence: elven man, Kipkoi¡¯s childhood friend and helper, thief and assassin

    Derek: human man, direct disciple of Palmer, permanently crippled mana pool, Terry¡¯s first Guardian companion in Tiv, wanted for his role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Rosheen: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing a sonic-aspected spell and remaining hidden, Guardian companion of Derek, wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, following Palmer to Thanatos

    Isabella: human woman, mage that specializes in utilizing the Shadow Bind spell, former Guardian (Tiv), wanted for her role in the Libra Outpost rebellion, considered moving to a conclave of the Magic Liberation Front

    Harrison: deceased, human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (unranked), second Guardian companion of Terry in Tiv, killed by Terry during the Libra Outpost rebellion

    Wallace: elven man, dungeon scavenger, aspect archer, expert in hiding his mana and picking magical locks, like a father to Matteo, father of Emily

    Emily: elven woman, like a little sister to Matteo, daughter of Wallace, aspiring druid, disciple of Dhruv

    Bigsby: human man, dungeon scavenger

    Dee: human woman, dungeon scavenger

    Borf: dwarven man, dungeon scavenger

    Anand: human man, necromancer, dimensional mage, expert in elementals, former mentor of Matteo, willfully caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals and triggered a calamity in the lands of the Four Towers in the Free Factions Union that also led to the death of Sigille¡¯s husband, responsible for Sigille¡¯s death

    Anem: human man, follower and channeler of the Bright Lady (rank: Luminous)

    Eli: human man, crimson iris at the center of his forehead, General of the Thanatos Empire

    Yana: human woman, soldier in the Thanatos army, acts as right hand of General Eli

    Clarity: human woman, student in Arcana Academy, prot¨¦g¨¦ of Pelliana

    Patricia: human woman, specializes in shadow-aspected magic, Guidhead (Tiv)

    Hope (The Valkyrie): elven woman, force-aspected, Tiv¡¯s most well-known hero and mage

    Yujin: human woman, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army

    Claude: human man, soldier in Tiv¡¯s army, special forces that guard the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon

    Tivius: deceased, human man, Founding King of the Tiv Empire, married to Korra

    Korra: human woman, Founding Queen of the Tiv Empire, married to Tivius

    Beatrice: human woman, former soldier in Thanatos, death whisperer, enthusiast for constructs and unorthodox forms of magic, plotted against Lizzy and Megumi on the Bulwark

    Blue: deceased, lizan man, initiate from the lizan native realm that was supposed to bait and eliminate Fate

    Fate: lizan woman, powerful mage that utilizes spellwork including divination, scrying, and unachored dimensional transfers

    Nash: deceased, human man, prisoner in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, shadow-aspected

    Yesenia: human woman, former soldier of the Thanatos army, overseer in the Thanatos Proving Grounds, friends with Yana

    Rafael: felan man, mana martialist, unaffiliated cultivator, relying on the Heavenly Wolf Slash, sticky fingers

    Xuan: lizan man, mana martialist, member of the Soaring Mountain Sect, same lizan tribe as Fate, grudge against Thanatos

    The Librarian: deceased, elven woman, mana martialist, member of the Skyriver Sect, from the Free Factions Union, former prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

    The Bloody Duchess: human woman and vampiress, from the Lich Kingdoms, escaped prisoner of the Thanatos Proving Grounds

    Shen: deceased, human man, martialist, high status in his sect and part of its intelligence division, son of Mei

    Mei: human woman, martialist, high status in her sect and part its leadership, mother of Shen

    Sheila: human woman, martialist, high status in the Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Zhang: human man, martialist, member of Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Barnes: human man, martialist, member of Icy Dew Mountain Sect

    Chalita: human woman, martialist, high status in Shadowed Forest Sect, soul in new body

    Hom (the Immortal Tigress): felan woman, martialist, high status in her sect

    Guillermo (the Outcast): elven man, martialist, polarizing character in the Ironbark Fist Sect

    Jason: elven man, martialist, (former) member of the (disbanded) Skyriver Sect

    Annabelle (the Crow¡¯s Ghost): human woman, martialist, member of the Blazing Sun Sect, sister of Peter

    Peter (the Crow¡¯s Reincarnation): human man, martialist, member of the Blazing Sun Sect, brother of Annabelle

    <h2>

    </h2>

 211 Hard Truths

    ¨C Beginning of Arc 8, Eternal Grudge ¨C

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 68 ¨C

    Terry was sitting on the floor in his healing chamber with his notebooks scattered all around him. Whenever he put down his pen, he sneakily guided a bit of his mana into his Guardian card and signaling cube. Feeling the connections with his friends and family brought a wide smile to his face.

    Terry was still under house arrest, enforced by a nefarious coalition of his healers and parents. He didn¡¯t mind it so much anymore ¨C not when feeling the long-missed connections in his signaling devices.

    He still felt useless, but his healing was proceeding smoothly thanks to the new situation.

    The army of constructs that were defending the city at the moment didn¡¯t require any healing. The defending forces hadn¡¯t suffered any significant injuries ever since his family had arrived, which had freed up the local healers, and that was only one part of his accelerated recovery.

    Bjorln and Samuel had added their own abilities and stockpiles to the healing team. Brynn had hired Mia to issue a new mission at the Guild in Arcana to recruit and transport capable healers with specialized abilities targeted to Terry¡¯s circumstances.

    Despite all the positives, a slight frown found its way on Terry¡¯s face occasionally. He was still missing a few connections before he could call his Guardian card restored. He hadn¡¯t even met all of his Arcanian friends and family that had come to his rescue. Some had accepted tasks outside the city before Terry had a chance to see them.

    Terry took a deep breath. They were supposed to return soon and then he would get a chance to express his gratitude.

    If the newly arrived healers from the Guild were as competent as they were expensive, he would be liberated from his house arrest and could properly spend some time with everyone.

    Terry¡¯s face contorted with a well-worn unsatisfied expression. Even though he had gotten over the worst, he was not supposed to stress his mana channels and senses for a while. Even if that didn¡¯t leave him entirely useless, it still left him feeling stagnant.

    His Aunt Brynn had promised him some proper equipment eventually, and he was sure that it would strengthen him, but that still felt unsatisfactory. Powerful items weren¡¯t truly his own power, even if the skill to wield them was.

    He had always tried to find exercises that helped him train multiple aspects together, but if he wasn¡¯t able to push his mana control and throughput, then his reliance on items would increase without corresponding benefits to his power without items.

    Terry¡¯s eyes drifted towards a pile of books next to his notebooks. Some he had bought when he had intended to leave the Freedom Cooperative. Others had been gifted to him after he had become Freedom¡¯s Guardian and the symbol of the city¡¯s defense.

    Terry wasn¡¯t able to do much, but he could still read. The more he thought about the predicament facing him for the foreseeable future, the more his mind settled on a single idea.

    The books were all his references on body inscriptions.

    Terry knew he could count on the local experts to share their information with him, and he now had his aunt and uncle present to ask for advice as well.

    None of this addressed the fundamental risk that came with unorthodox mana use, but Terry had an idea for that. The problem was that his idea would be something difficult to communicate to¡­ anyone, really.

    To anyone that cared about him at least. Terry still remembered the concerned look of his aunt Sigille when he had first broached the idea of starting resistance training.

    To Terry, it appeared perfectly fine. After all, he had already submitted himself to much worse. The regular aspect resistance training had been outright pleasant compared to his efforts in the Elusive Fog of Frost.

    In Terry¡¯s mind, it appeared perfectly logical. He was forced to submit to constant healing anyway, so whatever damage he was causing to his body would be healed alongside his deeper injuries.

    Sure, it might hurt, but that was something he had gotten used to.

    A memory surfaced from Terry¡¯s subconscious mind. ¡®Devon, what the Wastes?!¡¯ Lizzy stomped back into the secret crafter¡¯s room of Poppy. ¡®Why is there a finger in the trash bin?!¡¯

    Terry involuntarily grimaced.

    I¡¯m really turning into Devon¡¯s little brother, aren¡¯t I?

    If Lizzy and the Captain were to hear that Terry was taking inspiration from Devon, of all people, they would probably sign onto the ever-growing list of people demanding his house arrest.

    I should carefully consider how to present my idea¡­

    ***

    Edmund sighed wearily. During their first encounters, he had thought few people could be as frustrating as the Guardian. Now, he was beginning to understand where the young man had gotten it from. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°No but,¡± barked Isille. She glared at the present representatives of the city state. ¡°The city has to be evacuated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible.¡± Edmund rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°Then make it possible,¡± retorted Isille. ¡°We can buy you the time.¡±

    ¡°This is our city,¡± hissed Intira. ¡°This is our home.¡±

    ¡°A city we saved,¡± hissed Isille right back. She and the elven hunter were staring daggers at each other.

    ¡°And we¡¯re grateful for that!¡± A woman from the Knights of Labors hurriedly added. ¡°But¡­¡± She stopped herself when she spotted Isille¡¯s deepening glower.

    The repeated ¡®but¡¯-s made Isille¡¯s eye twitch.

    ¡°You have seen our city.¡± Akemi spoke up.

    Seeing the healer that had cared for Terry¡¯s injuries before their arrival caused Isille¡¯s expression to soften, and the dwarven woman nodded.

    ¡°Did you happen to see the manaless?¡± continued Akemi. ¡°Perhaps even some elderly manaless?¡± While the dwarven woman in front of her was nodding along, Akemi made her point: ¡°This city is stubborn. They will not leave. Neither are the people that have flocked here since the Guardian made a stand.¡±

    Isille couldn¡¯t help but glower at the healer that had appeared so reasonable earlier. ¡°¡®The Guardian¡¯? Your ¡®Guardian¡¯ is my son, and this city has worked him nearly to death. I¡¯m proud of him, both as a Guardian instructor and as his mother, but don¡¯t you all dare hide behind him any longer.¡±

    Edmund sighed again. ¡°We¡¯re not hiding¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Venerable Elder has a plan,¡± interjected a smug martialist elder. His interjection caused many of the participants to groan.

    For a moment, Isille just glowered at the martialist with her finger shaking in an impotent waggle of barely suppressed anger and irritation. ¡°You just keep your mouth shut!¡±

    Now it was the elder¡¯s turn to wrestle with his temper. If this irritating woman hadn¡¯t been close to the Venerable Elder, then he would challenge her to combat right now. ¡°You may claim to be his mother, but the Returnee is obviously cut of a different cloth.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Isille stepped closer to the martialist.

    ¡°Dear, focus.¡± A soft voice from the back of the room brought Isille back to her senses. Bjorln smiled at his wife before looking at the martialist. ¡°What¡¯s with this ¡®Returnee¡¯ crap?¡±

    ¡°An appropriate title for the Venerable Elder,¡± replied the martialist. ¡°In more ways than one.¡± He smiled knowingly, as if he was in on a secret the others weren¡¯t privy to. ¡°Even if the Returnee¡¯s fleshly body belongs to your son, his soul is mightier than you can imagine.¡±

    Isille frowned. The martialist sounded insane, but something about his pointed words caused her to pause. She would have to add that to the long list of topics to discuss with Terry.

    ¡°The Venerable Elder has his reasons,¡± said the martialist. ¡°He chose this place and it would be wise to not question his decisions.¡±

    Edmund forced himself to interject before this could get out of hand. ¡°I have to agree on one point.¡± He suppressed the reflex to wince when finding himself again the target of Isille¡¯s glare. ¡°I sympathize with your pain after seeing your son come to harm, but we didn¡¯t force him to fight. He chose to fight.¡±

    ¡°He could have left many times, but he didn¡¯t,¡± agreed Akemi. ¡°Instead, he kept volunteering for the tasks that no one else could take on.¡±

    ¡°A born trailbreaker,¡± interjected another dwarven woman from another corner of the room. The Thanatos soldier had perfectly positioned herself to observe both Isille and Bjorln. Ruby would not miss this chance to observe the alleged parents of the Whetstone Arcanian up close.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Isille pointed at Ruby. ¡°Stay out of it, Thanatos. My nose tells me that you and your Mad Empire had something to do with the false leads I had to wade through to find my son.¡±

    Ruby appeared amused until she found Isille right in front of her. The Arcanian dwarf with snow white hair had crossed the whole room in a single step thanks to her magic equipment.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I found my boy alive,¡± growled Isille. ¡°If anything happens to him, I will come for you first. Now shut up while I¡¯m speaking to those that actually have a right to decide this city¡¯s fate.¡±

    Ruby forced herself to step closer to Isille. ¡°Thanatos doesn¡¯t bow to threats.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about bowing.¡± Isille leaned in to glare at Ruby. ¡°I know that if I give the order, not a single Thanatos soldier would make it past the constructs alive. I¡¯m sure you understand your situation. Whatever your business in this city is, stay out of our way.¡±

    Isille stepped back into the center of the room and looked over the representatives. ¡°You should understand your situation as well. We¡¯re here to rescue my son and return him to his home. We will not stay here forever.¡±

    ¡°Lady Isille¡­¡± Akemi bit her lips. ¡°I think you should talk to your son.¡± She smiled wryly. ¡°Because I can¡¯t picture him abandoning this city.¡±

    Isille¡¯s expression darkened. The healer had hit a nerve. She couldn¡¯t picture Terry doing that either, which was why she was pressing the evacuation to begin with. ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk to him to know that you are right.¡± Her words turned from soft to hard. ¡°Which is precisely why I¡¯m here to make you understand. Terry doesn¡¯t care about the city. He wouldn¡¯t. He cares about the people here.¡± Which was why she couldn¡¯t let them dismiss the evacuation as an option.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Isille took a deep breath. ¡°You have to understand the situation you¡¯re in. Even if Terry decides to give his life to defend this place. Even if we decide to follow him to do the same. It wouldn¡¯t suffice.¡±

    Isille clasped her hands in front of her and took a deep breath to search for the right words. ¡°You have seen the constructs that Whaka Brynn brought. We are a force to be reckoned with, sure. We can buy enough time to evacuate everyone in the city, but¡­¡±

    Isille looked from person to person. ¡°We are just a family coming to pick up one of our own. We don¡¯t have the backing of an empire.¡± She gestured to emphasize the last word. ¡°That is what you are facing. An empire! You are facing the Lich Kingdoms! Get that through your heads!¡±

    Isille shook her head. ¡°We can hold out against the first duchess coming. Perhaps even the next two, but against all five of the Unholy Duchesses?¡± She scoffed. ¡°Your country doesn¡¯t have the materials to repair the constructs after battles of such scales. We¡¯re not poor, but we don¡¯t have the resources to face the bloody Lich Kingdoms for you.¡±

    Isille spread her arms wide. ¡°How do you think this will end? The Five Unholy Duchesses are hardly the only force in the Lich Kingdoms. If you want to face an empire, you need an empire! Let me emphasize that we are from Arcana, but we do not represent it.¡±

    Isille lowered her arms again. ¡°Without the backing of an empire, this country is doomed, no matter if we choose to ally with you or not. We can help you evacuate, but we alone cannot win against the Lich Kingdoms. Not in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the Union mobilizing in force?¡± interjected Bjorln, while moving his fingers through his snow-white beard. ¡°They had enough time by now.¡±

    Edmund sighed again. ¡°Even under the old king, our country had little standing in the Union. We¡¯re part of the periphery and not very influential, given our relative size. We don¡¯t have the pull. And that was before¡­¡± He looked at the representative from the Knights of Labor and let his voice trail off.

    ¡°Our Freedom Cooperative has not even been recognized as a member yet,¡± said the female politician sadly. ¡°Many other members are refusing to deal with us as representatives instead of with the royal family of the Bloodborne Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Isille rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Just great timing everywhere.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Union has learned nothing from the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ last uprising,¡± groaned Bjorln. ¡°Do they really want to wait until it¡¯s too late again before confronting the external threat with a unified front?¡± He looked over the gathered participants. ¡°A country being invaded and all the Union can muster are a few martial sects?¡±

    Intira snorted and spoke with self-deprecation. ¡°You have that wrong, snowflake. The Union has not sent these martial sects. They came to help the Guardian. Nothing to do with the Union.¡±

    Isille and Bjorln could read in the faces of the martialists present that the statement was entirely accurate. Another topic to add to the list of things to talk about with their son. What the Wastes had Terry done to have so many martialists rally to his call?

    ***

    ¡°This way¡­¡± Terry grinned widely while guiding his siblings and Siling to another side-street. Even though he was still stuck in a city under siege, he was happier than he had been in years.

    He was allowed a bit of time outside his healing chamber. His friends and family were with him. He was munching on delicious chocolate that he could share with them.

    His mana sense had recovered enough that he could avoid running into martialist loonies without overtaxing himself. Another positive development to be appreciated.

    Terry abruptly stopped when he realized where he was taking the other three in his attempt to avoid anyone interrupting his happy time. His brain ground to a halt. Seeing all the posters of the deceased disturbed his breathing.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Siling swallowed the mouthful of chocolate. ¡°Dark.¡±

    ¡°So many¡­¡± muttered Jorg solemnly.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lori looked at Terry with concern.

    Terry realized he had clenched his fists, and that they had been shaking. He took a deep breath and relaxed his hands.

    His name was Georg.

    Terry felt as if the faces on the long wall of lament were judging him. Judging him to be inadequate for the task he had volunteered for.

    ¡°That man was one of my healers,¡± explained Terry and pointed. ¡°He was murdered in front of me. He was only there because of me.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± stressed Siling.

    ¡°None of these were your fault,¡± added Lori.

    ¡°Perhaps, but they¡¯ve become my responsibility,¡± muttered Terry, and continued walking without looking at the others.

    Jorg and the others shared a glance. They all had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as picking up Terry and returning home. The longer they stayed, the more they were sure of it.

    Jorg sped up to walk next to his brother and quietly placed a hand on Terry¡¯s back. The other two were not far behind his steps.

    ¡°You know, you still owe us a few explanations.¡± Siling spoke up in a sharply different tone that betrayed her intentions to change the topic. ¡°I know that the big talk is supposed to happen when everyone is back again, but I still can¡¯t believe that the Valkyrie asked for you by name.¡±

    ¡°Did you really help her escape from a prison dungeon?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°Yeah, how did you get from searching for a blood tulip to breaking out the Valkyrie?¡± asked Jorg. ¡°And then to a damned City of Proving in Thanatos only to end up at the eastern edge of the Free Factions Union?¡±

    Terry puffed his cheeks and shrugged. ¡°Running, mostly. Or at least that¡¯s what it felt like.¡±

    So much running.

    Running and running.

    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me,¡± grumbled Jorg.

    ¡°Well, running, dungeon shenanigans, looney lizans and martialist bullshit¡­¡± Terry counted with his fingers. ¡°That about sums it up.¡±

    ¡°Lizans?¡± Siling raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°How looney?¡± asked Lori with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about dungeon shenanigans?¡± asked Jorg with an anxious expression.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry sighed. He wanted to explain, but he also wanted to just enjoy the precious time out of his room. Reliving all the bullshit from the past few years didn¡¯t seem that enjoyable to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me more about what happened with all of you instead? I¡¯ll have to tell my story later anyway, but with you, I¡¯m the only one out of the loop.¡±

    Mid-sentence, Terry jerked his head around. He finished his sentence while staring absentmindedly towards a direction that only held a house wall to the regular eye.

    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about important news¡­¡± Jorg grinned and nudged Lori with his elbow. ¡°Someone has something to tell you about Miguel.¡±

    Lori blushed slightly and glared at Jorg before inhaling to explain.

    ¡°I think Miguel and the others have just returned,¡± muttered Terry.

    ***

    ¡°Terry!¡± ¡°Good to see you!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve caused quite the ruckus.¡± ¡°Glad you¡¯re okay.¡±

    A group comprising Miguel, Tiana, Emaldine, and Elena hurried their steps when they saw Terry and the others.

    ¡°I wish we could catch up now, but¡­¡± Miguel looked from Lori to Terry, then to Siling. He cleared his throat. ¡°But I don¡¯t think this can wait.¡±

    Terry nodded. He could see that something had unsettled everyone.

    ¡°Siling, where¡¯s your ma?¡± asked Emaldine. ¡°I think we should get her for this.¡±

    ¡°My mom?¡± Siling furrowed her brow. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we should really make the report in front of the locals?¡± Miguel asked Emaldine. ¡°Who knows what wrong idea they will draw from this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°Hiding it just makes it seem suspicious. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, so we just lay it out in the open.¡±

    ¡°My brother said the same,¡± agreed Tiana.

    ¡°I would agree,¡± added Elena. ¡°People don¡¯t like being lied to.¡± She hugged Lori as a greeting.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about lying, but we don¡¯t have to draw attention to it,¡± said Miguel. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about how they¡¯ll take this information.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t worry,¡± said Tiana, who was walking over to Terry and slapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the mighty Guardian of the Freedom Cooperative can resolve all misunderstandings for us.¡±

    Terry winced both from the slight prick of lightning escaping Tiana¡¯s palm and, even more so, from the cringeworthy rumors that were spreading to his friends. ¡°Please stop. Pretty please.¡±

    ***

    In a room full of representatives from the Freedom Cooperative and the entire group from Arcana, the scouting troop explained what they had learned. They first focused on the dry details regarding the Spirited Duchess and the movements of her army.

    Only afterwards, Miguel took over from Chadwick and Emaldine. ¡°There is one more thing.¡± His eyes drifted subconsciously from Siling to Daiyu and back. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to best say this, but¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°That Spirited Duchess looked exactly like Siling.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Siling furrowed her brow.

    ¡°No.¡± A whispered whimper escaped from Daiyu while her face paled.

    ¡°Treachery,¡± hissed Hector. He and a few other hunters stood up. ¡°They¡¯re with the Kingdoms.¡± Some even drew their weapons.

    Isille and Bjorln quickly positioned themselves in front of Siling.

    ¡°You shut your useless mouth!¡± A shout brought everyone to a halt.

    Terry hadn¡¯t even realized that he had stood up. He winced in pain from having moved too much mana subconsciously while he was glaring at Hector. ¡°Siling is one of my oldest friends. You might as well address your insults to me, because I trust them more than I trust every single one of you hunters.¡± He pointed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to forget that it was one of your hunters that allied with the Hound to trap me! If you have a problem with my friends, you have a problem with me!¡±

    Terry was furious beyond belief. His friends and family had come here to help and now they¡¯re being insulted by the kind of piss-ant that had defended child-beating scum. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten that it was your brother that betrayed the code of the Whisperer and that you covered for him. Try and see what happens if any of you piss-ants dares to draw a weapon on my family again!¡±

    ¡°Hound?¡± Lori and Jorg were shooting concerned glances at their human brother. ¡°Trap?¡±

    Isille and Bjorln, too, were surprised by the aggressive reaction and loud outburst from their son.

    ¡°Easy, Guardian.¡± Intira tried to intervene. ¡°Hector, stand down.¡±

    ¡°We have enough worries without fighting among ourselves,¡± added Edmund in a calming tone. ¡°Even if there are still traitors among us, we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±

    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t,¡± said Ruby from the back of the room. She and another soldier from Thanatos were also present for the meeting. ¡°That kind of division is exactly what the Lich Kingdoms are aiming for when they utilize their sleeping assets.¡±

    ¡°You would know, huh?¡± Isille glowered at the dwarven soldier in her crimson uniform.

    ¡°Yes, I would,¡± replied Ruby with a smirk before turning to face Hector. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, none of our intel would confirm your fears. That much I can share freely. These Arcanians are not with the Lich Kingdoms.¡± She moved her eyes pointedly to Daiyu. ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­?¡± Intira caught on to Ruby¡¯s gaze and looked at the pale elven Guardian from Arcana. Daiyu¡¯s hands were shaking.

    ¡°No.¡± Daiyu pleaded quietly to no one in particular. ¡°Impossible¡­ even if¡­ he wouldn¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t be¡­ not even to¡­ impossible¡­¡±

    Miguel loudly cleared his throat. ¡°As I was saying, the Spirited Duchess looks exactly like Siling, if Siling was a soul spirit.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± exclaimed Daiyu, and she started hyperventilating with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Mom?¡± Siling was at a complete loss for what was going on.

    ¡°An elven soul spirit?¡± muttered Intira. ¡°Abominable.¡±

    ¡°Damned Kingdoms,¡± cursed Edmund.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Siling jumped from her chair to catch her mother, who had fainted from agitation. A complete mental breakdown.

    All around the room, people were glancing at each other.

    ¡°So our intel was right,¡± muttered Ruby.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know.¡± The other Thanatos soldier whispered to Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, I can see that,¡± said Ruby.

    ¡°See what?¡± Isille glared at the Thanatos soldiers. ¡°How about you share that intel with us?¡±

    Ruby shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t I do that already?¡± She looked at Hector and then pointed at the unconscious Daiyu. ¡°That woman a traitor? On the contrary. I believe you will find no stauncher ally against the Lich Kingdoms than that woman. Few people can muster as much hatred for the Kingdoms as one of their fugitives, especially if it¡¯s a mother whose child the Hounds infected with the karmic rot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Siling looked up from her mother to stare at the dwarven soldier. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Not you,¡± stressed Ruby. ¡°Your twin sister.¡±

    ¡°My what?!¡± Siling suddenly grimaced when her head hurt intensely while her thoughts were getting blurry.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± barked Terry. ¡°Let them rest.¡± He thought it would be better for Siling and Daiyu to have a private conversation first. ¡°We can continue later.¡±

    Before the room cleared out, Terry walked up to his parents. ¡°I have to talk to you.¡± He resolved himself for a difficult conversation. Difficult, but it had to be done. Now more than ever. ¡°I want to try something and I think you won¡¯t like it, but I¡¯ll have to do it, anyway. I just want advice. Can you come to my healing chamber with Uncle Samuel and Aunt Brynn later?¡±

    Terry forced his voice to remain firm despite the growing glare on Isille¡¯s face and the pitying concern on Bjorln¡¯s. He hadn¡¯t heard the full story about the Spirited Duchess¡¯s relation to Siling yet, but he had heard enough.

    He refused to stay stagnant with shit like this being added to everyone¡¯s plate. Siling was one of his oldest friends and she had not hesitated to come to his help. He did not know much about Daiyu, but he knew that she, too, had risked her life by coming here. Terry would be damned to just stay useless on the sidelines if that unholy duchess was truly Siling¡¯s sister.

    ***

 212 Tough Choices

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 56 ¨C

    ¡°Mom?¡± muttered Siling worriedly. She gently took the hand of her mother, who was lying on a comfortable bed.

    ¡°Siyu?¡± Daiyu¡¯s eyes opened wide, and she placed her hand on Siling¡¯s cheek before she shook off the daze of her fever dream completely. ¡°No, Siling. My dear daughter.¡± Her lips quivered.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, mom?¡± asked Siling. ¡°I know that something is off with my earliest memories. You said it had something to do with dad, but you never¡­¡± She swallowed. ¡°You never told me about what happened. I¡¯ve had to piece every little thing together myself. That he was a wielder of soul spirits. That he went insane and turned himself into a vampire. You never told me anything without me finding it out first.¡± She squeezed her mother¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Please. Just please tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Daiyu¡¯s eyes glazed over, and she shook her head.

    ¡°You always warned me to never get close to the Lich Kingdoms,¡± said Siling. ¡°Is this why? Because of¡ª?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± protested Daiyu. She shook her head, and tears were streaming down her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I thought my little girl was dead. I thought¡­¡± She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to steady herself.

    Daiyu opened her eyes and caressed her daughter¡¯s hand with her own. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Siling. But I couldn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t my choice. And you two were so¡­¡± Her voice broke and she required several more breaths before she could continue.

    Daiyu rubbed the tears from her eyes. ¡°I was born in the Lich Kingdoms. It¡¯s the worst place I can imagine.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Every self-indulgence imaginable and all it costs is your sense of self and self-worth. No dignity. No pride. No honor. Shallow suffocation and hollow existences. Everything of value only slips through your fingers.¡±

    Daiyu¡¯s lips quivered. ¡°One day, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I fled.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s when I met your father.¡± Fresh tears rolled down her face. ¡°We were so happy. I could never imagine being happier and then¡­¡± She fixed her gaze on Siling and placed a hand on her daughter¡¯s cheek. ¡°I was wrong. When you and your sister were born, I felt true happiness. Those first few years with us all as a family were the happiest days of my life.¡±

    Daiyu started sobbing, and she averted her gaze. ¡°It didn¡¯t last.¡± She inhaled shakily. ¡°No one escapes from the Hounds. Sooner or later, they¡¯ll always come to tear down their targets.¡± She trembled with ashamed eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. So sorry. I should have returned there after your birth. It¡¯s all my fault. I did this.¡±

    Siling pulled her mother close for a hug and for a while, the two were quiet.

    ¡°I wish I was dead,¡± whispered Daiyu. ¡°I wish they had killed me instead of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Siling pushed Daiyu away and glared at her. ¡°Never say that again! What happened?! Tell me!¡±

    ¡°They went after Siyu,¡± whimpered Daiyu. ¡°My little Siyu¡­¡± She hugged herself and trembled with her whole body. ¡°My little babies¡­¡±

    ¡°They infected my sister with the karmic rot?¡± asked Siling with a horrified expression.

    Daiyu nodded. ¡°We didn¡¯t notice. When the Hound arrived to twist the knife in our hearts and explain that it was punishment served for deserting my empire of birth, it was already too late.¡± Vicious madness flickered in her eyes. ¡°The Hound paid for that gloating with her worthless life. It was the first time that your father and I killed anyone.¡± She inhaled deeply. ¡°And I wish I could kill that bitch a thousand times over.¡±

    ¡°Why did they¡­¡± Siling¡¯s face contorted while she was trying to comprehend the story. ¡°If you were the target, then why did they go after your daughter?¡±

    Daiyu sniffled. ¡°Because the Hounds know where their knives hurt the most.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ Siyu? Why Siyu and not¡­ me?¡± asked Siling.

    ¡°Siyu,¡± nodded Daiyu. ¡°Your twin sister was called Siyu.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t think they cared as long as it broke me.¡± She held her face in her hands. ¡°It did. It broke all of us.¡±

    ¡°You said she ¡®was¡¯ called,¡± noted Siling. ¡°You thought she was dead?¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe she isn¡¯t,¡± said Daiyu with empty eyes. ¡°The curse had fully manifested. There is no cure for that. We tried every healing option imaginable.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And then your father went and tried even more.¡± She smiled sadly at Siling. ¡°That¡¯s why he turned¡­¡±

    Daiyu sighed and started afresh. ¡°Your father loved you two just as much as I did. He simply refused to give up. I loved him even more for it. So one day, after everything else had already failed, he took Siyu away.¡± She grimaced. ¡°We had to be careful about how we allocated our time with Siyu. We couldn¡¯t risk her infecting you as well.¡± She looked dazedly at Siling. ¡°You two were so close. As if a half of you was missing when it was just one of you. You both cried so much whenever we had to separate you.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± pressed Siling.

    ¡°Your father returned with your sister and¡­¡± Daiyu shook her head. ¡°Their eyes had changed. He had changed them. He had allowed himself to be turned into a vampire and then turned our little Siyu in the hopes that vampirism would counter the curse and allow her to live.¡±

    A flicker of hopelessness resurfaced in Daiyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°It didn¡¯t work. Nothing worked. That¡¯s when¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°His unwavering resolve turned to outright madness. I loved him, but¡­¡± She stared at Siling with despair. ¡°You suffered so much. My little Siling.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We could never separate you two for long. You always found a way to sneak to each other. No matter how much we tried to be careful and allocate the time, it was only a matter of time until¡­¡±

    Daiyu sobbed until her body had no more tears to cry. ¡°He was so obsessed with research, with looking for other options. He didn¡¯t even see how thin you were becoming. How you were growing sickly.¡±

    Daiyu started wringing her hands. ¡°I can¡¯t blame him. I can¡¯t blame him for trying to save our little Siyu, but¡­¡± She pulled Siling by her hand and hugged her tightly. ¡°But I had to protect you, too.¡±

    Siling allowed herself to be pulled in and hugged her mother back.

    ¡°I knew that there was only a single place safe from the Hounds,¡± said Daiyu. ¡°I knew we could only find peace in Arcana, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But Arcana doesn¡¯t accept vampires,¡± continued Siling quietly.

    Daiyu nodded quietly. ¡°When they infected our daughter with the karmic rot, it broke us. My little Siyu was dying, and I was helpless. The man I love was lost trying to save her. I had to choose between abandoning them and protecting my other daughter.

    ¡°I made a choice¡­¡± Daiyu¡¯s voice turned into a desperate wail. ¡°My little Siyu was dying because of me and I abandoned her like a monster¡­¡± She frantically started caressing Siling¡¯s head. ¡°But my little Siling is safe. But my little Siling is safe. But my little Siling is¡­¡±

    Siling¡¯s mind was blank. She didn¡¯t know how to calm down her mother. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She felt pity, but also anger and indignation. All of her feelings melted in the memories she shared with her loving mother that had always cared for her. She allowed her mother¡¯s fit to pass while she hugged her back.

    After Daiyu had calmed down again, Siling whispered in an accusatory tone. ¡°You never told me. Why don¡¯t I remember any of this?¡±

    Daiyu distanced herself from her daughter and shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You don¡¯t understand how you two were. We tried separating you two as soon as we had learned about the curse. But you¡­¡± She looked helpless. ¡°It was as if you broke down when being away from your sister. As if all your heart and spirit had left you.¡±

    Daiyu looked pleadingly at Siling. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan this. You have to believe me! But when I told your father about my plans to take you to Arcana, he just¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°He knew as well as I did that it would break you to be separated from your sister. I didn¡¯t know what he was about to do, but¡­¡± She shook her head with her head hung in shame again. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure that I would have stopped him from erasing your memories.¡±

    Siling finally had answers to questions she had held since childhood, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about them yet. If the Spirited Duchess was truly her twin sister, then there were pieces missing from the story. Pieces that Daiyu might not know herself.

    If she was her twin sister.

    If.

    ¡°We have to see the Spirited Duchess,¡± said Siling.

    Daiyu straightened herself. It was as if her mind had found a new resolve that suppressed all her raging emotions. ¡°Yes, I have to see her. If she is really my little Siyu, then¡­¡± Fierce determination flashed through her eyes before being replaced by suspicious doubt. ¡°Your father would never have allowed her to become a noble in the Kingdoms. I can see him going there to beg for Siyu¡¯s life, even knowing that the lich kings only spit on mercy, but I just can¡¯t see him allowing Siyu to become their pawn. It can¡¯t be. Not while he¡¯s alive. Not¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence after all,¡± said Siling doubtfully. She took her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks for telling me.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but add: ¡°But I expect you to answer all my questions from now on. No more secrets.¡±

    ***

    When Terry sensed the mana signatures approaching the door of his healing chamber, he quickly cleaned himself up and pushed a bucket into a corner before sitting down on the floor again. He asked before they could even knock. ¡°Yes?¡±

    Siling and Tiana stepped in.

    ¡°Brynn asked me to bring you this,¡± said Tiana, and handed Terry a book with a stack of notes.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Terry. He had been waiting for this. His own experiments hadn¡¯t been very fruitful so far. He needed help to sort out the most viable candidates.

    Tiana nodded and then looked over the stack of references and notebooks on the floor around Terry. ¡°Keeping busy?¡± Her nose twitched, and she narrowed her eyes before looking around.

    ¡°Yup,¡± muttered Terry. He suppressed the urge to immediately finger through the notes from his aunt. He looked at Siling.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just here to clear my head a bit.¡± Siling shrugged. ¡°I figured I could sneak in with Tiana. Somehow, the healers don¡¯t trust me as much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the first thing they saw of you was knife-handing their patient.¡± Tiana pointed out. Her nose wiggled, and she moved her gaze over the room.

    ¡°Unreasonable prejudice, like I¡¯m saying,¡± said Siling.

    ¡°How did the talk with your mom go?¡± asked Terry concernedly.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Siling inhaled deeply, but then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it right now. I¡¯ll tell you two later.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± said Tiana.

    ¡°No, I want to,¡± stressed Siling. ¡°Just not now.¡±

    ¡°Do we know when they¡¯ll gather for the meeting?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re going to allow you there again,¡± said Tiana.

    ¡°Yeah, I think threatening the head of the hunters in front of everyone wasn¡¯t the most popular move,¡± added Siling. ¡°Thank you, though.¡±

    Terry rolled his eyes. ¡°Hector isn¡¯t the head of the hunters. That¡¯s Thiago with Intira as his second in command.¡±

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think you can afford to make any more people support your house arrest.¡± Siling pointed out. ¡°¡®The Guardian¡¯ being grounded. Who would have thought?¡±

    Tiana laughed and teased. ¡°Yeah, how far the mighty have fallen.¡± Before she was finished, her head was already jerking around as if she was being bothered by an annoying mosquito.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± grumbled Terry quietly before a mischievous expression wandered onto his face. ¡°Perhaps I should spread some rumors about the companions of Freedom¡¯s Guardian: The Impenetrable Woman and the Battle Demoness.¡±

    ¡°Oy!¡± protested Siling. ¡°No need to resort to that. You promised to forget that name.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember making such a promise.¡± Terry placed a finger on his chin. He seriously didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Well, you should have promised that, which is basically the same thing,¡± said Siling while pointing at Terry.

    Tiana snorted before looking reproachfully at Terry. ¡°Not sure I want to be called demoness, or demon for that matter. I¡¯m getting enough of that already.¡±

    Terry¡¯s face cramped up. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Right, the elemental possession. ¡°Sorry about that, I won¡¯t¡ª¡± He stopped himself when he saw the slight grin playing on Tiana¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re just jerking me around, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Siling gasped. ¡°How can he tell? How much he¡¯s grown while being away. He¡¯s getting privy to our secrets! The little rascal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really give a shit,¡± admitted Tiana with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m making the best out of a bad situation and I¡¯ll come out stronger for it.¡±

    Terry replied with his own grin. It felt as if Tiana was taking the words right out of his mouth. He glanced over the references of body inscriptions and the inking set provided by the local shops. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Tiana step forward suddenly.

    ¡°Seriously, what is this smell?¡± muttered Tiana. ¡°It smells like blood¡ª¡±

    ¡°Tiana, wait¡ª!¡± protested Terry.

    ¡°Terry, what by all the mana?!¡± exclaimed Tiana while pointing at the bucket he had badly hidden earlier. ¡°Why are there pieces of skin and what looks to be a finger in the trash bin?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry sheepishly averted his gaze. He had held one uncomfortable conversation with his parents, uncle, and aunt before. It appeared that there were more of these waiting for him.

    ***

    When Terry sensed the mana signature that appeared like countless different mana signatures bundled into one ¨C mixed but separate ¨C he put away his notebook. He sighed with frustration and clenched his fist.

    His left ring finger still felt raw and tingly. That nuisance unfortunately couldn¡¯t be helped. It was only a few minutes old, after all. It had regrown thanks to his healing chamber after he had cut it off before the mana interference from the ink could spread.

    His most recent attempt at mixing body inscription ink compatible with his mana type had proven to be a failure again.

    Failure.

    Less of a failure than before though.

    Terry felt like he was getting close. Focusing on the ink types compatible with space and life had proven to be a good starting point, and he was slowly ruling out the incompatible ratios. A bucket of amputated fingers felt like a small price to pay for that.

    Terry had found that there were a few advantages with his current predicament. The reach of his mana sense was still vastly diminished, but this also allowed him to more easily focus inwards. His mana channels were still injured and consequently extremely sensitive, but this increased sensitivity also allowed him to feel even the slightest specks of mana moving where it shouldn¡¯t.

    As such, Terry caught even the tiniest deviation in his mana control or flow after injecting the inscription ink. He would not proceed further until he was sure there would be no detriments to his spell and mana cultivation.

    Soon, Terry should be able to try his hand at the actual challenge: the inscription itself. Of course, he didn¡¯t understand nearly enough about the rune system to invent his own inscription. He would choose from a selection of body inscriptions to test. A curated selection that had already been narrowed down and prioritized by his advisors: the local inscription experts, his aunt Brynn, and his uncle Samuel.

    Terry didn¡¯t know if any of the inscriptions would work, but he was determined to try. He suspected that there wouldn¡¯t be a wide selection of compatible body inscriptions given the narrow nature of his mana type and spell, but even a single inscription would serve as another tool.

    Another option.

    At the very least, the experiments were something he could do.

    Something to do until he recovered enough to start his regular training again.

    Not the time. The meeting is about to start.

    Terry stood up. He knew he would receive a few glares for leaving his healing chamber to attend the meeting, but he wanted to know what the squad led by Matteo had to say. He also wanted to finally see his cousin again. The famous Guildhead had been out hunting the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ forces from the moment they had arrived.

    Terry carefully stepped over the mess of books, notes, and tools that was the floor in his room. He walked towards the reception room that had been repurposed for meetings.

    ***

    Terry noted that both Siling and Daiyu were absent from the meeting, and the report of the death hunters confirmed his suspicions.

    He had been shocked when Siling had told him about her twin sister and her wiped memories. He had found it hard to believe that the elven soul spirit in the Lich Kingdom¡¯s army was supposed to be her sister.

    After hearing the reports from Matteo¡¯s group, however, he knew he had to come to terms with it. Things were only getting more complicated.

    After the official meeting had finished, Matteo and the others stayed behind to talk to Terry and his family.

    ¡°How are they?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°About as good as can be expected,¡± said Matteo. He patted Terry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good to see you, Whaka Terry. Wallace told me to scold you for continuing with ¡®suicidal activities¡¯, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person to deliver that particular message.¡± He withdrew his hand, and the smile left his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Spirited Duchess is really Siling¡¯s sister, but Daiyu certainly appeared convinced that it was her daughter.¡±

    ¡°She nearly flew off into the duchess¡¯s forces,¡± added Elenec. The human woman, dressed all in black and with a rapier at her side, shook her head. ¡°Took three of us to hold her back from getting herself killed. She¡¯s¡­¡± Her vampiric eyes were clearly filled with pity. ¡°Out of it. I think she¡¯s pretty shaken.¡±

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± said Isille with a dark expression. Her eyes involuntarily moved to her own daughter Florine, and a shiver ran down her back at the thought of one day facing a soul spirit looking like her beloved child.

    ¡°What about Siling?¡± asked Lori.

    ¡°I believe she¡¯s a victim of mind magic,¡± said Matteo. ¡°And it definitely seems related to the Spirited Duchess ¨C or Siyu, if it¡¯s really her sister.¡±

    ¡°The poor girl nearly collapsed from a splitting headache the moment her eyes fell on the duchess,¡± added Elenec. ¡°It was good that the tall one was right next to her.¡±

    ¡°Is Tiana still with her?¡± asked Terry. He was relieved to see the two nodding as a reply. It was reassuring to know that Siling was with friends.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really put my finger on it, but I suspect the Spirited Duchess could feel something, too,¡± said Matteo with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°The enemy troop movements changed only slightly.¡± Elenec pointed out with clear doubts about Matteo¡¯s judgement.

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Matteo¡¯s brow furrowed further. ¡°I just felt something change. Perhaps it¡¯s because of Soul Fury.¡± His fingers subconsciously moved towards the hilt of the fiendish katana. ¡°The old dragon soul is sensitive to others, which reminds me¡­¡± He looked at Terry. ¡°I can tell that something is going on with you. The dragon is really wary of you. I¡¯ve only sensed that once with a powerful, soul-based fiendish item.¡±

    No fiendish item. Not anymore. Do I have to mention the crystal egg when I tell the story later? Crap. Perhaps Matteo will defend me. He¡¯s not in a position to judge. Perhaps I can¡­

    Terry¡¯s eyes widened, and he puffed his cheeks. Now that Matteo had returned, the long postponed family talk would happen sooner rather than later. He had the slight suspicion that he would be grounded even harder.

    ¡°Anyway, how did it go here?¡± asked Matteo. ¡°I didn¡¯t really see any evacuation underway.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not budging,¡± grumbled Isille.

    Matteo looked from Isille to the others and finally at Terry. ¡°Well, I guess it wouldn¡¯t happen, anyway.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Isille frowned.

    ¡°Well, if we want to extract Siyu from the Lich Kingdoms, if only to get answers, then¡­¡± Matteo raised his hands with a shrug as if it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Then we can¡¯t just go,¡± finished Terry with a nod. That wasn¡¯t really an option.

    ¡°¡®Extract¡¯ the Spirited Duchess?¡± Isille glared at the two.

    Elenec glanced from Matteo to Terry and back. ¡°I can see the resemblance. That¡¯s going to be a tough mission though.¡±

    ¡°An impossible mission,¡± groaned Isille. ¡°If the Lich Kingdoms are backing her, they won¡¯t just let us borrow her to ask a few questions.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just abandon Siling¡¯s sister!¡± protested Lori, and Jorg nodded next to her. They appeared to be ready to jump down Isille¡¯s throat when a soft voice interjected.

    ¡°Hear your ma out at least.¡± Bjorln looked sternly from one twin to the other.

    ¡°We¡¯re not weak, but we¡¯re not able to stand alone against the Lich Kingdoms,¡± stressed Isille. ¡°This is a conflict between empires. We can¡¯t hold out forever. Whaka Brynn¡¯s constructs can¡¯t make up the difference in military power. We have won the battle, but this is a war we¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Isille shook her head, clearly frustrated. ¡°We might be able to try something if the Spirited Duchess makes an appearance, but that would mean catching her by surprise. We would have to hold back during the defense, which wouldn¡¯t be fair to this city, and I¡¯m not sure we would even have the leeway to do so. The Unholy Duchesses are no pushovers and there is no guarantee that we¡¯ll only have to deal with a single one.¡±

    Isille clicked her tongue. ¡°I would have to talk this over with Chadwick. As a soldier, he would know more about this than I do. But my nose tells me we¡¯re not in a position to plan anything. We don¡¯t have the forces to even create an opportunity to exploit. If we had enough to properly push back instead of just being on the defensive, then¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Matteo sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead. ¡°I might have an idea for how to address that problem.¡± He seemed pained by the very idea moving through his head. ¡°You said it¡¯s a conflict between empires, but it isn''t. Not yet.¡±

    ¡°You mean that the Union as a whole isn¡¯t moving?¡± asked Bjorln.

    Matteo nodded. ¡°This little city-state won¡¯t get the Free Factions Union moving.¡± He grimaced. ¡°But I know a country that might.¡±

    Emaldine, who had been sitting quietly in a corner before, now stood up to stare at Matteo. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about¡ª You can¡¯t return there! There¡¯s no way they would help, especially not if you¡¯re anywhere near the ones asking!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± muttered Matteo with haunted eyes. ¡°Believe me, I know.¡± He subconsciously moved his fingers towards the hilt of his heartseeker dagger and he shook his head. ¡°But that¡¯s the only way I can think of.¡± He grimaced. ¡°I know they won¡¯t help me, of all people, which is why I won¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t think asking is an option, but there¡¯s another way.¡±

    Terry had realized that they were talking about the Lands of the Four Towers, but he had trouble figuring out Matteo¡¯s plan.

    Matteo took a deep breath and then explained: ¡°The Four Towers have rules to replace tower masters. As a former disciple of the Elemental Tower, I have the right to challenge the current tower master directly for leadership. Unfortunately, matters of war require unanimous votes by all the four tower masters. So even if I press my background despite my history, we would still be two towers short.¡±

    ¡°Why two?¡± asked Samuel, who had also listened in together with Brynn. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean three?¡±

    Matteo snorted and pointed at one of Brynn¡¯s dancing doll constructs guarding the room. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Crafting Tower will be a problem.¡±

    Matteo rubbed his forehead in thought. ¡°Without a disciple background, there are two official challenge types: a teaching contest and crushing the tower. The teaching contest requires beating the master in a contest and having students win two out of three contests against the tower master¡¯s disciples. Crushing the tower means literally that. One person against the whole tower and having to beat anyone that opposes them taking over.¡±

    ¡°One tower to crush, noted.¡± Brynn nodded with a solemn expression that bordered on hard coldness.

    Terry could not help but sigh slightly. His usually cheerful aunt appeared very different outside Arcana.

    ¡°That leaves the Spirit Tower and the Martial Tower,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°Perhaps we can ask some of Terry¡¯s martialist friends to help with the Martial Tower?¡±

    ¡°Martialist friends?¡± Matteo raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are any of them strong enough to crush the tower? Martialists usually take the teacher-disciple relationship too seriously to just pretend for the sake of it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± muttered Emaldine before looking at Terry. ¡°Do you have anyone in mind?¡±

    Terry¡¯s face cramped slightly. He was not sure this was a good idea, but he was already searching his storage item for a particular communication talisman. ¡°You said something about different options with a disciple''s background?¡±

    ***

 213 Stories to Study

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 82 ¨C

    Matteo looked at Terry with disbelief. ¡°Apex? You¡¯re saying Apex is from the Martial Tower? What makes you believe she would help us? How did you even come by Apex¡¯s talisman?¡±

    That¡¯s a lot of questions.

    Terry inhaled deeply, but before he could reply, Isille interrupted: ¡°Later.¡± The dwarven woman wore a pensive expression. She exchanged glances with Bjorln, Brynn, and Samuel.

    ¡°Yeah, if our task has switched from defending a country to conquering one, then we better start putting things into motion,¡± said Brynn firmly. She looked at Matteo. ¡°When will Amelia be back? I need to pass a message to Mia.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call it conquering.¡± Bjorln grimaced. He moved his fingers through his snow-white beard. ¡°Makes it sound like we¡¯re planning to invade. This is different.¡±

    ¡°A coup then?¡± Brynn shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re challenging their government and planning to replace it. I don¡¯t care what we call it.¡±

    ¡°The Lands of the Four Towers were built on challenges.¡± Emaldine pointed out. ¡°They consider it a strength that only the best in their disciplines get to rule.¡± She looked with concern at her accepted brother. When Matteo had turned into a demon, he had laid waste to the country¡¯s capital. The country might respect competence, but she wasn¡¯t sure that they would apply this to the monster from their past that they still used to scare misbehaving children.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think being the best elementalist would make me any good at ruling a country,¡± said Matteo drily. He muttered quietly: ¡°I hope there¡¯s a rule to voluntarily abdicate after the Union gets their ass moving.¡± He looked at Amelia. ¡°I can pass a message to Amelia and Dargones, even from here. What do you need from Mia?¡±

    ¡°An anchored gate,¡± said Brynn. ¡°If I have to split my attention two ways, then I want them connected.¡± Next to her, Samuel gave an approving nod.

    ¡°I have trouble believing the Lands would be happy about us placing a gate to this place,¡± interjected Bjorln, with a troubled expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy some land first then,¡± retorted Brynn. ¡°Nice little house with a well-cloaked gate in the basement. I don¡¯t believe the place is so backwater that they would intrude on my property unless we¡¯re causing problems.¡±

    ¡°Problems like challenging the government?¡± Bjorln shot back. ¡°Or opening a gate to all the local refugees?¡±

    ¡°Challenging the government by contest is welcomed in the Lands.¡± Matteo pointed out. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°And wasn¡¯t one reason for our current predicament that we couldn¡¯t get the locals to evacuate even if we were to escort them to Arcana¡¯s borders?¡± added Brynn.

    ¡°Fair point,¡± grumbled Isille. ¡°But unless we¡¯re going to keep the gate a secret, there are bound to be some people trying to flee through it.¡±

    ¡°The idea of hiding a path to safety doesn¡¯t sit right with me,¡± stressed Bjorln.

    ¡°I can¡¯t split myself yet another way to escort everyone,¡± stressed Brynn. ¡°And even if my funds are considerable, they¡¯re not unlimited. I¡¯m burning through my resources at a rapid pace. I can haggle about the fee with Mia, but if I¡¯m forced to pick a single gate, then I¡¯m going to pick the one that helps me assist Whaka Terry and to get Siling¡¯s sister out of the Kingdom¡¯s clutches.¡± Her voice was tense.

    ¡°Let¡¯s postpone that point for now,¡± interjected Samuel, who had noticed the increased tension between Brynn and Bjorln. ¡°If we think about it some more, we might figure out another option.¡±

    ¡°What about the Spirit Tower?¡± asked Emaldine to continue the main topic.

    ¡°Daiyu might be able to help with it, but even if her magic barely qualifies, I¡­¡± Matteo frowned. ¡°Her skill-set is at a disadvantage. If Siling pretends to be her student, then¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°That would probably not work either. Their magic style is too dissimilar. They might not even believe the teacher-disciple relationship. Even if we pull that off, Siling might be able to win against one disciple, but if it¡¯s just her, then she would have to win twice in a row.¡±

    ¡°What if we ask Ying?¡± interjected Terry. The mayor of Syn City was the most skilled user of spirit magic he had ever met. ¡°I know it would be a lot to ask of him, but perhaps he would be willing?¡±

    ¡°I doubt he would leave Syn City to rule over a tower,¡± said Matteo before shrugging. ¡°Which would just put him into the same predicament as us if we¡¯re successful. Can¡¯t hurt to ask, but even if he agrees.¡± He shook his head. ¡°The Spirit Tower has many divisions that work well together. Unless he¡¯s gotten a lot stronger, I doubt he¡¯d be enough to crush the tower and then we¡¯re back at the disciple challenge. I guess we¡¯ll have to figure something out when we get there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the others later,¡± said Isille. She glanced at Bjorln. ¡°Mira and the rest signed up to help us find our son. They didn¡¯t sign up for politics and war. I can¡¯t blame them if they plan to return to Arcana now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Lori grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if my companions from Tiv will stay, either. Patricia might, but I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡®Patricia¡¯?¡± Terry blurted, and his face contorted into a scowl. ¡°The shadow-aspected woman that nearly killed you?¡± He had already learned that Lori had trained with the dwarven druid Dhruv in the Libra Outpost before they had set out to find him, but he hadn¡¯t known that she teamed up with Patricia, of all people. The woman had held a grudge against Terry for the death of her brother during the battle against Bright Willow. She had taken Lori hostage and demanded Terry to kill himself.

    ¡°What?!¡± Isille and Bjorln frowned and looked at Lori.

    Jorg winced at the reactions. This was exactly why he had told Lori to tell Terry sooner rather than later.

    ¡°That was before she knew me and before she knew more about Terry,¡± stammered Lori. She looked at Terry with accusing eyes. ¡°Patricia helped me through¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°She knows what it feels like to lose a brother and I thought that¡­¡±

    Now it was Terry¡¯s turn to wince.

    Isille and Bjorln looked at each other while an unspoken conversation appeared to pass between them, after which they decided to not press the topic.

    ¡°We should gather everyone later and tell them of our plan,¡± said Isille.

    ¡°We should keep our previous problem in mind when talking to them,¡± interjected Samuel. ¡°If some of them choose to return to Arcana, they might be willing to provide a proper escort for any refugees choosing to flee the city.¡±

    Isille nodded and then looked at Terry. ¡°I will. But for now, I think it¡¯s time to finally hear Terry¡¯s story.¡±

    Terry found all eyes on him. He stopped himself from speaking while glancing over the people. ¡°We¡¯re still missing some.¡±

    ¡°Terry, depending on what you¡¯ll have to say, this might be better kept among close family,¡± warned Samuel, while Isille nodded.

    ¡°I can leave,¡± said Elenec next to Matteo. ¡°I don¡¯t have to hear his secrets.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Terry. ¡°You came here to help me and I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°No offense, Terry, but I came here to help Matteo out,¡± interrupted Elenec. ¡°There¡¯s a difference. You shouldn¡¯t share your secrets with me, because I can¡¯t promise I will keep them.¡± She nodded at Samuel and then at Matteo and left.

    Terry nodded, but he was wearing an unsatisfied expression. ¡°Still. I want Siling, Tiana, Miguel, and Elena here.¡± They¡¯ve all earned that much.

    Definitely not inviting Patricia, no matter what Lori thinks about her.

    Calam and Gellath aren¡¯t here, so I¡¯ll have to tell them later.

    The picture of his martialists friends surfaced in Terry¡¯s mind and he felt conflicted. On the one hand, both Rafael and Guillermo had come to help him. On the other hand¡­ Well, he couldn¡¯t truthfully say that he had no reservations about opening up to martialists.

    Terry remembered how his aunt Sigille had advised him when he was staying in Tiv. Some secrets he should keep closer to heart. He hadn¡¯t shared all the properties of oscillating mana with his companions in Tiv, and given how everything with the battle in the Libra Outpost had turned out, he could only be glad that he hadn¡¯t.

    He wanted to share everything with his family and closest friends, but even if he had started to think about Rafael and Guillermo as friends, he didn¡¯t trust them to the same degree yet.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll check how Siling is holding up and then either gather everyone right now or switch to having the other talks first,¡± declared Isille.

    ***

    Even before Terry could start telling his story, he could tell that this felt more serious than his return to Arcana after traveling in Tiv. Samuel had prepared a stack of notebooks and immediately opened one with a pen in his hand. It was obvious that his uncle expected a need to take notes.

    Terry started talking about what happened after he had chosen to stay behind in the Wastes to the north of Tiv in order to get the four-leaved blood tulip to save his parents. His friends asked about the mana-corrupted beasts he had to pass to reach the blood tulip. They gasped when he told them of his struggle to flee from the horde and whittle it down by relying on other hostile creatures.

    When Terry reached the moment that the horde had clashed into the hellspawn hive, there was no end of questions, especially when he retold how the divine hammer inscription had saved his life. His friends and cousins had many questions, but eventually, Samuel asked Terry to continue.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Terry recounted his arrival at the Valkyrie¡¯s prison dungeon and suddenly, the many questions were drowned out by the quiet scribbling of Samuel¡¯s pen and the obvious signs of worry on the man¡¯s forehead.

    Terry had expected his uncle to take notes about the dungeon collapse and tear, but even he had not expected that Samuel would appear to show the most concern for the early parts of his dungeon encounter. He also didn¡¯t expect that Matteo would be the second to grab a notebook and start taking notes.

    Terry described his encounter with the lizans, and more notebooks were taken from the prepared pile. For the most part, Terry could tell what the different people were reacting to. The longer he talked, the less willing everyone seemed to interrupt him. By the end of his story, all his older family members had a long list of notes and exhausted expressions.

    The following silence was palpable.

    ¡°Good to know you didn¡¯t overdo it.¡± Siling deadpanned before breaking out in a wry smile.

    Terry¡¯s expression settled between sheepish and guilty. He appreciated his friend¡¯s attempt to break the ice, but he sure wished some of the others would say something.

    ¡°Wastes, man,¡± whispered Miguel with a shocked expression and a concerned glance at Lori and Jorg.

    ¡°You make being possessed sound boring by comparison,¡± added Tiana.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re still alive,¡± said Elena. ¡°Otherwise, I would kill you for creating so many worries for Lori.¡±

    At this point Samuel cleared his throat. He looked at Terry and exhaled sharply. ¡°I think we all have a few questions.¡± He glanced at the other filled notebooks. ¡°I would propose to focus on the more actionable and urgent matters. As much as I¡¯m interested in your discoveries¡­ and as important and historically significant as the story behind the dungeon and the two mana curses might be, I think we heard other points that require more immediate attention.¡±

    Samuel and the others shared a glance, and then they nodded at Bjorln.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a list of all the consumables you still remember eating in the folded space,¡± said Bjorln with a frown. ¡°Everything you remember. If you don¡¯t remember the names, I¡¯ll take the descriptions. Many of the martialist items I¡¯m familiar with have been created while cutting corners around safety, which can lead to a build-up of medicinal toxins and problematic mana accumulating in the body.¡±

    Bjorln looked over his notes. ¡°I need to acquire a sample of these lizan rations to ensure there won¡¯t be any problems¡­ Not to mention¡­¡± He almost glared at Terry before composing himself and shaking his head. ¡°Resistance training in the Elusive Fog of Frost and then the mana from that strange plant¡­ I¡¯ll need to check a few things to best figure out how to account for possible aftereffects and side-effects that could interfere with your healing.¡±

    ¡°Damian, Beatrice, ¡­¡± Isille spoke up next. ¡°These Thanatos thugs should be easy to track down. Same for the martial sects.¡± She looked over her notes. ¡°But I¡¯ll need a better description of the lizans.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry furrowed his brow. He got the impression that his mother had created her own personal shit list. He knew that his mother used to be a bounty hunter. He could see that her demeanor had changed since he had last seen her in Arcana. She had never appeared soft, but this was an entirely new level of resolve and hardness.

    Did Ma just create a hit list of potential targets to hunt? All the people hostile to me?

    Terry appreciated the sentiment, but he did not like the idea of his mother causing a sequence of international incidents to hunt down the people that had wronged him. He felt he had already caused enough trouble by dragging them into a war.

    ¡°I think we should try to acquire the Thanatos notes on the fiendish crystal before considering¡­¡± Matteo shrugged. ¡°Further action against people like Damian. That seems more urgent.¡± His eyes met Samuel¡¯s.

    ¡°Before we come to that topic¡­¡± Samuel looked at Brynn, who nodded.

    ¡°The mana sublimator from your friend in Tiv, one inscribed barrier spear, one replacement glove¡­¡± Brynn looked over her own notes. ¡°A means to traverse the shadow plane ¨C easy enough. Spare divine hammer inscriptions ¨C will take longer, especially when preparing for low interference. Re-inscribing your armor pieces for water manipulation and metal shaping. Adding some earth shaping if I can find the right materials. Passive inscriptions and enchantments to protect the mind from influence. I¡¯ll have to check first how much mana throughput and interference Terry can handle now.¡±

    Brynn rattled off all the items that could have helped Terry avoid troubles on his path. Items she intended to prepare to the best of her ability as far as her taxed schedule allowed. The others commented on her notes and added their own opinions.

    ¡°Alright that brings us back to the two main points of concern,¡± said Samuel. ¡°First¡­¡± He glanced towards Matteo.

    ¡°I can do the proper test with Terry later, but just from talking to him so far, he¡¯s not showing any signs of significant interference,¡± said Matteo. ¡°It sounds as if an entity connected to the lizan realm was attempting something, but it appears to have been cut off before really getting anywhere.¡± His gaze became pensive. ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still the other matter on that point,¡± muttered Samuel with a nod.

    ¡°What other matter?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°Do you think Terry was under mind influence?¡± asked Tiana with a worried glance shared with Siling. The two could attest to the uncomfortable experience of having their minds meddled with or having to share their mind with other minds.

    ¡°Inconclusive,¡± judged Samuel. He looked thoughtfully at Terry. ¡°Tell me, Terry, when you arrived at the dungeon where the Valkyrie had been kept prisoner, why did you decide to enter?¡±

    Terry opened his mouth without saying anything and then paused with a furrowed brow to consider the question. ¡°Not sure. I don¡¯t know.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I hadn¡¯t slept properly for what felt like forever. I was running at the end of my sanity. Everything was hazy. Then I saw the Tiv soldiers and I just¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Such a large force in the middle of nowhere instead of protecting the Wasters in Tiv. I can hardly describe how furious I was.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, but¡­¡± Samuel made a few notes.

    ¡°Terry, you haven¡¯t answered the question.¡± Matteo pointed out. ¡°You have given a reason why you didn¡¯t hesitate to crash into the soldiers with the hive and horde at your heels, but you could have used the chance to escape instead of diving into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°That was reckless,¡± added Jorg with a deep frown for his brother.

    ¡°I know,¡± admitted Terry, while searching his memory to better explain himself. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I thought of everything that had happened at the Libra Outpost and then with the barrier.¡± He bit his lips. ¡°All the shit that was going on with Willow, Anand, and Kipkoi.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°All the shit that could have been prevented if I had paid more attention¡­¡±

    Looks of concern flashed over the faces of many people present.

    ¡°Sheltered Guardians don¡¯t live too long,¡± muttered Terry.

    ¡°That phrase¡­?¡± Samuel interrupted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like your words.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like Ma,¡± said Emaldine.

    ¡°Yes, those were Ma Sigille¡¯s words,¡± agreed Matteo. He searched Terry¡¯s expression for something. ¡°Is that all that went through your head?¡±

    ¡°No, I thought more of Aunt Sigille back then,¡± said Terry slowly. ¡°About her thoughts on dungeon work¡­¡± He forced himself to not avoid the gaze of his uncle and parents. ¡°If the dungeons are the realm¡¯s first line of defense, then shouldn¡¯t we do our part to support them?¡±

    Bjorln groaned with closed eyes. ¡°Big Smelly, seriously¡­¡±

    In spite of herself, Isille had to smile. That definitely sounded like her elder sister.

    ¡°Inconclusive,¡± said Samuel once more.

    ¡°If that was influence, then it was incredibly subtle,¡± said Matteo. ¡°That¡¯s not even a nudge beyond what he already remembered. An authentic memory. Not a suggestive implant. Nothing that¡­¡±

    Terry remembered how he felt after the strange dungeon slime absorbed the fiendish crystal and allowed him to act as the dungeon¡¯s defender. There had been a single thought resonating in his mind. A resonance between himself and the dungeon. ¡°That was me.¡± He said firmly.

    ¡°Terry?¡± Samuel looked at his nephew, who had appeared to space out in his own thoughts for a moment.

    ¡°What makes you suspect mind influence?¡± questioned Terry.

    ¡°Perhaps that you acted like a suicidal idiot?¡± suggested Lori in a grumble.

    ¡°I¡¯d say that you made a few choices that appear difficult to follow,¡± rephrased Samuel. ¡°Entering the prison dungeon that was on the verge of collapsing. Staying behind in the folded space despite everything you knew about the risks. That¡¯s two incidents. Both were related to dungeon presence, or at least in close proximity.¡±

    Terry had learned from Sigille and Matteo how to protect against mind influence. ¡°I¡­ no. That was me.¡±

    ¡°The idiot?¡± interjected Lori with a scowl.

    ¡°Yes, that sounds like me,¡± said Terry sheepishly. He took a deep breath. ¡°A part of me. I chose to enter the dungeon. I chose to stay behind in the folded space.¡± I¡¯m the one who chooses from conflicting emotions and competing goals. ¡°I made those choices. That was me.¡± Who I wanted to be. He searched for the right words. ¡°The memories at the front of my mind we talked about earlier¡­ They simply reminded me.¡±

    Terry creased his brows while talking pensively. ¡°When I was acting with the dungeon¡¯s power, I didn¡¯t feel a foreign mind. I felt myself reaffirmed. Like something resonated with me. Does this make sense?¡±

    Samuel continued writing notes with a slight shrug and a pensive expression.

    ¡°As far as mind magic goes, even if it was conscious influence, this would at most qualify as a nudging spell,¡± said Matteo. ¡°Nothing that would alter a personality. So I¡¯m with Terry, but I still intend to do a proper evaluation later.¡±

    ¡°We can put the topic aside as long as you¡­¡± Isille pointed at Terry. ¡°¡­understand that you¡¯re not getting to play the idiot anymore under my watch. The next time something like that happens, you better make sure I appear next to my sister in your memories so that you remember some common sense along with all the people that care about you.¡±

    Terry swallowed and averted his eyes. He would love to promise his mother to take better care of himself, but he knew better than to give promises he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep. There was still a war going on and he was not resolved to stay out of it.

    ¡°That brings us to the second major point of concern,¡± continued Samuel.

    ¡°You mean whatever is going on with Terry¡¯s soul?¡± asked Brynn and she pursed her lips in thought. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just an extension of the mind influence topic? Can souls even possess a foreign body without overpowering the mind? I always thought of souls as imprints of the mind. If there is no noticeable consciousness in the soul, then wouldn¡¯t we expect Terry¡¯s mind to imprint on it rather than the other way around?¡±

    ¡°I strongly suspect that there is a consciousness in the soul,¡± stressed Matteo. ¡°And it¡¯s a powerful soul. Otherwise, Soul Fury wouldn¡¯t react to it like it does. I¡¯m not even sure what kind of soul could intimidate the dragon in that way.¡±

    Matteo clicked his tongue while looking at Terry. ¡°That being said, from the examinations we did already, it looks as if the soul remains separate even while being connected. If I had to guess, then I would take Terry¡¯s soulsight as an indicator of there being two connections. Senses and mana.¡±

    ¡°Beyond that, we only have the timing,¡± said Samuel. ¡°The soulsight first manifested after the battle to defend the dungeon in the folded space, which doesn¡¯t narrow down the potential causes since everything came together there: the dungeon, the fiendish item and the otherrealm entity.¡± He rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°We can only try to investigate further. Gather more information and pay close attention.¡±

    ¡°Can we now talk about the more uplifting topics?¡± suggested Bjorln, and the others nodded.

    Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that they all had different topics they wanted to talk about first.

    ¡°Those discharge variants and combination¡­¡± started Bjorln.

    ¡°Oscillating mana and veil tears¡­¡± started Samuel.

    ¡°The Aspiring Soul Curse,¡± began Brynn.

    ¡°That king spear of yours¡­¡± began Isille.

    ¡°The way you use the divine hammer inscription¡­¡± muttered Emaldine.

    ¡°You said the reanimated behemoth could change its size¡­¡± began Matteo.

    ¡°Dalia¡¯s dungeon marks¡­¡± muttered Jorg.

    ¡°So Rafael tricked you into the trial¡­¡± mumbled Lori with a scowl.

    ¡°The wyvern¡­¡± started Siling.

    ¡°That internal disruption discharge¡­¡± began Tiana.

    ¡°What kind of blood-aspected spell did the vampire use when¡­¡± muttered Elena.

    ¡°Mana touch and martialist poisons?¡± Miguel grinned.

    Terry could not help but laugh. He loved that his home had come to find him.

    ***

 214 Stepping Up

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 87 ¨C

    Glad my senses are getting back to normal again.

    Terry could figure out that Rafael was going to visit him long before he heard the door handle move.

    ¡°Brother, why am I getting increasing stink-eye from the Arcanians?¡± The leopard-spotted felan barged in without a knock or greeting.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Terry snickered. ¡°Probably because I told my family about everything that happened.¡±

    Rafael¡¯s face cramped. ¡°Everything? I thought we were friends!¡±

    ¡°Everything,¡± confirmed Terry, but he decided against teasing his martialist friend. ¡°Including how you helped against the cursed army and how you had my back afterwards.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure neither my parents nor my uncle and aunt are going to give you any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± scoffed Rafael. ¡°As if I feared anyone. If they want to pick a fight, I¡¯ll show them.¡±

    Yeah right. Terry snorted. ¡°That would be a lot more believable if my aunt¡¯s constructs weren¡¯t outnumbering the entire city population.¡± He rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s bringing you here?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t a felan check on his brother?¡± demanded Rafael before grinning. ¡°And I just wanted to tell you that the Icy Mountain is finally moving.¡±

    ¡°Zhang?¡± exclaimed Terry with surprise.

    ¡°The whole sect,¡± said Rafael, and shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me what got them riled up to fully commit like that.¡±

    Terry furrowed his brow.

    Might have something to do with my aunt¡¯s presence. If they have people like Zhang over there, then they should be able to figure out that the Lich Kingdoms won¡¯t stop their advance unless somebody pushes them back. They¡¯ll hardly get a better chance of rallying everyone.

    Is it possible that our plans with the Lands and rallying the whole Union have already reached their ears? Seems like they are betting on us and want to commit early to gain some face.

    Terry groaned slightly. He remembered well that this sect also included other members with more irritating tempers and characters.

    Just another round of fighting with questionable allies. Great.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± asked Rafael, and looked over at the various books on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have an appointment with body inscription experts soon¡­¡± Terry looked over the books further away and then picked up a stack of papers in front of him. ¡°And I¡¯m looking for some rope.¡±

    ¡°Rope?¡± Rafael tilted his head. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°I saw my pa use some magic rope, and I figured it could come in handy,¡± said Terry absentmindedly while looking again over his options. He continued in a quieter mumble: ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit redundant with the bidirectional attraction, but still¡­ rope¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡± Rafael appeared to wrestle with himself over something before he spoke up. ¡°Actually. I might have something.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Terry moved his gaze up from the papers.

    ¡°Well, after we got out of the trial, I¡­¡± Rafael considered his words. ¡°I went looking for some of those dungeon rewards. Those imbeciles took them all, and I was sure I could convince them that we deserve a share.¡±

    ¡®We¡¯? Right¡­ First I¡¯m hearing of it.

    Terry suppressed his desire to retort. As far as he was concerned, whatever Rafael recovered was his to keep. Terry himself hadn¡¯t even considered looking for those items after all.

    ¡°Well, you were out of it and I figured the items were more useful to me, but since you¡¯re recovering¡­¡± Rafael grinned sheepishly. ¡°Most were useless anyway. Bunch of swords and shit no real man would ever use. The mana-rich ingredients kind of¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Disappeared, but I kept something for you.¡±

    Rafael retrieved a bottle. ¡°From what I can tell, it condenses mana into a mana potion. I figured you were dumping so much mana to use for your bubble, and the people here also said you have an interest in mana containers, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Neat.¡± Terry picked up the bottle with excitement. He always appreciated additional means to store mana when he could spare it for the times when he had to use it all. But there was more to his excitement. He still remembered the intoxicating feeling of having liquid mana run through his mana channels. An opportunity to observe how his own naturalized mana compressed into liquid form should prove insightful ¨C even if it was done by an artifact. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°And since you were interested in magic rope, perhaps this¡­¡± Rafael retrieved a dull black bangle. ¡°A weave that can be created, guided, and strengthened with mana. It attaches to shadows.¡±

    Terry paused for a moment and looked carefully at the leopard-spotted felan, who was sharing treasures with him. It was hard to believe this was the same sticky-fingered felan Terry had first met in Thanatos. He almost felt bad for his previous mental retort and was glad he hadn¡¯t spoken that particular thought out loud.

    ¡°Thank you, Rafael,¡± said Terry sincerely. He examined the bracelet and then paused. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all it does?¡± Feeling the different interwoven mana layers, he had the feeling that there was more than one function. Once again, he inwardly grumbled about the fact that martialist artifacts didn¡¯t suggest their own use.

    After his felan friend had left, Terry continued testing the shadow bracelet until he finally uncovered the hidden function. Aside from controlling the shadow rope himself and attaching it to a shadow, it also allowed him to bind a single item to the bracelet. The shadow rope could then seek the bound item, even over long distances.

    Could be useful for navigation. I could bind a pebble and use it like a compass.

    Anyway¡­

    Terry bound his king spear to the bracelet. Whatever other uses he might think of, he definitely didn¡¯t want to lose his main weapon, and the bracelet would help ensure that.

    ***

    ¡°They should be here soon,¡± said Brynn. She and Samuel stepped into Terry¡¯s room.

    ¡°Thanks for taking the time,¡± said Terry with a tinge of guilt. He knew they were incredibly busy, which was also because of him. Because he had dragged them into a war with another empire.

    Samuel simply nodded, while Brynn winked at her nephew. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I have an interest in inscriptions, even if I consider the body to be the wrong place to put them.¡±

    ¡°And even though we would take the time no matter what, you can wipe that guilty expression off your face,¡± said Samuel. ¡°You might not realize this, but the discoveries that you¡¯ve shared will be important for negotiating with Arcana Academy.¡±

    That statement just made Terry feel even guiltier. He had not thought deeply into what the presence of the two instructors signified. His uncle had told him that things in Arcana had calmed down compared to Terry¡¯s last time there, but naturally, it was still far from normal for two instructors to be absent from their jobs for such an extended time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± chided Samuel.

    ¡°We can see what thoughts are going through your head, Terry.¡± Brynn smiled and shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t need you to worry about us.¡±

    ¡°And I meant it,¡± stressed Samuel. ¡°The information that oscillating mana can facilitate the closing of veil tears is invaluable for the realm as a whole. Even if all the other specific properties of oscillating mana you have determined might end up as scholarly footnotes, that single property is of paramount importance. Not to mention that your discovery of same-naturalization spellwork and discharges is opening up a whole new field of research.¡±

    Terry was not so sure. ¡°I can¡¯t see the Academy looking deeply into discharges.¡± Discharges are a tool of mana cultivators. Arcana Academy is for mages.

    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± admitted Samuel. ¡°But that would be the fault of the Academy. Their loss.¡± He shrugged and subconsciously traced the parts of his face where his burn scars used to be with his fingers. ¡°If they decide that my value in researching spellwork is not enough to accept me back, then so be it.¡± He smiled. ¡°The idea of switching into researching discharge spellwork interaction together with Bjorln or with the Guardians doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Terry could not help but smile when seeing his uncle like this. There appeared to be a new peace inside the man. A peace brought by fulfilling his self-imposed duty of developing suitable fire-aspected healing spells in the honor of his deceased brother Olgorn.

    ¡°Given how many transport constructs are still seeking me out to evaluate the works of students and instructors alike, I¡¯d say the Arcana Academy has no ground to complain to me anyway,¡± grumbled Brynn wearily.

    And Terry felt guilty again. The workload of his aunt appeared insane. By comparison, he felt like a lazy bum. He clenched his fist and promised himself to work harder. He just had to find a way to do it without tipping off his healers and parents.

    Terry was jolted from his self-reproach when he sensed the approaching signatures. ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡±

    Soon after, his door opened and several people walked in. A few local crafters and a familiar human woman whose body was covered in tattoos.

    Of course, Iris joined to see what I¡¯ll end up with.

    Terry greeted them, and then they went straight to business.

    ***

    ¡°This is the ink you want to use?¡± asked the wrinkled dwarven woman with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Terry. ¡°That mixture feels right.¡±

    The wrinkled woman nodded and took a sample to analyze before passing the bottle to the other crafters. They looked over the inscription candidates and, after they had done their tests, they removed a few of them.

    ¡°Won¡¯t work¡­¡± mumbled the dwarven woman.

    ¡°Not with that ink,¡± agreed the middle-aged human man from the crafters.

    Terry nodded. This whole idea was a long shot, anyway. He was glad that at least some options remained.

    ¡°This one is rather experimental,¡± said the wrinkled dwarf. ¡°We can try, but I advise against it.¡±

    ¡°That one is unusual,¡± said the human man and pointed. ¡°Useless on its own.¡± He handed it to the other crafter, who began nodding. ¡°Very specific.¡±

    ¡°Specific and supplementary. Missing the starting point, which also makes it narrow.¡± The wrinkled dwarf nodded when seeing the inscription and moved her gaze to Terry: ¡°You must have read that the only recorded effect was miniscule. What made you consider this one?¡±

    ¡°If it works, then the prerequisite won¡¯t be a problem,¡± explained Terry. ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t, then it would still help me better understand something.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡± asked the old human.

    ¡°My spell and mana,¡± said Terry with a wide grin.

    The wrinkled dwarven woman cackled. ¡°Using our services for a test in research.¡± She and the other crafter looked at each other before she placed the paper on the floor again and nodded. ¡°Normally, that would be an eccentric lavishness, but for Freedom¡¯s Guardian¡­¡± She grinned and deep wrinkles formed around her eyes. ¡°Free of charge.¡±

    ¡°Then we should start with this one,¡± said the human crafter. ¡°It¡¯s narrow, which increases the chances of it working out as you desire.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed the dwarven crafter. ¡°The narrower the better if we want to avoid interference with orthodox magic in an unstudied aspect.¡±

    Terry took a deep breath and his mind wandered while his aunt and uncle continued discussing the details. He knew that Brynn played with the idea to craft a ring that could inscribe a skin-level body inscription template onto Terry¡¯s fingers.

    Even though the famous crafter was comfortable with giving a manual touch to her constructs, she felt differently when it came to her nephew¡¯s body. Instead of letting the body inscription experts directly lay hands on Terry, she wanted them to create a template in a ring.

    This would allow Terry¡¯s family to check the template repeatedly before it would reach Terry¡¯s body. It would also remove any risk for manual error during the body inscription process itself.

    Perhaps most importantly for Terry, he could keep such inscribing rings which improved the trade-off of skin-level inscriptions. If he ever noticed a problem with the tattoos, he could burn them off. If they ever got damaged by accident, he could recreate them with the help of the rings.

    The idea appeared very intriguing to the crafters, but Terry himself was zoning out during their conversation. His interest was in the body inscription and its promised effects.

    Using mana to move a linked plane along a single axis.

    An eccentric effect that presupposes the existence of a linked plane. A prerequisite that would normally require complex magic to manifest for even a weak link. The creator had apparently been somewhat of an escape artist ¨C or rather a thief who frequently wound up in prisons or traps. Given the nature of some of her predicaments, she had looked for a way to bypass the requirement of shadows for stepping into the shadow plane.

    The goal had stuck with the thief long after she had switched to more defensible lines of work. Her attempt to move the shadow plane relative to her position in the regular plane had proved both possible and very much infeasible. The amount of mana required for even the slightest wobble of a millimeter in the relative position was completely prohibitive, and that did not even consider the ridiculous preparation required to link to the shadow plane sufficiently to begin with.

    Even though the creator had found her created body inscription unsatisfactory for her desired purpose, Terry believed himself justified in putting his hopes into the magic tattoo.

    Terry¡¯s current understanding of his mana and spell revolved around a sequence of shifts of an object¡¯s particles to a colliding plane of existence. If that was accurate, then his naturalized mana itself should inherently link to the plane in question.

    The remaining question was if his understanding was correct¡­ and, if so, how much naturalized mana it would cost him to move an immovable object¡¯s plane.

    ***

    ¡°My property in the Lands of the Four Towers is ready,¡± announced Brynn. ¡°And Mia will set up the gate for us.¡± She playfully twirled an inscribing tool through her fingers and glanced from Emaldine to Matteo. ¡°So, how do we best go about it? You know more about the country than I do. Should I quickly crush the Crafting Tower today to get the ball rolling? Do you want to announce your challenge to the Elemental Tower?¡±

    Terry smiled lightly and clenched his fists. The way his aunt so casually talked about challenging an entire country was something to behold. More impressive than the audacity was the fact that no one present held a single shred of doubt that she had the ability to follow through.

    Terry subconsciously traced the joints of his fingers ¨C the location where body inscriptions were taking shape. He would claw at whatever means he could find to one day earn similar confidence when stepping forward and taking on such audacious amounts of responsibility.

    ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re up to this?¡± Emaldine looked at her accepted brother with concern.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Matteo firmly, even though he couldn¡¯t keep all the dread from leaking into his tone. The prospect of returning to the place of his haunted past was truly dreadful.

    Sigille had always reminded him that the carnage he committed as a demon had not been his fault. Even though Matteo could never fully convince himself into believing her words, he always believed in his accepted mother and refused to let her down when it mattered. Sigille might be dead, but she would forever be with him. He would not shrink back from what had to be done.

    ¡°I¡¯ll issue the first challenge,¡± said Matteo. ¡°I suspect mine won¡¯t be as straightforward as yours, so even if I issue the first challenge, you can already proceed with yours.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this,¡± said Daiyu. She could tell that the man with the grey-ish skin and purple eyes was pained by the task. ¡°It¡¯s our family¡¯s matter that dragged you into¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Daiyu.¡± Isille cut her off. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for anything. You helped with our son. We will not leave you alone when it comes to rescuing your daughter.¡±

    Terry clenched his fists even harder than before and he glanced at all his friends from Arcana. They had all come for him. They had not hesitated to cross empires and follow his family to a besieged city state. He would be damned if he failed to live up to such concern. Siling might not be his sister by blood, but she was definitely family. All of them were.

    ¡°Have you heard back from Apex?¡± asked Matteo.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Terry with a wry smile. He didn¡¯t know if that meant she hadn¡¯t received his communication or if it was just Apex being Apex. Even in the folded space when they had worked together to get rid of Vicious, the martialist woman had been far from open or forthcoming with her thoughts.

    ¡°It would be easier with her there to challenge the tower master directly, but if we can¡¯t count on her relying on her rights as a former direct disciple, then we¡¯ll have to figure something else out,¡± said Matteo pensively.

    If we conquer the tower without Apex, before she enacts her revenge, we can count on her being pissed beyond belief. Terry grimaced at the thought.

    ¡°Perhaps some of your fans can be persuaded into attempting the teacher-disciple challenge.¡± Emaldine smirked at Terry.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call them my fans,¡± groaned Terry.

    ¡°Sure, ¡®Venerable Elder¡¯,¡± teased Emaldine. ¡°Right after they stop questioning my ¡®intentions¡¯ and asking me all sorts of nonsensical questions about you.¡±

    Terry frowned and tried hard to ignore the giggles from his siblings and friends.

    ¡°What about the Spirit Tower?¡± asked Terry in a transparent attempt to shift topics away from his martialist fan club. ¡°Will Amelia be able to go to Syn City to ask Ying for help?¡±

    ¡°Soon, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Matteo¡¯s voice trailed off when he saw the reaction on Daiyu¡¯s face. Quickly, it wasn¡¯t just him that noticed the change in the elven face.

    The weight of all inquisitive glances jolted Daiyu from her state of disbelief. ¡°Did you say Ying? You¡ª You know where he is?¡±

    There was a pitiful tremor in the pale woman¡¯s face that caused Terry to wince with a dawning realization. He wondered how he had never considered it before, but then again, Syn City was literally at the opposite corner of the unwasted world.

    When Terry had first met the mayor of Syn City, he hadn¡¯t known that Siling¡¯s father had turned himself into a vampire.

    When he had learned about the unorthodox mana uses, he had assumed that soul spirits were more common outside of Arcana and thought little about Ying¡¯s abilities.

    When he had heard about Ying¡¯s loathing of the Lich Kingdoms, he hadn¡¯t known that Siling¡¯s family was connected to it.

    When he had talked to Siling about Ying, he hadn¡¯t known that Siling had her memory wiped with all memories connected to her years with her father erased.

    Wasted mana, I don¡¯t¡­ Terry glanced from Daiyu to Siling and back. He didn¡¯t know what to say.

    With all his helplessness at the front of his mind, a quiet voice lingered further in the back. A voice of suspicion. Something about everything triggered his distrust honed by a year in a martialist asylum.

    I can¡¯t believe Ying would abandon his daughter. Daiyu had said he wouldn¡¯t. A man that turned himself into a vampire to save his daughter wouldn¡¯t. A man that hated the Lich Kingdoms wouldn¡¯t. The man that Terry had seen wouldn¡¯t. The man being upfront with the Deathguard and fighting for his city against the Divine Division wouldn¡¯t.

    How exactly did Ying end up at the other end of the habitable realm?

    It was a long way from the Lich Kingdoms to Syn City. Sure, it could be chalked up to Ying¡¯s desire to get as far away from the Kingdoms as possible, but suspicion gnawed at Terry¡¯s mind, unconvinced that this was all there was to it.

    Subconsciously, Terry clenched his fists again. Even if he hadn¡¯t fully recovered, it was time to return to proper training schedules.

    ***

 215 Exchanging Fists

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 91 ¨C

    ¡°Terry!¡± Brandon¡¯s face brightened when he saw Terry enter the reception hall.

    ¡°Greetings, you two.¡± Terry smiled at the boy and then faced the woman next to Brandon. He was glad that she looked more like herself again. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for stories?¡±

    Daisy reciprocated his friendly smile faintly and nodded. ¡°Care to join?¡±

    ¡°Not today.¡± Terry shook his head. Sometimes, they had moved story time to his room so that he could continue his own research and crafting practice while they were progressing in the Path of a Mage. ¡°Today, I have something to do.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Daisy looked towards the exit. ¡°There¡¯s no one here though. Don¡¯t you¡­¡±

    ¡°Not today.¡± Terry could guess what she was thinking. Whenever he had been allowed outside his healing chamber, it was usually for an important meeting or to meet with his friends. There was no important meeting scheduled for today and there were no friends for him waiting at the Flower House¡¯s door either.

    Today, they were waiting somewhere else. Terry could feel their mana signatures and wasn¡¯t surprised that everyone was already gathered. He frowned when he recognized two of the gathered signatures. He really didn¡¯t know what Lori was thinking sometimes, but he guessed he would learn more today.

    Before Terry left, he paused and narrowed his eyes at Daisy. ¡°Wait, have you started accumulating mana?¡± It was faint, but unless his senses still betrayed him, the woman in front of him had barely stepped into the realm of mana users.

    ¡°I have?¡± Daisy blushed and blinked. ¡°I thought I was doing it wrong. I can¡¯t tell. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think I am.¡± Terry tilted his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were trying to do that. If you have any questions, I can try to answer them when I¡¯m back.¡± He could see Brandon¡¯s ears perking up. ¡°That goes for both of you, of course.¡±

    Terry excused himself and then left for the practice grounds. He had insisted that he was fine to practice again. That also meant he would have to face the consequences of his past choices.

    If he was well enough to practice, then he was well enough for the spar he owed.

    ***

    Terry walked while wondering if it was the right call to leave his helmet in his storage. The last time he had skipped his helmet, he ended up regretting it. Not only because of the bird poop that had landed on his head.

    However, even though his senses had recovered sufficiently, they were not quite back to their peak. The magic helmet made it worse, if only slightly. Slight or not. Since this was just a spar, he figured he was better served by his senses than by one more protective item.

    ¡°Oh finally! Is that the prick?¡±

    The moment Terry entered the area, he got an icy look thrown his way. Terry furrowed his brow and looked at the dwarven man with weirdly spiky hair. ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t want to know you, bastard,¡± grumbled the dwarf who was glaring at him.

    ¡°Shut up, Nick,¡± barked Tiana. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to know him, you shouldn¡¯t have come here. You knew what we were planning. You could have stayed with the others.¡±

    Seeing Tiana address the dwarf, Terry paid closer attention to the dwarf¡¯s mana signature and realized that Nick carried more than a single signature. The dwarf was fire-aspected, but there were different signatures of ice mingled in.

    Nick was possessed by ice elementals.

    ¡°I have a right to see the prick who''s responsible for me being dragged into a freaking war-zone, don¡¯t I?!¡± demanded Nick.

    ¡°No one dragged you anywhere,¡± hissed a familiar-looking woman, who immediately stepped forth to shake Terry¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to introduce myself when you saved us. I¡¯m Vess. I¡¯m so glad you managed to rescue Tiana. I still can¡¯t believe your cousin could suppress the elementals. I¡¯ve never heard of that being possible. I would have never forgiven myself if Tiana had died that day and¡­¡±

    Dual-aspected¡­ Water and metal¡­

    Terry¡¯s mouth opened slightly when he realized why the woman was looking so familiar. This was the woman whom they had first found when they had followed the nominated emergency mission to rescue Tiana and the rest of the Guardians¡¯ team leader course.

    Vess shook her head and repeated. ¡°Thank you again. I owe my life first to Tiana and then to you and everyone.¡±

    Nick snorted with derision. ¡°Bootlicking little weasel.¡±

    ¡°Nick, no one is forcing you to be here,¡± barked Tiana and stepped closer to him.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± hissed Nick. ¡°Do I look like I have a choice being here? Matteo is the only one who can keep these parasites in check!¡±

    ¡°And instead of thanking him, you¡¯re whining and insulting his cousin,¡± accused Vess.

    ¡°Well, if it wasn¡¯t for this prick¡­¡± Nick gestured at Terry. ¡°Matteo would have stayed in Arcana instead of dragging me to this mana-forsaken place.¡± He glared at Terry. ¡°I swear if we¡¯re not getting out of here soon, I¡¯m going to knock your teeth out.¡±

    Tiana rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Is he serious?¡± Terry asked. The dwarf¡¯s weird mana signature wasn¡¯t exactly weak, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to feel even remotely threatened.

    ¡°Yes, and don¡¯t worry about the idiot,¡± groaned Vess.

    ¡°Maybe we should let him break his fist,¡± sighed Tiana. ¡°Perhaps that would teach him some sense, but¡­¡±

    ¡°If he wants a try, he has to get in line.¡± Lori stepped forward with a stern expression and a challenging glance at Terry.

    Terry could not help but sigh. He had made his choice in the Wastes. He had known his companions wouldn¡¯t be happy, and he had chosen to do it, anyway. He would do it again. Now it was time to face the music.

    Terry involuntarily scowled when he saw Patricia stand up, but before he could decide if he should say anything, he recognized another face next to her. A man dressed in silver combat robes and a protective chest piece.

    Unaspected.

    Terry had seen that man in Tiv, specifically in the Libra Outpost, when they returned to gather the druidic ingredients and inquire about the four-leaved blood tulip. Even though this man wasn¡¯t a channeler, he had been friends with a lot of the Guardian channelers from the Circle of the Bright Lady. That included Harrison ¨C one of the Guardian whom Terry had partnered with in Tiv and one person he had killed in the battle against Bright Willow¡¯s followers and the people complicit with Anand.

    ¡°Patricia and Maximilian.¡± Lori introduced them officially. ¡°We¡¯ve worked together while I was training with Dhruv in the Libra Outpost. They followed me here after Ma and Pa finally discovered your whereabouts.¡±

    Terry seriously wondered how Lori had ended up with these two as companions, but he had to put the question on hold. He wanted to get this over with. ¡°So who¡¯s in?¡± He knew that the first round would be different from a regular spar. He only had to look into his sister¡¯s eyes to be certain of that.

    Lori stepped into the combat area without another word. Siling entered just as quickly.

    Terry had expected as much. He had not expected that the next two would be Elena and Patricia though. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± He felt like objecting. These two hadn¡¯t even been there. More importantly, this spar felt personal and, at least to him, Patricia felt decidedly out of place.

    ¡°You have it coming,¡± said Elena, and cracked her knuckles.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± growled Patricia, with her stern gaze on Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for the death of my brother anymore, but I am going to make you take responsibility for what you did to your sister.¡±

    Her voice dropped lower. ¡°I have seen her practice swimming through earth until her fingers were bloody. I¡¯ve seen her accidentally burying herself alive more times than I care to count.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve always caused my brother to worry and then suddenly, he was gone. As someone who failed to learn her lesson in time, I¡¯ll make sure you do better in the future.¡±

    Terry puffed his cheeks and decided not to argue. Something in Patricia¡¯s tone had gotten to him.

    Jorg appeared conflicted, but after exchanging glances with Lori, he stood up as well. ¡°Sorry, Terry.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Miguel raised an eyebrow and looked at Jorg. ¡°You¡¯re relying the most on your items. He¡¯s basically a walking counter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can do,¡± said Jorg. ¡°I didn¡¯t spend so much time practicing spellwork just for imprinting.¡± He shrugged with a pensive expression. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there, but I sure don¡¯t want to be placed in a similar situation, so¡­¡± He egged himself on and jogged into the arena. ¡°Got to make it count.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± said Miguel. He himself remained seated despite feeling a certain glare drilling into his eyes. ¡°Sorry, Lori, but I already told you we¡¯re not seeing eye to eye in this. I¡¯m happy to join the later rounds, but not this one. I think Terry made the right call.¡±

    He raised a hand to preempt the impending protest. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but that¡¯s that. If we had started arguing ¨C and we all know we would have ¨C then we would most likely be dead. At least some of us. I personally quite like us all alive. I¡¯ll stay out of this one, but I¡¯m with Terry. I love you, Lori, but I think he was right.¡±

    Lori, who had been glaring challengingly at Miguel, blushed at the unexpected words of affection in front of everyone and then cleared her throat before nodding. She didn¡¯t agree with her boyfriend, but that was fine.

    ¡°You can count me out as well,¡± said Tiana with a glance at Vess. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a position to judge Terry for what he did.¡± After all, she had done something similar when the aspect beings had attacked her team leader course. She had tried to sacrifice herself to lure the elementals away. She hadn¡¯t exactly asked for opinions when she had chosen to do so, either.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join!¡± Nick eagerly stood up.

    ¡°If you do, you can expect ¡®friendly¡¯ fire,¡± warned Siling in a decidedly unfriendly tone. ¡°You¡¯d only be joining for the wrong reasons.¡± The others on her side nodded.

    ¡°You little¡­!¡± hissed Nick.

    ¡°Just sit down,¡± barked Tiana.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Nick grumbled, but sat down regardless.

    Maximilian glared at Terry but shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven you for what you did. I share Patricia¡¯s sentiments, but this isn¡¯t my fight to pick.¡± He sat next to the other spectators.

    Terry took a deep breath and looked at his opponents. Friends and friends of friends that all wanted to teach him a lesson.

    Even so.

    Terry couldn¡¯t truthfully say that he was sorry. He would do it again. He only regretted that he hadn¡¯t been strong enough to create other options. He looked to the other side of the sparring area to find a group of disgruntled healers looking at him.

    Guess everything is set up then¡­

    Terry looked at his sparring partners and paused. They were all wearing the equipment his aunt Brynn had prepared. In contrast to them, he was still wearing his old equipment, except for the shadow rope bangle. Brynn hadn¡¯t gotten around to finishing his new items yet.

    Terry knew he was going into the spar with somewhat of a handicap. After all, he was still forbidden from full out bursts or cycling burst techniques for extended periods. He didn¡¯t mind the equipment difference, but the longer he looked at the expensive items, the more he felt that the risk wasn¡¯t worth it.

    The risk for them.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Terry puffed his cheeks and considered his words. ¡°In the spirit of sparring, I should warn you that if we want to do this properly, there is a risk that I¡¯ll damage your equipment.¡±

    Among many raised eyebrows and skeptical looks, Siling blurted out: ¡°Uhh, what?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you can damage these?¡± Jorg pointed at his armor pieces. His voice was a mixture of surprise and amazement.

    ¡°Wait, you believe that?¡± exclaimed Patricia.

    ¡°Terry isn¡¯t a liar,¡± said Jorg with a shrug. ¡°Even though I find it hard to believe. Auntie crafted them after all.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t intentionally break them¡­¡± Terry had no intention of using his shifting grinder combination on the items of his friends. ¡°But if I target them with my spell, there is a risk, yes.¡±

    ¡°Why does it sound as if you¡¯re leaving something out?¡± demanded Lori with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Wait, do you really believe that?¡± Patricia was looking from face to face.

    ¡°You can target these?¡± asked Jorg with even more amazement. ¡°But the shielding appears perfect. And the mana concentration is¡­¡± He began muttering to himself while analyzing the masterpieces of his aunt for the thousandth time.

    ¡°Well, yes,¡± confirmed Terry. He could feel it. He could feel the slightest gaps in the shielding. He could bypass the shielding by moving his mana through their bodies and using the openings intended for their own mana.

    Terry could shape his mana even beyond the mana-osmotic materials and cloaking by touch alone. He could compress his spell to overpower the item¡¯s ambient mana, but just like the grinders, this carried a risk of damaging the item.

    Given the quality and his aunt¡¯s crafting prowess, the risk was surely minimal, but still. It didn¡¯t seem worth the risk.

    ¡°Prove it,¡± demanded Lori, and pointed at her bracer. ¡°I have a spare from when I first went to apprentice with Dhruv.¡±

    Terry nodded and transfixed the bracer.

    Lori pulled at the bracer to find it immovable. She moved her own mana to disrupt the imprint. It took her longer than she liked and when she had succeeded, a new spell immediately followed. ¡°Hmph.¡± She began removing her equipment.

    ¡°Alrighty then¡­¡± Siling exhaled a sharp whistle and returned all her solid items to her storage. She pointed at the protective necklace that Terry had given to her when they had gone to Tiv. A gift that he himself had received from Sigille. ¡°Can you target this too?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± judged Terry.

    Siling shrugged and continued sorting out her equipment, unperturbed.

    ¡°Why are you all acting as if this was to be expected?¡± demanded Patricia. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to target these. Like, what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°I warned you, Jorg,¡± said Miguel with amusement.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, can¡¯t help it.¡± Jorg sighed and joined his sister in getting out of his solid equipment pieces.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Was that all?¡± asked Elena while sorting out her own items. She had not forgotten that Lori had voiced some suspicion earlier. ¡°What are you leaving out?¡±

    Terry frowned. He didn¡¯t like that both Lori and Elena appeared to think of him as someone to speak half-truths. It reminded him too much of what he had chosen to do in Thanatos when they hadn¡¯t even been around. ¡°Once I have an item transfixed, I can use my combination.¡± Elena and his other friends had been there when he had explained his discoveries. This was just a reminder. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how well the shielding and carved lining were done.¡±

    Elena nodded while Patricia was still staring at everyone. Eventually, the shadow-aspected woman resigned herself and similarly dressed down to nothing but cloth pieces.

    ¡°This feels wrong,¡± grumbled Patricia. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had to fight like this.

    ¡°Certainly uncomfortable,¡± admitted Jorg. He and his siblings had often practiced in plain clothing when they had been younger, but now he felt weirdly exposed.

    Imagine this but also being trapped in some Thanatos death sport. Terry grimaced slightly at their grumblings.

    ¡°Less whining, more pummeling,¡± said Siling.

    Lori nodded with a determined expression.

    ¡°Seriously though, your skill-set is a nightmare,¡± grumbled Elena with an accusatory glance at Terry. ¡°You can use your items, but we can¡¯t use ours. How did you even manage to get yourself injured to the brink of death if you can cast like this?¡±

    A sheer endless amount of opportunities to make a mistake? Stupid high regeneration vampires? Suffering a debilitating spell at the worst possible moment and being forced to tear through my own mana channels? Stupid high-regeneration vampires. A bunch of weak people to protect? Idiotic ideas? Stupid high-regeneration vampires!

    Terry wasn¡¯t sure how to reply.

    ¡°Less yapping, more pummeling.¡± Siling cracked her knuckles. ¡°Lori is not the only one here that waited years for a chance to pummel some sense into the accused.¡±

    ¡°Accused?¡± Terry raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Guilty!¡± stressed Siling.

    Terry didn¡¯t know how to interpret Siling¡¯s nonsense, so he didn¡¯t try. He was honestly impressed that none of them hesitated to fight without most of their powerful equipment. He didn¡¯t know who surprised him more: Lori or Jorg.

    He knew that Lori had practiced underground combat, but she didn¡¯t flinch when she had to face him with no magic goggles.

    He knew Jorg had become more amiable to the idea of practicing mana foundation and spellwork, but external mana control had always been a challenge for his brother. But now, Jorg was standing firm in his challenge with neither weapon nor magic items to rely on.

    They all silently moved into positions, with Terry facing the other five.

    ¡°Go!¡± shouted Tiana.

    Terry immediately distanced himself from the others. He hesitated briefly and failed to immediately unleash his disruption domain. This was a spar. The kind he had sorely missed. He understood that this round was different, but it was hard to suppress the urge to test himself.

    A brief moment of hesitation was enough for his situation to change, because from one moment to the other, he could already tell that the potential utility of his disruption domain had diminished significantly.

    Lori plunged down into the earth as if it was water.

    Siling vanished from everything but mana touch and her trajectory was upwards.

    Patricia stepped into the shadows. When Jorg followed her with his very own Shadow Step spell, Terry nearly exclaimed in shock.

    Elena finished a self-targeted spell that allowed her to shape her blood into a sharp dagger. Next to her, the large shape of a white windvenom grizzly with purple markings appeared. High above, the high-pitched shriek of a thunderblood hawk could be heard.

    Terry exhaled sharply. He held Elena¡¯s gaze. He could feel Lori below. The windvenom grizzly was stepping onto clouds and circling him. The thunderblood hawk was peering down. Patricia and Jorg were biding their time in the shadows.

    They¡¯re really not kidding around, are they?

    Terry focused on his breathing and realized this might turn into more of a headache than he had thought.

    Okay, so what do I know?

    The perfect cloaking and camouflage both match the jumpscare cuttle, so Siling is probably still using Peekaboo. The floating of the jumpscare cuttle. The air-walking of the windvenom grizzly. The thunderblood hawk¡­ Probably air-coating and a tailwind or instant acceleration ability. Looks like Siling has specialized further in aerial combat.

    Terry couldn¡¯t help but grin. He agreed with the choice. His elven friend had always preferred to keep her distance. He himself could attest to the benefit that being airborne could bring in avoiding monsters and martialists alike. He suppressed the question if she still had access to the purplemist lynx soul to focus on other matters.

    Terry stepped up into the sky on divine layers of mana, leaving a frowning Elena behind.

    Since when can Jorg use Shadow Step? I thought he wanted to focus on barriers? Wait, that wasn¡¯t quite it, was it?

    He recalled that the deciding moment that had caused Jorg to choose his path was the dungeon taking Gellath hostage.

    Not just barriers. Keeping people safe. Mobile barriers. Mobile.

    Terry found himself smiling again. He wondered if the Blink-imprinted boots he had gifted his brother had served as inspiration to further incorporate mobility spells.

    His smile gave way to a furrowed brow, because countless rock projectiles were being shot up from below.

    Wind blades were thrown at him from the windvenom grizzly, circling him at an elevated level.

    Terry considered blocking with divine barriers but decided against it. He hadn¡¯t had a good spar in forever and decided to go with the flow and test his detection and dodging skills.

    Cloud-like air pockets appeared at various places and Patricia stepped out of the shadows directly onto them to add shadow spears to the mix.

    Terry felt the thunderblood hawk descend on another location and failed to figure out what its aim was¡­ until he felt Siling¡¯s hidden shape appear to fire her spells from the soul spirit¡¯s location.

    Another soul spirit with high burst speed that synergizes with her Resummon Spirit spell. But that wasn¡¯t a resummon. That was her moving herself to her spirit. Touching on space. That must be at least a high expert level spell.

    Such an ability¡­? That means she can freely move around across her soul spirit locations.

    Terry had been transfixing all the rocks his sister was firing at him and positioning his divine barriers. When he noticed the beginnings of Haste shaping from Siling¡¯s position, he lost his hesitation and unleashed his disruption domain.

    Terry decided to go on the offensive and focus on Siling. Not just because she was their best healer. Of all his opponents, she was the one least bothered by the lack of equipment.

    While Lori¡¯s underground fighting style was the most annoying for him to deal with, Siling¡¯s airborne nature was a definite second. Her cloud-pockets allowed others to follow up. Her soul-channeled abilities were insanely difficult to disrupt, even for him. All in all, taking his elven friend down was essential.

    Resolving himself, Terry channeled his mana into the divine hammer inscriptions and spun around in the air to unleash three divine hammers in quick succession. Attacking Siling wasn¡¯t enough. If he wanted to make sure she couldn¡¯t get away, then he had to cover three locations at once: Siling and her two soul spirits.

    Terry hadn¡¯t expected for it to be easy, but the actual result still took him by surprise. The thunderblood hawk dodged with a rapid rush downwards, while the other two of his divine hammers had been blocked unexpectedly.

    Jorg had stepped out of the shadows onto clouds in the air, with two empowered barrier spells primed and ready to be placed. He only appeared for an instant and then stepped back into the shadows.

    The other divine hammer collided with a net of shadow that deflected the structure of mana intersecting the light and metal aspects.

    The third surprise was that Terry could feel Elena reacting as well. Her gaze had clearly traced the divine hammer aiming for the hidden elf. Clear evidence she knew where Siling was located.

    Of course. Life Sense.

    Terry calmly reassessed the situation and could only sigh. Even without most of their equipment, these five still had many options spread across each other, and they were working well together.

    This is going to be a pain¡­

    ***

    They had fought at a stalemate for a long time, with neither side getting the better of the other.

    Terry had been forced to abandon his goal of going after Siling, which left Elena as the next obvious target, because she was the only one who was easy to get to.

    Unfortunately, Elena was no pushover. Her situational awareness was as good as he remembered it to be. While she didn¡¯t shrink back from engaging him in close combat, she never stuck around for long and quickly distanced herself to then counterattack while being backed by ranged support and sneak attacks from the shadows courtesy of Patricia.

    Then it started.

    Elena finished another self-target spell and her blood dagger was replaced with a shield and a one-handed sword.

    Using that amount of blood can¡¯t be healthy, even for someone that¡¯s blood aspected. Did she reabsorb the blood from the dagger? Eww¡ª Wait, that style of weapon switching! She has definitely been practicing with Tiana? Since when did Elena adopt that style? Or summon blood weapons, for that matter?

    Terry vaguely recalled that Elena was practicing to learn the Life Sense spell when he had last seen her in Arcana, but back then she still had significant trouble with her mana control.

    Terry was taken by surprise when Elena burst her mana and charged at him. He had been so used to the blood-aspected woman avoiding a full burst that when she did, he subconsciously transfixed some of his armor to maintain his balance.

    Terry knew he had messed up when he sensed first the magic activating in Elena¡¯s bandana and then more spells from below and all around.

    Of course, Elena would have an item to calm her mind when performing a burst. She wasn¡¯t an idiot that would allow herself to go berserk in combat.

    Terry¡¯s spell slicers tore through the attempted Shadow Bind spell. Unfortunately for him, his sister had shaped earth around him and even though he could disrupt the spell, the earth¡¯s momentum was already there and carried. Since the earth hadn¡¯t been hardened to stone, he couldn¡¯t transfix it, either.

    Terry hurriedly deactivated the spells on his armor and tried to dart upwards before they could trap him in earth, but quickly found himself blocked by barriers of various aspects for which his brother Jorg was obviously to blame.

    I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re getting me like this! This is too similar to our cloud badger hunt!

    Terry inwardly complained but now had to grapple with entangling roots being added to his obstacles. He resolved himself and abandoned his attempts to escape when he felt new developments in his mana touch.

    He quickly summoned barriers of divine mana to block whatever the shadows were trying to do. Hidden from view, a sudden explosion of blood-aspected mana assaulted his mana sense.

    What the¡­?!

    Terry didn¡¯t know what Elena was doing, but it didn¡¯t bode well for him. Being distracted by Elena, Patricia, and Siling, he barely caught Lori¡¯s rapid approach. He could feel her rock projectiles push against his cocoon of divine barriers and he put a stop to it with his own spell, transfixing the rocks as quickly as they were fired.

    The next thing Terry felt was an intensely empowered dual casting of Harden Earth and Rockspall Touch ¨C both spells shaped closely to Lori¡¯s body and therefore challenging targets to disrupt quickly. Her spell combination activated and unleashed countless shrapnel to bite into his barriers ¨C too many for him to keep the pace with his spell or inscription usage.

    Terry could see the resolve in his sister¡¯s eyes when she finally burst from the earth. He barely managed to summon another divine barrier. He was slightly surprised when she opened her hands full of pebbles that quickly shot forward through Propel Rock. What truly took him off-guard though, was the intense disruption discharge she paired with her unleashed projectiles.

    The combination tore through his last barrier. The earth-aspected discharge attracted further earth towards him. While his own movements were impaired by the earth, his sister¡¯s movements didn¡¯t appear impaired in the slightest. Lori moved through the earth like a fish through water.

    Lori¡¯s fist made painful contact with Terry¡¯s jaw. The same fist that had unleashed first the rock projectiles and then the disruption discharge. His sister had combined everything into one fluid motion and plan of attack.

    The surrounding earth was reshaped and appeared to melt away, only to harden on the ground.

    Terry rubbed his jaw while looking at his sister with mixed feelings. He had barely suppressed the instinct to go into a full burst to break through his earthen prison. He was glad that his sister hadn¡¯t pushed him further.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± cursed Lori and rubbed her fingers. ¡°Why the Wastes did that feel like punching a brick wall? That crazy plant cultivation?¡±

    Terry felt the urge to retort why she knew what punching a wall felt like but refrained from blurting his thoughts because he could see that his sister wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t fucking care!¡± shouted Lori while the other four were all appearing around them again.

    ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Care.¡± Lori pointed at Terry with each of her words. ¡°I don¡¯t care how strong you get or what you are planning to do. I¡¯ll always be able to land a good punch on you! We all will!¡± Her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°On you or on whatever you choose to face!¡± She shouted with heavy breaths. ¡°So don¡¯t you ever do that again!¡±

    Lori stepped closer to Terry and pointed at him again. ¡°Not like that. Never again! I know I can¡¯t do everything, but fuck you! Neither can you!¡± She shook her head and her eyes were pleading with him. ¡°I¡¯ll listen if we¡¯re in a position like that again. I might still argue, but I¡¯ll listen. So don¡¯t ever do something like that again!¡±

    ¡°That!¡± Siling pointed at Lori. ¡°I second that.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Not the listening part. The fuck you part.¡± She deadpanned, but was plainly joking.

    ¡°You¡¯re a pain in the arse, you know that?¡± said Elena. ¡°Don¡¯t make Lori worry like that again.¡± Patricia nodded along to her statement.

    ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll be the one throwing the punch next time,¡± added Jorg. ¡°No matter how long it takes.¡±

    Terry heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. It was good to have this cleared up. He had been so focused on the fight and then on their words that he hadn¡¯t realized the audience that had gathered to watch. Nor did he consciously notice the new arrivals.

    ¡°I want to see who dares to threaten my brother!¡± A leopard-spotted felan interjected haughtily.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t care who you are. If you don¡¯t back off, I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to throw a punch,¡± growled an elf in green-golden robes.

    ¡°Your ¡®Brother¡¯?¡± Both Lori and Jorg looked at each other, to Terry, and then to Rafael.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember a furry brother like you,¡± said Jorg.

    ¡°Listen, midget, Terry is my brother first and foremost,¡± hissed Rafael before waving his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care what little history you have, you can¡¯t compare that to a bond forged in battle.¡±

    ¡°How about I forge you into a bond of pain?¡± growled Lori.

    Terry pinched the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°If you¡¯re suicidal, we can go a few rounds.¡± Rafael squared his shoulders. ¡°I won¡¯t have you bully my brother under my watch. Whatever grievances you have, I¡¯ll punch them out of you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Rafael, right?¡± Siling pointed and asked Terry.

    ¡°Yup,¡± said Terry. He had a bad premonition about the next round of sparring when he sensed Tiana stand up.

    ¡°Oh, who might you be?¡± Guillermo smiled at Siling. ¡°Hey there, pretty elf. We haven¡¯t been introduced properly. My name is Guillermo. Do you train here often?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Terry turned to his martialist friend. ¡°Don¡¯t start like that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± asked Guillermo confusedly. He turned to Siling. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. So, why don¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    Out of nowhere, the elf in green-golden robes had become covered in ink.

    Terry had felt Siling exchange her soul spirits, but since Guillermo had already shrugged off his warning, he just let it happen.

    ¡°What the¡­?!¡± Guillermo whirled around but found nothing. He heard a snort of amusement and glared at the offending parties: Elena and Lori. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±

    ¡°I warned you,¡± sighed Terry.

    ¡°What?¡± Guillermo looked from Terry to Siling. The elven woman showed nothing on her face and blinked innocently. ¡°Did you do this?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Siling blinked. ¡°Little innocent me?¡± She placed a finger on her chin. ¡°Perhaps?¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Guillermo was about to step forward when he was interrupted by Tiana¡¯s loud clap.

    ¡°Alright!¡± Tiana grinned from side to side. A grin Terry very much remembered as a warning of impending pain on the training grounds.

    ¡°If Rafael is going to join on Terry¡¯s side, then I¡¯m going to join on the other,¡± declared Tiana.

    ¡°Come if you want!¡± declared Rafael. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many of you I have to stomp into the ground.¡±

    Terry held his forehead and groaned. ¡°You have no idea how much worse you¡¯re making everything.¡± He looked up and asked: ¡°Can I take a break? How about you settle that without me?¡±

    ¡°Oy, brother, what are you doing?¡± Rafael blurted out. ¡°The hell buddy? I¡¯m here to help you.¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡± exclaimed Terry. ¡°Then how come you¡¯re making my life more difficult here. Tiana was staying out of it until you arrived and now she¡¯s suddenly against me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know that smoothskin!¡± protested Rafael.

    ¡°Oh, but I know about you,¡± said Tiana with the eyes of a predator. ¡°You¡¯re the one who tricked Terry into a year-long trial. Instructor Isille has said she would refrain from going after you herself on account of what happened afterwards, but she strongly suggested that I don¡¯t have to show the same restraint.¡±

    Rafael stared at her for a moment before leaning closer to Terry and whispering: ¡°How much trouble are we in?¡±

    ¡°More than you can imagine.¡± Terry whispered back before wondering why he was whispering. He demanded loudly: ¡°And what do you mean ¡®we¡¯?! This is your mess. I have my own problems.¡±

    ¡°I asked if you have anything to do with this?¡± Guillermo pointed at his ruined robes.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Siling puffed her cheeks. ¡°What if I did? You can just take it as payment for gazing upon my ¡®pretty¡¯ face, no?¡± She batted her eyelashes.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Guillermo harrumphed. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re fighting? I¡¯m going to make you regret this.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Siling didn¡¯t seem impressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m out for now,¡± announced Elena. ¡°I need to recover some mana.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out, too.¡± Jorg sat down. ¡°I¡¯ll rejoin when I can use my items again.¡±

    Siling looked over the remaining participants and rested her gaze on Rafael and Guillermo before breaking out in a cheeky grin. ¡°Okay, Mister Guillermo. You want to challenge me? Accepted.¡±

    Siling walked into the field again, but contrary to expectations, she positioned herself next to Terry and Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ll join the furry side.¡± She raised a fist. ¡°Down with the smoothskins!¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Rafael was stumped.

    ¡°Did you just call me furry, too?¡± Terry asked in an insincere accusatory tone.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown some fuzz on your chin¡­¡± Siling narrowed her eyes. ¡°My bad. Just some earth. Anyway, what¡¯s done is done. We¡¯re team fur now. Deal with it.¡±

    Similar to Rafael, Guillermo was at a loss for words. He had come here to help Terry out, but he hadn¡¯t expected that he would end up fighting against both Terry and Rafael. He looked at Tiana, Lori, and Patricia with skeptical eyes. He knew the power of Terry and Rafael, but these people were unknown to him.

    Terry couldn¡¯t help but grin. Leave it to Siling to figure out a way to defuse the tension and get everyone used to each other. I get that she doesn¡¯t really remember her childhood, but it¡¯s still amazing that she can act like that given the situation with her sister.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join the next round!¡± declared Miguel. He didn¡¯t feel like waltzing into this hornet¡¯s nest of a sparring session. ¡°On Lori¡¯s side, of course!¡± He winked at his girlfriend, only to earn himself a roll of her beautiful eyes.

    ***

 216 The Calm Before the Storm

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 97 ¨C

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s working¡­¡± complained Daisy.

    ¡°...me neither,¡± grumbled Brandon, who was holding Daisy¡¯s hand. They were both sitting on the floor in Terry¡¯s room.

    Terry didn¡¯t have to glance up from his notebook to reassure them. ¡°It¡¯s working. It¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t tell. Either your mana sense needs to improve or your mana pool has to increase before you will be able to tell the effect immediately. Continue like this. I¡¯ll warn you when you are forcing the external push too much.¡±

    While the two aspiring mana cultivators were practicing to improve their mana foundation under his guidance, Terry also paid attention to the transfixed items in front of him.

    Terry circled mana into a combination of plane drift inscriptions on his fingers to get the direction he wanted, and then slowly moved each of the transfixed items while paying attention to the mana cost.

    While noting down the results of his experiments, many conflicting emotions washed over Terry¡¯s face.

    The fact that his chosen body inscription was working proved his understanding of his Immovable Object spell correct. The spell shifted an object onto a colliding plane. That plane was inherently linked to him and the body inscription allowed him to move it.

    So much for the good news.

    The bad news was that the plane drift appeared nearly as infeasible for practical use as the unstoppable shift combination when he had first discovered it.

    An obvious complication was the single-axis movement. It required Terry to handle different inscriptions at once in order to achieve the direction or complex movement he wanted. It was certainly a headache, but nothing Terry was too concerned with. No matter how complicated it was, he would get used to it.

    As few tools as he had available, he was determined to master them all.

    There was focus in his limitations.

    His spell¡¯s plane was directly and perfectly linked to his mana, which eliminated the biggest problem the original creator of the inscription had to deal with. There was no way for anyone to link the shadow plane as closely to themselves as Terry¡¯s spell plane was inherently linked to himself.

    Unfortunately, that was already where Terry¡¯s luck ended.

    Even with a perfect and direct link, the mana cost was exorbitant, and it increased with roughly quadratic growth relative to his desired drift speed.

    The worst part, however, was that an active drift pretty much canceled his spell¡¯s core feature: The drifting object became movable and not just for Terry.

    Terry pushed with his finger against a drifting transfixed ball and frowned when he sensed his mana decrease the more he pushed against the drift forced by the tattoos¡¯ effect. The plane drift tattoo allowed him to move an immovable object while it remained unbreakable, but it also enabled others to do the same while he was using the body inscription.

    The more force Terry applied, the more his mana was eaten up, unless he matched the drift direction ¨C and velocity ¨C with his push. As long as he kept the drift active, he was opening himself up for others to empty his mana pool. He sighed and shrugged.

    No dashing around with unbreakable shields for me. Although they remain unbreakable, they¡¯re floating instead of immovable. Drifting against even slight physical pressure is extremely costly.

    Thinking about having to match the body inscription use with his own physical movement was one headache, but the biggest headache remained the mana cost. If he had to match his physical velocity to his drift velocity, then even physical speed would cost mana while wielding an unbreakable item.

    Slight or slow movement might still be sufficient for repositioning immovable objects mid-combat. I guess the drift could also be useful as an alternative to my coil spring mechanisms to soften the impact with immovable objects¡­

    Terry recalled how often he had to be careful about transfixing his equipment while moving. If he had the option to soften his impact or give himself a bit of wiggle room with the transfixed object, then that would certainly prove useful.

    Still¡­

    All at a cost¡­

    Terry tapped his pen on his notebook with an unsatisfied expression. Proving his understanding of his spell and mana type correct was great for his inner Academy student, but for practical applications he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly disappointed¡­ for now.

    Unperturbed, Terry continued experimenting with the new tool in his belt. His mood improved the moment he realized it was possible to force a drift against resistance in the regular plane.

    Terry used the plane drift with a transfixed throwing needle to carve a message into wood.

    Naturally, he only managed to create shallow lines that resembled no letter known to his realm.

    Obviously, the mana cost was horrendous for such a miniscule effect.

    Even so, Terry couldn¡¯t help but grin. Yes, with a drifting object, others could attack his mana pool with physical force, but he could also convert his mana into physical force of his own. Even if the conversion factor was horrendous, he had found a path for him to possibly scale physical attacks eventually.

    Doesn¡¯t fully scale though.

    Even if Auntie creates more inscribing tools to cover more than just my fingers with the tattoos, there¡¯s a limit of inscribable skin on my body.

    Doesn¡¯t fully scale¡­

    ¡°Not yet¡­¡± whispered Terry. He rubbed his eyes and forced himself not to talk out loud. He was aware that he wasn¡¯t alone and he really didn¡¯t want to fall into his weirdo habits again.

    Even if the drift allowed him to wield physical objects hands-free, he was limited by the number of his plane drift tattoos. It was a start, but he had to figure out¡­ something to push it further.

    What was that something?

    Terry had no clue.

    Before he packed up to meet his other friends for a spar, Terry looked over his notes again. He circled a section on the difference in drifting cost for items aspected with the unbalanced aspecting technique.

    He couldn¡¯t put his finger on why, but his eyes kept moving back to the results.

    ***

    ¡°What was that?!¡± yelled Lori.

    ¡°Yeah, last I remember, it was supposed to be the immovable object,¡± grumbled Jorg.

    Terry grinned from ear to ear. He knew this was a onetime surprise and wouldn¡¯t work next time, but it just felt so nostalgic to trip his siblings up in a spar with a new idea. ¡°Payback for having Elena use a freaking Blood Lure spell against me.¡± He had to admit that he hadn¡¯t completely forgiven them for pulling that one over him.

    As it turned out, the intense blood aspect eruption he had sensed from Elena had been nothing more than that. The spell simply radiated an intense blood-aspected signature. It was a way to attract certain kinds of beasts, but it had no effect besides. They had used the spell as nothing more than a feint.

    Siling arrived and tsk-ed at Terry. ¡°You let your cloaking slip. I saw your mana drop. That seemed like a gigantic waste.¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Terry gasped in mock exasperation. ¡°No slipping intel to the enemy, remember, Siling?¡±

    ¡°Ooopsie.¡± Siling placed a hand in front of her mouth. ¡°Silly me.¡±

    Tiana stepped up next to Lori and rolled her eyes. ¡°Another round.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m fighting with them,¡± declared Rafael, and moved from Terry to Tiana with a deadpan expression.

    Terry couldn¡¯t help but snort, which his felan friend pointedly ignored. Terry was pretty sure that Rafael was getting fed up with having to face Tiana. Even if they ended up winning, the felan rarely enjoyed the overall experience since Tiana and his siblings were still singling him out.

    ¡°Smoothskin sympathizer!¡± accused Siling and pointed at Rafael. ¡°You¡¯ll regret that!¡± The elven mage huffed in her best martialist impression. ¡°I could sneeze you all death!¡±

    Huh, perhaps she could?

    Given her windvenom grizzly abilities¡­ Terry snickered. Siling¡¯s really getting a kick out of martialist nonsense.

    Probably the only one that truly enjoys that though. Well, Jorg doesn¡¯t seem to care much and enjoys trading insults, but the others¡­?

    Terry still remembered some poor sods that had tried their martialist threats with Tiana and Lori recently. It didn¡¯t end well for them. Not at all.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll move over,¡± declared Miguel, and looked at Terry. ¡°You make sure they don¡¯t get to me, and I make sure to place an arrow in Jorg¡¯s butt.¡±

    ¡°You and your weird fantasies.¡± Jorg rolled his eyes. ¡°You should fantasize about Lori¡¯s butt, not mine.¡± He quickly dodged when his sister was trying to elbow him in the side. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re supposed to be on my side. No attacking your teammates!¡±

    Terry narrowed his eyes and turned around.

    ¡°What?¡± prompted Siling. ¡°Is Guillermo coming back? Or Patricia and Elena?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Terry sorted through the mana signatures that had caught his attention. Once he understood the situation, he quickly searched for the others. ¡°Patricia and Elena are still at the hunters¡¯ headquarters with Intira. Guillermo is with his sect members. No, it¡¯s a new group coming here. You¡¯ll see.¡± He looked at Rafael. ¡°Some old acquaintances.¡±

    ¡°About time.¡± Rafael grinned.

    Before long, a group of people in light blue martialist robes stepped into view.

    ¡°What took you so long? Afraid?¡± taunted Rafael.

    ¡°How dare you speak to¡ª?¡± A voluminous man flushed with fury.

    ¡°Barnes, remember to hold your temper,¡± chided Zhang.

    ¡°We are representing our sect,¡± reminded Sheila.

    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Barnes lowered his head.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean that we have to suffer our honor being insulted,¡± growled Chun with a warning gaze to Rafael.

    ¡°How about we all behave?¡± Terry rolled his eyes. If not like adults or decent human beings, then at least like people with a shred of sense.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Yes, Senior.¡±

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, both Barnes and Sheila lowered their heads in front of him.

    ¡°¡®Senior¡¯?¡± Siling snickered. ¡°More of those?¡±

    ¡°They are from Icy Dew Mountain,¡± explained Terry.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Terry could feel that his explanation had changed the atmosphere. Both his siblings and Tiana were looking at the arrivals differently.

    ¡°So you were the fools who attacked Terry?¡± growled Lori.

    Tiana cracked her knuckles and began a staring contest with Chun. The tall martialist woman was not used to having other women tower over her, but she held Tiana¡¯s gaze defiantly.

    ¡°Do we really have to behave?¡± Jorg asked Terry while keeping his eyes on the martialists. ¡°I feel like misbehaving a little longer.¡±

    Sheila held her tongue and looked questioningly at Terry.

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± demanded Zhang.

    ¡°My problem is that your sect attacked my brother,¡± hissed Jorg.

    Terry took a deep breath and raised a hand to preempt a familiar confusion. ¡°That would be me. These are my siblings, and the others are friends from Arcana.¡±

    Zhang grumbled slightly but swallowed his misgivings at being threatened so casually. ¡°Those are grudges of the past. We have fought together with your brother and¡ª¡±

    ¡°And after he saved you from that tomb, you didn¡¯t even feel the need to come here when he needed your help,¡± interjected Tiana coldly.

    ¡°Please.¡± Terry forced himself into the conversation before things could escalate further. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was Tiana showing her natural irritation, her demonic temper, or if Isille had put her up to this again. ¡°Let¡¯s just get along and focus on beating the Lich Kingdoms back.¡±

    ¡°A high ask¡­¡± Zhang moved his eyes from Terry to Tiana. ¡°And one that requires more than individuals, which is why I made sure to get our sect on board. Convincing a whole sect takes time. Even Peter hasn¡¯t been able to mobilize the Blazing Sun Sect completely and his current standing is higher than all of ours.¡±

    ¡°So you just happened to arrive on the day that we¡¯re moving into the Lands?¡± asked Siling skeptically.

    ¡°No, not just ¡®happened¡¯,¡± corrected Zhang. ¡°We¡¯ve heard about the One Mage Army and the Elemental Fury. From our reports, even the Spirited Duchess hasn¡¯t dared to make another direct move since their arrival, but hearing is not seeing.¡± He glanced at Terry. ¡°I want our elders to bear witness to what you can do. The earlier, the better to firm everyone¡¯s resolve.¡±

    He wants to show them that we have a chance. Enough of a chance for them to consider the benefits of being early alliance partners.

    ¡°Then your timing couldn¡¯t be better,¡± said Terry while staring off into a specific direction. ¡°I think the preparations at the gate are finished.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need all your constructs?¡± Edmund was hesitant to ask the miraculous crafter, but felt it had to be done. Naturally, he was happy about the army of constructs defending their Freedom Cooperative, but he also understood the importance of the mission in the Lands of the Four Towers.

    It might be tough to defend the city without the constructs, but if that was what it took, then they would have to try. Edmund didn¡¯t think it wise to risk the long-term strategy for getting the Union moving in force.

    ¡°Yes,¡± assured Brynn confidently. ¡°And I appreciate you asked, but your concern is misplaced. If it¡¯s a proper crafter¡¯s competition, then it will be about quality, not quantity. I¡¯ll bring my best work. The rest can remain deployed here.¡±

    Brynn looked at Matteo. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± assured Matteo.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Emaldine next to her accepted brother.

    Matteo smiled and nodded. Then he and Brynn walked through the gate.

    ¡°Watch over her.¡± Isille told Samuel.

    ¡°No need to remind me.¡±

    ¡°If, unexpectedly, the Crafter¡¯s Tower has switched to alchemy, come back to pick me up,¡± said Bjorln.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be necessary,¡± said Emaldine. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the current rules.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll make sure the city still stands when you¡¯re going to return,¡± said Bjorln. He and Isille exchanged glances. This wasn¡¯t how they imagined coming out of semi-retirement from the Guardians¡¯ reserves in Arcana, but there was no backing down anymore.

    Emaldine turned to address the others. ¡°Alright, everyone in line.¡±

    Terry walked to the front. Not because he considered himself the most important, but because they had all agreed he should be among the first to keep the joining martialists in check, and the delegation from the different martial sects quickly gathered around him.

    Jorg joined to observe Brynn¡¯s competition as well as to use the chance to learn about foreign crafting techniques.

    Siling walked next to Jorg. She knew that the Spirit Tower had to be conquered eventually and that it might require her involvement. She might not remember her sister or father, but she wouldn¡¯t leave her sister in the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ clutches.

    Tiana joined to support her teacher, Matteo. Vess followed her just like Nick and the other possessed. Even if not everyone in the demon squad was thrilled at the prospect of taking part in a coup, they had to stick close to the person keeping the elementals possessing them in check.

    Lori¡¯s group and Miguel remained behind, because they felt more useful in the city under the direction of Isille and Bjorln.

    ***

    It didn¡¯t take long for their group to garner attention and soon after the first few spectators paused to watch, people were pointing at Matteo.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Monster.¡±

    ¡°The Demon is back!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°You dare show your face here?!¡±

    ¡°KILL HIM!¡± Some people started throwing stones.

    Terry didn¡¯t know how to feel when seeing people cry or panic, but he pushed his conflicted emotions aside and chose to concentrate on what mattered. He could see that Matteo was already clenching shaking fists.

    Terry had seen enough. He walked forward and flared his mana for everyone to see. He cut the air with his arm and a divine hammer hurled the stones back to their source, only for them to transfix a hair¡¯s breadth before hitting the spectators.

    Terry glared at the shocked perpetrators. He allowed his mana bubble to constrict around them to inflict the suffocating sensation of mana suppression on all mana users. He circulated mana through his tattoos and slowly drifted the transfixed stones the last distance. He felt satisfied at seeing them flinch back and give them space and finally allowed the stones to drop down.

    Even the local martialists had stepped back and stared timidly at the strangely dressed mage with slightly darkened blood vessels and faint, fern-like scars running through his face.

    ¡°Terry¡­¡± whispered Brynn softly, with a concerned expression. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

    To Terry¡¯s surprise, all of his present family were staring at him with concern. Even his cousin Matteo.

    ¡°Thank you, Whaka Terry,¡± said Matteo with a pained expression. ¡°But please don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°I heard what happened to you, but¡­¡± Jorg patted Terry on the back. ¡°Take it easy. You scared the shit out of them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, since when do you have such a short fuse?¡± asked Siling. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you better, even I would have thought you might hurt them.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± demanded Rafael. ¡°These bastards are lucky they¡¯re still breathing! Such insolence is intolerable.¡± Many outbursts of agreement came from the martialist factions.

    Terry took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I won¡¯t go too far.¡± He didn¡¯t agree with the martialists, but he also didn¡¯t fully agree with his family¡¯s reactions here.

    Looking at his cousin, Terry realized what bothered him.

    His aunt Sigille wasn¡¯t here anymore, so Terry figured someone else had to do it. He glared sternly at Matteo. ¡°But if you won¡¯t stand up for yourself, I will.¡± It felt weird to threaten his infamous cousin, but he still forced himself to do it.

    Matteo raised an eyebrow at Terry¡¯s tone, but before he could reply, they were interrupted by someone else.

    ¡°How DARE you show your face here again?!¡± A group of mages in colorful robes arrived.

    ¡°How DARE YOU show your face here at all?!¡± retorted Rafael and squared his shoulders.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You heard the felan!¡± hissed Emaldine, eager at the chance to let out her resentment for their treatment of her accepted brother.

    ¡°I agree,¡± barked Guillermo. ¡°Your face is an insult. How dare you trick us into looking your way with your incessant shouting! Why haven¡¯t you apologized yet?!¡±

    ¡°You dare?!¡± People in martialist robes arrived to stand next to the elementalist mages.

    ¡°Arrest the demon!¡±

    ¡°Let him pay for his sins!¡±

    ¡°You will do no such thing!¡± declared Brynn firmly.

    ¡°Who are¡ª?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here to issue a challenge.¡± Brynn cut the chatter off. ¡°We can discuss the disciple challenge for the Elemental Tower later. Today, I¡¯m crushing the Crafter¡¯s Tower.¡±

    ¡°¡®Disciple challenge¡¯?¡± screeched a woman in a blue tunic.

    ¡°You dare come back here and call yourself a disciple of the tower?¡± barked a man in fire-red robes.

    Terry noted that not everyone from the elementalist faction appeared as offended. There was at least one powerful mage that showed no reaction. The man was wearing sand-colored clothing with an insignia showing the symbol of the Elemental Tower.

    Matteo took a deep breath and declared: ¡°I was a personal disciple of the Tower Master, even if I had another primary mentor assigned.¡± For a moment, he grimaced painfully before he managed to suppress the memory. ¡°I was a disciple of the Elemental Tower. I have the right to issue the challenge under the disciple rules.¡±

    ¡°Like hell, you do!¡±

    ¡°There is no Elemental Tower Master anymore. The rules have changed!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the reason that the Tower Master died!¡±

    Terry could sense people moving their mana and even if he couldn¡¯t know if they would move onto shaping spells, he didn¡¯t hesitate to let a single wave of disruption wash over the people.

    Not like they can pinpoint me as the source, anyway.

    The locals from the Lands of the Four Towers didn¡¯t know Terry, nor his skill-set.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Brynn used the gap created by Terry to force herself into the conversation and get back to the direction they wanted: ¡°Perhaps I was misheard before, but the Elemental Tower is a topic for another day, so save your arguments. Today, I will crush the Crafting Tower.¡±

    ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± Another group arrived on the scene.

    ¡°Arrogant,¡± corrected another crafter.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s still young. The young are always arrogant. She¡¯ll learn better.¡±

    ¡°A single crafter wants to crush our tower?¡±

    ¡°Make space!¡±

    ¡°Crush our tower? I¡¯ll crush her!¡±

    ¡°No, I will defend our tower¡¯s honor!¡±

    ¡°Let me!¡±

    ¡°No me!¡±

    Terry felt people make space for the increasing number of crafters arriving to face the challenge of his aunt. Some of them were even beginning to summon constructs from their storage items.

    ¡°Silence!¡± barked one of the older crafters, whose black overall showed a similar insignia to the man Terry had noticed before. Only this insignia enlarged the symbol of the Crafter¡¯s Tower in the overall design. ¡°Construct challenges will be performed in the arena. Not out in the streets. What imbeciles has our tower raised that you would risk our country¡¯s infrastructure for your impatience?¡±

    While the ruckus simmered down, Brynn used her chance again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. Since so many of you have been so courteous to show me yours, I might as well show you mine, and we can walk to the arena together.¡± She pressed a ring into a bracelet on the other arm and channeled mana into it.

    For a moment, Terry was lost in the complex and delicate mana flow. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to sense it given its perfect cloaking, but his mana touch allowed him to feel some of the complicated lock mechanism.

    This is on top of her personal mana signature lock?

    Terry subconsciously held his breath, wondering what kind of construct his aunt would summon, only to crease his brow when the small dancing doll construct appeared. He had seen a similar design in larger versions and could attest to their combat power, but something about this smaller version felt different.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± muttered one crafter. Soon, all the older crafters were getting fidgety, obviously itching to lay their hands on the small construct.

    ¡°I think I now know who you are, young miss.¡± The man in the grey overall stepped forward with a bright smile. ¡°Can I assume this is your strongest construct?¡±

    ¡°Far from it,¡± replied Brynn matter-of-factly. ¡°But I consider it my most impressive working prototype. For people that can appreciate it.¡±

    The man nodded and knelt down to take a closer look. ¡°People generally assume that our craft progresses incrementally, but there would be no progress without a true paradigm shift once in a while. I remember the bright young Arcanian submitting an early draft on her theory of orientation effects in placed runic inscriptions and the different matrix effects of materials.¡±

    The man was about to crouch around the construct to get a different view, when Brynn made it move so that the man wouldn¡¯t have to. He smiled and lowered his head. ¡°Thanks. I also remember how the next work on the implications for applying anti-magic had been torn apart by criticism.¡± He smiled lopsidedly. ¡°I have to admit that I myself added to that criticism. The interpretation appeared simply too far-fetched.¡± He shook his head. ¡°And yet¡­¡± He smiled widely. ¡°Reality doesn¡¯t care about our criticisms.¡±

    The Crafting Tower Master looked up with respect. ¡°My deepest thanks for proving this old man wrong, Lady Brynn.¡± He stood up and lowered his head. ¡°It would be the honor of our Crafting Tower to welcome you as its new Tower Master.¡± Behind him, many of the more experienced crafters immediately followed to lower their heads, while many of the younger ones looked around with confusion before eventually giving in.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± An elven woman from the Martial Tower burst out. ¡°What¡¯s with these wussies?¡±

    ¡°How can they just give up?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t even put up a fight?¡±

    ¡°What a disgrace that we are allied with them. How did that even happen?¡±

    ¡°Crafters are all nuts, I tell you.¡±

    ¡°They have a point,¡± exclaimed Rafael. ¡°I got pumped up for nothing! What the Wastes!¡±

    ¡°We could challenge a few from the Martial Tower later,¡± suggested Guillermo.

    ¡°As if anyone would dare to accept a challenge from the great me,¡± huffed Rafael.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find someone,¡± added Zhang. He leaned closer to Terry. ¡°Might be a good idea, anyway. Get an idea of their strength.¡±

    Terry nodded. He had never been worried about the Crafter¡¯s Tower and no matter how complicated the situation with the Elemental Tower might be, he trusted Matteo with it. He still hadn¡¯t heard anything from Apex, so gathering information could only help. He wished he could participate more directly, but the tower was only open to martialist challengers.

    One step at a time¡­

    Terry moved his gaze from the crafters to the sour-looking elementalists. With Brynn becoming the new Crafting Tower Master, his cousin Matteo would receive the full backing of the Crafting Tower. Even though many had refused to take Matteo¡¯s challenge seriously before, the challenge would be a lot harder to rebuff with the changed situation.

    ***

 217 Hearts of Upheaval

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 5 ¨C

    ¡°Construction for our northern expansion is moving along smoothly,¡± declared a death knight with cyan flames burning in his eye sockets.

    ¡°Good to hear, Logan.¡± Ying looked pensively towards the edge of Syn City¡¯s cloaking mechanism. ¡°Just make sure we don¡¯t push too far. It¡¯s great that our community is growing, but we must remain wary of the Wastes.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± said Logan. ¡°Yancey and Olivienne have linked up more defensive towers and according to Saul, our barrier extension should be ready soon as well.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry about the culling parties either,¡± said Ramona. ¡°With Vell working extra shifts as per our agreement, we can cover the rest of the border easily.¡± She looked at her father. She still found it hard to get used to her father¡¯s skeletal appearance. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry on that front.¡±

    Ying nodded with an uneasy expression. It was a great boon to their settlement that the vampire and famous death hunter had joined Syn City together with his daughter. However, the man was also the first adult citizen of the city that had refused to accept the Heart.

    Ying looked towards the tower that held the Heart of Synergy, the magic light that allowed their people to return for a second life with their own minds and souls. He wouldn¡¯t begrudge a death hunter some skepticism about such forms of necromancy, and he couldn¡¯t complain about such a powerful person to join their community on his own terms.

    They had all agreed on the conditions and the additional work to be done by Vell if he wanted to stay untouched by Syn¡¯s Light.

    Even so.

    ¡°Make sure we don¡¯t rely too much on Vell,¡± warned Ying. ¡°We must all grow stronger.¡±

    After their discussion was done, Ying allowed himself to take a stroll through the prospering city. It was hard to believe they had built this place from nothing. They had carved out this home for themselves right in the hostile territory of the Wastes.

    A part of him was still doubtful. It waited for everything to turn into a failure. Another haunting failure on his conscience.

    Ying took a deep breath. He had failed when it mattered most, but this time, he wasn¡¯t alone. He had the Progenitor on his side. His savior and the most capable mage he had ever interacted with.

    Saul appeared next to him. ¡°Ying, you have to come!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Daiyu¡­¡± The moment Ying saw her, he averted his eyes in shame. He had dreamed of this face so often, but how could he bear to look at her after his failure.

    His moment of shame was forced away by a deeper worry. He looked up at her with terror. ¡°What happened to Siling? Don¡¯t tell me they came for her, too?!¡± Wild panic overtook him and he rushed forth to meet the elven woman. His hand stretched out, but he didn¡¯t dare to touch her.

    Daiyu still found it hard to find her tongue. Looking at her husband of a life long past. ¡°You¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Siling is fine. She has grown into a great young woman. She has found friends.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Ying stammered. All the peace this city usually held for him crumbled. It felt like his whole being was consumed by the sight of this woman, the love of his life.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. You shouldn¡¯t see me. I failed her. I tried so hard. I begged. I searched. I thought I could save her, but¡­¡± Ying couldn¡¯t hold back the tears. ¡°It was all for nothing. I should have tried to make her last days more enjoyable, but instead I was too busy trying to¡ª I failed. I ripped my soul apart, and I still failed. My little Siyu¡­¡± He grimaced painfully. ¡°I let my little girl die in my arms. I¡ª¡± He subconsciously recoiled and stepped back. ¡°It¡¯s good that you did better than me. At least Siling¡­ At least Siling¡­¡±

    Daiyu pulled the whimpering man into her embrace without realizing. She had never thought it possible that her love would knowingly abandon their girl in the Lich Kingdoms. He would never do such a thing.

    ¡°I know this is hard for everyone, but we are all under time pressure,¡± interjected Amelia from the side. ¡°Dargones can keep me updated on the situation, but I¡¯d rather be in range to step to him in case the Unholy Duchesses make a move.¡± She nodded towards Ying. ¡°He needs to know.¡±

    Only now did Ying realize that the famous Spellcrusher had accompanied his former wife in her visit. ¡°Know what? The Unholy Duchesses?¡± Another flicker of panic. ¡°Are the Lich Kingdoms after you again? Did they infect you? Is little Siling really alright?! They didn¡¯t touch her, did they?¡±

    ¡°Ying¡­¡± whispered Daiyu softly. She placed a palm on the elven man¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Siyu.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± muttered Ying with furrowed brows.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard about the Unholy Duchesses?¡± asked Amelia.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ying and looked from one woman to the other. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Lich Kingdoms to beg them to stop the curse. They spat in my face and told me they¡¯re no charity. If I wanted to save her, I would have to save her myself. They didn¡¯t allow me to leave anymore, so I stayed and tried to look for alternative ways to save her.¡± He returned his confused gaze to Amelia. ¡°Everyone there knew about the Four Unholy Duchesses. Blood, flesh, mind, and bone. The Bloody Duchess, the Tainted Duchess¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s five now,¡± corrected Amelia. ¡°Has been for a few years.¡±

    Ying¡¯s confusion only grew. Why did that matter? ¡°After my failure, I wanted to¡ª¡± He stopped himself. ¡°The Progenitor appeared to save me from myself. He helped me escape. Ever since then, I wanted to stay as far away from the Lich Kingdoms as possible. I guess it¡¯s possible a new duchess rose to prominence, but¡­?¡±

    ¡°Siyu,¡± said Daiyu with a trembling voice. ¡°She¡¯s alive.¡±

    ¡°The Spirited Duchess is the Duchess of Soul,¡± added Amelia.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ying¡¯s mind refused to process their words.

    ¡°Siyu is alive,¡± said Daiyu with a pitiful gaze at the trembling man.

    ¡°Siyu is¡ª No, I saw her die,¡± muttered Ying. His eyes widened. ¡°I SAW HER DIE! Who are you?!¡± He backed away. ¡°Why have you come to torture me?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Saul and others approached out of concern for Ying.

    ¡°Take them away!¡± shouted Ying crazedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are, but¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Amelia,¡± said Saul. The cyan fire in the lich¡¯s eye sockets flickered. ¡°Ying, I don¡¯t know about the other one, but that is definitely the Spellcrusher. You know her. Don¡¯t you recognize her spirit and mana?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± protested Ying while shaking his head. ¡°Why would Amelia come to torment me? Why? Why?!¡±

    ¡°Ying¡­¡± Daiyu reached out her hand but did not dare to touch him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve not come to torment you,¡± said Amelia firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve come because your daughter is alive and needs your help. We are already working on extracting her from the Lich Kingdoms¡¯ grasp. Your second daughter is currently with Matteo and Terry. They¡¯re all trying their best, but she needs your help, too.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t possible¡­¡±

    Amelia stepped forth and raised her voice further. ¡°Your daughter has become a Duchess in the Lich Kingdoms! She is helping lead an invasion on the territory of the Free Factions Union as we speak! Are you going to just leave her like that?!¡±

    Ying felt his own rage rise at the accusation. ¡°NEVER! I would never leave my little girl in that abominable place! I saw her die! I would never have left her!¡±

    ¡°Ying, I saw her,¡± stressed Daiyu. ¡°She¡¯s the spitting image of Siling, but she looks like a soul spirit.¡±

    The last words struck Ying like lightning. He stared at Daiyu. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°She looks like Siling,¡± said Daiyu. ¡°As a soul spirit.¡±

    The terrible realization that his greatest failure in life had actually been a success slapped Ying in the face. A success that had only yielded to a whole other level of failure. If he had succeeded in his soul extraction and transplant, then¡­

    ¡°I left her alone.¡± Ying stared at his hands with hollow eyes. ¡°I left my little girl alone in that cursed place. I left her¡­¡± His hands clenched into fists and he raised his bloodshot gaze. ¡°What can I do? Anything!¡± He growled with mad eyes.

    His mind was haunted by the ghostly visions of what the cursed kingdoms might have done to his little girl. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything!¡± A cold enraged hatred he had long forgotten welled up from the depths of his soul.

    His daughter would be free.

    The Lich Kingdoms would burn.

    ***

    ¡°I could get used to having my own tower,¡± quipped Brynn with a grin. ¡°Even at the Academy, I can¡¯t offload this much work.¡± She turned to Terry and winked. ¡°Your new equipment should be ready in no time.¡±

    ¡°You are one of the local sovereigns,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Of course they wouldn¡¯t refuse your requests.¡±

    ¡°Technically, I¡¯m the superior of my department in Arcana, too, but they still refuse me plenty.¡± Brynn pointed out. ¡°The people here even seem excited at the tasks I¡¯m giving them.¡±

    ¡°Probably because they are,¡± interjected Terry.

    ¡°Yeah, the last one seemed almost giddy when you demonstrated what to do,¡± added Jorg.

    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t just a job for them,¡± said Samuel with a nod. ¡°Those that come here to ask for work are those following their passion, and you have something new to teach them.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Interesting environment. I wish I could have seen that kind of passion more often in the Arcana Academy.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time,¡± announced Terry with an absentminded glance toward a wall. He could sense their other companions moving. ¡°Matteo is about to reissue his challenge.¡±

    ¡°Then this Tower Master better make an appearance,¡± declared Brynn, and strutted towards the door. Before their group had made it through the first hallway, a large entourage of Crafting Tower members had lined up to follow their highest representative.

    ***

    Matteo stood at one end of the arena, looking up to the lounges where the different tower representatives were sitting. Samuel, Jorg, and Siling were mixed into Brynn¡¯s crafting tower faction. Terry, Emaldine, Tiana and some of the demon squad were standing with Matteo.

    ¡°I was one of the Tower Master¡¯s three direct disciples,¡± shouted Matteo. ¡°By the customs of the Lands of the Four Towers, I may challenge the tower for leadership according to the rules of the disciple''s challenge. The current Tower Master is obligated to duel me for the title.¡±

    ¡°No one is disputing your background,¡± hissed a thin-lipped woman from the elemental tower. She was one of three people standing at the front of the elementalist faction. Besides her was another woman with strangely metallic hair and a man in sand-colored robes whom Terry recognized.

    ¡°Our tower will not tolerate a monster,¡± said the man in sand-colored robes firmly.

    ¡°And you¡¯re the monster that attacked this city and caused the death of the Tower Master,¡± continued the thin-lipped woman.

    ¡°Does this somehow change the rules?¡± demanded Brynn from the side.

    ¡°This is a matter of the Elemental Tower,¡± barked the thin-lipped woman. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere!¡±

    ¡°Is this how you speak to the tower master of our Crafting Tower?!¡± demanded the previous tower master in his grey overall.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The thin-lipped woman¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Even if we ignored the crimes of the past,¡± interjected the woman with the metallic hair. ¡°The Elemental Tower has had no Tower Master since that day. The demon calamity has destroyed the prepared line of succession and we never reached another agreement. There is no Tower Master for you to challenge.¡±

    Matteo and Brynn were both frowning at this declaration. When the silence continued, an unexpected voice rang out.

    ¡°That¡¯s your own fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± spat Terry with more than a little irritation. These people insisted on insulting his cousin for a crime committed by Anand. A crime of which Matteo was as much a victim as the previous Tower Master.

    They dared to call Matteo a monster.

    Terry refused to let them weasel out of the challenge. ¡°Matteo has used the phrase ¡®customs of the Lands¡¯, but from what I¡¯ve read, this is more than a custom. Your own laws demand that each tower has a tower master. A single tower master. A single sovereign authority and one clear candidate to challenge. Are you telling us that your tower has broken the laws for nearly two decades and continues to do so even now?!¡±

    Terry could feel the gazes turn to focus on him. Jorg and Siling were outright staring at him with mouths agape.

    Yes, I¡¯ve read up on the local laws.

    Terry had started to feel wary of every unknown country he stepped into.

    In Tiv, he had run afoul of imperial censors, Guardian mismanagement, and plotting ministers.

    In Thanatos, he had been used as a political pawn and nearly died in the Proving Grounds because he had not understood the rules sufficiently.

    In Thanatos and the folded space, he had suffered the unfathomable insanity of different martialist sects.

    In the Freedom Cooperative, he had run into conflict with the city guards and then been suppressed by different economic cooperatives.

    Just one time, Terry had wanted to know in advance what he was getting into, so he had chosen a different book for his evening study than usual. Instead of diving into the intricacies of quasi-periodic shielding patterns, he had read up on the local laws related to the tower challenges while practicing his plane drift and mana compression.

    Now that the elemental faction was trying to weasel out of their own laws to dodge Matteo¡¯s challenge, Terry couldn¡¯t feel more vindicated.

    Samuel and Brynn appeared amused and vaguely proud.

    ¡°We¡­¡± The thin-lipped woman frowned.

    Terry noted that the man in sand-colored robes showed less of a reaction than the other two.

    ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that,¡± sighed the woman with metallic hair.

    ¡°Laws usually are, but was anything I summarized incorrect?¡± demanded Terry.

    Brynn glanced at her predecessor and the man in grey overalls happily affirmed. ¡°You have summarized it correctly.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s simple,¡± shouted Terry. ¡°Just tell us who of you will face Matteo or yield if none of you is willing to step up.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a tower master for you to challenge,¡± groaned the thin-lipped woman. ¡°Get that through your head already!¡±

    ¡°If you failed to find anyone worthy in two decades, then I guess none of you are,¡± spat Terry. ¡°Since you have accepted this already, then I guess it¡¯s a good thing someone worthy has finally shown up for the role.¡± He gestured at his dumbstruck cousin and then focused back on the podium. ¡°I know my cousin and you could find no one even half as worthy.¡±

    Terry ignored the incredulous and offended stares and focused on the more quiet member of the three spokespeople. Unless Terry was mistaken, the man in sand-colored robes had shown an unexpected reaction to his taunt. He had felt the brief rising of his eyebrow. A slight tilt of the head to look between Matteo and Terry. An inhalation of breath. The slightest curl of the lips.

    ¡°Who is that one?¡± asked a person from the Martial Tower.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the only one who speaks normally.¡±

    ¡°All the others sound like wimps.¡±

    ¡°That law stuff sounded pretty wimpy though¡­¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    The thin-lipped woman flushed from anger. ¡°You have no right to come here and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think he has a point,¡± interrupted the man with sand-colored robes. He glanced at the metal-haired woman. ¡°We have put the matter off for far too long, because we didn¡¯t have a representative to unite the three schools. We still don¡¯t, but the tower can¡¯t stay masterless forever.¡±

    ¡°But our problem remains unchanged,¡± sighed the metallic-haired woman, and she moved her gaze to focus on Terry and Matteo. ¡°Usually, it is our tower master who decides the exact terms of the duel in advance, but the last one died before he could do so. We have three different schools with three different specialties. The terms of the duel would basically determine the winner. Round-robin, each of us only wins the match we determine and loses the other two. That is why we have dropped the matter of picking a new tower master from the schoolmasters. It¡¯s always a tie.¡±

    Matteo nodded with a realization. ¡°Summoning. Spellwork and ranged rituals. Empowerment and close combat.¡±

    Terry could see each of the elementalist representatives raise their head slightly when their school was mentioned. The thin-lipped woman. The metall-haired woman. The man in sand-colored robes.

    ¡°We have already determined the terms for each of our schools,¡± said the representative for ranged elementalism. She moved a strain of metallic hair behind her ear. ¡°And we have already faced each other.¡±

    ¡°There is no tower master for you to face,¡± said the close combat elementalism representative. ¡°So you¡¯ll have to defeat at least two of us on our own terms.¡± He looked at the thin-lipped woman, whose expression had become extremely sour. ¡°Although from what we¡¯ve heard, the summoning challenge would be a waste of time.¡±

    The leader of the Summoning School glared at the other two school representatives and spat. ¡°I still want to see it for myself.¡±

    Without hesitation, Matteo drew Soul Fury and human-shaped elementals appeared around him to follow his command.

    The thin-lipped woman scowled and shook her head, and spat: ¡°Congratulations. I admit defeat. I can¡¯t compete with the elemental control of a demon.¡± She sneered. ¡°And all you had to do was sell your soul to attain that power.¡±

    Matteo placed a hand on his heartseeker dagger and returned Soul Fury to its sheet. He didn¡¯t react to the newest insult.

    Emaldine stepped forth and was about to shout in protest, but someone else was quicker.

    ¡°All he had to do was save his mind and soul!¡± snapped Terry. ¡°From the monsters that were unleashed on him by his mentor in this very Elemental Tower. It was your tower that put Anand into a position of power over Matteo. Each and every one of you failed to protect the children under your care.

    ¡°You dare accuse him after all you¡¯ve done?! After all you¡¯ve failed to do?! You¡¯re lucky that Matteo is a better person than any of you!¡± Terry flared his mana and glared resentfully. ¡°Every one of you deserves to be fired and banished to the Wastes for negligence, but even when Matteo has kicked your egos into shape, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be too kind for that.¡±

    Terry continued glaring at the summoner, almost hoping that she would dare and talk back. He had a lot more to say to these people. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the close combat elementalist¡¯s gaze still lingered on Matteo¡¯s equipment.

    ¡°Then we have an agreement,¡± interjected Brynn loudly. ¡°Matteo has joined the competition for the position of Tower Master for the Elemental Tower that had been postponed previously.¡±

    ¡°Still bullshit.¡± Terry cursed in a mumble while they were leaving the arena. ¡°Should have been done with a single duel, but now there will be more, even though it was them that flaunted the laws of the Lands.¡±

    ¡°Relax, Terry,¡± said Matteo in a calming tone. He slapped his cousin on the shoulder. ¡°Technically, I still only have to win a single duel. Today can hardly be called a proper duel, so all that¡¯s left is a single win. I only have to win once more in the two duels to come.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Terry still looked unsatisfied. Whenever his mind went over the exchange again, he stumbled over the fact that each school had determined their own terms for their duel. From his own experience, there was no way that they didn¡¯t take advantage of that to tilt the scale in their favor.

    ***

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Edmund stared at his fellow guards, that were suddenly breaking formation and started running outside the city. He could feel his stomach turn and realized something was off. He cycled his mana and cursed.

    ¡°Eat this, quick.¡± Bjorln stepped out of the shadow and handed Edmund a pill. ¡°I don¡¯t have many at the moment, so you¡¯ll have to prioritize whom to help. I can make more, but until then we can only rely on the Magebane¡¯s nullification mana to clear their minds.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Edmund. The Arcanians were an incredible help, but he often felt at a loss at what was going on, because he couldn¡¯t keep track of everything they put into motion or were dealing with.

    ¡°It seems that the Spirited Duchess has chosen this time to make a move,¡± said Bjorln. ¡°My daughter can bring you up to speed. I have to prepare more soul protection pills.¡± He stepped back into the shadows where his aspected discharge acceleration wouldn¡¯t damage the buildings.

    ¡°Wait, they¡¯re possessed?¡± Edmund was about to panic when a dwarven woman dove out of the floor.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Lori. ¡°At an unbelievably large scale.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± cursed Edmund. ¡°We have to get everyone restrained before they all kill each other.¡±

    ¡°Restraints would be nice, but they¡¯re not exactly killing each other.¡± Lori sighed. ¡°Most of the possessed are moving to attack the constructs outside.¡± She looked into the distance. ¡°They are joined by a large horde of weird soul spirits that are approaching from all sides. Or not exactly soul spirits, but something similar. Chadwick called them husks. All of this makes the battle a colossal pain.¡±

    Edmund rubbed his eyes and cursed again. The constructs were their best defense, but if the citizens started throwing themselves at them, then what were they supposed to do? He couldn¡¯t very well allow the constructs to just slaughter the citizens. He also noted that the dwarven woman had said ¡®most¡¯, which meant that there might be possessed citizens running beyond their defensive perimeter to volunteer as hostages.

    Patricia stepped out of the shadows. ¡°There is another army of husks coming from the South. A large one. The Magebane signed he¡¯ll move to intercept.¡±

    ¡°But we need the nullification mana here to clear the possessed,¡± protested Edmund.

    Patricia rolled her eyes. ¡°Even if I had known that, I don¡¯t know how to sign finger runes to communicate with the Magebane. I hope the Spellcrusher returns soon.¡±

    ¡°I think he probably made the right call,¡± said Lori with a frown. ¡°These soul-empowered bodies¡­¡± She glanced at Patricia. ¡°Husks, I mean. They hit a lot harder than most of the possessed. If a large army is arriving.¡±

    Lori involuntarily shivered. These creatures all looked as if they were burning through their very life. Regular soul spirits had never given her the creeps like the husks. They still had physical bodies, but something had been done to their souls to control them and let them become more powerful for a time before perishing.

    ¡°Here you are!¡± Intira landed and looked at Patricia. ¡°We¡¯re going to do a large scale shadow bind.¡± She moved her gaze to Lori. ¡°And Isille said you¡¯re needed for a terrain change.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve been nominated as the dedicated air-transporter for the Magebane while the Boss is already preparing the undead to take over husk interception from now on.¡±

    ***

 218 Setbacks

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 9 ¨C

    Terry was sitting alone in his room in the Lands¡¯ Crafting Tower. He was channeling all his mana into the bottle artifact while stretching his mana perception to follow how the bottle achieved the condensation of mana into liquid form.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± grumbled Terry and took a deep breath.

    He had tried relying on his mana control to achieve the same effect.

    Failure.

    ¡°No surprise,¡± sighed Terry. He had passed the idea by his uncle Samuel and received a lot of skepticism as a reply.

    Samuel wasn¡¯t able to do it. Given that Samuel had been chosen as the teacher for mana foundation for a reason, none of the other teachers at Arcana Academy would be able to do it either.

    According to his family, the Council members were not too far beyond the Academy¡¯s instructors, which was actually a testament to their prowess. While the instructors followed a specialization, the Council members were less specialized and their magic focus was less narrow. Still, that implied that a generalist Council member wouldn¡¯t stand far above an Academy instructor in the instructor¡¯s chosen field of focus.

    That left the magic sovereigns, who might be able to achieve a feat like liquifying mana, but also had no likely interest in achieving it. They were mages proper. Whatever benefit there might be in liquid mana flowing through their mana channels, masterful spellwork could replicate it with better mana efficiency.

    Most of the benefits were to the physical body, which was the tool of mana cultivators, not of mages.

    Terry exhaled sharply and scribbled in his notebook. He had one more idea to try.

    Even if it worked, this would be beyond infeasible.

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Terry hissed at himself. ¡°Establishing facts comes first.¡±

    Soon after, Terry focused on setting up as dense a sequence of focus refractors around himself as possible¡­

    If my control isn¡¯t good enough to compress it directly, then¡­

    He dumped his mana and rotated it into the focus refractors. Terry held the disruption domain close to his body and successively pumped it up with more and more mana.

    He could feel the spell slicers increasing in intensity¡­

    Maybe¡­

    Crap.

    Soon, Terry was running into complications. The intense spell slicers had ripped through some of his focus refractors. If he wanted to follow this path, he would first need to learn to compress or get a better hold on the refractors.

    So even if it¡¯s possible, the external compression would just be a multiplier for my compression of the refractors. Would that be enough?

    Terry recorded his thoughts on the idea in his notebook.

    Assuming I can figure it out, what do I do with it? As the dungeon defender, I had the liquid mana flowing through my mana channels. But if I shape it outside, then how do I get it where it¡¯s needed? The liquefaction makes it physical, but I can¡¯t just gulp it down and expect it to remain liquid until it enters my mana channels.

    Terry flipped through the notebook and earmarked another page.

    Perhaps Tiana has the right idea. Perhaps there is more to this.

    Terry read over the page that contained his notes on his internal disruption discharge. On the one hand, the internal discharge had allowed him to shake off a powerful active spell targeting him.

    Useful.

    Relying solely on internal mana control.

    On the other hand, the technique had practically emptied his mana pool and the intense spell slicers had torn through his mana channels, which had left him crippled afterwards.

    Since it relied only on internal mana control, it¡¯s understandable that Tiana, with her external mana control impairment, got interested.

    But after I outlined the toll it took on me, the only reason she still seriously considers it is that she¡¯s possessed by elementals, even if the possession is technically inverted.

    ¡®The elementals have their own ways to protect the mana vessels from becoming too damaged.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any elementals in my mind though, and I would very much like to keep it that way.¡± Terry tapped his pen on the notebook. ¡°Perhaps I can train my mana channels up for it? Slowly increase the intensity with bursts before adding the focus refractors?¡±

    Terry involuntarily looked around and flinched. He had gotten used to being told off by his healers whenever he got ideas like these. Fortunately for him, his healers were still in the other half of the Union.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Terry made another note for the technique to underline its possible relevance to the liquefaction idea.

    Feels like another long-term project.

    ¡°Not the time,¡± said Terry. His mana touch told him that the time for the next duel had come. However, before he could collect his things to move towards the arena, another appearance caught his attention. People were rushing through their dimensional gate.

    Something is going on in the Freedom Cooperative.

    Terry roughly pulled at his mana to collect it in an instant and force all excess mana into the bottle artifact while returning all his notebooks and tools into his storage items. He hurriedly checked all of his new equipment pieces before turning towards the door.

    When Terry darted out of his room in the Crafting Tower, he halted because the local elementalists were staring at him with horrified expressions. He looked back to check if there was anything behind him.

    ¡°What was going on in there?¡± asked one of the disturbed crafters.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry blinked before smiling sheepishly. ¡°The intense rotating mana? Yeah, that was me. My apologies if it distracted you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No, not that!¡±

    ¡°I felt my mana being sucked away from me for a moment.¡±

    ¡°As if something was grabbing onto my mana pool.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Terry blinked and gulped. ¡°Did I do that?¡± He had more forcibly pulled at his mana to collect it speedily, but¡­

    Since when did he have a pull on mana already naturalized by others?

    Terry suppressed the urge to reopen his notebooks. He had experience with harvesting and reclaiming mana from a distance. Combining that with his mana touch pervading everything, it just might explain¡­

    ¡°Not the time.¡± Terry hissed at himself and immediately realized he had voiced his self-reprimand out loud.

    Weirdo.

    Terry ignored the bewildered looks and darted towards his aunt¡¯s original estate in the Lands. His inner Academy student would have to wait. First, he had to figure out what was going on in the besieged city state.

    ***

    When Terry arrived at the dimensional gate hidden in Brynn¡¯s original estate, two people were already there: Samuel and Matteo. Others were already on their way.

    Terry couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow. ¡°You were quick.¡±

    Samuel chuckled. ¡°Your mana sense is matching mine and with your mana touch, you are set up to surpass me, Whaka Terry, but you¡¯ll have to surpass me by far, if you want to stay ahead.¡±

    Meaning you either had specialized spellwork to enhance your senses or a localized detection spell or relied on a magic way to traverse the distance while I was busy running.

    Fair enough.

    Terry moved his eyes to Matteo.

    I never fully understood how his elemental senses work, but he doesn¡¯t have a transfer spell, does he?

    ¡°Remember this?¡± Matteo raised a hand with a golden ring on it. ¡°I had one of the hired servants keep the paired trainee version so that I could quickly come over if necessary.¡±

    Huh. Good idea.

    Terry remembered the paired training rings. When the Divine Division had attacked Syn City, his aunt had handed the rings out so that both she and Matteo could switch places with Terry if they deemed it necessary to keep him safe.

    Back to the important topics¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Terry and looked at the city guards from the Freedom Cooperative that were acting as messengers.

    ¡°The city was attacked,¡± explained Samuel. ¡°Many of Brynn¡¯s constructs were damaged or destroyed. It seems the Spirited Duchess has a way to use the souls of the departed and let them invade the bodies of the living to temporarily take control.¡±

    Terry frowned and remembered the thralls deployed by the vampires during the ambush during the masquerade ball.

    ¡°My sister attacked?¡± Siling had arrived with others in tow.

    ¡°Possession?¡± Tiana¡¯s expression darkened. She glanced at Matteo and clenched her fists. ¡°That¡¯s too cruel.¡±

    ¡°Effective though¡­¡± mumbled Terry pensively. Once again, he had to commend the strategy of the Lich Kingdoms even if the means were utterly abhorrent. Using disposable undead for the initial assault. Using thralls and similar magic to have their victims fight themselves in a lose-lose situation.

    ¡°Fortunately, the possession appears transient,¡± said Samuel. ¡°Unfortunately, it gets worse. Going by the reports, there is a second phase of the ability where she then burns the original soul to empower the controlled creature.¡± He rubbed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re calling these soulflame-empowered creatures husks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± exclaimed Jorg.

    ¡°We must stop her,¡± growled Tiana.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± muttered Siling gravely.

    ¡°Any husks created from folks?¡± asked Matteo with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°That would have been my next question, too.¡± Samuel looked at the messenger for clarification.

    ¡°No,¡± the city guard shook her head. ¡°Non-magic beasts and mana-corrupted creatures.¡±

    Terry saw Siling heave a sigh of relief while several others also lost some of their tension. He clicked his tongue. ¡°How extensive was the damage?¡±

    ¡°Significant, but far from catastrophic,¡± said Samuel. ¡°With the help of the Crafting Tower, we can supply reinforcements, but it will take time to make up the difference.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, the city won¡¯t be able to suffer many such attacks,¡± interjected Tiana. ¡°We¡¯ll have to think of something.¡±

    Terry recalled the day the Hound had captured him, as well as the many battles he had fought for the Freedom Cooperative.

    He had often felt that a defense was at a severe disadvantage because their enemies could focus on them and gather information. The defense was either preparing or reacting, but it was the invaders that chose the timing and means of attack. The longer they had to gather information, the more devastating their means could be employed.

    Terry looked at Samuel. ¡°We have to push back.¡± Their undead and husks are mindless forces to throw at their targets. They¡¯re hardly suited to properly defend their captured territory. If we can push them in other locations, then they have to split the forces that matter. The folks and deathlife.

    ¡°That¡¯s also what Chadwick said, Sir Guardian, and Isille agreed with him.¡± The messenger looked at Terry with slight surprise. ¡°That we can¡¯t resign ourselves to being on the defensive.¡±

    Samuel frowned. ¡°If you came here with that, then there has to be a complication.¡±

    ¡°Edmund disagrees with splitting the defense forces,¡± said the messenger. ¡°Akemi disagrees with sending people to attack settlements, even if they were captured by the Lich Kingdoms. The hunters are split across varying opinions. The Whisperer and Intira agree in principle, but the Whisperer refuses to commit hunters and would rather send undead of their own, which Akemi, Isille, and others objected to.¡±

    Of course they object. Sending mindless undead that don¡¯t distinguish between hostage citizens and Lich Kingdom invaders would just be another attack. That would create even more victims and potentially flatten the settlements that survived the initial invasion.

    Terry subconsciously emitted a growl. He was once again reminded that even though they were fighting on the same side, he did not see eye to eye with all of his allies. He had inevitably clashed with Thiago and Edmund during peacetime. He shouldn¡¯t be surprised that he ended up disagreeing with them during the war.

    ¡°Perhaps I should go,¡± said Matteo. ¡°With the elementals under my control, I would be sufficient to cover one¡ª¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± interjected Emaldine, who had arrived by now. ¡°You have a duel later today!¡±

    ¡°A duel I¡¯m going to lose anyway,¡± retorted Matteo. ¡°The terms of the duel are designed for ritualists and spellwork prepared long in advance. If I was allowed to summon elementals, then maybe, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just running away?¡± interrupted Emaldine. ¡°I know about the people visiting you earlier.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Terry with a frown.

    ¡°A long line of people telling me to go die.¡± Matteo sighed. ¡°A daughter telling me I killed her parents, a father telling me I killed his wife and children, another one whose siblings all died when I¡ª¡±

    ¡°When the demon rampaged,¡± corrected Emaldine and she glared at Matteo. ¡°Terry was right. You have to learn to stand up for yourself.¡±

    ¡°But their suffering was caused by¡­¡± Matteo shook his head. ¡°If not by me, then at least I was the means for it. I can¡¯t just tell them to shut up and piss off.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± barked Terry. ¡°Everyone has their reasons.¡± Maybe it doesn¡¯t fucking matter? ¡°You don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course you would say that.¡± Maximilian stepped through the gate into the basement, together with his group. ¡°No care whatsoever for those harmed by your actions.¡±

    ¡°Maximilian, hold your damned tongue,¡± growled Lori. ¡°I told you if you can¡¯t get along with my brother, you can fuck off to the Libra Outpost.¡±

    ¡°I owe you a life debt. I go where you go,¡± insisted Maximilian. He harrumphed and looked at Terry. ¡°But you¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Lori stayed to defend the Libra Outpost against the wrath unleashed by her own country. You, however, conspired to attack the outpost and murdered Harrison, an innocent man that called you a friend. You even insisted that you¡¯re not sorry for your actions. It¡¯s no wonder you cannot sympathize with victims.¡±

    Terry felt his own temper flare up, and he focused on his breathing.

    Maximilian felt emboldened by Terry¡¯s silence: ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of calling Lori your sister, you¡ª¡± A gut-punch from his side forced the air out of his lungs.

    ¡°I swear, I¡¯m going to collect that life debt if you don¡¯t shut the fuck up,¡± growled Lori. ¡°Terry is my brother and I don¡¯t give a shit what you think about that.¡±

    Miguel whistled and grimaced in mock pain. ¡°Mate, you had that one coming.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the Libra Outpost, the person Harrison defended by defending Willow was exactly the person behind all the victims here: Anand.¡± Terry spat the name in Maximilian¡¯s face. ¡°The mentor that caused Matteo to be possessed by elementals. The monster that conspired with Willow to kill my aunt.¡±

    Terry held the furious glare from Maximilian and leaned closer to the hunched over mage. ¡°The difference between you and me isn¡¯t that only you can sympathize with victims. It¡¯s that, in contrast to you, I can see that it¡¯s possible for there to be more than one victim at the same time. I sympathize with the pain of the people that suffered under the demon¡¯s attack, but my sympathy ends when they start harassing Whaka Matteo, who is as much a victim of that day as they are, if not more so.¡±

    Maximilian scoffed but didn¡¯t speak up anymore.

    Terry straightened himself with a scowl still on his face. He looked at Matteo. ¡°You deal with your duel. Even if there is no way you can win, you should still try.¡±

    Matteo frowned.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t accept you, they will just try and figure out another technicality to renege on the challenge rules,¡± said Terry. ¡°Winning or losing, what matters is that they learn to respect you. Show them what you can do, even if it¡¯s not sufficient to win according to the rules that disadvantage you.¡±

    Matteo sharply exhaled some air. ¡°Fair point.¡±

    ¡°Told you that your mind is clouded by your desire to get away from this place,¡± said Emaldine and slapped Matteo on the back. ¡°Even our little cousin can see it straight.¡± She glanced at Terry. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being this outspoken or¡­ I don¡¯t know, I remember you being more quiet and¡­ innocent?¡±

    ¡°Naive, you mean,¡± said Terry. At least, that was what he thought of his past self in retrospect. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go. You take care of your duel.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± exclaimed Jorg. ¡°We¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± agreed Siling. ¡°I won¡¯t have my little sister rampage under my watch.¡±

    ¡°Little? Aren¡¯t you twins?¡± asked Terry.

    ¡°And isn¡¯t your ¡®little¡¯ sister a mighty Duchess in the Lich Kingdoms,¡± added Miguel. ¡°Did you forget that a count whooped Terry¡¯s butt?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just because the mighty Guardian is secretly a big softie,¡± retorted Siling.

    Terry rolled his eyes. He felt tempted to revive the Impenetrable Woman nickname again, but decided against it.

    ¡°I refuse to believe my sister is that much stronger than I,¡± grumbled Siling.

    ¡°Growing up in the Lich Kingdoms can¡¯t have been easy.¡± Emaldine pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m sure that strength comes with a lot of painful memories.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Terry. He said goodbye to Samuel and his cousins and then turned towards the dimensional gate.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Vess asked Tiana while they were following Terry. ¡°What about your¡­ situation?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay,¡± insisted Tiana. ¡°Matteo says my progress is impressive. I still have the magic necklace he gave me for shielding my mind and my brother will also be around to help with the lightning, if necessary.¡±

    While Terry¡¯s group left for the city state, Emaldine looked at Matteo. ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Fight,¡± said Matteo flatly. Before he could leave the basement, his elementals told him that Terry¡¯s heat signature was returning. He turned to the gate with a raised eyebrow.

    Terry smiled sheepishly. ¡°Actually, would you mind lending me¡­?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Well, damn,¡± exclaimed Emaldine and puffed her cheeks. ¡°Hard to argue with the numbers when their ritual just completely blows up the arena until no speck of the measuring dummies is left.¡± It was an impressive act considering the ranged elementalism duel was held in the largest arena in the Lands.

    ¡°See now what I meant?¡± Matteo clicked his tongue. ¡°She had days to prepare the ritual to fuel, amplify and contain her spellwork.¡± He held his hand against his neck. ¡°And she had hours to prepare her chained spellwork before the official measuring started.¡±

    His purple eyes followed the metallic-haired woman out of the arena, where the elementalists were already cleaning up for him to take the stage. ¡°Even if my natural mana throughput is much higher than hers, I¡¯m competing with more than the officially allotted time since advance preparations are allowed. Unfortunately, I¡¯m neither a ritualist nor very learned in proper spellwork.¡±

    Emaldine watched the arena preparations quietly before stating firmly: ¡°Just let loose and make sure they remember what you¡¯re about to show them.¡±

    ***

    Matteo walked into the center of the large arena and briefly rested his hand on his heartseeker dagger to calm himself. When he pulled away his hand again, the fog in his eyes vanished, together with the quieting effect that only allowed heartbeats to enter his ears.

    Matteo took a deep breath and waited for the first targets to appear. When the targets manifested, he punched out a fist of fire. He opened his palm and slapped at the air while the flames followed his command to incinerate the targets.

    Lightning cracked, and he darted forward to reach one side of the next targets. He hurled lightning backwards while spitting fire forward. He stomped on the ground and rock projectiles whirled around him, aided by furious winds.

    The number of targets continuously replenished, and an increasing number of new targets manifested.

    Eventually, Matteo jumped and kicked while a gigantic wall of ice followed his movements. He began sliding on the ice, propelled by intense tailwinds and blasts of fire.

    His mana flared, and he pulled on the earth to soar and collapse over one quarter of the arena while he was frenziedly sliding towards the next.

    The amount of targets kept increasing and with each successive wave, the targets became harder to destroy.

    The magic underneath the arena ensured that no elemental change to the area would last. Matteo¡¯s ice vanished. His flipped earth returned to its original position. He had to continuously use his mana abilities to keep up with the changes and replenished targets.

    Eventually, Matteo halted at the center of the arena. He faced the taunting targets with grim determination and pulled Soul Fury from its sheath. He wasn¡¯t allowed to summon any elementals, and that included the lightning-aspected dragon soul inside the blade, but there was no rule against using the weapon as a magical conductor. The leader of the ranged elementalists had used her own mage staff, after all.

    The air soared underneath Matteo while a whirlwind lifted him up into the air. He raised the fiendish katana towards the heavens and snapped the fingers of his other hand. Purple lightning snaked around his body and then struck towards all corners of the arena, unceasingly blasting the targets into nothingness.

    Matteo¡¯s purple eyes glowed brightly while glowering down onto the arena. His hands guided a furious storm of raging lightning to do his bidding.

    While the area reverberated with the deafening blasts of thunder, a heavy silence had fallen over the seats of elementalist spectators.

    ***

    ¡°HA!¡± One young elementalist exclaimed with glee. They might be members of a different school, but they were thrilled to see that the demon had been bested by the leader of the school for ranged elementalism.

    ¡°Take that demon! Go back to where you came from!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want you here!¡±

    ¡°Thinking you deserve to rule us? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±

    ¡°In the end, you still lost!¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± The man in sand-colored robes barked at his students from the close-combat elementalism school.

    ¡°Teacher?¡± One woman close to the leader looked at her mentor inquisitively. ¡°I would figure you would be happier. It was surprisingly close, I admit, but the demon has lost.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call him a demon,¡± said the school leader. ¡°Even when my brother gave his life to stop him, he didn¡¯t blame the boy. That loud mouth Arcanian was right on one point. Our tower failed the kids when we allowed Anand into our ranks.¡±

    The man tried to suppress the memories of his deceased brother. There was a reason that he had been happy to postpone the question of nominating another elemental tower master. He didn¡¯t think anyone would be worthy of following in his older brother¡¯s footsteps, least of all himself.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that the dem¡ª that Matteo lost,¡± interjected a teacher from his school. ¡°He might have won against the summoners, but as far as ranged elementalism goes, he has been proven inferior.¡±

    ¡°Has he?¡± demanded the school leader. He subconsciously rubbed the school insignia on his sand-colored robes. He shook his head and looked at the subordinate. ¡°Let me ask you this: How do you fight a summoner or ranged ritualist?¡±

    ¡°The best way to defeat a summoner is to ignore the summons and take out the summoner. Same for the ritualist or elemental mage. Get close and quickly take them out.¡± The teacher tilted his head and furrowed his brow, clearly suspecting a trick question. After all, they were the school of close-combat elementalism. This was literally their core mission and unique selling point over the other schools.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± The school leader moved his gaze away from the teacher and back to the arena where Matteo was about to exit. ¡°Tell me then, how, by mana, do you quickly take out someone like that?¡±

    The teacher cracked his mouth but did not reply. Instead, he reconsidered the performance he had seen from a new angle.

    While some still protested and discussions broke out over what Matteo¡¯s performance implied for the relevance of the different schools, the school leader ignored the ongoing debate. He simply continued looking at the exit of the arena. His eyes remained glued on the two weapons visible on Matteo¡¯s back and hip: Soul Fury and the heartseeker dagger.

    The school leader clenched his fists. He admitted that Matteo possessed power, but he still wasn¡¯t convinced that this power was truly the boy''s own. He did not blame the boy for what had happened in the past, but he refused to risk a disaster like that happening again.

    He couldn¡¯t allow it.

    He wouldn¡¯t.

    ***

 219 Ashes Fall

    ¨C Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 10 ¨C

    Terry ignored most of the heated discussions between the different local leaders and his family during the meeting. His mind was already set.

    From the looks on the faces of his friends, it wasn¡¯t just him. They had all seen the damage to the army of constructs guarding the city. The Freedom Cooperative wasn¡¯t able to take many such setbacks.

    Everyone agreed on that much, but there was little agreement beyond that.

    When the meeting was finally over, his parents and Chadwick asked them to stay behind.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± asked Tiana with a curious expression.

    Terry was surprised to see her looking at him while asking. ¡°Know what?¡±

    ¡°When we heard about the situation, you had the same suggestion as my brother,¡± elaborated Tiana. ¡°Same during the meeting. It was as if your minds followed the same lines of thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was wondering when you had become interested in military strategy,¡± added Miguel.

    ¡°Not really ¡®interested.¡¯ When I was imprisoned in the Proving Grounds, I had a lot of reading time.¡± Terry shrugged. ¡°The Warlord: Inquiries Into the Nature of Power ¨C written by Thanatos himself.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°And a few unpleasant practical lessons afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Figures that you would take inspiration from the Mad Empire,¡± sneered Maximilian. ¡°The counter-points the others made in the meeting seemed just as valid to me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an ass, you know that?¡± Vess rolled her eyes.

    Tiana pointedly looked at Maximilian. ¡°I trust my brother took these points into consideration, and I believe Terry did the same.¡±

    ¡°Practical lessons like being stuck in a besieged city?¡± asked Patricia.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t stuck. He chose to stay and defend the city,¡± corrected Lori with a disgruntled glare towards Maximilian.

    ¡°Being on the defensive sucks,¡± sighed Terry. ¡°Yes, you can prepare, and that gives you an advantage. That¡¯s great if you have an exit like a spatial transfer, or if you just have to face a single group. You can prepare traps, or use a hidden card. But against an army? They just keep coming. They can take their time to probe you for any hidden cards. They can perfectly prepare to exploit your weaknesses. They know you, but you don¡¯t know them. You can¡¯t know what¡¯s coming.¡±

    Terry shook his head. ¡°And in this case, they can just raise the dead or create husks and throw them endlessly at their target, which offsets whatever advantage there might have been in being the defending party, not to mention that the city can¡¯t stay locked down eternally. People have to eat, which means someone has to produce the food and bring it to the city.¡±

    ¡°Kind of hard to grow crops when the whole area is drowning in rotten flesh,¡± remarked Elena with a grimace.

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Terry asked Siling.

    Siling shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m ready to crack some Lich Kingdom skulls. That¡¯s bound to make me feel better.¡±

    They continued chatting until Chadwick and Isille walked up to them and led them outside.

    ¡°We got quite a few volunteers,¡± said Chadwick.

    Terry wasn¡¯t surprised to see his martialist fan club at the front of the gathered people, but he had not expected this many non-martialist volunteers for their mission. He recognized some faces from the vengeful masses pouring into the Freedom Cooperative after they had first made a stand.

    ¡°For the best results, we¡¯ll have to be quick,¡± said Chadwick. ¡°We can¡¯t count on Mia¡¯s cooperation. Even though Dargones said that Amelia is already on her way, we¡¯re going to be without dimensional travel assistance for this round.¡±

    ¡°We have a few emergency scrolls, but we shouldn¡¯t use them unless we really have to,¡± said Isille, and a frown was sprouting on her face. ¡°Which means we have to spread out. Hit them at multiple locations. Hit them fast. Hit them hard. Clear the occupied settlements. Leave a message. Leave.¡±

    ¡°I can take the volunteers with some basic military training and align with the death hunters to lead one group,¡± said Chadwick.

    ¡°Bjorln and I can take some constructs for another,¡± said Isille. She looked at Terry. ¡°There are plenty of martialist volunteers, but we would have to put someone in charge. It can¡¯t just be a random nobody. They¡¯ll have to keep the rest in line.¡±

    ¡°Guillermo and Zhang have the backing of their sects.¡± Terry turned towards the location where he felt their mana signatures. ¡°I can talk to them and then help get the rest to follow their lead.¡±

    Maybe I can also get a message to Peter and Annabelle. Although the abilities of the Blazing Sun Sect would be more useful in defending against the undead hordes instead of liberating occupied settlements. Perhaps they would agree to¡ª Not the time.

    ¡°So we can be group four?¡± prompted Terry.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all up for this?¡± asked Isille and looked at everyone present.

    ¡°This is a conflict between countries,¡± warned Chadwick. ¡°Not the kind of situation where the Guardians could bail you out.¡±

    Terry nodded, and his siblings quietly stepped to him. Vess followed Tiana. Patricia and Elena joined Lori.

    Surprisingly, Maximilian was the first to speak up: ¡°Of course. Even without Guardian backing, the mission is the right thing to do. The cursed kingdoms have subjugated these innocent people and their victims have a right to our help.¡±

    Chadwick furrowed his brow. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll talk to the death hunters to make sure there are some senior scouts nearby.¡± He looked at Tiana. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Always.¡± Tiana winked.

    Both Chadwick and Vess snorted. Tiana¡¯s brother shook his head. ¡°I wish.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re volunteering for this.¡± Patricia looked skeptically at Maximilian. ¡°Weren¡¯t you all against us joining the others for the trip to the Lands? How is this any different? In the Lands, it wouldn¡¯t even have been us that made a move.¡±

    ¡°How is this not different?!¡± exclaimed Maximilian flabbergasted. ¡°The Lich Kingdoms have violently seized these lands and settlements. They¡¯re the aggressors. We¡¯re just helping the people throw them out. The situation with the Lands of the Four Towers is entirely different. That¡¯s Matteo and Brynn seizing land that isn¡¯t theirs. They¡¯re the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Through legal means,¡± interjected Terry with a hiss. ¡°¡®Seizing¡¯ through legal means. The tower challenges are a core tradition in the Lands¡® culture and enshrined in their legal system.¡±

    ¡°As if that would matter!¡± Maximilian scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s still a coup, no matter if it¡¯s legal or not. I¡¯m not surprised that you don¡¯t understand it, even though it¡¯s painfully obvious.¡±

    Is it? Terry shrugged and held back his retorts. He didn¡¯t have to get along with the man to work with him. Maximilian appeared loyal to Lori and a capable mage specializing in mobile combat support.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick up one more member for us,¡± declared Terry. If the goal was to sow chaos behind enemy lines, then there was one particular unaffiliated martialist whom he wanted at his side. ¡°Then we can discuss the plan.¡±

    ***

    Elena circled her mana into her equipment to step out of the shadows and undo her cloaking. Her helmet was set. Her shield was prepared. Her sword was drawn. Only one thing was missing¡­

    With the ignition of her spell, the whole area drowned with the scent and signature of blood.

    ***

    The vampire in the watchtower reeled around towards the sudden blood signature. The moment his head was turned, an intensely aspected arrow needled through the small opening in the barred windows and pierced right into the vampire¡¯s head. Coldfire burned through the vampire¡¯s blood while a powerful poison mixed into the circulatory system to prevent any regeneration.

    ¡°What?! Where?!¡± The second vampire guard stepped away from the window in shock. The arrow¡¯s angle had been impossible unless they were shooting from the sky and even then, it was unbelievable.

    While the guard¡¯s attention was on the window, a figure silently appeared out of thin air. Patricia¡¯s shadows weaved through the vampire¡¯s armor and cut out the heart from the back. She disappeared as quickly and quietly as she had appeared.

    There were more Lich Kingdom guards to eliminate.

    In the shadow plane, Patricia nodded at Jorg. She darted away while Jorg switched into the regular plane.

    Jorg hurriedly rummaged through the documents in the tower and through the pockets of the guards. They needed information, and they had to make sure that there weren¡¯t any dead man¡¯s switches that would trigger an alarm to warn the other guards unless someone regularly maintained a signal. The longer they could keep their activities hidden and keep the focus on Elena, the better.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Jorg was not entirely happy with putting Elena into the hostile spotlight, but it was the best plan they had come up with. Ironically, Elena herself was mostly complaining about being the only one that had to wear two silver rings. The others were only paired with Siling, but Elena had a second ring to match the golden ring for Terry, who had insisted on it if she wanted to use the blood lure.

    Jorg retrieved the little paper talisman that the felan had given him. [No information on the imprisoned town guards or other hostages. But they apparently received a delivery of volatile materials.]

    Jorg transmitted the information he deemed relevant while inspecting the inscriptions in the tower. He cursed quietly because someone had put a lock on the inscriptions and he couldn¡¯t bypass it. He had started practicing the runic system, but such a task was still way beyond him. Instead, he attached a few magic detonators. If anyone tried to use these inscriptions against them, they would come to regret it.

    ***

    ¡°Terry found the hostages.¡± Siling¡¯s bodiless voice whispered through the sky above the settlement.

    ¡°It¡¯s really weird talking to you like that,¡± grumbled Miguel. He was sitting on the thunderblood hawk soul spirit that Siling had dubbed Wingman.

    ¡°As the mistress of bling, I¡¯m supposed to stay hidden, if possible.¡± Siling¡¯s disembodied voice replied. ¡°Guardian¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Can you get by with your equipment for a while?¡± asked Siling. ¡°He discovered the prisoners faster than expected. I need to position the others and it¡¯s quicker with Wingman. I don¡¯t want to move Peekaboo before switching Elena out, and Maximilian is moving in the opposite direction.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Miguel hopped off the soul and activated some of the inscriptions in his armor to float. In the worst case, he still had the Immovable Object imprints he also used for stabilizing his shots from the flapping thunderblood hawk soul spirit. ¡°The elevated targets are getting thin, anyway. I¡¯ll look for some better spots. Keep me in the loop.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Who are you?!¡±

    ¡°Lay down your weapons or die!¡±

    Elena stared at the arriving vampires and focused on her breathing. She whispered to herself. ¡°Not yet.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°How about you die instead?! You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± She felt embarrassed at the words leaving her mouth, but Terry had told her to taunt them.

    ¡°Kill her!¡± ordered the commander.

    When a smaller group separated to fulfill the command, the earth underneath them erupted in rock shrapnel that tore them apart before the earth reshaped and swallowed them whole.

    Elena frowned slightly. Her best friend was as overprotective as ever. It would have been better to draw more of them in before playing that card, but there was little point in complaining.

    ¡°Ring the alarm!¡± shouted the commander.

    Elena¡¯s frown deepened. They had left the best-case scenario with that order. It was then that she heard Terry¡¯s voice in her mind. [It¡¯s okay. Maximilian is in position to switch with Rafael. If we move quickly, we can use the distraction to help the others at the hostage extraction. I¡¯ll tag you out soon.¡±

    Elena wanted to grumble at only playing bait, but once she was in the center, she could be more useful again. Despite her complaints, a smile was playing around her lips. Having both Siling and Terry to coordinate everyone from afar was simply a cheat. It was difficult to believe that they once had to retake the bounty hunting examination.

    ***

    [Clear.] Siling heard Terry¡¯s voice in her head. She circled mana into one of her golden rings and found herself in front of a building full of questionable mana signatures. She didn¡¯t have to share Terry¡¯s mana sense to realize that this was a gathering of Lich Kingdom soldiers. According to Jorg, there was also something being built.

    Siling didn¡¯t have time to wonder what. She circled mana into another golden ring and shortly after, Rafael appeared on the scene. The felan had switched locations with the invisible elf.

    Instantly, the mana signatures inside the building moved. In contrast to Maximilian and Siling, Rafael hadn¡¯t cloaked his life signature. His mask artifact was hiding his mana, but his life was still detectable to the vampires. He also had a powerful resonance technique charged at his claws.

    The alarm that started to blare in the distance appeared entirely superfluous.

    ¡°HEAVENLY WOLF SLASH!¡± The gigantic white wolf tore into the building and charged straight ahead to the location of volatile materials that Terry had pointed out. After unleashing the attack, Rafael hurriedly darted away and prepared himself to use the strange crafted item that Jorg had given him.

    ***

    ¡°Get the worm out of the earth!¡± ordered the commander. The vampiress stepped forth and drew her blade. ¡°Two others with me. We¡¯ll take her alive.¡±

    Before they could make two steps, the woman in front of them disappeared. In her stead stood a man in similar-styled equipment but with a shadow fabric cloak and an odd spear with mismatched colors.

    ¡°Any last words?¡± asked Terry, while lightning snaked around his king spear and his disruption domain unfolded around him.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    Lori dove out of the earth next to Terry. ¡°Are you sure I shouldn¡¯t help out?¡± She looked at the two dozen vampires that were still left.

    ¡°You¡¯re of more use elsewhere,¡± replied Terry. And Siling isn¡¯t going to let you indulge in second thoughts, anyway. ¡°Have some faith in your brother.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Freedom¡¯s Guardian!¡±

    ¡°Where did the dwarf go?!¡±

    Behind the barrier visor of his helmet, Terry grinned. He could briefly feel Siling next to him. The elven woman had changed places with his sister and then disappeared by transferring herself to the location of her thunderblood hawk.

    They had briefly considered if they should fight the vampires as a group, but eventually decided that this wasn¡¯t necessary. Terry was sufficient for their primary objective: to keep these soldiers from interfering with the hostage extraction.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been itching to pay your empire back,¡± growled Terry. He only had to wait a moment before the explosion reverberated in the distance and told him that Rafael had done his part. He darted forward and used his enemies¡¯ temporary distraction to hurl the first divine hammers and summon the heaven¡¯s fury with his king spear.

    While Terry rampaged through the ill-prepared enemy forces, he had to suppress the gnawing suspicion growing at the back of his mind. He believed that he had missed something about the materials and whatever the Lich Kingdoms had been planning to build, but unfortunately, he was pressed for time.

    This wasn¡¯t an investigation mission. This was a raid to liberate an occupied settlement and take some pressure off the Freedom Cooperative¡¯s defense. Whatever questions or uneasy feelings he might have, they had to wait their turn.

    ***

    ¡°By the kings, what was that?!¡± exclaimed one of the vampire guards.

    ¡°Check it out!¡±

    When some of them stormed out of the prison to check what was going on, they were assaulted by lightning from the back.

    One vampire was knocked out, but still regenerating. The others stared at the tall woman with visible blood vessels.

    ¡°Is this all of you?¡± Tiana looked disappointed. ¡°How boring.¡± She could see that her taunt was effective when the incensed shouts were causing others to emerge from the building.

    Tiana stepped sidewards to draw the vampires¡¯ attention. When the two groups converged on her direction, Vess appeared out of the shadows and ignited her empowered metal barrier to cut off the outside soldiers from the other guards inside.

    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± spat a vampire. ¡°You alone against us?¡±

    ¡°Me? Alone?¡± Tiana chuckled. ¡°Never, I¡¯m afraid.¡± A lightning elemental appeared next to her while she switched into a proper combat stance for her shield and sword.

    Behind the metal barrier, she could see that Elena and Maximilian were rushing inside. They would join up with Patricia and Jorg, who were stepping through the shadows. With their numerical advantage, this shouldn¡¯t take long.

    Afterwards, Maximilian and Vess could focus on healing the imprisoned combatants while Patricia and Jorg would go back to sieving through the city.

    Tiana eyed the vampires warily. Even though her lightning elemental could provide support, she didn¡¯t want to risk their advantage. She still remembered some of the problematic spells that Terry had warned them about. Her equipment provided magical protection, but it was better to be careful.

    The loud ruckus coming from different directions at once told Tiana that some of them were engaging in a different strategy. It sounded like Terry, Rafael, and Lori were competing over who could collapse the most buildings.

    Tiana engaged the enemies with careful probing while leaving the self-exposing attacks to her controlled elemental.

    When the first coldfire-aspected arrow hit one of her opponents, Tiana instantly switched to a more aggressive stance.

    ***

    ¡°Found you, little rat!¡±

    Miguel dodged the vampire¡¯s blade by rolling to the side. He quickened a cast of Burning Hands to buy enough time to exchange his bow for a dagger.

    The vampire cursed when the coldfire invaded his blood vessels, but his blood control allowed him to prevent it from spreading.

    Before the vampire could get far, a pair of talons ripped into him with the arrival of Wingman.

    More vampires were soon levitating in the sky around the rooftop, but they were bombarded by spells from all kinds of directions while the thunderblood hawk picked them off one by one.

    One vampire hurled an empowered spear of blood at Miguel, who was frantically channeling mana to activate the protective barriers from his armor.

    A bright light shined in the distance, and when the Blink spell finished, Jorg appeared in front of his friend with a quickened barrier. He dropped several spheres that positioned themselves at different locations on the roof. Before the blood spear could even reach the first barrier, additional barriers of different aspects and even a raised wall of stone were blocking the spell¡¯s way ¨C courtesy of Jorg¡¯s crafted items.

    Miguel, Jorg, and Siling worked together to get rid of the remaining vampires.

    Afterwards, Jorg took a deep breath and grumbled at Jorg. ¡°Next time, you get a ring, too.¡±

    ¡°Whaaat?¡± drawled Miguel while grinning sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to keep my distance. My other equipment is as good as yours. You need the training rings more than I do. You¡¯re also more useful to shuffle around. How is the hostage situation?¡±

    ¡°Under control,¡± said Jorg. ¡°Some were in terrible shape, but Vess and Maximilian are healing them.¡± He looked into the distance. ¡°Although Maximilian might have to switch to mobile support again. Rafael¡¯s and Terry¡¯s battles appear to be larger. With this much damage, there are bound to be some injured citizens.¡±

    Jorg frowned. ¡°Speaking of which. Terry told me there is a building at risk of collapse that holds manaless bystanders. I¡¯ll have to go to make sure the thing remains standing while people are inside.¡±

    With those words, Jorg jumped onto the roof¡¯s edge and then used Blink to get back to the ground and sprint towards the location where people needed his help.

    [Anywhere I¡¯m needed?] Miguel transmitted Siling a message.

    [Things are calming down,] replied Siling. [Terry is still fighting some, but he says he¡¯ll be done soon. Lori has switched to building stabilization, just like Jorg. Tiana is leading the town guards to retake the walls. According to Terry, the towers are already clear. You can either help Elena protect the injured hostages with Muttonchops or take out the remaining tail of soldiers chasing Rafael. Although I suspect our furry friend actually enjoys leading them around.]

    [The town might appreciate me shortening the felan¡¯s rampage,] replied Miguel. Elena and the purplemist soul spirit would be sufficient to protect the hostages, especially with Vess being present as a healer and Maximilian still hanging around the area. As such, Miguel had his next target. They might have already won the battle, but he still wanted to make himself useful.

    ***